–—- ??? —---

  Wilbur decided that true magic didn’t involve arrays, enchantments, or spells. Instead, true magic was whatever his new companion had.

  During their coffee chat, Kaledo and he had a long conversation. Wilbur felt like he was being interviewed on his hopes, dreams, and ambitions. Kaledo asked what his goal and focus were. The wizard was unsure of how much he should reveal. He had just met this guy. But if he wanted to offload the work, he would need to give him something.

  He kept it simple. Wilbur told Kaledo he wanted to acquire a large section of interconnected buildings. His purpose was that they would be used to build a massive structure.

  As they talked, the Merchant had taken out a small book from his vest. He wrote down everything Wilbur said and added his own notes on how he would accomplish it.

  “So, to summarize,” Kaledo said, his hand working furiously as he kept writing. “You want interconnected plots. They should be as large as we can find, but they have to connect. Is that all?”

  Wilbur slung his mug back and drained the last of his coffee. “That’s it!”

  “Okay!” Kaledo slapped the book shut, then stowed it back in his pocket. He rose from the purple recliner then frowned at the mug in his hand, looking around for somewhere to set it.

  Wilbur got to his feet and waved a hand. The recliners and chairs vanished from sight.

  “Have to say, that seems really convenient," Kaledo said as he scanned the now-empty street. He brought his hands together. “Right. Let's get to it.”

  The merchant spun on his heel and quickly walked down the street.

  Wilbur watched him speed away and frowned.

  “Hey, Kaledo?” He called after him. “Where are you going?”

  The eager man paused and looked back.

  “To go buy properties? Is there something else we need to do first?”

  Wilbur pointed to a large pile of rubble a few plots away.

  “Wouldn’t that be the place to start?” This street was connected to the plot of buildings with Kaledo’s shop.

  Wilbur raised an eyebrow in question. “It’s the largest plot here. Without it, this whole block would be worthless.”

  Kaledo shook his head.

  "You're not gonna get them to sell. They won't do it. The owner is a dwarf, and he's stubborn as hell. That workshop has been in his family for generations.” The merchant turned back. “It would be a waste of time. He won't do it."

  “Oh,” Wilbur muttered, then strode after him. “Well, that’s good to know.”

  They fell in step with each other, Wilbur examining the streets as they moved. Almost every building had burned, their charred remains resting in eerie silence. The wizard glanced at his companion.

  “So, I take it you have another plan then?”

  Kaledo nodded as they turned at the junction. “I do. I think I know a place that would be perfect for your purposes.” He looked at Wilbur. “If I’m right, you should end up with a much larger area to work with.”

  Wilbur nodded.

  They made their way through the ruined streets. After several minutes, the ‘quality’ of the rubble changed. Instead of burnt pine like wood and charred simple masonry, the rubble changed to finer materials. Deep red wood, carved stones, and shining, cooled pools of metal lay in the various plots.

  Additionally, Wilbur noticed the size of each property. The massive ruins had scorched open spaces surrounding them. There were hints of dry, dead grass where the flames had failed to eradicate every trace of the previous owner's land.

  "I think we will find more success in this quarter," Kaledo said, facing Wilbur. "Many of these properties are secondary homes for traveling merchants. There are some businesses, but they are luxury-focused, and their owners should be happy to leave."

  “Okay, sure,” Wilbur said, walking down the street. He found the ruin roughly in the center of the block and stopped in front of it.

  “Shall we start with this one?” Wilbur asked the merchant who was carefully observing him.

  “It should work.” Kaledo stroked his thin beard. “This should be the textile merchant’s home when he’s in this city. But I have been wondering…” He met Wilbur’s eyes. “What exactly is it that you do? I was on the receiving end and for a moment I wasn’t alive, and then I just… was.”

  Wilbur pulled his hands from his vivid robes. “It’s quite simple, really. The process is mana-intensive but bearable.” He wrung his hands as he tried to think of how to explain.

  “Do you know anything about magic?” Wilbur asked.

  Kaledo shrugged. “Uh… Not really. I’ve Um, I've occasionally dealt in magical items, but as far as skills or elemental affinities, I don't have any. When I was tested by my local church, they found my mana pool to be an almost undetectable size."

  “Hmm, that’s a shame,” Wilbur said, giving him an apologetic glance. “Small internal mana pools are one thing that is exceedingly difficult to overcome.”

  Kaledo raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying there's a way to change that?”

  “Yes.” Wilbur nodded. “However, it's dangerous… and painful.”

  “Ah. Well, then.” Kaledo grinned. “Probably not going to be slinging fire or bolts of light anytime soon, then, eh?” The merchant’s grin faded as he saw Wilbur’s intense interest. “You said it was painful, right? I’m not that great with pain. Ha ha.”

