Chapter 247
Chapter 247
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Sorcerer (4)
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Sorcerers' Alley.
This was the street where sorcerers persecuted by the Empire had gathered.
Originally, since Cornell was such a barren region, it had a drab atmosphere.
But recently, with the Imperial Family's full support turning Cornell into a major city, even Sorcerers' Alley had developed.
The streets grew brighter, and people who weren't sorcerers—drawn by mystical experiences or tourism—started visiting in droves.
However...
'The brighter the streets get, the darker the back alleys become.'
It was 10 p.m. now.
People in robes passed repeatedly between the streetlamps lit by sorcery.
However, it wasn't possible to identify them all as sorcerers from the South.
Most sorcerers living in the Empire wore robes to hide their identities anyway.
The top priority was finding the mercenaries working under Mago.
They were locals from Cornell, familiar with sorcery.
Even among sorcerers, they could identify outsiders.
「Owl House 2」
This was the second branch of the tavern run by Mago.
I stepped into the spacious tavern right in the heart of Sorcerers' Alley.
"Welcome... Uh...?"
The bald mercenary who had gotten thoroughly wrecked here in the past when I came with Irina.
He flinched like he'd encountered a rabid dog the moment our eyes met.
"Long time no see?"
"L-Long time no see... What brings you here?"
I walked casually up to the counter.
As he wiped down a glass and seemed about to close up shop, I asked him.
"Don't worry. I'm just here to ask a few questions."
I showed him my open palms lightly, signaling I had no intention of fighting.
Then, in a serious tone, I continued.
"Among the sorcerers hanging around here lately, have you seen any that look like outsiders?"
"Outsiders...?"
The bald tavern owner pressed his lips together and furrowed his brows.
Then, as if remembering something, his lips parted.
"A group of sorcerers in black robes did pass by today, as a matter of fact."
I glanced out the shop window at his words.
Wanderers in robes milling about even at 10 p.m.
Hiding one's face in Sorcerers' Alley was common.
"Robed folks are everywhere on these streets."
At my question, the former mercenary slowly shook his head.
With eyes full of conviction.
"You'll know when you see them. Their vibe is completely different from the usual wanderers."
He was a man who had once fought as a mercenary defending Cornell.
Being accustomed to vigilance and combat, he seemed to have that special 'instinct.'
"Good. Where'd they go?"
I decided to trust the instincts that had gripped a sword hilt.
"Mage's Path. The deepest back alley in the heart of Sorcerers' Alley."
The owner pointed toward a deep, dark alley.
An endless passage whose depths were impossible to gauge in the darkness.
"If they came all the way here specifically, they might be after ancient sorcery tools... The most likely spot is a shop called Crow's Nest."
Perhaps from a lifetime defending Cornell.
Mago and her subordinates alike were sharp and knew the area like the back of their hands.
"Thanks. Got it."
I nodded crisply at his straightforward explanation.
Then, I pulled a gold coin from my jacket pocket and placed it on his counter.
"Uh, do you know what Crow's Nest looks like?"
"It's a plain-looking place, hard to distinguish with the naked eye."
He looked out the window with me.
Most shops' lights were going out past 10 p.m.
"But that one runs 24/7 year-round, so it'll be the only one with lights on at this hour."
The mercenary smirked, clearly familiar with the place.
"That old witch's personality is something else..."
"Does the grandma run it solo 24 hours?"
At my question, the owner shook his head.
"No. She alternates 12-hour shifts with her daughter the sorceress. Mostly does nights herself."
"Got it."
With plenty of info secured, I straightened my uniform jacket.
Then, I quietly stepped out of the shop alone.
"..."
The owner stared intently at me as I left.
He tilted his bald head, then spotted the gold coin on the counter.
The former mercenary picked it up without a second thought.
But the moment he checked the edge, his eyes flashed.
"N-Nobility...?"
It was a gold coin issued by the Imperial Family, worth a full 10 gold.
One month's rent for the shop settled in an instant—he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Weird... Mago said you were always whining about being broke..."
He cleared his throat and carefully pocketed the gold coin.
Then, he watched the man head into the dark alley.
