Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: A Treacherous Subject Can Be Useful Too – Part 180
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“I don’t intend to eat you, so please sit down first. That way we can talk, can’t we?”
“I… I’m sorry. I was momentarily surprised because I didn’t expect the master of this golden tower to be so young.”
“Is that so? Well, there have been many like that.”
‘Ha… Just seeing the Neumel family crest was astonishing enough… but looking exactly like Alterio… Ha ha… Ha ha ha ha…….’
For a moment, Beonald’s mind went blank, unable to think of anything.
The sight unfolding before his eyes now was exactly what he had once wished for his son Alterio five hundred years ago.
As a high noble and regent of the empire, with all power and wealth in his hands, his dream was to have a magnificent heir who would splendidly inherit all his skills and wisdom and proudly succeed his position.
‘Well… Coming back to life, I get to see something like this too.’
Though he had been fiercely disliked and strongly resisted, he had still hoped Alterio would become his heir due to his talent and wisdom, believing that someday his son would understand him or at least become a worthy successor, even if their paths diverged. Seeing an alchemist bearing Alterio’s likeness standing tall above others, Beonald found his emotions involuntarily shaken.
‘This is a bit… tough.’
“Hey, what’s wrong? Pull yourself together.”
‘Father…….’
‘Not only does he look alike, but his voice is similar too… No, it’s just my senses tricking me into believing they’re alike. Damn it! Haa!’
He wanted to surrender momentarily to this wave of regret, but Beonald reminded himself where he was and why he had come here, striving to regain his composure.
Then, taking a deep breath to calm himself, he straightened up and looked directly at the man who resembled his young son so perfectly, seating himself in the offered chair.
“Ugh… the demon blood flowing within me……! Only now have I regained my senses… I truly apologize.”
It was an absurd act and excuse, but given the tendency of dark mages to accept anything that happens and the sheer realism of Beonald’s shocked expression, Dean Arjen let it pass and reintroduced himself.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am Dean Arjen of the Alchemy Department.”
“I see. It’s an honor to meet you, Dean. But may I ask why someone as insignificant as myself has been summoned to this magnificent Golden Tower?”
“It’s because of what you’ve been doing within the Alchemy Department’s domain.”
“Ah~ I thought so. However, I haven’t caused any harm to the Alchemy Department, have I? I haven’t disrupted order, and I’ve fulfilled the allocation quotas for necessary items, right?”
“Even so, since it’s the Alchemy Department’s domain, we can’t just let outsiders handle things as they please. You’re not an alchemist, are you?”
“Then what would you suggest? Should I stop what I’m doing, restore everything to its original state, and withdraw?”
“Do you take me for a fool? If you revert that place to its original state now, the people there won’t just sit still. Those who have tasted hope won’t simply return to being trash, will they?”
Once people taste hope, they can never forget it.
If Beonald were to disappear and the area he improved and cultivated were returned to its original state, would they simply go back? No.
They would either follow Beonald out or start a riot, causing a major headache. If significant damage occurred, the dangerous manufacturing processes for potions and various materials produced there would be halted, disrupting research.
“Anyway, let’s get to the point. What were you thinking, doing such things there? And what were you planning to do?”
“As for what I was thinking… it was the feeling of ‘seeing something discarded that could be sufficiently repaired and used.’ And as for what I planned to do… hmm… it’s difficult to say here. There are too many secrets, knowledge, and plans involved.”
Beonald couldn’t afford to repeat the mistake he made in the Dark Arts Department, so he decided to be extra cautious.
Fortunately, Beonald quickly recalled an alternative that didn’t require complex schemes—since right before him was a man who would never join hands with Darken Dina, even if it meant death.
“Therefore, I would like to speak with Dean Arjen alone and quietly.”
“Hmm… Alright, let’s do that. I’ll summon you to my office. I’ll send a separate message to the other professors after I’ve handled the matter.”
Accepting Beonald’s proposal, Dean Arjen assured the other alchemy professors that he would handle everything properly. Pleased that the matter was resolved without wasting time, they left.
Beonald then descended the tower alone with Dean Arjen and entered the dean’s office. Spotting a familiar Hydra crest flag inside, he pretended to be slightly impressed and asked,
“Oh… Isn’t this from the Neumel family? Thinking about it, that cloak earlier also bore the Hydra crest. So you truly are a descendant of the renowned alchemy family, the Neumels, aren’t you?”
“That is true. But I’m ashamed to boast about it myself. Because… there is the sin of my ancestor.”
“Ancestor? Ah~ Are you referring to Lord Beonald?”
“You know that name too? Impressive. However, as the Dean of the Alchemy Department, I should respect him. The ancestor I speak of is one generation below him.”
“One generation below… Ah! Could it be?”
“Alterio von Neumel, or rather, just Alterio now. My ancestor is the foolish descendant of the Neumel family who abandoned the Neumel name himself. So I am merely Arjen.”
“Aha!”
Beonald was genuinely shocked to learn that Arjen was indeed Alterio’s descendant, though he had suspected as much.
At the same time, a bitter taste rose in his mouth. He had never imagined that the traitor who betrayed him would eventually discard even the family name.
He had believed that despite their ideological differences and poor relationship, Alterio would at least protect the ‘family.’
