Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Family Trip (4)
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The black mages' resistance didn't last long.
"I-it's... a total of five including us."
After twisting their joints a few times and tearing their muscles with the Flesh-Rending Golden Needle, they quickly began answering Demian's questions.
"Tell me the levels of the other members."
"O-one is a top-tier black mage like us brothers... the other two are a m-master-class and a g-great black mage."
"What are their names?"
"The g-great black mage is named Sukle. The m-master-class is Wingstone..."
Demian cross-checked the answers from the two brothers against his own memories.
Hedonak, the criminal organization they belonged to, had been notoriously infamous even in his previous life.
There were two main reasons Hedonak had gained such fame.
First, they had no discernible motive for their crimes.
Unlike other criminal groups, they weren't driven by greed for wealth, power, or even materials for black magic.
Because of that, the Holy Church couldn't predict their movements at all.
The second reason was the prowess of the two core members of Hedonak.
A master-class and a great black mage.
They had two transcendent beings whom an ordinary person might never see in their lifetime.
Thanks to that overwhelming force, the Holy Church always let Hedonak slip through their fingers.
"Where are the other three? Are they in the city too?"
"That's..."
The brothers hesitated. Demian immediately drove his five fingers into their shoulders.
Mana surged through their meridians. In that instant, the muscles in their shoulders began writhing like living things.
The muscles squeezed their bones and nerves. Bloodshot veins burst in their eyes.
"P-please stop...!"
"Th-this at least... Aaaagh!"
Demian immediately clamped their mouths shut. The brothers could only wait in agony, unable to even scream.
A moment later, Demian withdrew his hands. The brothers gasped for breath, utterly exhausted.
"Where are the other three?"
"They... aren't in the city yet... They're on their way..."
The brothers answered Demian's questions obediently. They seemed to have completely lost the will to resist.
"On their way now? Why?"
"Sukle... Lord Sukle and Lord Wingstone... want to ruin everything... right when the festival is in full swing... So they're coming a bit late..."
"Then why did you two come to the city first?"
"We... to make preparations... on Lord Sukle's orders..."
The preparations undoubtedly referred to drawing magic circles in various spots around the city.
They had sent the two ahead to inscribe magic circles throughout the city.
Then, while people were enjoying the Starlight Jellyfish Festival, the others would arrive and activate them.
"Why go through this hassle?"
"It's Lord Sukle's aesthetic... He enjoys... shattering people's happiest moments..."
"What a repulsive woman."
Thanks to his past life's experiences, Demian knew well how trash-like black mages could be.
But even among them, those who committed mass slaughter purely for their own pleasure were rare.
To even call it an "aesthetic." It had been a long time since he'd encountered such a deranged black mage.
'A master-class and a great black mage...'
It was the worst possible combination.
Even ordinary knights and mages saw their power multiply when paired together.
With the knight holding the front line, the mage could unleash spells without worry.
'And these two are clearly no ordinary ones.'
Demian had never seen Sukle or Wingstone in person.
But piecing together the information he'd heard in the past, they were undoubtedly top-tier powerhouses.
Hedonak had wiped out Holy Church pursuit teams multiple times, after all.
It had cost the Holy Church dearly to finally exterminate them.
'Even Pandemonium tried recruiting them several times.'
After becoming a Death Knight, he'd heard other black mages mention it a few times.
Pandemonium had heard of Hedonak's infamy and repeatedly tried to recruit them, only to be rejected every time.
The reason was absurd. They wanted to wield power solely for themselves.
'Too tough for me to handle alone.'
A great black mage alone might be manageable, but with a master-class in the mix.
No matter how skilled Demian was, he couldn't take on a master-class at his current level.
'Damn, I didn't expect to run into a master-class this soon.'
That's why he'd been eager to reach master-class himself as quickly as possible.
You never knew when or where you'd encounter a powerful enemy.
'SShould I evacuate the family?'
