Chapter 448
Margel Randolph had never once been caught until now.
The reason was his main black magic, Doppelganger.
Margel personally managed numerous hideouts scattered across the entire kingdom, and in every hideout, Margel himself was seated.
Not even his subordinates knew which one was the real body.
This was possible thanks to the Doppelganger magic Margel had developed on his own. To sustain doppelgangers far away, he had engraved sustaining circles on the floors of each hideout.
And in one of those hideouts, a secret underground base in a province not far from Pharonna, called Doopri.
Here too, Margel was seated.
“Boss, the item sent by the young master has arrived.”
“Bring it in.”
Clatter—!
A subordinate appeared, pulling a cart with wheels. On top of the cart sat a large wooden crate.
“Open it.”
Click—!
When the subordinate lifted the lid of the crate, inside lay none other than the skull of Deimos, the very one that had been stored in a museum.
“It’s the genuine article, without a doubt.”
The subordinate bowed as he reported. Margel stroked his lips with a satisfied smile.
“Good, where is Malcolm?”
“The young master only sent the item, he did not come here himself.”
There were signs Malcolm had leaked organizational information to outsiders. This was unmistakable defiance, and perhaps even betrayal against the gang.
Of course, Malcolm had yielded to the trap Margel had prepared in advance, but still.
“Boss, do you really intend to make Young Master Malcolm your successor?”
The man known as Number Two, his hair slicked all the way back, asked in all seriousness.
“Ever since learning the secret tied to his mother, his every action has been suspicious.”
“I know. That’s why I tested him.”
Margel rested his chin on his hand.
“He succeeded in the mission, but he failed my test. Find Malcolm. If you cannot, seize his mother and drag her here. That will make him come.”
“Understood.”
“He won’t have gone far from Pharonna. Put the item away in storage.”
“Yes, sir!”
The subordinates grabbed hold of the cart’s handles again.
Ssshhhhh—!
From the skull’s eye sockets, smoke began to rise.
“T-this is—!”
Two nearby gangsters collapsed instantly.
“Careful! It’s poison smoke!”
The subordinates hurriedly pulled out handkerchiefs and covered their mouths. Margel did the same.
Bang!
At that moment, the basement door shattered apart, and a flash of light blazed out of the darkness.
<Exanimis>
Thud!
Bam!
Three subordinates struck by the streaking flash were flung over ten meters away, slammed against the wall.
“It’s been a while, Margel.”
Step— step—
Four men strode into the basement.
They moved freely within the toxic smoke, likely having already ingested an antidote.
And at the center, a tall, slim man in a fedora radiated an overwhelming aura.
“Margel, you are under arrest for the use and distribution of illegal explosives, and for the Pharonna terror attack.”
Margel’s expression twisted with rage.
“……Sasaila.”
Sasaila Beldivier.
One of the most prominent necromancers of the Baldwin Kingdom, known by the epithet Spear of the Kingdom.
“Thanks to your doppelgangers, I’ve been sent on a wild goose chase six times already.”
Sasaila set down the modern-looking staff he carried and smiled.
“Let’s hope the seventh time’s the charm.”
“You arrogant bastard!”
Just then, the slick-haired gangster, waiting for his chance in the shadows, sprang from the floor.
His sharp dagger lunged straight for Sasaila’s neck.
Clang!
A gray-haired man stepped in front of Sasaila.
Brrr—
With only his index and middle fingers, he caught the onrushing dagger dead on. No matter how the gangster strained, he couldn’t pull it free.
“Grr, grhhhk!”
“Finish it, Kajan.”
Crack!
Before Sasaila had even finished giving the order, the gray-haired man drove his fist deep into the gangster’s abdomen. His body bent over, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
The gray-haired man then seized the gangster’s head with both hands and—
Thunk!
Headbutted him like a hammer. The gangster’s eyes rolled back as foam bubbled from his mouth, and he collapsed.
“Haha! That’s Kajan for you.”
Sasaila laughed in satisfaction. Kajan, however, pointed forward indifferently with a finger, as if to say now was not the time.
Ssshhhh—
In the meantime, Margel had created more than forty doppelgangers.
“So, I was right!”
Sasaila clapped his hands in delight.
“All thanks to the informant.”
Margel’s eyes sharpened.
“……Who told you my location?”
“It would be impolite to ask about one’s informant, Margel.”
Margel’s eyebrow twitched, but he soon exhaled deeply, regaining composure.
“Fine, it doesn’t matter anyway.”
The forty doppelgangers crouched low, stirring up Darkness.
“You think finding my real body will change anything? I’ll just knock you all down and escape.”
