A few days later they encountered bandits on the road for the first time. The knights dealt with them all quickly, without suffering a single loss.
Elder called out to the mage with concern, asking whether he was all right.
He only smiled awkwardly and confirmed that he was. Of course he was fine. They had slaughtered them all.
Elder asked whether the girl was injured, and she told him that she was fine. And how was he?
He laughed. No matter how old he was, the likes of them could not defeat him.
Ian said that he had heard he used to be a mercenary, and called it amazing.
"I may look like this now," the old man replied, "but I was quite famous in my youth. That's why I took the nickname Elder. There are too many idiots who start a fight the moment they hear my real name."
Ian looked down thoughtfully. So he was famous enough that everyone had heard his name.
Elder turned to the knights and declared triumphantly that they had robbed a band of bandits, and they answered him with a joyful roar. After that one of them pointed down the road and said that the paths forked here. To the east lay Katanat County, and to the west the forest where the manticore had been seen.
Elder told Ian that the forest where the mage lived was in that same direction, and suggested that they hurry there. But before following him, Ian turned to the girl and suggested that they first meet this mage and then go on together to Count Katanat.
But she refused. She wanted to meet her uncle as soon as possible.
He asked worriedly whether she could really handle it alone.
She answered with a smile that she was not a child, so she could handle it. If she went this way, she would come straight to her uncle's house. She waved goodbye to him and ran off.
He hoped everything would be all right with her. He needed to sort this out quickly and catch up with Lucy.
Elder asked, perplexed, where his sister was going off to alone, and he said that he would catch up with her soon, but that was not the point now. They would be meeting that mage shortly, wouldn't they?
Elder threw an arm over his shoulder and asked whether he was mentally prepared.
He did not understand why he needed to prepare for this, and the knight said that mages were usually not simple people. She was angry about the order. Who knew what she might do to them?
"Why should we clean up after the order?" Ian asked.
The knight became slightly nervous, looked away, and answered that it was all because the order had paid them.
Now Ian no longer had to wonder where they had all got such fancy armour.
The old man assured him that he would not die. She would definitely forgive them as soon as she saw his face.
Ian was in a state of anticipation. This was his first time meeting a mage, not counting his teacher, of course. He was curious to see how it would go.
At that moment a terrible aroma filled the little house deep in the forest, killing every living creature in range.
This was Monty Campbell, the plant mage, cooking her chicken stew.
Some time ago the order had come to her with a request to lend her magic to their warriors so that they could catch a manticore. They had reminded her not to forget that this forest was first and foremost the order's domain.
She frowned at the thought and said that if they wanted her help, then at the very least let them eat what she cooked with gusto. If, of course, they had the courage not to run away when they smelled it.
She went on stirring the stew, laughing and anticipating what would happen when the knights arrived.
Very soon they were approaching her house, and Elder told Ian about her. She was a famous plant mage. She not only controlled plants, she also brewed terrible, deadly poisons from them. They needed a powerful poison for hunting the manticore, so she was perfect.
As soon as they came near the house they smelled a terrible smell and covered their noses — but Ian thought that it smelled familiar.
Hearing their disgruntled voices, Monty ran happily out of the house and laughed, saying that she had been waiting for them.
Elder covered his nose, trying not to choke, and she said with a grin that she was glad they could come. Now let them enjoy the treat she had prepared for them.
They went into the house, and she gave each of them a bowl of this stinking stew, which was already making them cry.
Elder said that she really should not have proved her power to them in such a way.
She replied that she had simply served her guests a rare dish, made from crops she had grown with special care. If they were not her guests, they were free to leave.
Elder looked at her doubtfully. It was a challenge.
The knights winced, trying to force down at least one spoonful of the stew, but they felt nauseous. Monty was beginning to doubt herself, thinking that perhaps she had overdone it a bit.
But unlike them, Ian was enjoying her stew. He was simply delighted with a soup so full of garlic.
Monty began to worry about him. She came over to ask whether he was all right, and he replied enthusiastically that it was simply incredibly delicious.
She was shocked. This could not be right.
He went on eating the stew with pleasure and said that the garlic was simply fantastic. To prove his point, he scooped up a spoonful of garlic and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, leaving everyone speechless.
Monty immediately ran over and told him to stop. She had been a plant mage for forty years, and she had never met such an eccentric as him.
He stared at her in bewilderment, not understanding what was going on, and she asked what his name was.
When she heard his name, and the name of Alletus in it, she pointed at him in surprise. "Is he Alletus's apprentice?"
It soon became completely dark. She prepared new dishes and set the table, apologising to them for such a reception. Ian was not thrilled with the juicy meat. The chicken stew had been better.
Monty asked whether they were hunting a manticore. It would not be easy. Count Katanat had sent many hunters to catch this monster, and the beast had killed them all.
The old knight declared that he was ready for it, and she asked whether he had ever caught a manticore before.
He replied that he had done it a couple of times in his youth.
Then she asked Ian what about him? Since Alletus had taught him, he must already be an accomplished mage, right? Why shouldn't he help the knights with his knowledge?
Ian remembered how his teacher had once told him about a mage's duty. There are times when a mage must help people even if he does not want to, and such moments should not be taken lightly.
Of course, he had no need to hunt a manticore. But if he refused, bad rumours could spread through the magic circle. The magic circle is an organisation created by mages under the auspices of the magic academy to oversee the proper use of the arcane arts. If that happened, he would not be able to look his mentor in the eye, and he might not be able to ask other mages for help either.
He glanced at the knights, who were smiling and awaiting his answer, realised that he had no choice, and decided to go with them.
The next day they set out into the forest. An uneasy atmosphere reigned. He was worried about Lucy. She was probably waiting for him.
Oberon, whom he had sent out on reconnaissance, came back to him, having finally found the manticore.
Noticing the raven's calling, Elder asked Ian what was wrong, and he replied that the raven had found the manticore, and that they needed to move forward.
The old knight was surprised by this astonishing ability, and Ian thought that while the bird sat on his shoulder, he had accustomed it to human speech.
They walked on for a few minutes, and the old knight finally felt an incredible thirst for blood.
Ian asked whether the manticore was also a mystery. Maybe he could persuade it.
Elder doubted it, and Monty said confidently that manticores were definitely not the sort you could negotiate with.
Ian asked what she knew about summoning, and she exclaimed indignantly that she did in fact know what magic was. If he really persuaded it, then she would tell everything.
He did not understand. So she would just tell his mentor instead of praising him, as though it were something bad.
Dietrich called out excitedly to the leader and pointed into the dark thicket of the forest, where the manticore was. The creature was looking straight at them.
Elder ordered the mages not to move away from him. After that Dietrich called out and said that they had already coated all their weapons with poison.