Chapter 78: The Magician’s House

Late game.

In a world deeply shrouded in despair, there was hardly any good news to be found.

And on the rare days when a few pieces of good news did arrive, they were inevitably drowned out by dozens of bad news multiplying in retaliation.

For example, The Lord of Flames had annihilated the Abyss Monsters that appeared in Imenia.

On days when such news spread, Kingdom Fioria had been destroyed.

The Millennial Ice they guarded shattered, and bright red blood was scattered across the pure white snow, dyeing it crimson.

No news came anymore even from Achaia, the Mercantile Kingdom. Their proud Golden Tower was of no use.

Stories like these were always conveyed, as if eager to crush even the faintest glimpse of hope.

Yet there was one exception.

Amid the relentless storm of bad news and rumors, there was a single day when the chaos calmed.

A day when everyone fell silent and bowed their heads.

[Sword Saint Vitalianus Mahel—the Great Star of the Sword—had fallen.]

Because nothing worse than that story existed.

Once that news was heard, no one had the luxury to talk about anything else.

Since the world had become like this, that radiant star who had always stood firm at the frontlines of every battlefield—

The great hero who, even when the emperor turned his back on his people, never gave up and radiated a golden aura—

Even such a hero was gone.

Only then did the reality sink in.

Ah, there is no hope.

With the symbol of hope and spiritual support shattered, destruction accelerated even further.

Shortly after those rumors spread, Hio, who had been the Jijoncheonma at the time, went to seek out the Black Mist.

The reason he sought out Heuka, who had grown quiet without anyone noticing, was no different.

Had it not been for the Last Request of the Sword Saint—the final wish of that great hero—he would never have bothered to find Atawolf during such a busy time.

Cutting through the Fog of Baal Forest and hunting down the few remaining maim, they finally arrived at the center of the forest.

A small gray castle.

Atawolf was atop that castle.

His hollow eyes gazed at something unknown.

There wasn’t any great story exchanged.

Just a few words.

A few words Vitalianus wanted to convey to his friend, and Atawolf burst out laughing.

***

After laughing for a long while, he said something that even the Jijoncheonma at the time already knew.

Because he had already heard it from the Sword Saint.

Hearing that, Atawolf laughed again. It was a laugh tinged with sorrow.

Then, from a corner, he took out an old sword and examined it from every angle.

Though rust had spread over it due to neglect, it was originally quite a fine sword.

“Did you know? An Artifact is embedded in this old, worn sword. It’s the secret behind the Fog of Baal Forest.”

Despite it being a rather big secret, it didn’t surprise him much.

Because now, such things didn’t really matter.

Atawolf smiled grimly at the Jijoncheonma’s reaction and flipped the old sword upside down.

He pointed the tip of the blade at his own heart.

“Then do you know this as well?”

The symbol of terror that stained the continent with blood.

The last words left behind by the worst and strongest villain of legend lingered in memory for a long time.

“Actually, I wanted to be a hero.”

And so, rumors spread anew.

The rumor was slightly different from the fact that the Lord of Flames had killed Atawolf of the Black Mist.

The continent’s worst villain had finally died.

But few rejoiced.

Because hope had died first.

***

The continent’s worst crime syndicate, the Head of Black Fang, Atawolf.

And the Airlights, who commanded an organization no less formidable.

To summarize the newlywed life shared with these two villains: it was a mess.

“I love you!”

Airlights snuggled into his arms, kissing his cheek.

The soft touch and sweet scent stirred desire within him.

But if he succumbed to it, that would be the end forever.

Many, including Vitalianus, waited patiently for the thick fog to lift.

Because the moment he fully fell under Enthralment, no one could predict what Airlights might do next.

[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Not Allowed! (Endurance: 356 / 1000)]

Suppressing the surging desire, he endured and continued to feign being in love outwardly.

“Love you too, Airlights.”

At least it was fortunate that Airlights didn’t make any unreasonable demands.

Well, who knew what might happen with time, but for now, he was content simply hearing those words of love all day long.

“Can’t you do that silly stuff somewhere out of sight? It really interrupts my rest.”

Atawolf muttered softly, frowning.

But Airlights paid no heed.

“What? You go somewhere else then. You’re the one disturbing us from loving each other.”

“Annoying.”

In the end, it was Atawolf who left.

Loving each other… the phrasing was odd, but there was no sign he doubted the state of Enthralment.

“You’re really strange, aren’t you, Hio?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how someone like that exists.”

“Hehe. Love you!”

“Yeah, love you too.”

***

After some time spent like this, Atawolf vanished from the castle in a swirl of black mist.

Not because he was annoyed and leaving, but to interfere with the Empire’s advancing army and the Sword Saint.

And that moment was the only time they could move to find the Artifact.

“Love you!”

“…Hurry up and let go.”

“Tch.”

Whether fortunate or not, Airlights released the skill and cooperated willingly in searching for the Artifact.

Well, it wasn’t impossible to break free from Enthralment using a combination of enhancing traits and Cancellation, but it wasn’t easy.

It required tremendous mental strength to cast magic and rebuild mental barriers while most of the mind had already surrendered.

And it took a considerable amount of time.

“We have to find it quickly. He’ll be back soon.”

Unlike the hurried Hio, Airlights moved leisurely with a faint smile.

“No objections here.”

It was hardly surprising to cooperate with someone so unpredictable.

