Wizard: I can predict the future

Five hundred meters east of Lake Stoyah.

Nord rode his warhorse slowly along the path toward Lake Stauja.

As he drew closer to Lake Stoia, he focused his inner energy on his ears.

Everything in the world seemed to quiet down, and the sounds of insects chirping and birds singing filled my mind.

"Besides birds and beasts, there are only two human heartbeats."

"One person's heartbeat is much faster than normal, but their breathing is steady and no different from that of a normal person. It should be Irea."

"The other one is strong and powerful, with a steady rhythm; it must be a great knight."

Sure enough, when he arrived at Lake Stauja, he saw a young girl in a noble dress pacing back and forth, her expression clearly showing some anxiety.

A dozen meters away, a huge figure stood silently like a stone statue.

It was Barnes, whom I had just met yesterday.

Upon seeing Nord appear, Iria blushed and, disregarding her composure, rushed forward.

"Nord, you'd better run, or it might be too late!"

Nord dismounted his horse with composure and first performed a standard noble salute.

"Miss Iria, you don't look like a composed noble lady right now."

Aria blushed even more, realizing her lapse in composure. She quickly straightened her clothes and returned a noble curtsy.

Nord then continued, "Miss Irea, is it because of the Nico family?"

"But now that the entire Nico family has been wiped out, why should I flee?"

"Or is it... that your father or the White Moon Duchy intends to avenge them?"

Iria quickly shook her head.

"No, it's because... a wizard will be coming to the White Moon Kingdom in three days."

Nord's gaze sharpened, instantly capturing the relationship information: 'Wizard'.

The word was both unfamiliar and familiar to him.

The word "unfamiliar" was something I had never heard before since I traveled through time.

It feels familiar, yet it originates from a masterpiece game from a past life.

It has been almost ten years since I traveled through time.

He started as a penniless wandering nobleman, fought his way up in the Duchy Wars, gained merit in battle, was granted the title of Baron with the help of Duke Raymond, and finally became an Earl through his own efforts.

He believed that his strength and status had now reached the upper echelons of the Leman Continent.

Over the years, he has attended many aristocratic balls.

Through subtle inquiries, he learned about the secrets of the Wang family, the hatred between the duchies, and even some of the legendary knights.

But the word "wizard" was never heard from any nobleman.

At this very moment, Iria confidently stated that the wizard would arrive in the White Moon Kingdom in three days.

Nord looked at Iria with a puzzled expression, but he did so very seriously.

"Wizard? What's a wizard?"

"Also, what does the wizard's arrival in the White Moon Kingdom have to do with my escape?"

Iria was silent for a moment.

She looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of longing and fear.

"Fifty years ago, one of the Nico family's ancestors became a wizard."

"Once the Nico family wizards arrive, you will only face death."

"So, your only option is to hide, until the Wizard leaves the continent of Leman..."

Nord's expression changed upon hearing this.

Iria's expression and demeanor did not seem exaggerated; at least in her understanding, once she was targeted by a wizard, she would surely die.

"What exactly is a wizard?"

He spoke slowly, his tone extremely serious.

Thinking that he was now a legendary knight, he added another sentence.

"Are they stronger than legendary knights?"

Iria nodded, seemingly lost in memories.

"My father once said that wizards are a group of people who possess magical powers."

"They are capricious; once, a duchy misspoke simply during their reception."

"The next morning, everyone in the entire duchy vanished into thin air, as if they never existed, but traces of their lives remained."

A gentle breeze swept by, and a chill ran through Nord's heart.

Once he becomes a legendary knight, given enough time, he is confident that he can gather enough power to conquer a duchy.

Even in a previous life.

A powerful nation can conquer a country in just a few hours.

But overnight, everyone in the entire principality disappeared without leaving any trace of life.

This power was beyond his imagination, and even somewhat resembled a mythological story or a science fiction biography.

For a moment, Nord's mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, and the idea of ​​hiding even crossed his mind.

But the next moment, he forcibly cut it off.

"Avoiding the problem won't solve it."

Nord reminded himself of this.

