* * *

After eating some Ratcho, getting some sunlight, and throwing up a bit of blood, he began the morning feeling rejuvenated.

[I guess that’s why they say a teacher can’t beat their disciple.]

Russell teased Lucion, who was lying next to him.

Thinking about it made him feel annoyed.

A teacher may precede their disciple, but where is there a disciple who precedes their teacher? 

Lucion was a truly irritating disciple.

“When have I ever surpassed you, Teacher?”

Russell snorted at Lucion, who looked at him with a clueless expression.

[A little while ago. You broke my stubbornness by crying.]

—Ru, Russell made Lucion cry? Russell…! Russell, who’s number one to Lucion!

Ratta asked in surprise.

As if she had been betrayed for the first time, Ratta still looked at Russell with resentment.

[I didn’t make him cry. And I like what you said after that, Ratta.]

Russell laughed triumphantly.

Of course. That’s how a teacher should be, unknowingly.

—Yeah! There’s no way Russell, who’s number one to Lucion, would do that. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Only then did Ratta blink a few times before breaking into a bright smile.

“I didn’t cry. I’m telling you, I didn’t cry, Ratta.”

Lucion furrowed his brows.

“And now the number one is you, Ratta.”

—Hah! R-Ratta is? Ratta is number one?

Ratta jumped up and down as if she was overjoyed.

—Yay! Ratta is number one! Ratta is number one!

Meanwhile, Russell glared at her, knowing that days like this were necessary. The top position couldn’t last forever.

“Your eyes look red,” Hume observed after straightening Lucion’s attire.

“I just had a bad dream,” Lucion replied, averting his gaze and noticing his clothing suddenly.

“By the way, Hume. This isn’t meant for outdoor wear, is it?”

“Yes, it isn’t. It’s indoor wear.”

“Why did you give me this?”

“…”

Hume widened his eyes, realizing Lucion’s condition was worse than he thought.

“I’ll call a doctor right away.”

“I’m fine.”

“Your clothes are drenched in sweat.”

Drip drip.

Without warning, blood began to trickle from his nose.

—…Hah! Lucion! What should we do? What should we do!

As if she hadn’t stopped moving, Ratta anxiously circled Lucion.

Initially deeply concerned, she eventually found the situation amusing and giggled while continuing her circling.

“Young Master, did you notice? Your body is being honest,” Hume remarked, gesturing toward the bed.

“After returning from your pilgrimage, you absorbed two black orbs. Previously, just one caused abnormal symptoms in your body, so it’s improbable that you feel well after taking two.” 𝐑á𐌽őBĘ𝘴

Although Lucion was eager for another pilgrimage, he faced difficulty since both his father and brother were staying at the mansion for unknown reasons.

If at least one of them went to the fortress wall on the border, the security would be less.

“Furthermore, I’ve heard that you were wandering around this morning despite being unwell,” Hume nagged persistently.

“I wasn’t in pain at that time.”

“From what I heard, many said you still looked unwell then.”

“Everyone simply has poor eyesight…”

Snap.

Abruptly, the red thread was severed.

‘Who is it?’

Lucion stopped speaking and looked at the severed thread.

It was Chayton.

‘Ah. It seems everything has fallen apart.’

Lucion chuckled to himself.

Soon he’ll be decapitated alongside Twilo.

“Young master?”

Hume, noticing Lucion’s distraction, raised and lowered his eyebrows in concern before placing a hand on his forehead.

“Your temperature seems higher. Let’s get you some fever reducers and…”

Ting.

The communication device rang unexpectedly, causing Hume to sigh shortly.

“It’s likely Kran. Let me take it.”

Lucion reached out his hand.

It might have been a call about the warlock, including number 45.

“Then, please lie down for now. I’ll have your meals brought here.”

“No, I want to go eat with my father and brother.”

Lucion thought he might need to negotiate with his father to go to the Magic Tower again.

This time, he probably wouldn’t give permission easily.

But he had strong allies by his side.

“In that case, I’ll go get them,” Hume hesitated before stiffening his resolve.

“Get my father?”

“Yes. The head of the household mentioned to inform him whenever you require anything.”

[That’s not what he meant.]

Russell’s smile faded as he corrected Hume.

[Hume. That’s not what he meant.]

