Chapter 37: Lives Like Flies
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: Lives Like Flies
The magic investigator, Yuren, turned his gaze toward Ferda.
Suspicion flickered within his pupils.
"Forgive me, Regent, but may I ask where you obtained this?"
Ferda replied calmly, his expression unreadable.
"It was discovered in Count Consilus’s territory. It seems a foreigner tried to hide their identity until the very end, but the guards managed to apprehend them."
"And that heretic...?"
"He bit his tongue and died before he could be interrogated. Fearing there might be a post-mortem spell placed on the body, they burned it immediately."
This was the perfect excuse for having incinerated the unclaimed corpse.
"You did well," the investigator said, clicking his tongue. "That filthy lot of warlocks never die quietly, even in death."
It was a sound of genuine regret; he was clearly disappointed he couldn't squeeze more information out of the Demon Worshipper. However, since the situation had been handled with such textbook efficiency, he couldn't find any grounds for fault.
"Still, to think there is someone capable of using demon language of this caliber... It seems there are more dangerous individuals within the Empire than I thought."
"Is it truly that serious?" Olivia asked.
Yuren nodded gravely. "Yes. Judging by the level of understanding displayed in the script, this is undoubtedly the work of a warlock who has reached at least the 5th Circle."
"How powerful is the 5th Circle?"
"I am a 5th Circle Master Mage myself," Yuren explained, "but a 5th Circle warlock is considered equivalent to a 6th Circle Archmage. They can draw upon the mana of Hell itself and wield it as their own."
"The 6th Circle! You mean they are on par with the Head Archmage...!"
In truth, most warlocks who had made a name for themselves across the continent—past and present—were indeed of the 5th Circle. It was common for them to pay a heavy price to obtain power that surpassed even a 6th Circle mage.
Just like the Shadow Arts manual I’m going to acquire, Ferda thought. He quickly suppressed the reflection, ensuring his true intentions remained buried deep.
"If we don't move swiftly and decisively, the Empire will fall into chaos," Yuren warned.
"How could this be...!" Olivia bit her lower lip, looking horrified. "A warlock of that caliber... it should be nearly impossible for them to even cross our borders. How could they be inside the capital?"
"That... I am not sure. No matter how advanced the security system is, it isn't perfect..." The magic investigator tilted his head, looking puzzled. "Even so, a follower capable of using this level of language should have been filtered out long ago."
The Empire's surveillance always prioritized blocking major threats. Even if minor rats slipped through the cracks, an emergency alarm should have certainly sounded the moment a 5th Circle warlock entered the city. He couldn't fathom the reason for the silence.
It was only natural.
Because there’s no way a mage of that caliber would actually be in the Imperial Capital.
Common sense dictated that a follower capable of using such high-level demon language would live in a remote village under a disguise rather than risk staying in the heart of the Empire.
Where did the source of the demon language on that paper actually come from?
It was Mori.
The Library of All Things was stored in her head, and that included a complete dictionary of the demon language. She had simply translated and transcribed exactly what Ferda had ordered.
Even if the evidence is forged...
The demon language was real, and the threat it described was true. Warlocks were indeed lurking in the sewers, and it was certain they were preparing an act of terror within the Empire.
* * *
The Empire's underground sewers were vast.
The first Emperor had taken great care in their construction, wanting to create an infrastructure worthy of the title "The Great Human." The world beneath the streets was even more complex than the city above.
However, grand construction projects rarely go according to plan.
For example, there were underground reservoirs intended for flood control. When costs ran high and the climate didn't seem prone to flooding, such projects were often halted. In those cases, it was common to simply wall off the excavated areas and leave them abandoned rather than spend the money to fill them back in.
There were many such hollow spaces within the Empire's sewers.
The place Ferda knew was exactly one of those spots—a location slowly being erased from the Empire's maps. It was a place discovered by the rats driven into the shadows as they searched for a new home.
The gathering point for the reactionaries assembling to terrorize the capital.
Striking those who appeared in the light was common, but it was rare for the Empire to descend directly into the sewers to strike as they were doing today.
The knight orders and magic divisions surrounded the area, preparing for a surprise attack. Everything had to be done with surgical precision. A single mistake could lead to casualties, and the moment blood was spilled, it would devolve into a messy, protracted brawl against the warlocks.
The magic divisions prepared silence spells and concentration-disruption wards, while the knights moved in to eliminate the mages once they were incapacitated.
A worker moving along the wall suddenly stopped and pointed to a specific section of stone.
"It's here. There's a hollow space we can break into behind this wall."
"Good. Step back. Howard."
"Yes, sir!"
A massive knight wielding a war hammer stepped forward. Bulging muscles were visible beneath his plate armor and chainmail. He swung the hammer with a guttural heave.
