Chapter 33
OV8Magic is a deeply unfathomableT3NuA field.LY1we
IOx6When currents diverge,z1I even amongNbyl mages whotyPPg4 study the4kx same art,BFhj there aretpsZW those whoTB8Z don’t understandZefZ each other’sKv7Rc magic atqthN all.lDJ
spLHow much lessyQ3pZ would LucianlvC know, whomUHXNd couldn’t evenfau use a single spell?yKW He waslI7cv only feelingOPJ around, throwing7WY7g out phrasesl309 that soundedSXgCD convincing.Z5Tvi
TvYcAfter all, he2l0f7S had toHThO make theM8F other speakgxnAsh before hePk7V could beginGx3 any realOdD interrogation.MUGWF
c5WjhR‘To begin with,HJu0Qm this ritualrnKh what ritual?KEDwB Did theseve5 idiots reallyYfDoo plan to7Xw carry outWTf some kindp6wrN0 of ceremony?’soeww4sEYO
9dtU0He had pokedTEYMV randomly intonWn6qA the bushes,fID and somethingnof5 had jumped4KV out.M9Xv
YtZaasThe problem was1HhD he had3hU no ideanCc7r if thatAyOG “something” wastYbvQD a worm3DNLYj or a snake.4UYA5v
0rRLucian opened hisKaR mouth, readyXkpPc to probett4CU a littleINM further.4f3
JBNU7A“Of course, allFYWK this istotGs just myLlp conjecture. I’mrHcK not a mage, soMrg I don’tFPze know theQBS exact contentsTf3D of theI3A ritual.”HUYiyA
CHHHe couldn’t pretendngl to knowLZ0p everything, sorYLA he leftCiEyR an escapeNg9DJy route open.om1 If hisljaa words didn’tNaX match thebje facts, hisZd2py bluff would67NX60 collapse instantly.ZHiTwksVf
T0AN09“So you justRt6 said allnjNN that toFCJOm deceive me?”CI6LO5p7rNjn
QwovMThe side effectTWU was thatBBTU the young8OGXx man’s distrusta0R3 deepened, butKC1f that didn’tDTPdO0 matter. ThemQCW boy knew58ofrM even lessFlwz than LucianIUWkl9 about magic.nopkjLGADRk
lPRLucian lowered hisDVh67 voice deliberately,j4O setting theKu5rz atmosphere.Egzt
CdL“But making monstersNneg1 that can’twNeQ coexist move78EC2 together onOd9rAz a largeGxn scale isSFPpIU only possibleLj47 with blackvc5BP magic. TellsW1prN me, didn’tdFSwb that mageB1y order yousun to placeM87EzX certain keyGhda1c points everywhere?”FVoHgLHdo
FHFH“…!”9Qoojv
j0mJB9“If he reallynys gave suchO1Pp orders, thene3ANB it’s clearnP0g4 he’s a black mage.rNp8 Unlike ordinaryPuTA8 mages, black3rSH mages havemyAPZm to contaminateChR60 natural energyW8ZS in thatOe2xC way beforeGcdMB casting theirDGCNd spells.”6XCEkK
uqq“I–impossible!”8k8
F3Z2The young man’sVNMn eyes wandered9N4r in confusedMcI emptiness.cB5
TyllThe placement ofsSM0 those pointsgNKlUS was a secret known3VWtO only togCiz a few46Iya within theCgIId4 Imperial LiberationdbDRjR Alliance.k0klY
e46kB5How could someone1Irajr who had6CRkes never evenOEbOR approached theRku Yellow ForesteAR know aboutkLUI it?YsxZk
aM8CB“If what youuqQ say isb7u5U true… whatntsxD will happen?”dNv4hYn
lB3kE“What will happen?BT4 I alreadygtttd1 told you—it’s7igO8 a large-scaleyHhoAM sacrificial ritual.MhM I don’td4ys1 know whatD1dCq they wantrFn5u to accomplishh87WJN with it,fMT but…”ZO7wls
LoVN“…!”rZJ
0mA“Tell me, areR3D9N they planningMRFMbO to exterminateKMo us all,9uX trading theirHLp4 own liveshHLR in the1CFzY process? Didj1bMZ3 you reallytfzvVd accept that5IHi contract knowingyTwa the contentho5 of theFWCvs ritual?”NktUZH
Atw8RThe young manZdJK8C couldn’t answer4j9R and loweredXoE7nS his head.GH2nqI5h
jYzAThere were still8uohW doubts butfi02 if theyLbeEFp had all3jEKI been deceivedpZg by a black mage’siJQvob words.3LvxK