“Are you saying the head of the household lied?”

Hume’s expression turned to shock.

[No, no. It’s not a lie, it’s more like, you know, polite words.]

“If it’s not a lie, then I’ll give it a shot. Ah, take your time, and don’t hesitate to call me if anything comes up,” Hume said before passing the communication device to Lucion. 

He continued to watch him until he lay on the bed, contrary to his words.

‘Why is he staring at me like that?’

Only when Lucion lay down did Hume break into a bright smile.

“Then I’ll be off.”

“Why is Hume suddenly so intimidating?”

Once the door shut, Lucion spoke up.

[Yeah, you forget how you always get yourself into trouble, don’t you?]

“Me?”

Russell chuckled at Lucion’s response, having foreseen this outcome. Some things never change.

<Hamel.>

As Lucion activated the communication device with a puzzled expression, Kran’s voice came through immediately.

“Yes, Kran. How are the warlocks doing?”

<They need some time to adjust. We’ve tended to the wounded, and now they are enthusiastic about choosing names.>

“Reint must be excited.”

<Absolutely. He’s particularly keen on assisting with the naming process.>

“And getting information on the warlocks as a bonus.”

<Yes. That’s correct.>

Kran chuckled for a moment.

<By the way, what’s going on? This is the first time I’ve seen so many warlocks.>

There were barely twenty warlocks.

It was amusing to consider that a large number, but Lucion decided to share the truth.

Kran, of all people, needed to know.

<D-Did you say the divine beast was killed?>

“Yeah.”

<The divine beast…>

Kran struggled to process the shock.

He couldn’t continue speaking, and in the distance, faint muttering could be heard.

<…I’m sorry.>

As footsteps approached, Kran apologized, perhaps sensing his own shock.

“It’s alright. So, is that all for today?”

<Oh, no. There’s one more thing.>

“What is it?”

<It’s about Sir Heint…>

“Alright. He wants to talk to me? Let him know I’ll come.”

Lucion interrupted him mid-sentence.

Lucion needed to inform Troy about this news anyway, so he planned to stop by the central region. 

Since he had absorbed the black orbs, the distance he could travel via shadow movement had increased.

‘But I wonder if I can make it all the way to the pilgrimage site.’

<Are you okay? >

Kran asked cautiously.

“I’m more concerned about Troy, or rather, the divine beasts. They’ve been betrayed by those they trusted.”

—Ratta is also worried about Uncle Troy.

Ratta pouted.

Lucion playfully poked at Ratta’s mouth and continued, “I’ll visit soon. I have things to discuss with the warlocks too.”

<Understood. Please take care of yourself, remember to eat three meals a day, don’t wander around at night, and make sure to sleep…> Kran’s voice trailed off as Lucion cut off the communication device.

Last time he met with Emperor Ketlan, he had mentioned that only the warlocks could cleanse the Sea of Death.

‘I need to discuss this with them soon so we can purify the Sea of Death together.’

Lucion took a deep breath.

He still hadn’t contacted Shaela.

How should he convey the danger?

He couldn’t just suddenly tell her to be careful.

‘She’s quick to catch on, though.’

Lucion closed his eyes for a moment.

If the Hand of the Void had already infiltrated the Magic Tower, then Shaela would be in danger as well.

Could the wizards avoid the allure and enchantment of the warlocks?

“Teacher.”

[What is it?]

Lucion stroked Ratta while deep in thought.

—Ratta is going to play with the ball now.

Ratta wiggled as she burrowed into Lucion’s grip before scampering underneath the bed.

Squeak!

“Is there any light within the Magic Tower?”

[Probably not? Do wizards carry items imbued with light? That’s really strange.]

Russell pondered for a moment before speaking.

[Is it because of Shaela?]

“That’s right.”

[If it’s about allure and enchantment, then wizards and knights, who have honed their mana, have incredibly high mental strength. They wouldn’t fall easily.]

“But ultimately, they still do, don’t they?”

[That’s true. If you think about it, who wouldn’t fall for it?]

“What if they’re not alone and a group is working together?”

[They would definitely break through. There’s no way around that. No matter how high a wizard’s mental strength is, if there are many, they can easily be overwhelmed. Even if it’s just one person, if there’s a price to pay, it would happen even faster…]

Russell paused.

