Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Black Magic
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After deciding to follow Jeton's plan, the fallen nobles sprang into action to gather the materials needed for the ritual.
Those materials were expensive magical ingredients like wyvern horns, and they barely managed to procure them by pouring in every last bit of their remaining wealth.
They had truly become beggars now, but it was fine.
If this ritual could kill Lord Calix and the power gained from it allowed them to reclaim control of Dreihart, they could rebuild their fortunes as many times as needed.
With all the materials prepared, they gathered in their hidden chamber on the night of a full moon.
"Then let's begin the ritual."
The twelve fallen nobles assembled in the hidden chamber nodded at Jeton's words.
A magic circle drawn on the floor in basilisk blood.
The twelve took positions at each corner, and Jeton walked to the center.
"From now on, we shall commence the Black Magic 'Evil Spirit Summoning Ritual'."
Black Magic
A forbidden art said to have originated with the Bloodkin.
This magic is strictly banned throughout the empire; if any trace of its use is discovered, all mage towers are summoned in emergency, treating it as an utmost danger.
Needless to say, the caster faces execution, no matter the reason.
Among such black magics, the most infamous is this very 'Evil Spirit Summoning'.
Jeton had obtained a scroll of the black magic Evil Spirit Summoning through his connections.
No matter how skilled the lord was at handling assassins, he figured even he couldn't defeat an evil spirit. Jeton resolved to kill Calix Cron with this ritual.
"Everyone, offer your ritual blood..."
At Jeton's signal, the twelve fallen nobles pricked their fingers with daggers and let drops of blood fall onto the magic circle.
A red glow began to emanate from the circle, and Jeton started chanting.
"Umbrae, exaudi me. (Shadows, heed my call.)"
The twelve fallen nobles echoed Jeton's chant.
With each recitation, the magic circle pulsed like a beating heart.
"Vocatus daemonium. (Called forth, O evil spirit.)"
"Ex tenebris venite. (Come from the darkness.)"
The pulsing quickened as the chant continued.
They knew little of magic, but one thing was clear.
Something was about to be born here.
Just then, as the ritual progressed, a noise came from outside.
Bam! Bam!!
"What is that sound?"
The sound of something hard striking the wall began to echo.
They quickly realized what it was.
"We know you're the fallen noble scum in there!"
"Stop your weird antics and come quietly, and we'll spare your lives!!"
It was Dreihart's guards, the ones pursuing them.
To think they'd been found out so soon.
"It's them!"
"Cron's dogs!!"
As panic spread, Jeton shouted without flinching.
"Hurry, everyone! We must complete this ritual!"
The fallen nobles hesitated but nodded and refocused on the ritual.
If caught now, they'd die like dogs, but finishing it would let them take those bastards' heads.
"Animae, surgite nunc. (Souls, rise now.)"
The blood in the magic circle began to boil.
The ritual neared completion as the commotion outside grew louder.
Before the door shattered, Jeton uttered the final chant.
"Atra vis, revela te. (Dark power, reveal thyself.)"
With Jeton's final words...
Black smoke rose from the magic circle, gathering above his head.
"Ooh..."
"This is... a black magic evil spirit..."
The fallen nobles gazed upon it, convinced of their victory.
The malevolent aura taking form.
They believed this evil spirit would exact their revenge.
But they never understood to the end.
Why was it called black magic?
Did the mage towers and imperial family ban it merely because the Bloodkin created it and it harbored evil energy?
Of course not.
The primary reason black magic was forbidden was that, unlike other spells that consumed only mana, it could also use human lives as sacrifices.
"Wh-what is this?"
"Hey, Jeton... something's wrong here..."
As the ritual completed, the fallen nobles sensed something amiss.
Their blood was draining from their bodies, being sucked into the evil spirit.
No matter how they tried to stop it, blood poured from their eyes, noses, mouths, ears, and every pore. Only then did they realize something was terribly wrong.
"Jeton!!! You bastard!!!"
"You deceived us!!!"
Only Jeton in the center remained unharmed. Feeling their strength ebb away, the nobles screamed at him.
Jeton smirked like a rat.
