Amidst the bright-eyed mountain beasts of the night, it was a time when sinners, fugitives, and thieves moved between him in the mingling shadows.
There was someone running through the uninhabited forest. A tattered black robe, torn like rags, clung to him. The once-magical staff, now partially missing, couldn’t assist in his harsh steps anymore. Nevertheless, the magician with crimson eyes tightly clutched it as he ran.
“Lord Felix!”
The call to the master was filled with anxiety and restlessness.
The extradimensional space, the headquarters of the plan and the secret passage, had all been destroyed. Despite safely sending Felix to the Cornia Palace, the magician remained until the end. Although he had desperately tried to protect the self-made extradimensional space, it was all in vain. Amin was undoubtedly talented, having absorbed the family’s vision, but lacked essential practical experience.
The young magician, who swung magical attacks solely for the master, was defeated when faced with a new type of battle. The aftermath was severe; the magical power drawn up during the fight did not return, making it difficult even to cast a simple teleportation spell now.
Gathering the last ounce of strength to recite the teleportation spell felt nerve-wracking. Had a battle already taken place in Celestine? What if something happened to Lord Felix?
But when Amin finally returned to Cornia, everything was unexpectedly normal. There were no invasions by Hwangdo or the soldiers of Aldrant. People were calmly going about their daily lives, as if nothing had happened.
Amin, now relieved, confirmed his master’s location. With no magical power left to draw upon, he ran through the forest on two feet.
This was Cornia Royal’s exclusive hunting ground, and entry without the king’s permission was prohibited. It had a base and allowed weapons, making it a suitable meeting place. Felix, who loved hunting, often came here from his prince days. Sometimes he brought attendants, and there were times when it was not for real hunting. Amin attached barriers and devices whenever Felix entered the hunting ground, turning this place into a secret location for Felix.
Finally, he arrived at the forest villa. Only a few people who knew the plan could enter here. There was no safer place in Cornia than this.
When Amin touched the handle, the magically woven lock was released. The door opened, and a man sitting on a long chair stood up.
“Lord Felix!”
“Amin, have you come?”
Felix had been waiting for Amin there.
Once Amin confirmed that his master was unharmed, relief washed over him completely. He ran towards Felix, knelt at his feet, and Felix gently stroked Amin’s head.
“Lord Felix! Are you safe?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I am completely unharmed.”
Only then did the surroundings come into focus. Felix’s surprised eyes turned towards Amin.
“Are you alone? No matter how safe this place is, it’s dangerous. Moreover, where are the escort knights and guards, especially at a time like this?”
“Hmm. I needed some time to think, so I paced around. Don’t be too anxious. We are always prepared, and it’s not easy for anyone to start a war, be it the emperor or a magician. There is no legitimate reason for them to directly attack our royal palace.”
Amin nodded quietly. Given the need for a major revision of the plan, he knew that there would be plenty of time needed for contemplation.
The extradimensional space created by Amin served as a kind of passage—a direct route from the Cornia Palace to the Imperial Court. The plan was to gather all the military forces there and launch a surprise attack. Counterattacks would be meaningless. Instead of Cornia’s royal palace, the battle would unfold in the extradimensional fortress created by Amin, and a siege would take place.
However, Amin’s magical abilities alone were insufficient to manage the number of people required for real combat. The strategy required the assistance of Elementalists. In other words, the plan had now failed.
“I’m okay. How about you? What happened to the other magicians?”
Instead of responding, Amin simply nodded, and Felix, without forcing him to speak, sighed.
“Understood. Let’s discuss what needs to be done immediately.”
Amin, who had been quite anxious, consciously relaxed at those words. During this emergency, his king was unusually calm. He always kept his guard nearby and responded quickly to sudden situations. Yet here he was, waiting for Amin alone. It felt like complete trust, and Amin couldn’t help but feel somber.
Felix had envisioned being king before he ascended to the throne. He praised Amin several times, saying that with just Amin’s abilities, they could overcome an old country like Pheraira, which had lost its vigor and strength. If only Amin was a more skilled magician, the humiliation of his master fleeing might not have happened. Swallowing his bitterness, Amin lowered his head.
“Who do you think the daylight intruders are? Hwangdo or the forces of Aldrant?”
“…It seemed to be a summon created by the Duke. Although the rumors were different… It seemed that taking Rensley Maelrosen was the main goal. If it were Hwangdo, they would have focused more on dismantling our power and chasing us out rather than taking Rensley Maelrosen.”
“I share the same thought. If that’s the case, there’s still a possibility that the emperor is unaware of our situation. The Duke of Aldrant is famous for rarely interfering in matters outside his rule. Maybe he came out personally this time to regain his cherished lover, but he couldn’t report the situation to the emperor so quickly. If it’s for affection rather than politics, there must be quite a bit left to handle first.”