The reason Lucion was asking him this wasn’t merely out of curiosity.

[Lucion, are you assuming that the Hand of the Void has been in the Magic Tower from the beginning? Is that right?]

“Exactly. More precisely, there must have been a wizard cooperating with the Hand of the Void.”

The Magic Tower was extremely difficult for outsiders to enter, but relatively easy for insiders to exit compared to outsiders.

“Do you remember? The day I first acquired the branch, when I traced the tracking magic Peter fell into?” 

Peter had recklessly run away, leading to him being pursued by the warlock of the Hand of the Void.

[I remember. You just sort of brushed it off back then, right?]

“It was in the Magic Tower.”

Lucion cleared his throat.

“The one who cast the tracking black magic on Peter was the Hand of the Void, and the fact that the trace led to the Magic Tower suggests that my hypothesis holds some weight, doesn’t it?”

[That’s not just a possibility; it’s practically a certainty.]

Russell stroked his chin with determination.

[You’re referring to the wizard organization, Luminos, that you destroyed. I was curious how the Hand of the Void might approach them, but if the middleman is a wizard from the Magic Tower, everything makes sense.]

“That means they likely have already reached the tower,” Lucion stated.

[What do you think they’re after?]

“Wizards, ordinary people, and chaos, I’d say.”

Lucion grimaced.

The magic tower was set to open soon.

Only a few high-ranking nobles and insiders, including the Emperor, knew the date.

If a wizard was working with the Hand of the Void, obtaining this information would be simple.

[The Hand of the Void aims to assert the warlocks’ rights through power, and the tower opening provides the perfect opportunity for them.] 

Russell was right.

If they can capture the wizards with black magic and attack the public who come to see the tower, even if they turn their backs on the empire, everyone will know.

That the power of the warlock is not just a rumor, but a fact.

‘I have to stop them.’

A world that repeats itself is a world where the process is slightly different, but the outcome is the same.

If that’s the case, his act of resisting to cut the red thread might just be the way to prevent Veronia.

It could change the outcome entirely.

“It seems the time has come to announce the organization Ale to the world.”

If he knew that the Hand of the Void was going to dominate the Magic Tower, he should have acted sooner.

However, with ghosts likely surrounding the tower, the Emperor’s movements would be restricted.

The only one who could operate freely at this moment was his organization.

[Are you planning to strike preemptively?]

“Yes. We must act before they do. Given their past actions, preemptive action is necessary.” 

A beautiful ending, after all, should involve his own happiness.

Lucion felt his lips twitch in anticipation.

The final boss was weak enough that even Broson could handle it.

That made it worth trying.

“So, this urgency is what’s driving you?” Russell probed.

Lucion nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”

Squeak!

Listening to the sound of Ratta’s movement, Lucion thought several times, but the conclusion was the same.

‘Then, I should ask the Emperor for full support. He should be able to provide this much, right?’

Lucion soon smiled wider, immersed in happiness.

Of course, things were good now, but the thought of his organization members being able to upgrade to better weapons and clothes made him even more excited.

[Right. If you’re going to rip off the Emperor, you might as well do it properly.]

Lucion was startled by Russell’s nonchalant remark.

“Are you reading minds now?”

[You’re being too obvious.]

“It’s just that my teacher is perceptive.”

[Oh. Has Lord Lucion already woken up?]

Bethel poked her head over the wall and smiled brightly at Lucion.

—Bethel! Good morning!

Ratta wagged her tail enthusiastically, clutching her ball.

[Did Ratta sleep well?]

Bethel patted Ratta while glancing at Lucion.

[There’s no way Lord Lucion would lie down in bed on his own. It seems Hume was right; your face is flushed, so your fever must be starting to rise.]

“I got an earful from Hume as well. Look, I’m just laying here quietly.”

Lucion grumbled, to which Bethel chuckled.

[If Hume hadn’t done that, Lord Lucion would have probably gotten up and moved, possibly to meet Troy in Central.]

“I also plan to visit Brother Heint,” Lucion added.

[Are you going to reconcile?]

Bethel’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Reconcile, my foot.”

Lucion pulled the blanket up to his eyes.

“Brother Heint hinted that I was at fault first, so as his younger brother, I suppose I should act as if I’m conceding.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read