Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard -
Chapter 384
TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Surprisingly, the Duke liked family-oriented people.
They say people yearn for what they don't have.
Having grown up in the austere Roxlan family, the Duke both envied and admired harmonious families.
Of course, as he aged, he realized fantasies were just fantasies...
But wasn't it something to at least keep a fragment of that dream in his heart?
Duke Roxlan wasn't a withered, twisted person like his father."Family, is it."
Originally, Duke Roxlan had planned to cleanly execute Lisa Silverwind.
Killing her was much more convenient than keeping her alive.
But for some reason, Maria Silverwind appeared to recognize Lisa Silverwind as 'family.'
How to handle Lisa was entirely up to Duke Roxlan's judgment.
He could push for execution. Or he could send her to a convent to live confined for the rest of her life.
'Clearing a debt isn't so bad either.'
Duke Roxlan didn't deliberate for long.
Lisa Silverwind was useless anyway.
But if giving her to Maria could earn the goodwill of the Ian-couple, wouldn't that be advantageous?
It was nothing short of a miraculous recycling.
"If you want, I can hand Lisa over."
Ian nodded.
Judging by the way he spoke, there must be conditions.
Ian had expected a demand for compensation, but Duke Roxlan's request wasn't that.
"I want the new Margrave to be Maria Silverwind."
"Of course, Your Grace."
"If I release Lisa Silverwind and something happens to the barony... it would be extremely troublesome."
He was referring to rebellion, or even greater seeds of conflict.
"I believe you'll handle it well..."
The Duke glanced at Ian and said:
"If not, I'll personally find a convent for her."
"I'll speak with Lisa Silverwind first."
The Duke gestured for him to leave.
His body hadn't fully recovered, so he couldn't attend to official business for long.
As Ian bowed and left, the Duke briefly sank into thought.
Maria's decision was impulsive and uncertain, but also humane.
The Duke didn't dislike such human decisions.
This too was probably a result of deprivation.
"I'll be rooting for you, Ian."
The Duke laughed to himself, then writhed in pain from his stomach.
#
With the Duke's permission secured, all that remained was convincing Lisa.
Ian went to see Lisa first and spoke with her calmly.
He had no idea how it would go.
Lisa was a defeated noble who surely already knew that her future had completely vanished.
Would she bow her head to Ian despite this?
"...Wizard?"
"Are you doing well? Is anyone bothering you?"
Surprisingly, Lisa was confined to a house.
It seemed they'd decided that even a defeated noble couldn't be thrown into a common dungeon used for the lowborn.
Good bloodlines did have their advantages.
Ian offered his hand to Lisa.
"I'm Ian, Eredith's disciple."
Lisa quietly took Ian's hand.
"Lisa of Silverwind."
As Ian shook hands with Lisa Silverwind, he observed her face and demeanor.
Indeed. She had the appearance of Maria's sister.
A cold, delicate beauty, one might say.
He thought that if Belenka became extremely frail, she might give off a similar cold, sharp impression.
Or perhaps it would be more like Maria looking at Ian with contemptuous eyes.
Both scenarios were impossible, of course.
"Seeing you here, I suppose my execution hasn't been confirmed yet."
Lisa tried to speak matter-of-factly, but she couldn't hide a strange trembling.
That was understandable.
Despite being from a fallen noble family and having endured hardships since childhood, she was still just a young woman in her early twenties.
About college-age in Korean terms – anyone would tremble at the thought of facing execution.
"Did you think you'd be executed?"
"...Given Duke Roxlan's nature."
'She feels different from Maria.'
Lisa seemed intelligent in a different way than Maria.
Maria had grown up without formal education, learning only by observing others. So rather than logical thinking, she preferred intuitive and instinctive judgments.
But Lisa had the distinct air of a properly educated noblewoman.
Educated noblewomen tended to have similar vibes.
The female students he'd met at university, and Elia Hastria too – there was an intellectual quality to their speech.
Ah, Lucy was the only one with a different character.
She'd received education but still had that untamed, wild quality...
"Maria said she'd try to do something... but it won't be easy."
The opponent was a duke, after all.
How could a powerless baby baroness go against a duke's wishes?
That was Lisa's assessment.
And her judgment was accurate. Maria didn't have a special relationship with Duke Roxlan.
But Ian was different.
Ian was a wizard who could change the Duke's mind.
"You're wrong."
"What?"
"The Duke is willing to let you go."
"...!"
"As long as you don't do anything to endanger the barony."
Lisa bit her lip hard.
"Does that... mean I must become a nun?"
"That would be the best decision."
