Chapter 120 – Magic Book Rumi

An old man surrounded by hoodlums in the street opened his mouth with a big laugh. He didn’t look at all dangerous even when the big young men threatened him.

“I’m here to meet people, not to trade. I don’t sell my stuff to just anyone.”
“What does that matter! If you do business, pay us protection tax. Or hand over your bundles.”
“Heh heh, do you know what is in this bag?”

The thugs scuffled with the old man pulled out knives from their pockets as if the heat was slowly picking up. He was threatening the old man with a kitchen knife that could be seen in the kitchen.
It had to be stopped before the sword strike happened.
Because I owe that old man something.
I stuck my head out the window and screamed.

“Stop!”
“Ah?”

The thugs with knives looked up at me standing by the window.
Of course, even if I told him to stop, he wouldn’t be able to work with me.

“Kick giggle. Over there, Incubus hyung. Don’t meddle and stay in your room. You can’t even come out because you’re so scared, you keep talking.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going.”

I put my foot on the window sill and prepared to jump. The bullies who saw this made absurd expressions.

“Hyung, if you jump down from there, your legs will be sick!”
“Isn’t that crazy?”

My inn room is located on the 3rd floor.
Each floor is quite high, so if you jump down from here, it will be a minimal fracture.
But that’s normal people who can’t use magic, and I’m different.

Tadak!
It was the moment when I jumped out of the window.

“Liquid!”

At that moment, I formed the water droplet into a rope-like shape and threw it toward the exhaust pipe on the outer wall of the building.
At the same time as the body fell, a rope made of water was entangled in the exhaust pipe.

Tadadak! My hand gripped the rope, so I was able to climb down the wall of the inn building safely.
Should I say it looks like rock climbing upside down?
The thugs shouted with a frightened look at my sudden use of magic.

“I-I’m using that dream magic.”
“You’re using running water like a rope!”
“You’re a fucking wizard.”

Widely!
Landing on the ground, I retrieved a rope made of water and approached the thugs.
The wizard appeared, but the thugs didn’t run away, as if they had lost their heads.

“Well, just stab it, damn it! If you stab a wizard, he’ll die!”
“From whom?”
“I’m going first! Iyaaaaap!”

One hoodlum with a torn eye grabbed a cleaver and charged.
After that, the remaining two also ran towards me.
I swung the rope at the first rogue.

“Blood, avoid! Magic is flying!”

The bully narrowly avoided the whip-like rope by bending over.
However, once it has been avoided, it cannot be said that it has been completely avoided.
The water rope, which wriggled in the air as if it were alive, changed its direction freely and hit the bullies.

Phut! Phut! Phut!
Exactly three times.
Each time the rope was swung, one by one they fell.
This was the difference in power between a third-rate wizard and a street bully.

“Huh.”
“Sah, save me.”
“Sorry! I won’t mess with you again!”

I said briefly after retrieving the rope.

“Leave everything you have and get out of here. There’s no second one. If you come back here, you’ll find it.”
“Yes, yes!”

The hoodlums put down their purses and scrambled through the streets around the inn.
I remembered all the faces, so I would kill him if I stumbled around again.
The street became quiet in an instant.
Citizens walking around looked at me in amazement.

“Did a wizard live here?”
“Joe, you should be careful.”

It’s noisy around, but it’s not something I care about.
I approached the old man standing still in the middle of the street.

“It’s been a while, old man.”
“Nice to meet you. See you again in three months.”

The old man carrying the bag answered my greeting with a smile.
I first bowed my head to the old man and thanked him.

“The magic book you gave me the other day was a big help. At first, I suspected it was fake, but it turned out to be a real magic book. Thanks to it, my life has improved a lot.”
“What. You don’t have to thank me too much. The molars you gave me helped me too. We made a deal.”

As for the molars, are you referring to the goblin molars you picked up in Morris Forest?
How did japtem, which cost only 2 copper each, help?
No matter how I look at it, it was a profitable transaction, but I can’t understand this old man’s mental state.

“So what are you here for?”
“I was looking for someone.”
“If you tell me who it is, I’ll search the whole town. Just tell me.”
“You don’t have to. You are the person I was looking for.”

What?
Did you come to see me?
Hearing the old man’s words gave me a sense of anticipation.
Maybe it’s an opportunity to make another profitable ‘deal’ with the old man.
My gaze naturally fell on the thick bundle the old man was carrying.

“Are you here to do business with me again?”
“I mean to, but there are more important things than a deal. I wonder how you’ve been living the past three months. I’d like to hear who you’ve met and what you’ve accomplished.”
“You mean my story?”

There were many things to talk about.
A lot has happened to me in the past three months.
Judging by the look on his face, the old man seemed to be really interested in my story.

“Tell me your story over a drink. If there is a bar nearby, let me know. I will pay for the drink.”
“All right.”