"I never deceived you."
"What!?"
His brazen words left them dumbfounded.
He curled his lips.
"I said I would reclaim my possessions. I never promised to reclaim yours."
"You son of a...!!"
Yes, Jeton had said he would reclaim his own, never theirs.
They realized too late they'd been used.
"Farewell, friends. If we meet in dreams, I'll accept your rage then."
"You filthy... gack..."
With those words, the fallen nobles breathed their last.
Sacrificing twelve corpses, the evil spirit of black magic descended.
Resembling a grim reaper from nightmares, it awaited its summoner's command.
Jeton commanded.
"Go. Kill Calix Cron, no matter what!"
The evil spirit nodded and passed through the wall, vanishing.
At that moment, the door burst open, and Dreihart's guards stormed the secret chamber.
Among them were Zarha and Noah.
Bam!
"Urk!!"
The secret chamber's door had been reinforced and magically treated, taking Zarha several minutes of brute force to break.
These scum had prepared such a door and created twelve corpses for some vile act.
Instinctively furious, Zarha slammed down on the sole survivor, Jeton, demanding.
"You rat bastards! What have you done?! What happened here?!!"
"Kuhuhu, too late. Slave scum, they've gone to kill your liberator king! They've gone! Kuhahahaha!!!"
Jeton believed the ritual's completion achieved his goal.
With Calix dead and no master in Dreihart, he could reclaim his domain with the evil spirit's power. He laughed uncontrollably until Noah eyed him closely and said with amused disbelief.
"Hmm... You're an interesting one."
"I'm... interesting?"
"Very. That being above your head, whose depths even I can't fathom—that is Lord Calix."
Noah smiled genuinely amused.
Her smile held no emotion, making Jeton feel all the more pathetic.
"And to think you believe some paltry black magic can kill the lord. How amusing."
At her gesture, the guards bound him.
Her actions implied he wasn't worth killing, hardening Jeton's face.
"Look forward to it. You'll soon learn who Lord Calix truly is."
Noah spoke to Jeton with sincere pity.
Even then, the evil spirit flew toward Cron Manor.
At that hour, everyone in Cron Manor should have been asleep.
Rana and Azel, unable to sleep for some reason, stood night watch together before Calix's bedroom.
Watching the steadfast, light-green-haired beauty of a knight, Azel, Rana suddenly blurted.
"Do you like the lord, Lady Azel?"
"Wh-what's that out of nowhere!?"
"Shh, too loud."
Azel's poise vanished like the wind at Rana's words.
Rana continued nonchalantly to the flustered Azel.
"For the record, I do."
"Aren't you... the princess's maid, Lady Rana?"
Azel had heard bits about Rana.
Just as she hailed from the prince's knights, wasn't Rana from the princess's side? Rana replied.
"I'll never forget the princess's grace. But that's that, and this is this."
Rana's own words surprised even her.
The old Rana couldn't have said that.
Life here had changed her greatly, she thought.
Gazing intently at Azel, Rana added.
"You seemed like me, Lady Azel, but I guess it was my mistake."
"I-I do like him."
Traped by Rana's leading question, Azel confessed. Rana smiled faintly.
"As I thought. May I ask why?"
"At first, I admired his righteous deeds."
"And?"
Azel first heard of Calix through rumors of slave liberation.
Curious about such a just lord, she admired his past actions.
Then, meeting him here, he was the first to take her ideals seriously.
"You're the first to tell me such things, my lord."
Azel recalled the recent farming incident.
And bittersweet memories of her past.
"I know. That I'm a freak... You're the first to take me seriously, not punish or teach, but truly consider me."
Even in the Golden Knights, Azel's obsession with justice was seen as odd.
Some called it wrong; others imposed their own morals on her.
Calix was the first in her life to view her justice earnestly.
"That's why... I like him."
"I see... Me too."
Rana empathized, sharing similar experiences.
They could talk all night—maybe sneak midnight snacks from the kitchen?
Then they felt a chilling aura.
Shiiiine—!
"That aura just now..."
"Yes, something... is coming this way."
Something.
Something goosebump-inducing was heading straight for them.