Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard
Chapter 380

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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There was no time for extended thought.

Minimizing needless sacrifices was the priority.

"Come here, Maria!"

Ian naturally fell into rhythm with Maria.

They'd already practiced handling magic together several times at the university.

With Maria, Ian would have help directing magic exactly where he wanted it.

As Ian and Maria prepared their spell, Belenka instinctively pulled back the knights.

"Fall back for a moment! No need to press the attack right now!"

Without Ian, they would have had to throw everything into the battle, sacrificing troops.

But with Ian's magic, the situation was different.

Ian took a deep breath and stared directly at the demon.

A stillness fell, as if only the two of them existed in the world.

"[Demon.]"

Ian opened his mouth.

Tzitzimitl responded to Ian's words.

Ian was also a fairly skilled summoner.

"[This is not where you belong.]"

[Ah... Have you never considered the opposite? That my brothers and I are the true masters of this world. That the Sun God and his people are the evil corrupting the world...?]

It was as he expected.

Indeed, reasoning with demons was impossible.

"[If I were to set you free. What would you do?]"

[Our purpose has always been clear. To destroy the sun.]

"..."

[The sun imprisoned me and my brothers underground and declared itself king of the world. Such a false world must be eliminated.]

Ian thought to himself.

These demon bastards deserve to be locked in hell.

So this thing was basically a cosmic anti-socialist?

"[Have you no desire to coexist in the world created by God?]"

[You're a foolish one. This world wasn't 'created' by the sun. Since ancient times, the world has existed in a state of cold darkness.]

"[And?]"

[After the sun rose, an age of light came... but the time has come for the age of darkness to return. Yet the sun refuses to yield. The Sun God violates the laws of nature for its own survival.]

The demon raged as if this were some great sin.

But Ian felt nothing in response.

Humans and the sun had something in common, after all.

Though destined to eventually perish, they struggle fiercely until their final moment.

Isn't that human nature?

The Sun God maintaining a world of light for thousands of years?

That sounded perfectly satisfactory.

If it could shine forever, that would be even better!

[You have no interest in the cycles of the universe, wizard...]

"[That's right. I'd like this world to last a long time.]"

[Then our conversation is meaningless.]

Ian could roughly understand how Antios had persuaded this demon.

He probably promised to help it destroy the sun someday if it cooperated with him.

That bastard Antios.

He was truly dangerous...

To unhesitatingly make a deal with a being capable of destroying the world?

Antios would create chaos in the world.

And if the order of hell were disturbed, demons could actually break free onto the surface.

If Antios seized power, this fantasy world might truly face an apocalyptic ending...

Ian cleanly abandoned the dialogue with the demon.

There's no use talking to something that won't listen.

This thing needed an exorcism (physical)!

"[Mystery of Death!]"

Ian immediately contacted the mystery of death.

No matter how powerful the demon was, it was merely inhabiting a vessel.

Its main weapon was the power of death.

If Ian could ask the mystery of death to stop the killing, this would end!

[Ah, hahaha...!]

Tzitzimitl burst into laughter.

Ian glared at the demon.

Laughing? Now?

Still able to laugh, are we?

[You're truly overflowing with confidence, wizard.]

Tzitzimitl said with an unpleasant smirk.

[But wizard. Before you are a wizard, you are human.]

"[So what?]"

[Have you come to think of mysteries as your playthings because you manipulate them so easily?]

"..."

[Foolish one. You understand not even the smallest fragment of the universe, yet you attempt to wield power as if you were a god...]

Ian held back the sarcastic retort he wanted to make.

How very kind of you.

But you're my enemy, you know?

Listening to an enemy's words would be foolish.

It was obviously a tactic to deceive and psychologically dominate Ian.

'...But it has a point.'

Mysteries weren't toys.

Especially powerful laws like [Death] - they were anything but.

Ian was making contact with an incredibly dangerous power.

[Wind] might merely tickle a human when touched.

[Water] could sweep humans away.

[Fire] could burn humans like kindling.

...Then what about [Death]?

Simple.

Humans who contact death, die.

That's why air wizards and earth wizards were common, but necromancers were rare.

Wind and earth were easy for humans to touch... but death was not.

'Should I cancel the spell?'

Ian briefly considered it.

After all, he'd achieved his objectives.

He'd rescued Maria and escaped from the black wizards.

They'd even killed the black dragon Predius, which was a tremendous accomplishment.

Perhaps it would be fine to let Antios go this time.

But.

Ian felt some fateful intuition.

A major [branching point] the space-time wizards spoke of was right before him.

A future where Antios died here—

And a future where Antios escaped alive and rebuilt his organization.

