The Duke, as if realizing he had misheard, inquired once more.
“What Did You Just Say?”
“I said it’s The Document Related to the Expedition to Fight Against the Barbarians.”
“No way, who gave permission for this…?!”
But mid-sentence, the Duke realized he had just granted that very permission moments ago. On paper, it was true.
Which meant any Problems arising from this mission would land squarely on his shoulders—and Kail needed to have the Document snatched away before he did something reckless.
However, Kail acted as though predicting the Duke’s move and swiftly tucked the Document away.
“Does a man go back on his word?”
“You tricked me!”
“It wasn’t trickery…”—though Rizelotte seemed tempted to say so—“Your Grace, you yourself agreed to sign regardless of what it was, didn’t you? And wasn’t that signature in lieu of my reward?”
Thus, whether the Duke knew or didn’t know the contents of the Document mattered little. What mattered was that his signature stood as Kail’s reward for his battlefield achievements.
And invalidating this Document would be tantamount to revoking an already-granted reward—a dishonorable act no ruler would dare commit.
“Don’t worry, am I the type to die?”
“That’s not what I’m worried about…!”
“I’ll take responsibility! I’ll personally ensure Elder Zhang escapes from the North!”
The Duke’s duty was clear: prevent the dangerous entities beyond the North from ever stepping foot into the Empire. Currently, the most formidable threat were the Barbarian Tribes—born with formidable Corporeal Forms and powerful Aurae, they were a warrior race unmatched.
But what if these Barbarians were wiped out entirely? Normally impossible, but now—with much of the Empire’s forces depleted after a recent war—it was conceivable.
After all, there were four Masters present in the North, rare even across the entire continent. Even excluding the Duke tasked with guarding the Great Wall, three remained.
“Well then, see ya!”
Kail, having delivered his lines, bolted out of the room while shutting his ears to anything else. It was crucial to escape before the recovering Duke could stop him. War favored speed—the historically proven most effective strategy.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Beyond the North…to the edge of the world.
* * *
In the reception hall, an awkward silence hung between Merlin and Rizelotte as they quietly sipped their tea.
Rizelotte harbored resentment toward Merlin—not toward Merlin himself, but toward his second personality, Feyna—who had wronged her. Now that Feyna no longer existed, her hatred lingered unresolved within her heart.
With no outlet to release her frustration, Rizelotte could only glare menacingly at the source of her anger.
Under the burning gaze, Merlin shifted uncomfortably. “─Though it pains me to say this, can’t you let go of your grudge?”
“You’re fully aware how improper that statement is.”
“A True Sorcerer doesn’t discriminate between things they should or shouldn’t say.”
“True Sorcerer my ass. Go die, you freak.”
“That’s unfair. I didn’t even know your face.”
Merlin was well-aware of what his vanished second personality had done and said to her. Even he found it absurd upon hearing the details—an insult so grave that had someone suggested it to him, he’d have cursed them into eternal torment.
He understood why Rizelotte couldn’t retaliate; she simply wasn’t strong enough. Her pent-up frustration would remain unresolved until Merlin grew weaker than her.
‘How irrational.’
When faced with an unsolvable Problem, one must acknowledge its insolubility and let go.
Yet Rizelotte clung stubbornly to her grievances, refusing to release what should’ve been abandoned long ago. To Merlin, a rational Sorcerer, her behavior appeared excessively illogical and unreasonable.
Had she been an ordinary person, he might have shrugged it off. But she was a High Sorcerer—making her actions incomprehensible.
“─There you two are.”
Kail burst through the door to find the pair silently glaring at each other. He chuckled awkwardly.
Merlin rose casually upon noticing Kail’s arrival. “I’ll leave now. Consider this debt settled?”
“There’s still one left.”
“Planning to use it immediately? Foolish thinking.”
“Hmm… fair point. Feel free to leave, old man Merlin.”
“─If this brat goes, then so do I. There’s something I need to attend to.”
Having repaid her debt to Kail by being here, Rizelotte intended to follow Merlin—not out of gratitude, but vengeance. While her obligation to Kail prevented her from acting now, once the debt was cleared, things would change.
“Still unacceptable. I need to punch this guy to vent.”
“You’ll lose…”
“Strength isn’t always determined until tested.”
Tensions escalated. Merlin glanced at Kail, who shrugged nonchalantly with a grin, signaling non-involvement.
Sighing deeply, Merlin raised his staff and pointed it at Rizelotte.
“Come on, then.”
“─Oh sweet death, come forth! Komm, süßer Tod.”
A dark shadow enveloped the room—different from the darkness emitted by Kail’s Demon Sword. This was Death itself, not mere nightmares.
An aura that withered everything it touched. Kail instinctively surrounded himself with Aura to block the magic while observing the fight.
“Fantasy Manifestation幻想具現.”
Merlin countered with his signature ultimate spell, unbroken after decades.
…Or so he thought, unaware it had been cracked by Kail during a previous encounter when Merlin was incapacitated.
Likewise, Merlin had no clue Rizelotte had analyzed and studied his spell extensively.
“End of All Things. Tod aller Dinge.”
The black mist coalesced into the form of a hooded skeleton wielding a massive Scythe. With a single swing, Death’s Scythe annihilated everything it touched—including magic.
Swish—!
“…Huh?”
Merlin stared dumbfounded as the Death Scythe effortlessly pierced through his supposedly invincible spell. It reminded him too much of Feyna, causing Kail to chuckle involuntarily. Meanwhile, Rizelotte burned with rage.
“You completely disregarded me.”
“Wha—how…?”
“Do you think I’m some incompetent novice after watching it countless times?”
Having judged Rizelotte irrationally due to her seemingly unreasonable behavior, Merlin was genuinely shocked when she dismantled his spell.
What he didn’t know was that Rizelotte hadn’t undergone formal Sorcerer training. Centuries ago, cursed by an unknown Black Mage to become a Witch, she taught herself magic blindfolded solely to escape.
Thus, while lacking conventional Sorcerer knowledge, her talent lay in copying others’ spells from tiny traces. It was a skill honed over a lifetime.
“─Didn’t I promise to kill you?”
The Fantasy shattered. Death claimed its toll.
Just as the sharp Scythe pierced toward Merlin’s chest, Kail intervened, grabbing hold of it.
The mighty Scythe trembled under Kail’s Aura, unable to advance further. Rizelotte glared cautiously at Kail.
“What are you doing?”
“For my sake, please let it go.”
“You saved me, yes—but this guy is my enemy.”
“He didn’t do anything directly, and he’s apologizing, right?”
At Kail’s question, Merlin nodded promptly, proving his position as Imperial Palace Archmage wasn’t earned through gambling alone. His perceptiveness shone brightly in this moment.
Seeing Merlin nod, Rizelotte clicked her tongue irritably.
“Fine, fine—I get it! I admit this guy isn’t worth my time. I’ll overlook it this once.”
“Thank you, Lady Witch. And Merlin?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Wasn’t I the one who saved you?”
“…Thanks.”
“Okay, since I helped again, the debt increases—so come along.”
Realizing another legal means to command Merlin’s assistance, Kail requested his help.
Merlin seized the reasonable opportunity to repay his life-debt without hesitation.
