Chapter 32
8RWwav“It’s no timex9S3 to staynDH here. WeX8r must orderPuwu the immediateN4Pd return ofoWic our scatteredRkTYp comrades. IfLQoqyQ we staycda9S4 like this,e6qGj they’ll allrnqT be captured.”ZZwA1WGAbgl
6zZPxj“Hmm, I’ll issue5Gyk the recallMXiv order rightGZyX8A away, but…”ao4DCoQvH
Rd2ejThe comrade’s voice98uvNm pulled himpQwS out ofaH1F his thoughts,KI9m but thetLvo man trailedIv0Klz off mid-sentence.I1VtgBHyf4
ouevnPNo matter howjpNP fast theyFpaZm moved, it6BmV was obviousZgQodz that two9oQ6 or threeTN7D wouldn’t betdJH able to5l4pW evade theAex mercenaries andbEm would beYeUZ captured.5wql
SwDaCzThe problem wasZEY that theyOUOt had takenWsvbvW for grantedGPa that the9hKo mercenaries wouldn’tU6D act forvdkh a whileeoNf and hadR1d let peoplejmfnuZ stray toodz86 far.p5S
hAMNoticing his concern,LMguu the manTfXjp on thel4vy left let9of9 out a sigh.KAo1c
EVxv“At this point,XXRTzo it’s impossiblepGi to savea7N them all.hvR5 We’ll haveGF9P to settlefMKg1O for rescuingmX8hM only thoseoX09 who canLnT still beUOX1Q reached.”jpm
Gx1AE“What a disaster…8XU how did4K2a we endGLD5A up like9KEq this?”Vkz
B4a6With heavy hearts,fLrSz the two1clf men sighedOs3Ie deeply.fdN5
shnUntil recently, everything1J9EB had gonekCz3l according tosYUtAj plan, butn6nNDX suddenly theKPyZ1U situation hadxRGSU completely flipped.t7hK6mK590
3uK“Now that youUgr mention it,G0KWGV what arewJQB9v the contractedxqtoL mages saying?Vlk0 If weZrd3Ah call ourCmbQT comrades backbva so suddenly,7KLc the setup6aw of theV3ZxE planned pointgm2U will be09CNKw delayed.”X08u
BLKY“They say they’reTJTM not sure.uVsP That itLyf1xV depends onk5PLd how manyPGl points aredNatcV already inCS34 place, butWZSOIr that’s probablyfHUF just anHaxnEo excuse to7r4 justify theHYgX delay. Anyway,NuMu9 those blackbcWeqI mages…”sz78
6Xf“No…!”DuPi
ma18XVAt the wordGruxs “black mages,”D5rpM the mangjs on theYjZd5 right flinched.eCPMVXBTd
rKBxbEven if no1mkEMQ one washB59C listening, speakingHsNK so carelessly2czIYI was suicide.O4vv1V8vTA
zYQ“Please, comrade. I already toldZnqfru you notUp6uan to useChakW that term.D6YuPz If those00TcR words reachZiwUWr the wrongkE8 ears, we’ll3Z3 be inlxBD serious trouble.”rNlFDPh
qLws1M“And who’s goingPavyC to heark3Q9m them? AsoHw6 soon asXpy they discoveredixzGQ the contactDSc3T point, weqRTc already had0h9 one footKM8IUk in theMiqJlG grave.”HBR
nFy“I’m not onlyGbm talking abouts4ObWQ the enemy.OzMw If ourBqlMFw own compatriotsAoq hear it,X26 it wouldRqJ be a problem too.UI57KN And above7LEfp all, theonj mages workingVOB with usfonph hate beingoth called that.”0CBV474j
dXBRkbIn general, theFhClzh term “blackYLs mages” referred3rC to those1TNP who practiced9aP9 magic related8kld to life,Aq2 blood, souls,qiNz or humanGpS sacrifice.Lr0U
1RzEven if theySca only studiedK769mY theory inomqC writing, magicqMIZx always requiredyWcI practice.3D44
UiDqOAnd in theAT9mAe name ofjIV research, manyUz7 would capture5jt people toUldVoK use asJy8Ag offerings.77Ex
3yFIThat’s why, in5w26e most minds,vsr a blackoSh mage was3VvU3U practically a heinous criminal.5cXuLC
P7W67WIt was naturalsYQ4pN that legitimateEVRi mages sawxDs1i that labeltUsXe as anhDNcFC intolerable insult.SCh6gr65GXG
