Chapter 32

“It’s no time to stay here. We must order the immediate return of our scattered comrades. If we stay like this, they’ll all be captured.”

“Hmm, I’ll issue the recall order right away, but…”

The comrade’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, but the man trailed off mid-sentence.

No matter how fast they moved, it was obvious that two or three wouldn’t be able to evade the mercenaries and would be captured.

The problem was that they had taken for granted that the mercenaries wouldn’t act for a while and had let people stray too far.

Noticing his concern, the man on the left let out a sigh.

“At this point, it’s impossible to save them all. We’ll have to settle for rescuing only those who can still be reached.”

“What a disaster… how did we end up like this?”

With heavy hearts, the two men sighed deeply.

Until recently, everything had gone according to plan, but suddenly the situation had completely flipped.

“Now that you mention it, what are the contracted mages saying? If we call our comrades back so suddenly, the setup of the planned point will be delayed.”

“They say they’re not sure. That it depends on how many points are already in place, but that’s probably just an excuse to justify the delay. Anyway, those black mages…”

“No…!”

At the word “black mages,” the man on the right flinched.

Even if no one was listening, speaking so carelessly was suicide.

“Please, comrade. I already told you not to use that term. If those words reach the wrong ears, we’ll be in serious trouble.”

“And who’s going to hear them? As soon as they discovered the contact point, we already had one foot in the grave.”

“I’m not only talking about the enemy. If our own compatriots hear it, it would be a problem too. And above all, the mages working with us hate being called that.”

In general, the term “black mages” referred to those who practiced magic related to life, blood, souls, or human sacrifice.

Even if they only studied theory in writing, magic always required practice.

And in the name of research, many would capture people to use as offerings.

That’s why, in most minds, a black mage was practically a heinous criminal.

It was natural that legitimate mages saw that label as an intolerable insult.

“Their entire academy was already unjustly accused of black magic by the Empire. If your words reach them, do you think they’ll stay calm?”

“And what could they do? They’ll put up with it. I think you’re giving them too much respect. Mages need to be reminded of their place from time to time.”

Seeing him mock them like that, the man on the right brought a hand to his forehead.

He understood well the reason behind his hatred toward mages — the mage rebellion hadn’t only been against the Empire but also against the nobility and its power.

For someone soaked in aristocratic pride down to his bones, it was natural to hate them.

‘But even in a situation where we need their cooperation, he insists on his absurd noble pride if the mages decide to betray us at a critical moment, it would be catastrophic.’

Even though they’d been in the same organization for over ten years, moments like this made it clear their ideals were different.

One sincerely wanted to liberate his homeland; the other only wanted to wield power without Imperial interference.

That’s why, despite so many years together, they’d never considered each other friends.

‘I’d like to say something, but he won’t listen.’

The man swallowed a sigh and spoke as gently as possible.

“Even so, at least until we complete the operation, don’t provoke them too much. If they hold a grudge and it affects their work, it’ll hurt us too. Leave the scolding for later.”

“Hmm, I suppose. Mages have always been narrow-minded beings.”

The comrade nodded reluctantly. It wasn’t a satisfying response, but it was the best that could be expected from him.

Relieved, the man briefly discussed the next steps, and then they both went their separate ways.

Now that things had gone awry, they couldn’t waste a single second trying to fix it.

***

Lucian deployed the mercenaries at the designated points and waited for a fish to bite the hook.

As soon as one was captured, he planned to go immediately before Tristan found out, to extract information.

Of course, he also made sure to discreetly check whether the previously captured prisoners had revealed anything.

‘If they caught six, there should be no shortage of mouths. Even if they’re hiding the existence of the mage, they should’ve at least interrogated them.’

Though Tristan and Lucian were rivals, they were still part of the same family; if necessary, he could request a share of the information.

But Tristan’s response was disappointing.

“None of the six have said a single word since they were brought in. No matter how hard I tried to coax something out of them, they won’t open their mouths.”

“Don’t tell me you only tried talking to them.”

“Of course not. I did try torturing them. But they don’t react at all — it’s like their sense of pain is completely shut off.”

“I see…”

Lucian let out a sigh without realizing it.

He had heard rumors of such a drug.

One that completely eliminates pain but also numbs part of the senses, including taste.

Once ingested, there was no remedy.

Only fanatics or assassins used it.

‘And these idiots actually took it.’

At that point, it was obvious they wouldn’t talk under torture.

The only way was to mentally destabilize them to make them speak.

“Can I see them myself?”

“No.”

The refusal came like a gunshot.

Lucian opened his mouth to insist, but Tristan spoke even more firmly.

“You’re considering getting help from the Imperial Palace, aren’t you? As long as you have that scale in your head, I’ll never let you see them. I’d rather you know nothing than get vague information that tips your judgment to one side.”

“A careless move could cause a catastrophe.”

