Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

37.2. Running Errand

“Th-this is it…”

“Thank you, that was a great help.”

After that, Erisio began walking again, but he seemed distant.

Then again, it was only their second meeting, so naturally, they were still strangers.

After walking a bit, they arrived at the room of Master Leyson.

The door to the room, located at the end of a winding path, was clearly marked with “Leyson” in gold letters.

Nord knocked and opened the door, revealing a familiar sight inside.

It was the same cluttered scene as the professor’s lab.

Inside the room, there was a large desk with papers scattered all over it.

On the shelves, there were minerals, plants, or perhaps monster materials Nord had never seen before.

At the far end was a wooden desk, stacked high with piles of documents.

The main difference from the professor’s lab was that, while the latter had more paper materials, this room contained many items in cupboards, and there were magical symbols drawn on the floor.

“Mm…? What’s this? Oh, it’s you! No matter how many times you come, I won’t make you my disciple!”

“N-no, Master Leyson! I’m the one with business here!”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Nord Ferris. I’ve come as a messenger from the lab to deliver a letter.”

“Lab…?”

Hearing the door open, the man hidden behind the mountain of papers at the desk—Master Leyson—looked up.

Master Leyson, an elderly man with wrinkled features, had a flowing white beard that cascaded like a waterfall.

Master Leyson first turned his gaze to Nord, then reacted sharply to Erisio, who stood beside him. Erisio hastily explained himself.

Finally, Nord greeted him, and then directly stated the purpose of his visit.

After receiving permission, Nord entered the room and handed the envelope with the letter to Master Leyson.

Master Leyson flipped the envelope over, saw the professor’s name written on it, and opened it to read the contents.

“…Hmph, fine, take it.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s what was requested in the letter. Give it to Eric. And, boy…”

“Yes, Master Leyson?”

“Next time, tell that fool Eric to come himself! Now, off you go!!”

Master Leyson, after reading the letter, pulled something from the cupboard. He tossed it to Nord, who caught it, and then spoke the professor’s name.

Finally, dismissing them with a curt tone, he urged them to leave.

Nord, though wondering, “Professor, what are you doing here?”, thanked Master Leyson and left his room.

“Ah, are you done?”

“Erisio, you’re still here. You could have gone home.”

“No, I couldn’t do that.”

Once again opening the door and stepping outside, Nord found Erisio waiting.

He only needed to guide him, yet Erisio had waited outside dutifully. Nord remarked on this, but Erisio seemed embarrassed, replying, “I haven’t even thanked you for last time.”

“More importantly, I’m sorry for earlier. It’s my fault.”

“Hmm? Oh, you mentioned something about being a disciple.”

“Yes, Master Leyson previously refused my request to be his disciple, and I think he misunderstood it was about that.”

“Disciple?”

Not very knowledgeable about mages, Nord asked, and Erisio explained.

“Mages, after a few years at the Magic Academy, usually apprentice under a mage with a Master’s title to continue their training. However, it’s not easy to secure an apprenticeship…”

“Was there something else?”

“Well, it’s more about my background. I’m from a commoner’s family… and that might have something to do with it.”

“I’ve heard that talent is what matters in the mage world.”

“That’s true, but that’s mostly for independent mages. The Magic Academy is not just for learning magical techniques, but also a place to aim for becoming a Master someday.”

Without connections, there’s little one can do. Erisio’s weak smile seemed painful.

It’s likely that the harassment Nord had previously helped Erisio with was linked to this issue.

Seeing Erisio’s dejection in the face of harsh reality, Nord found himself unable to say anything.

Though Nord was also poor, as a low-ranking noble, his social status was somewhat guaranteed.

Any comforting words from him would likely seem sarcastic to Erisio.

To change the subject, Nord decided to bring up the magic Erisio had used in the city.

“By the way, Erisio, are you an alchemist?”

“No, alchemy is just one of the types of magic I’ve learned.”

“One of?”

“My specialty is enchantment magic, but I also study force magic.”

“Force magic?”

“It’s what people usually call ‘attack magic.’”

Now understanding, Nord imagined that it referred to magic like fire, electricity, and cold. According to Erisio, these are categorized as “force magic” among mages.

That said… Nord asked Erisio a question that had been on his mind.

“Does that mean you can use three types of magic? That’s… really impressive.”

“I appreciate that. Actually, I’m quite confident in my magical skills.”

Nord, who knew little about magic, considered his own strengths.

Besides swordsmanship, he was skilled in spear and bow as well, so it wasn’t much of a stretch to recognize Erisio’s talent.

Having been trained in swordsmanship since childhood, Nord had grown stronger through his experience as an adventurer and as a dragon knight-in-training.

Now that Newt had grown large enough to become a full-fledged dragon knight, Nord had started training in spear as well, though he was still just a beginner.

In comparison, he could now truly appreciate how talented Erisio was.

Praising Erisio, Nord watched him straighten up proudly, a beautiful smile lighting up his androgynous face.

Feeling glad to see Erisio’s spirits lift, Nord continued the conversation.

“Enchanting magic… is that like a magic sword?”

“Yes, that’s correct. To elaborate, for example, this.”

Erisio pointed to a lamp on the wall.

“This is a magical tool powered by a magic stone. It’s also a form of enchantment magic. Inside, there’s a magical circle that draws power from the magic stone to operate.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that.”

“Yes, I want to study creating magical tools like these. Oh, by the way!”

Seeing how interested Nord was, Erisio suddenly came up with an idea and raised his voice.

“Nord, would you like to come to my room after this? I have something I’d like to give you.”