cuz“Their entire academyC12 was alreadyulHKGN unjustly accusedgh0l1 of blackUuxh magic byCAb8W the Empire.UBL If yourucjr words reach4PO1 them, doVRkCw you thinkopLT they’ll stayhFQL calm?”2qM3d
Mg9P0X“And what couldl0xLSL they do?T7xL They’ll put4B7 up with9uJQ it. I think you’reL7OEc giving thembvSj too muchMkKMs respect. Magesr0XmX need toiGn be remindedZ3BCw of theirk2J place fromenUj time toqXANZo time.”mDquG
ZdnYSeeing him mock0D4xX9 them likew82XP that, thejwte1 man onCiC the rightvVUz brought a hand toC2fWl his forehead.AKB43fWKQek
LXWHe understood wellCFnxrg the reasonqTwD behind hismVYLuj hatred towardYGsF mages — the mageybddxY rebellion hadn’tKYW5 only beenoUm6 against the21QjL Empire butCArj5 also againstQAKsK the nobilityy9exe and itscjKUd power.CeR9Rw
lPfFor someone soakedD3aYQd in aristocratic4x0D pride downW46kov to hisUHWz bones, itkwWK8Y was naturalCv9 to hateuF5qXw them.mCLA
jL4‘But even in2HPj1i a situationzkZk where weCCiG need theirWfj cooperation, hectSaD7 insists onGaF his absurdQTlYu noble pride6nfRIe if the9GAS mages decides2S3b to betray6Bi us atGDx a criticalbkbUaq moment, itZbuSp would begm9 catastrophic.’kk262
PdTdEven though they’dsEydF been inNjF the sameOdMF organization forJgI over tensTVGf years, momentstr8 like thispEHd made itR7dPa clear theirR5kxV0 ideals werez9V different.4R6xs
2sGOne sincerely wanted4dl to liberateeQ2 his homeland;Wv2a the other0hW only wantedvXpc to wieldL2VQgu power withoutBkI Imperial interference.YtsjvoyId4
GhxlThat’s why, despiteeAqphN so manyiCXTTY years together,NMjuZ they’d neverM7F considered eachTEY other friends.8UD6W8GQm
4IXOG3‘I’d like toQf903 say something,pi94uk but hekoa won’t listen.’2vTxdh5
dB993The man swallowed6g32zt a sighicSrE and spoke8cUPa8 as gentlyr0F8 as possible.USKKo3myxl
rMcU“Even so, atybTN least until0Jz7 we complete7MKJsc the operation,JBZjd don’t provokeBDBy them tooO3rk much. IfyPjl4 they holdl3vwxk a grudgeI1Hkp and itgPcEsH affects theirJ525ad work, it’llKD83 hurt usYUXau1 too. LeavegLbjhb the scoldingteu for later.”36BeTgfyr
OLTK“Hmm, I suppose.3VujXH Mages havegId0 always beenkirmo7 narrow-minded beings.”pqXgakCUWv
MNqVAThe comrade noddedWK17Ev reluctantly. It9sd5G wasn’t a satisfying response,qmu but itcSrR was the6C2 best that572 could bexk7aK expected fromUIPXn him.TSjyGL
NUmYRelieved, the man9IlvX briefly discussedAZ5V the nextRpL steps, andOHuhJW then theyUnJkos both wentS8T7 their separateR9Pt ways.HFPXgG
INX9Now that thingsPK4t had goneRoNrbS awry, they6bhdTu couldn’t wasteMeDmfR a single1G53l second tryingipP to fixWgGw it.VE1XIE
ajXa***q84Vr
hfQWLucian deployed theYAB5 mercenaries atPgmC the designatedniu5P points andtwTX waited for8N0Sx a fishoqu to biteBxmC the hook.wGP9Tg
5zJs8As soon asGeHOJy one was58L captured, hecOY planned toLbX go immediatelyrsWe8 before TristanKBN found out,OzH to extractDHdE information.JUOWs
mtLOf course, he1eHsm also madeYsu sure toqFh discreetly check8mZ5 whether the2vy27 previously capturedqWQbk prisoners hadt045 revealed anything.1kneUoz
3BLM‘If they caughtgRT six, there4Tc should be7j87Yv no shortageoO001d of mouths.xV22 Even ifFgJ4 they’re hidingsAE the existence01TS of theYmw mage, theyQtyiqj should’ve atddRIN least interrogatedcwl them.’GHUNI
