Chapter 75

Chapter 75

TL/Editor: raei

Proofreader: Pickhead7

Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: None.

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Ian thought Lady Serena had married young.

Marrying young meant tying the knot with a girl around the age of 13 or 14.

From the perspective of modern people, such a marriage was an absurdly barbaric custom.

13 years old, barely having had her first menstruation, and she's to marry?

Yet, humanity always manages to exceed the expectations of the modern mind.

Such marriages were common globally, regardless of the region.

In the past, when lifespans were shorter, the threshold for becoming an adult was lower than today, so it was common to brush off such early marriages as acceptable once a certain age was reached.

There were cultural and religious reasons for early marriages, but Lady Serena's case didn't fit any of those.

With her brown hair and deep green eyes, she was a typical woman of the Empire, and her religion was naturally assumed to be the Church of Heaven's Faith.

Even in barbaric times, pedophilia was not welcomed in the Empire.

Ian thought Baron Devosi was a real piece of work.

But when he saw Lady Serena's children, his opinion changed.

"Welcome. Wizard."

"Greetings, Mr. Wizard."

"???"

The eldest son was about Ian's age, and the younger daughter was slightly younger than Ian.

"Galadin. Are those people really Lady Serena's children?"

"Indeed. Is there a problem?"

"Lady Serena's age..."

"Ah. The lady does look quite young."

But it was more than just looking young.

Surprisingly, Lady Serena had not been betrothed early.

She just had an incredible youthfulness that would have made her an instant pick for a cosmetic brand ambassador in modern times.

"Really their mother?"

Belanka was also shocked upon learning Lady Serena's age.

Unlike Ian, Belanka did not hold back.

"Did that woman make a deal with the devil?"

"..."

Galadin made a face of disbelief but said nothing.

It wasn't the first time knights of this era were rude.

"I don't think so."

"Any concrete evidence?"

"...None."

Lady Serena's amazing anti-aging could have been celebrated as a blessing from God under normal circumstances.

However, with Baron Devosi bedridden, it only served as fodder for attacks.

Lady Serena's enemies whispered that she had bought her youth from a demon, offering Baron Devosi in exchange.

"You must be tired from the journey. Let's rest first and then talk."

Ian was led to Baron Devosi's castle by the two ladies.

---

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The first thing Ian noticed was the populous nature of the place.

All the domains he had visited so far were rural, with clear divisions between the domain's residents and the lord's dwelling, leading to a very peaceful atmosphere.

But Baron Devosi's land was different.

Being an estate built in the middle of a river, like Yeouido, it was densely populated out of necessity.

The number of people in sight was considerably high.

This land was much more bustling than Riverville.

Ian was not the only one who felt the vitality of the estate.

"So many people. How many live here?"

Belanka was also slightly surprised by the bustling atmosphere. She had traveled extensively, but she was originally from Wintz in Baekguk, known for its cold and sparse population.

Galadin proudly stated, "We surpassed 2,000 people last year."

"2,000?!"

"That's impressive."

"No wonder, it felt incredible!"

The visitors from Talian were taken aback by Galadin's explanation.

"Wow! There are as many as 2,000 people living here!"

"Won't the island sink at this rate?!"

While the genuinely medieval people were shocked, Ian was quite calm.

Ah, a population of 2,000? For the Middle Ages, that's not bad.

Ian had learned at a young age about the dismal population levels of medieval fantasy worlds.

The most bustling city in the Empire, located in the territory of the Duke of Hastria, had a population of 70,000.

The source was the walking Wikipedia, Teacher Eredith.

To modern people, 70,000 might seem like a paltry number, but in this era, it was significant.

Considering a city-state located in the southern Coral Sea had about 100,000 inhabitants, one of the Empire's ducal cities matching a city-state in population was...

...Still modest, to be honest.

For reference, the population of Seoul is 10 million.

If every citizen of Seoul spat once, the residents of Baron Devosi's castle would drown.

But compared to well-developed modern cities, it wasn't so bad, considering this was a post-apocalyptic era.

After the apocalypse, a group of 2,000 survivors living together?

Oh, that sounds pretty decent.

