Under the green moonlight, a red magic circle was drawn.
The mages once again carefully adjusted to ensure that the magic circle functioned properly before stepping back.
“Bring her.”
“Yes, sir.”
A woman in a black robe who had disappeared into the shadows soon reappeared with a small figure.
Beside the woman stood a girl who looked to be about ten years old, glancing around nervously and trembling with fear.
“Where am I? I don’t know you! Send me back! Where’s Ulte?”
“Hush.”
The woman roughly grabbed the girl’s wrist as she continued to resist.
The frail girl was no match for the strength of an adult.
“Waaah!”
The woman threw the girl into the center of the magic circle.
The red light of the magic circle illuminated the girl against the darkness. Her thin frame seemed unremarkable at first glance, but the elongated ears protruding from her head revealed her distinct nature.
An elf.
A being born from the World Tree and destined to return to it.
A symbol of purity, possessing the purest mana of any race.
If a mage were to see her, even the slightest glimpse would surely ignite intense greed. Yet strangely, the gazes of the mages observing the elf carried only irritation.
Bang!
“Ahh!”
Without hesitation, one of the mages stepped on the girl’s wrist. Leaning forward, he deeply cut her finger with a dagger.
The blood flowing into the magic circle split into dozens of streams, each transforming into different colors.
Sizzle!
“…”
After meticulously examining the constantly fluctuating magic circle, the mage shook his head. He approached a man who had been observing the entire process from a distance and knelt before him.
“My lord.”
“Report, Kaive.”
“Despite detailed analysis, there has been no change in the results. No trace of deception or concealment could be found. It appears…her innate mana is impure.”
“How fascinating.”
Of all creatures, elves were known to possess the purest mana.
Yet this frail elf possessed mana more turbid than that of an elderly human who had never refined their mana.
This did not mean corruption.
It was merely impurity.
In other words, this was…
“A defective product.”
“It seems her growth has halted, and her intelligence has significantly declined.”
“Hmm, so even elves can be born with disabilities?”
“I’ve never heard of such a case.”
“Nevertheless, it’s not an unusual occurrence.”
Elves, like all living beings, were susceptible to mutations producing unique entities.
“Among elves, there are those who are naturally gifted. It stands to reason that there must also exist those at the opposite end of the spectrum.”
“The steward’s claim that we picked up an elf abandoned by her own kind… might actually be true.”
“Indeed, I wonder what expression the proud elves made upon seeing a defective member of their race.”
As Lord chuckled darkly, Kaive felt a sense of confusion.
To Kaive, Lord’s emotions at this moment should not have been pleasant.
“No connection to ‘Genesis’ could be confirmed in this elf.”
“I thought perhaps she might be of Resina’s lineage or successor, but associating such a defective product with Resina would be disrespectful.”
“She lacks even the value as an offering compared to a human child. Shall we dispose of her?”
“After the steward’s interrogation is complete.”
“Understood.”
“It hurts! It really hurts, I tell you!!”
The elf continued to cry out as she watched her own blood.
At her undignified behavior, Kaive unconsciously sighed, then quickly corrected his posture.
“My apologies.”
“Focus on maintaining the current situation until the interrogation concludes. Entrust control to the gangs. We wouldn’t want negative rumors spreading to other regions. If necessary, take action.”
“Understood.”
“My, my Lord!”
From the shadowed side, a middle-aged man with a long beard hurried over.
He was Jorjia, the head of the Jorjia Family.
The expressions of several mages immediately twisted in anger.
“You…!!”
Their territory, which should not be seen by others, had been invaded.
Though they should rightly display fury, when Lord waved his hand, the surging mana quickly subsided.
Jorjia cautiously approached Lord.
“Shall I come back later?”
“It’s fine. What is it?”
“I…found them as instructed. They’re nearby, secured.”
“Excellent. Very good. Kaive, handle the aftermath. I shall step away for a moment.”
“…Understood.”
Kaive bowed and retreated but remained puzzled even after leaving Lord’s side.
Great effort had been expended to temporarily place a fief under control. If discovered, relentless pursuit would surely follow for some time.
The reason for taking such risks to seize the fief was to track down Genesis.
‘However, we failed to achieve proper results.’
Based on information that the traces of Genesis’ last user 600 years ago ended near Dinor, this attempt was inherently risky from the start.
‘But disappointing is disappointing.’
Although the steward’s interrogation wasn’t yet complete, judging from the circumstances, it didn’t seem like the steward possessed significant information either.
At this rate, it might be necessary to settle in the fief and search for the missing lord.
And yet, Lord appeared consistently cheerful recently.
That cold and cruel Lord, despite achieving less-than-expected results, seemed unusually buoyant.
What could be the reason?
Kaive stroked his chin as he walked toward the elf.
*
The sky began to brighten with dawn.
Prompted by Lord, Jorjia briskly ascended the mountain path to find the cabin.
Before long, he spotted one of his subordinates guarding the cabin.
With a signal from Jorjia, the subordinate discreetly vanished from sight.
Hurrying to the cabin, Jorjia burst through the door to confirm the well-being of the two people he had brought along.
“Oh, you’ve been behaving yourselves.”
“What exactly is the meaning of this? You agreed to let us go, didn’t you?”
“Tsk! There seems to be some misunderstanding. We didn’t come back because of money issues.”
Pretending to be annoyed, Jorjia rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a few high-purity silver coins.
“Take these and calm down.”
The man’s eyes widened dramatically upon receiving the coins.
Kindly, Jorjia guided the man’s hand into his pocket.
