Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: The Emporus Pedigree
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Holy Knights and priests moved alone to protect the people. Soon, the servants and maids working in the castle gathered in the grand hall. His wife and two sons followed behind the priest.
“Honey, is it true the priest said a Black Sorcerer infiltrated the castle?”
His wife asked, her face drained of color. Paris Emporus soothed her, saying it was nothing serious.
“People like that came into our castle... it’s terrifying.”
“What were the guards doing until the Black Sorcerer got in? Cut them all down!”
Chris and Mars, who had arrived trembling, felt relieved upon seeing their father and chimed in with a few more words.
The word “Black Sorcerer” drew out thick disgust, fear, hostility, and other negative emotions. That was the common perception.
Even so, Paris Emporus could not abandon black magic. Thanks to his ancestors, all he had to do was offer one sacrifice, and he could become king.
The sacrifice of a few daughters? In noble society, daughters were little more than bargaining chips anyway. What difference was there between being married off like merchandise or offered up to a demon?
He did not place much value on human life.
To gamblers despairing after losing money at the gambling den, he whispered to sell their families. Instead of paying off debts, they brought their children and wives to be sold as slaves.
If they could not be sold as slaves, they were handed over to Crowe to serve as black magic sacrifices.
Useless while alive, they found their purpose when their blood and flesh were offered to demons.
Humans feared demons. That was only natural.
Demons were magnificent beings. In exchange for mere humans, they lent immense power.
Killing ten young girls to become king? He could slaughter as many as needed.
The sacrifice being his niece? It made no difference. He would not have hesitated even if it had been his own daughter or wife.
Paris Emporus planned to head straight to the capital and capture Rachel the moment the priests left.
“It’ll all work out fine. So don’t worry.”
He spoke to his wife and two sons with a kindly expression. He truly believed everything would go smoothly.
The flustered servants began to regain their composure as time passed.
They felt profound relief upon realizing the Holy Knights and priests had not come to seize their master, but to capture the intruding Black Sorcerer.
However, the butler—Paris’s closest confidant—and some of the older employees showed clear signs of tension.
Having served the previous master and now the current one, they knew the Emporus family’s dirty secrets and misdeeds. They fretted that those matters might come to light before the priests.
The baron clicked his tongue at the sight of them. At a time like this, they needed to pretend to be calm, but old folks worried too much.
He resolved to deal with them the moment the priests departed. But independent of that thought, his expression remained gentle.
He approached the priest standing at the hall’s entrance.
“Priests, aren’t you hungry?”
“We’re fine.”
“No, no. It would be shameful to stand idly by while you toil to catch that wicked Black Sorcerer on our behalf. The kitchen’s nearby, so we’ll prepare some simple refreshments.”
Paris Emporus said as much and moved to summon the butler. But the Holy Knight stationed outside the hall leveled his sword at him.
“Do not move. We’re also considering the possibility that you, Baron, are colluding with the Black Sorcerer. Any unauthorized movement will be seen as an attempt to help him escape, and we will attack.”
Faced with the knight’s resolute demeanor, Paris Emporus backed down for the moment. He had hoped to create an opening to assess the situation outside, but the Holy Knight proved utterly inflexible.
“But we are hungry.”
He appealed to their emotions. It was tantamount to asking if priests would starve nobles, but the Holy Knight gazed down at the baron and replied.
“You won’t collapse from a day of fasting. If anyone has a condition that causes them to faint without timely meals, bring them before me.”
Confronted with such rigid inflexibility, Paris Emporus retreated.
In this way, a long while passed. He rolled his eyes.
The priests had begun searching the castle long ago. It was more than enough time for Crowe, who was somewhere within, to have been discovered—yet nothing stirred, filling him with unease.
Paris Emporus approached the priest once more.
“You’ve probably scoured the entire castle by now. How much longer must we stay like this?”
The question was answered not by the priest before him or the Holy Knight beyond the door. Evelyn approached from the end of the corridor and replied.
“It’s over now. Baron.”
“Madam, what happened? Did you find the Black Sorcerer?”
Evelyn slowly shook her head at the question.
“No.”
From that response, Paris Emporus realized Crowe had fled on his own.
“Then?”
“Instead, we found this.”
Evelyn extended her hands from behind her back. In them was an old book bound in leather.
The baron’s expression hardened upon seeing it.
What Evelyn held was the Emporus family pedigree.
***
A few hours earlier.
Rachel stood at the hall’s entrance, watching the baron comfort his family. She was currently positioned among the priests who had come to capture the Black Sorcerer.
Her striking blonde hair was concealed beneath a priest’s veil, her face masked by heavy makeup.
Thanks to this, the baron had no idea she was there.
Five days prior, the three who had devised a plan to strike at the baron had sent a letter to the temple via Enoch.
It stated that a Black Sorcerer was hiding in Harpa Castle and requested support.
Rachel had formulated the plan drawing on events from previous loops.
When operating in small numbers, the baron’s pattern was poisoning followed by framing someone else—so she needed to create an environment where framing was impossible.
In other words, rather than a handful of high-ranking priests, a large group of priests and knights was required.
