Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: A Peculiar Hobby
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After finishing his conversation with Lee Si-woo, Hirkhus returned to his office. He sank into his chair and remained silent for a long time, prompting his closest aide, the goat-man elder Kuman, to speak cautiously.
“You must not accept Lee Si-woo’s proposal. If you kill Allen, a war is inevitable, and as you know, our chances of victory are…”
Hirkhus let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“None.”
“We shouldn’t have even listened to them in the first place. This whole incident should just be…”
“Let go? Heh heh… Then what about my grandson? The deaths of the Royal Palace residents? The pride of the Wilderness Magic Tower? My reputation? My pride-!”
*CRASH!*
Enraged, Hirkhus slammed his fist down, shattering his office desk.
Seeing the depth of Hirkhus’s fury, Kuman clamped his mouth shut and closed his eyes.
He could already guess that the outcome of this affair would be anything but smooth.
Hirkhus spoke in a dry voice, like the snapping of a brittle twig.
“Tell Lee Si-woo I accept his proposal. Inform the entire Magic Tower to prepare for war. Tell the Old Tree Magic Tower to honor their oath.”
“My Lord…! The Senior Magic Tower has Kenyon.”
“I know. But from the moment Allen crossed the line, war was unavoidable anyway. It’s all gone just as he wanted.”
“Allen is acting this way because he’s counting on Kenyon! He knows it’s a war he can’t lose even if he wanted to! My Lord, you mustn’t let them manipulate you. You must bide your time for a future opportunity…!”
“Kuman. I know you speak so bluntly out of concern for me. But that’s enough. I’m not doing this without a thought in my head.”
“…Do you have some kind of plan?”
Hirkhus gave a bitter smile.
“A plan… well, I’m not so sure myself. I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. But one thing is certain… it’s a hundred times better to flip the whole board than to act like a pushover and get utterly humiliated.”
Hirkhus sent a message to someone on his smartphone.
- I accept the proposal. The authority over the security system in the area managed by the Wilderness Magic Tower is now yours.
Hirkhus let out an anxious sigh and muttered to himself.
“It won’t be long now before I find out. Whether this move will be a game-changer or a fatal mistake…”
* * *
Allen, on vacation at his home in the city, snapped at the escort mages who followed him like shadows.
“Following me all the way home? Have you no decency? Am I not allowed any personal time?”
A 4th Circle Lizardman Master replied.
“The Tower Lord has ordered us to provide a full escort, as there may be an attack from the Wilderness Magic Tower, who have mistaken Ixion’s terrorist attack on the Royal Palace as your doing, Elder Allen.”
“Still, there are limits. Ten 3rd Circle and two 4th Circle mages? I may be a beginner, but I'm still a 5th Circle mage. Isn’t this a bit much? I’m not a child…”
“The Tower Lord’s orders were not to compromise.”
“Hmph, fine. Then just wait outside the house. Surely, I’m not foolish enough to be caught off guard in my own home without calling for help.”
“Understood. We will wait near the house. However, please call us immediately if even the slightest issue arises.”
As the Lizardman reluctantly backed down, Allen shook his head and went inside.
His house was a villa located in downtown Granada, boasting a price so exorbitant it made the Royal Palace look cheap.
As Allen entered the house through biometric recognition, a young elf girl in a wheelchair perked up her ears and smiled brightly.
“Brother?”
As the elf girl approached, her vibrant green hair, which looked like it would smell of fresh grass, swayed. Allen grinned and said.
“Lina. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, what could possibly happen? The housekeeper takes care of almost everything.”
“Still, let me know if anything’s bothering you. Oh, how’s the new housekeeper? Is she okay?”
“Yeah, I like that she’s blunt. The last one was so fake, pretending to care about me. It was disgusting.”
“That’s a relief. How are your legs?”
“They’re fine, they’re fine. Brother, about that… I applied to adopt a stray dog…”
Allen’s voice turned feignedly stern.
“Lina, no more stray dogs. You already have four.”
“But I feel so sorry for them…”
“Feeling sorry isn’t a reason. It’s too much for the housekeeper.”
“Okay… then buy me one more human taxidermy.”
“Human taxidermy? So suddenly?”
Human taxidermy—the practice of preserving a human corpse to look as it did in life—was a hobby considered grotesque and repulsive even in the Main Dimension’s society.
However, collecting such pieces had become a quiet trend among elves, as the human form, being somewhat similar to their own, evoked a strange fascination.
Lina, in particular, found considerable comfort in human taxidermy.