“There’s something you need to do for us. It’s very simple. Since it’s a request from someone important, just finish the job well, secure your earnings, and leave.”
Just then, Lord entered the cabin and tossed a heavy pouch from his robes.
Upon briefly inspecting the pouch, the man gasped in astonishment.
“This is the advance payment. Upon successful completion of the task, we’ll pay the same amount again.”
“Th-this… We’re not skilled enough to deserve such money. Perhaps you’ve mistaken our identities?”
“No.”
Lord smiled.
“There’s something only you two can do.”
*
Responding to the sudden summons from the count, Jimy and Matthew hastily dressed and rode to the manor.
The duo had earned the count’s favor for their efforts in the Alessia abduction case.
Ordinarily, they wouldn’t have been nervous visiting the manor, but the timing was bad.
“Did Ray get into trouble again?”
“Boss, that kid declared he’d cause trouble and left.”
“Considering the distance, Dinor hasn’t been reached yet, right? Even if he caused trouble upon arrival, news wouldn’t have reached here so quickly.”
“So maybe he just invited us for breakfast?”
“With us lowly mercenaries?”
“Unless Lady has run away again. Or perhaps rewards for the previous incident?”
“We already got paid, so what reward now?”
“Damn it, you’re making me anxious too, boss. Stop fussing.”
After tidying their disheveled clothing for each other at the entrance of the manor, Jimy and Matthew swallowed hard and followed the maid to the office.
After handing over their weapons, Jimy and Matthew entered the office and knelt on one knee together.
“Greetings, my lord.”
“…Rise.”
Jimy and Matthew, seasoned mercenaries, instinctively realized this wasn’t going to be good news.
While trying to avoid eye contact by rolling their eyes around, they were quietly observed by the count, who then asked directly.
“Is Ray currently in the Dinor region?”
“Ugh!”
Jimmy’s blood pressure spiked, causing him to stagger in place. Matthew instinctively covered his face with both hands.
“Your reaction confirms it.”
“That…is…”
“Did Ray go to Dinor to…”
After reviewing the letter briefly, the count grimaced and asked.
“To dismantle the Jorjia Family?”
“Grrr…”
Jimmy looked as if he might foam at the mouth in frustration.
Matthew dared to pat Jimmy’s back despite the breach of etiquette in front of the count.
Coughing and spitting, Jimmy managed to lower his blood pressure and nodded slightly.
“Yes…my lord.”
“Let me ask first. Did you instruct Ray to provoke conflict with the Dinor gangs?”
“That…we did not. Absolutely not!”
“Normally, I’d question how a nine-year-old could wreak havoc alone in Dinor, but since it’s Ray, I’ll overlook that.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Do you know why Ray went to Dinor?”
“…”
After pondering for a moment, Jimmy groaned and spoke.
“One of the orphans Ray collected…”
“Collected?”
“…brought in was an orphan from Dinor.”
“Dinor ‘mountain’?”
“…an orphan residing in the Dinor area.”
“Was that the problem?”
“Originally, the Jorjia Family had targeted the child. Hmm.”
Glancing subtly, Jimmy continued.
“The child was smart and had a decent complexion, so they likely coveted them. If sold to the right buyer… they could fetch a high price.”
“I understand. So, Ray went to Dinor to eliminate the Jorjia Family due to the conflict?”
“Something like that.”
“Didn’t you try to stop him?”
“My lord, that boy’s stubbornness is extraordinary.”
Matthew added a word.
“And if we fight, we lose.”
“…”
“He can’t be stopped by force.”
Matthew looked up at the sky without any shame in admitting that a nine-year-old outmatched him in strength.
If Ray were just a couple of years older, even a regular knight would struggle to defeat him.
The count seemed to accept Matthew’s straightforward gaze and nodded.
“…I see. Wait outside for a moment.”
“As you wish.”
Once the office door closed, the count sat tapping his desk while holding the letter, deep in thought.
“…Sir Mohamed.”
“Speak, my lord.”
“If we’ve confirmed the existence of a Dark Wizard, wouldn’t it be wise to report to the royal family and await support?”
“The knights of Philips County are far from weak.”
“I trust my knights. I have no doubt about their strength and loyalty. However, there’s no need to sacrifice our full force for another fief’s matters.”
“Time… is insufficient.”
“You’re right. Who knows if someone might harm ‘Titi’ while we wait for support?”
The count chuckled darkly as he read the letter.
[‘Titi’ harmed forces.]
Had it not been for this final line, the count would never have moved his knights recklessly.
“We… have fallen. Bound by an ancestor’s pact from over six hundred years ago.”
“…”
“Our house, Philips, has become an unknown family surviving on the fringes of the empire, and you, though possessing brilliant talent, have stayed by my side without ever setting foot in the Imperial Capital.”
“My lord.”
“Our ancestors foresaw all this and still wished us to fall alongside the hero of six hundred years ago.”
The count recalled a rotten branch he had seen in his childhood.
One of the twelve roots the World Tree extended into the earth at the beginning of time.
The hero’s weapon, cursed and stripped of its value and power by the World Tree’s wrath.
Genesis.
“Is the appearance of the Dark Wizard a coincidence, or has something finally been noticed now?”
“…”
“Besides, what does it matter? There isn’t much time left. At most, twenty years. Even the last Guardian has abandoned their duty and disappeared. I won’t impose this bondage on Alessia.”
“…”
“Therefore, let us fulfill our obligations under the pact. Gather all the knights.”
“I will also recall Didier, who has been dispatched to the orphanage.”
“Do so.”