The advantage of numbers was that it impressed the gravity of the situation upon the opposition, restricting the servants’ movements and preventing Paris Emporus from scheming.
It also allowed Rachel to disguise herself and slip in undetected. Just as she was doing now.
“Let’s go. Miss.”
“Got it.”
At Abyss’s urging, Rachel moved away from the hall.
As they dashed down the corridor, Enoch asked.
“But was there really any need for Rachel to move herself?”
“Yes.”
It was dangerous to act directly, but there was good reason.
“Even when the temple mobilized before, they only nabbed one Black Sorcerer and gained nothing else.”
If the priests had reviewed the documents Rachel saw in the 19th loop, they would have been on guard against Paris Emporus.
Yet the temple had let him be.
“The documents I saw in the 19th loop were probably ones Uncle Sari deliberately dug up to pin the blame on Chris.”
They were the sort of files kept tightly hidden under normal circumstances, so Rachel surmised they wouldn’t be found this time unless she sought them out herself.
“That way!”
Rachel rounded the corner mid-stride. The priests’ sudden arrival would have thrown everyone into initial panic, but Paris Emporus would swiftly regain his poise and begin obstructing them.
He might send servants scurrying under the pretext of offering food or slip a few away on the excuse of using the lavatory to hide vital papers.
She had earnestly implored her mother to ensure no one moved freely, but with Evelyn having left the temple some time ago, the Holy Knights might not heed her requests.
That was why Rachel hurried to locate the necessary documents.
“Enoch, Abyss looks tired. Infuse him with some Divine Power.”
“Understood.”
Enoch granted Rachel’s request even as they ran. Abyss, panting raggedly, was bathed in white light, and his complexion improved.
“Is Rachel all right?”
“Yes. Running’s no problem.”
“Miss, you’ve got more stamina than you look.”
“You’re just weak.”
Rachel flashed a playful smile in response to Abyss.
“Oh, just occurred to me—once this is sorted, help me learn some magic.”
“I don’t know much about that side of things. I’ll mention it to Hapi for now. Let’s climb these stairs first.”
They arrived at a tall flight of stairs, and Rachel bounded up two steps at a time.
In her early loops, she would have tumbled backward by now, but thanks to her stamina training, she placed her feet without slipping.
“You don’t fall anymore.”
Enoch murmured from behind, where he ran watching for her to trip. Rachel replied to the faintly wistful tone.
“Because I fell plenty before.”
“I see.”
“What are you two even talking about?”
Abyss tossed out a puzzled remark at Rachel and Enoch’s exchange.
Upon reaching the desired floor, Rachel turned back, her eyes meeting Enoch’s. She smiled at the sight of him ascending with arms outstretched, ready in case she fell.
It was only talk of tripping, but to her, it had happened years ago—to Enoch, just days prior.
The gulf underscored her growth. It proved her efforts hadn’t been wasted.
“Let’s go.”
Rachel swiftly located the baron’s study. In the 19th loop, the desk had been piled with documents, but now it was empty.
“As expected, the ledgers I saw back in the 19th loop were planted by Uncle Sari on purpose.”
Whether to falsify records or to mislead investigators into thinking Chris was responsible, Rachel was certain it was Sari’s handiwork.
“So even searching the baron’s office for ledgers would just turn up manipulated double books.”
Rachel nodded.
“But the important stuff’s right here in our heads, isn’t it?”
Rachel positioned herself before the desk Chris had failed to break previously. She extended a hand to Abyss.
“Universal key!”
“Here. But think you can use it while dry-heaving like that?”
Rachel accepted the candle-like artifact, only to retch from the queasiness. She had meant to try it once, but using it herself proved unbearable.
“Can’t... urp, you do it.”
Rachel shoved the artifact back at Abyss and clung to Enoch. His Divine Power-infused hand patted her back, soothing her roiling stomach.
“Enoch’s the best.”
Enoch let a gentle smile slip at her words.
In the meantime, Abyss unlocked the drawer. Out came the key to the secret vault. He shut the drawer and relocked the mechanism.
“This the secret vault key?”
“That’s right. Down to the basement.”
The trio headed underground the instant they secured the key. Rachel opened the concealed vault door, drawing admiration from Abyss.
“If it’d just been the priests, they never would’ve found this. Right?”
Abyss nudged Enoch’s side with his elbow as he asked. He then startled as if he’d committed some grave error and turned to Enoch.
“You gonna chew me out later for that poke?”
“If I fussed over that, I’d have called out your informal tone first.”
“The informal speech bugged you? But you’re a priest now, aren’t you?”
“More precisely, a knight.”
“Same difference—both in holy orders.”
Rachel turned her back on the petty banter from behind.
“Abyss, dust removal.”
“Requests just roll off your tongue now.”
“Why not use a handy tool when you’ve got one?”
“Fair enough.”
Abyss grumbled but produced the cleaning artifact and cleared the warehouse dust.
With the musty odor gone, only the pitch-black entrance—like the depths of the ocean—remained visible. Enoch illuminated the way with Divine Power’s glow and took the lead.
But Enoch, who had entered the warehouse first, suddenly halted.