Infinite Wizard

Fallen leaves were blown endlessly by the wind.

Shirone stood by the window, wearing a sable shawl, looking at the late autumn mountain scene.

Four years have passed and Shirone has grown into a 16-year-old boy. Although he still looked young, his face was so beautiful that anyone, regardless of gender or age, could turn their attention to it.

"I'll be back, Mom."

"Do your best and come in. We have enough firewood now."

"It is winter soon. We have to prepare in advance."

As I packed my gear and left the cabin, the chill took my breath away. Because the seasons come earlier in the mountains than in the cities, snow was already piled up on the summit.

"I must walk diligently to return before sunset."

Having trained his spirit in the Spirit Zone for four years, Shirone no longer feared danger as he once did. His newfound confidence banished any lingering shyness, and he frequently spent time with the children of mountain hunters.

But I never had a friend with whom I could be completely open.

The children of mountaineers were different from Shirone and had rough and straightforward personalities, even girls.

In such a group, Shirone was the ugly duckling.

The children envy Shirone, who has an intellect, but sometimes openly show hostility.

A year ago, a woman named Hauran from the slash-and-burn village had taken an interest in Shirone. Being six years older, she had called him out under the pretense of having something important to discuss. However, her true intent became clear when she attempted to make physical advances on him.

However, when Shirone firmly refused, she suddenly changed her mind and threatened to disrupt the family if he flirted with her one more time, saying that a lowly man like you was not her taste.

Shirone burst out laughing as he recalled that time.

In my young mind, I remembered how I suffered for days, fearing that she would come to visit me.

'Is everyone doing well?'

Arriving at the logging area, Shirone found a suitable tree and lightly hammered the axe, carefully examining the grooved marks.

But his eyes weren't looking at anything. Through his many years of experience, he has learned that the weak points of trees are not something that can be seen with the naked eye.

When you repeat the same action or thought, there are cases where you automatically realize the principle, which is called a routine. Representatively, there was a case where the complex concept of the four arithmetic operations was automatically understood.

Shirone tried throwing an axe in various ways for 4 years, and in the process perfected his sense of thunder strike.

Sensing something, Shirone picked up the axe again and cut a groove in the tree with moderate force. A thunderclap erupted and the tree fell. Success with two axe strokes. Although he was on the lucky side, he was a Shirone who succeeded in thundering once out of ten anyway.

Sitting on a fallen tree, Shirone entered the Spirit Zone. The current shape of the Spirit Zone is a sphere with a diameter of approximately 40 meters. This was the level of entering the top class even at the magic school where talented people gathered.

Shirone felt the world beneath his feet. He could feel the shaking of the bush as if I had assimilated with the earth. I could hear earthworms wriggling in the ground and tree roots sucking up moisture.

Nature is constantly changing. If you were to appreciate that dynamic world, the 5 hours would be nothing more than an instant.

"uh? It's already dark."

After meditating, Shirone split the fallen tree into pieces and carried it on his back.

Arriving at the cabin, Shirone finds a luxurious carriage standing there, which is not usually seen. Looking around the stable, I saw two white horses licking their fodder.

"I'm home."

I opened the door and greeted him, but there was no welcoming voice. The atmosphere was strange. Her mother's face was dark and in her living room an old man she had never seen before sat at her table talking to her father.

"uh? Is Dad here?"

"Are you Shirone?"

It was a quick return for having entered the city at dawn. Besides, at other times he would have rushed over and kissed her, but now he solemnly maintained his seat.

"Greetings, Shirone. He is the sub-butler of the Ogent family."

"Nice to meet you. It is Temuran."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Shirone."

Shirone bowed politely. Even Shirone, who lived in the valley, knew the Ogent family. A second-class aristocrat based in Creas, he was a swordsman who produced numerous warriors.

"I came to see you."

Temuran smelled peculiar to nobility. However, he was not an aristocrat.

The hierarchical structure of the kingdom is simple with nobles and commoners, but there are various hierarchies apart from political divisions.

Among them, it was no exaggeration to say that the ranks of the commoners were determined by the nobility.

A blacksmith who makes a noble's sword is respected. Merchants who set up shops in noble districts also had powerful authority.

Then what about the mountaineers? He has no connections with the aristocracy and doesn't even live in the city.

