Category: The Master of Language

I looked around. The intense heat generated by his fire magic had already been absorbed by the Phoenix’s egg.

“It seems your fire can’t overcome the coldness of the Phoenix’s egg. Well, that’s to be expected. It was the same at the river.”

“You bastard!”

Merlin shouted, extending both hands forward.

A heavy stream of lava-like flames poured towards me.

I glanced at Oshalo, and he immediately came in front of me.

Oshalo formed an ice crystal shield with both hands to protect me from the lava-like fire.

I also waved my staff, conjuring water magic in harmony with the mansion’s protective magic.

Then, it started raining magical water in the room.

Though it was dozens of times smaller than what Master Abana had shown me.

Oshalo and I easily blocked Merlin’s fire magic through water magic.

Merlin spoke as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Impossible. I’ve bet my life! How can you block my fire even when I’ve put my life on the line?”

I looked at him and calmly said,

“Senior Merlin. What do you think it means that I showed you death magic? I have the same determination you put into that declaration magic.”

Not to mention that I’ve employed the Undine from the fountain, the death magic from the skeleton with particularly strong psychic power, the Phoenix’s egg, the mansion’s protective magic, and even the water herbs, but I didn’t feel like explaining all that.

Merlin seemed to feel a sense of despair, his expression blank. He too had instinctively realized that he couldn’t penetrate my defense.

But then his expression suddenly changed.

Ecstasy?

Pleasure?

It was an expression I couldn’t comprehend.

At that moment, Merlin’s fire gradually diminished. Not only the flames spewing from his hands but also the fire flickering from his feathers subsided.

He brought both hands to his chest. Then he lightly shook the feathers that enveloped him.

Dozens of sparks fell to the floor.

With a slight wave of his hand, those sparks gathered together in his right hand.

Merlin stared at it intently and said,

“The skeleton holding the Phoenix’s egg is what you’ve prepared for a counterattack, right? You have no other means left.”

“You never know.”

Merlin smiled confidently.

“Then I just need to deal with that Phoenix’s egg. That’s all there is to it.”

“How? Even with all your fire magic, you can’t overcome this cold.”

“Just because you have that egg doesn’t mean you’re its master. If I awaken the Phoenix with my power, it will follow me.”

What?

Before I could say anything, Merlin stretched out his right hand. The sparks gathered in his right hand slowly flew towards me.

Just in case, I ordered Oshalo. Oshalo combined the ice shields in both hands into one and stood to block the sparks.

The moment those sparks reached Oshalo’s ice shield, they stopped in front of it and slowly began to emit a fiery aura.

An extremely gentle and soft aura.

That fiery aura passed through the ice shield and was transmitted directly to the Phoenix’s egg located in Oshalo’s heart.

Merlin, with his eyes closed, was dedicating all his efforts to transmitting the fiery aura to the Phoenix’s egg.

My mind became incredibly complicated.

If the Phoenix awakens like this, will it really listen to Merlin?

Or is he trying to catch me off guard, hoping I’ll withdraw Oshalo out of fear?

Should I keep Oshalo here?

Or should I withdraw him?

“Having trouble deciding?”

Merlin’s question, piercing my heart, was more threatening than all the flames he had spewed until now.

He spoke without hiding his smile.

“I don’t care what you do. If you leave that skeleton as it is, the Phoenix will be mine, and if you withdraw that skeleton, I’ll just burn your defenseless self. I noticed earlier that your robe seems highly resistant to fire, so even if I burn you, that robe will remain. Then the Phoenix’s egg you’ve withdrawn will be mine too.”

“If you thought I’d be swayed by such a low-level deception, you’re mistaken, Senior Merlin.”

“Then keep the Phoenix’s egg out there. Until I awaken the Phoenix and bring it under my control.”

His voice was drastically different from the anger-filled one he had used until now.

He clearly saw a real chance of survival.

“If that’s really true, why did you tell me, your enemy?”

Merlin bared his teeth.

“You’re cunning but extremely inexperienced. You know nothing about the battles of mages, hehehe.”

He didn’t explain further and concentrated even more on infusing his magic into the sparks.

As a result, the fiery aura transmitted to the Phoenix’s egg grew stronger.

I calmly looked down at him.

The amount of magic Merlin was transmitting to the Phoenix’s egg through the sparks was too much to be just a deception.

Could he transfer so much magic if he wasn’t certain he’d become the Phoenix’s master?

I took a deep breath.

No.

Let’s stick to the original plan.

It’s about buying time.

I gripped my staff tightly and extended it slightly to the side. A streak of fire formed from Merlin’s sparks, connecting to my staff.

I had diverted some of the fiery aura Merlin was infusing into the sparks.

Feeling this, Merlin still smiled leisurely.

“I will add all the sparks I’ve gathered throughout my life and all the magic I possess. Do you think you can prevent the Phoenix from awakening by stealing such a small amount?”

Whoosh-!

As soon as he finished speaking, his sparks burned even more intensely. As he said, the fiery aura I was diverting to the side was insignificant compared to the fiery aura reaching the Phoenix’s egg.

We remained in this standoff for quite some time.

Feathers began to fall from Merlin’s body one by one. His eyes became hazy, and his face grew gaunt.

Instead, the Phoenix’s egg emitted an even stronger cold aura than before, as if it were the opposite of a candle flaring up just before it goes out.

Thus, I instinctively felt that it was closer to the birth of the Phoenix.

Then I heard Fabre’s voice.

[It’s almost time.]

Finally, the time has come.

I raised my head.

And looked at Merlin.

Merlin, with his eyes half-closed, barely managed to look back at me.

“You seem quite exhausted, Senior Merlin.”

Merlin slightly opened his mouth, but soon closed it without saying anything, with difficulty.

I continued speaking.

“If you’re this exhausted, I think I could win even without Oshalo. It seems the Phoenix’s egg demands more fiery aura than expected.”

Merlin’s lips moved again, but he couldn’t answer.

He was too exhausted even to speak.

“Rather than keeping an unnecessary risk factor, I’ll face you with my own power by withdrawing Oshalo.”

Merlin bared his snow-white teeth.

“How dare you!”

As he waved his right hand, countless feathers shot out from his sleeve. Each one contained enough firepower to easily burn a person.

Bang! Kaboom!

In an instant, the swarm of beetles turned to ashes by the burning feathers, and the bomb dust beetles among them exploded before even reaching Merlin.

At that moment, the floor, walls, and ceiling surrounding Merlin began to writhe and distort.

Swish! Swish!

As if tearing through the air, the sound of wings filled the space, and tens of thousands of beetles flew towards Merlin.

He laughed as if it were ridiculous, then suddenly narrowed his eyes. Despite the flame surrounding him, those two eyes gleamed with a cold light.

Whoosh!

The flame enveloping his body burst out explosively. All types of approaching beetles couldn’t get near him.

Those without fire resistance burned on their way, and even those with it ended up with their limbs or heads charred, unable to function properly.

The attack of countless beetles couldn’t inflict any damage on Merlin.

But one thing was certain: they blocked his ears and eyes.

Shiiik.

In the noisy and dark world of beetles, the sound of something rushing in echoed.

Merlin’s eyes moved first. He quickly turned his head to look in that direction and stretched out his right hand.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Another flame erupted from his right hand.

It soon completely engulfed the skeleton that was rushing towards him.

Merlin’s eyes widened.

“A skeleton?”

At that moment, taking advantage of the gap, some of the beetle swarms managed to get close to Merlin’s body.

The bomb dust beetles at the center of the swarm simultaneously raised their tails and pressed them against Merlin’s torso.

The explosions were multiple.

Bang! Kaboom!

Unable to open his eyes due to the explosion right in front of him, Merlin staggered back a few steps, struggling to keep his balance.

Three skeletons clung to his back. Each skeleton held a sharp icicle.

Three sharp icicles pierced Merlin’s body. But they melted away the instant they touched his body.

Merlin, with his face contorted, caused a massive explosion.

Kaboom-!

The skeletons flew back and crashed into the wall, and all the beetles were caught in the explosion, leaving not even ashes behind.

The furniture and decorations in the mansion, protected by magic, all burst apart. Moreover, even the marble floor was completely shattered.

As Merlin stood up, the wings covering his body spread wide to the left and right.

There wasn’t a single wound on his body.

“Hahaha. Skeletons? So you’ve mastered death magic!”

Merlin began to stride forward once again.

[What should we do, Master? He seems unaffected.]

“It’s alright. Let’s keep buying time.”

The insects flew in again, and the skeletons soon got up and rushed at Merlin.

Merlin, with a hardened expression, shot flames in all directions.

Insects burned up, and skeletons exploded. But they endlessly rushed at Merlin, restraining him.

Thanks to this, Merlin couldn’t climb up to the second floor for quite a long time.

When he finally stepped on the last stair leading to the second floor, he smiled cynically.

“Seems like you can’t pull any more tricks.”

But at that moment, two skeletons quickly crawled along the floor and grabbed Merlin’s feet.

Merlin immediately sent out flames, but the skeletons fulfilled their duty before being completely incinerated.

“Ugh, uugh!”

Merlin’s body teetered, then fell backwards, rolling down the stairs.

The beetles gathered again, and the skeletons hid among them.

Merlin, who had rolled to the front door, regained his posture and stood up, then looked at the stairs and gritted his teeth.

“You little bastard! Let’s see how long you can keep this up!”

He covered his entire body in flames and advanced towards the stairs again.

After doing this several times, the number of beetles had significantly decreased, and there were no intact skeletons left.

But it was just a delay tactic.

Merlin shouted as he reached the second floor.

“Ran! Before I burn you, I’ll rip off all your limbs and tear out your guts!”

He started walking relentlessly in one direction.

There were no more insects or skeletons left to stop him.

Merlin walked almost running and mercilessly kicked the tightly closed door.

Bang-!

Powerful flames struck the door, and it burst open backwards.

Fabre, kneeling in the center of the room, and Merlin’s eyes met.

Merlin’s momentum, which seemed ready to charge in at any moment, disappeared in an instant.

Merlin’s eyes were still fixed on Fabre, but his face had hardened, and his feet had stopped at the doorway.

“This room… is it your castle?”

Fabre just glared at him without saying a word.

Beetles gathered around Fabre. Unlike the beetles on the stairs, each of these contained magical power.

Merlin snorted.

“I see. You tried to excite me and push me into this room in one go. You must have racked your brains, you impertinent bastards.”

Merlin clasped his hands together. A red light began to flow between his hands. Soon, the light turned yellow and flickered with flames.

In that state, he knelt on the floor and placed both hands on the fallen door on the floor.

He closed his eyes and read a spell in a small voice.

Shaaek-!

I tried to use the remaining three skeletons to push Merlin into the room.

At that moment, Merlin’s left hand detached from the floor and he snapped his fingers.

A wave of fire swept down from the top of his head, along his body, and touched the feet of the three skeletons.

The skeletons burst into flames in an instant.

Merlin looked at Fabre with a menacing expression.

“Death magic is truly something you can’t let your guard down against until the very end. Seeing how Ran used this spell without hesitation, you must know death magic too.”

“No. I don’t know it.”

Merlin laughed out loud.

“Hahaha. Well, I can find that out at my leisure after I burn that cocky bastard. First, your beetles are quite annoying, so I’ll confine you here.”

He lifted his right hand from the floor. Two streams of flame burst from the floor, then quickly circled around Fabre’s room.

From those two streams, translucent flame barriers formed up and down, completely isolating Fabre’s room from the mansion.

Merlin turned his body and left a parting word.

“If you don’t want to become ashes, you’d better wait quietly in here.”

After finishing his words, Merlin looked straight at where I was.

More precisely, at my consciousness observing him through Jangshir’s magic, the Thousand-Mile Eye.

“Enjoying the show from over there? Your tricks can no longer stop me. I’ll come for you next, pluck out your eyes, and crush your ears.”