She was once enraged that mere humans could walk perfectly fine while a rare disease left her unable to, but after she began collecting them as taxidermy, displayed as if alive, she was able to soothe her troubled mind.
“A mage. I want a taxidermy of a human mage. My friend has one, but I don’t.”
Allen frowned and clicked his tongue softly.
Lina had made a difficult request.
Allen doted on Lina, his only remaining family, enough to grant her any wish, but a human mage?
Considering his position as an elder of the Magic Tower, it was a request that carried a heavy burden.
However, surprisingly, Allen’s response was so positive that Lina herself was taken aback.
“Sure, I’ll get you one soon.”
Lina, who hadn’t expected much despite asking, widened her eyes.
“Huh? Really?!”
“Yes, and a real masterpiece at that. You know him, right? The one I told you about before. Lee Si-woo.”
Since Allen often confided in her without reservation, Lina, who knew the names of most people around him, replied with a disgusted look.
“…That annoying Ranker?”
“Mm, I think I’ll have to take care of him.”
“Why? Weren’t you considering recruiting him before?”
“Tower Lord Kenyon has taken an excessive interest in Lee Si-woo. He’s even willing to give him authority over the budget department. This… is dangerous.”
“It’s not that dangerous, is it? Brother, he’s just a 3rd Circle mage. He’s no match for you.”
“He’s a man who grew that strong in just a few months. And he’s a Ranker.”
“But he’s just a mage with multiple attributes. Aren’t you being too sensitive, brother? If this is for my sake, you don’t have to push yourself. I’d be happy enough with an ordinary 1st Circle mage, not some scary one.”
“It’s not because of you… It’s also because he’s in a relationship with Isabelle. I’ve been thinking about it carefully. From Tower Lord Kenyon’s perspective, a son-in-law would be better than an unrelated stranger, wouldn’t he? I’ve only been keeping an eye on Isabelle until now… but if Lee Si-woo manages to reach the 4th Circle, things could get a little strange.”
“Ah, that does sound a bit tricky. But if he has that much backing, won’t there be consequences? Will you be okay?”
“This guy is more troublesome alive. So I have to kill him first. I can think about what happens after he’s dead. Surely, they won’t abandon me, a 5th Circle beginner, for killing a single 3rd Circle human, right? Especially after the deed is already done.”
Worried about Allen’s sudden escalation, Lina spoke gently.
“Is this Lee Si-woo person really that threatening for you to go to such lengths?”
“…If he were a reckless fool like Isabelle, who only relies on her own abilities, I would have ignored him. But this guy is unpredictable, I have no idea what he’ll do. And that unsettling magic he used to neutralize Ixion… Huh?”
*Ting.*
Allen checked the text message and smirked.
“Speak of the devil.”
“Lee Si-woo?”
“Yeah, he wants to meet. What great timing. Might as well take care of him today.”
As Allen prepared to leave, Lina spoke to him.
“Wait, brother. You know Ixion appeared in Granada, right? The Wilderness Magic Tower might make a move. So please, take your escorts.”
At her concern, Allen laughed as if it were absurd.
“Don’t worry, Lina. They wouldn’t dare, not unless they have a death wish. As long as Kenyon is around, a war is impossible. Besides, how can I bring escorts when I’m planning to deal with Lee Si-woo?”
“Take them. You’re planning to kill him as soon as you meet, right? That way, Lee Si-woo won’t have time to react. And you told me yourself that his reputation isn’t great. The escort mages will be surprised, but they’ll take your side.”
Knowing how much worry was laden in her firm voice, Allen nodded.
“Alright. But I’ll leave one 4th Circle mage behind. Just in case they decide to attack you.”
Lina shook her head.
“Thank you for your concern, but a 3rd Circle mage will be enough.”
“Still…”
“Brother, have you forgotten we’re right next to the Senior Magic Tower? And that as long as the tower’s ‘Barrier’ covers the entire area, mages from other affiliations can’t possibly get in here?”
Allen knew that with the barrier identifying the mana signatures of mages within the tower's domain and repelling any unauthorized intruders, nothing major was likely to happen. He smacked his lips and said.
“Tch, alright. I’ll leave three 3rd Circle mages instead. Don’t refuse this. Even non-mages can be a threat to you.”
“Okay, thank you. And… be safe.”
Grateful for Lina’s affectionate gaze, Allen replied gently.
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”
* * *
An hour after Allen left.
In the lonely silence, Lina tended to the dogs that approached her, a forlorn expression on her face.
She had given the housekeeper the day off to spend some quality time with her brother, which made the already large house feel unusually vast.
