Riftan’s POV (Under the Oak Tree Side Story)

“I-it’s just a magic designed from the principle of trolls’ regenerating abilities! It doesn’t have any side effects on the human body! Except for the excruciating pain during the healing process, there’s no other side effect.”

Regardless of Ruth’s excuse and his desperate words, Riftan thrusted his sword, which was stained with monster’s blood, near the edge of the wizard’s neck.

“You m*thrf*cker, who the f*ck are you?”

“I-I am just an ordinary wizard…”

“How in the hell does an ordinary wizard know about this taboo magic?”

The wizard sweated profusely, like a lit candle. Riftan relentlessly pushed him against the cave’s walls, continuing his interrogation.

“What the hell are you doing in the World Tower? Experimenting with monsters and creating magic…If the church discovered such atrocity, they wouldn’t sit still. Do you people intend to be banished?”

“…it won’t end with us being banished. Once the church discovers the existence of this taboo magic, the worst case that could happen is for them to begin persecuting wizards again.”

The wizard groaned, admitting reluctantly.

“That’s the reason why we strictly keep it a secret. Only a few wizards know of its existence. The selected few, filtered through a meticulous process, are learning taboo magic for the sole purpose of research.”

“…Are you saying that you’re one of those few wizards?”

Riftan eyed him suspiciously, raising his eyebrow. The wizard frowned at him angrily, speaking curtly.

“Yes, and you’re very fortunate. If it wasn’t for me, Sir Calypse would be a dead man. You sustained such fatal injuries that ordinary healing magic wouldn’t be enough to heal you. To save you, I broke the rules of the World Tower and used taboo magic!”

Riftan snorted at him.

“So, what, are you expecting me to be grateful and say thank you?”

“Yeah, you should be grateful! A simple thank you is a hundred times better than being threatened with a blade against my throat!”

The wizard felt so exasperated that he spoke like he was at loss for words.

“What was I supposed to do? Look the other way even though I have the power to save your life? When people discover that I used taboo magic, the World Tower will cut my head off before the heretics can hunt and interrogate. And yet, you’re threatening me like this!”

Riftan shot him a piercing glare, wary of the wizard’s intentions, but slowly lowered his sword. Although he yearned to take the suspicious man to the church’s jury, it’s inevitable that he would also be a subject of investigation. Being a person of mixed race, the blood of southern pagans evident on his skin, the church would surely not treat him well, especially if he came to them saying his body was regenerated by magic unknown to them. Riftan clenched his teeth and let out a resigned sigh.

“I’ll let this go just this time. If you dare use that taboo magic on me one more time, I won’t even bring you to be judged by the church. I will finish you with my own hands.”

“Even if you beg for me to do it, I won’t! Next time, I won’t even hesitate and let you die!”

“I hope you do.”

Riftan murmured in a dull tone and rummaged through his bag.

“When it’s time for a person to die, then he should die. There’s no need to do such useless things to keep anyone alive.”

The wizard was speechless, he couldn’t open his mouth to retaliate. Riftan pulled out a tunic. The clothes he wore were destroyed amidst fighting the monster and it was too ruined for him to wear them. He slipped onto the only pair of clothes he had left and went to wear the armor piled in the cave’s corner one by one.

His body felt so light that it was uncomfortable. He questioned inwardly if there really were no side effects from the magic. Riftan’s eyes suspiciously trailed his body that appeared good as new, and picked up his weapons without a word, not wanting another second of argument. The wizard who was watching him, suddenly opened his mouth to speak.

“Don’t you have any desire to live?”

Riftan shot him a glare over his shoulder. The wizard’s face was still and dead serious.

“If any other person does what you do, he would have died countless times already. Are you doing such reckless things because you want to die?”

“If that’s the case, then I wouldn’t have fought so desperately. Rather, I just …”

Riftan couldn’t find the words to complete his sentence and found himself speechless. He didn’t want to die. However, he did not have a reason to live. He didn’t experience any joy in his life. Even if he dies, he wouldn’t have a regret.

Then what are you fighting so miserably for? Why are you so desperate to earn money and struggle to survive such a lonesome life?

Riftan hurriedly erased the dubious questions that rang in his heart.

“I don’t have time for useless talks. Prepare to leave.”

“We’re leaving right now?”

The wizard asked, startled. He hurriedly picked up his bag. Riftan’s head emerged from the cave, looking at the monster’s dead body. Crimson red intestines drooped on the ground, he assumed that the wizard must have cut through its stomach to retrieve its mana stone. Riftan heaved a heavy sigh.

“Other monsters are attracted to the smell of blood. We must leave before they flock here.”

“But…it’s a waste to leave it like this. I suspect this monster is a Drake. If we sell its scales, hide, and bones, we’re going to make a ton of money!”

Riftan’s eyebrows gathered at the unfamiliar word.

“Drake?”

“It is a Black Dragon’s subspecies. I’m not entirely sure since I’ve only seen them in drawings, but it says that they are about a quarter of a full dragon’s size, have no wings, and can control lighting. The mana I drew from its mana stone was powerful! It must be a Drake.”

The arguments exchanged just a few moments ago seemed to have dissipated, the wizard was grinning ear to ear at the thought of money.