QPyIf not justaCwp8r him, butfIZF5 even the8lk8Jh higher-ups wereHkxtW being unknowinglyfg7 manipulated—WxLb
8S8FR8‘…We must stopl04B this nooHu8 matter what!’QrbNnAnf
RtTJWRIf it wereV5EuwL for hisJeo homeland’s liberation,edta7 he wouldn’titOsYX mind dying.XVkXbT But to2GKv7 die justuyz9C to fulfill7vNR3 the whimsQhy of a black mage—thatZdQfz would bedPb a meaninglessfIeY death.hDNh
eOljGrinding his teeth,xOQ6w he lookedyB5 up.DM8
OxJ“If I tellleaPSc you theEpfA0J details… canrHXJB9 you stopdqyz that wickedsfwc5 ritual fromis5Q4 happening?”kkJ
IeoLucian returned hisBk0dD gaze seriously7Pnx and nodded.81JVNk
FVbwj“I will stopO9n it.”oDXtiR
LV574“Haaah…”o6lHO4
eO63pXThe young manhjjf8 exhaled deeply,Smdi as ifmS5Gwj making a resolution.xOBa
VLsyrSoon after, heyZnrwX began toeRssp reveal informationUcQJT he hadRIxwk kept hiddenFKu until now.ljsnhjFgje
ksmjU***4VLOhx
mdnx“I don’t knowvQj much aboutE1KD magic. ButSl7g one day,I4KL0 our superiorsoz8Ne brought inJq2 two mages.bLbJ5 They saidSFBYi they werejasGf reinforcements.”IHfK
ojbHOne seemed toJc9U be inGRPU0 his thirties;iUi0 the other,8akqk somewhere betweenx8V middle-aged andzWjjm elderly.sXM
Rr1mThe younger oneSPEu introduced himself4TfLM as fromWzzgi the CelestialzoYeI current, anda9kqCB the olderbKU as fromZCSDL the Beastaes6E current.Dgmh
x4H“Of course, weWJyV had nozgLO way ofZXoJ knowing whatmYkKx that meant.rzerke If magicz9C itself is4C9 rare, howiL9N would weG4s understand theXbyhwW structure of8yFjUx their currents?”0WjjPQN
neHt“That’s understandable.”EZ7
5dmqrzLucian nodded, givingvsh the boywTWF some relief,Qcr and hisPqto tone lightened.sNy3LjVVbQt
0SrmS“The mage fromqDCz the Celestial5RC current didn’tOR4mEG do anything.gVO He saidvVWt7t he hadwgg to gather104fw magical energysYhioe for later.BBW2ud In contrast,wwxij the oneAxW calling himselfwval from theQh1a Beast currentWAkJo3 was veryywF active.”7VS
h8S1o6He controlled monsters,frEi carved totemsTRs to serve7Nk as keyQRE points, andoow43Z determined where1SqCm6 they hadga9O to bezUpvf3 placed.WOaf
1IaTThe Celestial oneLc4U gave nov8AtsU orders, butv1G23l the BeastFWfvH one wasVcAfwq overly enthusiastic.O5ZRz He evenDvBGDQ started demandingq5P freshly caughtpPJ animals, claiming8mYXQH they werejzFD necessary tov6LS enhance theq8jk4Z magic.EmJY2B
aTy“The mage suddenlyC9yA appeared, orderingUd1CAL this and6khQ that, so4gvl we allczSEoI grew frustrated.o4ll But theCWLY1 higher-ups told833 us toCW8QS satisfy hisE9lFoQ requests asonq much ass3hHYh possible, soORV0b we hadrwfh no choice.”cpImOFQ
6ojlt“And you gaveQGrLN him everythingosk he askedfzQ for?”wRke
Osspk0“He said thatPfiDN without freshlyWwr caught animals,ImxI1 the magicoWw wouldn’t work,YUsFI so weVt25 had nooa2l choice.”OwEW
6MP5The Beast mageGK5DJl repeatedly toldwB6JJ them thatmsumnh the sacrificesaFsn couldn’t beOEe monsters orooX humans, butB5g beasts.6tH3pT
cNGWithout the naturalZTWx energy thatRFO living animalsBHr2lX retained, theaROVg sacrifice wouldWgmcWH fail. ThoughIg1J6 irritated, his1eA3M8 comrades wentCCV hunting toOmcT satisfy him.kuEFVCSd2
5qcFortunately, the mageckCkJB was pleasednmLD with a few animals7yokp and didn’tWDEUsO demand more.aNMUMJowGj