Just then, as if on cue, the dogs all started barking at the window.
They were well-trained and rarely barked, so their sudden outburst made Lina tilt her head in confusion. She drew back the curtains.
And then she saw him.
A black-haired man stood right in front of the window overlooking the garden, his face expressionless.
“Ah…”
An involuntary shiver ran down her spine, and Lina maneuvered her wheelchair backward.
The black-haired man watched her, a corner of his mouth twisting into a smirk.
The contrast between his chilling black eyes and red lips created a terrifying aura.
At that moment, the escort mages, having noticed the intruder, rushed in from behind the black-haired man.
*Thank goodness. Brother saved me.*
However, the color that had returned to her face suddenly froze like ice.
It was because she saw a mass of translucent tendrils extending from the black-haired man’s entire body.
The 3rd Circle mages, who never imagined a man who appeared human would use tendrils, hesitated as they tried to cast their spells, but they were a step too late.
The black-haired man unleashed a spell he had already prepared, as if he had planned it all along.
[2nd Circle Arcane Magic: Phantasm]
The mages’ first mistake was underestimating their opponent simply because he was human. Their second was never imagining a human could wield tendrils.
And so, for their successive errors, they paid the price of being devoured by an army of tentacles.
Connected to the man by the writhing tendrils, the three 3rd Circle mages stopped moving, as if time had frozen.
Though she rarely left the house, she constantly consumed information through her smartphone and immediately recognized the nature of the tendrils.
*I’ve… seen that before. Tentacle’s mental tendrils. And a mental connection! H-How is this possible? That person is clearly human! How can a human use a mental connection?!*
This was on a completely different level from a Mutant, whose Talent was merely altered.
A Mutant could possess a similar Talent, but it was impossible for them to have an identical one.
Only then did Lina realize who this mysterious intruder was.
*Lee Si-woo… It’s Lee Si-woo. The human my brother was so wary of!*
Having grasped the situation, Lina pressed a black button on the armrest of her wheelchair.
The armrest split open, and a black orb popped out.
It was a 4th Circle magical artifact Allen had given her for emergencies.
With the artifact in hand, Lina opened the glass door and threw it toward Lee Si-woo’s back.
Then, she operated her electric wheelchair at full speed, retreating deep into the house.
*KABOOOOM—!*
Lina, who had been covering her ears with her hands and facing away, turned her head back when she sensed the explosion had subsided.
Through the black smoke billowing up, she saw her half-destroyed, ruined house and the garden, which was a mess of overturned earth.
Seeing the aftermath of a 4th Circle spell, Lina breathed a sigh of relief.
A mental connection was a powerful Talent, but it had a fatal weakness: the user was left defenseless while it was active.
That was why Tentacles usually moved in parties. Fortunately, Lee Si-woo was alone.
“To think a magical artifact would pop out of there. As expected of Elder Allen’s sister, you’re quite feisty.”
Lina’s face turned deathly pale as she saw Lee Si-woo emerge from the black smoke, his skin shimmering with a brilliant luster.
Her judgment had been correct, but unfortunately for her, she didn’t know about Harman.
Harman had detected the incoming artifact and activated his mineralization ability, minimizing the damage.
However, blood was trickling from the corner of Lee Si-woo’s mouth, suggesting he hadn’t completely negated the impact of being hit by the artifact while defenseless.
*Such a big explosion will surely draw people from the Magic Tower soon. I used the mental connection to handle things quietly, but that turned out to be a mistake. Tsk, can’t be helped. I never thought that woman would be carrying a 4th Circle artifact.*
Lee Si-woo walked steadily toward Lina, who was trembling in her wheelchair like a frightened fledgling.
Having retracted his mineralization ability and returned to his original form, Lee Si-woo gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
It seemed like a gentle gesture, but Lina felt the malice woven into it and held her breath.
Lee Si-woo, who had been staring at her intently, suddenly glanced toward the family of human taxidermy displayed in the living room.
From young siblings to a mother, father, grandfather, and grandmother.
After confirming the taxidermied family, Lee Si-woo smirked, then violently grabbed her by the hair and whispered.
“You have quite a refined hobby.”
Lee Si-woo’s powerful grip tore a clump of hair from Lina’s scalp. She let out a piercing scream.
Circling her like a shark that had scented blood, Lee Si-woo spoke in a soft, lilting voice.
“I was worried our first meeting might be unpleasant, but I’m glad. You see, I also have a rather peculiar hobby called kidnapping. I think… we might get along quite well.”