“Exaggerated worry.”

Tristan completely dismissed Lucian’s warning.

“If a mage were involved, they’d be one of those exiled and branded as black mages. Do you really think a school hunted for three hundred years would still hold such power? They can barely survive on their own, let alone pass on knowledge.”

“Hm…”

It was a sharp point.

The lives of unlicensed mages, persecuted for over three centuries without an established refuge, were miserable.

Academies dissolved for lack of students, and many died of hunger, unable to make a living.

Unless their focus was suited for survival or they hid within clandestine organizations, it was hard for them to persist.

Tristan knew that reality well, which is why he didn’t take Lucian’s words seriously.

“Drop the pointless worries and go back. I’ll handle the interrogation. If anything worth sharing comes up, I’ll pass it along to you.”

With that, Tristan turned and left.

With no way to persuade him, Lucian could only let out a bitter smile.

‘What a hassle. And yet, I wasn’t entirely lying.’

Just as Tristan said, most mages could barely sustain themselves.

With three hundred years of lost knowledge, half-destroyed academies were common.

But there were always exceptions.

If a school specialized in mass destruction or chaos, the story changed.

And if they had support from an organization like the Imperial Liberation League—

‘They’re here to cause a massive disaster.’

But without seeing it with his own eyes, Tristan would never understand.

Lucian would have to abandon the idea of gaining information through that route.

All that remained was to wait for a fish to fall into the net.

“Young master.”

Raymond’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. Lucian set his worries aside and turned.

“What is it?”

“There’s movement.”

“…!”

It was the agreed-upon code.

It meant a member of the Imperial Liberation had been captured.

Lucian smiled at fate’s perfect timing.

“Let’s go.”

***

Lucian immediately headed to the designated point.

It was along the path connecting the northernmost area to the Yellow Forest.

Upon arriving, the group of mercenaries looked at him with triumphant faces.

“Hahaha! Young master, look! We caught a membe—!”

“Shh!”

Lucian rushed over to the group’s captain and covered his mouth. Then he immediately whispered.

“Silence. You want to announce to the other mercenaries that you just earned a fortune? Take your platinum coin and finish the job quietly.”

The truth was, he just didn’t want Tristan to find out, but at least that was the excuse. The captain flinched for a second, then nodded firmly.

Lucian pulled out a platinum coin he had prepared and placed it in his hand.

“Here’s what was promised. Stash it without letting anyone see.”

“Hehe, thanks. You always come through.”

With a crooked smile, the captain gathered his men and left.

He seemed to understand that Lucian wanted to keep everything secret.

Once Lucian confirmed they were alone, he approached the prisoner accompanied only by Raymond.

“Are you with the Imperial Liberation Alliance?”

“….”

“Getting caught by mercenaries… nothing impressive. Or did you overestimate your own skills?”

“….”

“Well, you move pretty freely through a forest full of monsters. What’s the trick?”

“….”

The young man didn’t say a word.

Lucian had expected that, so he went straight to the point.

“You hired a mage, didn’t you? Gnolls and kobolds can’t coexist, yet they’re showing up together.”

“….”

“Only magic could do that. Maybe the Beast Academy? Both are beast-like monsters, they might be controllable…”

“….”

“That’s a lie. The Beast Academy can’t do that. That’s authentic black magic.”

“…!?”

The young man, expressionless until now, widened his eyes.

He realized his mistake a second too late, but it was done — his composure was broken.

Lucian stared him down and continued.

“Black mages often use the names of other academies to pretend they’re just unauthorized mages. Especially when manipulating monsters. But it’s all a lie. Monsters aren’t just beasts — they’re corrupted beings.”

“…!”

“You think you hired a mage, but it’s the opposite. A black mage infiltrated by pretending to be one. Do you know what you’re helping them do? A massive sacrifice ritual that will use every life in this area as an offering.”

The young man trembled, and so did Raymond.

If that were true, when the magic was completed, everyone in the area would die.

For the first time, the prisoner opened his mouth, unable to contain himself.

“Y-you’re lying. You just want me to talk, right?”

“Idiot. How can you trust someone you hired without knowing the first thing about magic? That ritual could leave behind a massacre worthy of history!”

Lucian stood up abruptly and looked at him like a sage scolding a fool.

“If the ritual only targeted us, that would at least make sense. For you, the Empire is the enemy, and you don’t care about the commoners either. But to sacrifice your own lives too? Even stupidity should have limits!”

The young man’s eyes shook violently.

He wanted to believe it was a lie, but Lucian’s words sounded far too convincing.

And if it was true? What if he and his comrades had been manipulated?

With a trembling voice, he murmured.

“Is it really… that magic… such an evil ritual?”

Lucian didn’t look him in the eye. He turned away, let out a deep sigh, and muttered inwardly.

‘No, it’s a lie.’