In an instant, Merlin’s body turned into a bird. With just one flap of its wings, the bird created a storm-like wind.

Flap-!

The bird left a trail of flames, then became a beam of light and flew towards me at lightning speed.

Bang-!

That explosive sound was heard not by my consciousness, but by my physical ears.

I cut off the magic I was giving to Jangshir, and soon my consciousness returned to my body.

In front of me stood Merlin, who had appeared after breaking through an entire wall.

“Did you really think you could lure me into that kid’s room with such a pathetic trick, you scum? Now, as promised, I’ll burn you over and over again.”

Despite his words, Merlin didn’t attack immediately and carefully examined me and my surroundings.

Then he muttered in a low voice.

“Hmm, there’s still something left. Despite the flames I brought, I don’t see fear in your eyes.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“The magic floating around you, your aura. Even I could be in trouble if I move recklessly. You’re a cunning bastard.”

“You’re quite cautious, Senior Merlin. Why did you stupidly send only your familiar before?”

“Don’t try useless provocation. It won’t work.”

He folded his arms. And with eyes flickering with flames, he carefully looked around me and my surroundings. Seeing small sparks rising from the feathers he wore, it seemed he was ready to cause an explosion at any moment.

How much time had passed? Merlin nodded.

“This is… fundamentally water magic. It’s quite impressive for an apprentice to prepare in such a short time.”

The flames rising from Merlin’s body flickered greatly.

“However, it’s not offensive at all. It’s purely defensive. It’s barely enough to defend against fire. There’s no sign of any magic meant to attack me.”

That flame grew larger and emitted an even brighter light.

“That means you must have a separate means of attack. To counterattack the moment I attack you!”

With a loud shout, the flames shot up in all directions like an explosion.

A magician’s magical power and dignity come from their confidence.

It seems his confidence has risen as much as he has spoken.

Since entering the mansion, he was emitting the hottest flames yet.

Merlin spread his clenched fists wide. Then, flames generated from his feathers, filling the room with intense heat.

The floor, walls, and even the ceiling were slowly melting, but Merlin continued to raise the heat regardless.

That formidable heat began to break down the magic around me one by one. And the heat that penetrated inside quickly heated the air.

It gradually became difficult to breathe.

Even if I blocked it with water magic, because it was heat rather than fire, it was equally impossible to breathe.

I had to take out Oshalo from inside my robe because I couldn’t bear it anymore.

When Oshalo came out, cold energy burst from the fire familiar’s egg embedded in his chest, cooling the surrounding heat.

Merlin stammered in a voice that couldn’t be more surprised.

“Th-that… C-could it be a Phoenix? S-so that’s how you! You could know the identity of my familiar!”

The anger that filled Merlin’s eyes was replaced with writhing desire.

Because desire is better fuel than anger.

Judging by his eyes and expression, it seemed he would have already offered his soul if he could.

It seemed all the anger he had shown so far had turned into desire.

This seems to be certainly a Phoenix egg.

Then why does it contain such cold energy?

Merlin’s pupils shook greatly.

Along with it, the flames surrounding him also trembled.

“If, if I only had that… I, I too.”

He quickly hardened his face and spoke urgently.

“Hand over the Phoenix, Ran. Then I won’t kill you.”

Won’t kill me?

I tilted my head.

“You already declared it. You said you’d die if you don’t kill me.”

Merlin quickly continued.

“Don’t you know about the Phoenix? It’s a bird that doesn’t die even when it dies. If I have that, I can live even if I die.”

It seems the Phoenix has other effects that I don’t know about.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“You don’t think I’d hand over the Phoenix just believing those words, do you?”

Merlin growled.

“Then I’ll vaporize your body, and take it afterwards!”

The Secret Room on the Second Floor of the Mansion

The secret room on the second floor of the mansion. It was a small chamber, sealed off on all sides, accessible only through a hidden passage.

If we imagine the mansion as a sphere, this would be the point where the radius meets the axis of rotation. In other words, it’s the core of all the magic cast on the mansion.

There was an extraordinary treasure here that maintained all the magic of the mansion.

“To wager your own brain…”

Floating in midair within the room was a shriveled brain, encased in a translucent black jewel.

I guessed that this brain belonged to Count Furst’s grandfather, the founder of this mansion.

He must have been a mage too, and his talent must have been passed down to Fabre.

The jewel was intangible like an illusion, probably due to some special protective magic. I could see it, but any other interaction was impossible.

I slumped down and took out my staff and magic book.

Along with the transparent jewel Princess Elisabeth had given me.

I pondered for a moment, alternately looking at the magic book and staff before me.

Should I complete my magic book first, or should I make a new staff, even if it’s imperfect?

Then I naturally recalled what Dorma had said.

‘Later, if you find more of the same material, bring it close to the magic book and infuse it with magical power. The magic book will absorb it. Of course, if you want to make a matching staff, come to me.’

So it would be best to use it for the magic book first, and if there’s any left, I’ll take it to Dorma.

I looked at the transparent jewel and slowly infused magical power into the magic book. The book’s presence became even more vivid.

I continued to infuse magical power, gauging the size of the transparent jewel.

That’s when it happened.

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, a powerful suction force was felt from the magic book, and it instantly sucked in the transparent jewel.

Not only that, but it also tried to forcibly absorb the magical power within me.

It was clear that if I stayed still like this, all my magical power would be drained and I would become a corpse.

“Argh.”

Indeed, it’s not good to start things without expert help.

I gritted my teeth, desperately trying to resist.

I used every thought I could muster, even my innate strength, to try not to lose my magical power.

However, it only stopped the suction force for a very brief moment. Soon, the magic book endlessly sucked in my magical power.

My consciousness gradually faded and my vision narrowed into darkness.

In the encroaching darkness, the red eye that had always watched over me was nowhere to be found.

If I close my eyes now, I’ll surely die!

At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind.

The black orb that Dorma had pulled out when first creating the magic book.

She had imbued that orb with my innate magic, then used the transparent jewel to bring it into reality.

That’s how my magic book came to be.

So what’s sucking in the magical power now is not my magic book, but the innate magic inside it.

My magic book wants to absorb the transparent jewel, not my magical power.

In my fading consciousness, I focused on that memory.

At that time, Dorma’s black orb couldn’t contain my magic. So it was about to burst, unable to withstand it.

Just like how I can’t withstand it now.

But how did I stop it back then?

I.

Said.

“Stop taking it.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the suction force from the magic book disappeared without a trace.

I couldn’t help but fall back, all the strength drained from my body.

“Haa. Haa. Haa.”

Now that I thought about it, it had always been like this.

When I stopped the weapons in mid-air on the ship.

When I rose during Master Avana’s test.

When I moved in the face of Kalasta’s majesty.

I raised my hand and touched my lips.

“I commanded. I did.”

And nothing was consumed in executing that command.

I sprang to my feet.

And opened the magic book to the first page.

“Language magic. What on earth does this mean? Is it perhaps similar to giving commands?”

I slowly reread the language magic once again.

But I still couldn’t understand most of it.

There’s no more time to devote to research. I haven’t properly checked on Oshalo yet.

At that moment, I noticed something new about the magic book, which had fully absorbed the transparent jewel. Patterns were engraved on the corners, and the texture of each page had improved.

Just by infusing magical power into the transparent jewel, it becomes part of the magic book.

It seems like it will be a serious problem later when making a staff.

It seems difficult without expert help after all.

I shook my head vigorously.

“Get a grip. I need to prepare for battle first.”

I grabbed the staff and magic book in my hands and swirled my robe.

Then, Oshalo, a skeleton frozen in clear ice, popped out from within.

Oshalo lowered his hand after looking around while holding a sharp icicle in his right hand.

“Oshalo. Look at me.”

Oshalo looked at me with fierce, murderous eyes.

But he showed no signs of speaking.

Corpses revived by death magic don’t originally speak. Even with Undine present, the thoughts contained within seem stronger.

I could talk with Undine, but I still couldn’t talk with the corpse.

“I promise. If you faithfully follow my orders, I’ll listen to your last wishes. So if there’s anything you want, write it on the floor.”

Then the skeleton’s eyes glowed red.

The skeleton stretched out its left hand. Then, ice crystals formed like an awl from his left hand.

Creak. Creak.

The skeleton wrote on the floor by scratching with the ice crystal.

I read it all and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll fulfill that wish, Oshalo.”

The skeleton’s mouth opened slightly, releasing a frosty breath.

It’s time to test his loyalty.

Without letting go of my staff, I said,

“Through my memories, go to Fabre’s room. Bring the thirty or so skeletons there to me.”

Oshalo stared at me for a while and then moved with heavy steps.

He left the room through the secret passage.

I heaved a deep sigh.

“It’s a fortunate that I named him Oshalo. He’s much more obedient than I thought.”

Now I looked up at the core of the mansion’s magic.

Since Fabre had already revealed a considerable part of it, there wasn’t much difficulty in figuring out the protective spells through it.

In between, Oshalo brought the skeletons, and each time, I cast death magic. For those with too little thought, I gathered them at once and put them into a single skeleton.

That way, I resurrected ten skeletons full of thoughts.

For the next five days, I consumed countless water herbs, endlessly meditated, frequently discussed plans with Fabre, and raised my magical power beyond its peak.

The dark and narrow indoor space disrupts the sense of time.

But I can tell.

The day had come.

Fabre left the secret room, leaving only Jangshir behind.

I commanded the skeletons to take their positions, then sent magical power to Jangshir to see everything happening in the mansion at once.

My consciousness floated up and soon left the secret room. Then it flew up high enough to see the entire view of the mansion at a glance.

A full, radiant moon hung in the sky.

Suddenly, a streak of flame shot up from the deep darkness.

And that flame, like a comet, created a long tail as it flew and fell in front of the mansion.

Bang-!

As a crater about three-meter-wide was formed, earthquakes occurred all around.

Rumble.

The mansion’s defensive magic worked noisily, protecting the mansion from the intense earthquake.

However, the surrounding landscape, except for the mansion, collapsed as it was swept away by the shock and strong winds.

Whoosh-!

Flames shot up from the center of the crater in an instant.

And an old man slowly walked up.

The old man’s appearance was ordinary. He looked like a kind-faced grandfather you could see in any city or village. His eyes were gentle and his slightly held smile was soft.

If there was anything unusual, it was that he was wearing clothes like feathers all over his body.

The old man raised both hands and extended his index fingers.

At that moment, the feathers surrounding the old man spewed out flames.

Whoosh-!

Two streams of powerful flames that seemed to burn the night flew towards the mansion.

But just before reaching the mansion, the flames disappeared in an instant as if they had never existed in the first place.

The old man’s smile distorted for a moment.

“You’ve prepared somewhat, I see. I wondered why you weren’t running away.”

The old man slowly moved his feet.

Wherever his feet touched the ground, it bubbled and boiled. His footprints formed a triangle, like those of a bird.

“I, Merlin, once again declare with my life on the line. You will die here, Ran. If I fail to kill you, I will die instead.”

No sooner had those words ended than a red bird figure emerged from the feathers Merlin was wearing. And that figure flew like an arrow towards the main gate of the mansion.

All sorts of noisy defensive magic activated, but the bird paid no heed and pierced through the mansion’s main gate.

Boom-!

With a thunderous sound, the main gate exploded entirely, revealing the interior of the mansion.

Merlin smirked.

“How ridiculous! Did you think you could stop me when you’ve barely left apprenticeship? Did you think you could stop me, who has been promoted by staking even my life, just by somehow raising your magical power?”

As the firebird that had blasted the main gate flew back to him, he slowly walked into the mansion like a victorious general who had breached a massive city gate.

Stopping briefly at the entrance, he raised his head and stared towards the secret room where I was.

“The master of this castle is already dead. You’re just using it for your purposes. Fine. At least it won’t be boring.”

He confidently stepped into the mansion.