The magician nodded in agreement. The Duke of Aldrant’s summon only captured Rensley Maelrosen, then completely collapsed the extradimensional space that Amin had created over a long period. It seemed that he had no interest in Cornia’s plot itself.
Recalling Rensley’s smile as he jumped off the tower, apparently confident that the Duke would come to rescue him, a chill ran down Amin’s spine. If there had been even a slight mistake and the summon hadn’t captured him, Rensley Maelrosen would have become a shattered corpse beyond recognition.
“Do you still think Rensley and your magic-based strategy are effective?”
No.
Amin thought so, but he couldn’t express it immediately.
He had studied enough about Elementalists, beings capable of direct communication with various natural spirits through long-term training in the source of magical power. The word ‘Elemental’ was just a name given in human language; it was an existence that could not be fully expressed in terms of living beings or personalities as humans understood them. The way of communication was also said to be incomprehensible to ordinary people.
Nevertheless, Amin’s confidence in awakening Rensley as an Elementalist, relying solely on theory, had now faded. However, there was no need to give up. Even without Rensley Maelrosen and with the destruction of the spatial construction magic, there was still a possibility for a fight. If Felix did not give up, another strategy could be devised.
“To be honest… I think a comprehensive reassessment is necessary. Although I can use spatial construction magic, it’s difficult to employ it for the large-scale battle we originally envisioned with my abilities alone. Moreover, using the same strategy again after it has already been shattered….”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Yeah. I think the same way.”
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“Gbc’a offi vlrtfjgafcfv, Cwlc. Qf ralii tjnf qifcas bo bqqbgaeclalfr. Vemmfrroeiis jmtlfnlcu remt j ajrx bc atf olgra ags lr lctfgfcais vloolmeia. Ktfgf kjr cbatlcu oecvjwfcajiis kgbcu klat beg qijc. Ktf wlrajxf kjr cba xcbklcu atja j wbcugfi jcv atf mtlfoajlc bo j yjgyjgljc aglyf tjv yfmbwf fcajcuifv. Dea mjc bgvlcjgs qfbqif uefrr lc ktja vlgas gfijalbcrtlq atfs wluta yf lcnbinfv?”
“Yes.”
Felix let out a sigh that seemed like self-deprecation.
“Looking back, I think I was too excited. I was thrilled that a rarity like in legends was right next to me. Considering that stories about Elementalists in the records might be greatly exaggerated. It was difficult to estimate the time it would take to refine Rensley into a usable Elementalist. Records are just records, and planning based on unverified stories was a mistake. You, too, haven’t actually experienced the power of an Elementalist, have you?”
“That’s true, but… Rensley Maelrosen’s talent was real.”
“Now it’s an irrelevant story. Don’t be too disappointed. Knowing that he had such an ability, I got excited too quickly. Even before realizing that he had such an ability, I was already planning. It’s a mistake to rely on stories that haven’t been verified. Think of it as going back to that time.”
“Yes.”
“Amin, do you plan to follow me to the end?”
Startled by self-blame, Amin raised his head.
“Regardless of how this plan turns out, I will stay by Lord Felix’s side until the end. I am just a tool for Lord Felix.”
“Even kings may not obtain a single loyal subject in their lifetime. In that sense, I was truly lucky to have someone like you as a servant before becoming a king.”
Amin could no longer hold back his tears.
Felix tried to frame the failure as his own fault for not suspecting the relationship between Rensley and the Duke of Aldrant, but it was entirely Amin’s fault. The spatial construction magic that he alone believed could be controlled by him quickly collapsed, a development Amin had never anticipated, even in his dreams.
Even a powerful magician like Gezell Jivendad, who could fly in the sky, would not have known a spell that had never been leaked to the world. Nevertheless, Amin’s created world crumbled too quickly. The Duke immediately found a solution to break the unknown magic.
Even without someone pointing it out, Amin knew it best. It was a difference in knowledge, experience, and expertise. If talents were similar, the Duke of Aldrant, who had been educated by the best teachers on the continent since childhood, accumulating practical experience step by step, was naturally one step above him.
Amin had practiced and used magic only to eliminate Felix’s static and achieve his goal. Despite having some extraordinary skills, secret techniques, and talents that no one else could perform, there was no solid foundation.
“I’m truly sorry. It’s entirely my fault that Lord Felix had to experience such disgrace…. But I’ve learned my shortcomings from this opportunity. As you said, it may take some time, but I’ll start from the beginning. Even without the help of an Elementalist, I can find a new way. Next time, you will definitely get what you want.”
