Old Nero ultimately did not live to see the day Nidhogg married and had children; he passed away.

It was early spring, the harsh winter winds were starting to soften. After finishing a day's work, Old Nero and Nidhogg had bought a small barrel of malt beer and some cuts of meat from the town, planning to start renovating the house the next day and putting Nidhogg’s marriage plans on the agenda.

Unfortunately, the next morning, Old Nero could not wake Nidhogg up for work.

Old Nero left with a smile on his face, whether from the fine food and drink the night before or because all his dreams came true in his sleep, no one knew. Even when Nidhogg hired a few locals to bury him, he still wore that carefree smile he had in life.

Nidhogg also buried Old Nero’s treasured smoking pipe with him.

Old Nero’s sudden departure left Nidhogg downcast for some time, but life went on.

Nidhogg became the owner of the two huts, had an old horse, two gold coins, and seventeen silver coins—Old Nero's lifetime savings, now all belonging to Nidhogg. It was also everything Nidhogg owned.

Of course, Nidhogg secretly hid the mystical book, "Guide to Nasal Adaptation and Scent Atlas," with the gold coins, and he would read it once or twice every night without using too much lamp oil.

This book was a glimpse into the mystical world of wizards for Nidhogg.

Summer came gradually.

It was an ordinary day. After a busy morning, Nidhogg dumped the vast amount of rubbish left after the nobles' revelry at the viscount's mansion outside the city, then came to the viscount’s estate to collect the supplies prepared for the viscount.

Sitting on the cart, Nidhogg leisurely gazed at the blue sky and drifting white clouds.

Beside the cart, a village girl named Mary was swiftly loading goods, doing better than most boys.

Mary, in a hempen apron with a face full of freckles and golden hair, stole glances at Nidhogg as her heart raced.

She liked this handsome man terribly, enjoying his unique scent like the fragrance of wild herbs.

But Nidhogg paid Mary no mind.

A year ago, by chance, Nidhogg learned from Old Nero that the girl fancied him, and Old Nero even planned for Nidhogg to marry her.

Though he never expressed it, Nidhogg had to admit he felt nothing for this industrious but shy girl, regarding her only as a neighbor's little sister.

So after Old Nero’s passing, he never reached out to her except for seeing her during the daily loading of goods.

Seeing Nidhogg keeping quiet, Mary worked while discreetly observing him. As the goods were nearly all loaded onto the cart, she finally bit her lip and couldn't resist speaking.

"Nidhogg, this morning, a wizard passed through here asking for directions to Bissel City. Everyone was stunned; it was my first time seeing a legendary wizard."

She feigned excitement, watching Nidhogg out of the corner of her eye.

Hearing the word "wizard," Nidhogg, who had been sitting bored on the cart, suddenly perked up. "A wizard? Are you sure?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course I'm sure. Many people saw him," Mary replied joyfully, seeing Nidhogg take interest.

"What did the wizard look like?" Nidhogg asked, having never seen a wizard before.

"Well... the wizard wore a wide grey robe and a tall hat. His face was obscured, like shrouded in mist, and he held a frog with red eyes. Oh, and he spoke with Ima at the village edge."

Seeing Nidhogg's eagerness, Mary told him everything she knew.

"Thanks, that’s great!" Nidhogg exclaimed, thrilled to finally have a lead on a real wizard since obtaining the mystical book six months ago.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He hurriedly ran to Ima's house at the village edge.

Ima was a young woman in her mid-twenties with two children already.

Her husband, a hunter named Sogla, was strong and straightforward.

Sogla was surprised to see Nidhogg. "Hey, Nidhogg, what brings you here? Attracted by the aroma, I bet. Come on, yesterday we caught some wild game from the mountains to the east..."

In the kitchen, Ima came out, her two kids curiously watching Nidhogg.

Half an hour later.

Nidhogg left Ima’s house excitedly, murmuring to himself, "Bissel City, he really went to Bissel City!"

In a hurry, Nidhogg drove the horse cart towards the city, fearing the old horse might drop dead from exhaustion and join Old Nero in the ground.

At the viscount’s manor gate, the arrogant old butler stood with four tall knights blocking the entrance.

The butler’s face was stern as he yelled at a dozen or so farmers gathered at the gate: “The land you farm is granted by the Viscount. The Viscount can tax as he sees fit. Are you rebelling? I’ll tell you all…”

Nidhogg waited anxiously at a distance.

Every year around this time, large groups of farmers would gather to protest at the viscount’s gate, only to be dispersed by the knights after some scuffle, though the duration varied.