Sasaila smirked and raised his index finger.
<Life Link>
A red thread of curse shot from his fingertip, connecting to the leading doppelganger.
From there, ten more lines branched to other doppelgangers, repeating again and again.
In the end, all forty doppelgangers were bound in a red spiderweb.
Sasaila pulled back his hand and spoke.
“Kajan.”
“Yes.”
Kajan extended his claws, slashing at the air.
Slash!
Rrrrip!
Rrrrip!
Almost simultaneously, five claw marks appeared across each of the forty doppelgangers, tearing them apart, and only Margel, the true body, staggered, vomiting blood with a wound across his chest.
“Ghhk!”
Crack!
Kajan shot forward like a bullet, driving his fist into Margel’s jaw. Blood burst from his mouth, several teeth glittering as they flew into the air.
“You bastard!!”
Blood streaming down his face, Margel dug his heels in and thrust out a finger.
“Exani……!”
Crack!
Margel’s index finger suddenly snapped upward. His curse shot harmlessly into the ceiling.
“Refríngo.”
Sasaila’s curse triggered much faster.
“It’s a curse that breaks fingers.”
Crack-crack! Crack!
Ten finger joints twisted of their own accord, and Margel shrieked in horror.
Then Kajan grabbed the back of Margel’s head and smashed it into the basement floor.
Thud!
Margel fell silent.
“Well done, everyone, well done!”
Sasaila clapped his hands in applause.
The two necromancers who had come along went deeper into the hideout to investigate, while those waiting outside entered to bind the unconscious gangsters.
“You’ve done well too, Kajan.”
Kajan quietly pulled the hood of his robe down over his head.
“Spare me the pleasantries. Just make sure you pay the commission.”
“Of course.”
Kajan left the basement without another word.
* * *
Calmly leaving the Randolph gang’s underground base, Kajan walked through the busy streets of the city.
Then, he sat at an outdoor table of a suitable restaurant and ordered wine and cheese.
Pop.
With practiced ease, he removed the cork and poured wine into the glass, then spoke.
“We’ve caught Margel, Malcolm.”
The robed man sitting at the next table slowly turned his back.
“……Thank you, senior.”
“Just call me Kajan. More importantly, do you have no regrets? He was your father, after all.”
“None.”
Malcolm chewed on a piece of jerky and added,
“Not even a little.”
The informant, the one who had contributed most to capturing Margel, was none other than Malcolm himself.
After deciding to betray Margel, Malcolm had gone to the Thieves’ Guild.
It was obvious that the Baldwin Kingdom would be desperate to capture Margel, presumed culprit behind the Pharonna incident. He knew that if he leaked the information to the Thieves’ Guild, it would inevitably flow into Baldwin’s hands.
As Malcolm had expected, the Thieves’ Guild moved at once. Since it was such a major case, Kajan himself, who happened to be nearby, had taken the lead.
“How did you know? That Margel in this city’s hideout was the real one.”
“I checked the organization’s ledgers.”
Malcolm shrugged.
“My father— no, Margel— uses a special magic circle to maintain doppelgangers over long distances. Naturally, it requires costly magical reagents. And today was the supply day, yet I found one hideout that still had leftover stock.”
“I see.”
It was something only another doppelganger user like Malcolm could have discerned. Kajan turned his head.
“What will you do now?”
“……”
Malcolm let out a long sigh, tilting his head back.
“Margel has been taken, and the gang will scatter, but one day they’ll learn that I betrayed him. When that happens, my mother’s life will be in danger. Once someone sets foot in this world, they cannot escape the fate of being entangled in blood vengeance.”
“Indeed.”
“To protect my mother, I must seize control of the underworld. I need greater power.”
He clenched his fist tightly.
—Hold on, endure, and someday, it will be your turn to rise again.
Recalling that damned voice, Malcolm closed his eyes.
“I want to return to Keyzen, senior.”
“You crazy bastard.”
Kajan growled as he chewed on cheese.
“Even if you’ve changed your mind, you’re still a member of the organization. Your crimes don’t vanish.”
“I know. I know better than anyone that I’m trash. But still, this is the only way I know to live.”
“……”
After popping the last piece of cheese into his mouth, Kajan grabbed the half-full wine bottle and rose to his feet.
“The information that you were involved in Pharonna.”
“?”
“I’ll cover it. But you must keep a secret as well.”
Kajan walked away with his back turned.
“That I’m working missions for the Thieves’ Guild.”
Malcolm, staring at his departing figure, let out a short laugh.
‘……Missions, my ass.’
* * *
The Mercenary Guild.