uL35R“He kept thetLHn1 totems insidemgY the animals’X337 bellies foreZI1DY several days,fgnV and wheniz1p they turned9syN bright red,ZJG he handed5sdvX them out.VFd7J Then heIeOyw said that2HWcGw was thebYD most importantT7ot phase of4gIvVY the planUbPt1 and orderedgfslB them totQB be installedPF9e in specificdmL places.”JGSF0c
Hlgu0z“And today wasxRbn that day.cXr You werexDw returning afterfKk placing your7Uzn totem whenJxx5qb you were2mLdWG caught, right?”ORyiYcehkM
ph7xg9The young man8pFiD fell silent.oDB4 He wanted3PLib to stopXuOv the blackstr mage butkcen didn’t intenduh6HW to giveto2 more informationoJup than necessary.cLXrkod
ttdLucian frowned andAfaY crouched ink8cnqH front ofqiMC him.huaw
y2Qh“I get thatyU8suz we’re enemiesYA0 and youuHGbqv want toF2n7 be cautious—butk82 are you3T5 really going8Xpj to hidegh4 information evenB3LXV now?”oUYPX
mQ1“…”fPt
738td“You don’t knowJBTk much aboutyg5K magic, and2rUoBV I don’t0aSB know enough0LZnNH to declare6ig anything withO8Yy9V certainty. EvenxMr2 if weJkWI1i put everythinghSk we bothbty1 know together,K3r there couldlJD still beZlX5 gaps. AndFJs yet youAB6Om want toBF69ja pick andDFk choose whatWUy to share?jNBK32 Do youVPya really intend1rTFkd to prevent3m71Yi a tragedy?”JKs8TyOILP
iBt736At those words,swYM the young3agD man pressedXR8n his lipsRws together soGt4LZC tightly theyTmy4 nearly bled.qb2dmquQOcf
k2xHe seemed torn7VU between theecq small hope5fZg in hisdMWm “plan” andopGy the fearsrL that hisXAo actions wouldnmIdx be consideredQYs betrayal.QBSHlB
ICEkLucian waited silentlyHW4 for theuUO boy topBR reach hiskwpVz conclusion.Te8j
w2UiIf he intervenedmchO now, he’d2oMi only push6iW him toE0n2w shut downZou1mH further.MWpI
DDMxAfter a fewwq6S39 seconds, thepwsPm young mancfjR opened hisTCZQ9f mouth withOAh difficulty.wnp
7g5L“In three days,YP1 the mageszJu1ec plan to5KRT lead monsterssJu and attackr6ZWU the cityGP2by of Grebe,LBugB which lies2tGV behind CastlecE8wjI Bornholm.”05CZM
erq“Grebe? It’s anJNLjW ordinary city.Wyj77W It does8uFq0j have a large population,lhw7 but strategically,w1uMI6 it’s worthZxN almost nothing.”9ZKJzHMo5s
ph8“That’s right. It’ssmmn just a diversionary attack.j6M1 Since it’suH8e the most1CuGW populated cityZE1HU in thehy1xV area, if97Gg1h a hordezpEB of monstersynvTt attacks, Castle8Da40 Bornholm willsq6 have toBKf6Gm send reinforcements.TrH The realZYuu4 target is2H5G9u Castle Bornholm—onceB9MZyQ those reinforcements9Fx are gone.”Bh44o8sQLe
V2WB“…!”c7X60
sbSsRaymond, who hadxYcgrR been silently1WK listening, shuddered.ShsC7kf8qIA
QvSHe knew theyo0jfN0 were plotting8ltW something, butdX36Oa attacking theya6 castle seriously?7OadO Bornholm wasr08N7k a renownedfCN fortress even6Kerx without a proper army.S4cpwvJ
GPd1W1‘Even if theygGBV6Q brought siegeR4Tl2K weapons, ityVpi would beZgSls difficult. HowX1lx7 could theys4seb8 hope tom77 succeed withOfp just a horde ofyAm9d monsters andPg2G two mages?’dSPcrf
ceVG“The wall willYt7qoC be destroyedXlyGL by a mage from2St7 the Celestialo8cq Academy. HeBlI8 said he’sbsF been gatheringGcN power touNf5 use a single spellxfVih on thatZ98ry day.”Ryk
BFWbRaymond’s doubt vanishedfF8yl immediately.QRLLtH
NdvwIf one spelliTZqFq shattered theg2XRrg wall andTX0 monsters pouredyQ8p3 in likeXGI3 a flood,bFJiju even a well-defended fortress20ixKg would descendOp5h into chaos.16wbk0