  Wilbur sighed. “Let me know if you change your mind.” He looked back at the rubble. “But, that’s a side topic. The reason I asked if you knew anything about magic is that my creation is a heavily modified version of the basic [Haste] spell.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Haste?” Kaledo frowned. “That’s not one I’ve heard of.”

  "It's a spell that accelerates the caster’s target. It makes you function at a higher speed–quicker, intuitive reactions, physical movements, and mental cognition. Basically makes everything go faster."

  “Oh? I think I’ve heard of something like that.” Kaledo’s eyes rose in recognition. “The merchant guild regularly sends caravans across the empire. On those trips, we employ guards to protect our goods. Caravan’s will always try to recruit at least one fire elementalists for a spell they call [Ignition].”

  Kaledo fiddled with a button on his tunic. “The effects sound similar. Any decent fire user will know it, at least if they want easy work. It’s an extremely effective way to boost the fighting strength of the caravan.

  “I will have to see how they form their spell array.” Wilbur smiled. “Good, so you understand the basic concept. Well, my version of [Haste] does the exact opposite. Everything is slowed so drastically that it ends up going in reverse.”

  “Reverse?” Kaledo frowned. “Why?”

  “Without getting too detailed–I’m not sure you would care to hear my rant or understand–it essentially causes my target to flow backwards in time. It took decades of research and endless experiments to stabilize. I call it [Localized Rewind], it’s a Wilbur original.”

  Wilbur raised his hands. “Watch, I’ll show you.”

  He brought his hands together in quick succession, the two claps echoing through the empty square. Magical power crackled from Wilbur and his red cape, and tie-dye robes billowed as the air grew thick. The large plot in front of them shimmered, then blurred–as if a deep fog had descended.

  Kaledo watched in fascination as a burned wall of a fallen structure righted itself, and the dark scars and burn marks vanished. Wood went from char to fresh, uncharred. Metal unpooled, and a gate reformed. Charred wood grew red, and wide doors appeared. Shards of glass flew through the air and formed windows. A two-story building rose from the ashes as everything reversed.

  Within moments, the building stood before them. Ornately carved, with deep red wood shutters and doors. Glass windows looked out over healthy green grass surrounded by tall metal fencing.

  “Yup. Just like that.” Wilbur said.

  “Just like that?!” Kaledo replied, blinking rapidly. “You just… clap? And it all comes back?”

  “...Yes.”

  “That’s incredible!” The merchant excitedly exclaimed. “And you can do this with all of the buildings you want to buy? With… even more than that?”

  “It does have its limits,” Wilbur said quietly. “Harsh ones. But for our purposes, yes, I can restore everything I need to purchase.”

  Kaledo’s excitement waned as he latched onto the Wizard's words. “I see…” He turned to the front doors. “I suppose our offer should come as soon as possible for the owner. Keep the element of surprise.”

  Wilbur took a step forward, but then Kaledo spoke up. “Sir?”

  “Just call me Wilbur.” The wizard replied, pausing. “What is it?”

  "How about I go in and introduce the idea of selling this place?” Kaledo said. “ I think it might go better if somebody they knew entered. I’m barely influential in Golvan, but I did expand my network rapidly.” He gestured toward the door. “I have some ideas for how to explain this miracle. As well as how to get you the best deal.”

  Wilbur nodded, a small smile creeping onto his face. It made perfect sense to him. Best of all, not having to speak to people sounded like the best plan he’d heard in centuries.

  “I will, however.” Kaledo continued. “Need you to come in when I open the door again.”

  Wilbur’s hopes of zero social interactions died. “But, why?” He said with a slight groan.

  “Because you bring a level of the unknown to the negotiation. These people will know who I am, even if I don’t know them well. Without a doubt, they are far better at networking than I am.” Kaledo sighed. “When I offer an outrageous price for the property, they will most likely not believe me. Despite the crazy circumstances they find themselves in.” He pointed at Wilbur. “That’s when you come in. I need you to confidently appear and hand me the gold. That should also play off their greed as your wealth becomes apparent.”

  “Fine…” Wilbur sighed.

  “One last question?” Kaledo said as he pulled out his book. Wilbur gave him a nod to continue. “For the terms of purchase, you want me to offer.” The merchant double checked the number. “Up to three times the cost of the property. Anything below that, and I keep a ten percent commission. In case we find someone difficult, the hard limit for purchase will be ten times the cost?”

  “That’s correct. I only have so much imperial gold.” Wilbur said.

  And that was true. Wilbur only had so much Imperial gold. Wilbur had no shortage of wealth; however, tradable wealth was a different story. It was his nature to gather fascinating items he found in his travels. Currency, on the other hand, was not high on his list. Converting his valuables to money was honestly just a pain. Wilbur did not want to go back to that town. Dealing with that talkative clerk before coming here was more than enough. Hopefully, that trip was the only one he needed this century.

