Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Man of the Archmage and Great Noble
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High Priestess Moria.
Even in the Azure Tower, where pessimistic mages gathered, she had deceived the notoriously difficult former Tower Master, Frozen Breath, and won his favor.
It was a prime example of just how exceptional her silver tongue was.
Yet, the fact that she had managed to steer both the great noble and the archmage toward suspecting Rishir wasn't solely due to her talent for deception.
To begin with, she hadn't even needed to flex any such verbal skills in this incident.
There was no need.
The genius mage Moria.
That was the fabricated persona—and genius—crafted by a high priestess of the White Shadow Church, who had abandoned the 8th circle realm to create it.
The genius she displayed in the duel straddled the boundary of the incomprehensible, only reluctantly accepted after repeated compromises.
Rishir.
A mage of the same age had casually denied such genius.
Rishir's talent was on a level heterogeneous even compared to Moria's.
In that context, it was revealed that Moria, the benchmark for comparison, had actually committed a denial that wasn't denial at all.
Naturally, they arrived at one question.
-Moria's genius was fake, fabricated by the high priestess?
-Then what about 'that'?
-What about 'that' which casually denied the fake genius fabricated by the high priestess?
Given the circumstances.
The great noble and archmage had no choice but to think Rishir was some monster hiding his true nature, just like Moria.
Even Moria herself was convinced he was a black mage or devil worshipper.
Under those extreme circumstances, their thinking was constrained, leading their conclusions to align.
With her lifelong grand scheme unraveling and drawing suspicion from the archmage and great noble, Moria had no future left.
All that remained for her was venom.
-If it's come to this, you go down with me.
To expose Rishir's true face, she willingly cast aside everything she had.
She handed over one of her treasures as a high priestess, the 'Mirror of the Reverse Side,' to Drei and Phalag.
After that—
Everything proceeded exactly as everyone expected.
...Or so it seemed.
"Impossible!!!"
Moria screamed in fury.
"Those are absolutely not ordinary spirits!!!"
"..."
"..."
Drei and Phalag inwardly nodded.
Rishir's mental world, akin to a demonic realm, was something no ordinary person could possess.
Even breaking it down into individual elements yielded the same result.
An endless blood pond stretching out.
Pillars of black flame.
Vast sandstorms.
Each one was a mental image of terrifying scale.
Vast enough that only swordmasters who had reached the superhuman realm or archmages could possess them.
In other words, it was reasonable to view each of those cute(?) spirits as entities on par with such beings.
Yet—
"To think he kept those locked away in his inner world!? Unacceptable...! It must be a trick!"
The high priestess's claim made sense.
Thus, it didn't apply to existences that defied reason.
Now, everyone present understood.
Even Moria, who intellectually grasped it but wailed in denial, was the same.
That 'those' could not be confined within the bounds of common sense.
Drei glanced at Phalag for his opinion.
Phalag shook his head.
"No mana reaction at all. Can't dismiss it as trickery, summoning, or anything else."
"Then..."
"Withdrawal."
"Withdrawal...?"
Rishir's mental world, once filled with malevolent energy, was now empty.
Because he had withdrawn the spirits that were its source.
That was all. A simple story.
"..."
Phalag examined the Mirror of the Reverse Side once more.
'An empty mental world...'
For someone of Rishir's caliber to hold nothing in his mental space. Absurd.
Phalag pondered what an empty mental world signified.
Soon, he reached a hypothesis.
"Heh, hehehe..."
A leaking chuckle escaped through his thick beard.
The archmage's aura, which had exuded robust dignity unfit for his age and appearance, dimmed.
With an air now weary and somewhat shabby, befitting his age and looks, he gestured toward Moria.
"No way, there's no way! How could something like that be possible—"
The ice prison restraining Moria's body fully engulfed her.
Her furious cries ceased.
Silence descended on the basement.
In that moment.
Within Drei and Phalag, the existence of 'Moria' was erased.
The very being whose prodigious talent had once made the eyes of the former Tower Master and talent collector shine.
Normally, it would have plunged them into great anguish.
But they felt not even the slightest sense of loss.
Moria.
Because the existence making that prodigy feel trivial was right before their eyes.
Rishir.
The lingering unease and misunderstanding about him from the sequence of events cleared away.
Of course, they didn't fully understand him yet.
Even so, one thing was crystal clear.
As someone building ties with talents for his family—
As someone walking the path of magic—
He was a man they absolutely could not let slip away.