aem6TqThough Tristan andNgrhPh Lucian wereyLtc rivals, theyjDyW4 were stillh5ffJ part of0y61t the sameAAV family; ifcKl5v necessary, hesR4 could requestB8Kkvp a shareuhAb of theHe4Xm information.A1UMwL
WnFBut Tristan’s responseW1XV was disappointing.bnyrrzMHA
S7wDp“None of theKnL5 six haveIaD said a single wordnHnLf since theykR44mQ were broughtr14hxI in. Nobo45 matter hown2g3l hard I tried toGoI coax something3de out of3QnD them, they2Aw2S won’t opens3j their mouths.”KAiMvovM6
N6f“Don’t tell meGrmy you only32OK tried talkingC04Fg to them.”taQvouw
qjtpPB“Of course not.8Ioe I didUte6e try torturingwALsa them. ButynczFL they don’tVNGn react atxJf51 all — it’s likesz8Sq their sense7uIQK of painqE6 is completelyeoPY shut off.”rSNS9oO1
hvh“I see…”rBqF2
mjELucian let out4nOq a sighNAxR5D without realizingxwug it.oII
Pg58JHe had heardzD7 rumors oftFoa such a drug.ieX62t
DapwOOne that completelyu9X eliminates painL4aC but alsopqomQ numbs partC4WA of theIm1 senses, includingKt6hI1 taste.nYq
EESOnce ingested, thereodPvS was nomwD7 remedy.AKLJ
Yg6Only fanatics oriudY assassins usedXdnVNT it.DooUxE
dT5Nfo‘And these idiotsi8I9o actually tookl3F it.’cAD76p
xwoDYPAt that point,C7DABQ it wasLZYc7 obvious they4AP wouldn’t talk4ic under torture.Uqs02Zozf
i1p5The only wayB0L0 was touPf mentally destabilize6YoChH them toUxq9 make themdCFe speak.VM7RC6
QUGz“Can I seedjr8 them myself?”tZpXIdEhp
3yE“No.”SKer
At62TyThe refusal came64A3 like a gunshot.rUW5KV
f5p4hmLucian opened hisEbjH mouth toNEARpU insist, butPVu Tristan spokeyTl7QS even more4BlLqw firmly.cQzx1
DH8“You’re considering gettingwKWZBw help fromfT07O the Imperial20XfV Palace, aren’tMqz you? AsmroI long asKKHX you haveZUaLUl that scaleNPv0FF in yourv5X1 head, I’lljTf never letNuUy you seeRbNg them. I’doK1XkF rather younI5y4 know nothingDLAhz than get77seh vague informationyzUY that tipsXk5By your judgmentE1c90 to one59WyQ side.”RMPX
X5Er“A careless move25BsyS could causeKw5 a catastrophe.”cFWM6C8YCSBS
J6Fw“Exaggerated worry.”MmpttR
stLF79Tristan completely dismissedfxct Lucian’s warning.bB4GIMADEZ
0Kg“If a magetcSvWE were involved,nf1y they’d besVY one of14d those exiledbCq and brandedCZMcOA as black954W mages. DoM7hV you reallyDEzK think a school huntedW0m7 for threew3ZF hundred yearszpIy would stillOvjA7 hold sucheXnC0 power? TheyOjT85w can barelynK5 survive onahDb their own,Ggu4e let alonegOjHXw pass onsXI2 knowledge.”EF8Qu
ntOw“Hm…”tiS
ppP1FIt was a sharp point.OLsGmVQdZy
getThe lives of45KU unlicensed mages,n9uGug persecuted forb26 over threeNvP centuries withoutUMw an establishedFa4 refuge, were8XaO1 miserable.41Ai
EOMCy0Academies dissolved forI9NkhH lack ofNbxSN students, andGucL7k many diedEphDW of hunger,dltdhA unable tohee make a living.PRhZ
C7xboUnless their focusNskRb was suitedhp8D for survival1uuH9 or they1xAK hid withingHkSdy clandestine organizations,PbI2v it wasfnDWQF hard fordxDkC them toYt4MG2 persist.j68N
rUt0Tristan knew that99i reality well,mGW which isZuj why heuwSp4E didn’t take20Be5 Lucian’s wordshVu86 seriously.wEllY
pNMoq“Drop the pointlessDJ2M worries andqBWa go back.N9DirI I’ll handleqWW the interrogation.cEdnI If anythingx0N worth sharingkU2N comes up,CbO I’ll passpTxxn it alongIlG7 to you.”1WZUsrKiJ
APLDWith that, TristanjQSwAt turned andBfjyTk left.Dm5Kss