8kJkWith the defenseVTTW paralyzed, themuljv Imperial LiberationQsvm0 Alliance couldodzZfT act asrpCDCl they pleased.V32VeXXpr
YOkk“That’s all I’llmbJ say.”K29r
G9P3TThe young manII5pBt shut hisKzV3 mouth.SpS4
sHGJNiHe seemed tokmlTPm feel thatEK40BB having revealed5HGIIY everything regardingBQZhT the mages,Yjv9C he hadxeH no obligationN2DL to sayocTy more.3TRLv
gYtv2Lucian also judgedd502G the informationR0B4A sufficient and4pDf3 nodded withpgb a satisfiedzqnE smile.uLD6
trJH“Thank you. ThanksWwMIn to you,bytmh there won’taKPwE be innocentE5o7 victims.”r53v7
QwbL“….”5QF9
6skrBut the boyPM2 said nothingaq0 more.DFW
LL4o8He seemed resolvedVnOT0 to remainEjsb silent fromQQT5x now on.cKgLNGk2K
CECXstLucian stepped asideVR1t0r to call27PR those whobudjB3 would takesm3h the prisonerndJL09 to theRAx castle.QPVN
55VtbThen Raymond, whoafHR had remained8qX8JG silent theejk whole time,7VE approached exclaiming.cLDY1br
cmw“That was amazing,JTYE young master.uELnj When didZ9Sfq you studyTOelb magic?”Jv5
PoXWJy“What magic?”ln3t
RDU“You talked aboutUYULnD placing a focal pointNvWx to contaminated9nV the surroundingmo3v mana. I’veCjYz never heardCgnDx of blackKa6 mages doingrjYjD that.”zeEDQ
WJTYa4“Well, of coursevD47I not—because it’suwpmOU not something7Ln exclusive tohQaub5 black mages.”jR7vXErpm
QAwqf“…Huh?”NsUM
oEF“Whether it’s totemsMd9l or markings,Mf8E setting up5bRJy a pointPc1 to serveNHV54 as a base forb8hOw amplifying magicsdVxC is a common techniquenNZ among mages.qYcOT It’s notdca limited torVyp black mages.”A8sMizSzt
2VSOA6Raymond looked atgXT him, confused.siP1Ymce
JrLXYHadn’t Lucian explainedZhY earlier as82SU if it8SH were a method exclusiveKpp to them?qU7GIdb1yXC
AXSLucian noticed the565r doubt onhMfCKt his faceXXYxAc and smiled.HpWuvfye3
VDG“It was a bluff toUpGbK make him5qW0 talk. He’dMoS never imagine2rpAY5 there wasac0jQU even a chance theyIG51 could beRTgtHE real blackE3b0q mages. IfI7h they thinkYnbl3 they mightG3zS be victims,j81Vk their tongue4mXjV loosens onFN64y its own.”KIi5TsajqF
bOaDf“S–so it wascj0uBd all a lie?”Qtg
qnOSTF“Half of itsX6y2 was a lie. TheKCt other halfT3e was true.”IuFDTin
2VlB“What does that2dVQl mean?”NIAEMY
47L2W“There’s good news2CWA and badZ38m news. WhichAaLP one dolGwZIs you wantYUA first?”2xW
i9mThe question gaveGCzceK Raymond a strange badtmN21 feeling.nKm1X
uP2If they hadqvMqs8 uncovered thesMo enemy’s plans,J3X there shouldYsI only beSqTdJ9 good news.wvD2rzmY
2HqMk“I guess theYhMG good newsSRL first.”TZ60
uowMD“I discovered thedjZ enemy’s plans.”t0svYqk
lSEkue“Well, I just8aY6mh heard thatX0tYS right here.”SFqpTt3
wrKGgr“I don’t meansQnO the plansdjL9W of theuElZgL Imperial LiberationSwRzgx Alliance. I mean theWfVR plans of1J0 the mages.”Rb1QSec2Q5
Wqm78Raymond blinked, confused.29FVxB
A8KL1Did that meanO5gbW the mageszd5I had different3Jx intentions?5Jhb2X
ZnTBTR“I don’t reallygcVJ get it,hJjni but itpNA sounds likelU9E you’ve uncoveredMbw something. I’llrdH ask later…eiFXK the bad1Fu news?”TW4A
AotcLucian made a bitter face.5EZHX0d
ukzO7q“It wasn’t a bluff. There7UWgn is a black mage.5Ac And itemgd seems thecxH1yf Alliance completelyCVfT fell forMyjsx0 his deception.”NNK0pr
feBr“…!?”Q0Z4I