But then the flames of his red-burning feathers rapidly diminished.

He looked at his body and smirked.

Merlin put his right hand behind his back and stroked his beard with his left, as if he were an old man out for a stroll. But flames flickered in his eyes.

“Let’s see. The core of this mansion is on the second floor. Normally, I would savour this, but I have no such intention now. I will burn you with all my might from the start, Ran.”

Merlin grinned and slowly moved towards the stairs to the second floor.

As he placed his foot on the stairs, everything suddenly darkened. Merlin frowned once, then slightly raised his right hand.

Whoosh!

As expected, flames shot up to the tips of his hair, brightly illuminating the surroundings.

But the surroundings were still dark.

“Something is moving?”

Merlin furrowed his brows and rubbed his ear.

Rustle.

Rustle.

At first, it was barely audible.

But the more he listened, the louder it became, until it turned into a strong noise that made him want to cover his eardrums.

It must be a sound that gradually gnaws at the nerves.

After all, senses tend to amplify their volume the moment they are recognized. The more alert he becomes, the louder the sound will seem.

Merlin’s brow furrowed and his eyes scanned the surroundings.

It must be quite noisy.

“I don’t know what it is, but I’ll turn everything to ashes.”

Lowering his hand from his ear, Merlin clenched both fists tightly.

Then, the feather flames that had dimmed when he entered the mansion regained their vitality and burned hot again.

Everything within a two-meter radius from where he stood began to turn to ashes.

His flames engulfed not only the darkness covering the floor and walls but also the darkness covering the ceiling.

Thud.

Thud.

Merlin caught a small piece of darkness falling on his head. Just before it turned to ashes, he recognized what it was.

“A beetle?”

That’s when it happened.

Flutter.

A swarm of beetles burst through the flames and flew toward Merlin’s face.

Of course, they were all burned to a crisp as soon as they touched the fire, but the last beetle in the swarm managed to reach Merlin’s face.

That beetle shot a sticky liquid towards Merlin.

Merlin immediately swung his right hand, unleashing a torrent of flames.

Boom-!

An intense explosion occurred right in front of Merlin’s nose.

It was like a small bomb had gone off.

But the smoke from the explosion disappeared instantly, revealing Merlin’s enraged face.

“How dare you!”

There wasn’t even a scorch mark on his face. But his hair was messy, and he had stepped back several paces.

I quickly said,

“As expected. He’s immune to fire and heat, but he can’t do anything about the momentum contained in the explosion.”

[Understood. I’ll keep trying.]

Soon, five swarms of beetles flew towards Merlin’s face.

The flow and spread of water.

Mixing and separating.

None of it goes against the laws of nature.

Water flows, it’s a simple principle of nature.

The same goes for the fountain’s water.

In that long journey from the beginning to the distant future.

At this moment, here in this place.

It’s just staying for a while.

The current position is just a passing point on the path forward, there’s nothing special about it.

So only the wisest sage can create the present that divides the past and future.

If you can’t count time, how can there be a present?

Even the source of endless flowing water is allowed to experience rest for the first time.

In this unfamiliar rest, the source of the water feels confused.

Ashamed.

Its existence, hidden in infinite flow, has been exposed before a great intellect.

The sage whispers.

The sources of water only look at each other, not daring to even think of responding.

Water must run along the predetermined path according to its given fate. It’s already embarrassing to have stopped, how could it respond?

The sources of water feel emotion for the first time.

They feel anger.

Infinite anger towards the order that has constricted them since the beginning.

A sneer appears on the sage’s face.

The sage is about to leave.

Then the present he brought will disappear with him, and the sources of water will lose the power to distinguish between past and future.

They immediately fall into fear.

The sage stops.

He turns around and smiles wickedly.

Like a devil offering forbidden fruit.

The sage speaks.

The source of water gathers. It moves as one, in the sage’s hand, led by the sage.

But can the sources of water, who have only followed since their existence, understand freedom?

What is freedom to them?

“What is……”

I opened my eyes while muttering the last phrase of the spell.

In front of me, above the fountain, was a water lump in the shape of a small boy.

A different appearance from the undine I saw at Master Avana’s lakeside.

In its eyes was hatred towards the world, and on its face was disgust towards itself.

[Why the hell did you wake me up?]

I involuntarily let out a groan.

I almost broke the spell.

“Hey, is cursing really necessary right from the start?”

[Why did you wake me up?]

I calmed down and explained.

“There’s going to be a fire at the mansion soon. I called you to put it out.”

[What? Then just put it out yourself! Why call me for this crap?]

“The fire’s going to be caused by magic, so I absolutely need you.”

The undine fell silent.

It raised its eyes and looked over the mansion behind me.

[It’s quite old. It’s been decades, hasn’t it?]

“Are you just going to let it burn down like this?”

[As much as I’d like it to disappear, this mansion is the purpose for which I was created, so I can’t deny it.]

“If you help, I’ll grant you a wish.”

The undine’s expression darkened.

[What? You’re not going to take me as your familiar? Just give me a name and order me. That’s all you need to do.]

“There are circumstances that prevent me from taking you as my familiar. Tell me your conditions.”

The undine shook its head furiously at my words.

[If you’re not going to take me as your familiar, then forget it. I don’t care if this damned mansion burns down or not.]

It even crossed its arms and turned its head up sharply, looking just like Psyche.

I quietly looked at it and fell into thought.

What does this water truly desire?

The source of water lies in its flow.

For this fountain water, trapped in this tiny flow and surviving on occasional rain from the sky, what it wants most is probably only one thing.

“I’ll take you to the sea.”

[…….]

The undine only turned its eyeballs to look at me.

“The sea. The final destination for all water. I’ll take you there.”

The undine smirked.

[To that grave full of corpses? What am I supposed to do there? Die too?]

“Grave?”

[Yeah, the sea. People started calling it the source of life at some point. I don’t know which great mage came up with that, but it’s a pretty remarkable deception.]

The sea, known as the source of life, referred to as a grave for the corpses of water.

Now that I think about it, the ancients did regard the sea as a symbol of death.

But isn’t that precisely why it’s the source of life?

“Anyway. If you don’t want to go to the sea, tell me what you want.”

[To become your familiar.]

“I told you, that’s not happening.”

The undine uncrossed its arms. Then it took a deep breath and exhaled.

[I’ve just breathed for the first time. I’ve tasted this vast chaos. I don’t want to go back into that order again. I don’t want to be trapped again.]

“…….”

[Take me with you. If you don’t, I won’t help you at all. No! I’ll actually hinder you!]

There was a burning anger in the undine’s eyes.

For a mere water.

“Sigh. If I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have awakened you. To think you’d actually hinder me.”

[Yes. I’ll hinder you. I’ll absolutely hinder you. So just give me a name and take me with you.]

That can’t happen.

I could still feel the faint presence of the red eye lingering in my mind.

That bothered me.

I slowly walked.

Into the fountain.

[Uh, huh? Wh-what are you doing?]

Completely ignoring the undine’s words, I entered the fountain and laid down flat.

Water soaked my entire body, and I immediately felt the chill seep in.

I closed my eyes and said.

“I’ll give you a name. I’ll take you with me. But listen. I can’t make you my familiar. This is my final offer.”

[You idiot. Giving a name is the same as making me a familiar.]

“No. It’s possible to give a name without making you a familiar. I’ve learned how to do that.”

[Are you talking about those beetles? That’s possible because those beetles have a bit of their own will. I’m water, you idiot. Do you think I have my own will? All of my self-awareness comes entirely from you, so how is that different from being your familiar?]

“There’s a way.”

I pulled out the skeleton from within my robe.

Just as it was about to emit an intense thought in all directions, I pushed it beneath the water’s surface.

[Wh-what? A corpse?]

“Yes, it’s exactly what you see. And not just any corpse.”

The undine’s eyes wavered.

[But why did you take this out?]

“No need to pretend. Because of this killing intent, I’ll be able to give you a name without making you my familiar.”

The undine, with a completely terrified expression, hastily said.

[You’re going to put me into this corpse? How? I’m water! Water!]

“Of course it’s difficult. But with this, it’s possible.”

I rummaged through my robe again and took out the egg of the fire familiar.

Intense cold flowed from that egg, and frost began to form on my hand.

Now the undine’s mouth was open as wide as it could possibly be.

It shouted.

[No. I want to be free! I’d rather die than be frozen and trapped in a corpse! Send me to the sea instead!]

“Your freedom lies in going against nature, not in being unable to move. When order tells you to flow, if you don’t flow, isn’t that rather freedom?”

The undine closed its mouth.

I looked at it intently.

“If nature tells you to flow, and you don’t, isn’t that the ultimate rebellion, the greatest form of chaos?”

The undine’s jaw trembled.

But in the end, it couldn’t say anything.

So I said to it.

“If you want to return to being water, you’ll have to work hard to suppress the fire. You’ll have to absorb the heat in order to become water again.”

[If I absorb the fire, the egg will freeze me instantly. What’s the point then?]

“Each time you defy the order, you’re throwing a wrench into its works. It’s like giving a punch to the irritating order.”

The undine had a blank expression.

It’s certainly different from the undine I met at Master’s lakeside.

Being water trapped in a tiny fountain and forced to flow artificially, its essence is distorted.

I held out the egg of the fire familiar in front of it and said.

“What will you do? Will you rot here until the mansion collapses? Or will you exist with me in chaos?”

The undine looked back and forth between me and the egg several times.

Then it quietly said.

[Okay, give me… a name.]

I did it!

The spell has been established!

I released my fingers holding the familiar’s egg and said.

“Undine. From now on, your name is……”

[From now on?]

The moment the familiar’s egg touched the water surface, ice began to freeze rapidly around it.

The most obedient name I know among all names.

I placed my hand on top of the skeleton’s head and said.

“Oshalo.”

The ice spread rapidly, engulfing everything.

Including my body that was under the water surface.

I, the skeleton, the undine, and the water in the fountain became one and froze solid.

In that extreme cold, I had only one thought.

In fact, because of the cold, I was able to focus solely on that one thing.

I poured magic into the skeleton, molding it as if shaping my very soul.

I put the sharpest killing intent I could muster into that body made of bone and ice.

Using all the magical knowledge and power I knew, besides water magic and death magic, I completed the masterpiece.

Pa-ang!

The ice shattered, and I emerged from the fountain.

“Kuhak. Hak. Hahak. Hak.”

I’m out of breath.

No matter how much I breathed, my body kept craving more air.

How long had I been frozen, unable to breathe?

I raised my eyes and looked ahead.

Fabre was standing there.

“You’ve awakened, Master. I’ve been waiting.”

“Fa, Fabre…… Haa. Haa.”

When I momentarily couldn’t control my body, he quickly ran to me and supported me from one side.

“Are you alright, Master?”

“O, Oshalo? What happened to it?”

Fabre turned his gaze slightly. Following his line of sight, I saw the skeleton, Oshalo, encased in ice.

In its heart was the familiar’s egg, and its empty eyes were filled with thick killing intent.

Oshalo’s gaze was directed towards Fabre.

As soon as Fabre turned his head towards me, Oshalo stretched out its right hand forward.

Kwadeureuk.

Sharp icicles sprouted from the right hand, and Oshalo swung its right hand to attack Fabre.

I barely moved my arm to flutter my robe, and fortunately, I was able to put it into the robe just before Oshalo’s attack reached Fabre.

“Wh-what was that?”

Fabre seemed not to know what had just happened.

Oshalo’s killing intent is at a level that doesn’t even register on Fabre’s exceptionally sensitive senses. It seems that because it’s surrounded by ice full of magic power, it doesn’t leak out.

I must be the only one feeling it.

“How long has it been?”

Fabre said in a low voice.

“Two days. Would you like to sit over there for a moment?”

I nodded weakly and sat down in a chair with his support.

Fabre sat across from me and continued.