“Scum! Scum! How dare you talk back!” the butler roared. “Chase them away!”

Within moments, the four towering knights had beaten and chased away the farmers.

The butler was furious, glaring angrily at everyone around.

Nidhogg wasted no time, discreetly driving his cart into the manor as the butler shouted, “Stop!”

The butler glanced at Nidhogg and casually checked his cart. “Why are you so slow? Do you still want the job?” he scolded.

Nidhogg gritted his teeth, his anger building.

This old man had already taken two silver coins from him this month alone, which was half of what Nidhogg could earn at the viscount’s estate in a month. The high wages were barely enough to withstand this old man’s extortion.

“Sir Butler, I was here earlier, but the farmers blocked the road,” Nidhogg replied defiantly, unlike Old Nero, who had a better temper.

Instantly, the butler turned livid, pointing at Nidhogg furiously. “You insolent scum dare talk back? Has the Viscount been feeding you for nothing? Fine! Don’t come back tomorrow. Get lost!”

With that, the butler stormed into the courtyard, warning the knights, “If this scum shows up again tomorrow, break his legs, or you can forget about coming back, too.”

Standing beside the cart, Nidhogg fumed, silently cursing the butler to join Old Nero tomorrow.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. Gritting his teeth, he parked the cart under a nearby tree and ran to a blacksmith’s shop in the small town.

“Hey, Sixth Brother,” Nidhogg called to an apprentice.

Back when Nidhogg was a beggar in Bissel City, he begged with a group of nine. Nidhogg was the eighth in rank.

Eventually, everyone found their path—Nidhogg followed Old Nero, the sixth brother became a blacksmith apprentice, and the second supposedly became a tenant farmer in the countryside. No news of the others.

“Old Eight!” The blacksmith apprentice’s eyes lit up as he saw Nidhogg, striding over to pat him. “What brings you here?”

Standing over six feet tall, he reeked of sweat and masculinity, now much more robust than Nidhogg. His rugged beard and sunburnt face from years by the forge made his tough hands sting on Nidhogg's back.

“Sixth Brother, I’ve got something to ask. I heard a wizard came to the city?” Nidhogg asked quietly.

The sixth brother’s face changed.

“How did you hear? A wizard did come, supposedly to recruit students with wizard potential, but it costs a whole gold coin to test for that potential.”

He gestured subtly at the old blacksmith behind him, saying, “The old man took his son Ayi for the test, and he didn’t have wizard potential. He’s still brooding over the lost gold coin.”

Nidhogg was a mix of excitement and worry. “Where’s the wizard?”

The sixth brother’s expression changed further, looking at Nidhogg in shock. “You’re not thinking of going, are you? A gold coin isn’t cheap; we can’t waste money like that.”

Nidhogg hesitated for a moment.

Losing a gold coin would be a significant hit, given he had just over two gold coins in total.

Yet, missing this chance might mean never having another...

Finally, Nidhogg nodded resolutely.

After a long moment of shock, the sixth brother said, “He’s at the mayor’s mansion. I heard the mayor’s precious daughter has been confirmed to have wizard potential. She’s the only one in Bissel City.”

“Thanks, Sixth Brother.”

Nidhogg was so thrilled that he forgot the unpleasantness with the butler, his mind filled with thoughts of the wizard.

He ran back to his two small huts, pulling out a box from its most secret spot, filled with coins.

“I must become a wizard! I must!”

After counting out a hundred silver coins, he thought for a moment, then took along the "Guide to Nasal Adaptation and Scent Atlas," carefully hiding the box again before hurrying back to Bissel City.

It was summer, with long days and short nights; luckily, it wasn’t dark yet.

The mayor was the highest noble in Bissel City and reportedly the only marquis in the region.

Unless in another city’s dominion, in Bissel's realm, the mayor's word was law, even the viscount obeyed.

Nidhogg had only ever seen the mayor’s mansion from a distance. Normally it was heavily guarded by seven or eight knights, but now people were coming and going.

Most of these people were shop owners or nobles from the city, bringing their descendants, often with expressions of disappointment.

Nidhogg, knowing the wizard was inside, rushed in without a second thought.

“Halt! Pay a gold coin,” a boy about Nidhogg’s age commanded him.

Reluctantly, Nidhogg handed over a small pouch of silver coins. The boy gave him a disdainful glance before tossing the pouch into a box without counting.

Nidhogg hesitated, sizing up the boy as another farmer’s son who struck it lucky, wondering where his arrogance came from.

Matching his disdain, Nidhogg followed the crowd into the mayor’s mansion.