Chapter 16. Exemption Mission and Non-mage (1)
'There's a hell of a lot, really?'
Inside Enoch's empty room.
Enoch finally put down the last document and muttered inwardly with a slightly fed-up tone, looking at the materials that were still piled high on the desk.
Immediately after forming a cooperative relationship with Lien.
The first thing he had requested from her was the necessary information that he had to know right away as Enoch.
He couldn't easily move around in the room right now due to the risk of being suspected of his identity. Lien, who could move freely as a maid, was the only source of information.
'She's been working as a maid for a long time, so she'll know a lot more about this family.'
That fact was more important to him in the current situation than the fact that Lien was a powerful mage of the 10th class or higher.
If he learned about the family's affairs in detail through Lien like this, he could reduce the possibility of being suspected of his identity while talking with people from other families by chance.
In doing so, he had secured a foundation for expanding the scope of his activities within the family.
'…Of course, I didn't imagine that there would be a mountain of materials piled up on the desk when I woke up.'
But conversely, that meant it was that much more detailed information. And it's better to have more information than not enough.
Enoch once again scanned the materials on the desk, Along with reviewing.
'I probably won't be suspected with this much, right?'
It was a priority to learn subtle mannerisms and aristocratic language. As well as the names of family members, and various common sense and minimal etiquette necessary for life in this world.
If he didn't want to be noticed by the family any more on a daily basis for no reason, he had to take care of these details first.
'I almost died trying to cram all of this into my head….'
At least with this, he could sufficiently take care of the knowledge he needed right now.
-Knock knock
At that moment, a presence was heard outside the door.
Following that, the butler's voice rang politely.
"Young Master Enoch Elsyde. Executive Officer Grantel Skyll wishes to see you."
He slowly rose from his seat.
"I'll go now."
He could investigate the people of other families next time. The time remaining until disownment was decreasing every moment.
Now was the time to take action.
Because there's nothing that can be solved by staying still.
***
"Young Master Enoch, you've arrived."
The elegant executive office of the Elsyde Fortress, filled with luxurious furniture, books, and documents all around. Grantel was sitting in that place.
"I heard you called for me."
"That's right. I'm sorry that the executive office is not organized. I was in the middle of approving the mission just now."
He stopped approving the mission documents for a moment and said, facing Enoch straight.
"Young Master succeeded in the mission last time. And all Main Houses must provide fair compensation to those who contributed to the mission, according to custom."
Enoch nodded.
He had already guessed. Because that's how the family's missions work.
If someone has a contribution to the family, it promises fair compensation corresponding to it.
Even if that was Enoch, who had been despised as an incompetent non-mage until now.
"Therefore, I want to give Young Master compensation, but…. It was very difficult to find something to give to Young Master as compensation this time."
Grantel tapped the table once with the fountain pen that he had finished signing.
"Usually, the compensation plan is decided according to how much each mission has contributed to the family. And I give you a few options. So that you can choose one that you want."
Grantel called the butler who was behind him with a look and handed him a black document file.
A document file with the Elsyde family crest engraved on it.
When he opened it, it was a document file that had been organized with photos of numerous magical tools. Grantel gestured with his hand.
"And these are the compensation plan candidates prepared for Young Master."
Enoch narrowed his eyes for a moment.
Catalogs printed densely on high-quality paper.
Rare and powerful Magic Armaments and magical tools such as artifacts were lined up in that place.
Items that could only be obtained after suffering quite a bit in the mid-to-late game in the game.
In the original work, it was only things that would be a groundbreaking spec-up even if he obtained just one of those.
"It is a list prepared in the storage room within the family. I wouldn't usually give you so many options, but…. I can give you this much convenience for Young Master, who is in a quite special situation."
It was clear what Grantel's words meant.
Enoch was a non-mage.
Even though it's common to hand down magical tools or artifacts as compensation, it must be a consideration that he doesn't know what kind of item is a suitable compensation for him.
The types of magical tools that mages use all have different preferences depending on their main magic, traits, and compatibility.
It was literally as if he had prepared everything because he didn't know what Enoch would like.
