Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 316
-C316-
“Excuse me? I regret to inform you that I am unable to reveal that data.”
The soldier protecting the doorway of the separate palace politely declined the unexpected question from the queen.
‘Why is she inquiring about a superhuman? Especially one who usually maintains a distance from His Majesty?’
Was this inquiry significantly different from their usual conversations?
When Captain Viktor arrived to take over his post, he planned to report this immediately.
The soldier pondered to himself, keeping a courteous smile.
However.
“Is there any method to convince you to share this with me?”
At that instant, an unseen light-gray aura flowed into his eyes as he spoke.
Before the soldier knew it, he absentmindedly disclosed everything he knew.
“Both the Grandmaster and Sword Saint do not typically stay in the capital. However, if it pertains to someone who regularly avoids His Majesty, that would be Lord Clayten. He is presently immersed in important research and has not left the Magic Tower recently.”
“Oh, I understand. Are there any other superhumans you are aware of? Besides the ones you mentioned and His Majesty?”
“…Those are all the superhumans within our realm.”
The soldier tilted his head in confusion, and upon observing his expression, the queen nodded with a solemn look.
‘It is certainly a secret within the castle. McLain, there is definitely something more profound.’
After organizing her thoughts, Luisa turned back to the soldier, smiling.
“By the way, where can I locate Lord Clayten?”
“In the Magic Tower, which stands tall to the east of the palace.”
“I see. Is it feasible for me to visit there?”
“At present, only His Majesty is allowed to enter.”
That was fortunate.
“Thank you. Oh, please disregard all my inquiries for today.”
The wink that accompanied her smile acted as a magical trigger.
At that moment, the soldier’s vacant gaze sharpened, returning to clarity.
“Ah, Princess! How are you?”
The soldier greeted the sudden appearance of the queen as if he had just seen her.
“Where may I accompany you?”
“Oh, that’s alright. I was just stepping out for some fresh air.”
“Ah… yes.”
Fresh air? At the entrance of a separate palace?
His expression displayed doubt, but Luisa simply smiled and turned away.
And the soldier was unaware that as soon as she turned around, her face transformed into a chilling visage.
“Are you truly alright?”
“In any case, there’s no point in concealing it any longer.”
With those words, Luisa held a fist-sized gray stone in her hand.
The moment she tightened her grip, the stone cracked and shattered, emitting a blue light.
Simultaneously, a gray aura, detectable only to those with a similar power, began to emanate from her heart.
The sealing magic contained within the high-grade magic stone had been undone.
Hum!
“Elder! I understand you have not been given permission.”
The escort soldier Jun interjected, and Luisa raised an eyebrow.
A collaborator and subordinate. Yet if he acted against the orders of the tower’s lord, this loyal subordinate would instantly become a whistleblower.
Upon realizing that, her thoughts immediately flashed back to the Archmage’s orders.
The command that had harshly crushed her pride.
– You cannot be permitted. It may take some time, but there’s a sure method, so leave the follow-up to another elder.
“…I will comply with the command. But if I go, a gift must be left behind.”
Whether it was due to her magic being perceived or simply the release of the ‘Power of Destiny’, it didn’t matter. The fact that she wasn’t simply deceiving but was rather the one deceived dealt a significant blow to her pride.
She could not simply retreat.
“There is no need for you to intervene directly. Many simpler methods would suffice.”
“Let’s ensure we do this right.”
As Jun pointed out, a Soul Wizard who had reached the level of a Mage had countless ways to manipulate humans to stage incidents.
For instance, by enthralling the guard soldiers at the separate palace to attack her, it could instantly lead to an international dispute.
However.
“Using a simple means to create a big commotion would only draw too much attention to my identity. If any additional incident were to occur, I might not be able to move at all.”
Moreover, being unable to reach the vicinity of the king, events like scuffles among the soldiers or assaults by commoners would not satisfy her desires.
Above all, the Tower’s magic wasn’t all-powerful, which meant that side effects couldn’t be ignored.
The decline of intelligence in the brainwashed was just one of the various side effects, so it was safer to avoid any situation that could be traced back to her.
“But isn’t this too risky?”
“Me?”
In Luisa’s question was embedded infinite self-confidence.
In all the history of the Tower, there were barely anyone who reached the 6th circle’s expert status before turning thirty.
She had every right to feel proud. Yet, precisely because of that, it was hard to accept the injury that came with her pride being stomped on.
“There’s no way a mere 50-something-year-old would possess the capabilities to contend with me, who has achieved a 6th circle. Don’t you think?”
Certainly, a mere beginner of the 6th Circle, skilled in elemental magic, wouldn’t stand a chance against a Soul Wizard, especially one specialized in battles against humans.
That realization filled the users of Cassel Magic with pride and was their common knowledge.
“That may be true, but…”
“The only sorcerer in this realm targets the prominent figures of the royal house. Whether I succeed or fail, it sure sounds like an interesting tale.”
“Didn’t you mention there exists someone capable of undoing our magic? If that person is that sorcerer…”
Jun’s status prevented him from knowing about the ‘Destiny Changer’. However, due to the nature of his mission, he was given vague information that such an entity existed, so it was understandable that he might think of this.
“No, it’s not him.”
