The Money-Obssessed Archmage's Second Life As A Broke Duke-Chapter 65 - What Are You???

Chapter Sixty Five

"Umm... This kid followed, Master."

Kaelen muttered the words while rubbing the back of his neck. His shoulders sagged slightly, exhaustion written plainly across his posture.

Judging by the way he avoided looking directly at Zein, he’d clearly spent some time trying and failing to stop the brat from tailing him, Garrow, and Eatassh.

I rested my cheek against my palm and looked at Zein while sitting on the wooden bench by myself with a bored smile on my face.

"Congratulations. You’re officially richer than me. Give me a new castle."

Zein didn’t even blink. His hand moved instinctively to the pouch at his belt, fingers curling around it protectively. "No way. This money is for Lily’s birthday present. Keep your greedy eyes off it."

"Yeah, yeah. Spoken like a true miser," I retorted, though a small part of me respected the kid’s spine.

It sure does take guts to be a miser after all.

Zein snorted, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Haah... Who would have thought the Crazy Anemancer was right? I wonder why she couldn’t do it. She was definitely more talented than you."

That caught my attention.

"You know an Anemancer?" I asked, straightening a little.

"I know a lot of people," Zein replied vaguely.

His gaze flicked toward Kaelen, who stared between the two of us with a faintly blank expression like he’d been dropped into the middle of a conversation spoken in an entirely different language.

I guess, reincarnation is sure fun.

"Wanna see a cool trick?" I offered, a mischievous thought forming.

Why don’t I leave him in the same state at the rest three, huh.

"If you’re about to scam a child, you should be ashamed of yourself," Zein said flatly, his lip curling in a sneer.

"What’s shame? Is it a bird? A fish? Can you eat it?" I asked, tilting my head.

Zein sighed, the sound of a child who was prematurely aged by the world’s nonsense. "Haah... What is it?"

I didn’t answer with words. Instead, I snapped my fingers solving mana calculations in the back of my head for the generation of a little tornedo below Zein’s feet.

Zein yelped as the wind hoisted him three feet into the air, his limbs flailing like a panicked beetle as he floated in the center of the humming tornedo.

"What the—! Are you an Anemancer!?" he shouted, his cool exterior finally shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Mhn... Am I?"

"Put me down!"

I dissipated the wind instantly with snap of my fingers, letting him drop back onto the snow.

Crunch!

Before he could even draw a breath to complain, I snapped my fingers. I calculated the friction of the mana particles, ionizing the air until a sharp, brilliant spark of fire bloomed on my fingertip.

"You’re a... Pyromancer? That can control wind? What the—"

"Eyyy! Kids don’t curse," I interrupted, extinguishing the flame with a smirk. I gestured toward the three grown men, who looked like they had been teleported to some different world. "Be happy that you can still speak. Look at the other three."

Zein’s eyes darted to the three men standing on the thin line of losing their minds and keeping their trust in me as he simply shrugged. "Obviously they can’t speak. You’re using aura without a sword for their stupid heads. Do they even know anything except aura here? Sword maniacs."

Ahhh... Finally! Someone who understands me. Fuck! Thank you, God.

"That’s my Second Order Knight Head. This one is my First Order Knight Head. And that’s my Third Order Knight Head." I sighed, shrugging back at him.

"Third Order, Master?" Kaelen interjected, his voice sounding thin. He looked relieved to finally hear words he actually understood.

"Yeah. They can’t stay bandits forever," I said casually, turning my head to meet his confused eyes. "Might as well make them knights."

Eatassh stepped forward, his brow furrowed in genuine concern. "My Liege... Are you trying to build an army?"

"He probably wants to topple the Empire," Zein chimed in, his tone sharp for a child. "After all, your dearest brother hasn’t exactly been kind to you, has he?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "For a kid, you sure know a lot, Zein. But don’t spout so much in front of others. It’s a quick way to sell your secrets."

"I know," Zein rolled his eyes. "But these are just your brain-dead dogs, so I’m not worried. Either way, answer the real question. How are you controlling both wind and fire? It’s physically impossible."

I grinned. "Oh, that? Kaelen, tell him about our little trip from the forest to the town square."

Kaelen nodded solemnly. "I was trying to win a duel against him desperately, just to figure out what he did."

"What the—" Zein started, but I cut him off. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Wanna eat some ice? I can make some right now."

"Stop it! I get it. Just stop," Zein snapped, looking overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all.

"My Liege," Eatassh spoke up, his voice hushed. "You... you seem like a reincarnation of the First Duke."

"Ah? I do?" I tilted my head in confusion.

He was very inefficient though unlike me.

Was what I wanted to say. But, instead I ended up biting my tongue.

"Yes," Eatassh continued, his eyes bright. "He made such a big greenhouse which is basically a farm. A knight training ground where snow can’t cover the sand. And, then there’s you doing miracles like him. Using aura without a sword. You definitely are The First Duke reincarnated."

If only you guys knew... I look like him too. Wow, that would be some good soap opera, huh.

"I’ll take the compliment," I threw him a forced smile, then turned my attention to the bandit leader. "Anyway, Garrow, I forgot to ask. Do you want the job? Third Order of the Halcrest Duchy?"

Zein sighed, rubbing his temples. "I have never seen such an informal, carefree noble in my entire life."

"You won’t one except me either. I’m a very nice noble."

"Haaah... whatever."

Garrow didn’t hesitate. He dropped to one knee, his head bowed low. "Of course, My Liege. My men and I will put our lives on the line to serve The Halcrest Duchy."

"Great." I clapped my hands together, the sound echoing as I turned back to Zein. "So, Zein... have you ever heard the word ’Mage’?"

"...No? What is that?"