Episode 158
Chapter 54: Impersonation, Cheers (1)

October 17, 1796, noon.

Jin and Enya arrived at an inn in Hosun, a small city in southern Biment, and settled in.

“It feels strange to be wandering around Biment like this. It reminds me of the day I first met Gongja, when I snuck onto that Tikan trading ship to escape,” Enya said.

“That’s why we made new IDs and disguised ourselves. Don’t worry so much. And remember, you should call me ‘hyung’—not Gongja,” Jin replied.

Jin was still using the ID he’d gotten as a trainee pilot under the name ‘Jin Gray,’ while Enya had a forged ID made by Chilsaekjo under the name ‘Austin Gray.’

Administratively, Enya wasn’t supposed to exist in Biment. She was also an unofficial wanted fugitive here, so she was disguised as a man.

Heh.

Jin let out a suppressed laugh. Anyone who knew Enya’s usual self would find it hilarious to see her with a fake mustache, buried under a loose-fitting men’s robe.

“Hyung! Am I funny?”

“Honestly, yeah. Try making your voice a bit rougher. And from now on, I’m going to speak informally. We’re brothers, after all. Austin, you can do the same if you want.”

“Ha ha ha! Like this? Is this rough enough?”

“Perfect.”

Despite their bright and cheerful banter, the city of Hosun felt heavy and gloomy, even under the blazing midday sun. People walked with dark expressions, their steps sluggish, and the eyes of stray dogs were filled with fear.

Even the market they passed on the way to the inn was deserted—so few vendors were out that the city’s atmosphere was clearly off.

‘No wonder, with the remnants of the Dark Mage Society running rampant,’ Jin thought.

The inn where they stayed was about an hour’s ride from a long forest path leading to the empire’s south-central region.

Currently, the Dark Mage Society’s remnants had taken up residence there. At night, they formed small groups of three or four to raid villages, pillage, and terrorize the area.

Armed guards patrolled the streets, but their expressions were just as weary and downcast as the townsfolk’s.

They were only doing their duty under the lord’s orders, clearly exhausted and worn out.

“By the way, hyung, those Dark Mage Society remnants… they must be really bad guys. Did you hear what the guards said earlier? They don’t hesitate to kidnap even children. It’s hard to believe this is really Biment.”

“You’ve been living in the capital, so it probably feels even stranger to you. There aren’t many cities in the world with better security than Biment’s capital.”

“So, from now on, hyung and I just have to take them all down, right?”

“Probably. For now, let’s wait and see if they show up.”

But when night fell, the first to arrive were a group of noble mages.

Out of nowhere, a fleet of lavishly gilded carriages passed through Hosun’s gates.

Commoners flocked to see the spectacle, and Jin and Enya joined the crowd on the street.

“They’re mages from the Academy!”

“They must be here to wipe out the remnants!”

Each carriage bore flags emblazoned with the golden eagle emblem of the Biment Magic Academy.

—They’re just prey for the nobles. In my opinion, the reason the Biment garrison isn’t dealing with the Dark Mage Society is to give the Academy mages a chance to shine.

‘I hoped I was wrong, but Sir Kashimir’s prediction was spot on. And why do they have to arrive on the exact same day as us?’ Jin clicked his tongue and adjusted his robe’s hood.

“Uh…”

Enya looked uneasy the moment she saw the carriages. She had no good memories of the Academy.

“Hyung, why do they have to be those people? They seem to be here for a good cause, but…”

“Don’t be afraid, Austin. They don’t seem like much.”

Jin spoke calmly.

It was bittersweet to see Enya, who had never been intimidated even when fighting the Dark Mage Society, freeze up at the sight of the Academy’s banner.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

Back in his previous life, when Jin was learning magic, he generally avoided Academy mages.

Their sense of entitlement and superiority disgusted him.

Not all Academy mages he met were like that, but judging by the unnecessary gold plating on their carriages, most of them thought they were the most special and important people in the world.

‘Well, I can’t completely blame them. They really are a group of talented and well-connected individuals. It’s obvious how little they must have thought of Enya, a commoner. Their jealousy and envy toward her scholarship must have been sky-high.’

In Jin’s eyes, Enya was a million times more talented than most of them. The fact that Olta, the god of time who valued bloodlines so highly, had offered a contract to a commoner girl like her was proof enough.

“Judging by the shoddy gold plating on the carriages, most of them aren’t even full-fledged mages. They’re probably students full of pride, but I don’t think they can handle the Dark Mage Society.”

“What? Even if they’re students, they should be able to perform pretty impressive magic. On average, they’re probably around rank 4. The Dark Mage remnants number about 50, mostly rank 3 to 4, with a few senior mages mixed in.”