“Well done on the Pharonna dispatch! Mercenary King!”
“Good job!”
When Arthur arrived at the Mercenary Guild, many comrades congratulated him. Arthur scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.
“Haha! A mission of this level, it’s simple when it’s assigned to me!”
“Hey, Arthur.”
A female mercenary, giving orders through the crystal of her bracelet, handed him a letter.
“A letter came for you.”
“A letter?”
“Yes, it arrived at another guild two weeks ago, and they asked us to deliver it here.”
Arthur tilted his head, examining the black envelope front and back.
Then, when he saw the seal imprinted on it, his mouth fell open.
“No way, from Keyzen……!”
“Surprising! For someone so clueless about the world, how did you recognize that seal?”
“I saw Keyzen students in Pharonna, and their uniforms had this exact symbol on them!”
Arthur tore open the envelope.
At the mention of Keyzen, the other mercenaries crowded behind him. With a pounding heart, Arthur unfolded the letter.
[Keyzen Special Admission Notice – Arthur Bleman]
“No way! Arthur is going to Keyzen?”
“Well, he is seventeen this year.”
“Party! Party time!!”
The mercenaries roared with laughter, raising mugs of dark beer. Arthur gave an awkward smile.
“Come on~ a mercenary going to school? No thanks! I’ll just keep working with you all……”
“Be honest.”
The female mercenary poked him in the chest.
“Forget about being the Mercenary King, what do you really want?”
“……”
The truth was, he still saw it.
—Arthur! Keep going!
That broad back, framed against the violet lightning scattering in every direction.
He couldn’t forget it.
He wanted to shine like that man.
Arthur pressed his lips into a firm line, and the female mercenary, as if she knew everything, smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Then it’s decided! Let’s drink to it!”
Everyone in the Mercenary Guild raised their mugs high. Mercenaries on the second floor even leaned over the terrace, raising their drinks.
“To our king, and to Keyzen’s special admission student, Arthur Bleman’s shining future!”
“Cheers!!!”
In unison, the mercenaries lifted their drinks to their lips. Arthur’s eyes brimmed with tears of emotion.
“E-everyone……!”
“We’ll still have plenty of time to work together. Three years off is nothing.”
The female mercenary gave a sly smile.
“But for our pride, you must graduate as Keyzen’s strongest, understood?”
“Of course!”
Arthur clenched his fists together.
“In my grandfather’s name, in the honor of the Mercenary King! I will surely return as the strongest!”
* * *
The Dresden Royal Palace.
Haaa—
A girl in a dress closed her eyes and clasped her hands together.
“Ancestors, true divinity.”
With every word she whispered, the surroundings warped.
The eyes of portraits shifted, clock hands turned backward. Flowerpots shook, curtains rose toward the ceiling.
Just as her concentration neared its peak—
Knock knock knock—
A knock at the door startled her. When she opened her eyes, the disturbances subsided.
“Yes, I’m coming.”
Click.
When she opened the door, a burly middle-aged man with a soft white beard greeted her with a warm smile.
“Molly!”
The princess’ eyes shone with joy.
“Father!”
Molly rushed into his arms.
But today, the king’s expression was a little strange. Like someone itching to hold back laughter. The maids behind him wore smiles that looked ready to burst.
“Haha! Molly, look at what I’ve brought!”
The black envelope he held made Molly’s eyes widen.
“That letter……!”
Her hands trembled as she received it. She pulled out the stiff paper from within and unfolded it.
[Keyzen Special Admission Notice – Molly Dresden]
“F-father!”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Congratulations, Molly! Hahaha!”
Father and daughter embraced tightly, sharing their joy.
Through her teary vision, she checked the letter again and again, confirming her name. It was indeed Molly’s own name.
‘I did it!’
Her eyes turned to the window.
‘I’ll see you soon! Senior Simon!’
* * *
Pentamonium.
A short-haired girl in a white hospital gown sat at the fountain. All around her, countless vines spread.
“Even my summons can’t stand against you anymore.”
A man in a white coat chuckled in amazement, ticking off a checklist.
Around him, dozens of skeletons and zombies hung ensnared by vines.
“You’ll be discharged soon. You’re controlling your ability perfectly now. How do you feel?”
“Good.”
She smiled, looking down at the black envelope.
“Because I’m going to Keyzen.”
“Indeed.”
She opened the letter again, though she had already read it countless times.
[Keyzen Special Admission Notice – Sasha]
Her lips curved upward.
“Wait for me, Simon oppa, Kami unni.”
The new strong ones of the continent, one by one, were gathering at Keyzen.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters