Chapter 156: To the North (2)

Chapter 156: To the North (2)

[You did it, Lucion.] Russell said proudly.

Lucion couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction as the corners of his mouth curled up.

“Good. You made the right choice. You probably won’t regret it. As for how we’ll keep in touch... Hmm. No, I’ll come find you. That’ll be faster.”

“How?”

“It’s a trade secret.”

Lucion stood up, signaling that their business was now concluded.

Although there was still a lingering hint of suspicion in Heint’s eyes, the meeting had gone smoothly.

‘Now, I can go back and stretch my legs...’

But suddenly, without warning, Lucion’s hand moved.

“...?” Heint was taken aback.

It wasn’t Lucion who had moved, but Bethel.

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The sound of two swords clashing filled the air, surprising both Lucion and Heint.

‘He didn’t even have a chance to defend himself, yet he managed to block it...?’

Heint just wanted to hit the warlock. His hand, holding the sword, was filled with strength.

[Don’t be surprised. It poses no threat. Heint didn’t intend to harm you.]

Bethel comforted Lucion, but her voice became sharper.

“What are you doing now?”

Lucion’s own body had moved, despite his possession.

He felt the impact of blocking Heint’s sword and the strain it put on his stomach.

Damn it.

Lucion bit his lip.

“I’m a fool to be swayed by you. It’s bad luck to the end. When will I ever master the sword? Annoying guy.”

Heint lowered his sword.

Feeling the pain in his stomach, Lucion watched as Bethel also lowered her sword and urgently checked his condition.

[The wound hasn’t burst, but does it hurt a lot?]

[It’s because of the pressure on his stomach.]

Russell patted Lucion on the back, offering some comfort.

Then, Russell turned his attention to Hume, who appeared bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

[Hume, don’t be surprised that you couldn’t stop it. It was a sword that posed no threat, difficult to detect.] Russell explained, reassuring Hume.

“I’m taking that guy away.”

Heint took a deep breath and pointed at Gartio.

“Alright. I’ll contact you soon, Lightbringer.” Lucion said, deciding to use the nickname Peter had given him, despite the pain in his stomach.

As Heint lifted Gartio, he turned around and said, “My name is Heint Tria.”

There was no trace of the warlock or his companions, as if no one had been there from the beginning.

“I, I am...”

“Shut up.”

Puck!

Heint struck Gartio in the neck and knocked him unconscious.

‘Damn. I fell for it again.’

Not only did his surprise attack fail, but he also ended up with a strange nickname.

Heint, with a grim expression, picked up Gartio and left.

‘How did he know where I was and come to find me?’

Heint suddenly remembered the letter he had received from an unknown sender and bit the inside of his cheek hard.

He felt uneasy about being watched, but at the same time, he felt a strange sense of relief.

Hamel’s sudden appearance had brought clarity to the connections.

The crow pattern was associated with the Hand of Void, which was linked to the Neubra Kingdom.

And now, it had extended its reach to the sacred nation of Nevast within the empire.

‘Look first and deal with it later,’ Heint thought, his gaze fixed on the traitor.

The evidence and circumstances were clear, and it was time to confront and address the situation.

* * *

While taking Peter, Lucion moved to where Kran was among the three central branches.

“Mr. Hamel.”

As soon as they arrived in front of the branch, Peter called Lucion.

“Why?”

“I’m... sorry.”

“Why?”

“As a magician, I... I didn’t fulfill my mission properly.”

At the same time, Hume’s eyes also wavered.

Despite Bethel’s reassurances, he couldn’t shake off the guilt of failing to prevent the attack.

“What are you talking about? I’m fine.”

“I let my guard down in the end. If I had been able to block that attack...”

“No. You can be proud of your magic, Peter,” Lucion interrupted.

He blocked the main character’s attack.

It was never easy.

[To be honest, I was surprised too. Peter’s defense magic was better than I thought. He deserved the praise, Lucion]

Russell also acknowledged Peter.

But Peter still couldn’t lift his head with a guilty expression.

How could a mage who couldn’t even protect his benefactor have any conscience?

“But I...”

Kran closed his eyes tightly, blaming himself.

‘Things that are good for his body. Next time, make sure to take good things for his body.’

Kran repeated the same words in his mind several times.

* * *

“Sure. Don’t you think His Majesty would be very angry?”

His fingers moved in time with the shadows of tree branches swaying in the wind.

The wound on the back of his hand was writhing, and his black little fingernail was particularly noticeable.

“If only Heint, the one blessed by light, had seized such a golden opportunity in the auction hall where the nobles have yet to enter... His Majesty would surely be furious.”

<Do you know? Lucion Cronia is participating in the Death Sea Purification Prayer Festival held in the East.>

A voice came through the communication device.

“I know. That’s why I’m preparing as well.”

<Yes. Because you are different from those stupid things. Look forward to it.>

“I hope you don’t forget what you promised.”

<If you get rid of Lucion, you’ll have a change soon.>

“That’s it. Sea of the Death. Isn’t that a place where even if someone dies, their body cannot be found?”

<Novio, this is the perfect way to steal that guy’s reason.>

“Then, I’ll contact you that day.”

The first person to hang up was the person beyond the communication device.

The Hand of the Void, the leader of the group.

‘Ah. It’s fun, fun, so fun. What a happy day this is.’

The fingers moved again.

Tak.

Only when the frontier collapses will the empire be shaken.

Tak.

The empire had to be shaken in order to change this wretched country.

Tak.

For that to happen, the frontier had to eventually collapse.

Novio Cronia.

The only way to break him was to strike at his weak point—his children, whom he loved and cherished the most.

Tak.

First, Carson Cronia resembles his father. Even his sword skills give him goosebumps.

Second, Shaela Cronia was a magical genius. She was already in a place that was difficult to access, even from the Mage Tower.

His hand stopped.

All that remained was the youngest, Lucion Cronia.

Cronia’s shame. The only ordinary person among them.

And yet, he was such a desirable target.

However, strangely enough, he was chosen by the divine beast and became a saint.

Because of that, the Hand of the Void became even more impatient.

Only when that symbol of light is eliminated will people look at the warlock, a symbol of darkness, and be afraid.

‘Whether that’s the case or not, what does it have to do with me?’

Even if a warlock appears in the world, the world itself will not change.

Power, money.

That value did not change whether the country collapsed or changed.

He hummed while looking at the moonlight.

It was a sound of joy.

* * *

<His Majesty gave permission.>

Heint was slightly surprised by Cetyl’s voice.

Because the situation was so urgent, he contacted Cetyl last night.

Cetyl, like himself, was suspicious of Hamel, but he seemed to welcome Hamel because he was able to obtain new information.

But Heint never thought he would get a call the next morning like this.

“Are you sure?”

Heint asked back.

<Yes. His Majesty judged that the warlock had value.>

“Meaning, His Majesty plans to use him and then discard him?” Heint pondered for a moment.

Yet, Hamel’s words from the previous day resonated in his mind.

“I mean, I want to live.”

No matter how many times he thought about it, it was true.

“I hate not being able to live a proper life due to being a warlock, and I hate not being able to live like that in the future.”

Even though his face was hidden behind a mask, his expression was vividly imaginable.

<Did you like him already?>

“It’s not like that,” Heint replied without hesitation.

<I, too, oppose using him solely as a tool. As you mentioned, if what the Warlock said is true, it means there might be our people among them.>

Cetyl’s voice subsided.

<All warlocks are bad. I felt strangely ashamed, not knowing who started it. Manifestation. Yes, I was shocked by that part. It was just too strange to exempt the warlock from such an obvious fact.>

“That goes for me too.”

<While His Majesty may have considered his usefulness based on the information he provided, His Majesty doesn’t want them to be mere tools. But caution is still warranted.>

“Yes. Of course. The opponent... is a warlock.”

It’s true that he was shaken for a moment, but in the end, he came back to square one.

Warlock.

That fact was haunting.