“I’ve figured it all out. Just a little more practice and it’ll be fine.”

For a moment I didn’t understand what he was saying, then I realized.

“Ah, you mean the mansion’s protection magic?”

“Not just protection magic, but also attack magic. There’s concealment magic too.”

Then there might be a better method.

“Is there anything you’d like to modify in my plan?”

“Just some minor details. But what about that skeleton from earlier?”

I exhaled deeply and said.

“Whew. It’s something I prepared for Merlin. It’s something I created using almost all the magic I know. If this doesn’t work, we’re dead anyway.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll win.”

“Is that your intuition?”

“No. Jangshim told me.”

Fabre opened his left hand, and in it was a beetle different from Jangshir.

“Jangshim? What’s its magic power?”

Fabre said brightly.

“It sees the future.”

Seeing that pure expression, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of futility.

How should I put it? I felt like later, when Fabre’s level gets higher, he might say with that same pure face, ‘It’s Jangshik, it creates worlds’ or ‘It’s Jangshin, it turns back time’.

I shook my head to clear these stray thoughts and said.

“We still have work to do. Is there a safer place?”

Fabre thought for a moment and then nodded vigorously.

In one corner of the room, thirty or so skeletons were piled up.

They carried the energy of the dead in order of their deaths.

The white skeletons of those who died recently had relatively strong lingering thoughts, while those who died long ago, now yellowish-brown, had almost no lingering thoughts left.

However, there was one that deviated from this pattern.

It possessed stronger lingering thoughts than all the other skulls combined.

I used psychokinesis to separate that skeleton and place it in front of me.

“What are you going to do with that?”

Fabre asked with bright, curious eyes.

I met his gaze and said,

“In seven days, a powerful mage is coming to this mansion. He’s coming to kill me. I might die soon, and that’s why I need your help, Fabre.”

Fabre’s eyes widened slightly.

I continued,

“If you help me, I can make sure you learn magic properly…”

Fabre suddenly cut me off.

“No. Ran the mage, please become my master.”

I tilted my head. Fabre had previously said he didn’t want a master.

“Didn’t you just ask to be friends when I mentioned it before?”

Fabre answered softly.

“Back then, Ran the mage wasn’t that great.”

“And now?”

“You’re not great.”

“Then?”

“But if you survive this crisis, you’ll surely become great. I have a feeling. Then you won’t be lacking as my master.”

Truly a mage’s way of thinking.

I smiled faintly.

“Alright. If I survive this crisis. I’ll take you as my disciple. Although I’m not sure if I can guide you properly.”

Contrary to my words, I spoke with confidence, and Fabre smiled slightly.

“How can I help you?”

“For now, this is my plan. Based on what Butler Clark told me, we’ll utilize all the defensive magic in this house…”

I slowly and thoroughly explained my plan.

After quietly listening to everything I said, Fabre spoke softly.

“Then these guys can help too.”

As he glanced back, over 500 different types of beetles emerged from the collection and lined up behind him.

“What kind of guys are they?”

Fabre opened his left hand, and there was another beetle in it.

“It’s called a bombardier beetle. It’s one of the beetles with a unique attack.”

I glanced at the beetle in his left hand along with the 500 or so beetles behind him.

“They all look different?”

“There are about 500 species of bombardier beetles alone.”

I remembered him saying before that there were 350,000 species of beetles.

Seeing it like this, beetles could indeed become a form of magic.

“Good. If we can make use of them, we’ll have an even better plan to deal with Merlin.”

Fabre grinned and lowered his hand.

Then he glanced at the skeleton behind me and asked,

“By the way, what kind of magic does Ran the Mage use?”

I couldn’t answer readily.

According to Master Avana’s words, death magic should be the most secret.

He might have already guessed from the moment I asked for the skeleton.

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s difficult.”

Fabre lowered his head slightly, trying to hide his expression, but his disappointment was clear.

I patted his head, met his eyes, and said,

“Since you’ll be my disciple, I’ll tell you. This magic is death magic, Fabre.”

Fabre’s eyes widened as he looked up at me.

“Death magic?”

“This is a powerful magic that’s taboo in the magical world. It must be kept absolutely secret.”

“So that’s why it was hard for you to tell me.”

He seemed to have been considerate in his own way.

I spoke gently.

“Without your help, I can’t survive, and even if I do survive, you’ll be my disciple, so I don’t want to hide it from you.”

Fabre was silent.

Then he nodded firmly and said,

“I’ll prepare thoroughly, Master. So that you can survive.”

To think he’d suddenly call me Master when he wouldn’t even call me senior before.

I was overcome by a strange feeling.

“Alright, thank you.”

Fabre even clenched both his fists to show his determination.

After that, I put the skeleton inside my robe and left Fabre’s room.

Before I even made it out of the room, Fabre was already communicating with his beetles, beginning the preparations for the next seven days.

Fabre’s door closed, and I stood in the hallway.

Thud.

I took a step forward to carry out my next plan.

Dorma said the magic book wasn’t complete yet.

For that, I needed a jewel of the same material.

And Priest Hansis had given that jewel to Princess Elisabeth.

Now it was time to meet her.

I asked a passing maid,

“Has Princess Elisabeth returned to the mansion?”

“Yes. I believe she’s on the first-floor terrace now.”

I headed straight for the terrace.

But there was no one on the first-floor terrace.

Looking at the sky, I realized it was already late at night.

She must have already returned to her room.

Should I wait until tomorrow?

At that moment, I noticed the fountain in the distance.

I walked past the empty terrace towards the fountain.

And as I calmly gazed at it, I fell into contemplation.

When dealing with fire, the amount of water isn’t important. Even last time when I mobilized all the river water, I couldn’t extinguish Merlin’s familiar’s fire. It seemed that unless it was the sea, water didn’t hold much magical significance.

In that case, increasing the quality of the water was the better approach. And the method for that is to endlessly infuse my magical power to make it my water.

After repeating this process for over a hundred years, Master Avana had been able to extinguish even the flames of a phoenix.

Of course, I only had seven days.

This fountain was probably built along with the mansion.

Apart from aesthetics, its purpose is clear.

It’s the first water resource to be used in case of a fire.

Considering its purpose of extinguishing fires in the mansion, the magical significance of this water is great.

“I need to make a deal. With the will residing in this fountain.”

I spread both hands towards the water’s surface.

“Really, don’t you even know I’m here?”

A sudden voice from behind.

I turned my head to look back.

Just a few steps behind me was Princess Elisabeth.

Butler Clark, imprisoned in the underground dungeon, didn’t answer any questions.

Finally, I used my last card.

“I’ll let you go.”

“……”

Clark showed a reaction for the first time.

“I said I’ll let you go. Without Count Furst knowing.”

Clark opened his eyes wide and looked back and forth between me and Fabre.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re joking. Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious. What do you think, Fabre? Are you okay with this?”

Fabre glanced at me and nodded slightly.

“Do as you wish. Executing Butler Clark won’t bring my mother back anyway.”

Hearing this, Clark’s face filled with bewilderment.

I looked at him and said,

“But there’s a condition. You have to confess everything about the magic cast on this mansion.”

Clark’s gaze turned cold.

He stared intently at Fabre and then bluntly said,

“I’ve been employed as a butler since Count Furst’s father’s time, managing this mansion. As you said, Ran, I know a lot of secrets.”

I interjected.

“You must’ve learned even more while making assassination attempts.”

Clark rolled his eyes to look at me.

“Indeed, in the past three years, I’ve learned more than ten times the secrets I knew before. Dozens died to uncover those secrets.”

“Tell me everything. All of it. Then I’ll let you go.”

Clark stared at me intently.

His expression remained unchanged, but his mind must have been racing.

After who knows how long, he finally spoke.

“If you answer my questions, I’ll accept that condition.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s true that countless protective spells are cast on the mansion. I’ve figured out most of them. Yet the assassins still failed. I thought it was because of defensive magic I didn’t know about, but there’s something that doesn’t add up.”

I answered immediately.

“This kid is a mage. Ordinary people don’t stand a chance against him. Especially not in his own castle.”

Clark’s mouth opened slightly.

“That, that can’t be. So that’s why you were so indifferent.”

“You probably didn’t think of it because you underestimated him and thought he was just a dull boy.”

He sighed a few times, seemingly dumbfounded.

It must be quite shocking.

Soon, his expression hardened as if he understood the situation.

I asked again.

“So, anything else?”

Clark swallowed dryly and said,

“How did you learn about that magic?”

“What magic?”

“The magic that only allows writing true names.”

“I told you, I saw it once. Geoffrey showed it to me.”

“You saw it once? Is that all?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Clark frowned.

“The magic that only allows writing true names is not something that can be discovered after seeing it just once. Please tell me honestly if Geoffrey has betrayed me.”

“It’s just that the magic was so simple that I could understand it after seeing it once. Geoffrey didn’t sell you out.”

“No. That scroll is an ancient treasure, and the magic contained within it is incredibly complex. If it were such simple magic, it wouldn’t have been shown so easily.”

Come to think of it, he’s right.

There’s no way the Assassins’ Guild would use simple magic to create their member list, and they certainly wouldn’t show it if the principle could be easily discovered.

I shrugged.

“I don’t know. It seemed easy to me.”

“……”

“Anyway, is there anything else? Or are we done?”

Clark still looked like he couldn’t believe it, but he seemed unable to get a read on my confident attitude.

Eventually, he furrowed his brow and asked,

“Why do you need to know about the protective spells cast on the mansion? Why are you asking me to tell you about them?”

His question cut to the core, showing his experience in managing a large estate.

I answered honestly.

“There will be a battle soon. It’s to prepare for that.”

“……”

Clark silently lowered his head.

I quickly spoke again.

“It’s time to answer. Do you want to reveal the mansion’s defensive magic and survive? Or do you want to be executed like this?”

Clark muttered under his breath.

“How can I trust you, Ran?”

“You can’t. But I’m about to face a serious battle soon. I won’t do anything to lower my dignity. If you don’t understand what that means, there’s nothing I can do.”

Clark thought for a moment, then raised his head.

And slowly moved his lips.

***

The explanation continued for well over two hours.

While Clark was speaking, Fabre played with beetles on the side. Judging by how he answered well when I asked a few questions, it seemed he was listening to everything.

I waved my staff to open the underground dungeon door and safely escorted him to the spot he mentioned.

“You probably already know about the secret passage out of the mansion. Be on your way.”

Clark glared at me, then disappeared to one side without saying a word.

In the end, I couldn’t hear why he tried to assassinate Fabre.

Fabre said,

“Will Father be okay with letting go of the person who killed Mother?”

“No. But he’ll understand that it was necessary to prepare for the coming danger.”

“……”

I bent my knees slightly and patted Fabre’s head, who looked surprised.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely protect you and the Count.”

Fabre bit his lip slightly and said,

“Okay.”

“Fabre, why don’t you go back to your room for now? I’ll drop by after meeting your father.”

Fabre nodded slightly and returned to his room.

I entered Count Furst’s room.

“Didn’t I say not to let anyone in?”

Count Furst was sitting in the same place as before.

The only difference was that there was a half-empty wine bottle in front of him.

Seeing him this disheveled when he was always so cool-headed shows how much Butler Clark’s betrayal must have hurt him.

I sat down next to him.

“Our lives are in danger.”

Count Furst slowly opened his half-closed eyes and looked at me.

Fortunately, there was life in his eyes.

“Who’s life?”

“Mine, and yours too, Count. And Fabre’s as well.”

Count Furst sighed tiredly, rubbing his temples with one hand.

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

“No. There won’t be a tomorrow. From now on, I need to focus all my attention on preparing for battle. This is the only time I can talk with you.”

Count Furst lowered his hand.

Then, crossing his legs, he spoke in a monotone voice.

“Ran.”

A stern voice.

I looked straight at him and said,

“Go ahead.”