Ian wasn't a space-time wizard, so he couldn't know where each future path led.

However, the choice was his to make.

The future of the empire and the world would change depending on which future Ian chose.

...The deliberation didn't last long.

Ian made his decision.

'Antios ends here.'

If Ian's destiny was to eliminate the black wizards,

Then this was the moment to fulfill that fateful mission.

Ian continued to focus his mind.

[You called me... human...]

The cold mystery of death swirled around Ian.

Its voice was so clear that even Maria startled, not to mention the necromancers in the black wizard ranks.

'This isn't the normal [Death]...!'

Maria looked up at Ian with an urgent expression.

A place where layered deaths overlapped, where necromancers had twisted the power of mysteries.

Moreover, Tzitzimitl was wielding death as a weapon.

Just as fire magic grows stronger in flames, the power of death intensifies in a death vortex.

This wasn't simple necromancy that called spirits.

This was dangerously making contact with [Death] itself.

Any necromancer with proper sense would slap Ian's face and stop the magic immediately.

If you want to die, commit suicide alone...!

Magic running wild sweeps away everything around it.

If the mystery of death went berserk, the results would be unspeakably horrific.

'Ian...'

And Maria belonged to the category of necromancers 'with proper sense.'

She wanted to stop Ian's magic immediately.

Let's deal with the black wizards some other way than necromancy.

Or even letting Antios go could be an option. The black wizards had lost everything here; they could never recover.

But Ian didn't stop the magic.

So what could Maria do?

Simply—

Believe in Ian and stand with him.

That's how it had always been.

Ian was Maria's 'everything.'

She knew Ian had worked hard for her sake.

Driving away Duke Roxlan and pushing back Duke Fargar were all for Maria's benefit.

But... that wasn't what Maria wanted.

She just wanted to be with Ian.

To stay together until fate separated them - that was her only wish.

She didn't need domains or titles.

Having just Ian by her side was enough.

"Ian."

Maria bound her soul tightly to Ian's.

It was to prevent Ian from being swept away by [Death] into the afterlife.

There was a risk that Maria might be swept away too...

But Maria was prepared to die.

Ian felt Maria anchoring his soul.

It wasn't much help, but better than nothing.

Maria wasn't a great necromancer. One additional soul wouldn't be enough to escape the massive torrent of death.

But he let it be.

He felt Maria's warm desire to help him.

Mental care through emotional support was still help, right?

Ian slowly approached the mystery of death.

Tzitzimitl silently watched Ian's conversation.

Once Death showed interest in Ian, it became impossible to kill him with death power.

And the demon knew.

Ian... would fail.

"[Death.]"

Ian whispered in a mysterious language.

"[Please cease this slaughter.]"

The mystery of death replied with what sounded like a sigh.

[I refuse.]

"..."

The reason for Ian's rejection was simple.

First, this place was already saturated with death, making retreat difficult.

And asking Death to stop killing? Was that even logical?

Since the request denied Death's very identity, Ian's plea couldn't be granted.

However—

"[Death.]"

A wizard is one who makes the impossible possible.

A wizard can stop blowing winds and extinguish burning fires.

Temporarily halting death was also entirely possible.

...Just incredibly difficult to accomplish.

"[You must know. Massacre is not your true purpose.]"

[...]

"[The cycle of life and soul. Isn't that the duty God entrusted to you?]"

Ian spoke to [Death] in a calm voice.

The mystery of death listened to Ian's words.

It was reasonable and valid persuasion.

[I know.]

So the mystery of death answered Ian's question.

[But the world is eternal, and my duty is endless.]

"..."

[All beings pass by me. Even the most beautiful flower or singing bird departs this world the moment I approach.]

That's what death was, after all.

[That demon promised me an end. A promise to destroy the world and grant me complete freedom.]

It wasn't a lie.

If the world ended and all life vanished, what work would [Death] have left?

[I could grant your request.]

The mystery of death whispered to Ian.

[But what can you offer me in return?]

Ian answered immediately.

Unlike the demon, his answer wasn't about gifting the end of the world.

What Ian could do.

What a wizard could do was only one thing—

Connecting the world and humans as one.

"[Friendship]"

Ian said.

"[Your duty may be endless, but I won't let you walk that path alone.]"

And he extended his hand.

"[I am a wizard. I can be with you.]"

The mystery of death slowly backed away.

[Lies...]

It couldn't believe Ian's words.

Why is death called death?

Because it kills life.

Ian was no exception.

The moment Ian drew close to death, he would die.

Ian knew this.

'It's worth trying.'

Yet Ian didn't back down.

This was an attempt worth making.

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