Therefore, mountaineers are called the common people and treated with contempt.

On the other hand, Temuran could be said to be the best among the commoners because it was a job that assisted the nobles right next to them.

Shirone did not know why such a person would come to such a mountain valley to find himself.

"I'll see you soon."

Temuran groped Shirone's body, examining her appearance, skeleton, and eyes. It was like grading livestock.

"They say you can read."

"Yes. I read little by little from a young age."

Temuran was lost in thought without giving any explanation. Then, Shirone's patience reached its limit.

"I want to know what is going on. Could you please tell me?"

Temuran's eyes turned fierce.

"Your reputation is quite good. Even though he is the son of a mountaineer, he knows how to read, and he is so filial?"

Temuran had the ability to make praise sound like mockery. It was as if you were wondering how deep your filial piety must be.

Shirone hated people who disparaged other people's families the most. He couldn't stand it and was about to reply, but unbelievable words came out of Temuran's mouth.

"Hey, don't you want to work for the Ogent family?"

A bolt of lightning struck Shirone's head. Working for a second-class aristocratic family was tantamount to a rise in status from the lowest to the highest.

"What are you going to do?"

"This time, the main house is working on relocating the Great Library. It's something you can't entrust to just anyone. Among the 10,000 books, some shouldn't be leaked. The porters will do the hard work, but the sorting will be done just by you and me. It will take about two years."

library!

Shirone's heart almost burst. I knew that the more attractive the offer, the more likely the poison was hidden, but I wanted to drink any poison right now.

Temuran told him what poison Shirone should drink. He was the pride of a butler who would not cheat against the common people.

"The only people who know this are you and your family. If for any reason the books are leaked or rumored to have been leaked, you and your family are dead."

Shirone realized why her parents' expressions were dark. Even if he doesn't speak up, he doesn't know what will happen in two years. It was like giving his life to someone else.

Still, the reason why I couldn't refuse the offer is probably... ....

"As it is a life-threatening task, I will pay enough money. That's way more money than your father makes hunting. Thanks to having children well, the family is also taking care of themselves."

Vincent jumped up with a red face.

"I didn't listen to you because of the money! I am our Shirone... ... Shirone!"

Vincent was speechless with sadness. He was an ugly father who hadn't done anything up until now. The chance he left behind was risking his son's life.

"... ... I just want to be able to make my dream come true."

Temuran snorted as if it were ridiculous.

"What are you thinking right now? Are you thinking of getting ahead by falling flattery? Then wake up the dream To be clear, it's hiring. You are the one who asked me to use my son. If it wasn't for the money, there would be no reason to do that."

"You said you could read books!"

"Of course, I can read books. But I'm not saying read it, I mean it's impossible to keep an eye on it perfectly. That's why I said I would cut my throat if it leaked. It's like a minimum safety device."

Vincent bit his molar. When he entered the city to sell his goods, he heard that the butler of an aristocratic family was looking for a commoner who could read. Seeing this as a lucky chance, he ran to Temuran and begged him to use Shirone.

But it would come out like this.

What I was most afraid of was the wounds my son would receive. Could it be that he sold his children because he was blinded by money?

If so, just imagining it was terrifying.

"Get out. I don't need a penny of money. If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have ejaculated. So get out of this house right now!"

"Dad, I will."

"Shirone!"

Temuran looked back at Shirone with a surprised expression. It's something he has to risk his life for. Even though it would be a huge burden for a 16-year-old boy, and even a child of low birth, to bear, Shirone didn't look afraid at all.

"Are you okay? I'm not trying to scare you. To be clear, if you spread even the slightest rumor, your head will be cut off."

"Yes, I will. I will never leak it, and even if rumors spread for some reason, I won't resent it. Please let me do it."

If he said that, even Temuran deserved to be trusted. All conditions were perfect. He was a natural-born man who could kill at any time, and he had a deep filial piety and was also equipped with cleverness.

Feeling rewarded with his footsteps, Temuran turned around.

"I'll come to pick you in a week. If you change your mind in the meantime, you can always decline. However, keep in mind that once you enter the mansion, you cannot leave until the job is done."

Temuran opened the door alone and left as if he did not want anyone to see him off. However, his family was in no mood to tease him to take care of him.