“I was so distracted by outside matters that I didn’t even know what was happening in my own house. I didn’t even know my son was in danger.”

“You’re only human.”

“This incident made me realize clearly. I’m much more incompetent than I thought.”

I thought I understood how he felt.

“You’re planning to serve under Duke Balkan, aren’t you?”

Count Furst didn’t answer. But that silence strongly implied affirmation.

The reason he couldn’t serve Duke Balkan was because he believed his wife had died by his hand.

Now that it’s been revealed that’s not the case, there’s no need to be stubborn anymore.

He slowly moved to pour wine into his glass.

Then he said in a low voice,

“So our lives won’t be in danger. There’s no need to worry.”

Did he think that far ahead?

But there’s something he doesn’t know.

“No. The danger still remains.”

“Why? If I serve under Duke Balkan, he would have no reason to threaten us.”

“It seems Merlin is acting independently, not following Duke Balkan’s orders. No, he is acting on his own.”

Count Furst’s hand paused as he was lifting the wine glass.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m certain.”

“If it’s not because of Duke Balkan’s orders, then the reason he’s moving must be related to magic. Or perhaps personal feelings.”

“That’s right.”

“Then it’s not an issue that concerns me and Fabre.”

The same tone without any change.

But it feels like facing an icy wall.

And Count Furst is looking down at me from atop that castle wall.

What could be the reason for suddenly treating me like this?

The answer came easily.

“You heard, didn’t you? That I let Clark go.”

“The utterly incompetent commander of the knights does one thing well. He doesn’t try to cover up his mistakes. It’s the only reason I tolerated his incompetence.”

Still, he’s not completely incompetent if he noticed that I released the butler.

“I had no choice but to do it to prepare for the coming danger.”

Count Furst took a sip of wine.

“Ran. Let’s be clear. That danger is your danger, not mine and Fabre’s. The moment I decided to serve under Duke Balkan, that danger no longer applies to us. Isn’t that right?”

I looked straight into his eyes.

Count Furst is not the kind of person to abandon someone just like that.

As he said, he probably wants to make things clear.

“You’re right.”

“Then releasing that ingrate who killed my wife was not to save our lives, but just to save your own life, wasn’t it?”

“I got Fabre’s permission. And when I released Butler Clark, I didn’t know that Count Furst had decided to serve under Duke Balkan. I’m sorry that things turned out this way.”

There was no change in Count Furst’s face.

He soon spoke in a low voice.

“Let’s do this, Ran. I’ll help you in every way during this crisis. In return, grant me one request.”

He said request, but this is a deal. He’s drawing a line, reminding me that we’re nothing more than business partners.

Surely he’s not acting like this just because I released Butler Clark.

I composed myself and continued speaking.

“Strictly speaking, wasn’t the danger that came to me in the first place because I helped you, Count? Are we just in that kind of relationship now, where we can clearly divide our responsibilities?”

Count Furst looked at me and smiled gently.

“Ran. You’ve given me countless help. You’ve repaid the debt of me saving you on that ship that day more than tenfold. I’ll be grateful to you for the rest of my life. However…”

“However?”

The Count put down his wine glass.

“I have a bad feeling that if we continue together, the future will be bleak.”

No words came out.

Tens of thousands of thoughts come to mind, but for some reason, I can’t organize them.

“What’s the condition?”

“Take Fabre with you.”

“……”

“It’s already clearly evident that there’s nothing good for him staying by my side.”

“He’s your only son and heir. You’re sending him away?”

He slowly closed his eyes.

Then he said emptily,

“I know how my words sound. But I want to entrust Fabre to you. I hope you understand my sincerity through that. It would be best for him to be apart from me and for you two to be together.”

I want to refute this.

I want to break down his words point by point and shout that each one is wrong.

But.

Although emotions kept rising, I can’t engage in another argument in such an urgent situation.

I shook my head.

I’ll think about it later.

Right now, escaping the danger right in front of me comes first.

I looked him in the eyes again.

“You said you’d help with anything, right?”

The Count nodded.

“Yes.”

I looked straight at him.

“You only need to do one thing for me, Count.”

“Speak.”

“This mansion. Pass it on to Fabre.”

“What?”

He looked at me as if he couldn’t understand.

I took out a document I had prepared in advance from my pocket.

It’s not long, but the content is clear.

It states that exactly eight days from now, at the stroke of the hour, the mansion will be passed on to Fabre.

“You can pass on your noble title, the estate ownership, and everything else to the Duke’s daughter and your new son. But at least this mansion, give it to Fabre.”

Count Furst’s face contorted, and he was about to shout.

But he soon closed his mouth.

He had given his word.

Count Furst soon composed himself and roughly picked up the pen.

“Fine, Ran.”

He signed his name at the bottom of the document.

I gathered the document and turned to leave the room.

Count Furst didn’t say goodbye.

Thud.

The door closed.

I stood there for a long time.

Is he ignoring me?

Does he hate me?

Is he afraid of me?

Is he disgusted by me?

All sorts of negative thoughts rushed into my mind.

But what he said pushed away all those thoughts.

‘I want to entrust Fabre to you. I hope you understand my sincerity through that.’

If he ignored me, hated me, feared me, and was disgusted by me, he wouldn’t entrust his son to me.

Count Furst truly believes that me not being with him is…

“Better for both of us. No, for all three of us.”

I started to walk.

How long and deeply must he have thought alone in that room, in silence?

And what thoughts led him to such a conclusion?

I couldn’t possibly guess.

Maybe I’ll understand when I’m around his age?

At least I can believe in his good intentions, so that’s enough.

I arrived at Fabre’s room and knocked on the door.

Fabre opened the door slightly and smiled brightly.

I said to him,

“I came to see the skeletons you showed me before. I’d like to see them again.”

On the way back to the mansion, I didn’t say a word.

Not human, he said.

Leading someone down the path of darkness.

Priest Hansis seemed to think of me as some kind of demon.

Yet, his words kept echoing in my mind. Along with them, a particular scene naturally resurfaced.

A night sky devoid of anything.

A giant sun rising in the middle.

Red Eye.

“Sigh.”

I exhaled deeply, trying to shake off the thoughts.

There’s a mountain of things to worry about right now, and thinking further won’t reveal anything new, so I just had to let it go.

Fabre briefly glanced at me as I sighed, but he quickly returned to playing with his beetles.

Eventually, we arrived at the mansion.

As soon as we stepped out of the carriage, we were greeted by a visibly furious Butler Clark.

Behind him, maids and knights were lined up.

“Master Ran!”

His voice was stern.

I looked at him calmly.

“Yes, Butler Clark?”

“I have something to discuss with you. Would you come with me?”

His stern expression was like that of a general ready for war.

“Of course. But first, I’d like to rest a bit. It’s been a long day.”

I nodded slightly and walked inside.

Part of me didn’t want to deal with him immediately, but I was also genuinely exhausted.

It had been a long time since I felt this drowsy.

Butler Clark said something loudly behind me, but I tuned him out and headed straight to my room.

Thud.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

I collapsed onto the bed without even taking off my clothes.

My eyes grew heavy, and my consciousness began to fade.

Strange.

Why am I so overwhelmingly sleepy?

[Well, because I have no other means to talk to you except in dreams.]

I turned around at the sound of the voice.

Behind me was the Red Eye.

“What? So you made me fall asleep just to summon me?”

[Something like that. I usually try not to, but this matter is serious.]

The Red Eye stared straight at me.

This eye, as massive as the sun, was more warm than hot.

“What’s this serious matter?”

The Red Eye shifted to one side.

[Your life is in imminent danger.]

I turned my head following that eye.

There was a creature that looked like a half-bird, half-human.

That creature was holding a dark red gem within itself.

Its appearance was so grotesque that I didn’t recognize it at first, but when I looked into its eyes, I knew immediately who it was.

“Merlin.”

[He failed to recover. Soon, he’ll lose his intelligence and fully become a bird. Before that happens, he’ll come to kill you for what you did.]

“I knew it. My bad intuitions always come true.”

[Take a closer look. Go closer.]

I glanced back at the Red Eye.

The Red Eye seemed to say it was okay, that it would protect me, sending me a warm look.

I nodded once and approached Merlin.

Suddenly, Merlin lifted his head and looked straight at me.

“Ran! It’s Ran! I can feel your presence. You’re right in front of me!”

Merlin’s voice was vivid, filled with a seething anger that seemed to boil from his very soul.

I looked at him for a while and then said in a low voice.

“You have no right to say anything, Senior Merlin, since you tried to kill me first.”

Merlin made a clucking sound with his half-beak mouth.

“Ran. Listen to me well. I will surely kill you. I swear it. Seven days from now, on the night when the full moon rises after sunset, I will come for you. I will come and turn you to ashes. If I fail to do so, I will surely die.”

” Senior Merlin, your foolishness is a great lesson to me. From now on, I won’t look down on my juniors just because my pride is a little hurt.”

“Your ‘from now on’ is only seven days long. I will give everything I have to kill you. In this state, I can kill someone much stronger than myself. There’s no way an apprentice like you can defeat me, no matter what means or methods you use.”

“I can just call my master.”

“Isn’t your master 40 days away across the sea? Do you think bluffing will work on me?”

“Hmm. The fact that you know that must mean Duke Balkan is indeed in cahoots with Legless Monkey.”

Clack, clack, clack.

Merlin clattered his beak furiously, unable to contain his rage.

I stepped away from him and returned to the Red Eye.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I know for sure now.”

The Red Eye looked down at me.

[You would have known anyway when he sent you the Declaration magic. I just wanted to give you some time to prepare.]

A Declaration magic.

It increases magical power by gathering will at a cost. If one stakes their life, it goes beyond simply amplifying magical power and even raises the level of the mage.

I smiled.

“Who are you? Who are you to keep appearing in my dreams?”

The Red Eye slowly closed.

[I am the Red Eye. Your old friend. Unfortunately, I must go now. I’ve overexerted myself to meet you.]

“Then? Can’t I see you again?”

Instead of answering, the pupil of the Red Eye stretched horizontally.

Was that a smile?

In a flash, the world turned upside down.

I soon woke up from my sleep.

“Haa. Haa.”

My whole body is drenched in sweat.

I looked out the window.

It’s evening, with darkness just settling in thickly.

It’s so vivid.

It’s on a completely different level of realism compared to what I saw with Jangshir’s far-seeing eyes.

Seven days from now.

Merlin is coming!

At that moment, I sensed someone outside. I took out my staff, dried myself with fire magic, and went out to check.

Clark was standing outside.

“Have you rested enough?”

His eyes were exactly the same as I had seen earlier.

“I’m not sure.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Please follow me. The Count and I have something urgent to discuss with you.”

He almost growled as if he was going to eat me, then led the way.

Butler Clark led me to Count Furst’s room.

As if the conversation had already been arranged, the Count was sitting at the head seat, and in front of him were three teacups and snacks prepared.

Probably no one will eat them.

Butler Clark sat on the Count’s left, and I sat opposite him.

He exhaled briefly and then spoke in a slightly louder voice.

“Count. I have been watching Young Master Fabre since he was born until now. I have hidden the truth all this time, not knowing what the future would bring, but I must speak now that the young master’s safety is at stake. Please understand.”

Count Furst quietly replied.

“Speak.”

Butler Clark opened his mouth.

“Young Master Fabre has not been able to speak until now. I am very sorry to say this, but it is clear that he has a much lower intelligence compared to children his age. Of course, he often reads books that even adults find difficult to read, but that doesn’t mean he understands all the content. He’s just looking at the letters as if they were pictures.”

“Continue.”

“Young Master Fabre rarely goes out of his room. This is because he feels extreme fatigue from changes in his environment. The kind of fatigue that ordinary people can’t even imagine.”

“I think it’s about time you get to the point, Butler Clark.”

Clark glared at me once and then said to the Count.