“Dragon subspecies make more money than ancient relics! Now that we have caught this rare monster, we will be rich!”

“That’s if we can take it apart and bring it to the city.”

Riftan muttered cynically.

“We have no means to do that with no equipment nor wagons to carry.”

“First we should go back to the city…”

“The harpies will devour it to the bones in the meantime.”

“S-still there will be bones left for us to sell!”

“For a monster this size, you will be surprised that only a few parts of it can be used for magic tools. Its bones are too dense and big, wizards will be reluctant to buy it because it won’t be easy to process. Moreover, have you thought about how much it would cost us to bring equipment up to this rugged mountain, take it apart, and bring it to the city? After sharing the earnings with the people who will help take this apart, there won’t be much left in our hands.”

“B-but when we caught wyverns the other time…”

“Most of the money we received is for the price of mana stones. The most valuable item found in dragon subspecies is their mana stone.”

The wizard’s face, which had been brimming with expectations, suddenly turned blue.

“The power from the mana stone has already been depleted from healing Sir Calypse!”

“Then there’s the answer.”

Riftan swung his bag on his back without a single hesitation. He didn’t think it would be a waste as he is accustomed to throwing away anything that would only burden him. However, the wizard constantly looked back at the monster, like his feet did not want him to leave.

“Can’t we take a few of its scales?”

“You’re going to add more weight to your load when you’re already struggling to keep up and take care of yourself?”

Riftan climbed the dark mountain silently, leading the way for the wizard who shed regrets. In a way, killing the monster was not in vain. It seemed like all the hungry monsters hiding in the mountain had rushed to the smell of the Drake’s blood, allowing them to safely traverse through Mount Ramek.

After that incident, everything went smoothly. They arrived safely at the ruins, Riftan was able to find valuable relics which were sold at a good price in a nearby town. However, the wizard didn’t appear to be very satisfied with his usual hefty pay.

Riftan noticed that the wizard worries that he might snitch on his practice of taboo magic. However, he had no intention to ease his anxieties. Riftan hung his purse on his waist and spoke coldly, not shedding a single emotion.

“You promised not to follow me on my missions for the time being, you should keep it.”

The wizard stared at him with eyes full of things to say. Riftan immediately strode up the stairs, pretending not to notice.

***

As he had hoped, he was able to get away from the wizard for a few months, but it wasn’t as pleasant as he thought it would be. Riftan stepped into the noisy tavern, ruffling his hair angrily. He had become entangled with a man several times more annoying than the wizard. He spotted Samon waving his hand cheerfully towards his direction, making his mood go awry.

“Hey, you’re already back? I have been busy trying to please my clients.”

Samon was flirting with two women whose breasts were only half-covered, they were sitting on his sides. Riftan, who shot him with a contemptuous glare, sat as far away from him as possible. Ignoring Riftan’s blatant disregard, Samon staggered over to him, putting an arm over his shoulder.

“Hey, Calypse. Are you always going to be that cold?”

“Get lost.”

“You’re boring.”

Samon grunted in annoyance, placing a glass of ale in front of him.

“Don’t be like that, try becoming more open. I have a client, and he’s interested in recruiting you for an army. Why don’t you settle down and grab this opportunity? From what I heard; he is an ambitious nobleman in the northeastern region of Livadon.”

“If you want to settle down, then do it yourself.”

Samon sighed and clicked his tongue.

“Who doesn’t want to? But you see, they’re not going to accept anything unless you will join.”

“…that’s no longer my business.”

Riftan inexorably brushed Samon’s hand off his shoulder and ordered an employee to serve him a meal. At that moment, one of the women flirting with Samon snaked her hand on his forearm.

“Hmm, are you really that great of a man? Your face is perfect for a play actor…”

“Don’t be fooled. He’s a monster who can kill eight wyverns by himself.”

“Nonsense. You must be lying.”

The woman chuckled, bursting into a fit of laughter with the others. Her plump breasts jiggled and swayed over his forearms. Riftan felt his appetite go away and leaned far from the woman. However, the woman didn’t seem to have any shame and stared up at him seductively, covertly sliding her hand on his thigh. Riftan jumped to his feet.

“Bring the meal to my room when it’s ready.”

He tossed the cashier a coin and turned to leave but the woman pulled the hem of his robe.

“Why? Stay a little more. I will feed you myself.”

She fluttered her thick lashes.

“…Or should I go up with you? I can pleasure you.”

“…I don’t need it.”

He relentlessly shook off the woman’s hand and walked towards the stairs. Samon boisterously laughed from behind him.

“He’s not a real man, he’s an innocent kid. Don’t mind him and come to me. I will please both of you.”

Riftan looked over his shoulder, Samon was rubbing his face against the women’s voluptuous breasts. The sound of giggles and frivolous laughter echoed around the bar. He had an indifferent emotion in his eyes as he staggered up the stairs. He felt a lingering pair of eyes follow him and the sensation didn’t wear off.

He’s sick of it. Since he turned fourteen, he has been chased and surrounded by women trying to crawl onto his bed, and he gets anxious whenever someone touches him.

Riftan closed the door behind him, rubbing his forearm with his hand, trying to erase the feeling of the woman’s touch. The tavern’s roaring noise penetrated the thin wooden floors.