Chapter 96

“Now you know, don’t you? You never did me any favor. You’re nothing more than an uninvited intruder who betrayed on your own and then came looking for me.”

At Lucian’s cold response, Colin nodded.

The spell he had just used was something he could only cast once, and only after prolonged preparation.

If that single attack had been blocked, he would’ve had no way to defend himself and would have died without a chance. As long as the defensive scroll existed, Colin’s betrayal wouldn’t have changed the outcome of victory or defeat.

“I understand. Then at least allow me to say something as a rootless wanderer, Your Grace.”

“Speak.”

“Take me in.”

“…?”

Lucian blinked at the completely out-of-place request. Take him in? Just like that?

“Don’t tell me you want to enter my service?”

“Yes. I want to work for you, Duke.”

“You’re insane.”

Lucian let out an incredulous laugh. He didn’t say it on purpose—the surprise made the words slip out.

“Do you even know whom I’m pledging loyalty to right now?”

“You serve the imperial family.”

“And the imperial family is hunting and killing every mage it sees. Why would I take the risk of being branded a traitor just to hire you? And more importantly…”

Lucian pointed to the spot where the lightning had struck just moments ago. There, the charred remains of Godfrey and his men still lay scattered across the ground.

“Now that those people are dead, I have to prove my innocence. And there’s no better way than handing over you, the direct culprit.”

If it were Calix, they could easily claim Lucian was killed by a lightning strike. But Lucian was already allied with the imperial family, who were full of magical artifacts.

Even with the same excuse, credibility would plummet with the Empire involved.

“Tell me—why should I give up all those benefits to keep someone who only brings me disadvantages? No—better yet, what made you think you could come looking for me in the first place?”

From a logical standpoint, no sane mage would seek out Lucian.

Everything Lucian had shown so far was the perfect image of a loyal servant of the Emperor.

If they knew of the Empire’s witch hunts, they’d flee just from seeing his shadow.

Under Lucian’s suspicious gaze, Colin sighed and replied.

“I came because I believed in another mage’s divination.”

“…Divination?”

“Not all mages throw fire or summon lightning. Prophecies and divination are also a branch of magic.”

With a half-resigned expression, Colin calmly explained.

He had an acquaintance exceptionally skilled in divination. That acquaintance had made a prophecy about Lucian.

And it was by trusting in that prophecy that he had betrayed Godfrey’s group.

“According to the divination, if I let Your Grace go, I’d become a death reaper who would come to kill me. But if I captured you, I’d become a benefactor.”

“And just from a simple prophecy you came to seek me out? Are you in your right mind?”

Lucian couldn’t understand it at all. No matter how accurate a prediction was, it still lacked solid foundation.

And yet to throw himself straight into the lion’s den?

Colin caught his gaze and gave a bitter smile.

“I know, Your Grace. It’s hard to understand. But someone without hope has no choice but to cling to anything—even a prophecy.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been three hundred years since the mages’ rebellion failed and the persecution began. How many mages do you think have been hunted in all that time?”

They couldn’t even research systematically, and just surviving was already difficult. Some even died of starvation despite having magical talent.

Not being able to find disciples and pass on their knowledge was common, and even when they did, they often died in witch hunts before they could teach anything.

Naturally, the number of mages plummeted over the generations, and many schools disappeared entirely.

“I’m no different from other mages. I’ve survived however I could, using what my master taught me and some improvisation—always under constant threats. But even that has its limits.”

Unable to train new disciples, living in hiding without knowing when death would come.

He made a living by pretending to be an assassin, but one slip-up and someone would try to stab him in the back.

Even people he had known had vanished, leaving only rumors that they’d been brutally executed by witch-hunting squads.

Tired of life and having lost all hope, he received a strange prophecy from an old colleague.

“If it had only foretold my death, maybe I wouldn’t have done anything. But it also hinted at a sliver of hope. For someone worn out from living like me, that was reason enough to risk my life.”

“…”

“If even now you can’t believe me, I have no other way to convince you. But please understand—these words are sincere.”

After speaking, Colin lowered his head. He had nothing more to say; his attitude was clear—if they were going to kill him, then so be it.

As the silence stretched on, Lucian rested his chin on his hand and pondered quietly.

‘What a coincidence. Just when I needed a mage, one appears—guided by a prophecy—asking to serve me.’

No matter how suspicious it seemed, the possibility that the mage was lying was extremely low.

If not for a prophecy, there was practically no reason for a mage to seek out Lucian first.

But even if all of it was true, the real question was whether Lucian could trust him enough to keep him at his side.

‘The biggest problem is I have nowhere to hide him. From guards to servants, everyone is sent by the Empire. No matter where I hide him, they’ll find him quickly.’

Letting him go didn’t guarantee they’d be able to contact him again.

Colin was being hunted, and Lucian could no longer move discreetly.

Besides, he still needed to explain Godfrey’s death.

‘…No, there is a way.’

Lucian quickly organized the solution that had just come to him.

It depended a bit on luck, but if it worked, it could solve everything at once.