The fact that the Elsyde Main House, who could be said to be the representative gold spoon of the Empire, had all those things sleeping in its storage was felt to be great anew.
"Please choose the compensation you want."
Swish.
Enoch reached out without hesitation.
Because he had already finished choosing what to choose anyway.
Grantel also followed the end of his hand with his eyes.
And when he finally stopped his hand, Grantel's eyes widened greatly.
Enoch's fingertips were─
"Young Master Enoch?"
─Not towards the catalog with numerous artifacts listed.
It was towards the mission documents that Grantel had been approving until just now.
"As compensation, I want to take on an exemption mission to withdraw my disownment."
"……!"
「Exemption Mission」
A high-level solo mission that can withdraw the family's disownment, just as the name says.
The last card that a direct line who is about to be disowned can use to prove his value to the family and remain in the family.
Meanwhile, Grantel, who had heard Enoch's remark, asked back with a rarely surprised face.
"An exemption mission, are you serious?"
"That's right. According to the long-standing custom of the Empire, I know that a direct line who is about to be disowned is given an opportunity to prove himself once. I want to withdraw my disownment through that."
In this Empire full of only mages, Enoch has been branded as an incompetent non-mage until now.
That's why he had never been dispatched to the family's missions even once.
If a direct line who can't even use magic spreads the reputation that he has failed the mission, the family would have no choice but to worry about how the gazes from the outside would be.
What's more, there was no way that such a choice as [Exemption Mission], which is only composed of difficulties that can't even be compared to ordinary missions, would be given to Enoch.
'But the current Enoch has forced himself to take on a solo mission and succeeded, thereby producing definite results first.'
Of course, Enoch was still not a mage, but at this point, it was the timing when they were starting to get confused.
Decisively, he had already heard from Lien that there was a story going around that 'Enoch suddenly manifested magic'.
In effect, he had openly proven his own potential to the family for the first time.
Then, if he chooses an exemption mission as a mission compensation so that a different story can't come out at all at this point….
'No matter how much the other people in the family who only regard Enoch as incompetent, there's no justification to refuse, right.'
Besides, there must be those who regarded this side, a non-mage, as an eyesore. If he didn't want to get caught later, he had to handle things this much for sure.
"I understand Young Master's intention well."
Grantel slowly nodded his head.
"Moreover, now that you have successfully succeeded in your first mission, as I am representing the family, I have no other reason to disapprove of the request for an exemption mission."
He added, flashing his eyes as if warning.
"But as you know…. Including the Main House, even the numerous Magic Noble Families. Even if we look at all the precedents of all the families until now, the results of those who have performed exemption missions have all ended in failure."
Enoch readily nodded his head.
It was all stories that he already knew.
"And most of them are caused by the death of the person who took on the exemption mission during the mission. That is also the main reason why no one tries to choose the option of the exemption mission in modern times."
There was no lie in Grantel's words.
In fact, most of the exemption missions implemented in the Empire 'end with the death of the person involved'.
That's how ridiculously harsh and dangerous the mission itself is.
On the surface, it is an opportunity to officially prove one's own value, but there is no way that those who have disobeyed the family's judgment of disownment would be put into an easy mission.
The essence of the [Exemption Mission] system is to produce overwhelming results that everyone can agree on.
In other words, it's truly a 'last chance to be gained by risking one's life'.
And that was naturally no exception for Enoch either.
"Once you choose an exemption mission, you cannot give up halfway."
Grantel asked as if confirming for the last time.
"Are you really going to walk that path of hardship?"
"Yes."
Grantel nodded his head, slightly impressed by Enoch's unwavering answer.
"…As expected, Young Master is also that person's bloodline."
Enoch inadvertently narrowed his eyes.
'That person, huh.'
Is he talking about Enoch's father, the Count who is the current head of the family?
But before he could think more, Grantel asked back in a serious tone.
"Good. As the Executive Officer who is responsible for overseeing all the missions and compensations of the Main House, I will accept Young Master's request according to the custom of the Empire. The exemption mission will proceed as follows according to the procedure."
He continued in a very businesslike tone.