“That’s why they’re no match. The remnants are all veterans who’ve been crawling in the shadows. Students don’t yet realize how different theory is from real combat. They’re outnumbered and out-experienced.”

There were fifteen carriages in total.

Even assuming two students per carriage, that was only thirty mages.

“Still, the Academy committee probably sent at least one or two full-fledged mages to avoid damaging Sir Kashimir’s ‘major project.’ Probably around rank 7.”

“Hm, if there are two rank 7 mages from the Academy, we might not even get a chance to step in.”

Jin shrugged and smiled.

“We’ll see. Let’s go grab some dinner. Since we’re out, might as well have a beer too.”

“Oh, sounds great, hyung!”

The flashy arrival of the Academy students had a huge impact.

The gloomy streets brightened instantly. Restaurants and taverns that had been closed opened their doors, and even the small red-light district in the back alleys lit up.

The noble students were known for spending lavishly. As heroes who had come to save the city, their presence naturally brought life back to the town.

Jin and Enya picked a tavern that served both food and drinks.

“Hyung, is it really okay to order all this?”

“Of course.”

“These are the most expensive dishes.”

“…Austin, don’t you think it’s time to realize that most of our comrades, including me, are ridiculously wealthy? Why ask about something like that?”

“But I’m not rich. I didn’t feel that way in Tikan, but now that we’re out here, I feel hesitant to spend money so freely.”

“When we get back, I’ll set you up with a personal storage at either the Tikan Central Bank, the Continental United Iron Dragon Bank, or the Bankela Eternal Vault. I’ll make sure you have some pocket money all to yourself.”

“I’ll serve you for life, hyung! You’ll have to sign something for me when we get back!”

“Sure, sure.”

From a general perspective, having about five thousand gold coins would make her feel quite wealthy.

While they were deciding, an excited Enya ordered every dish on the menu.

“Hey, robes and staffs? You two must be magic students too. Are you from the same group as those students who just arrived?”

The innkeeper said this without a hint of tact, and Jin shook his head. Their appearance didn’t exactly scream ‘noble,’ so the misunderstanding was understandable.

“We’re just travelers passing through. We have no connection to the Academy, so no need for special treatment.”

“Oh, I see. Haha, but since your friend here ordered all our special dishes so boldly, I can’t help but give you some service. You must be pretty wealthy after all.”

The innkeeper smiled warmly and retreated to the kitchen.

“Hyung, you handled that pretty smoothly. Before I met you, I thought everyone in Runkandel was cruel and terrifying.”

Enya whispered, glancing at Jin nervously, making him chuckle.

“They just made an innocent slip of the tongue. And they’re giving us good service. If it were one of my other brothers, things might have been different. They might have lost their heads or limbs.”

Jin whispered back with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s true that only cruel and scary people gather here! Except for you, hyung.”

“Then why did you switch from ‘hyung’ to ‘hyung-nim’?”

“Because you promised me pocket money, hehe.”

Sizzle, crack! The sounds of fire and oil cooking echoed clearly in the small tavern. The delicious aroma was a bonus. Just as they raised their two beers for a toast—

Creak.

Another customer entered.

From the moment the door opened, Jin felt a bad premonition and sighed involuntarily.

“Man, I lost my appetite listening to that lord’s sycophantic nonsense. How can someone with a pig’s face grin and rub their hands like that?”

“I feel the same. But the seniors said the street food here is decent, so let’s give it a shot. Hey, innkeeper!”

“Yes, yes!”

The innkeeper hurried out, bowing repeatedly toward the two of them. Unlike Jin and Enya, these were academy cadets—dressed in white robes embroidered with gold thread and carrying the finest staffs—here looking for Hawson.

‘No wonder it doesn’t feel like we can just eat in peace.’

Better to leave before getting caught up in some pointless trouble.

The three cadets placed their orders with the innkeeper but kept openly eyeing Jin and Enya.

They couldn’t just ignore two shabby-looking magic students who looked easy to dismiss. Like a cat that can’t resist a fish.

Jin slid three gold coins under his beer mug. Even if they left, they’d at least pay for their meal.

“Austin, let’s just go—wait.”

But Enya’s behavior was strange. Her fists were clenched tight, her eyes trembling. Beneath her loose robe, her small frame was shaking like a leaf.

‘No way… could it really be them?’

The very cadets who had been tormenting Enya?

Jin caught Enya’s gaze.

“Austin, is this what I think it is?”

“Ah, hyung… yeah. It is. Let’s get out of here, fast.”

If I wanted, I’d beat them senseless without a second thought.

But calming Enya came first.

‘How badly did they bully her for someone as bright as Enya to be this scared…?’

Just as Jin ground his teeth and stood up—

“Hey, where do you two belong? You don’t look like our kind.”

One of the cadets slapped Enya’s cheek as if to mock someone already on the verge of tears.