Galadin seemed to hope that Ian would be impressed by the grandeur of the castle and settle down voluntarily, but Ian was not the least bit moved by this miniature dwelling that resembled a drama set.

He figured he'd have to visit a major city governed by a Duke to think, "Wow, this is like the Middle Ages from the movies."

While Ian was making small talk with people, he became momentarily disoriented as soon as he turned a corner in the corridor.

Just a moment ago, it still felt like he was in a castle.

Now it's like a fish market.

Galadin began to pray with the clergy.

Ian entered the Baron's bedroom with Kira.

"Why am I..."

Kira whimpered, but Ian ignored her.

She had a nomadic background, right?

She might have picked up some knowledge somewhere.

"Why. You're also a wizard."

"But, but you said you quit! You said to stop pretending to be a wizard!"

"Just kidding. I want you to look too."

"... I, I'll trust only you, Ian."

Ian took a deep breath and smelled the air in the bedroom.

A faint scent of perfume.

No other smells.

It's proof that the Baron's body is well cared for.

Except for his pale cheeks, the Baron seemed unremarkable.

He was just sleeping, breathing tiredly.

But he didn't look like a healthy person.

To Ian, the Baron looked like he was dying.

'He looks terribly aged.'

Upon seeing the Baron, Ian immediately thought of an elderly man.

A man too weak to move, waiting for his death.

If his face was wrinkled, one could believe he was dying of old age, not a disease or curse.

Ian concentrated and listened for the voice of mysteries.

'...'

But he only heard the usual murmursthe mysteries of wind, earth, darkness, etc., nothing special.

Either Ian's abilities were lacking, or the mysteries weren't talking to him.

It was one or the other.

But Ian was a person with cheat-like abilities in another world. If he had discovered a new mystery, the status window would have immediately shown it.

Then...

'It's not the work of mysteries?'

It was a physical ailment, not magic.

Sadly, that wasn't Ian's area of expertise. You'd need to be a medical student to even begin to diagnose.

'Sorry to Galadin, but.'

Ian reached a conclusion.

He'd observe the Baron for a few days, and if he couldn't figure it out, he'd just continue on his journey.

"Kira. Your thoughts?"

"... I have none."

As expected. Kira also knew nothing.

However, she did comment on the Baron's appearance.

"He looks like someone who's had their life force drained."

Ian reflexively thought of a face.

The suspiciously young-looking Lady Serena, the Baroness.

Then, noisy sounds came from the corridor.

As Ian and Kira stepped out, they were met with the sounds of an argument.

"Is that something you should be saying to me!"

"What? Struck a nerve?"

It was Lady Serena and Lady Catherine.

Without realizing it, Ian found himself rooting for Lady Serena...

Because she looked cuter and prettier than Lady Catherine.

No, actually, Lady Catherine's fierce appearance played a part too.

Black hair and sharp eyes.

Ian couldn't help but be amazed looking at Lady Catherine.

Wow! A villainous noblewoman!

She was the epitome of a typical villainess you'd see in an anime.

Especially since Lady Serena looked so young, she even gave off a stepmother tormenting her adopted daughter vibe.

However, unlike Ian, other medieval people were more supportive of Lady Catherine.

The reason was very logical.

"It's very suspicious that you insist on seeing the Baron despite the widespread rumors that you've stolen his youth..."

There were more than a few who doubted Serena's super anti-aging.

As soon as Catherine mentioned that fact, Lady Serena immediately counterattacked.

Slap!

A physical counterattack.

Lady Serena's delicate, lilac-like hands struck Lady Catherine's cheek.

"Who are you to spread such rumors!"

"No, my lady!"

"Please calm down!"

Clergy rushed over to pull the two women apart.

If they were going to intervene, they should have done so sooner.

The clergy were enjoying the spectacle before pretending to break it up at the last moment.

Ian was left feeling disappointed.

Ah. If only the fight had started a bit later. I missed the beginning.

Putting his regret aside, Ian spoke up.

"Let's stop this, both of you."

---

[1. raei: Line 1 is usually the first or one of the earliest subway or metro lines established in a city's public transportation network. In Seoul, Subway Line 1 covers a significant part of the Seoul Capital Area and, I'm assuming, is busy as heck.]

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