The eyes of the great noble and archmage began to gleam.
...At the same time, their expressions clouded with anguish moment by moment.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Rishir and his spirits stared silently at the two.
The misunderstanding was gone, leaving only the wronged man.
Perhaps there was a way to salvage this.
It was the moment Drei and Phalag tried to calmly review the situation.
"It would have been nice if, before grilling me alongside the high priestess's words, you'd heard my side first... Did you two really distrust me that much? More than a heretic cult's high priestess?"
Rishir spared them the effort.
With a weary, self-deprecating tone, he meticulously listed their crimes(?).
Yes.
They had ended up in the position of interrogating Rishir alongside Moria.
Alongside Moria, the high priestess of the heretic cult who had infiltrated their midst,
While Rishir had expelled the high priestess and prevented the disaster.
From their perspective, there had been ample reason and grounds.
But bringing it up now would just sound like excuses.
So, what should they say?
They didn't know.
In short, they had nothing to say.
"No—"
"That's—"
The great noble and archmage fidgeted before the nameless honor mage, unable to speak despite having mouths.
Since they couldn't find words, Rishir's spirits chimed in.
"For the heir of a great noble house and a former Tower Master, no less, to be blinded and swayed by a heretic cultist's words."
The sharp-eyed girl spirit sneered venomously.
"A great noble and archmage colluding with heretics to persecute a powerless young, righteous, talented mage with their authority!!! A scandal to rock the continent! And it's true, no less!"
The gray-white flame spirit shouted boisterously.
"You! You're not Chu-inni's friends anymore! Thought you were Chu-inni's friends but you bullied Chu-inni! Now you're the bad ones!"
The baby-voiced sand spirit planted her hands on her hips, eyebrows furrowed, scolding them.
No.
That.
No.
That.
Drei and Phalag repeated those two words like broken records.
Watching quietly, Rishir spoke with a dignified smile that seemed all the more bitter.
"I understand your positions. So, please don't dwell on this any further. If there's no more business, I'll take my leave."
Even in this situation, he politely bowed to them before departing.
Had he shown displeasure, they could have used their seasoned experience to soothe him.
Nobles and mages were breeds who valued their face and honor above life itself.
Handling those bound by such things was child's play for a great noble and archmage.
Simply treat them with appropriate respect as higher nobles and mages to save face.
"No..."
"Wait—"
But with Rishir acting not as mage or noble, but as a wounded young man—
They were at a loss.
A type of person they'd never encountered.
A type of situation they'd never faced.
How to resolve this.
How to turn back his thoroughly turned away heart.
Fire fell on the feet of the great noble and archmage.
-Chu-inni! You could have demanded an apology and compensation right there! Yet you chose to plant a good impression instead!!! How wise and generous!!!
As I left the basement and walked the corridor, Dangalleon, returned to my inner world, spoke up.
His words reeked of effort to dress up my choice.
-For now, they're in positions too high for this guy to touch.
Clana added.
Were they trying to console me? Or was it my imagination?
Probably because of the last look I gave before leaving the basement; they seemed to be misunderstanding something.
To correct their misconception, I explained my actions.
The behavioral patterns of nobles and mages as a species.
What would happen if I mimicked them,
And what would happen if I didn't.
'In short, I did it to make those two panic and squirm. I figured it'd be far more awkward for them to deal with.'
-As expected of Chu-inni!!! Unbound by conventions, even using them to your advantage! I, Dangalleon, receive another lesson from Chu-inni!
'If you hype it up that much, it feels like you're spinning me instead.'
-No. Even that devil has a point. Among young noble-born mages your age, none act or think like that... I don't recall seeing such a mutant.
'Can't tell if that's praise or an insult.'
Chatting amiably with the spirits(?) as I walked, I soon reached my room.
There, a girl in pure white awaited me.
"Ugh...!"
Blinded by her radiant beauty, I shielded my eyes and stepped back.
"Strange... Why is the sun up at this hour...!"
"Full of energy, huh. Wandering around restlessly in the meantime, then striking a cringy pose the moment you see me."
"First, let's clear this up."
"What excuse now."
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?"
"Oh?"
What happened in the basement.
I explained why I'd inevitably broken my promise with Fienne, even if just briefly.
"...-I'm on my way back after resolving it now."
"Well. If that's the case, no helping it."
"Oh... To be forgiven this easily... Note to self: Fienne is weak to compliments comparing her to the sun..."