Logically, that made sense. The moment those two arrived, the city would become a living hell.
'But there's still time. They're not arriving until after the festival starts.'
He had time to prepare.
So instead of evacuating his family, Demian pondered ways to stop Hedonak.
There was a reason for his stubbornness.
'It's our first family trip in ages.'
Everyone had been looking forward to this trip.
Because of the famous Starlight Jellyfish Festival? Because the duke had prepared everything?
Those were factors, but the biggest reason was Demian.
It was the first family trip since the former wastrel Demian had turned over a new leaf.
That's why everyone was excited and genuinely happy.
'...Decades. It's been decades.'
The meaning was even more profound for Demian.
In his previous life, he'd killed his own family. He'd spent the decades after drowning in regret.
Then he'd regressed. He'd reunited with the family he'd thought lost forever.
He'd atoned for his mistakes, begged their forgiveness, and now they were on this trip together.
He didn't want it interrupted. He wanted to see it through safely.
'I'll eliminate them before they reach the city.'
In that moment, Demian resolved himself.
'It's a tough force, but not impossible.'
If he couldn't handle it alone, he could borrow outside help.
Fortunately, there was a group in this world that went berserk at the mere mention of black mages.
'If worst comes to worst... I'll step in myself.'
Demian still had one trump card left.
He avoided using it because it made him feel even filthier than casting black magic, but that was all.
'Time to move.'
Having sorted his thoughts, Demian turned to the two brothers.
They stared at him with faces full of terror.
"W-we answered all your q-questions... S-spare us."
Instead of replying, Demian loosened the bracelet slightly. Black mana leaked out.
"What...?"
"Th-that's..."
The brothers' eyes widened in disbelief. They tried to shout.
"Bl-black ma..."
Demian activated black magic. Flames erupted from their bodies.
Before they could scream, their entire forms turned to ash.
Demian cast another black spell to erase every trace they had left behind.
"You can't let even a single black mage live."
Finally, he wiped away the magic circle drawn in the alley and vanished.
* * *
"Demian! What took you so long!"
When he returned to the rooftop, his family was enjoying their meal.
The table where the family sat was laden with freshly prepared dishes. People who looked like hotel staff attended to them.
"What's this sudden city sightseeing?"
"I went to check if there were any dangerous types around."
Demian said as he sat beside his father. His father burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha, dangerous? Do you know how safe this city is? They say they pay even more attention to security during festival season."
Demian could only give a wry smile at his father's words.
His father was right. Normally, that would be the reasonable mindset.
Who would imagine a master-class and a great black mage torching a city just for fun?
This world had far too many scum who wielded great power with broken minds.
"You must be hungry. Eat up. The chef's skills are excellent."
At his father's praise, one of the staff members bowed slightly. He seemed to be the chef.
"Brother, try this. It's roast suckling pig wrapped in cabbage."
"Demian, have some of this too. It's a drink made from fruit imported from abroad."
The family eagerly offered food to Demian. He agreed and tasted everything.
After the meal, Sandler addressed the family.
"According to the mages' predictions, the starlight jellyfish will take flight two days from now. The display will last about three days."
Starlight jellyfish flew into the sky each night to find mates of the opposite sex that caught their fancy.
That's why the flight didn't end in a single night. It continued for several days.
"His Grace the Duke has offered free access to all city events until then, including plays and concerts. Please enjoy them."
Luise, his older sister, was especially delighted by Sandler's words. She adored plays and concerts.
"Victor. I have a task for you."
While the family listened to Sandler and rejoiced, Demian called Victor over.
"What is it, young master?"
"There's something you need to do."
Demian pulled something out and handed it to Victor.
It was none other than the Honorary Holy Knight insignia. Victor stared at it in shock.
"Why give something so precious to me?"
"Go to the Holy Church branch in the city right now and deliver my message."
Victor's tension rose at Demian's serious expression.
"Hedonak is targeting the city. Tell them to dispatch a master-class immediately."