Chapter 81

I changed the simulation conditions for myself. Back to before entering the Tower of Covenant, and before the duel with Lytol.

I noticed something distinctly different.

The number of Jack Caravan members I thought there were before the duel with Lytol and the number I thought there were after the duel with Lytol were different.

Originally, there were three 2nd Circle mages in Jack Caravan.

One turned to sand while fighting the Lightning Calamity.

One sacrificed himself by staying behind to block Kasha’s group’s attack.

The only survivor was Del. He became friendly with us by frequently dueling with Yuria.

Then who on earth… is Shado?

The warrior who always escorted Fel like a shadow. Shado. I clearly remember laughing and crying with him. We definitely…

Huh? What’s this?

The moment I tried to recall, I couldn’t remember. Like getting lost when trying to find a path you thought you knew well. I thought I remembered every little episode about Shado, but when I actually tried to trace my memories, nothing came up.

What an interesting person…?

Did he infiltrate us? A mesmerizing spell? So they really use such magic in the Tower of Covenant. How is this done?

“Good grief… who’s behind this? What’s their purpose?”

Yuria immediately answered my mumbling.

“Well, I suspected Pan-Dalus might be involved… but that doesn’t seem to be the case. If he wanted to act against us, there would be no need to orchestrate something so complicated, and the smoke that appears to be the medium for the mesmerizing spell seems unrelated to the Sunset Tobacco that Pan-Dalus gave us. There’s a very subtle different-colored smoke mixed in with the golden smoke. And that smoke was dispersed by Shado. It was quite covert, but it couldn’t escape my eyes.”

Yuria pointed to her bright blue glowing eyes.

Hearing her words, I recalled something too. Along with flowing mana, there was crystallized mana mixed in the smoke. Strange mana that was visible at first but quickly disappeared. I probably fell under the mesmerizing spell at that moment. Yuria remained suspicious and wasn’t affected, but I was caught off guard.

All the questions Yuria had asked me were calculated as well.

“His goal seems to be… your magical knowledge. Remember when I asked why you need to develop Circle and Ki-blood simultaneously? I was closely watching Shado’s reaction then. That guy… while pretending not to, he was perking up his ears quite intently.”

She laughed scornfully.

…Is that so?

“Thank you. Now I need to think about how to teach him a lesson.”

What would be the best approach?

I ran various simulations to gather more detailed information.

Just before I ended the simulation, Yuria looked around the pitch-black world and said:

“So this is inside a simulation, right? Honestly, it’s hard to believe. I thought nothing had changed, but once I started to be conscious of it, I realized there was nothing around me. But… it doesn’t feel awkward. It all feels natural, as if the world was always like this… like when you’re dreaming. But all of this… even me being an illusion… feels a bit sad somehow.”

I blinked.

Was I being selfish? I’d never thought about it before. How people appearing in simulations perceive the world, how Yuria would feel when she realized the simulation.

“Why are you making that face? I’ll see you in reality.”

A finger flicking my forehead.

That finger casually brushing off even the hollow realization that she was an illusion.

Such a composed reaction was only possible because she trusted me that much.

I felt a lump in my throat.

“Thank you.”

Yuria calmly waved her hand. ‘Goodbye,’ she said.

[Simulation Ended]

My vision brightened. I saw Yuria’s face carefully examining me.

“Did you go?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and looked at Yuria with fresh eyes.

The blue magical power flowing through her body was particularly concentrated in her two eyes, glowing bright blue. She had detected the mesmerizing spell that even I had momentarily fallen for through her [Magic Eye].

But what’s truly remarkable isn’t the [Magic Eye]. [Magic Eye] is merely a Gift that provides transcendent perception and motor skills, and doesn’t inherently have the power to break mesmerizing spells. What’s truly remarkable was Yuria’s judgment. With her exceptional perception, she sensed something off about Shado’s behavior and didn’t simply let it pass. She immediately achieved 2-star Ki-blood magic to deal with the situation. She must have judged that as her level increased, [Magic Eye] would be strengthened and she could also benefit from Ki-blood magic’s anti-magic effects. And through continuous observation and suspicion, she realized there was a problem with her own memory and judgment, and identified the mesmerizing spell. Not breaking it, but identifying it. A skill more magical than magic itself.

Thanks to her, we survived.

A mesmerizing spell, I never would have guessed.

What if I had remained under the spell and done something foolish? How much would the magical powers have tormented me? This is why mages need companions to watch their backs.