“Yeah. It’s something that can easily be covered up for various reasons, such as having a bad relationship with a stepbrother from a young age or secretly snatching away a low-ranking knight. It can’t be a big problem. If Duke Gezell is really blinded by indigo, he wouldn’t want to show off the abilities of his beloved lover in front of the emperor.”
The technique is there, but the foundation is weak. What’s the use if even a rare plant cannot bloom properly due to weak roots? Amin planned to return to the mindset of a beginner magician, practicing to amplify available magical power. While using the power of an Elementalist was incomparable, he didn’t want to experience a defeat as futile as today again.
“Amin, I don’t have many things that I cherish.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t say that I have few desires, but cherishing something is a slightly different emotion from the desire to have it. But you are a servant I genuinely cherish.”
“Lord Felix.”
Felix Elbanes was a master who, at times, was as strict as he was harsh, yet generous with praise and rewards when tasks were well done. Regardless of others’ opinions, this was how it was for Amin.
Of course, even if Felix had been a harsher master, Amin would have been loyal. However, the affectionate words and gestures went beyond mere loyalty. Hearing the story that he was cherished was a first for Amin.
In Felix’s tear-filled red eyes, a smile reflected. And in the next moment, Amin felt warmth around his neck.
Was it the wind that brought tears, making his throat warm? Amin absentmindedly felt his neck, which had become warm.
As he slowly lowered his head, he saw a palm soaked in hot, sticky blood. In his bewildered gaze, Amin looked up at his master. Felix was no longer smiling.
“I’ve never thought something was too precious to let go of until now….”
“Lord F-Felix….”
“It’s too heartbreaking to let you go. Even for me.”
The dagger in Felix’s hand was also stained with red blood. The sensation that had only felt warm until he realized what had happened soon turned into intense pain. Amin collapsed to the ground weakly.
Blood spread like a small puddle in an instant. Even if emergency treatment were applied immediately, it was uncertain whether his life could be saved. Despite gasping for breath, Amin dared not attempt healing magic. Above his head, Felix’s voice echoed. There was no sign of hesitation in his calm tone.
“I intend to handle this incident as an event you carried out independently, with nothing more to cultivate in you. Fortunately, it happened before the official start. That gloomy magician may have taken the opportunity to strike the emperor, but I also have something to say. Utilizing the magic passed down through the family vision, some magicians conspired with rebellious forces to overthrow both Cornia and Pheraira, daring to use the royal family. It might deceive the emperor’s suspicion, but that much is something you have to bear as the price of failure.”
Felix, who always had a guard unit by his side, was alone today. Whether it was because he trusted him or whether he had been waiting here with the thought of secretly eliminating him from the beginning… In the darkening consciousness, Amin was curious about a few things that were now useless to ask.
“Cornia has oppressed wizards for a long time, and besides, aren’t you a descendant of a family executed for rebellion? People who hear the story will think not only I but also you cannot escape the suspicion. As I said, there is plenty of time, and there are still many opportunities. The world is vast, so I can find another magician. Anyway, the magic of your house was not invincible.”
“….”
“Amin, the greatest loyalty you can offer to me is to quietly leave. You’ve worked hard all this time.”
There was no more response to Felix’s low and firm command. Groans or gasps subsided, leaving only the rustling silence of the night forest with the night breeze.
Felix’s expression as he disposed of the servant he had nurtured with his own hands was not pleasant. Because he had cherished and trusted him, the failure was even more disappointing. Small sacrifices for a big goal were inevitable. Now it was time to go to the emperor, explain the whole story, and dispel the suspicions.
“Oh, dear.”
To explain the entire situation to the emperor, he had to present the corpse. Felix clicked his tongue briefly. He had always been accustomed to being offered someone’s head. While contemplating whether he should move the body himself, he soon changed his mind.
This place was a location only accessible to authorized individuals. Felix decided to walk towards the door, considering arranging for someone else to handle the body later. Not only Amin but to start anew, he would need to take care of more than one person for a while. After returning to the royal palace, checking the atmosphere, and completing the reorganization, it would be time to step back for a while before advancing.
After opening the door, a loud rustling sound echoed as tall grass swayed. Felix looked around. The sensitivity typical of someone who had committed wrongdoing made him uneasy. In the quiet forest, the night breeze brought a growing wind from outside.
At that moment, a black rift appeared in the air, and a person suddenly emerged. No, if someone had witnessed this spectacle from a distance, they would remember only the horns or fangs that had sprung up, the golden eyes glinting like beasts even in the darkness, wondering if the creature they saw in the forest was truly a “human.”
