Kail and his group captured the attackers and brought them back straight to the territory. If they had been mere bandits, they would have executed them on the spot, but these were mysterious beings cloaked in black magic, not just simple bandits raiding for loot. Regardless of who they were, leaving them alone wasn’t an option given their connection to black magic. It was a forbidden spell within the empire—just being known to use it would attract immediate pursuit from imperial trackers.
“Young master, we’ve bound them all.”
“Good, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
To be safe, after severing their tendons and tightly binding them with ropes, the knights began their return march at over twice the speed they had come. Maybe because the situation was such, the knights focused entirely, managing to arrive at the territory almost twice as fast as on their way out. Upon arrival, the guards immediately alerted everyone of their triumphant return.
“─You’ve returned very quickly, Kail.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Did you patrol successfully?”
“Well, about that… I have something to show you.”
Kail showed the prisoners he captured to the viscount. The viscount tilted his head in confusion but then hardened his expression upon hearing Kail’s explanation.
“…What? Black magic?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
Two expert-level knights and dozens of aura users armed with decent equipment—this was military power even most territories couldn’t boast. Count Mayer held his position among the empire’s famed swordsmen without a single master, which spoke volumes.
After listening, the viscount quietly nodded and spoke.
“I see. ─Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, nothing serious.”
“Good. I’ll take it from here.”
The viscount rarely wore such a stern expression. He headed toward the prison where the captives were held. Kail, seeing this rare side of his father, muttered a slight exclamation before quietly turning away.
‘I should go see Yuri.’
Though Kail was a master, political finesse or interrogation skills weren’t his forte—those belonged to the viscount, who survived among cunning nobles despite lacking strength. It wasn’t just familial bias; he was a man worth trusting.
* * *
“AAAAAHHH─!!”
The smell and sizzle of burning flesh filled the room as the man’s agonized screams echoed through the interrogation chamber. The torturer, familiar with such cries, smirked before pressing the branding iron into the man’s body again. Amidst the unbearable pain of burning flesh, muscle, and nerves, the torturer gleefully branded the man’s entire body.
“Has he talked yet?”
“Ah, my lord.”
The torturer, seeing the viscount enter, immediately set down the branding iron and gave a light bow. The viscount acknowledged it, gazing intently at the prisoner now covered in burns.
The man’s body was a canvas of pain, yet astonishingly, he remained silent—a testament to his mental fortitude and specialized torture training. But no matter how strong one’s will, enduring torture was impossible.
“Do you plan to remain silent?”
“…….”
“Very well, hand it over.”
Taking the blazing branding iron from the knight, the viscount infused it with aura before forcefully pressing it against the prisoner’s body. The pain intensified beyond the burning flesh—it seared the soul itself. The prisoner convulsed, unable to scream, passing out repeatedly under the relentless agony.
When the room reeked of excrement, the viscount splashed water to revive him.
“Cough! Cough!”
“Still unwilling to talk?”
“Haah, haah… St-stop…”
“Very well.”
The viscount calmly set down the iron and pressed firmly on the prisoner’s collarbone, eliciting another pained groan. Unfazed, he spoke.
“If you wish to remain silent, so be it. If you desire death, I’ll ensure it’s accompanied by unimaginable suffering.”
“Ghhhuuuhh…!”
“How dare you dabble in black magic.”
As a knight sworn to the emperor, Count Karl had a duty to protect the empire. Rooting out such filth dabbling in black magic fell squarely within his responsibilities.
“Whoever backs you, I’ll burn them all to ashes.”
“You mad bastard─!”
“Yes, only a madman would dare such a thing.”
Withdrawing his hand from the prisoner’s collarbone, the viscount wiped off the blood-stained cloth and tossed it aside in disgust. Turning to the hardened torturer, he ordered, “Kill him. Torture him to maximize his suffering.”
“Yes, yes! Understood!”
“W-wait… What kind of torture is this…!”
“Silence, you wretched fool!”
“Ghhuk, AAAAHHH─!”
Leaving the renewed screams behind, the viscount quietly exited the interrogation room. Despite his brief stay, the stench of blood clung heavily to him.
‘This outfit needs to go.’
Peeling off the blood-soaked clothes, he instructed a servant to dispose of them before changing and heading to his office. Anger surged within him, urging him to hunt down the culprits immediately. But patience was key.
‘Whoever orchestrated this—I’ll tear them apart.’
With that resolve, the viscount focused on his work. To leap into action when needed, not a single document could be left unattended.
* * *
Back at the manor, I crossed swords with the household knights, teaching those who sought guidance since learning I was a master.
*Clang!*
“…I yield.”
Leon Knight, disarmed in just three moves, stared at me in disbelief.
“Truly, truly remarkable growth, young master.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“This is the sword of a master…”
“Save your admiration for later. Next.”
I dismissed Leon, deep in thought, and continued sparring with other knights. Experts gained insights from my techniques, while ordinary aura users and trainee knights picked up a lesson or two.
Afterward, the knights showered me with praise.
“Amazing, young master. A master in your teens… Perhaps you could surpass even a grand master!”
“Grand master? What’s that?”
“A legendary rank! Surely you’ve heard of it from fairy tales?”
I chuckled at the notion. Alas, grand masters didn’t exist—not in games or reality. Such absurd levels were mythical.
Even reaching master level granted the ability to face armies alone. What more could a grand master achieve?
‘Destroy planets single-handedly?’
No game or world would allow such broken balance—it’d ruin the fun and logic.
“Young master, earlier you did this…”
“Oh? Let’s try…”
We discussed techniques, alternated hands during sparring, and even brought in multiple experts for 2v1 or 3v1 matches. Ironically, an expert who lasted three moves in a 1v1 duel was defeated in two moves when facing two opponents.
The seasoned knights could only laugh bitterly at how far they still were from mastery.
* * *
“We’ve uncovered the mastermind.”
After prolonged interrogation, the viscount gathered his vassals, who swallowed nervously as he spoke.
“It was the baron of Etalin.”
“But isn’t the Etalin family loyal to the empire? Why would they dabble in black magic?”
“Perhaps they found black magic too tempting,” the viscount replied with a bitter chuckle before abruptly sobering.
“This isn’t just a challenge to our house—it’s a challenge to His Majesty the Emperor.”
The prohibition of black magic came from the emperor’s decree. Violating it equaled treason.
“We cannot let such vermin tarnish the royal honor.”
“─So…”
“Yes. I’ve already informed His Majesty and received an imperial mandate.”
The viscount’s piercing gaze swept over his vassals.
“It’s war.”