“Thank you.”

I repeated the greeting I had given in the simulation. I expressed gratitude for her kindness, and for her excellence. Yuria answered with a beautiful smile.

Now, let’s try this.

“Everyone. Without asking anything, just make me one promise.”

After glancing at Yuria, I suddenly raised my voice. People who had been listening to our puzzling conversation opened their eyes wide.

“No matter what happens from now on, promise not to intervene.”

A rather abrupt request.

But no one demanded an explanation. In the wilderness, not questioning the leader’s orders is a virtue. The people of Jack Caravan gathered here already recognized me as an authority beyond a mere leader. The same was true for Fel.

“I promise.”

Though his eyes were wide with puzzlement, his mouth had already made the promise. Except for one person.

“……”

Whoever he is, his situational judgment is excellent. He sensed something was wrong. Shado kept his mouth shut and reached into his garment. But it was already too late.

“Saíl.”

I recited Saíl(射日) with my mouth. Saíl is originally a projectile magic, but when recited orally, it merely compresses the magical power in the body into a sharp point. I could fire that magical power, but if I just circulate it inside my body, my physical abilities temporarily surge.

A body enhanced to level 5 with 3-star Ki-blood magic and further strengthened by Saíl. This was already beyond the speed a 3rd Circle mage could react to.

Thump!

A single leap. Before he could even blink, my left foot landed beside Shado’s right foot. Shado’s hand hadn’t even reached inside his garment yet.

Whack-!

I drove my right fist into his stomach.

“Khugh……”

Shado’s knees buckled and his chin dropped to his chest. I swung my rebounding right fist upward in a short arc.

Crack!

His head jerked up. I grabbed his collar and forced him to kneel before me. With my short stature, only then could I barely look down at him.

Glaring into his eyes, I said:

“Let me guess?”

I grabbed his chin with my left hand, pried his mouth open, and stuck my right hand in.

“You were going to try to escape with this again.”

I pulled out a flat coin the size of a fingernail that was attached to the roof of his mouth. A magical tool activated by injecting magical power with the tongue in worst-case scenarios. Used to spread powerful illusion magic and attempt escape in the confusion.

I showed him the small coin, demonstrating that his trick had been seen through.

But even in this situation, Shado’s eyes showed an even firmer resolve.

Pretending to be tough, huh.

Boom!

Before he could act, I pushed his head and smashed it into the ground. I immediately tore open his clothes. A palm-sized tattoo was visible on his chest.

Riiip!

“Arghhhh!”

I tore off the tattoo along with the skin. Shado screamed at the pain of having his flesh ripped off.

“And you wanted to report the situation to your superiors using the message magic engraved in this tattoo.”

Only now did Shado’s eyes show confusion. Beyond the pain, his eyes couldn’t believe that I had identified each of his methods one by one.

“H-how.”

Shado stammered as he opened his mouth. But I didn’t stop moving.

“And with such a foolish question, you planned to reassure me and then commit suicide with this.”

Thunk!

Clang!

I raised my index finger and stabbed the area beside his heart. A bead that had been implanted next to his heart caught on my finger and shattered. A suicide magical tool that would spew flames hot enough to dissolve even the corpse if necessary.

As the bead shattered and the pain of being stabbed beside his heart hit him, Shado’s body trembled violently.

With even his last resort blocked, he opened his eyes wide with terror and shock.

Now that’s a more satisfying expression.

“How do I know, you ask?”

I gave him a cold smile while looking at his face.

“I saw it all.”

Whack!

Dropping into a sitting position, I drove my elbow into his jaw. Crack! The sound of bone breaking was heard, and Shado went limp. I didn’t kill him, just knocked him unconscious. I had many questions to ask.

Though he used the intriguing ability of mesmerizing magic, his combat power was unremarkable for a 3rd Circle mage. No match for me.

“W-what is this…? Why Shado…?”

Fel, still under the mesmerizing spell, asked with a bewildered face. Well, of course he’d be surprised when I suddenly took down his bodyguard. Even in this situation, he kept his promise to me and didn’t move rashly… does that mean he trusts me that much?

Somehow I feel indebted in various ways today.

“Please call Pan-Dalus. There’s an urgent matter to discuss. This guy is truly amusing.”

I grabbed the unconscious Shado’s hair and shook it.

“Shado? Whether it’s an alias or his real name, even his name is too obviously that of a spy. There’s a limit to underestimating people.”

I clicked my tongue disapprovingly.

+ – + – +

That night, deep in the darkness.

Shado awoke in pain. A room as dark as a coffin.

‘Where am I…?’

He tried to speak, but no voice came out. Only then did he realize that a gag was tightly fastened in his mouth. Even if he wanted to commit suicide, he couldn’t bite his tongue.

It was so dark all around that he couldn’t tell if the space was large or small, and his limbs were stretched out and bound. His magical power seemed sealed, as it wouldn’t budge at all.

“Real name: Rithian. Originally affiliated with the Society. But there’s a high probability he’s not actually a true Society member. Even with a confession orb, it was useless as he’s been brainwashed by sophisticated mental magic. He seems thoroughly modified into a pawn. He doesn’t even know where he truly belongs.”

Though faces weren’t visible, the voices of people could be heard. An old man and a boy.

“Yuria said he showed interest in my magical knowledge?”

“…With such extreme methods and an interest in magical knowledge… the odds are high that the Magic Tower is behind this. However, we can’t rule out the possibility of Truth Tower fanatics or the damned traitors of Ragnarok. Though the possibility is slim… even the Society must be considered a suspect.”

“…One of four… the range is too broad.”

Rithian. And the mastermind.

The moment he heard those two words, Shado, no, Rithian felt wide awake. His heart sank.

Yes. There were days like this.

Days when he would be diligently working and researching, then suddenly find himself fighting and conducting espionage operations in an unfamiliar place.

‘Why am I doing this?’ Whenever this question arose, the answer would come as if it were obvious. There would be a great reward once this mission is completed. Didn’t you enter the Tower of Covenant to succeed? Then you should work harder. Yes, that’s right. But who? Who promised me a reward?

It was confusing.

‘Who am I working for?’ ‘Were the things I’ve been doing really what I wanted to do?’ ‘Did I just try to bite my tongue? Why did I do that?’

My life… feels like someone is controlling it.

Shado, no, Rithian, felt a chill run down his spine.

But…

As always, his mind began to empty. The questions that had surfaced were erased, the espionage activities committed under the name Shado were forgotten, and finally, he couldn’t even remember why he was here.

Like forgetting the realizations from a dream once daylight comes, Rithian shook his head and screamed.

Despite the firmly fastened gag, he shouted while drooling:

‘Who are you! I am Rithian, a 3rd Circle mage belonging to the Society! Are you Butchers? Or traitors of Ragnarok? What have you done to me!’

His muffled sounds echoed through the deep darkness.

Shortly after, the old man’s voice, Pan-Dalus, spoke. Though he would have heard only muffled sounds, he seemed to understand everything and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Look at this. He was like a cold-blooded assassin earlier, but now he can’t even remember what he did. His mind is completely broken, making it impossible to do anything with him.”

The boy, Baek Jun-woo, agreed.

“Truly a vicious method.”

Then, in a contemplative voice, he said:

“Hmm… can I take custody of this person? There’s something I’d like to experiment with. I might… be able to discover something.”

Hearing those words, Rithian shook his bound limbs and screamed.

‘What are you saying! I am a mage! Not an experimental subject! If you’re going to insult me, just kill me!’

But Pan-Dalus and Baek Jun-woo paid not the slightest attention to his protests.

“We can’t just release a person in such a state… do as you wish. I’m deeply sorry that such an incident occurred right after we promised to cooperate.”

“If you’re sorry, please catch that lich soon as promised. As I mentioned, I’ll just focus on research until signs of the great cataclysm appear.”

“Good thinking. Judging by how such a fly was attracted, we must consider the possibility that there’s a traitor in Solas Magic School. It’s like this now… imagine what chaos will unfold when the great cataclysm occurs… becoming stronger is the only way to navigate the situation.”

Then silence. No light entered, no sound was heard.

In that void, Shado, no, Rithian despaired alone.

Not even remembering why he had been captured like this.

Whoosh.

After an unknown period of time, light suddenly poured in.

A white-haired boy appeared before Rithian, who was squinting from the brightness, his face contorted.

The boy’s face wasn’t clearly visible due to the backlighting, but he spoke:

“Hah… is it finally time to begin the research? I’ve had so much to study… but nobody would leave me alone. Phew… anyway, I’ll be counting on you, mister! Don’t feel too wronged. This might even help you, you know.”

It wasn’t a voice filled with malice.

But research? What exactly? How? Why?

Rithian, having lost his memories, could only tremble with fear.