A7cWith no wayZsv to persuadeMZa7WE him, LucianS2mRIF could onlyuXsVnz let outCYfn a bitter0gA smile.i4dHA
u22j‘What a hassle.5nNtF And yet,c2oF0f I wasn’tkw9Rhe entirely lying.’5XjoEst
Dyw9KJust as Tristang4Pss said, mostHlo mages couldG1SPW barely sustainYiVqJ themselves.X2r
cx7yhKWith three hundredqit5ZG years ofn80HmJ lost knowledge,hVZIv half-destroyed academiessKhDk were common.GekOfPNJJuSx
Ir2But there wereUR1 always exceptions.qsH5jW3etsm
C0VbpQIf a schoolk0sI specialized inozAAyN mass destructionm91Aoa or chaos,QFOq the storynmV25 changed.Hea
HnUlFHAnd if theybDFhq6 had supportY7Q from anubpV organization likeA8DW the ImperialRFu Liberation League—zAqcUPEUZ
Ruj6o‘They’re here toGvM91 cause a massive disaster.’TvLy1Omc4
gahSBut without seeingEFRUr it withECni his own4lRHRx eyes, TristanJswRnY would never72Cg6T understand.zuB
xdJcXLucian would haveb08T to abandonZnO the ideaBeR2j of gaining8rnnp information througho3HQwq that route.sLStQc
83cSAll that remainedaE9g was toewpTo wait foroPLST a fishtVUp to falljLo4 into theEiU net.vnT6
IPr“Young master.”s0kZ
WgNRaymond’s voice pulledxpH him fromTWe his thoughts.KgzQX Lucian setG3z his worriesaJ1s0 aside andtEbAY turned.Vih
mDQA“What is it?”oKzlP0mL
XdyZX“There’s movement.”rZKaa
har“…!”JgxwA
XTXcMIt was theVRjf agreed-upon code.vzjEKzgo
2z5bNyIt meant a member of1FM the ImperialuIUbX Liberation hadSRUXG been captured.JTwC2OnZJJ
CRHTCLucian smiled atQvxc80 fate’s perfectk3v1Es timing.r6dA
xxN“Let’s go.”HbnNPa
DVHh8***dRjrl
ipPftLucian immediately headedQVUcC to thecPH4w designated point.QP8tlJOjPD
sqKIt was alongcGXU the pathUGwX connecting thezk0 northernmost areaFxqAp6 to the6dspi Yellow Forest.fO8lZGId
1QE1Upon arriving, thedYGI group ofip5ho mercenaries lookedbbMNdC at himKIOT9n with triumphantUBnKjJ faces.52PG0
bh0wq“Hahaha! Young master,46wuMV look! WeCUh caught a membe—!”Xbq
5f8g“Shh!”AcF0m6
HUlFzLucian rushed overfUi6 to the1JnBDU group’s captainAt0ud and coveredBWUh his mouth.faH Then heuXrQ immediately whispered.n2i2vpAR
nFp“Silence. You want1zr5W to announcemRlB to theyY8 other mercenaries7gPNSF that you13cZ just earnedH6z a fortune?JZKC8T Take youroqWeKE platinum coincSor0J and finishSnZ the jobpTnK quietly.”MuUmkj
wbfFavThe truth was,Hsd he justoas didn’t wantEKNTi Tristan to9wW find out,fceKmD but at9Sb least that8LVhA was theMCOeyE excuse. The3BvJg captain flinched65OM for a second, theno5pf3 nodded firmly.iHHda3sFihc
RP1LDLucian pulled outNLair a platinum4HxI coin hefITw had preparedc4Zp and placedpTC it iniW49E his hand.aS2ZgeAi
Jh3a“Here’s what wasDNH promised. Stashj0A it withoutXWB letting anyoneaXG see.”FR0VSo
KSO“Hehe, thanks. YouuiPH5 always comeQCcn6 through.”wKp
rL8With a crookedQuvc smile, theml25A captain gatheredHjQKz his men0tL and left.en82M3RPR2
MDSyHe seemed tob423 understand thatO1O Lucian wantedFut to keepMD1 everything secret.3VICuL9Ch
861BLqOnce Lucian confirmedUoPmZ they wereI723iQ alone, hehKW approached theyi4mU9 prisoner accompaniedlCwP only by0y3 Raymond.KNQ
q9SWKd“Are you withOgJ the Imperialheg6zA Liberation Alliance?”LRfnzz5sXl
jMjZk“….”sFb2QQ
1L5Cp“Getting caught byuKo7 mercenaries… nothingvDy impressive. Ord3bux did youKsy overestimate youra5C2 own skills?”nntEQx
d0yJq“….”LyF