“Who’s there?”
At least, Felix wasn’t idle. This time, Felix drew a longsword from his waist instead of the dagger he had used before. As the intruder approached, Felix instinctively took a step back and re-entered the star tent. The moment the intruder followed, the door automatically closed behind him.
Felix, who had widened his eyes to examine the suddenly appearing intruder, swallowed dryly and asked with an expression of disbelief, “Could it be… Duke Gezell?”
Without answering, the intruder, rather casually, glanced down at the fallen magician. And instead of providing an answer, he questioned Felix with a nonchalant tone, “Is this the magician Amin, who worked under you?”
“What?”
Gezell lifted the lifeless body. Blood still flowed from the deeply stabbed throat. Placing his hand on the wound and casting a spell, a vibrant green light began to emanate. Felix sharply retorted, “What are you doing? Do not interfere recklessly; I have executed a criminal who committed rebellion and blasphemy.”
“I have received a mission.”
“A mission?”
Felix furrowed his brow.
“This place is a hunting ground only accessible to people from the Cornia royal family. Your actions can be seen as an act of Aldrant’s invasion. But you say you received a mission. Who sent you here?”
“No one.”
“…”
“This is a personal visit, not as the Duke of Aldrant.”
Gezell released Amin and stood up. Felix blinked quickly. Although he was undoubtedly Gezell Jivendad, the well-known Duke from the North, upon closer inspection, he appeared to be a confusing anomaly that was difficult to categorize.
“There are some cases among the people of the North where the blood of monsters mixes, and occasionally, peculiar offspring are born… Are you one of those beings?”
“He had set up quite a sturdy barrier, but it seems to have weakened due to your stabbing. I was looking for a solution when I easily arrived thanks to you.”
Felix’s face displayed overt bewilderment, but he quickly composed his expression.
“…I don’t know what story brought you here, but whatever it is, it’s a trick by the guy lying at your feet. That magician excels in transformation magic, capable of changing into anything, and can transform others as well. I, too, was deceived in their elaborate scheme. I personally executed the servant who betrayed the master.”
“I see.”
“Did you come to report to the emperor? In that case, you can take that corpse with you. I was planning to head to the palace anyway, so we can go together.”
“No. Only the magician and I will return.”
The night forest shivered once again with a soft rustle.
Since arriving at the hunting ground, Gezell’s expression had remained calm and emotionless, and his tone was measured. Felix’s complexion, on the other hand, was growing paler. However, he bit back any signs of weakness, sneering and sliding his hand into his cloak.
“Fine. If we capture a monster from the North, the emperor might be even more pleased.”
Felix took out an artifact. Even the Cornia royalty, who tended to disregard magic, often carried artifacts for personal protection. The ones Felix possessed were all crafted by Amin himself, possessing unparalleled power compared to common items.
As the artifact activated, a black lattice emerged around Gezell, enclosing him. From the completed prison walls, numerous black spears emerged, shooting towards Gezell. The heavy, sharp sound of the spears piercing flesh echoed clearly.
The spacious star tent fell silent. Felix, eyeing Gezell trapped in the black prison, pulled out a new artifact as a precaution.
“…You truly attacked a loyal and talented magician.”
With these words, the prison that confined Gezell shredded as if torn to pieces. Felix involuntarily took a step back. It was unbelievable. He distinctly heard the sound of the spears piercing flesh, yet Gezell seemed unharmed.
Although the star tent was dimly lit, Felix could still discern the condition of the wounded. Even to Felix’s eyes, the blood flowing from the pierced flesh was clearly visible. The holes in the pierced skin were quickly filled, and the black scales covering the flesh in between were as solid as a shell.
While Felix was swallowing hard, Gezell continued to walk forward with an expressionless face.
“It’s an artifact made through dark magic. Quite a bit of blood must have been shed to make it for you. Perhaps this result is the ‘price’ he paid.”
“Nonsense!”
Felix activated the artifact he was holding again. However, this time, before the attack could reach, it was blocked by Gezell’s defensive spell. Gezell remained indifferent.
“It’s a futile effort. The magic that can erase me does not exist in the defensive artifact.”
Not human.
As the conclusion became clear, Felix’s heart raced faster than ever before. As the southern prince, he had never witnessed an actual demon. When he activated the last artifact, flames erupted over Gezell’s body. Instead of confronting the flames, Felix rushed toward the door. Buying time and quickly mobilizing reinforcements were the best options.
The southern king secretly taking away a knight from another country to play a little versus Aldrant’s king invading another country’s territory without permission and acting threateningly were different in severity, neither overstepping nor falling below the bounds of provocation. As long as he escaped the star tent, he could signal the guards protecting the hunting ground.
