The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 41: Aftermath

Episode 41: Aftermath 

With a thud, a sizable magic stone fell onto the frozen sea. It had dropped from a considerable height. Yet, the ice below remained unbroken. 

Good, now I don’t have to go diving to retrieve it. 

I approached the magic stone and stored it in my magic bag. It was quite large—would it sell for a good price? 

Cheers erupted from the ship that had nearly been dragged into the sea. But the other vessel was still trapped in ice. It remained eerily silent. 

“It feels cold.”

“Yeah. We need to melt the ice quickly.” 

“Before that, we need to break through it. This looks like a tough job… Maybe I should have gone easier. Ice Sword.” 

“There was no choice. If the Kraken had escaped, things would have dragged on. If it had gone into hiding, this could have turned into a long battle. Ice Sword.” 

We cut through the ice blocking the ships and created a navigable path through the sea. With that, the merchant fleet set sail into the open ocean. 

After watching them depart, we gathered the remaining floating ice into one area. It would eventually melt on its own. But if left unattended, it could become a hazard for passing ships. It needed to be dealt with. 

“Alright, time to melt it down. Fire Wall!” 

A towering wall of flames appeared. By bringing it closer to the ice, the heat should gradually melt it. With a hissing sound, thick white steam began to rise. 

“Fel, you’re too close! The ice is evaporating too quickly. You need to heat it slowly from a distance. Fire Wall.” 

Opposite my flame wall, Lilia conjured another. Unlike mine, hers melted the ice steadily without a sound. I see, that’s how it should be done. I mimicked her method and continued melting the ice. 

An hour later, the task was complete. When we returned to the port, the fishermen had prepared a meal for us. I hadn’t noticed, but we had already passed lunchtime. I had been so focused on melting the ice that I lost track of time. 

“We’ve prepared lunch for you. Please, help yourselves.” 

“Thank you. That really helps—we almost missed lunch.” 

“What are you saying? We should be the ones thanking you! Thanks to you, we can finally go out to sea and fish again.” 

“Thank you so much!” 

One after another, people expressed their gratitude. I had never been thanked by so many people at once—it was a bit embarrassing. Lilia seemed shy as well. She was fidgeting as she hid behind me. 

“The fish tastes better than usual.” 

“It feels richer. It’s packed with umami.” 

Maybe because she’s been eating more regularly, Lilia’s taste perception seems to have sharpened. Did this open a new world for her? If so, that’s a good thing. 

“Of course! It’s freshly caught, after all. The fish in the royal capital can’t compare in freshness.” 

“I see. It’d be nice if we could have this in the capital, too.” 

“If only we could transport them in an even fresher state. Even with ice, there’s a limit. But if you liked it, come back and eat again anytime.” 

“Yes, I’ll do that.” 

After finishing our meal, Lilia and I headed to report to the lord. He had apparently watched our battle with the Kraken from his manor and was deeply moved. 

He invited us to dinner. But, I was more eager to return to the royal capital and take a proper bath. 

At some point during the fight, seawater must have splashed onto me, and I felt sticky. A Clean-Up spell could easily fix that. But nothing beats soaking in a bath. 

After receiving the lord’s signature confirming the completion of the request, we flew back to the capital. Having flight magic is incredibly convenient. Sometimes, I catch people staring at me in stunned silence, though. 

Upon arriving in the royal capital, we headed straight to the Adventurers’ Guild. 

“Clarisse-san, hello. I’m here to report the completion of a request.” 

Saying that, I handed her the request form. 

“Oh, welcome back, Fel-san. Let me see…..… The subjugation request for the Sea Devil—wait, it’s already done!?” 

“Yes, it’s done. I also have the magic stone. Should I take it out here?”

“Uh, well, it’d be better if you took that magic stone to the specialized counter over there.” 

I looked in the direction she indicated and saw a counter labeled “Magic Stone Purchase Only” in the back. It seemed like they had separated it from the “Request Reception and Completion Reports” section. Maybe it was to prevent congestion at the main counter? 

After receiving my reward from Clarisse-san at the reception, I headed toward the magic stone purchase counter. It wasn’t crowded, as the other adventurers hadn’t returned yet. 

“Next in line, please.” 

“Pleased to meet you. This is a Kraken’s magic stone.” 

“A Kraken?” 

“Oh, I mean the Sea Devil’s magic stone.” 

With a thud, I placed the large magic stone on the counter. The receptionist gave me a stunned look, and murmurs began spreading throughout the guild. I was pretty sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong, though. 

After a brief moment of silence, a male guild staff member was called over. The summoned personnel looked shocked but quickly carried the magic stone away to somewhere else. They were probably taking it to the magical device used for weighing. 

“Um, which one of you is Platinum Rank adventurer Fel-san?” 

“Oh, that would be me.” 

From the back, an elf emerged. His long ears made it obvious, even without Lilia pointing it out. I couldn’t guess his age, though. 

“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Raffaello, the Guild Master here.” 

“I’m Fel. And this is Lilia, a Fairy.” 

“Hello, elf grandpa.” 

“Haha, grandpa, huh?” 

“Hey, Lilia!” 

“No, no, it’s fine. I am over 800 years old, after all. I suppose I am a proper grandpa now. It seems even Fairies can’t be fooled about age.” 

He laughed heartily. He was seemingly amused. Do elves enjoy having their age guessed? I had no idea. 

“I had a look at the magic stone. At first, I couldn’t believe it. But seeing you two, it all makes sense. As expected of a Platinum Rank adventurer. And it seems the title of Dragon Slayer is genuine.” 

“Genuine? Are there fakes?” 

“Yes, occasionally. Some people just happen to be present when a Dragon is slain. But they claim the title of Dragon Slayer despite contributing little. It’s quite troublesome.” 

Raffaello-san furrowed his brows as he spoke. Given his long life, he had probably encountered such people more than a few times. 

“Would you like to sell the magic stone here? If you auctioned it, you might make more money…” 

“No, this is fine. I’ve never participated in an auction before.” 

“I see. In that case, could you share the details with me? Please, step into the back room.” 

It seemed Guild Master Raffaello was curious about how we defeated the Kraken. Maybe he was interested in the magic we used? Not that I planned on teaching him, though. 

Lilia was apparently thinking the same. She pressed her lips into a firm line.