Chapter 9

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Outside the city lies the wilderness.

Even if milk and honey flowed there, it would still be called the wilderness without exception.

All inhabitants of the wilderness are nomads.

From the perspective of city dwellers, wilderness is just wilderness and nomads are just nomads, but in reality, there were clear systems and hierarchies within.

At the very bottom were those commonly called vagrants.

They consisted of individuals alone or groups of less than four households without a mobile barrier.

Those who became vagrants either had skills too poor to be accepted into a Nomad or had been expelled for committing crimes.

Without companions to complement their skills or the means to purchase or rent a mobile barrier, they typically lived miserable, wretched lives before dying quickly.

The most common and basic nomadic unit was the Nomad.

Composed of around ten households with ownership of a mobile barrier, these were small nomadic groups.

They typically moved between four or five crossroads, spending two-thirds of the year in the wilderness and the remaining third at relatively safe crossroads.

Above them were Caravans, large groups of about a hundred households.

They traversed dozens of crossroads and multiple cities, conducting trade and accumulating substantial wealth.

Nomads couldn’t survive without trading with Caravans, so they were indirectly governed by them.

Caravans were accessible only to the wilderness’s most talented individuals and served as an elite path for those seeking to earn city citizenship.

The primary dream of wilderness nomads was to join a Caravan, with the ultimate goal of becoming a city citizen. That’s why they spared no expense in their children’s education.

-The Nomad System

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Upon returning to the Nomad, Teacher Sena immediately summoned all its members. She announced that the orc attack had resulted in four student casualties.

“In the midst of this, Do Gyeong-su committed a serious betrayal. Since his betrayal actions increased the damage, Do Gyeong-su’s parents must compensate half their property to the parents of the deceased Miri, Gi Seung-hu, Ziglo, and the now paralyzed Mika. Specifically, Miri’s family should receive twice the amount given to others, and Mika’s family half of what others receive. You will then be expelled at the next crossroad. We will not brand you, so I pray you find good company elsewhere.”

“But, but that’s…”

Do Gyeong-su’s father, who was responsible for carpentry skills in the Nomad, widened his eyes as if he couldn’t accept this. But his wife caught his sleeve.

She gestured toward their second and third children clinging tightly to her thigh. It meant that for the sake of their other children, he should accept and withdraw.

Do Gyeong-su’s father swallowed hard and looked at Teacher Sena.

Indeed… her eyes were cold.

Though her ear was torn and her forehead cracked, with red bandages wrapped tightly around her head and her right arm completely immobilized, her presence as a Mana User remained intact.

No, she was even more intimidating now.

While Teacher Sena was normally polite and attentive to Nomad members’ opinions, ultimately, she was unquestionably the leader of the Nomad.

Following wilderness law, she held the power of life and death over its members.

In the end, Do Gyeong-su’s father softened his eyebrows and lips as much as possible and bowed his head deeply.

“I understand.”

“You’ve made a wise decision.”

Teacher Sena nodded once and immediately changed the subject. It was a gesture indicating that everything was settled and now forgotten.

-Forget the dead.

Just as she had taught the students.

“I have something else to share with you.”

Her voice addressing the new topic was even heavier than before.

“During this encounter with the Calamity of Night—the orc—my magical power has grown significantly. Enough to form a Circle again… no, perhaps even enough to attempt two Circles.”

Her calm confession sent ripples of exclamation through the Nomad.

Only then did everyone truly comprehend.

‘They really defeated an orc…!’

Though orcs were classified as lower-rank among the Calamity of Night, they were still calamities beyond human resistance.

Typically, a Nomad of ten households would be annihilated the moment they encountered an orc, and even 1st Circle magic users or 1st Star ki-blood mages avoided direct confrontation with orcs.

Yet Teacher Sena had killed such an orc. With only four student casualties.

It demonstrated how powerful a Mana User she truly was.

However, tension rather than joy was evident in Teacher Sena’s voice.