However, after a few steps, Felix abruptly stopped in his tracks. Magic or not, Felix, who didn’t understand it well, could sense the harmony in this. He had witnessed firsthand how Rensley was tightly bound in midair, unable to move a finger.
As if untouched by the flames, Gezell casually approached, still with an indifferent expression. Felix, unable to do anything else, raised his voice.
“Amin! If you’re not dead, get up. Get up and deal with this monster!”
However, his devoted followers, who would passionately obey any command, remained motionless. The bleeding had stopped, but the magician, now in a deep comatose state, could not respond to the call.
Gezell had never memorized any spells. With sharp claws growing and powerful veins protruding, he extended his large hand toward Felix.
Animal instincts warned of imminent danger throughout Felix’s body. Growing paler, Felix made a final effort to gather his wits and attempted a conversation. He felt ashamed to engage in rational discourse with a creature beneath human intelligence.
“…Although the plan went awry due to conflicting with you this time, there is a surefire way to succeed. Gezell Jivendad, don’t you feel wronged? This is not the powerful empire that won the Perei War a few hundred years ago. There’s no eternal supremacy in the world. Why should we bow down and live under the established system? This is not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves. Let’s join hands and overthrow the emperor. If the two nations unite, we will never be defeated. The throne will be yours. You can believe it. I’m not foolish enough to risk my life and lie at a moment like this.”
Felix persisted in his persuasion until the end. At that moment, whether it was because of the words he threw out as a last resort or not, Gezell grinned.
He seemed to ponder for a moment, then promptly replied.
“It took a long time to persuade him to become the Grand Duchess of the Northern Frontier. I asked if he would consider it if that’s what he wanted, but he said he disliked it because the position of the Empress was burdensome.”
“What?”
Felix, seemingly unable to grasp the meaning immediately, widened his eyes and then furrowed his brow. Gezell, who had approached Felix, looked down at him silently.
“I have no interest in war or the throne. I only want to do what I must.”
“I haven’t done anything. It’s all his doing! I am the king of Cornia, a brother of the lover you so admire. Aldrant claimed not to interfere in continental politics, yet now you’re trying to start a war like this? Are you sure you and the North will go unharmed after harming me like this?”
“He has wounds on his face.”
“I know nothing about it! It’s all that guy’s doing, not mine. He changed his appearance to mimic me, and-.”
Gezell stopped abruptly at those words. Felix, breathing irregularly, stared at him, unable to discern which part of his uttered words made him stop.
As if he understood something, Gezell furrowed his brow slightly. His long, black hair began to sway and gradually fluttered more violently. Even in the darkness, his golden eyes, once clear, now intensified like burning embers.
The heightened intensity of the gold resembled a thick crimson hue, not a signal of dimming light, but an increase in heat, like magma gathering in a volcano before erupting and pouring out.
Although the wind did not blow, the entire forest cried out. It wasn’t due to mood. Felix, now speechless, gazed at the Northern King, whose appearance was slowly changing. Felix’s line of sight gradually rose. For the first time in his life, he saw both light and darkness expanding simultaneously.
[You’ve made use of my appearance.]
“….”
[You’ve adopted my form and caused injuries.]
The arrogant young king of Cornia finally realized an important fact.
What was unfolding at the moment was not politics or war from the start. It was just a hunt happening in the realm of savagery that he had always mocked.
Cruel and bold as it may be, Felix Elbanes had engaged in refined gambling within the palace, moving chess pieces on the board. The man who stood there in bewilderment, having lost the strength to respond to the unprecedented horror, suddenly burst into laughter.
“Yeah! I made use of your appearance. And you know what your lover did? He kissed me first. It was torture for me too, with the way he shook his hips like a horny dog. Check later to see how that guy, whom I made my bedmate, is doing!”
There was no response to the provocation that raised the last bit of dignity. Instead, the atmosphere seemed to forge even the air into an axe, making it as thick and short as stubble. After warning with a short silence, the voice that flowed out was low, as if coming from beneath the ground, and the color of anger was vividly sinister.
[Is that your farewell?]
“….”
[Whether it’s true or false, it doesn’t matter.]
“Wait, I…”
[What you’ve done to him so far is already enough…]
A hand covered in black and sturdy scales approached Felix, gripping his jawbone firmly.
The leader of the North, the king of the barbarians with mixed demonic blood, the guardian of the continent, pronounced the final verdict with a low, rumbling voice as if being pulled up from beneath the earth.
Since outsiders who witnessed this appearance couldn’t go back alive anyway.
Thank you!
Felix you said to much and now karma came back to you.
Finally! KARMA B*tch!