"Hah!"
Boom—!!
The wall crumbled instantly under the single, devastating blow.
"Kyaaa!"
"W-What?! What's happening?!"
"What is it? What's going on?"
Panicked voices from inside created a cacophony of confusion. And to that confusion, the Empire added terror.
"In the name of the Light!"
"In the name of His Imperial Majesty!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Let there be Light!"
The knights charged in with a collective roar. What followed were screams.
"Aaaargh!"
"Eeeek!"
The cries of men and women alike filled the damp air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions echoed. The sounds of clashing steel and the wet tearing of flesh resonated through the tunnels.
Ferda waited outside, watching the shadows dance against the stone. Though he could only hear the sounds of the violent struggle, he didn't need to see to know who had won.
The lead assault captain emerged first, reporting to Yuren and the knight commander.
"Salute! No casualties among the knights! We have executed forty-five resistors and captured twelve."
"Any escapees?"
"One! Judging by his position on the dais, he seems to be the leader."
"Fools! How could you let the most important one escape?! The opponent was a mage who could have been at the 5th Circle!"
"My apologies! However, he fled without being able to take any of his belongings. He won't get far!"
"Fine. What were the belongings?"
"We left them inside, sir."
While many knights were greedy for valuables, they didn't dare touch a warlock's possessions recklessly. No matter how precious an item looked, if a curse was attached to it, their heads would roll.
"Is that so? Then it's fine." The magic investigator smiled thinly, looking relieved. "Well done."
Ferda, who had been observing the exchange, stood up. "May I go in with you?"
"Of course. This way, please."
As the Regent and the one who had reported the threat, he deserved to be treated with respect. Yuren cleared the way, and Ferda entered first.
The scene of the slaughter lay bare. Ferda took in the sight of the bodies one by one.
There are warlocks here, but the majority are just paupers.
He saw tents made of tattered cloth and pots and spoons that had lost their shape. These were people who had sided with the warlocks simply because they couldn't afford a single proper meal. They were here because, at the very least, the cult fed them.
Though there was a reason for that as well.
There is no soul more valuable to a demon than one that has found hope in the depths of despair. They were all likely destined to be sacrifices.
Ferda stepped over the corpses and headed toward the leader's room. As befitting the master of this underground reservoir, it was relatively well-furnished, with various magical supplies laid out on tables.
"There is a seditious book here," Yuren said, gesturing to a volume on the desk.
The cover, made of human skin, looked as if it were screaming, the face trapped forever within the binding. Ferda knew what it was the moment he saw it.
Gamigin's Necromancy.
Gamigin, the demon of immortality and legions. This was an artifact created by him for necromancers. In the original timeline, the leader who possessed this book reached the 5th Circle and launched a full-scale rebellion against the Empire.
But they failed.
Ferda recalled their actions. When they rebelled, they piled corpses in the sewers, detonated them to cause mass chaos, and then raised an army of the undead to ravage the city. They were a force that could have caused the very chaos Ferda needed to bring the Empire down, but he didn't think much of them.
Above all, they are useless.
Generating corpses through explosions was a fine start, but their strategy was far too naive. First, they grossly underestimated the strength of the knights. Second, their terrorism was directed at the masses. This only deepened the public's hostility toward Demon Worshippers and strengthened the people's resolve rather than causing division. In other words, the hammer blow intended to break the Empire's unity only served to forge it stronger.
So, it's better they don't exist at all.
If they couldn't weaken the Empire, they were of no use to him. Thus, he was removing the root of the problem in advance.
"Salute! What shall we do with the captured Demon Followers?"
The prisoners were all starving and broken-spirited. They looked up at Yuren with eyes pleading for mercy. But Yuren looked down at them with nothing but loathing.
"Take them into custody. Escort them to the Imperial Prison as if they were sacred relics. We must show everyone the end that awaits those who reject His Majesty's light and indulge in black magic!"
"Salute!"
It was a merciless sentence. The paupers turned pale and began to beg desperately.
"W-We didn't swear loyalty to the demons! We were just hungry!"
"Please, give us just one chance! Mercy in the name of the Light...!"
"Silence! How dare a heretic utter the name of the Light?!"
The man who spoke was struck down instantly.
"At least save my child! I beg of you, milord!" a woman holding an infant pleaded.
Yuren knew well that these people weren't true followers of demons. He knew they had made an unavoidable choice out of hunger.
"What are you doing?! Drag them out already!"
But the Empire had many subjects, and there were always more reasons to kill them than to let them live.
Their lives are like flies.
Destined to be killed by knights if caught, or killed by warlocks if they stayed. Ferda could do nothing for those swept away by such immense, indifferent forces.