It was indeed the best option if she wasn't going to be executed.
Becoming a nun meant distancing herself from worldly affairs.
It meant staying away from matters that could threaten the barony.
"If you want, I could also give you the opportunity to live freely."
"..."
The 'freedom' Ian was talking about definitely wasn't free.
She would obviously have to give up the Silverwind name.
In other words, become a commoner.
One might think, since she has nothing anyway, becoming a commoner wouldn't be so bad.
But that wasn't true.
The decisive difference between nobles and commoners was the presence or absence of labor.
Nobles... don't work.
Even if she entered a convent, no one would make a noble do labor.
She might write books or give sermons at most.
But if she became free as a commoner, she would inevitably have to work.
In medieval times, labor = farming.
She would spend her days picking fruits, raising livestock, and weaving cloth without rest.
"I... would rather die as a noble."
"I understand. Then, you're considering following Maria?"
If Lisa insisted on dying... it would give Ian a headache.
Maria would obviously be sad, and Ian didn't want to let Lisa die.
But Lisa wasn't that extreme a person.
"I want to see Maria."
"Alright. I'll arrange it."
Ian didn't know what conversation Maria and Lisa had.
But the two didn't seem to hate each other that much.
Though fate had placed them on opposite sides of a struggle,
Their relationship wasn't completely destroyed.
In fact, Maria immediately came to see Lisa.
"I'd like to talk with my sister for a while."
"Take your time."
Ian stepped aside to let Maria talk as long as she wanted.
Maria and Lisa had a long conversation.
...Ian felt this situation wasn't so bad.
It was like a wizard's occupational disease.
Dialogue is always right. And stubborn isolation without communication is a sin.
If even the relationship between the world and humans can be established through communication, how much more so the relationship between humans?
"Ian."
Maria peeked her face out.
Without a second thought, she threw herself into Ian's arms.
"I love you."
"Suddenly?"
"Hehe... I just suddenly felt it. How much Ian loves me."
"Hmm. I see."
"Aah... I love you too, Ian. Truly. Heheheh..."
Ian nodded as a creepy(?) chill ran down his spine.
Yes. This is Maria's usual flavor...!
Ian felt good that Maria seemed to have returned to her normal self.
"Did the conversation go well?"
"Yes. Sister said she'll follow me."
If Duke Roxlan had been present, he would have started with suspicion.
Thinking, I smell a traitor somewhere...!
"Sister said she would become a nun."
Ian already knew this.
"And?"
"I told her that was fine. Sister isn't the type who suits being a nun."
This was an answer that would disappoint Duke Roxlan.
"Sister said she shouldn't start a family."
"Well. That's not wrong."
As long as she carried the Silverwind name, that is.
Abandoning her family name and marrying a distant noble might be acceptable.
"Since she can't stay in Silverwind without taking a vow of celibacy... I allowed that much."
Maria muttered as if making excuses.
"I couldn't do more than that for her."
Ian took a short walk with Maria.
As expected,
Maria felt some kind of guilt toward Lisa.
"I feel like I've stolen my sister's position."
If she hadn't known, she wouldn't have cared.
Maria had thought she was just a commoner orphan.
But somehow, she discovered she had family.
And she became a noble by defeating her sister.
It was the result of some fateful flow of events.
"Don't worry too much, Maria."
"But..."
"Lisa should have been killed by the previous Duke Roxlan. But she survived. That's lucky, right?"
"..."
"She joined hands with Duke Fargar to restore the barony. But she lost. That's unfortunate."
"I suppose..."
"But despite losing the war, she survived and gained a sister named Maria."
"Yes..."
Was that lucky or unlucky?
That's what the twists of life are like.
If there are sad events, there are also joyful ones.
The only certainty is... you have to be alive to experience joy and sorrow.
"If you want to take care of your sister, you can start working on it now."
"Ian..."
"I'll help you."
The war was over. Maria, Lisa, and Ian had survived.
How their lives would flow from here was something they'd learn by living.
Being faithful to today is the only way to have a tomorrow.
"I'm hungry, shall we eat first?"
"Yes. That sounds good."
Ian held Maria's hand as they walked out into the tranquil fields.
#
Having rested and replenished his strength,
Ian planned to chat and catch up with his acquaintances.
He was the very picture of idleness... but Ian was a wizard.
Wizards don't know anything about administration~!
But a secret visitor was waiting for Ian.
"You seem to be resting."
It was someone who would be disappointed if he didn't pop up suddenly.
"Gerard!"
"Did things end well?"
Space-time wizard Gerard had come to see Ian.
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