"There are a total of two exemption missions. 'The first mission is a mission that Young Master chooses'. And if you pass this, 'the second mission is a mission that the Head of the Family chooses' and hands down. You can only finish the exemption mission by completing these two things."
Enoch nodded briefly.
Grantel gestured with his finger towards another document file on his desk as if he had been waiting.
The file slid through the air and flew to Grantel. He grabbed it and handed it over.
Unlike the previous files, there was a red label indicating danger on the documents in that file.
"These are all lists suitable for the exemption mission that are suitable for Young Master Enoch. They are all classified as high difficulty missions, so please look at them directly and choose the mission you want."
But Enoch didn't even scan the proposed plans and answered without hesitation.
"I want to take on the mass disappearance incident that happened in the small city of Leopold in the west of the Elsyde territory."
Grantel frowned at those words.
"But Young Master. That mission is…."
"I know. It's a mission that has had several failures even before. Moreover, I know that the 13th class mage who was dispatched alone last time has even lost contact after going missing."
"That is so, but…."
"I think that such a difficult mission is a mission that can prove my ability. Because it is a mission that even the other excellent mages in the family have not been able to solve."
Grantel's eyes widened again at Enoch's words. Enoch's answers were a series of surprises.
How does he know what kind of mission this mission is? And how does he know that that mission has been failed several times until now?
But one thing was certain.
His words were all true.
"…It's certainly true."
As Enoch said, there was a recent incident in that mission where a 13th class mage went missing.
The 13th class, who has accumulated mission experience, can be said to be the main force of the Elsyde family, and is at a level that is considered to be quite skilled.
To take on a mission where a mage as high as the 13th class has failed and even gone missing? It was a mission that was indescribably difficult without having to say it twice.
"There is no disagreement that this mission is a suitable mission for an exemption mission. Because it is a problem that is becoming a headache in the family."
Grantel said that and looked at Enoch for a moment.
He was clearly an outcast who had been locked up in his room until now, a boy who was despised by the family.
But both the mission last time and this time, it was information and decisiveness that he couldn't think of as an incompetent non-mage who had been driven to the brink of disownment at all.
Until recently, he hadn't even guessed that he would come up with such a proposal.
Grantel smiled briefly.
"Then, I understand."
He took out a seal from his arms.
Wiiiing
A cluster of mana was 휘감겨 around Grantel's fingertips.
The gears inside the seal designed with a transparent frame meshed precisely, reacting to the mana and turning.
"As you wish, I will assign the mission to Young Master. I will send you the documents containing the details and the departure schedule of the mission to your room soon."
It was true that he still had questions about Enoch's sudden change like this.
But whatever way he found out about the progress of this mission, that's not important.
Because after all, the most embarrassing thing in the Elsyde family is incompetence itself.
There were no impressions that Grantel would add to his judgment or whim one by one.
If he demands a mission as compensation, it's his job to decide whether to allow it or not.
Chararak
The shape of the seal finally changed once. Grantel slammed it down on the mission documents.
"May the goddess's blessing be with you."
"Thank you."
Opening the door of the executive office and coming out, Enoch smiled faintly.
Things were going smoothly.
This was a mission that he could sufficiently succeed in even with Enoch's current power alone, without even one Follower Family.
If he successfully succeeds in the exemption mission one by one like this, Enoch's disownment can be withdrawn.
And that wasn't all.
There was another reason why he had to take on this mission.
'This mission is…….'
─Because it is related to the death that Enoch will face.
The cause of death that Enoch faces in the original work. That is directly involved in this mission.
This mission is an incident that ultimately remains unresolved until the original work and develops like a butterfly effect into the cause of Enoch's death.
'But there are still 5 years left until the original work starts.'
He had to use that point.
If he solves it now before things get bigger, he can prevent the cause of Enoch's death that will happen in the future much more easily.
If he acts now to prevent something that he would have to prevent with a shovel later, it's like preventing it with a cotton swab.
'It's unconditionally more beneficial to solve it now, right.'
Of course, what he is taking on now was a mission that the Elsyde family had not been able to solve until the starting point of the original work.
Moreover, even though it wasn't an easy mission for the low-level section in terms of the story…
There was nothing to worry about.
'I have already cleared this mission countless times.'