‘It’s a Black Mage.’
Nothing but a Black Mage could leave traces like this. They had tried to disguise it as another faction, but they couldn’t erase the secret Soulforce permeating within.
‘How many times has it been already?’
The one who had ambushed me also possessed Demonic Mana. The fake Viscount Baxien was also someone who harbored Demonic Qi. Bound by a Geumje, they were insects eating away at the Spiritual Land.
Furthermore.
‘They said the monster rampages were unusual, too.’
The sudden monster rampage that happened last year—I suspected that was also the work of a Black Mage. There was no physical evidence, so I couldn’t be certain. However…
‘There was no one else who would commit such acts besides a Black Mage.’
Controlling monsters, or plotting all sorts of dark deeds using Demonic Qi… As far as I knew, no one except Black Mages did such things. And yet, there were traces of a Black Mage here as well.
‘It’s not a method aimed at the Marquis’s House.’
The power of the Black Mage permeated very deeply into this castle. The interesting thing was that the power had been used to protect the Marquis’s House.
‘This is interesting.’
Unless they were insane, why would a Black Mage show loyalty to a Marquis? They weren’t the type of people to offer loyalty to anyone like that. Even if it were a loyal subordinate, they would go as far as placing a Geumje on them. Having been subjugated several times, it was a desperate struggle to keep their base from being discovered.
‘The Marquis isn’t the type to be easily consumed by a Black Mage…’
Would a Marquis as cunning as a fox easily give his body to a Black Mage? Viscount Baxien was consumed because he lacked innate power and influence, but for the Marquis, it would be difficult. Even in normal times, he was someone who kept his defenses thorough, including the Outercity, to protect his family. He wouldn’t fall that easily.
Which meant…
‘He joined hands with them. It’s a deal.’
It was clear the Marquis had joined hands with a Black Mage. I didn’t know since when. It could have been a very long time ago, or it could have been recently. However, I could tell why.
‘He was desperate.’
The Marquis was growing old. Owen was a man who had inherited the title of Marquis long before my Father became a Count. His age had surpassed sixty. Although the average lifespan of a noble was quite high, he was of an advanced age. Even if he had learned Magic in the manner passed down through his family as a Marquis…
‘He’s weak.’
He was only excellent as a Yeongju. As a strong individual, he was weak. Furthermore, as he aged, the Marquis’s control was declining. For his family’s control to drop! To the greedy Marquis, it must have been an unbearable insult. And…
‘He raised his successor poorly.’
The successor was weak. Out of the six children the Marquis had fathered, not one was decent. They lacked ability, yet every single one of them was greedy. They didn’t know how to control their own desires. In fact, it was fine for a noble to be like that. There were many nobles who were greedy and riddled with desire but still led their families well. The problem was…
‘They lack ability. Very much so.’
Compared to the Marquis, they were far too incompetent. At least the Marquis seemed to be pinning his hopes on the youngest, but he was still younger than me. If the Marquis were to die right now, the children would likely split into four or five factions, each claiming they would take the position of the Master of the House. They would insist they were the legitimate ones!
‘I came here aiming for that, though.’
Even if it looked fine on the outside, the Marquis’s House was rotting within. If Marquis Owen wasn’t stupid, I thought he would strive to raise a successor rather than picking a fight with our family. But instead of putting effort into raising a successor, he was reaching out to a completely different place.
A Black Mage!
‘He either had Demonic Qi injected into him, or he made it so he could continue a stubborn Life Force.’
As expected of Marquis Owen. He didn’t even trust his own children. Rather than trusting his children, he chose to extend his own life even if it meant coveting the forbidden.
‘He’s a crazy fox.’
There was a reason why the Marquis’s House’s forces had grown stronger. Black Mages specialized in hiding their bodies and power. Just as it was easy to apply Stealth Technique to tracking techniques once mastered, Black Mages had an excellent ability to track. I had wondered why the Crows, who engaged in intelligence warfare, had been losing to the Foxes lately.
‘The Black Mages helped them.’
There was a collaborator. Not satisfied with merely prolonging his own life, the Marquis had begun to apply the power of the Black Mages deep within the Spiritual Land.
‘What did they hope to gain from each other? Hmm…’
The price was unknown. The important thing was that the strength of our enemy, the Marquis’s House, had increased. Using that power, they were greedily eyeing our Spiritual Land.
‘I’ll have to deal with the Black Mage faction eventually, too.’
Now I understood everything. Setting up the fake Viscount Baxien. Trying to target me as I developed the Spiritual Land. All of it.
‘They took advantage of the Black Mages’ movement to target our Spiritual Land, huh?’
I had noticed the Marquis moving energetically lately, and this was the reason.
‘It’s just one more reason to kill him. Hmm… anyway, let’s see.’
Whatever it was, it was fine. If the Marquis’s House used Black Mages to target our Spiritual Land, then I just had to use Mugong to pierce through the enemy’s core.
‘I see a gap.’
I could see a gap in the Marquis’s House, which had seemed like an impregnable fortress. The Marquis and the Black Mages—they were likely using each other. The Marquis was certainly plotting to swallow our Spiritual Land using the Black Mages. Perhaps he was even targeting the Duke’s Household of Jiseoteu.
‘The Duke’s Household of Jiseoteu has become more closed off lately.’
There was no telling what the Black Mages were plotting. One thing was obvious: chaos. They were creating chaos to plot something through that gap.
‘Decades ago, they said they would create a nation of Black Mages. What a load of bullshit.’