"Why not also note that she's weak to being late for promises?"
"Is that true? Well, still, it's advice from Fienne, so I'll follow it. Fienne is weak to compliments comparing her to the sun... weak to being late for promises..."
As I engraved the precious girl's teachings more valuably than gold in my mind, Fienne passed by without a word.
I followed, saying,
"So, Fienne. Where to now?"
"Sector 3. There's a shop I scoped out there."
Sector 3.
Bondalese's premier bustling district and affluent street.
*Jingle jingle jingle.*
My wallet began trembling in terror.
"R-Right...! My treat! Eat whatever you want today, Fienne...!"
"Ugh, no need. I suggested the meal, so I'll cover it."
"Heavens. Who are you? The Fienne I knew was a bold girl who insisted on staying at expensive inns despite our finances—"
"Oh. Thanks to you, I've regained my初心. Empty your pockets and wallet. I'll let you splurge to your heart's content."
Saying that, when I actually handed over my pockets, Fienne waved her hands in disgust.
Soon, we reached the mansion's back door.
There stood a carriage: not flashy, but luxurious.
No way? But it was real.
"Lady."
As the carriage approached, the old coachman bowed to Fienne and opened the door.
"Heavens... What a picture of a successful woman... Fienne, if it's not rude, may I admire you?"
"If you'd kept your role as proxy guardian, you'd be riding something several times more luxurious than this."
Fienne urged me to board first.
As I did, she extended her hand from below.
Meaning she wanted help getting in.
I carefully took her slender hand and pulled.
We sat side by side on the carriage seats.
"Ugh, too stuffy. Sit over there."
We sat facing each other.
*Knock knock.*
Fienne tapped the seat, and the carriage moved.
As expected of a noble lady; she had proper grace.
"Come to think of it, what did you do with those kids?"
"Those kids?"
Fienne tapped her head.
"Ah, the tenants. Of course they're here."
As I tapped my head similarly in response, Fienne sighed deeply.
"Huh? Why?"
"Why? Dining just us two would be lonely, but with three companions, it's great."
Imagination?
The mood grew oddly stiff as Fienne spoke.
"Come to think of it, did I mention this?"
"Whatever it is, tell me again. I could listen to you talk all night about anything."
"Remember Gadrock?"
"Of course."
How could I forget.
The experience of drawing sword aura for the first time.
"What happened to him after? Once he got cut by me—"
"The wound wasn't that deep. Fatal without treatment, but survivable with immediate care— that level."
"So you saved him?"
"Yes. The council had much to hear from him."
"Seemed stubborn; did he answer questions obediently?"
Fienne showed her palms.
"Ah, right. Gotta answer the boss. So, learn anything?"
"Quite a bit, varied things. Thanks to him, we wrapped up this incident smoothly."
"No way!? Looks to me like it's thanks to your nonstop hard work day and night!"
"Hm. Not a bad take. Anyway. Why bring up that man suddenly—"
You.
Fienne continued in a newly serious tone.
"Know about the Third Arm?"
"Third Arm?"
Legend says the god of gambling, who toys with gamblers as an unseen hand, has a third arm.
Third Arm.
The continent's most infamous crime syndicate.
"Crime group, right?"
"You know it. Straight to the point then. Gadrock. He was tied to the Third Arm. Evidence shows they backed his back-alley business expansion."
"Backed?"
"Yes. Their unique investment style."
"So I unwittingly ruined their investment?"
"Exactly. That's why I'm telling you. The Third Arm. They'll soon learn their investment failed. Because of one man who uprooted Bondalese's crime groups."
"They might retaliate, so watch out?"
"Not just watch—be aware. Don't take things from strangers. Don't follow unknowns."
"Am I some kid left by the riverside?"
"Does that change it? You're tangled in incidents daily."
"But I normalized them all."
"Sigh. You need a proper scolding sometime."
Our conversation continued unbroken until the carriage stopped, we ate, and parted.
"Next time, definitely leave those kids behind."
After parting with Fienne, I headed straight to my room in the mansion to refine my 'Enhancement' ability.
My will overflowed, but my mind was blocked.
I knew from experience that refining 'Enhancement' at my current level had clear limits.
'To progress here, I need to thoroughly drain some high-rank mage—'
"Huh?"
My thoughts halted there.
Along with my stopped steps.
At the end of the corridor.
Someone stood before my room.