“Please expel the mage Ran from the mansion. Today, he crossed the line. He forcibly took Young Master Fabre to the city center of Sangria Port. You know better than I do how dangerous this is, Count. No matter if he is a mage, completely ignoring my will and putting the young master in danger is something that cannot be overlooked.”

The Count remained silent for a moment, then turned to me.

“Ran. Do you have anything to say about this?”

I folded my arms.

Then, turning to Butler Clark, I said,

“Butler Clark killed the Countess.”

“……”

“……”

A chilling silence fell.

Butler Clark couldn’t hide his bewildered expression at this sudden, yet confident accusation.

“Wh-what, what are you s-saying!”

“I’ll prove it.”

I stood up and walked to Count Furst’s desk at the back.

Then, waving my staff, I wrote down all the names I had seen on the scroll, saying,

“I saw the member list of the Assassin’s Guild. Every single name on it, without exception.”

“Was Clark’s name there?”

The Count’s voice was surprisingly calm. As if he was asking if I had eaten.

I shook my head.

“No. However, Duke Balkan’s name wasn’t anywhere either. Not even the surname Balkan.”

“And?”

“There was an interesting spell on that member list. It’s a spell that prevents writing if a person doesn’t write their real name. It’s a relatively simple spell, so I understood it at a glance.”

I cast the same spell on the paper with the names I had written. Then I walked back to my seat.

Until then, Clark still couldn’t say a word, as if he was out of breath.

I opened the back of that paper and handed him a pen.

“Butler Clark. If Clark is your real name, just write it down. Even if it’s not, if your real name isn’t among the names I wrote earlier, you’re innocent. And I’ll leave the mansion as you said.”

Clark didn’t even take the pen I offered and just sat still, glaring at me.

The Count slowly turned to him.

“Butler Clark. In all the decades we’ve spent together, this is the first time I’ve heard that you have another name. Is that right?”

Butler Clark turned to the Count.

“Count. This is slander. It’s a false accusation. You mustn’t be fooled. He says he saw the member list of the Assassin’s Guild? Do you believe this?”

The Count snatched the pen from my hand. Then he personally placed it in front of Butler Clark.

“Butler Clark. You can defend yourself after writing your name. It’s not too late. Go ahead and write it.”

Clark looked back and forth between me and the Count.

“Count. He must have investigated my past first…”

“Clark.”

An icy voice from Count Furst’s mouth cut off Clark’s words.

Butler Clark’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The sound of swallowing was loud.

Butler Clark clutched at his throat like a thief caught red-handed, then stared blankly at the pen placed in front of him.

After taking several deep breaths, he finally grasped it with a trembling hand.

The sweat from his hand dripped down, leaving marks on the paper.

In the end, he couldn’t write his name and put down the pen.

***

The matter was handled swiftly.

The Count calmly summoned the Knight Commander ordered Butler Clark to be imprisoned in the underground dungeon.

Clark did not speak a word afterwards. There was no anger, no resentment, no words of any kind.

After he was led away by the Knight Commander, the Count sat silently for over thirty minutes.

Unable to leave him alone, I stayed by his side.

Finally, he spoke.

“You were already certain. That he was the culprit.”

There was no emotion in his voice.

Which made it all the colder.

“When I saw that Duke Balkan’s name wasn’t on the list, I thought it could only be Butler Clark.”

“Why?”

“I can’t give you details because I made a promise to someone. But I can tell you that assassination attempts in this mansion never ceased. And that was possible because of the incompetent Knight Commander, who…”

Count Furst cut off my words.

“Clark always covered for him. I didn’t like him either, but I let it be since Clark helped with many things. Perhaps out of past affection, do you think the Knight Commander might help Butler Clark?”

“I don’t think so. Clark used him because he was simple-minded, not because he was on his side. In fact, Clark likely kept his distance from the Commander to avoid exposing himself.”

“I see. That makes sense.”

I continued my explanation.

“At first, I suspected he was just a pawn of Duke Balkan. But since the Duke’s name wasn’t on the list, it seems he acted independently.”

The Count turned his gaze to me and said,

“That alone wouldn’t be enough for such certainty.”

“You’re right. But I didn’t want you to get your hands dirty, Count. It’s also troublesome to explain everything.”

“…….”

The Count remained silent.

It seemed he chose not to ask, though he was curious.

I stood up.

“Ask him about his motives later. I’m curious about that too.”

Until I left the room, the Count didn’t say another word.

The shock must be great.

After walking a bit, I saw Fabre coming from the opposite direction.

He looked up at me with bright eyes and asked,

“Butler Clark. Is it true?”

It seemed he had been listening to the conversation inside and came to hear directly from me.

I picked him up and walked slowly.

“The Count is often away from home for long periods due to business. Who do you think the assassins were targeting? It was you, Fabre. Well, you probably dealt with the intruders without much concern.”

Fabre slightly pouted his lips.

“Is that so? They certainly tried persistently for a long time.”

“The assassins probably thought they died due to the mansion’s protective magic. They must have kept trying while studying in their own way. I was about to ask Clark about that, so let’s go together.”

Fabre hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

I held his hand and headed towards the underground dungeon.

To deal with Merlin, I must do everything I can.

The young man brought a chair from elsewhere and sat between me and Fabre.

He looked at Fabre and said, “Hello. I’m Geoffrey. A friend of Mage Ran.”

Fabre, seemingly uninterested, started playing with the beetles again.

It seems even ordinary people are included among those he doesn’t mingle with.

Geoffrey’s eyes narrowed. I raised my hand and tapped in front of him.

“Count Furst will never become a member of your guild.”

Geoffrey rolled his eyes to look at me.

“Wasn’t that the condition?”

“Yes. But it’s an impossible condition. That’s why I brought his son.”

One corner of Geoffrey’s mouth rose up to his ear.

“How disappointing. I didn’t know Ran was someone who took promises so lightly.”

I crossed my legs.

Then I turned my head to look at the city.

Various people were doing various things.

“You’re well aware that Princess Elisabeth has come to the port of Sangria, right?”

“I also know she’s staying at the Furst mansion. Information on the movements of such a big shot can fetch a pretty penny.”

“We’re quite close. I’ve known her since before my family fell from grace.”

Geoffrey was silent for a moment.

He probably didn’t expect me to admit being a noble from Franche with my own mouth.

Soon he asked,

“Were you from the Prejean family, Ran?”

“Didn’t you already guess that?”

“I wasn’t certain. Not until hearing it from your own mouth like this.”

I turned my head to look at him.

“I asked the princess the same thing I asked you.”

“……”

“The answer was quite different.”

Geoffrey nodded his head briefly once.

“So that’s why you suddenly wanted to see me at dawn yesterday. To cross-check information.”

“Sorry for disturbing your sweet sleep.”

“No. It was a time I’m usually awake anyway. Actually, this is my sleeping time.”

I smiled slightly.

“I’m not sure how much of your information I should believe. What you gave me is incomplete information from my perspective.”

“So you’re going to fulfill the condition incompletely as well?”

“You can still achieve what you want though.”

“How?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“When someone becomes a member, their family members are automatically protected too, right?”

“There’s no such clause.”

“Then? Even if a noble becomes a member, their family members can still be assassinated?”

Geoffrey crossed his arms, slightly stuck out his tongue, and turned his eyes to the sky.

His two eyes soon turned to me.

“It’s difficult.”

“Right? So if Fabre becomes a member, Count Furst naturally gets protected too, doesn’t he?”

“That’s true.”

“What you wanted was justification anyway, right? Justification for not having to assassinate.”

“.….”

“So if Fabre becomes a member, doesn’t that satisfy what you want? Did I think wrong?”

Geoffrey moved his fingers like playing the piano with his arms still crossed. He made a sucking sound pushing out his lips and rolled his eyes here and there.

Then suddenly he unfolded his arms, raised them above his head, and said,

“The information I gave you is certainly real. I don’t know what the princess said, but she probably twisted her words here and there to persuade you. To use your desire for revenge against the King of Franche for her own gain of power.”

“Yeah. She did. But what’s unknown is unknown. Which one is true remains to be seen. Anyway, I did my best. It’s up to you whether to accept it or not.”

I pointed at Fabre with my palm open.

Geoffrey looked back and forth between me and him several times, then soon raised his head and glared at one side.

Then a large man from that direction came with a long scroll and spread it wide on the table.

There were numerous names on it.

I scanned all those names at once.

“You just need to write your name. Then it’s done.”

Looking closely, I could feel a faint magical power from the scroll.

Fabre must have felt it too, as he looked up at me and asked,

“There’s magical power.”

When I turned to Geoffrey, Geoffrey answered.

“A spell is cast so that the name won’t be written unless it’s the real name. It must be written by the person himself.”

“May I check it?”

“By all means.”

I picked up that paper. And I carefully examined the magic cast on that paper.

It had a very simple principle, so I quickly understood it.

When I nodded at Fabre, he soon wrote his name.

“Congratulations on joining.”

Geoffrey smiled brightly and was about to get up.

“Wait, sit down. I still have something to say.”

Geoffrey sat back down in an awkward posture.

“You’re speaking rather sternly. What’s the matter?”

“It’s about what you told me before. That you sold subscription services as a new business item and became the best in the industry.”

“Yes, yes.”

“How much of that is true?”

Geoffrey tilted his head.

“What do you mean?”

I looked straight at him and said,

“You see, Count Furst was often away from his mansion due to New Continent business. But you said you attempted assassination once a month. Something doesn’t seem to add up. Did you really target the Count?”

“…….”

“And what was it, a special service to mentally torment by only attempting assassination? That was really interesting. Fun. But isn’t it unrealistic to commercialize that in reality? It just doesn’t seem to make sense. Weren’t you really trying to assassinate rather than just attempting?”

“…….”

“When I brought Fabre, honestly, what did you think? Anyone can see it’s forced, right? You asked me to bring the Count, but I brazenly brought his son and said it’s okay because he’s family? It’s ridiculous. But Geoffrey. You seriously accepted this ridiculous thing? Pretending to be persuaded by my words. I found it really amusing.”

Geoffrey quietly glared at me.

The large man who was far away put his hand in his coat with a murderous look in his eyes. Not only that, similarly murderous auras could be felt from the middle of the street and even from the rooftops.

If they want to try something, I’m ready to take them on anytime.

When I took out my staff and grabbed it, Geoffrey smiled.

“What do you want?”

At that moment, all the murderous intent directed at me disappeared.

“Princess Elisabeth’s current location. Just tell me that. Then I’ll let it go. Didn’t you say earlier you were tracking her movements?”

Geoffrey licked his lips once.

“She’s at Sangria Cathedral.”

“Good. You can leave now.”

Geoffrey wrinkled his nose, then soon got up and left.

When the large man followed him out, only we remained on the terrace.

“The person who tried to kill mother. Did you find out who it was?”

I reached out and stroked Fabre’s head once.

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Fabre lowered his head indifferently and started playing with the beetles again.

But if he were truly indifferent, he probably wouldn’t have asked.

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“Anything.”

“I’d like to borrow the magic power of Jangshir.”

Fabre held out his left hand, and on it was Jangshir.

The two-horned fire-winged beetle.

I took out my staff and brought its tip close to the beetle’s horns.

At that moment, my vision started to float up. I could see my body and Fabre below, and soon after leaving the building, the cityscape came into view.

Also, countless conversations buzzed around my ears.

One conversation among them captivated my mind.

“Which way should I go to get to Sangria Cathedral?”

“Ah, just follow this road straight up.”

“Thank you.”

I was already looking at the traveler who asked that question. The traveler slowly moved his steps and reached a huge cathedral.

Clank!

Clank!

Two knights blocking the main gate looked at the traveler and said strongly,

“You cannot enter at this time!”

The traveler tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“Why is a cathedral stopping travellers in broad daylight?”

The knight repeated the same words.

“You cannot enter!”