A Black Mage Empire, a Royal Palace… they were a bunch who thought of all sorts of things. It wouldn’t be strange if they stepped forward this time saying they would bring about the end of the world. At any rate, the important thing was that they were in a relationship where they used each other.
‘That fox wouldn’t completely let a Black Mage into his castle.’
The Marquis wouldn’t fully trust a Black Mage. At the same time, he would keep them close. Because he had to use and monitor the Black Mage. Furthermore…
‘Because he has to prolong his own life, he would keep them closer than one might think.’
To continue his harsh life, he would harbor the Black Mages in a place neither too far nor too close. That was the gap.
“Let’s see…”
Sss— I began to analyze the Magic remaining on the barrier. After the analysis, I completely read the traces of the Magic.
“Bingo.”
The intricately hidden magic pattern was read in an instant. Once the pattern was deciphered, finding them was quick. I moved my body using Stealth Technique. The moment I felt I had moved a suitable distance from the Marquis’s Castle…
“Search.”
Flash— Using the pattern, I searched for the opponent’s traces. My mana began to move, scouring the surrounding several kilometers. The moment I moved, scouring as many places as possible with a small amount of mana…
“…Found you.”
It didn’t take long to find the source of the damp Demonic Qi. I moved along the roofs where no one looked and found the target location.
“As expected… they’re close.”
As I had anticipated, the Black Mages’ base was near the Marquis’s Castle. It was in the most affluent Rich District within the Marquis’s Castle, a place lined with the mansions of Noble Families under the Marquis. Among them, in the largest one, the traces of the Black Mages were thick.
It was a place I knew.
It was the mansion where Viscount Dewiz, a 4th-Class Mage under the Marquis, resided. Viscount Dewiz was the one who led the Marquis’s House’s magic forces, thanks to the Marquis’s support.
‘The fact that their magic forces were strong might have been because they used Black Mages from the beginning.’
Thinking that the source of the Marquis’s House’s power was in an unexpected place, I used Stealth Technique and threw myself inside.
Viscount Dewiz’s estate was plastered with defensive Magic, no less than the Marquis’s House. However, unlike the Marquis’s House, there were neither guards nor Knights.
‘They can’t use many people if they want to hide the Demonic Qi.’
If so, there was a way. Interpreting and breaking Magic was practically my specialty.
Flash—
If I read the pattern and tore the mana apart in reverse…
Crack— No matter how sturdy the defensive Magic was, it was easily breached.
‘Good.’
A hole large enough for my body to fit through was prepared. Pushing my body inside, I sharpened my senses.
‘It’s there. Let’s go quickly.’
The moment I read the pattern, they couldn’t escape my eyes. Just by sharpening my senses, I could easily find where the enemy was. I instantly increased my speed.
‘Two guards.’
Two men with hollow eyes, as if they had lost their reason, were guarding the front. They were individuals who had already become complete puppets.
Pang! I fired Jipung to strike their vital points. Both of them lost their breath instantly.
‘Done.’
If you kill them before they can emit Demonic Qi, even those injected with Demonic Qi die pointlessly like this. I carefully opened the door and entered.
Pang! Pang!
I killed them by striking their vital points with Jipung. Taking precautions so as not to make a sound, I advanced for a long time.
‘It’s below.’
Above was the area for disguise. The important thing was below. The entrance was hidden so it couldn’t be seen.
‘It’s useless.’
I moved along the mana pattern. Since the traces were right before my eyes, I couldn’t help but see them even if they were hidden. I stopped in front of a bookshelf. The bookshelf, filled with all sorts of books, was enough to make one’s eyes dizzy.
‘What’s the order?’
I read the pattern there once more. It was a secret passage. It would only open if one moved according to the set pattern. I didn’t intend to be caught by the enemy yet. I had to open it secretly.
‘Top left. Bottom right. Middle. And… it needs Demonic Qi.’
Vrrr—
I raised my mana. If I applied Mugong to the methods found in the Black Mages’ memories, I could easily imitate something like Demonic Mana.
‘It worked.’
Thud. The door opened on its own. I quickly slipped inside.
A mess was unfolding within.
‘Cruel.’
On one side, it was filled with people, likely for human experimentation. None of them had slave brands. They had been kidnapped and used. Bloodstains overflowed everywhere. On the other side…
—Grrrr.
There were monsters. All the monsters were humanoid. Goblins, Orcs, and Kobolds.
‘…Crazy.’
There was even a Troll, though only one.
—Gurgle. Gurgle.
The Troll, which was a first for me, was scrawnier than I expected. Its height was two meters. It was emaciated, perhaps due to all the experiments it had undergone. Even though it was a Troll, scars remained. In the center, there was a statue that looked like an altar with blood trickling down.
“…”
On top of it, an adult man was groaning in pain with his abdomen exposed. Blood, clearly extracted from the Troll, was being poured onto his stomach.
Drip—
The moment the blood soaked in, the exposed abdomen began to heal itself. On top of it, they were pushing a piece of a monster corpse, as if it had been prepared in advance.
‘Chimera experiments. Or is it to implant Demonic Mana?’
Either way, it was something that should not be done.
“Be careful! It’s a precious material!”
I closed the distance. The man, who valued the experiment more than human life, was middle-aged with a neatly grown beard. To think such a refined-looking man would do such a thing.
“…The human? Or the monster?”
“Of course, the Troll’s blood is… precious… what— what!?”
Crack—
I grabbed his neck just like that and applied pressure. That was the beginning.