Moreover—now that he knows there is a wider world ahead, he wants to see it for himself.

"What we need now is more information!"

Once the thought was made up, Nord instinctively placed his hands on Iria's shoulders and looked directly at her.

"Do you know where wizards come from? And what brings them to the White Moon Kingdom?"

Irelia was momentarily stunned by the murderous aura emanating from Nord.

She struggled to break free from Nord's hands.

"You...you're hurting me."

Nord then realized that his momentary lapse in concentration, coupled with his recent breakthrough to Legendary Knight, had caused him to forget the strength he had used.

"Sorry, Iria, I got a little excited just now."

Iria rubbed her shoulder, looking somewhat aggrieved.

"I...I don't know where they come from. All I know is that they come to the continent of Leman every ten years."

"It seems...it seems to be for...selecting wizard trainees."

"That's what my father said."

Upon hearing this, Nord suddenly understood a bit more clearly.

Since the purpose of the wizards is to select reserves, they cannot kill indiscriminately and must set some kind of rules.

Even if they have the power to choose the table, they can't just overturn the table at will.

He looked at Iria and extended his right hand.

"Your Excellency, Miss Aria, could you please introduce me to His Excellency the Duke?"

……

White Moon Duchy, Duke Raymond's Castle.

Nord stood in the hall and gave a standard noble salute to the old man in the main seat.

"Nord Blank greets His Excellency the Duke."

Duke Raymond sat on the bronze chair, his temples gray, but his back remained straight.

His face was lowered, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"I thought you had already run away."

"After all, back on the battlefield, whenever you encountered a situation that was beyond your control, you were always the first to turn and run away."

Nord remained calm, pretending not to understand the other person's teasing.

"Your Grace, I have come to ask you some questions about wizards."

Raymond was silent for a moment, then sighed softly: "Wizards should only be passed down among the ancient families of the Leman Continent."

"However, since Iria has already told you, and you are strong enough to know, there is no point in me hiding it from you any longer."

Raymond slowly got up, walked to the window, and opened it.

"Nord, do you think the continent beneath our feet is big?"

Nord recalled the map of the Leman continent and the several duchies he had visited.

The entire Leman continent is roughly the size of Europe in the previous life.

Before he could answer, Raymond continued:

"What you see as the continent is nothing more than a small island adrift in the ocean in the eyes of a wizard."

"It's only because this place is remote and the resources that wizards need are scarce that they don't stay here for long."

"Most of the time, they don't even bother to glance at this place."

"Only once every ten years will wizards travel from afar to select candidates with wizarding talents."

"Selecting wizard trainees?"

Raymond nodded.

"Yes."

"However, the wizards who come each time are different. But there is one thing: the ancestor of the Nico family always entrusts the newcomers with the care of his descendants."

Nord's heart sank.

Raymond turned around and slowly walked back to his seat.

"Given your age and the formula left by the ancestors of the White Moon Kingdom, you originally had the opportunity to become a legendary knight."

"In the future, if you marry into a duchy or other ancient noble family, your descendants may also become wizards."

"Unfortunately..."

Nord looked up at Raymond, who never stopped moving, and knew what was going on.

Given Raymond's personality, he wouldn't have said so much nonsense if he were certain of dying.

"Then how am I supposed to survive?" he asked directly.

Raymond did not answer immediately.

He took out a small wooden box from a hidden compartment to the side.

Click.

As the wooden box was opened, a piece the size of a thumb was revealed, completely black, yet faintly radiating a subtle luster.

"This is a magic stone, one of the few things on this island that can excite a wizard."

"If you want to live, either hide until the wizard leaves the island, or offer enough magic stones to make him give up the commission from the Nico family's ancestors."

He stood up and looked straight at Nord.

"If you agree to marry the princess of the White Moon Kingdom, the White Moon royal family will gather enough magic stones for you to survive."

"This is your only chance to live!"

……

Nord rejected Duke Raymond's offer.

Standing outside the castle, he looked at the attribute panel.

"The story ends with the arrival of the wizard."

"My chances of survival within three days."