「――――――」
Mage's Path.
A street frequented by the most secretive and dangerous figures among sorcerers.
Sorcerers' Alley at least had streetlamps on the main roads, keeping it lit.
But here, without carrying your own lantern, it was pitch black after dark.
"..."
Occasional eerie cries of black cats pierced the dark gaps.
Only owl hoots echoed.
Mage's Path was maddeningly quiet.
"That must be it."
Across a shallow stream, one shop still had its lights on.
Its utterly ordinary sign and building meant it would've taken ages to find if not for the night.
Just as the mercenary said—lit up in the dead of night.
I quietly crossed the stream bridge toward it.
The moment I reached the shop front.
"...!"
Two robed figures appeared on either side.
Their height difference was about two heads.
"Do you have business at this shop?"
A low voice came from the tall one in the robe.
His Empire tongue was too fluent for a Southerner.
"We're closed. Come back another time."
A curt, definitive dismissal, as if he owned the place.
But I paid it no mind.
I simply peered over his shoulder through the glass window.
Countless bookshelves and a table in the center.
Two figures in black robes sat there.
'Those must be the leaders of the court sorcerers.'
As I sized up the situation alone.
The short sorcerer, suspicious, spoke up.
"Hey, didn't you hear? The shop's closed!"
For a sorcerer, it was a remarkably youthful voice.
Around Cynthia's age when she was about fifteen.
"Well."
I alternated glances between the two blocking my way.
Then, I pointed at the sign hanging on the shop door.
「Open for Business.」
"Strange. It clearly says open 24/7."
They followed my finger to the sign.
The tall one brazenly flipped it to 'Closed.'
"Now satisfied?"
"Nope."
I smirked and shook my head.
"Besides, sorcerers have strong pride and don't travel alone."
I relayed info I'd heard from Mago in the past.
"Yet here you are, in groups of four. Makes it seem like you're all in cahoots—"
I said it loud enough for the leaders inside to hear.
As if daring them to come out if I was a problem.
"Like you're all from one 'nation.'"
At that moment.
The short guard focused mana in his palm, like Mago drawing her staff.
I warned him with lifeless black eyes.
"Raise that hand, and you die."
"...!"
He sensed my killing intent before even casting a spell.
The tall one restrained his junior.
"Stand down. Doesn't seem like an ordinary foe..."
"Yeah, times like this, the senior's gotta guide properly."
I was definitely concealing my aura and strength.
Yet the senior guard sensed something off and went on alert.
That sharp instinct proved they weren't mere novice sorcerers.
'Found the right place.'
"Affiliation?"
"You think I have time to spill to a grunt?"
Still hands behind my back, I tilted my head casually.
The emotional young sorcerer bristled.
"You little..."
"No, he has a point. Go report it."
True to seniority, hierarchy was clear.
The tall sorcerer quietly entered the shop and approached the leaders.
He whispered in the superior's ear.
Like reporting on me.
Soon, he beckoned me in.
"Go on in."
Confirming the signal, the junior sorcerer spoke awkward Empire tongue to me.
I brushed past him and entered Crow's Nest.
――――――.
An eerie doorbell chimed like a crow's caw.
After I entered and the door closed.
'Hm...?'
The shop, packed with ancient magic tomes, carried an unexpected scent.
Sorcerers' Alley was cramped and stuffy.
Strange chemical smells stung the nose.
Yet here, the air felt fresh, like deep in a forest.
"So. What business do you have here?"
A petite sorcerer seated at the table asked, face hidden by her robe.
Her voice, like the ones outside, was remarkably young.
'Are the South's court sorcerers all kids...?'
"No, much older than you."
"...!"
She spoke as if reading my mind.
Frowning at the oddity.
"Hmm—. A friend of the child who laid the ritual circle here."
She could sense Mago's mana from afar.
We faced each other across the table, both deeming the other extraordinary.
"Sorry, but I'm an old friend of the shop owner. We just paused business for a chat."
The young sorcerer calmly stated her purpose.
Her Empire tongue was precise.
"If it looked suspicious from outside, no big deal—just head back."
She took Mago, who drew the ritual circle in Cornell, for the city's guardian.