“I’ll make you a proposal.”

“Huh? A proposal?”

“It’s a proposal where I win everything, and you lose everything. Although, if it goes according to plan, you might still achieve your goal.”

“…?”

At those unsettling words, Colin flinched involuntarily. What the hell was this man about to say?

Shortly after, upon hearing the plan, Colin stared at Lucian completely dumbfounded.

***

“His Highness returned from the Hundred Days Hunt? What does that mean?”

The northern nobles widened their eyes at the unexpected news.

There were still five days left in the Hundred Days Hunt, and yet he had returned after just ten.

“Don’t tell me he gave up? In an event he proposed himself?”

“Impossible! Unless there was a serious accident…”

“T-this… the situation is more complicated than it seems. His Highness said he would explain personally, so I ask you to wait a moment.”

At the servant’s words, the northern nobles began murmuring as they headed toward the banquet hall.

What in the world had happened for that arrogant brat to return halfway through the event?

Amid the chaotic atmosphere, Norvek clenched his cane with a sweat-soaked hand.

‘I was expecting good news, but instead of my son, the target of the assassination returns.’

‘Did they fail? Then what happened to Godfrey? How is it that only he returned?’

Bang!

At that moment, a loud sound rang from the doors, and Lucian entered the hall.

His stiff expression and determined stride made it clear that something unusual had occurred.

“Greetings to the Duke…!”

“Godfrey is dead.”

“…What?!”

“He died trying to kill me. He ended up falling into his own trap. I never imagined the Count could be so meticulous.”

All eyes turned sharply toward Norvek. His face pale, he opened and closed his mouth without making a sound.

“Godfrey…? My son is dead?”

“Bring him in.”

Instead of answering, Lucian gave the order to his vassals.

Shortly after, they dragged in a man tightly bound. Upon seeing his face, Norvek’s eyes opened wide.

“You…!”

It was the mage who claimed he could summon lightning. The very one he had placed next to his son to use in place of a sword.

Why had he returned in this state?

Lucian cast a brief glance at Norvek, then spoke to Colin.

“Speak with your own mouth. Say who you are and why you’ve been brought here.”

“I-I am the mage Colin. From the School of Celestial Astrology. I was hired by that old man to assassinate His Highness.”

“What did you say?!”

Gasps of horror erupted throughout the hall. An assassination attempt might have been expected to a degree, but never that they would resort to an unauthorized mage—especially when the Empire was so sensitive about the subject.

“What kind of nonsense is this!? A mage!? Are you suggesting that man is an unauthorized mage?!”

Glenn, who had remained on the sidelines until now, shouted with a flushed face.

Hiring an unauthorized mage was an act close to treason—too serious to be used as a simple false accusation.

“Your Highness, explain yourself properly! If that man is truly an unauthorized mage…!”

“He hasn’t finished his account, so calm down and listen. Mage, continue.”

“Y-yes.”

Under Glenn’s sharp pressure, Colin flinched but continued speaking. He explained how, wandering from place to place, his identity had been discovered by House Calix.

How he tried to flee, but was captured and forced to work as a slave for the Count. And how, in the end, he was coerced into accompanying Godfrey to assassinate Lucian.

“…And so, unable to endure it any longer, I used my magic not to kill the intended target, but to kill Godfrey and his group instead—and then I surrendered to His Highness. He brought me here immediately.”

“You damn worthless mage! How dare you spew such lies?!”

Norvek felt, for the first time in his life, a rage so intense it seemed every vein in his body would burst.

Imprisoned and treated like a slave because his identity was discovered?

That bastard had come willingly to sell his skills, taken gold coins as payment, and wandered around freely!

However, Colin remained composed and spoke seriously, glancing around the room.

“I can present all the proof you want. I can point out the exact location of the villa where that old man imprisoned me, as well as its internal layout. It’s in a hidden place, hard to find for an ordinary person.”

It had been Colin himself who requested that the residence be prepared somewhere out of sight.

After living there for months, there was no way he wouldn’t know its interior.

“I also passed through some secret passages managed by House Calix.”

Since he was a mage, sharing secret routes was necessary to avoid drawing attention. Besides, they had planned to kill him once the job was done.

“And most importantly—the catalysts I needed for my magic were supplied frequently, so there should be traces.”

Those catalysts had even been requested by Colin himself. At this completely unexpected betrayal, a dry cracking sound escaped Norvek’s mouth.

“Count, is what he says true?”

Glenn’s icy gaze pierced into Norvek. However, Norvek felt no fear at all. There was something he had to confirm first—above anything else.

“…And my son—what happened to Godfrey?”

“I already told you. He died after receiving the spell meant for me. You can imagine roughly how he ended up.”

“You expect me to believe that? You could’ve killed him yourself!”

“That’s exactly why I made sure to at least bring your son back. Fortunately, he got pretty light, so transporting him wasn’t too hard.”

Lucian gave a lopsided smile as he looked at the pale-faced Norvek.

“Want to see him? Though I’m not sure if you’ll still be able to recognize him.”