I Was Mistaken as a Genius Mage in a Game-Chapter 58

Lir and I, leaving behind what was a rather uneventful event, entered an instrument shop.

In this place, large stringed instruments like violins, guitars, and cellos were placed in various types, alongside pianos and famous music scores.

Most of the scores were for church hymns or sacred songs, and they were mostly written in the Neuma notation system, which is very different from today’s modern five-line staff notation, so they weren’t particularly useful for me.

I ordered a piano and then asked the shopkeeper to send it to a location, requesting that they deliver it when the person arrives. The shopkeeper gave me a doubtful look at my modest appearance, but when I handed him a gold coin, he greeted us with a kind smile, as if nothing had happened.

...In front of capital, who cares about status?

In addition to the piano, I also bought a guitar and several music scores before leaving the store. Of course, it was up to Lir to carry the guitar.

She looked slightly dissatisfied, but since I couldn’t have such a heavy item carried by me, she silently took the guitar bag and carried it instead.

After we finished instrument shopping, Lir said she wanted to buy coffee beans and tea leaves, so we went around several shops where she tasted the coffee.

I’m not sure what the difference is, but she carefully compared the aroma and flavor of each coffee bean, picking out products. It seems like an elf’s delicate senses serve their purpose even when drinking coffee.

After finishing our individual shopping, we waited for the carriage on the road, which had been fully covered in dusk. The coachman arrived right on time and brought the imperial carriage to the place where we had been dropped off.

It was an uneventful day.

Well, was it uneventful? Didn’t we meet a robber?

But that robber wasn’t much of a threat, so it could still be considered an uneventful day.

Maybe that’s why I dozed off for a while in the carriage back to the castle. When I opened my eyes, the giant castle gates that were big enough for dragons to pass through greeted us.

As usual, I smiled and greeted the guards.

"Ah, please check this."

"Is this coffee bean?"

Lir handed the guards the coffee beans she had bought without hesitation.

There’s a rule that any food from outside must be checked to ensure it is safe for consumption by important figures inside the castle, and that it doesn’t contain any poison.

After handing the packet of coffee beans, Lir clicked her tongue slightly, looking disappointed.

"Even though they’ll give it back in an hour or so, why look so disappointed?"

"I wanted to brew it as soon as we arrived."

...It would make one think that the castle doesn’t serve coffee or black tea.

"Isn't the stuff served in the castle good enough for you?"

"The quality is top-notch, but the taste and smell are always the same, right? Sometimes, you want to find a different flavor."

"Hmm..."

Honestly, I don’t really understand. I’m not as sensitive to smell or taste as an elf.

I just let it slide, thinking that’s just how Lir is, and went back to my quarters.

A soft bed, warm black tea, a cheap guitar, and mysterious music scores.

Looking up at the peaceful ceiling, I tried to enjoy what I had right now, even as the fact that I would soon be dragged into hell was starting to fade away.

My hands, with no calluses, complained of pain each time I pressed the strings. The joints on my fingers quickly became sore.

I don’t like pain, but the sensation of my skin rubbing against the guitar strings isn’t something I hate.

I might sound strange, but honestly, the feeling of my skin scraping against the strings feels more like pleasure than pain.

...No, using the word pleasure makes it sound even more perverted.

Let’s find another word.

Relief? No, that word feels just as perverted...

"Bin Niiim!"

"Ah, shit."

I covered my wounded hands, as if I had been caught watching a dangerous video by my mother.

It’s not weird; it’s just that I cut myself on the strings while playing the guitar, but why do I feel embarrassed, ashamed, like it’s something I shouldn’t be caught doing, and somehow it feels like a secret private matter? Is something wrong with me?

"...What? What is it?"

I hid my two wounded hands under the blanket and then, with the door suddenly bursting open, I looked at Lir who had come in.

"I’ve leveled up."

"Huh?"

"I’m at the 5th Circle now!"

"...Huh?"

She suddenly burst into the room, and what was she even talking about?

"Look at this, look at this!"

Lir thrust a blue crystal sphere into my hands as she spoke.

"What’s this?"

"This, look at the five circles drawn inside the crystal sphere!"

"...Ah."

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Listening to Lir’s explanation, I looked inside the crystal sphere carefully and saw five white circles floating inside the blue crystal.

In the game, you could right-click a mage’s character information to check their circle, but I didn’t know such a tool existed for measuring circles.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"I tested it just now after hearing about you, Bin, and it turns out I’ve leveled up! I also felt like lightning power was stronger than usual... thank you!"

Why is she thanking me?

I don’t feel like I’ve done anything to help her.

Reaching the 5th Circle was entirely Lir’s achievement through her own power. Even if I gave her any inspiration, it was only through her effort that it came to fruition.

I’ve seen her so absorbed in inspiration, tearing parchment over and over and bleeding from her hand gripping the staff in the Achiliptus Forest.

This was her own accomplishment. It would only be uncomfortable if she thanked me.

"At 21, being at the 5th Circle is the youngest, even including humans, right?"

"Although it’s only for the Lightning School...! With this achievement, those damn old folks will start to take me seriously!"

Old folks? I don’t know who ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ these old folks Lir is referring to are, but she seems really mad at them. She even used the word "damn" when talking about them.

"Who are you trying to get recognition from by working so hard?" I asked, curious about who she hated so much.