Treating it like she'd sent me on patrol.
"Friend?"
I pulled out a chair, playing along with her calm claim.
And sat facing the apparent young leader sorcerer.
"Strange."
In the shadow of her dark robe, a soft jawline peeked faintly.
Clearly not the grandma owner's peer.
She looked far younger—like a child.
"Even a grandma can have young friends."
A girlish youthful voice returned.
But unlike the door guards, it wasn't mere childishness.
It was profoundly calm, like decades of life behind a girl's guise.
"Such prejudice."
We said nothing for a moment.
Silently appraising each other.
'This mana...'
'This aura...'
As the probing ended.
The others, excluding the two seated leaders, drew wands from afar.
"Ah...!! We have a customer!!"
The door behind the shop counter opened.
A bespectacled, mild-mannered young man approached us.
"Sorry. I was handling things for Mom for a bit—"
The apparent owner pointed at the counter.
He approached me with an awkward smile, asking forgiveness.
"Sir, today our family friends are visiting Mom, so we unfortunately have to close shop early."
He pressed his palms together, forcing a smile.
The girlish voice even waved in agreement.
"You saw. Old friends."
"Yes, sorry, but please come back tomorrow."
The tall leader bowed his head silently.
The young leader took charge.
And the owner's son appeared right on cue as witness.
I stared squarely at this perfect scene.
"I see. Understood."
I shook my head, responding to the mild young man's service.
Then, I rose smoothly from the chair and said.
"Yes, next time we'll serve you even better."
"No need."
I cut off the smiling young man sharply.
Then, with cold black eyes, I said.
"Now I'm certain you're the 'Southern sorcerers.'"
Southern sorcerers.
The clear label made the young man's face stiffen.
"Sir... What do you...? Southern?"
I placed a hand on my waist.
Stroking the hilt of Emperor-granted Hector's sword like a lion's head, I replied.
"The owner grandma has no son."
I gripped the hilt softly.
"Plus, a famously irascible woman having such a young friend? Doesn't add up."
Then, I drew the sharp, murderous blade.
"Finally, you there."
I pointed the blade at the remaining silent leader.
"Not to mention 'Crown Prince Your Highness.'"
I lifted the bowed man's robe with the sword tip.
Revealing lustrous golden hair unique to imperial blood.
"Only you lot would come here with the Highness who should be in the South right now."
Leon glared piercingly, lips pressed tight.
He looked a bit thinner, like he'd been through hardship.
"Veil Mikhail..."
"Sorry, but I never forget mana from someone I've met once. Especially potent mana like Your Highness's—unforgettable for life."
As I swiftly pierced their disguises, they fell silent en masse.
Hiding flustered expressions, avoiding my gaze.
But the one woman who stayed calm differed.
"You hesitate to speak of me, Veil."
A voice too serene for a young woman.
Uncannily sage-like, laden with vast experience.
"Shall I guess your thoughts?"
But the oddities didn't end there.
She concealed her power perfectly, just like me.
"You're intrigued by me. Can't peer into my mana even with your strength."
I slowly drew back the girl's robe with my sword tip, as she'd been probing my thoughts.
At that moment.
Thick green hair like a forest cascaded over her ample bosom.
With the fresh scent of great nature.
"...!!"
As the robe fell fully back, long emerald straight hair revealed itself.
But my surprise wasn't just her hair color.
Ears perked straight up on either side, elegantly pointed.
Too long for human.
"Elf...?"
The woman, looking just past twenty, shed her robe herself.
Revealing form-fitting armored dress hugging her beautiful figure.
"Half right, half wrong."
Deep green eyes brimming with foliage blinked.
Hand on her chest, she introduced herself.
"My name is Lize. Half-elf, and Chief Sorcerer of the Southern Alliance."
The court sorceress with elven almond eyes.
She eyed me like a fascinating lab subject she yearned to study.
"You must be the famed Veil."
With those signature slender eyes.
"The Grand Aura wielder I've been dying to handle."
Her long, supple fingers sensually stroked the table.
As if to enchant and toy with her subject at will.
She was the being Mago described—closest to sorcery's origin.