“Because of this, we are now in danger. Those who overcome calamities attract the attention of other calamities, and sudden surges in magical power draw their notice as well. My aggro level is currently very high. It exceeds the capacity of both our Nomad’s mobile barrier and my personal protective talisman.”

The Nomad’s exclamations quickly turned to sighs of dismay.

“Does that mean… calamities might find us?”

When someone asked this question, Teacher Sena solemnly nodded.

“Yes. I’ve reinforced the barrier as much as possible, so we’re safe for now, but the aggro spike is unavoidable. There’s a high probability we’ll be tracked by calamities.”

“If you form a Circle again, couldn’t you strengthen the barrier further?”

“No. When a Mana User becomes a mage, they make a special covenant. A mage’s covenant causes a tremendous increase in aggro levels. It must be performed in a designated location with the assistance of other mages. Creating a Circle here would be suicide.”

“Then, what should we do?”

As the Nomad grew noisy with concern, Teacher Sena raised one hand to quiet them.

“There’s only one option. We must change our course and seek out the ‘Talon School Caravan.'”

“Ah…”

Talon School Caravan. At those words, the Nomad’s atmosphere shifted. Expectation and excitement bloomed amid the fear.

The School Caravan was the next educational level above the School Nomad. The admission requirement was being a Mana User or higher, and its goal was to produce true mages.

Graduates of the School Caravan had guaranteed futures. Their families could also become Caravan members and enjoy many benefits.

Getting one’s child into a School Caravan was inevitably every nomad’s dream.

“At the Talon School Caravan, I can form a Circle again. When that happens… I’ll have no reason to continue leading the School Nomad. But if you accompany me, I promise that for those families, I will take responsibility for educating your children until they reach adulthood.”

Woong-

The moment she uttered the word “promise,” the magical power she contained rippled.

The resonance created by magical power dense enough to form two Circles was clearly audible even to the nomads’ ears.

Nothing was more reliable than a mage’s promise. If she broke this promise, she would lose her Circle again, but if she kept it, she would gain even greater magical power.

Everyone looked enticed. Though it would be dangerous, the reward was incredibly sweet.

Teacher Sena, who might become a 2nd Circle mage. The opportunity to learn from such a person was nothing short of miraculous.

But… it was still dangerous.

As the nomads fell into complex deliberation, a clear voice interjected with additional information.

“Considering the Talon School Caravan’s usual route, it would take about three months from here to catch up with them.”

The person offering this advice was my mother. A woman wearing a turban and carrying a long telescope.

She was the Sena School Nomad’s guide and possessed the most accurate weather prediction skills—my proud mother.

Teacher Sena nodded.

“Yes. Three months. It will be an arduous and difficult journey. But if you join me, I will certainly repay your trust.”

No matter how powerful a Mana User might be, they couldn’t cross the wilderness alone.

They needed guides, hunters, gatherers, and people to craft various tools.

Teacher Sena desperately needed the Nomad’s help.

“Please make your decision by the time we reach the closest crossroad from here.”

Having finished speaking, Teacher Sena turned to my mother again.

My mother smiled brightly and pointed toward the distant wilderness.

“Then our next destination should be the Red Tree Crossroad. The sun is already setting… what shall we do?”

“Night march, of course. We’ll minimize rest until we reach the Red Tree Crossroad.”

Rumble-

Just then, thunder crashed in the clear sky. It came from near where we had battled the orc earlier.

It didn’t sound like ordinary thunder; an ominous energy spread.

“That’s the aftermath of the battle. Calamities are gathering. Hurry!”

Feeling the eeriness, the nomads followed Teacher Sena’s urging and gathered their tents and possessions onto horses and wagons.

They rushed so much that they succeeded in loading everything within 20 minutes.

Grumble-

Wheeee-

But in that time, the thunder had already transformed into sounds like beasts howling, and the wind sounded like blades.