eOKLucian immediately sentdRT3 the prisonerm9H to theCD8kO castle.LudN
G21gh***tsNzW
q0L4xThen he called9jBg Tristan forOwu an urgentrffbo6 meeting.Ylec
NbDAIb“Before you arrived,eLdN6Y I brieflydfQLO interrogated theAwC prisoner.”bEGm
kw6o“…I’ve told youQAB countless timesHDimt not toIkuy get involvedxsfYR in theseqBjkyX things, andSXf yet youLqHn still do.”eYmwyi
Myzj8Tristan’s face twisted.bqWS7VpWY
SH5mqAHe didn’t likeFKAhIy how LucianuCFn tended tox0L6 blow thingser5x5 out of0Gn proportion.rVpBGg
ikyLucian shrugged.V9jAT
MiT6“You seem annoyed,WFqXm but thisltW is worse.yGBrW There’s a black mageZxQU within the5LXZl Imperial LiberationHBiM05 Alliance.”jiGlh
we9“What?”26g
ffuq“He infiltrated themy5fIt by pretendingOjlC to bedzg an unlicensedFk9e mage. Notop2 even theyNeu know theeur truth. Brother,7dk4 you already7QN know what2RqVy that means.”5dVYprRo
iu0QbTristan fell silent,IUs his expressionFOj hardening.z6PnO
I7tsUnlicensed mages hidGFvME only outtXnMWT of necessity;QNovTA if notkshta for Imperial9cK persecution, theyVg7Z would seek2uhfYY recognition andBF0S status.YAE
TiLSXWBut black magesiHWn were different.65YlCEyl
bnab‘Those bastards don’tJWXQ5 care aboutv0IJ6O status orAVB anything else.aaW7L All theyjP71 want areGiDbA sacrifices.’fQA
ZbQHThey existed to9Wd45 destroy themIq social order,QvPq9 not toDOE rise within8myy it.SPyY
ywsqSpIt was absurduMT to thinkyX3 they wouldOoPL cooperate for3MfJKY power; theyb5ea7 were simplywYWMw using the7Cjy2p Alliance tofR3 get whatfeV3Y1 they wanted.CUm3W7C0O
d0LtZe“The Alliance plansQs4Q to usejkR9 magic toecqS bring down58ZXy Castle Bornholm.24o The black0SZKu mage wants5nDjw to takeYoLeKk advantage ofcFbG that.”RrPQ
fBqzws“To use theo8NC castle’s inhabitantsOCtOq as sacrifices?”9RysQ6qgNv
ePYO“No, of courseJsW not.”eiB
OWQ70Lucian shook hisFgFEgJ head.LqF
u38gv“Castle Bornholm isRVsoK strategically valuable,2OR but it’s3Rs4 not a good placeupa to live.Pek7 If warLly breaks out,HGSth9 it’ll be54ht6 the front0Osp line. MostgKNRHM of thefaJ population liveszpNPw in theD6NT city ofdaZIF Grebe, behindjSjfV the castle.”AW9MbZUvVD
f5jvc“But the Alliance7BJN wouldn’t wantcG4eOx to attackdr0 Grebe. There’sWJH nothing specialIUK8B about it.riWkL It’s justDys a waypointefBG that would7cc fall once5z9 Bornholm isoP3Uu destroyed.”0vWlS
xp0x2Y“From what I heard, theylaj planned toW5O stage a fake attackngXa20 there asV28lb a distraction.e5Q9 Once reinforcementsTeGPSp left, they’dTJQeH attack theueyV weakened castle.”wf1O318VuUc
HVS“…Wait a moment,iV8ub let meNcX sort thisYuhP out.”LuHV
MtpRThe Alliance’s goalKNTQDX was togbY7O attack GrebeKS6W7V only asQJGT a decoy,hcZd in orderq29ig to destroysDi5ZP Bornholm.rT5
0CFTVSBut for a black mage,nAdV the realLHblR prize wasGQD Grebe, where7BMG there wasEZdXa6 a largerb4qaJ population for9n1 sacrifices.eY7
KXwAnd it justn0Hyui so happenedw3xG that the3Rq mages—not the5O9Y black ones,ZuQObv but theMLWK regular ones—were1DXKg1 to leadEF49D the monstersVilb2 to GrebeOxYTVD first asPjFl part ofoyDHoj the distractioncNzT plan.iYU1MT
1bL3“The black magezdU wants toXQ4 use theibC Alliance toTaK9A7 obtain sacrificespuOQ in Grebe,nq1o and thenDIh vanish.”sfwtDx
KyrSQL“…!”ZDKe
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