‘Hoo~ That bastard… I didn’t realize he hated the family as much as he hated me. Or perhaps it’s genetic?’
Considering Beonald himself had abandoned a perfectly good Neumel territory to build a new domain in Benofis, it seemed the trait of disliking one’s parents was indeed hereditary.
Feeling bitter yet amused by the ironic situation of that bastard’s descendant becoming an alchemist, Beonald was struck by another shocking statement from Arjen.
“After betraying him, Ancestor Alterio witnessed the family’s decline amidst the world’s turmoil and civil war, leading to its ruin. He declared he had neither the right to be the Neumel heir nor to tarnish the family’s honor… and renounced the Neumel name and all status.”
“…I see.”
“Yes. According to the stories passed down… Ancestor Alterio spent his days drowning in alcohol, consumed by guilt, and until his dying moment, he regretted and apologized to his father, Ancestor Beonald.”
Thus, Beonald learned of the final fate of his traitorous son, Alterio.
It was a plausible story. After betraying and killing him, Alterio likely witnessed the civil war within the Neumel family over legitimacy disputes, the battles over inheritance within the Magic Tower, and the continent-wide Great War ignited by high nobles vying for dominance amid the failure to stabilize governance. What must he have thought?
‘I… I ruined everything. I ruined everything, Father……! I… I was wrong. I was wrong, Father……! Sniff… Sob… Sob.’
‘…He probably wept and blamed himself like that. Intoxicated by his ideals… but what he created was hell itself.’
Imagining how his son must have grieved, Beonald tried to picture the despair Alterio must have felt.
The collapse of the continent’s peace under his regency, witnessing the screams of people and piles of corpses—his son’s despair.
He likely anticipated some conflict, but only as necessary pain and suffering to build a better world and realize his ideals. Yet, what emerged was chaos and destruction unresolved even until his death. Realizing his ideals would never come, he must have thought he was merely a villain who brought ruin to this world.
‘It’s not… entirely that child’s fault. I was at fault too. I shouldn’t have made him my heir… Hoo…’
“So while I carry Neumel blood, I am in no position to claim the Neumel name. Moreover, there is currently Lady Lara von Neumel alive, and others across the continent… proclaiming myself a Neumel would only invite death. Anyway, let’s return to the main point… Why do you look like that again?”
“Ah! Sorry. It’s… ha ha ha, my mind went strange again.”
“Anyway… let’s hear your story.”
“Yes. My true purpose is… to stop Darken Dina.”
“What?”
Dean Arjen was startled by the sudden statement. Beonald calmly began explaining that Darken Dina was still alive and what he was plotting.
Dean Arjen showed a completely surprised reaction to the unexpected revelation. He had merely intended to address concerns with someone arbitrarily developing and handling the trash zone, but hearing an unforeseen level of story from him was inevitable.
“Darken… Dina? He died ages ago……. Wait a moment. So that’s why recently, our Alchemy Department suddenly…!”
“What happened?”
Dean Arjen’s eyes flashed as if he had guessed something.
“As you know, our Alchemy Department primarily handles reagents, magic stone smelting, and magical tool manufacturing—I even specialize in golem creation. Recently, orders for those vanished, and many requests came in just for processing magic stones and various materials. I found it strange what they intended to do, but since payment was reliable, I was pondering what to do… Could such a thing be happening? Hmmm……”
Dean Arjen began pondering deeply. What Beonald said, combined with the fact that the Dina family researched ‘Divine Magic’—something he remembered hearing from Neumel ancestors—made sense.
However, the truth still needed verification.
‘Golem creation? Oh… That’s quite a valuable skill.’
“Still, I can’t simply believe it without evidence.”
“A very reasonable point. However, I have no evidence. I deduced it from circumstantial evidence. And obtaining proof would require considerable time and inevitably cause major conflict within this ‘Tower of Truth.’”
“But if it’s something Ancestor Beonald sought to prevent, it’s worth investigating. Though the Neumel name was abandoned, I haven’t forsaken that duty……”
Beonald admired this worthy descendant who understood so well.
Even without confirming Beonald’s identity, Arjen’s willingness to believe showed good intuition and understanding—traits befitting his descendant. Looking at Arjen with a gaze as if seeing a grandson, Beonald said,
“I knew you would say that, Dean Arjen. I, Beo… will trust and follow you, Dean.”
“Hmm? I don’t know why you’re suddenly saying that… Did you hate Darken Dina that much too?”
“Well, I’m also… a person of the Neumel family. And being a dark mage is merely a disguise—I’m not one at all.”
“…What?”
‘Imperial Knight Order Derivative-Neumel First Form—Viper.’
Slowly drawing his sword, Beonald calmly demonstrated the sword style passed down exclusively to Neumel heirs.
He had taught it to Alterio, and even though that guy abandoned the family name, he likely passed it down to other worthy ‘Neumel’ descendants for future generations.
“That is? V-Viper? How do you know that? Moreover… only direct heirs can learn it!”
As Beonald anticipated, Dean Arjen recognized the swordsmanship Beonald displayed and stared at him in great confusion.
He had verified Beonald’s connection to the family, but now he needed proof of how Beonald learned an art reserved only for heirs. If he could persuade him on this, he could gain a cute yet reliable descendant as an ally. Thus, Beonald prepared to persuade him enthusiastically.