Upon closer inspection, the knight’s face was identical to that of the knight who had been with Princess Elisabeth at the mansion.

I went through the tightly closed door and entered.

Sangria Cathedral was indescribably beautiful. Various colored artworks and coloured shadows illuminating the inside through painted windows. And the statues erected here and there also looked alive.

I passed through the firmly closed door and went into the prayer room located in a deeper place.

There, Elisabeth in plain clothes and Priest Hansis were having a conversation.

Fortunately, unlike Merlin, they didn’t seem to notice my consciousness.

The princess spoke.

“Are you really thinking of giving up the path of magic?”

Hansis nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It’s all meaningless.”

“Meaningless?”

“What’s the reason for learning magic? First, to avoid one’s own death, and second, to fulfill one’s greed, isn’t it? What meaning is there in living life like that?”

“But isn’t life about avoiding death as much as possible and getting what you want?”

“That’s just existing. Not living. People should live according to the Lord’s will, that’s living.”

“You’re giving up magic because of your faith? Why do you have to do that? Can’t you believe in God while learning magic too?”

“God is in the lowest places. From the highest places, you can’t even meet Him, let alone understand Him.”

The princess snorted.

“Your words sound as if you’re detached from everything. But you’re currently serving Duke Balkan, aren’t you?”

“Him ruling Baritone is somewhat better. There’s no one among Baritone’s nobles who matches him. Serving Duke Balkan is not for the Duke’s sake, but for the people.”

The princess didn’t hide her sneer.

“What about Count Furst? You said you settled here because you liked him.”

“He represents the next generation. Now, it’s Duke Balkan. My role is to connect the two.”

Princess Elisabeth crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Hmph. I’ve heard a lot about Duke Balkan. They say he’s so arrogant that he treats other nobles like servants. Is such a person the best?”

“He is arrogant to arrogant people. Therefore, in the eyes of the nobles, there’s no one more arrogant than him.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“He has not fallen into corruption, not even slightly. Also, he has mercy towards those less fortunate than him. He’s also patient. If he were truly arrogant, these traits of his wouldn’t be explained.”

“You’re the only one who speaks well of him, Master.”

Master.

It seems Priest Hansis is Princess Elisabeth’s master.

Then Priest Hansis didn’t fail to become a formal mage, but he gave up the path of magic and fell to the apprentice level.

Hansis spoke again.

“And what did you think of Count Furst?”

“He was nothing special. Rather, the mage next to him was more interesting.”

“You mean Mage Ran.”

“He used to be very famous in the past. I didn’t expect him to become a mage. No, in hindsight, it was inevitable. That look in his eyes. That voice. That face. It’s hard to believe he’s the same person.”

Hansis lowered his gaze for a moment, then raised it again to look at Princess Elisabeth.

“Be careful of him.”

“Why?”

“He… I can’t be sure, but he didn’t seem human.”

“What are you saying? Not human?”

“No, he’s human, but not quite…”

“…….”

“I’m sorry. I’m rambling. Anyway, it would be better not to get too involved with him.”

Elisabeth looked at Priest Hansis with a strange gaze, but Priest Hansis didn’t say more.

She shrugged her shoulders once, then put her hand in her clothing. Then she took out a transparent jewel.

“Here. What you mentioned.”

Priest Hansis received it.

“Thank you, Princess.”

“That’s one of the treasures of the Franche royal family. It wasn’t easy for me to get either.”

“I won’t forget your kindness.”

“You’ve already taught me magic, Master. What do you need that for?”

Priest Hansis hesitated for a moment, then said,

“I want to separate Mage Ran from Count Furst.”

“Why?”

He hesitated several times, then blurted out,

“I… don’t want the Count to be led down a dark path.”

After receiving the information, I said I would arrange a meeting with the Count tomorrow and returned to the mansion.

I then meditated until dawn.

Sister Lisa came looking for me early, asking to have tea together. She said she usually skips breakfast.

Taking me out to the terrace, she explained about the tragedy that had befallen the Prejean family.

It was completely different from the information the jester had given me the night before.

“Your father, Count Casanova Prejean, was famous as a womanizer. He flirted with more than half of the noblewomen in Franche. Even the queen wasn’t an exception. But there was no physical evidence. Casanova never left any proof of his affairs.”

“Count Casanova Prejean was the handsomest of men. Many women courted him, and even after marriage, he frequently received flirtations. But he never wavered even once. Offended by his cold attitude, the noble ladies began to criticize him behind his back. Calling him a womanizer, you see.”

“That’s why many nobles were jealous of your father. Your father foolishly created countless enemies by being unable to control his lust. He naively thought it would be fine as long as he didn’t leave evidence. But people’s hatred doesn’t disappear just because there’s no evidence, does it?”

“It probably started with ‘he smiled at me,’ but soon it escalated to ‘he held my hand first,’ ‘he stole a kiss,’ ‘he entered my bedroom,’ and finally, ‘he took me.’ The rumors spread rapidly, but Casanova Prejean maintained his principles and dignity to the end, even amidst such rumors.”

“Your father became increasingly bold and eventually desired the queen. My father found out about this, but there was no evidence. So he fabricated a non-existent charge of treason. It was an obvious fabrication that anyone could see through, but none of the Franche nobles sided with your father.”

“The King of Franche exploited this point. He had long coveted the Prejean family’s territory and the Count Prejean’s wife. He came up with a clever plan to deal with the queen he disliked as well. He openly spread rumors that Count Prejean was the queen’s lover and made it look like he was trying to kill him using this. He did it in a way that the nobles could understand and tacitly approve.”

“That’s why your father and mother were both killed, and you became a slave. Actually, you should have been killed too, but you were a much-loved child at the time, so everyone hesitated to take your life. That’s how only you survived.”

“The King of Franche told your mother he would spare her if she became his concubine. Your mother refused and was executed. Originally, you should have been executed too, but for some reason, the king hesitated to kill you. That’s why you survived, although as a slave.”

The two stories were different, but I couldn’t say that one of them was definitely lying.

There’s only one truth, but there are many ways to see it.

“Ran?”

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up. Then I spoke casually to Lisa.

“So that’s what happened. I was too young to know. I can’t believe my father was that kind of person…”

Lisa looked me up and down once.

“I know. It must be hard to accept. But you know, in the end, when you find out, they’re all pretty much the same. Dirty and ugly. That’s human nature, isn’t it?”

“……”

Lisa took a small bite of her biscuit and asked.

“Now, will you tell me your story? How did you become a mage?”

“I’m not one yet. Strictly speaking, I’m an apprentice.”

“Really? But you can use magic, right? That’s why the Count is keeping you around, isn’t it?”

“I guess you could say that.”

Lisa clasped her hands together and said brightly.

“Show me! Show me!”

“Why? There must be mages in Franche too. You’ve probably already seen all the magic I can do.”

“But it’s different depending on who does it. It’ll be special in its own way when my cute little brother does magic.”

“Hah.”

I sighed. Lisa leaned forward and pleaded again.

“Come on. Please, Ran!”

I reached into my robe. And took out my staff.

At that moment, Lisa’s eyes flashed as she looked at me.

She was observing me.

I pointed my staff towards the fountain and said,

“You might not have seen water magic before. I’ll show you some water magic.”

I opened my left hand and summoned my magic book. Again, at that moment, Lisa’s eyes sparkled.

My magic book can’t be seen by most mages, let alone ordinary people.

In other words, if Lisa were an ordinary person, there would be no reason for her to stare intently at my left hand right now.

I briefly read the water magic spell and waved my staff.

Then, a chunk of water from the fountain rose up and transformed into Lisa’s form.

“Wow!”

Lisa seemed genuinely surprised, quickly getting up and approaching the fountain. She reached out her hand and touched the water forming her image several times.

“Another one. Can you do another one?”

After that, I pleased Lisa’s eyes with many other shapes.

While Lisa’s expression showed enjoyment, she occasionally glared at my staff or magic book with sharp eyes.

When lunchtime came, she said regretfully,

“I’d like to see more, but I think I have to go now because I have an appointment.”

“Are you going into town?”

“Yes. An old friend of mine has settled down to live in the port of Sangria. I’m going to visit her.”

“Ah. I see.”

“Ran, can I ask you just one thing?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Lisa’s gaze slightly lowered.

Her eyes were directed at my ring.

“What kind of ring is that? It’s so pretty.”

She made a face like a cute puppy. Like a small girl with a bit of greed.

I smiled slightly.

“It’s a keepsake. My mother’s.”

“……”

“It’s the most precious thing to me.”

Lisa’s eyes wavered for a moment.

She moved her lips a couple of times but ended up just smiling without saying anything.

Lisa then left the terrace.

I immediately went to find Count Furst.

“Don’t put a tail on her.”

“Why? I was just about to do that.”

“It’s certain she’s a mage. Even If you try to tail her, she’ll know and deal with it.”

“Still, it would be better to have her followed. Isn’t it better than letting her act freely?”

I kept shaking my head and went to sit on a sofa.

Then, organizing my thoughts, I muttered.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s too strange that I couldn’t remember Sister Lisa. If Sister Lisa and I were really close, there’s no way I wouldn’t remember that.”

“Don’t childhood memories disappear quickly?”

“I remember everything. Almost everything. I might forget certain scenes or situations, but forgetting a whole person is almost impossible for me. And for something like that, it’s too…”

“Too?”

“Comfortable.”

“……”

I lowered my head and looked down at my chest. And I placed my hand there.

“Yes. My own feelings when dealing with Sister Lisa… no, Princess Elisabeth are too comfortable. If there had been this level of relation, there’s no way I wouldn’t have remembered.”

“What are you trying to say, Ran?”

I was a bit disorganized.

I looked up at the Count and spoke clearly.

“It seems Princess Elisabeth is using magic to create a sense of relation between us. Even inserting fabricated memories. She’s probably layering multiple mental magics.”

The Count’s eyes narrowed more than halfway.

“If she can use such magic, she could quickly gain political power that even the King and Crown Prince couldn’t easily handle. It fits the circumstances, but do you have any other evidence?”

“She was after my ring.”

“Ring?”

I extended my left hand to show the Count.

“This ring has protective magic. More precisely, magic that protects the mind. Just now, Sister Lisa… Phew. Damn it.”

The name is still stubbornly sticking to my mouth.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tapped my forehead.

Count Furst poured water into a cup and brought it to me.

“Take your time. Calm down.”

I drank the water and said.

“Earlier, Princess Elisabeth tried to get me to take off this ring. I noticed it beforehand and made up an excuse, but if you think about it a little, it’s too obviously a lie. She’s probably quite wary of me by now.”

“……”

“If you tail her now, the Princess will be certain. That I’ve figured out she’s a mage.”

The Count thought for a moment and said.

“But we need to know what she’s doing outside to understand what she’s plotting.”

“I’ll look into that separately. I have a better method. More importantly, I have news for you. Could I have another glass of water…”

“Sure.”

The Count took the cup and filled it with water again before giving it to me.

I drank it to the bottom in one go and started speaking.

“I’ve made a connection with the Assassins’ Guild. They want to accept you as a member.”

The Count’s eyes widened at the sudden news.

“What? What do you mean? Assassins’ Guild?”

The Count’s expression was not only surprised but also mixed with anger and contempt.

I couldn’t explain everything in detail, so I spoke as concisely as possible.

“It’s the best way to investigate what happened 3 years ago. If you become an assassin member, you can get clues about who tried to assassinate the Countess 3 years ago.”

The Count’s face didn’t easily relax.

“Is this what you meant when you said you’d look into it?”

His reaction was more intense than I expected.

No, considering that his beloved wife had died because of it, he was actually exercising a lot of restraint by only reacting this much.

“I knew you’d think that way. But Count, who else could give answers about that if not the assassins themselves?”

The Count’s eyes trembled.

He made rough breathing sounds, then spoke quietly.

“Ran.”

