Dream Life

I, Earl Knowles, am a permanent member of the Mage Guild's Board of Education and Research. An order was given to me.

August 5.

Counsellor Miles Isherwood summoned me that day.

I didn't like that monster stained Counselor Isherwood. He looks considerably younger than his age of thirty-six with a neat appearance, but when he's seen with those snake-like eyes, he gets goosebumps.

I've been sending word that the counselor should come to the office as soon as possible. I ran to the councillor's office, dropping my shoulder that this could not be an auspicious omen.

When I walked into his room, I already had a client.

I don't know better, but he's certainly a young male employee on the HR board, and he should hit the junior year at the Tilia School of Magic.

"You've come a lot, Mr. Knowles," Counselor Isherwood smiled as he always looked at me with those goosebumps.

It only seemed to me that smile was like a reptile who had found his prey, and he managed to return the greeting, desperately suppressing the prospect of a blurb tremor.

"I'm here with you, Leston from the HR Committee. I'll temporarily be your man."

He looked just as bewildered as I was, and the voice "It's Jamie Reston" was slightly trembling.

Counselor Isherwood started talking without any confusion about us.

"Well, I asked you guys to come here to do an investigation"

Me and Reston face each other, but soon turn to the councillor.

"What I want you to look into is the pioneering village called Rasmore Village. I especially want you to look into the Lockhart family, the lord of that village"

I first heard of the village of Rasmore.

"Can you tell us the purpose of the investigation? What exactly should I investigate?

Counselor Isherwood laughed niggly. I have a rough back, but I try my best not to move my body and listen to him.

"Now let me tell you what the purpose of the investigation is. The starting point was yesterday's entrance exam practical exam. The genius that Professor Raspade was interested in showed up..."

The counselor's explanation is that a boy named Lockhart, with all eight attributes, and a girl named Jakes, with two attributes of fire and wind but genius magic control, appeared, both of whom are from the village of Rasmore.

Furthermore, the two are the daughter of the lord's second son and his servant, who are also dairy brothers. For this reason, the college thought that there might be something in the Lockhart family.

The story was raised by the College to the Board of Education and Research, which decided to formally investigate it as a magician's guild.

And that's why the investigator is me and Reston.

The details of the investigation were whether the Lockhart family had a magical talent or a special education, and were required to investigate the living environment, the surrounding natural environment, and the food situation in as much detail as possible.

"The village of Rasmore is about three hundred and seventy km from here. You will be given a two-month investigation period, including round-trip itineraries. The departure is on August 10, five days later. It was before the building that we confirmed the acceptance announcement and then headed for the investigation. All the exams were completed today, but I'm pretty sure Lockhart is the chief and Jakes the second. Instead, the levels are so different that comparing them is ridiculous."

Further details meant that Lockhart and Jakes would probably take the lead, second seat, even if they went among the graduates who graduated this year. In particular, Lockhart says he has more strength than a young practical instructor, and he's at a level where he can be a faculty member instead of a student.

We went right back to our place of business and started taking over the job.

Both my Board of Education and Research and my Human Resources Board in Reston are at their busiest times of the year.

There are regular transfers in September, and the college has enrollment, advancement, and as much to do.

I resented Counsellor Isherwood for ordering me to travel at this time, but he was on both committees too, so I should be well aware of the circumstances. I mean, I guess it was that shocking.

We took over hastily, etc., and the night before we were ready to leave, we had a get-together at a liquor store near the Mage's Guild (workplace) in the name of wishing us every success in our work.

somewhat flattened the dish, where the liquor came in,

"Leston, what do you think about this investigation?

"I don't care what you say..." he mumbles, a little wary.

I thought I heard it the wrong way, "I'm sorry. You should have told him first from me," he said, bowing his head lightly to him and starting to tell him what he thought first.

"It's understandable that the upper management of the guild cares. I also looked between successions and did a little research on those two. Those two are geniuses, for sure. It might as well be premature or something."

Reston said, "Are you premature?" I've asked back to tilt my neck a little.

"Yes, it's premature. Especially since a boy named Lockhart has a grown-up vibe that I don't think is ten years old..."

I contacted the receptionist for the exam, the person in charge of ascertaining the attributes, and the explainer for the exam, and I heard the impression I received from both of them. And everyone involved in Lockhart said he was so calm that he didn't think he was ten years old, and from time to time, the smile he showed was like an adult liturgical thing, not that of a child.

"... for once, because he is a son of the chivalrous class, I asked him if he was so stigmatized that he seeped out naturally, not in the liturgical attitude of the nobility. Because I am an associate of the College, I have many contacts with the sons of nobles. That's what they say."

Reston nods at my words. And I started talking about what I looked into.

"I also looked into the village of Rasmore and the Lockhart family in advance. There was an interesting story about the village of Rasmore..."

He said he used a handout from the HR Committee, Once Upon a Time, to find out if anyone knew a border village called Rasmore Village. If there's anything geographically familiar to hang from Periclitle to Ars - King's Capital of the Kaum Kingdom in the South - he said he'd know, and he'd talked to an arms dealer who'd go good to Ars.

"... the Dwarf craftsman of Ars, and he says no one doesn't know the village of Rasmore"

I said, "The Dwarf craftsman? I didn't think," I blocked his words.

Reston nods small and smiles.

"That's right. It's a dwarf. When I first heard it, I was equally surprised. So, why does Dwarf know that there is alcoholic liquor in the prestige of the village of Rasmore? That's the Dwarf of Ars, and they say it's a pandemic..."

His description suggests that the liquor called "Scotch”, which he started making in the village of Rasmore a few years ago, is so prevalent among alcoholic dwarves that it is considered a testament to first-class craftsmen to be able to drink Scotch.

