Things went even more smoothly than I had imagined. The guards who arrived were border soldiers belonging to the Witte Empire. Upon seeing the Duke Marshal, they immediately arranged for a large number of guards and the best hospitality for him. Of course, we also received the same treatment for rescuing them.
Furthermore, due to the Duke's extreme dissatisfaction with the security situation here, the commanding officer in charge of the guards quickly arranged for us to return to the Witte Empire in a carriage. Just as the day was breaking, we set off on our journey back to the Witte Empire. Of course, we were also accompanied by an entire regiment of Imperial infantry as protection. As long as one had eyes, no one would dare to trouble such a convoy.
According to the original plan, the Duke Marshal and I were supposed to ride in separate carriages. After all, he was a duke, and even though I was acting as the National Mage of the Ais Empire, I couldn't possibly sit on equal footing with him. Moreover, I didn't have any noble bloodlines myself, at least not according to the set-up.
However, he invited me to his carriage to have a chat. Since he was the one in control of the country's magic organization, he naturally understood the importance of magic. Even if he hadn't witnessed me using magic, the scattered kidnappers had already revealed everything.
By the way, those kidnappers were now being held as traitors in a border prison. Of course, only I was invited. But after getting on the carriage, the Duke didn't immediately say anything. Instead, the two young nobles sitting next to him kept staring at me.
"Excuse me, are you really a National Mage?" Suddenly, one of the two young noblewomen asked.
From the name displayed on her title, she should be Madol Marshal, the second daughter of the Marshal family. I smiled and responded, "Why do you ask?"
"Because the National Mages I know either look very old or very serious. You are totally different from both."
"Is that so? I guess I don't look serious enough then."
"No no no, it's actually quite nice. If all mages were like this, I wouldn't want to study magic."
"Madol!" The Duke immediately reprimanded.
"Sorry, Father. I was just kidding. Haha..."
Madol immediately laughed it off.
"I apologize for their behavior. It's just that these two don't really like studying magic, so..."
The Duke smiled wryly and said to me, "Everyone has their own ambition. You can't force it."
I smiled and said, "I'm actually quite curious why the two of them don't like studying magic."
"The incantations are too difficult to remember!" The other young boy immediately chimed in.
His name was Lima Hill, a 15th-level mage and a 24th-level swordsman. It seems he has a higher affinity for swords.
"Learning swordsmanship only requires remembering attack patterns, but those hard-to-remember magic incantations are just unbearable."
"Is that so?" I reached out my hand, and a block of ice instantly formed in my palm. "Actually, if you grasp the fundamentals of magic, you can use it without incantations."
"Oh, Mr. Lin, you truly are an excellent mage. Can you really use magic directly without the need for incantations?"
"Yes."
Actually, I just pressed the skill button directly, but I guess it's about time based on my level.
Well, I admit I was just being boring and showing off.
"Well...may I ask if you could be the teacher for my two academically challenged children?"
"Well..."
You actually want me to be a teacher? Even if you say that, I don't think my skills can be learned by ordinary people.
"Forgive me for being straightforward, but it seems that your son, Lima, has more expertise in swordsmanship, while your daughter, Madol, seems to prefer creating small things rather than ordinary magic. Of course, I'm not saying this is bad, but it would be very difficult for them to learn pure magic."
"Is that so...then..."
"It seems you also understand what I'm saying. If you want me to teach your two children, I can probably make them become sub-magic swordsmen and magic tool users."
"That's fine, as long as they become occupations related to magic."
The duke's face was filled with anticipation, as if he saw a savior in me.
"However, it still depends on whether the two of them want to learn."
I smiled and looked at the two noble youths. They still seemed resistant to magic, looking at me with a wry smile.
"Lima, do you think speed is important in battle?"
"Of course it is!"
He immediately answered.
"Then..."
I took out a magic guidebook and summoned an ice dagger with a wave of my hand.
"This is an ice dagger that can be summoned by a sub-magic swordsman. If it hits the target, it can slow them down. Do you think it's useful?"
"Well...of course!"
His eyes lit up, wanting to reach out and take the ice dagger. After considering for a moment, I handed it to him, but the ice dagger disappeared in an instant.
"Unless you intend to use this knife to cause long-range damage to the enemy, the things you summon can only be used by yourself, avoiding the possibility of being taken away by others."
"That's great!"
"Right, and as for Miss Madol, I know you prefer creating small things."
Occupation, alchemist, just like Lanya.
"Of course, you can also add some magical elements to it, such as magic grenades, magic reagents, and magic traps. Speaking of which, if the two of you cooperate, you might be able to create something great."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, let's not say much for today. Let's talk more later. I think you've both been through a lot of scares, so rest well."
"That's true, in that case, we'll rely on you when we get to the Witte Empire."
"Duke, you're being too polite."
I'm so happy. I've got an unrestricted ticket to the Witte Empire.