"Huh?"

I asked without thinking much, but it didn’t seem like Lir took it lightly.

"...What did you say?"

Lir stared at me blankly for a moment, as if she didn’t know how to respond, before asking again.

"I asked, who are you trying to get recognition from by working so hard?"

I thought she simply didn’t hear me because she was too focused on the 5th Circle, so it wouldn’t be strange if she was too excited to hear me properly.

"...No."

But suddenly, she answered with a determined expression.

In the awkward atmosphere, I started to think if I had made any mistake in my words or actions.

But I didn’t feel like I had said anything wrong, so I decided that this strange elf was just being her usual self.

"Yeah, those old folks aren’t important."

"...Huh?"

Why did she suddenly make a realization face? Did she not level up, or is her mind just gone?

"Thank you."

For what?

Really, I wish she’d make some sense of this.

"I study magic because I like it," Lir said, leaving with an unexplainable remark.

She suddenly burst through the door and only spouted nonsense until she left.

"...Ah, okay."

I answered in a listless voice as I watched Lir leave the room.

So what exactly is going on?

The next day, Lir, Alter, and I started packing for the expedition that would take place in five days.

Most of the supplies and food would be provided through the supply lines, so we focused on listing special accessories, magical books, robes, and other items that couldn’t be obtained through military supplies.

The servant had told us that we needed to submit the list by noon today if we wanted everything ready before the expedition, so we had to finish writing it before lunch.

"Let’s start with the guitar..."

"Should we also pack the coffee beans... and maybe some tea leaves?"

"Please also ask for a lot of chocolate to help with the sugar levels."

It was an unexpected choice. Alter still liked chocolate at his age. They say the preference for sweet things decreases with age...

"..."

Lir turned her head silently towards me. I looked at her and nodded quietly.

"What’s with the picnic? What’s with the chocolate, Master?"

"Right, Valerand is a battlefield, Alter."

Both of us, as if we had the same thought, immediately teased Alter for his childish choices of items.

We might not have the right to criticize, as we were the ones who wrote down the guitar and coffee beans at the top of the list...

But what can we do? It's just who we are.

"Without enough sugar, the brain can’t function properly. For us mages, the speed of brain activity is a matter of life and death, so please don’t look at it like that."

"Master, you could just admit that you like sweets. There’s nothing shameful about it..."

"Right, I like chocolate too."

"...The phrase 'Birds of a feather flock together' really seems to be made for moments like this."

Alter responded with a dignified reaction for his age, brushing off our teasing.

Well, whether he brushed it off or not, our mouths didn’t stop.

I kept teasing him, saying that chocolate was cute, and that Valentine’s Day was still more than half a year away, while writing down items on the list.

"...Oh, but do we need an escort unit?"

Lir, while double-checking the list before handing it to the servant, raised a question when she saw the words 'escort unit' written at the bottom.

"The military will likely send an escort unit for the mages. I think we can leave that out of the list."

"That’s not enough."

"...Not enough?"

I took the list from Lir as she tried to make corrections and continued speaking.

"Valerand is probably a much more dangerous battlefield than you can imagine. And we’ll likely face many more dangerous battlefields like it. There will be obstacles that three mages can’t overcome."

"...Well, yes, that’s true."

"But every time we face such challenges, if the escort unit changes, it would make things uncomfortable in many ways, right? We wouldn’t know each other's habits, we’d have to pay attention to the battle style and positions in every little detail."

"In other words, you’re saying we need a fixed party."

Alter, proving that his long years as a mage had not gone to waste, instantly grasped the meaning of my words.

"Exactly."

"But Bin, you’re officially a part of the Swordmaster’s party."

"Are you saying I should use the Swordmaster as my escort?"

I’m not a mage who is valuable enough to receive the Swordmaster’s protection. There’s no need to explain that in detail.

The Swordmaster is humanity’s last weapon of war, capable of overwhelming even a great lord with bare hands and defeating demon lords or devils in one-on-one combat.

Even if the main role of the Vanguard is 'escort duty,' that only applies if the dealer's level is close to the Vanguard’s.

Right now, the Swordmaster is several levels above me, so to ask such a being to protect me... it’s nonsense.

"...It does seem a bit ridiculous now that I think about it."

Lir thought for a moment and then quickly corrected herself.

"Then, do you have someone else in mind?"

Alter’s question came, and I answered immediately.

"For now, I want to include Rex."

Rex was destined to become a legendary Orc Barbarian hero whose name would spread throughout the continent, even without my intervention. And I already had the best Barbarian artifact in the game. His future looked brighter than ever.

If I’m going to buy low, now’s the chance.

Rex is the cheapest now...!

"Have you asked for his opinion?"

"No, I’ll ask."

"...You’re quite reckless. He’s currently a squad leader in the Belua unit, so you should consider the possibility of him refusing. I’ll look into other suitable vanguards."

"I also feel comfortable with Rex. It’s hard to make new acquaintances with total strangers."

"Don’t worry. Rex probably won’t refuse."

I confidently told Alter and Lir, ringing the golden bell with the list in my hand.

"How do you know that?"

"Because there’s a monster in Valerand that Rex wants to kill more than anything."

Soon, a young servant in his usual attire entered the room.

I handed him the list and wrote letters for both Belua and Rex before sending them off.

The next day, Rex’s reassignment was officially decided.