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“Wow.”

Ian looked up at the monster leaping into the air, his expression one of disbelief.

He had unleashed his techniques, thinking to finish it off before the effects wore off, yet it had broken through.

“Is it still alive?”

Its limbs had been torn apart and its body was charred from the explosions, but that was only temporary. The edges of its wounds began to bubble and, in an instant, its limbs were restored, and the burnt fur grew back.

It seemed to be receiving quite a bit of love from the Outer gods. Its body was as tough as its tenacity, making it a real nuisance.

“Well, fine.”

It turned out that luring it to jump into the air was the right call after all.

Ian gathered the flames and heat that spread around him.

What could almost be called magic unfolded before him. Dozens of flames spiraled up and coalesced above Ian’s head, forming a spear-like shape.

“Let’s see if you can regenerate even as ashes.”

[Flame Domain, Spear that Pierces the Heart.]

Ian shot forth the fiery spear.

The startled monster flailed helplessly in the air, unable to move due to its lack of special abilities.

The fiery spear pierced right through the monster.

Fwharrrrrr!

He thought he heard a scream, but perhaps its vocal cords had burned away, as there was silence instead. Just then, the black sphere in the sky disappeared.

The timing was truly artistic. Though unintentional, it felt as though this technique purified the very sky.

The violet-tinged sky was returning to its original color.

“Ha.”

Ian knelt on one knee. Ah, this is more exhausting than I expected.

Though he hadn’t been injured, the consumption of magic was immense. The recoil from the technique was much stronger than he anticipated, and his stomach churned violently.

“Magic stone….”

Realizing too late, he lifted his head but saw nothing falling. It seemed the magic stones had also perished, unable to withstand the flames.

He regretted not controlling the power earlier, but it was too late to turn back now.

Clatter.

At that moment, a landing sound drew his attention, and an aura suddenly appeared. It seemed to have jumped up from below, not from the stairs.

Curious about who it was, he confirmed it was a red-spear knight covered in blood.

“Idiot, what are you doing?”

Though the knight was clad in full armor and a helmet, Ian could guess who it was. In fact, only one person would call him that.

“…Dior.”

As expected, the knight flinched.

“I’m glad you’re alive, idiot. I was worried you might already be dead.”

“Could you have come a bit sooner? You show up only after everything is over?”

“I’m grateful I arrived, and if you’ve rested enough, get up now. What will others say if they see you like this?”

“Wow, that guy really fought hard. They’d think, ‘He worked hard, good job,’ if they had any conscience.”

Dior let out a hollow laugh.

“Yeah, you did your part. Good job.”

“You didn’t come alone, did you?”

“The entire 4th division of the Red Spear Knights and the reserves are here. All because of you. It’s the first time such a large force has been dispatched recently. You know that, right?”

“Even if you have to spit some saliva in your mouth to lie, do it. You know that dispatching is a common occurrence, right? There’s no way you came just because of me.”

Dior shrugged his shoulders.

“To be precise, we came because of Dimyude, not you. The pact we made in the past is still valid.”

“So you came here out of an obligation to protect this place?”

Since he had a vague idea about it, he didn’t feel hurt. Rather, he was grateful that a whole knight division was dispatched just from a single call.

Thanks to that, he didn’t have to worry about the monsters pouring out from the outer gate.

In reality, falling from such a height would typically mean certain death, but given the monster’s extraordinary physical abilities, it likely sustained some damage but wouldn’t be dead.

“Phew.”

Ian slowly rose to his feet. Whether it was the aftereffects of the battle or the waning effects of the potion, his entire body felt stiff. After fighting against a black mage and a monster on the brink of becoming a beast, it was almost a relief that he felt this much.

I can recover soon.

It was different from the past. He could take adequate rest and enjoy quality meals.

Ian slowly lifted his head. The sky, a mix of violet and blue, came into view.

As he stared quietly, he felt not a sense of pride from resolving this situation, but rather a heaviness about the future that lay ahead.

***

A vast underground cavern.

The ceiling was endlessly high, and the walls seemed infinitely distant.

In this open space, lines, shapes, and characters densely filled the area, emitting a glowing light.

Dozens of magic circles slowly rotated as if interlocking like the gears of a machine.

It was a mind-boggling sight. And at the center stood an old man, nonchalantly watching over a thick magic stone placed before him.

Woom woom woom!

Dozens of magic circles suddenly resonated, causing the underground cavern to shake.

The old man continued to watch the magic stone without a hint of panic.

Crack—

But cracks began to form on the magic stone. Simultaneously, a faint change appeared on the old man’s face.

“Ah.”

With that quiet exclamation, the dozens of magic circles that filled this vast space lost their light and melted away into the air.

Riorg Ribella, a member of the Demon Lord’s Council from Pandemonium and one of the authorities of the Black Tower, furrowed his brow as he watched this scene.

The cracked magic stone trembled and soon shattered into tiny pieces, falling to the ground.

“Another failure?”

As if waiting for this moment, someone appeared next to the old man. It was a stunning beauty dressed in an inappropriate outfit, seemingly unaware of her own shame.

Holding a long staff in one hand, she smiled mischievously, silently urging him for an answer.

The old man opened his mouth, maintaining an indifferent gaze.

“It seems that way.”

“Is there any progress?”

“All outcomes are progress. Failure is part of the path to success.”

“Someone should tell you that you’re too relaxed for an old man. But isn’t it a pity?”

“Being fixated on trivial treasures will never bring you closer to your grand purpose, Aybia.”

“…Trivial treasures? You’re probably the only one who would refer to a Level 6 magic stone like that. If you had given it to me, I wouldn’t have turned it into trash that couldn’t even be recycled. I could have used it very effectively.”