The magic investigator smiled brightly, as if he didn't have a care in the world. In his hand, he held the necromancy manual. Normally, according to the protocol for handling black magic books, it should have been wrapped in golden silk before being transported.
But Yuren didn't do that. Instead, he stroked the human skin cover, feeling its texture with his thumb. Then, suddenly sensing Ferda's gaze, he cleared his throat.
"I must have looked like someone obsessed with black magic. Haha..."
"A little bit, yes."
"Haha, how embarrassing. I was just happy to be able to add a significant line to my otherwise lacking record of achievements."
Realizing his slip, he quickly covered the manual with silk. Then, he offered his thanks to Ferda.
"Thanks to the Regent's report, the subjects can sleep soundly tonight."
"Not at all. I only did it for my own benefit."
"Doing something for the Empire is a good thing, haha!"
His intention to gloss over the moment was obvious.
"So, is there nothing you can do for me?" Ferda asked, his words carrying a sharp, expectant edge.
"Something I can do for you? Of course!"
If it were anyone else, Yuren would have brushed them off with a small reward or a threat, but the person before him was the Archduchess's fiancé and the Regent. He needed to provide a reward commensurate with that status. After a moment of thought, an idea occurred to him.
"Come to think of it, you are also a mage, aren't you, Regent?"
"I am."
"Then shouldn't I take you to a place that's like an amusement park for mages?" The magic investigator made a suggestion. "How would you like to visit the Sealed Warehouse?"
The moment to take the first step in Ferda's plan had finally arrived.
* * *
The Empire's warehouse was located deep beneath the Imperial Palace. It was the most heavily guarded place on the continent, requiring passage through numerous checkpoints and alarm spells. Ferda would never have been able to set foot inside if he hadn't been accompanied by Yuren.
The warehouse keeper smiled and saluted upon seeing the investigator.
"Salute! Magic Investigator! You're working hard today as well."
"You're the one working hard. I have confiscated items, so I need to enter the Sealed Warehouse. Record it."
"Understood. Forgive me, but your companion...?"
A young man with gray hair and piercing blue eyes stood beside him. The young man said nothing, standing with his hands behind his back. Yuren answered for him.
"Now, now, this gentleman is the fiancé of the Archduchess of the Far East. Though he is the Regent, he is the one currently in charge of the Far East."
"A-Ah... is that so?"
"So, make sure you handle this properly. Understood?"
"Yes, of course. I will leave it out of the records." The keeper closed the ledger without making any entry.
"A very flexible young man," Ferda noted.
"Haha, of course. You can't survive in this business without being flexible. Besides..." Yuren added with a smirk, "it's not like being flexible brings any harm."
A short while later, Ferda and Yuren moved to another room. Before them stood a massive stone gate with a crystal orb embedded in its center.
"This is called the Orb of Truth. Are you familiar with it?"
"Isn't it the item that glows green only when one answers questions truthfully?"
"That's right. It's a precious relic passed down from ancient times."
The orb sensed their presence and began to glow with a soft blue light. Yuren walked up to it with practiced ease and placed his hand on the surface. As soon as he did, a voice echoed through the room.
— Do you swear that you do not follow demons and do not abide by their resolve?
The heavy, dignified voice was like that of a god delivering judgment.
"I swear," Yuren replied.
— Do you swear that your visit to this warehouse is not motivated by personal desire?
"I swear."
— Do you swear that you are loyal to the Empire?
"I swear."
After the three questions were finished, the smoke inside the orb swirled. A moment later, the blue light turned a vibrant green.
— Verified.
Yuren took his hand off and looked at Ferda. "Would you please place your hand here?"
"Do I have to do it too?" Ferda feigned ignorance, even though he knew the protocol. It was more natural that way.
"Isn't it obvious? You can't pass through this room without being verified by the Orb of Vows. Unless..." Yuren's eyes narrowed. His gaze was suddenly similar to the one he had directed at the Demon Followers in the sewer. "Do you have something to hide?"
Ferda shook his head. "I'm just a greedy human, so I was worried I might get caught on the second question."
"Haha, don't worry. As long as you don't have thoughts like 'I'm definitely going to steal something from here,' you'll be fine."
It was a crude but effective method.
I used to do that in the past, too.
In his previous life, he had tried about three times, but Ferda had failed every time, the orb glowing a violent red. In the end, he had simply smashed it and walked inside. Ferda was that kind of person—full of personal desires and possessing zero loyalty to the Empire.
Even knowing this, Ferda boldly placed his hand on the Orb of Truth.
— Do you swear that you do not follow demons and do not abide by their resolve?
The dignified voice seemed to press down on Ferda’s soul, demanding the truth.