"... that's not all. Don't you think the soap has gotten cheaper lately?

Suddenly the subject changed and I was confused but the price of soap has certainly been plummeting for several years. It was something that we commoners didn't even get to see before, but if it's cheap for the past year or two, it's as cheap as 2C (krona) (= 2,000 yen).

"... and the soap, Aurelia - the largest commercial city in the world to the west - is said to be the finest of its Lasmore villages. They're barely in circulation, but because of their smoothness and fragrance, your ladies are competing to buy them."

"Is it soap for alcohol," I murmured, "I think it might have something to do with this investigation," he said.

Reston said, "Are you saying that Lockhart and Jakes have something to do with it?," he asked back skeptically.

"No, no, that's not what I'm saying. Suppose, for example, that a wise man of our unknown appeared in the village of Rasmore and, as a specialty of the village, taught him how to make new liquor and soap. Naturally, Sage will stay in the Lords' Hall, so he will coach the children by his side... not even an impossible story."

Leston also said, "Right. Sure..." he nodded many times.

Of course, we were not going to investigate with preconceived notions either.

However, the investigation period is practically only one month, and if the village of Rasmore is the only one, it is sufficient, but if you do poorly, you could stretch your legs to Ars. When that happens, the period is critical. I thought it would be more efficient to look at it with some eye contact.

The following August 10.

Me and Reston, and a total of seven of the five mercenaries of the escort, left the academic city of Doctus.

I am from Doctos here, and Leston is also from a nearby village in the eastern Armaswaite - a castle city a hundred km east of Doctos - and neither of us are used to traveling.

For this reason, we plan to reduce the travel distance around the day and spend about half a month going to the village of Rasmore.

He proceeded east on Aurelia Street - the aorta connecting Aulera to Periclitle in the west - and took seven days to reach Periclitle, the city of adventurers.

According to the escorts, the Ars streets ahead - the main north-south streets connecting Periclitle to Ars - had many difficulties and it was suggested that we take a rest here.

Neither I nor Reston were under tension on their first journey and I didn't feel very tired, but I decided to honestly accept the mercenary's suggestion that I was a travel professional.

Together with tourism and information-gathering, we began to gather information about the village of Rasmore.

The information gathered here was more about the Lockhart family than about the village of Rasmore. I was well heard, especially about my predecessor Lords, Govan Lockhart.

Govan Lockhart's reputation was pretty good, especially that of merchants and mercenaries travelling to and from Als Street, which was close to letting go. Thanks to him, security is maintained near the city called Kilnarek, which means it is the only reassuring land on Ars Street where there is a lot of danger.

As far as the rumors of the Lockhart family are concerned, the image of the martial arts is very strong as a knight. We were confused with all the information that would conflict with the fact that we produced a genius magician.

After a day of rest, he went south down Ars Street.

The escorts were right, Ars Street had many difficulties and for the first time I felt my life was in danger.

I was advised to escort and act with the merchant squad, which was attacked by a herd of demons.

The location was the biggest difficulty in the north of Ars Street, on the south side of Karsh Pass.

We passed through the difficulties and were attacked by a herd of oaks, slightly distracted.

Both me and Reston, after graduation from college, work inside at the Mage Guild headquarters and have little combat experience. I had only as much experience in combat as I had killed a weak demon to the extent of a goblin in an internship that takes place during my five years of college.

Fortunately, the number of orcs was low and the arm of the escort was certain, so we were cut through without injury, but the merchants we were with told us that it was not helpful to the magician's kung fu.

Indeed, the moment the oak appeared, both me and Reston panicked (panicked) and hid behind the carriage. Less commonly known, but speaking of magicians, magician guild officials are useless in combat just for the level of regular training.

At that time, we were to hear rumors about Zacharias Lockhart, who was the subject of an investigation by chance.

A merchant's escort said, "About a month ago, a 10-year-old defeated a bunch of Harpies, but this is not what happened to the magician in the main magician's guild."

I asked the swordsman of the escort for more information.

He didn't even remember his name, but the combination of an elf sorceress on two ten-year-old children is unthinkable except for them.

Until recently, there were rumors of a juvenile magician who shot down four harpies by himself in order to protect the mercenaries with a dangerous karsh.

I doubted my ears at first.

Certainly not unthinkable if the level is more than a practical instructor, i.e. to the same extent as mine. But I couldn't believe that a child of only ten years old had come up against a dangerous demon called Harpy who was attacking from the air. At least at that stage, he would have had as much combat experience as he could have had fighting the equivalent of a Grade VII demon.

After that, nothing happened and we arrived in a city called Kilnarek that hit the entrance to the village of Rasmore.

Tomorrow, August 26th, I'm going into the village of Rasmore, but I've decided to pick up some rumors about the village of Rasmore in this city as well.

I could hear the story of the village of Rasmore right away.

Not so often, but because there are people coming to buy them out of the village, listening to stories about the Lockhart family, alcohol and soap called Scotch, I also looked into the existence of what we think of as "wise men”.

Talks about the Lockhart family, booze, and soap come together easily, but stories about the wise didn't come together inside.

The only person like that was a squire named Nicholas Garland.

He says he is a born squire who came to the village with his predecessor, Govan Lockhart, and he has experience studying at a private school in Doctus. And they took command of liquor making and soap making, but it wasn't the image of a wise man.

He himself, he said, is a master of swordsmanship, and I heard stories about how he used to look good hunting demons around here. Those who knew at that time said they were impressed by the bright red stain stained with demonic returning blood like a raw swordsman.

In the meantime, I decided to proceed with the investigation around this squire named Garland.