“Whether it becomes trash or a gem will be revealed in time. And don’t covet what belongs to others; get what you need yourself.”

“Hmph, as if I didn’t plan to do that. I’m going for something truly amazing.”

With that resolute statement, Riorg Ribella stared intently at Aybia’s face.

In his gaze, there was not a trace of desire. Only questions were contained within.

“What brings you here? You usually come just to take the magic stones. If begging isn’t your purpose, then why are you here?”

“I’ve come to deliver some news to you, you insufferable person. I thought you might not know.”

“……?”

“You told me last time that you were preparing something interesting in Flaming and that I shouldn’t do anything unnecessary. I’m sorry. Whatever you had planned, it seems to have failed.”

Aybia toyed with the wrinkled face of Riorg Ribella, her actions and expressions full of mocking laughter.

“Do you know who’s to blame for that? It’s the rumor that it was the fool from Berger who caused it. Hehe.”

This was a low-level provocation implying that his plans were ruined because of this insignificant person.

However, Aybia knew that this kind of provocation would be most effective against Riorg Ribella, unlike anyone else.

“The fool… you mean Ian Berger?”

“Oh my, you know him?”

“How sly.”

Riorg Ribella said this while slightly lifting his staff and tapping it on the ground.

With a light sound, Aybia jumped back in surprise.

Immediately, a blade of dark magical energy slashed through the air where she had been standing.

Swish!

It was a hair’s breadth away. If she had remained still, her body would have been torn to shreds.

Yet, even though her life had been threatened, Aybia did not get angry. Instead, she felt pleased that the old man had shown his emotions this way.

“That fool who killed your disciple has now disrupted your plans. They say the first is a coincidence, the second is a necessity, and the third is fate, right?”

“…….”

“Just one more time left. That fool might become your adversary, you know? I wonder how he’ll interfere next time. Oh, if you keep teasing me like this, I might actually die. I’ll come again! This time, please fetch me a Level 6 magic stone, will you?”

Aybia left those shameless words behind and vanished from sight.

Riorg Ribella fell into thought. He didn’t feel particularly good about it.

The plan he was preparing in Flaming was meant to cause chaos and draw attention, so he had sent one of his promising disciples.

“Ben.”

Ben Jiniman. He was a child more talented in crafting weapons using dark magic than in necromancy.

‘He’s probably dead.’

If he had survived, it would have been his disciple, not that cunning witch, who would have come to deliver the news.

‘What a shame.’

The Black Mage Tower, unlike ordinary mage towers, found it difficult to procure talented candidates to become mages.

They kidnapped children and trained them, selecting talented individuals from the hybrid races who had turned to the outer seas, but the number was exceedingly small. They needed to devise a countermeasure.

Ian Berger.

“…An adversary, what nonsense.”

Riorg Ribella left the underground chamber, his expression dark.

* * *

The chaos in the city of Flaming, where people turned into monsters and a portal opened in the sky, was quickly brought under control.

Thanks to the Holy Knights of the Red Spear and the priests dispatched from the Temple of the Gods. Everyone knew that the root of all this trouble was the Dark Mage.

The box that Ian had set aside served as evidence, and a few who had been transformed into monsters thanks to the potion but managed to keep the holy relic became witnesses.

Ian waited for the situation to settle down a bit before it was time to meet Semid.

Clank, clank—

As he walked down the corridor, he could see holy knights and priests rushing past.

They were stiff-necked individuals, but they lightly bowed their heads as they passed by Ian. Their action must have been prompted by the golden insignia attached to their attire.

“…….”

As Ian passed by them and entered the reception room, he saw Semid sprawled out, looking exhausted.

“Ah, you’re here?”

His hand waved weakly, devoid of any noble grace.

However, his expression was filled not with fatigue but with laughter.

“Looks like things went well?”

“If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Do you know who those people were who just left? They were judges! Two magistrates questioned me extensively right here! They even investigated the mansion. You have no idea how terrified I was. Want to know what scared me the most?”

“?”

“I thought it was just some trivial drug issue. Who would have guessed that a Dark Mage was involved? Maybe if the cartel had tried to intervene, it would have made sense. In that regard, your appearance here must have been the real arrangement of the lord.”

“…….”

“What if you had refused my request? I would’ve been left to handle it myself, right? But with the troops I had, there’s no way I could have defeated the Dark Mage. I would have been killed on the spot, or worse, captured and blackmailed into handing over the lordship to Bedid. No, it’s a Dark Mage we’re talking about. It wouldn’t be surprising if I ended up as a puppet while still alive.”

Even if, by some chance, he had defeated the Dark Mage, there would still be a problem.

Without the assistance of the Red Spear Knights, Flaming would have practically fallen already.

Even if the mercenaries remaining in the city managed to fend off the monsters pouring out from the outer gates, they couldn’t escape the stigma of the Dimiud family conspiring with the Dark Mage to rebel against the Empire.

In fact, Semid had just witnessed such an atmosphere while being interrogated by the judges.

However, the drugs Ian had prepared beforehand became crucial evidence, and those who had been able to possess the holy relic despite using the drugs became witnesses, escaping the curse of mutation.

Moreover, Semid’s proactive actions in seeking assistance from the Berger family were taken into consideration, leading the judge from the temple to decide not to impose any significant sanctions on the Dimiud family.

“Thank goodness. I hope you realize this was all thanks to me.”

“Of course. I remember what promise we made. Now, let’s go. I’ll show you the treasures our family has been stockpiling.”

Semid walked briskly and led Ian down to the building’s basement.

When he opened a locked door, they were greeted by the sight of a massive iron door standing wide open.

“Was this always open?” Ian asked, momentarily taken aback.

“It looks like it’s been raided.”

———-