Chapter 197: I Am Really a Mage!

"You… don't come any closer!"

As expected, a few minutes later, Wood was surrounded.

Several arrows shot down from the air pinned him in place.

He knew this wasn't a miss—they were his final warning.

And only now did he realize the cavalry behind him weren't riding superior warhorses at all, but a line of first-rank demonic beasts: Flame Horses!

Was he just ignorant, or had this world gone mad?

Even border nobles are this extravagant?

In the capital, he'd only seen Flame Horses under the riders of dukes, marquises, and royal family members.

"Let me introduce myself—I'm Gervas Gale, Lord of Stormhold!"

"My lord, you didn't pay for your meal—that's banditry, and bandits hang!"

"So, you've gotten yourself into trouble. Do you know that?"

Gervas smiled warmly at Wood.

His quick reaction was no accident—he'd long ago sent Stormswift Hawks to surveil the town.

The moment Wood arrived, word reached him instantly.

Unexpectedly, the fool hadn't paid for his meal—perfect, giving Gervas a legitimate excuse to keep him.

"My lord, I… I didn't refuse to pay, I just paid a little less!" Wood's scalp prickled—he knew he'd stirred up a massive problem.

"Paying less still counts as non-payment! Here's your last chance: pay the missing coins, and I'll let it go."

"How about it, my lord? Am I not merciful?" Gervas wore an air of humility.

Wood licked his lips bitterly—if he had the money to pay, would he be in this mess?

"My lord, I… I have no money…"

"Then there's no choice! My lord, I'm merciful, but I can't let everyone eat for free on my land—if I did, even my vast wealth wouldn't suffice!" Gervas spread his hands. "Rei Meng, seize him. But since he did pay something, it's not robbery—just debt."

"So, death is spared, but punishment remains—take him away, sell him to a slave trader in two days to settle the debt!"

Damn! Wood silently exclaimed.

This noble was ruthless.

No wonder they called it the border—no argument, just execution or enslavement, no civility at all.

He'd only owed one silver coin.

"Lord Gervas, I… I'm a mage! If you provoke me, you'll regret it!" Wood finally refused to submit.

He would fight back.

But the moment he spoke, the knight ahead blazed with intense light.

Before his eyes blurred, a longsword rested against his throat.

"B… Silver Knight? This… this damned rumor about border nobles being poor and powerless…" Wood mentally cursed the fools who spread such lies a hundred times over.

At that moment, Gervas stepped forward with a smile. "My lord, what was that you just said? I didn't catch it. Something about magic?"

"I… Lord Gervas, I'm a mage! Please, spare me this once! I'll repay you double—triple! I swear it!"

"Huh? M… mage? You're a mage?" Gervas stepped back in surprise, re-examining Wood from head to toe.

Wood's despair instantly sparked with hope—he nodded frantically. "Yes, my lord, I truly am a mage! Please, spare me this once! When I have money, I'll repay you—double, triple!"

"If you're truly a noble mage, then I, Gervas, must show you respect!" Gervas nodded, acknowledging him.

"My lord, how could a mage so noble be so destitute, unable to even pay a single silver coin?"

"I think he's a fraud—and a repeat offender. Just kill him," Rei Meng growled.

Wood's fleeting hope vanished into despair. "My lord, I swear by heaven—I'm a true beginner mage!"

"Lord Wood, I'd like to believe you, but my subordinate has a point."

"Besides, even if you truly are a mage, a destitute one like you—could you be a kingdom-wanted criminal?" Gervas looked profoundly wise.

Wood nearly wept.

He truly regretted it.

To be reduced to this over a few roasted rabbits—he'd rather starve entering the Chaos Wastes.

Even chewing bark and roots would be better than this!

Not only was his pride deeply humiliated, but he now faced the gallows.

In this desperate situation, he had no choice but to reveal why he'd fallen so low.

"Lord Gervas, if you let your men release me, I'll prove I'm a mage!"

"And I'm not a wanted criminal—I'm destitute for a reason…"

Then Wood explained why he'd fallen so low, and why he'd come to the border.

To avoid being killed as a fraud or imprisoned as a fugitive, he revealed everything without hiding a single detail.

"Oh? So you fled to the border, planning to enter the Chaos Wastes, because you owed fifty thousand gold coins in usurious debt?"

"Yes, Lord Gervas—you don't know how it compounds. Even if I crafted magical trinkets my whole life, I'd never repay it."

"After all, I'm only a beginner mage—if I were a high-level mage, I might clear it in two or three years!"

"Ah, so Lord Wood is also a man of misfortune. My apologies—I misunderstood you!" Gervas stepped forward sympathetically and removed Rei Meng's sword.

Wood's spirit relaxed.

Along with months of debt, hardship, and flight, all his pent-up bitterness surged up—his eyes turned red.

"Lord Gervas, you're a good man. I'm deeply ashamed for what I did on your land!"

"Please, spare me this once! I swear, when I have money, I'll repay you tenfold—no, a hundredfold!"

Gervas shook his head and patted Wood's shoulder. "Lord Wood, had you told me your story sooner, I wouldn't have just offered you roasted rabbits—even roasted demonic beast meat, I'd have served you free."

"I, Gervas, also started with nothing; I deeply understand the hardships of building an enterprise from scratch, so I have great sympathy for your plight!"

"Here is what we shall do: come with me to the castle. I will host a proper feast for you, and you can rest and recover for a few days!"

"Let me tell you! The Chaotic Wasteland! It is far too dangerous! Not only are demons rampant, but kobolds and goblins are everywhere, and they all treat the human race as food!"

"Especially for transcendent existences like Title Knights or Mages; to them, humans are just like we view monster meat, regarded as an exquisite delicacy and nourishment."

"After catching them, they do not even kill them immediately; instead, they cut off pieces of flesh slowly and eat them one by one! Sometimes they may feast for ten days or half a month, and the person might not even die!"

"As for the reason for doing this, it is naturally because living flesh tastes better..."