  “I have one more question,” Kaledo asked, bringing Wilbur back to the present.

  “Hmmm?”

  “If…” The man hesitated. “If I can save a substantial amount of your gold… would you consider fulfilling a request?”

  Wilbur eyed the merchant who wrung his hands nervously. “What type of request?”

  “Well..” Kaledo began. “It’s about my sister. And we can make this conditional on how much money I save you, or whatever conditions you want.” The merchant’s nervousness stilled, and he set his jaw as he met Wilbur’s gaze. “Even if I need to contribute everything I have… or take a loan.” Kaledo bit his lip. “She just deserves it, okay? She deserves better than what she was dealt.”

  "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Wilbur held up his hands. "Okay, first off. Not marrying your sister, if that's what you're asking."

  “Huh?!” Kaledo’s determined look vanished in confusion. “No, that’s not what I was asking at all.”

  “Oh, good,” Wilbur replied. “You went in with that line about ‘deserving better,’ and that’s what I jumped to. Sorry.”

  Kaledo gave a sad chuckle. “Honestly? I don’t think you could handle her. I don’t think there’s anyone who could handle my sister. She was never the marrying type.” He shook his head. “Stubborn, headstrong, and was entirely focused on making her own path in the world… at least…”

  “Oh.” Wilbur pieced together what he had said. “You said was... She passed away?”

  “Yes.” Kaledo’s face fell. “She died a while ago. An ancient demonic curse is what the adventurers' guild’s healer said. Something they had never seen before.” Kaledo’s voice sounded thin. “I tried to find a solution while her body slowly wasted away. But, no matter how much gold I earned, it was never enough. I had hoped to gain favor with the church so I could have them perform one of their miracles. But that was far beyond my meager means.”

  He smiled ruefully. “It’s how I got into this whole mess here in Golvan. I purchased the shop to make connections. The church's miracles require more than just gold. You need favors with the right people.”

  A melancholy smile pulled at his lips. "But I was too late, and she passed away quite some time ago. Didn’t even get to say goodbye. I was too busy trying here in this city to make my way to a miracle."

  “I’m sorry, Kaledo.” Wilbur awkwardly scratched the side of his head. "The thing is, my spell has limits. I'm going to assume that you want me to bring her back.”

  Kaledo nodded, his posture tense. Wilbur sighed.

  “I’m not sure I will be able to help. You said she died some time ago… and unfortunately, my spell has limits on how far back it can go. I’m sorry.”

  There was an empty silence as the two stood there in the street. Kaledo looked into the air, inhaled, then let it out. When he faced Wilbur again, that car-salesman-like charm had returned.

  “Well, thank you for hearing my request.” He glanced toward the door. “Now then, shall we go get you some property? I’m sure the owner in there is wondering what the hell is going on.”

  Wilbur glanced toward the house. As he did, he saw the wide eyes of its resident vanish behind a curtain.

  “Oh… whoops.”

  Kaledo laughed. “Ah, don’t worry about it. We were just standing here. Surrounded by a ruined city, casually chatting as if we have all the time in the world.” His lips pulled into a wolfish grin. “I can make it work.”

  He gave a wink, then strode confidently toward the door. Kaledo clutched the door knocker, then gave the door several quick, hard knocks.

  Wilbur watched as the owner peeked out, then had a hushed conversation. After a moment, Kaledo was ushered inside, the owner nervously glancing toward the Wizard.

  Wilbur stood, his face stone as he remembered what Kaledo had said.

  His thoughts ran through the conversation again, his mind reviewing it.

  Perhaps…There was a solution for Kaledo.

  –—- ??? —---

  ? Dad Archmage [OPMC LitRPG] ?

  by lishins

  Who knew that raising a kid was the real final boss?

  Once revered as the strongest mortal to have ever lived, Liam Ordenar brought about the end of the dark ages, banishing all evil from the face of the Overworld and ushering humans into an era of prosperity.

  But when he chooses to die peacefully in his sleep, he finds that the gods hate him. They ban him permanently from the Underworld. Rightfully pissed off, Liam accepts a quest from an otherworldly being who gives him an artifact to help him kill the gods. The only problem is, he himself cannot use it.

  So he makes a new plan: adopt an orphan, give him the artifact, and make him strong enough to kill the gods on his own. Only that’s easier said than done. Liam isn’t great with kids, and the one that he chooses to teach is more of a handful than he’s ever dealt with in his life.

  To top it all off, the evil beings he banished hold a grudge. They are preparing for a second invasion.

  And this time, they won’t fall the same way.

  Inspired by Frieren.

  Release: At least 3x/week