“Yes, Count.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say. That the Assassins’ Guild is just a tool, and the guilt for killing my wife lies with the client. But…”

He didn’t continue his words.

But I could understand his feelings.

He understands with his mind but can’t accept it with his heart.

“Then, I’ll proceed with the investigation as planned, Count.”

“……”

“Please rest.”

I left the silent Count in the room and went outside.

I went straight to Fabre.

When I suggested we go out to the port of Sangria town together, he readily agreed.

Butler Clark strongly opposed, but with my promise to take responsibility, I just took him out without further ado.

As we got into the carriage, Fabre asked.

“So where are we going?”

“To find the person who killed your mother. Can you follow my lead?”

Fabre looked up at me and said.

“Okay. A tool is just a tool after all.”

That’s a meaningful statement.

“Did you happen to be listening to my conversation with the Count?”

“Yes.”

Come to think of it, he’s been quickly weeding out the assassins who infiltrated the mansion.

Could the entire mansion be Fabre’s domain?

No.

Thinking back to when I was invited to Fabre’s room before, his domain extends only to his room.

“How did you hear the conversation?”

Fabre raised his hand to show.

There were several beetles of various colors.

“These little ones told me.”

He didn’t say more and just played with the several beetles in his hand.

When we arrived in town, I entered the agreed-upon restaurant. The owner, recognizing me, naturally guided us to the second-floor veranda, where we sat and had tea.

About 30 minutes passed?

An ordinary-looking young man stood in front of us.

He quickly looked at me, then at Fabre, then back at me, then at Fabre again, and abruptly said.

“What is this?”

It’s the jester’s voice.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“I brought him along.”

The young man let out a hollow laugh.

As evening fell, Count Furst came to my room.

“The princess is in the hall. Let’s go together.”

It seemed he wanted to make an entrance alongside the mage.

“Should I take out my staff too?”

“Don’t be silly.”

He dismissed my joke and walked ahead.

I followed him and said,

“I have some bad news. It’s unrelated to the princess of Franche, so if you want to focus on this meeting, I can tell you after it’s over.”

“No. There might be some unexpected connection, so tell me now.”

“Merlin is alive.”

The Count stopped walking and turned to look at me.

“Are you certain?”

“I was doubtful too, but based on what Master Avana said, yes. It’s certain. Oh, and Master Avana said she would look for the treasure that serves as the communication link.”

The Count pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

“I should have waited to hear this later. Let’s focus on this meeting for now.”

He started walking again. His expression had darkened considerably.

“You should brighten your face.”

Count Furst raised both hands and swept them over his face once.

“Thank you, Ran.”

We soon arrived at the hall.

There stood a woman with a noble air different from other aristocrats, standing proudly in front of two maids and four knights.

Princess Elisabeth de Franche, the second princess of Franche, glanced at Count Furst as he entered and slowly extended her right hand.

Count Furst walked up to her with confident steps, knelt on one knee, and kissed the back of her hand.

Elisabeth spoke.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person after hearing so much about you, Count Furst.”

Count Furst stood up, faced her, and said,

“It’s an honor to meet you, Princess Elisabeth.”

“Please, just call me Princess. I shall call you Count as well.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

Elisabeth revealed her snow-white teeth in a smile, then turned to look at me.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

“You, you? Could it be, Ran?”

The formal tone that had been overflowing until now vanished, and casual speech tumbled from the princess’s lips.

I can’t believe she knows me.

At that moment, the Count turned to me with a sharp gaze.

What’s going on?

I’m sorry, but I don’t know either.

“Hello. Um, do you know me?”

Elisabeth’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

She walked up to me with clicking steps, grabbed my face with both hands, and said,

“Of course I do! Don’t you know how much I adored you?”

“……”

“Don’t tell me you don’t remember me?”

Elisabeth raised her hand and tapped the tip of my nose.

At that moment, it felt like something exploded in my head.

“Ah, Sister Lisa!”

“Yes, yes! It’s Sister Lisa.”

I think the last time I saw her was five years ago, when I was nine years old.

The Prejean region was quite famous as a resort, so royalty and famous nobles often visited. Among them, I remembered Lisa visiting every year.

I looked at Lisa’s face again.

Just as I had grown over the past five years, she had matured as well.

Back then, she was just a girl about my current age.

I guess I couldn’t immediately recall her because her name was different and her appearance had changed.

“Princess. You know my mage?”

The mental barrier had already been lowered.

Lisa stroked my head and spoke casually.

“Of course I do. Ran was so famous. Those deep eyes that you couldn’t look away from once you saw them. That voice that seemed to enchant you once you heard it. Everyone was certain that when he grew up, he would steal the hearts of all the women in Franche. But…”

Her hand that was stroking my head stopped.

As a strange atmosphere settled in, the Count quickly interjected.

“How about we go to the terrace behind the mansion? We can discuss state affairs under the cool night breeze and bright moonlight.”

Lisa resumed stroking my head, finished, and said,

“Sounds good. Ran?”

“Yes?”

“I want to hold you like I used to. Is that okay?”

Saying that, she went behind me without waiting for my permission and wrapped her arms around me, trapping me in her embrace.

I looked at the Count with pleading eyes, but he avoided my gaze.

I looked up at her and said,

“Holding me is a bit much. I’m 14 now.”

“Hehe. How cute. Alright, but why the grumpy face?”

She let go of me. But instead, she firmly held my right hand. Her firm grip showed she had no intention of letting go.

The Count walked ahead, Lisa and I followed, and behind us came Lisa’s maids and knights.

Lisa started recounting stories from the past one by one, which naturally made me think of my hometown.

“By the way, how did you end up becoming the Second Princess? If I remember correctly, you weren’t in the line of succession.”

“Why? Because everyone above me died, so I naturally rose up.”

“……”

“Hehe. Cute Ran. You said you’re 14, right? It’s about time you face the cruel reality. Oh, right! If you don’t know how your family was wiped out, should I tell you?”

I shook my head.

“Later. First, talk with the Count, and then I’ll listen to your story. You’re staying here for a while, right?”

“Not for long. About three days? I’ll just rest from the journey and then head back right away.”

If that were true, they would have rested first and discussed state affairs tomorrow instead of right now.

It’s strange, but for now, I buried my suspicions and said,

“Then let’s talk tomorrow.”

“Sure, do as you like.”

A princess is a princess indeed.

Even the death of her siblings doesn’t seem to matter much to her, so the annihilation of my family is probably nothing more than another story to her.

It makes me feel strange.

Why does my desire for revenge suddenly feel so trivial?

We entered the terrace.

“Wow! It’s truly beautiful!”

This was my first time seeing the terrace too.

It seemed that the architect who planned this place had meticulously calculated everything, from the stars visible in the night sky above to the night breeze that settles here.

At the center of the terrace stood a statue taller than a person, with water flowing from it to form a small waterfall.

“Please, have a seat here.”

The Count personally pulled out a chair.

Lisa slowly walked over and sat down, then patted her knee.

“Ran.”

“I’ll be too heavy. I can’t sit on Your Highness’s lap out of consideration for your knees.”

“How cute. Then can you at least stand close by my side?”

As I was about to say something again, Count Furst glared at me.

I had no choice but to stand next to her, and she half-embraced me with a rough touch.

“You’ve definitely grown a lot. You used to fit perfectly in my arms before, but now it’s not so easy. Still, I like it.”

She brought her cheek to mine and rubbed them together.

When I sighed, the Count glared at me again.

I get it, okay?

After rubbing her cheek to her heart’s content, Lisa rested her chin on my shoulder and said to Count Furst,

“Well then, Count. Shall we get to the main point?”

Saying that, Lisa raised her right hand and gently pinched my cheek.

***

The conversation went smoothly.

Despite the Count’s somewhat demanding requests, Lisa accepted them as they were without much concern.

To be more precise, she seemed uninterested. She wasn’t really focusing on the Count’s words, often asking him to repeat what he had said.

It seemed like she had come just to play with my cheek.

In less than an hour, Lisa was visibly showing signs of fatigue.

The contract that Count Furst had prepared in advance was signed without any modifications.

Lisa openly yawned repeatedly, then quickly retreated to the guest room. With a parting word to meet again tomorrow morning.

As the guest room door closed, two knights stood guard in front of it. The other two seemed to be resting in another room.

Count Furst followed me to my room, quietly closed the door, and said,

“What did you think?”

I replied bluntly,

“She seemed completely uninterested.”

The Count tilted his head.

“Right? I thought it would be an intense debate, but now I regret all the worrying I did.”

I sat in a chair and said,

“Honestly, I don’t even understand why she came in person. Do you think she has some other motive?”

Count Furst stroked his chin.

“Because we’re from different countries, the contract wouldn’t be valid unless it was signed in person. So she had to come here to finalize the contract.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“More importantly, Ran. How exactly do you know Princess Elisabeth?”

I shrugged.

“I didn’t really know her until we met. I was too young to remember. Well, honestly, we weren’t that close. Lisa was just one of many princesses I knew. But now…”

“She’s become a big shot that even the King of Franche can’t easily deal with.”

“It’s strange.”

“Could she be a mage?”

I shook my head.

“I had that suspicion too. But she didn’t have any magical power. She did have a relatively high level of dignity, but… that can’t be attributed to magic. She’s a princess after all.”

“Really?”

“Well, it’s fortunate that things went smoothly. But somehow, I feel like my head is even more complicated now.”

Count Furst was silent for a moment, then said quietly,

“I know what you mean.”

“Let’s just keep watching for now. She said she’ll stay for three more days, so we can see if she has any other motives by observing what she does during that time.”

“Alright, I understand. Thank you for today, Ran.”

“It’s nothing.”

Count Furst left.

I was left alone in the room.

“The world is wide and treasures are many. That’s the first maxim of mages. Therefore, we can’t be certain of anything.”

Lisa might have a treasure that hides her magical power. Or she might have learned concealment magic.

“It’s strange. As soon as Lisa touched the bridge of my nose, I suddenly remembered her. It could be a real memory, but…”

I usually don’t forget things I’ve seen once. If we were as close as Lisa said, there’s no way I wouldn’t have remembered.

Psyche can manipulate memories with magic. If she used a similar magic?

Or maybe I just forgot.

“It’s still strange. I need to confirm this. Hmm. She said she’d tell me about my family tomorrow, right?”

I jumped up from my seat.

Then I left the mansion.

The night air was quite chilly.

After riding a horse for an hour.

The Sangria port at dawn had a different atmosphere from its daytime self.

While everything belonging to the sunny side slept, things of the shady side filled the streets.

Without bright lights to illuminate them, unsightly things had no hesitation in revealing themselves.

I quickly passed through the town.

And sat in front of the fountain in the square.

How much time passed? A few thugs who seemed to think I was some rich young master whispered among themselves, licking their lips.

Some of them grouped together and approached me.

I took out my staff and glared at them.

“I don’t need your services. So go and call the jester.”

They froze in place.

Looking at each other, they seemed to gain unnecessary courage and pulled out sharp weapons.

This is why the difference between recklessness and courage is intelligence.

I raised my staff, and one of their bodies floated up.

If I dropped him now, he’d break at least a leg, but I gently lowered him back down.

Everyone’s eyes widened.

“I won’t be lenient anymore. I’ll say it one last time. Go and bring the jester. I mean the leader of the Assassin’s Guild.”

They were flustered, then quickly retreated.

I made a pillow with my arms behind my head and lay down on my side.

As I looked up at the night sky like that, suddenly a clown face appeared from one side.

“Good evening, Mage Ran. You were looking for me?”

Honestly, I was surprised.

I didn’t notice until he got this close.

To think he could be so stealthy as to deceive even a mage’s senses with mere techniques.

Fortunately, I didn’t show my surprise outwardly.

As if I had known all along, I calmly turned my eyes to meet his.

“Did you find any good information about the Prejean family?”

The jester smiled, his mouth stretching from ear to ear.