“Look for a place where the old sword might be.”

When they had visited here in the game, Atawolf already had that old sword by his side.

Now, however, many things were different, so they had to find it themselves.

The thick fog that blanketed the entire Baal Forest.

And not just any fog, but one so potent near the center that it caused loss of cognition and direction.

Since it was an Artifact emitting such an effect, it should have left traces of strong magic, so tracking it was expected to be easy… but it wasn’t.

The first reason was that Atawolf’s power was mixed in, not just the Artifact’s magic.

If the fog were maintained solely by the Artifact, they wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.

Secondly, the castle contained many Artifacts.

The Head of Black Fang had reigned as a symbol of terror for decades.

Over time, a huge amount of wealth, treasures, and Artifacts had accumulated within the castle.

So searching there was an option, but Hio passed by the room filled with Artifacts with a certain certainty.

It was an action based on his instinct.

Atawolf wouldn’t have left his old sword there.

The third reason why retracing the magic was difficult was—

“…This was the Magician’s House.”

The reason why this small gray castle was the Magician’s House.

“Really, magicians had houses all over the world. Even here, in the middle of a forest like this.”

“Ha ha ha. It was the time when magicians ruled the world. It’s only natural.”

Hio muttered to himself, and Airlights tilted her head.

“Huh? The Magician’s House?”

“…Never mind. Don’t worry about it. Just find where the sword might be.”

Despite the urging, unfortunately, the time was up.

Atawolf had returned.

As if waiting, Enthralment activated immediately from Airlights.

「Characteristic – ‘Cannot Live Without Style!’ activates」

The characteristic formed a wall, and as it retreated, it made space for Enthralment to settle, letting desire seize the mind again.

The entire process happened in an instant.

“Why did you come back so soon? I was enjoying myself.”

Airlights narrowed her eyes and glared at Atawolf.

Although Atawolf’s true form was weak enough to be killed with a single gesture, his audacity was astonishing.

“Shut up.”

Atawolf passed by Airlights as usual, showing no sign of suspicion.

“Well then, shall we go inside and finish what we were doing?”

Wrapping Airlights naturally as she clung to him, Hio nodded.

“Let’s.”

“Yeah. Love you!”

“Love you too, Airlights.”

[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Not Allowed! (Endurance: 373 / 1000)]

Suppressing the burning desire to give in, he endured again and again.

That process repeated many times.

***

Atawolf left the castle day and night, and Hio and Airlights searched the castle during those moments.

But Atawolf’s absence was very brief.

It was natural since the purpose was to delay the army’s advance, weaken the Sword Saint, and buy himself time to recover.

“Where on earth is it?”

Despite repeatedly searching during the brief times, they couldn’t find where it had been left.

“The only place left is the warehouse filled with Artifacts…”

“That sounds dangerous, doesn’t it?”

“That’s the problem.”

The reason it was fine when Atawolf returned while they were roaming elsewhere was that there was nothing in other rooms.

But the warehouse piled high with Artifacts was different.

It was full of treasures, wealth, and Artifacts, so searching would take a long time.

And if Atawolf came back while they were near, suspicion was unavoidable.

“Tch… Yeah, that’s true, but I don’t think it’s there.”

There’s such a thing as a feeling.

Even though it was in a game.

All they saw was through a monitor screen, but now they knew it was no simple game.

The feeling when Atawolf took his own life. That hollow atmosphere.

‘What did he want?’

‘Why did he become the worst villain of legend?’

‘Why had he kept the old sword he used decades ago until now?’

‘What state of mind made him grip the sword upside down and stab himself in the heart?’

Could it be that Atawolf—

The continent’s strongest and worst villain, Atawolf—

“Wanted someone to stop him.”

Someone to stop him, now beyond turning back, unable to reverse his path.

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Follow me.”

A sudden thought struck Hio, and he crossed the corridor toward the stairs.

He climbed the stairs swiftly, and a narrow stairway leading to the top of the spire appeared after a few floors.

***

After climbing that as well, the highest point of the castle came into view.

It was a place with a great view, where if not for the thick fog, one could see in all directions.

And the most conspicuous spot visible from everywhere.

“So this is it.”

The familiar layout of the room.

In the game, this was the place where Atawolf chose death.

He headed to the window and looked up.

“As expected!”

There it was.

The old, battered sword stuck in the roof.

The Artifact embedded in its hilt, as black as obsidian, caught his eye.

“Found it.”

Without hesitation, Hio tried to step outside.

He would summon his Phantom Steed, become incorporeal, and grab the Artifact—then it would be over.

But perhaps because he was too engrossed in that thought—

“…Yes, you found it.”

‘Or maybe because he had trusted Airlights, who had cooperated so far.’

“Hio Pavlenko.”

He turned around at the voice without thinking.

“Come here.”

The room was filled with a sticky crimson light.

A feast of deep scarlet beyond anything he had seen before.

「Characteristic – ‘Cannot Live Without Style!’ activates」

That power ruthlessly pierced through his mental barrier, and he even felt something resembling a mental whisper.

“Come by my side and tell me you love me.”

Amid the distant crimson glow, he caught a glimpse of Airlights’ figure.

Her lips still curved into a smile.

But it was no longer the bright smile she always wore when facing Hio.

[Hidden Trait: Violence Is Not Allowed! (Endurance: 423 / 1000)]

A smile somehow tinged with bitterness.