I pretended to be okay, but inside I was a little perplexed.
I didn’t know that I would even make a masterpiece with this unknown old man.
I’m still buying you a drink, but of course I have to go.
I guided the old man to a tavern near the inn.

*

Moon’s Blessing Tavern.
This is a tavern where adventurers from this neighborhood often gather to have an after party after completing a quest.
There, I ordered drinks and snacks, and shared a glass with the old man and told him a story.

“It happened shortly after I met the old man. I received a quest from the adventurer’s guild and met a red-haired girl as a party member. Rebecca was a female swordsman, but again, she was the woman of my destiny.”
“As a woman of destiny, you are more sensitive than you look. So what happened to her after that?”
“I’m not just saying, it was really fate, old man. Besides, there wasn’t just one woman of destiny, but two.”
“You are a blessed young man.”

The story of a man and a woman who started by beating a clever kelpie together on the shore of a lake.
Exploring the forest, traveling to the trading city, facing the giants of Jotunheim that appeared in the caves along the coast, walking through the dark underground waterways, and fighting the orcs in the abandoned mines, precious bonds were formed.
All were unforgettable memories.

Of course, the story that started as a long adventure story has turned into my life story as it approaches the present.
Because the situation I’m in right now isn’t as pleasant as it is.

“I became responsible for the two women because of my greed. Both of them are precious to me. I thought everyone would be happy after dating, but it wasn’t. My lovers can’t get along well with each other.”
“Are your two lovers harboring ill feelings for each other?”
“It’s not like that. Rather, we are not able to get closer because we are considerate of each other.”
“It’s a headache. If it’s just the two of us fighting head-to-head, there might be a solution. Well, isn’t that all your karma?”
“That’s right.”

When I confided my worries to the old man, I felt a little relieved.
But it’s only been a while since I’ve been relieved.
As long as the lovers’ problems are not resolved, the troubles will continue.

“These days, my growth in magic has slowed down, and I was just worried about relationships. At that time, I met the old man again.”

I sighed and continued.

“Apart from magic, I don’t know how to solve the lovers’ problem. It’s not a problem that can be solved with magic. I tried everything for a month, but it didn’t work. It’s the first time I’ve felt so helpless.”
“You mean it can’t be solved with magic?”
“Of course you can’t solve it. Magic is just a science and technology. How do you solve the problems of people’s lives?”

Maybe the elderly have a solution?
I looked at the old man with such subtle expectations, but the answer was unexpectedly realistic.

“That’s right. There are some things that can’t be solved with magic.”
“You seem to think the same as me.”
“A long time ago, I had one younger brother. My brother was an outstanding wizard who was admired by everyone in those days. “
“The ferocious children, you mean?”
“That’s right. The eldest daughter was a very wicked witch, the second was an all-destroying beast, and the third was a tyrant who knew no loftiness.”

What?
What’s the story starting all of a sudden?
I was listening to the old man’s voice in a daze, and I realized that I had heard the story of the old man’s family.
It felt a little strange that an old man like a mountain god had a younger brother and a family.

“I thought I had to kill them all before they grew up. It was clear that they would all grow up to be evil, but my brother had a different idea. As fathers, he couldn’t abandon his children. My brothers and I became quarrelsome because of our children.”
“…”

You tried to kill your brother’s children?
What are all these horrible people out there?
I was dumbfounded by the cruel words, but for some reason I couldn’t open my mouth to argue with the old man.
I just listened to the old man’s story as if possessed by something.

“At one time, I believed that magic could solve everything. I thought magic would help my brother’s children and his sorrow. But that was my arrogance.”

The old man looked at me with a bitter smile.

“…”
“Now that you’ve heard the story, it’s time to make a deal. All I can give you is the name of the spellbook I gave you before. If the owner calls it by name, the spellbook will begin to reveal new abilities.”

Finally, the deal with the old man began.
I listened intently to the old man.
I don’t know what you mean by spellbooks revealing new abilities.
But if you give it again, you should bow and accept it.

“You should also bring out something to trade. Once you bring out anything, I’ll choose from them.”

I put various items that could be money on the floor under the table.
A money bag containing silver coins, a long sword, the robe and boots he was wearing, and various other japtem items obtained from defeating monsters.

“I’ll do it with this knife.”

What the old man chose among them was none other than a longsword.
If it’s worth money, I’d rather bring a money bag, but I don’t know what criteria they choose to trade with.
I just thought it would be an advantage if they gave me a longsword that I don’t use often anyway.

The old man with the longsword told me the name of the magic book.

“The book’s name is ‘Rumi.’ It’s your partner who will guide you to the path of a wizard. Call my name as soon as you get home.”

Is it Rumi?
It’s a somewhat feminine name.

After hearing the name, the old man added a word.

“Rumi is also an old friend of mine. I want her to be cherished like her daughter, not a book.”