Chapter 87

The chronic problem of every magician was endurance.
When all their magic was depleted, what could they do? Nothing—such was the fate of a magician.
Those fortunate enough to restore their power through meditation fared better. For a Warlock, however, there was no means of recovery without a proper sacrifice.

And now, this was the very moment when the problem of magic depletion reached its peak.

Enemies grew stronger, becoming nearly impossible to keep alive as sacrifices.
The constant battles and drawn-out skirmishes seemed to drain his magic faster than ever before.
Faced with both these disadvantages at once, even Justin felt the urge to abandon his path as a Warlocks altogether.

At level 25, the second class advancement would offer some relief—yet he had deliberately rejected it.
It was a decision made for the future, though, in the present, it left him teetering on the brink of resignation.

And then, by sheer chance, he acquired this piece of equipment.
It feels like I just hit the lottery.

To any magician, it would be a powerful artifact, but for Justin, it was the perfect tool at the perfect time.
Without hesitation, he replaced his old apprentice’s staff with the gluttonous staff.
Since he was the only magician in the party, there was no need for any distribution debate.

His companions, though they accepted that the staff naturally belonged to him, couldn’t hide their shock upon hearing its rank.

“Wait, it’s not just rare—it’s unique? Already?”
“Does that mean the next piece of equipment could be unique too…?”
“Please, let it be a bow! Or at least some arrows!”
“Ahem, if a sword appears, I suppose it’s only natural that I take it, right?”

At first, his party members had hoped for equipment tailored to their own specialties. Now, they began to dream of unique-grade items, lured by the massive difference in power between rare and unique ranks.

Listening to their chatter, Justin allowed himself a small smirk and swept up a pile of gold coins.
Clink, clink, clink.

Another 20,000 gold this time, huh?

As the last coin vanished into his inventory, the numbers displayed the same as before.
Though the dungeon’s difficulty had increased, the upgraded equipment seemed to balance things out—no extra reward for the greater challenge.
But with a unique-grade staff in hand, he had no reason to complain.

Once they gathered every piece of treasure, Justin led his party back, ready to return.
An extra skill from rejecting the second-class advancement, a black dragon egg, and now a unique-grade staff as a dungeon reward.
The perfect harvest. A satisfied grin remained on his lips all the way home.

The day after clearing their second dungeon, the group set out toward the opposite territory.
Their original plan to relocate the villagers was back on track.

Gathering everyone together, Justin shouted,
“Starting now, I’m moving you all to my territory! Grab everything you need and get out here! Anyone who stays hidden will be left behind!”

The villagers gathered quickly, startled but obedient. Yet, anxiety was plain on their faces—no one had explained the reason for the relocation.

After a long hesitation, one man stepped forward and spoke.
“My lord… May I ask something?”
“What is it?”
“Is it truly necessary for us to move? Couldn’t we just… stay here?”

The man’s voice faltered, his face shadowed with fear.
This land wasn’t exactly hospitable, but it was familiar—leaving meant facing the unknown, adapting all over again to a new home.

“If you don’t want to follow, stay here.”
“W-Would that really be alright?”
“Sure, but don’t expect me to come back just to manage this place. If another pioneer comes along and captures you as slaves, don’t blame me.”

The man shrank back instantly, retreating in silence.

It wasn’t long ago that pioneers from another land had mocked and treated them as potential slaves. They’d been lucky to escape that fate once—no one could guarantee they’d be so fortunate the next time.
Without protection, the fear of being captured and enslaved again loomed large.

“My lord… I have a question too…”

This time, a woman with dark shadows under her eyes stepped forward.
At his signal, she spoke hesitantly.

“To move to another territory… we’ll have to pass through those monsters, won’t we?”
“That’s right.”
“Is it… safe? Even if you and your companions protect us, someone could get hurt if a monster suddenly appears…”

Her real concern was clear: she feared there wouldn’t be enough guards to keep everyone safe.
Seeing similar worry in the eyes of the other villagers, Justin clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Unless you wander off, nothing will happen. Just follow us closely, and you’ll be fine.”
“But still—”
“I have a skill that repels monsters. When I use it, anything within a certain range will flee. Feel better now?”

At his explanation, relief washed over her face.
Technically, the skill only worked on monsters below a certain level, but there was no need to clarify that detail. The point was to reassure them.

If they knew anything about monsters, they wouldn’t be so worried.

As long as they moved in a straight line, the party would encounter any monsters first.
They’d clear the path, and the villagers could follow safely. Unless it was a field boss or some rare anomaly, there was no chance of a surprise attack.

“Is everyone ready? Then follow us!”

With the villagers gathered, the group left the dreary village behind.
Though the land was officially part of his domain, Justin doubted he would return anytime soon—unless the population grew too large or someone invaded.

Was this really the right choice?

Raphael, moving along with the others, couldn’t shake off his conflicted feelings.
Until now, the talk of hierarchy and noble ranks hadn’t felt real—there was no lord standing right in front of them.

Had they stayed in their old home, things likely would have remained that way.
The lord’s stronghold was far away, and he probably wouldn’t have visited often.

But now we’re heading straight into it. Right into the lord’s domain, where pioneers swarm like ants…

The opposite territory was sure to be full of pioneers—far more than Nox’s group ever had.
In other words, there would be nobles everywhere—people they’d have to bow to constantly.