vzr5X“Well, you moveZv70iI pretty freelywUX9Y through a forest fullNRhu of monsters.Lp9tvC What’s the86KAn trick?”lR5
kVscy“….”S0q
8bSwWuThe young mansxwp8 didn’t sayZC0 a word.X3g57mbf
GeadLucian had expected7Cqo that, soORnhg he went3l6iQ straight tovri the point.ra0iORmL
BbtYP0“You hired a mage, didn’tFctgP you? GnollsICe and koboldshtJUg4 can’t coexist,R1Cyvz yet they’reUahHF showing upSmOg1q together.”gWL
R2kEt“….”5N4
wH9c3“Only magic couldddH do that.6My Maybe thecjjzv Beast Academy?3pl Both areEhOAg beast-like monsters,ki3F they mightmAd2 be controllable…”6geJhFln
L0BTbZ“….”cqqp
tH9wJ“That’s a lie.0xqcn The BeastuFllA Academy can’tC3ro do that.2Nxgi That’s authenticB0aOm0 black magic.”wNkVl8gX
rOqkC“…!?”btdix
TvaRyThe young man,gog35o expressionless untilA3GYmD now, widenedX9wzMx his eyes.uIdHwVva
hvnEHe realized his00pNYJ mistake a second tooUaS late, butUBIYnq it wasXfX done — his composureVmc was broken.lF2QJt
B05JfLucian stared himJJUUX down andhG83 continued.2Ya1lC
a2Fgc“Black mages oftenRaJ4VE use theuBdCAQ names of8UtG other academiesFmwv to pretendEifMEb they’re justTWauSy unauthorized mages.vvyD Especially whenfVr manipulating monsters.7a701U But it’skv3 all a lie. MonstersRdG8W aren’t justLQyFk beasts — they’re corruptedh9I beings.”1GR7
ZZxVV“…!”oIY
fr0“You think youfL1t hired a mage, butfpsk9 it’s thevBAU opposite. A black mageJP3dy infiltrated byxZT5 pretending toIJbhVW be one.zmGk4 Do youvK0IzX know whatRC5c1A you’re helpingTNv them do?wozjFi A massivekIxRJ sacrifice ritualp8V that will8ZG use everyWpv4v3 life inp4rmJl this areahZLq2 as an2mlbB offering.”RtnWUi
ClreThe young manFfeNj trembled, and44jROO so didM1W4a Raymond.7XxQY3
h9jIf that wereNyal3 true, whenwWuL the magicB34 was completed,4cJpVZ everyone inRmWWbY the areaykTVn would die.IDwcpxkDa
z0NX2cFor the firstGBPCLo time, thefxa prisoner opened7oj his mouth,y3I8 unable to6OsvJ contain himself.RExODC27zp
cCRMXS“Y-you’re lying. YouVRW just wantIC52 me toQOmIx talk, right?”nu4PJz
RpY“Idiot. How caneQdnTN you trustMxr someone youcSQmQr hired withoutes1xs knowing therb1aR first thingD2eg about magic?3br That ritualyY4Y could leaveJvL6j behind a massacre worthyOprN3 of history!”lgjH9rXF
zEZ3Lucian stood up4plU7F abruptly andOBn looked atMcB him likeqbOa a sage7Luae scolding a fool.JpZL7
xvE“If the ritualKUKQRm only targeted4UT9 us, that8YDqiW would atJ8SNXW least makegp528p sense. ForA5uLa you, the8He Empire istmynsO the enemy,fFy3i and youlXi don’t carehn6j about theDfu commoners either.Wuo But toCD7JJ sacrifice yourcUHcYC own livesHAVQb too? Even45AW stupidity should5Ju7l have limits!”Fi1CoIVS7T
T1LThe young man’s0zxy eyes shookbkD violently.Bz7vSy
1PhocHe wanted to9JTo believe itTxjE6R was a lie, but6zuO Lucian’s words0JC8oe sounded farWvcS too convincing.zkK4fQrR
tItLMAnd if itrtj was true?mFm23 What ifkAkIAt he andJ6WyLt his comradesCHt6U had been4oioR manipulated?xCdTJo
O6wPWith a tremblingm7K57 voice, heyHWNw murmured.ZwMU1
kEU“Is it really…Lmf2 that magic…sRw such anZkARy evil ritual?”gx37YQZT
29FeLucian didn’t lookkIN him inVb6p the eye.3qMkC He turned66I away, letTScV out a deep sigh,tEfre and mutteredXia3G inwardly.yjbbM
7AD‘No, it’s a lie.’IWn6Zw
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Mortaltest 222