At Luisa’s clear declaration, Jun fell silent.
“Even in the worst-case scenario, there’s no way my identity will be revealed.”
Finishing her statement, Luisa’s entire form began to fade like a gray mist, swiftly melding into the air.
And then.
– Did you forget? Who I am?
A distant voice, almost dreamlike.
The presence that had vanished completely.
Jun understood all too well that it wasn’t that Luisa had truly disappeared; rather, his sight and mind were clouding.
It was the Tower’s illusion magic, designed to evade the royal family.
Its horrifying effectiveness matched its despairing history, wielded by none other than a Sorcerer.
‘Unless a being capable of visually perceiving mana appears, it’s impossible to locate her.’
And such beings only existed in legends.
Jun mulled over that thought, attempting to ease the unsettled feelings blooming within him.
* * *
“Take a break, Master.”
“No. I’ve already promised His Majesty. I must deliver results within this month. There’s no time for rest.”
Victoria watched her master, whose eyes were bloodshot, and sighed quietly.
“Then let me bring you something to eat; you must eat something.”
“Fine, I understand.”
Even as she said so, he couldn’t take his eyes off the intricately inscribed magic circle.
While Victoria too felt pride in the results she had contributed to, worrying about the unyielding work ethic of her Master left her deeply concerned.
Did he feel her gaze?
“I’m just not working hard enough compared to you.” Drawing a half-hearted semi-joke, the Master didn’t distract himself from what was unfolding within the magic circle.
Sheaving that stubbornness, Victoria could only resign herself to sighing once more.
‘Perhaps I should at least ensure he gets his meal on time.’
Turning away, Victoria quickened her steps.
‘Huh?’
As she hastily descended toward the lower floors of the Tower, a sudden wave of discomfiture washed over her from a corner of the corridor.
No, she had seen it.
‘Gray Mist…?’
The stairs leading down into the Tower extended like a solitary path. The grayish substance was swirling heavily along the steps, obscuring the visibility of what lies within.
This was no natural mist.
That realization solidified her thoughts, as she attempted to draw out her mana for clarity.
‘Is this mana? No, it’s similar but slightly different. Could it be magical power…?’
In that moment, her hurried steps were involuntarily slowed.
As she drew closer to the indistinct gray mist, she became aware there was something within it.
‘A person…!?’
While staring intently at the gray mist, hints of a vague human silhouette emerged within. Though her sight was limited despite gathering her mana, the shape was undeniably human.
The ambiguity stemmed from her inability to fully penetrate the distortion that was the magical power, hence the limitations of her vision.
‘Is that a Sorcerer?’
And as the focus of the head turned towards her, Victoria instinctively averted her gaze elsewhere, adopting an apathetic demeanor.
Of course, beneath the calm mask, her mind was battling a torrent of shock.
‘An intruder!’
And a Sorcerer-level intruder, at that.
The moment she recognized that, her heart raced.
Should she return to inform the Master or not?
But if she turned abruptly, she had no idea what the intruder might do.
In just a few seconds, various thoughts raced through her mind; however, Victoria’s steps remained poised as she edged close to the shadow.
And in that fleeting moment, she resolutely concluded.
This is ‘our’ Tower.
The perfect venue for a Sorcerer to unleash combat prowess by transcending their limits.
As she approached the precise spot above the shadow,
The swirling mana from the circle began to pulse intersectionally with her intentions like an overture.
Hmm.
The stone steps transformed; part of them became a towering spire, piercing through the shadow directly.
Swwwwh.
Boom!
In that instant, failure became apparent with a feeling of bliss.
– You noticed …?
The voice didn’t seem to escape, yet a lingering echo began to dissipate the gray mist as it radiated.
But there was nothing inside.
Yet, Victoria also acknowledged her failure.
Instantly, the shadow had ascended the upper stairs behind her. There, it began to amass gray magic around its hand.
And as that magical energy twisted into serpentine forms, beneath the cold moonlight, they sparked and shot towards her.
“What the!?”
As Victoria shouted, a wall behind her surged into the shape of a golem made of solid stone, absorbing the thrusts of wicked vines unleashed.
In the narrow confines of the area, a sole golem, forged with the utmost concentrated power, emerged to contest the mighty opponent.
“Bind them!”
With that chilling shout, the enchanted walls began to constrict around the shadow from all directions.
“Intruder! You shall not escape!”
The circle resonated in fury, exerting pressure while the heart throbbed with intense mana.
Bam.
Thud.
Before long, the black thorns managed to decimate the golem as it blasted backward, uprooting the ground before being cast aside as if it were mere twigs.
Thud—
– Absurd.
A voice that resonated like broken glass.
The frigid moonlight blanketing the fallen walls illuminated the intruder’s face.
Victoria instinctively gasped.
A slender frame complemented by a pair of twisted horns sprouting from the forehead and cascading gray skin akin to granite.
Even with that lean form, the ample bat wings extended outstretchingly from the back making the figure seems formidable.
As the ominous black flames igniting in its eyes fixated upon her, it unmistakably resembled a monster once whispered about in old legends.
“A demon…?”
As if responding to her utterance, the intruder manifested a surge of black mist spiraling from its hands as it rapidly cloaked Victoria.
English