Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Black Mage (1)
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Landwalk City.
This city, built by merchants and artisans gathering together, was wealthy with money and people that never dried up.
It always shone brightly and was dazzlingly unique, but even this city had its shades of light and dark.
Those who couldn't adapt to the city and fell away gathered and lived on the outskirts.
That was how Landwalk City's slums were formed.
Dirty, smelly, and dangerous, the city's people tried not to go to the slums if at all possible.
Thanks to that, the slums were always as quiet as if by agreement.
“Kyaaak!”
“W-what are you doing!”
But today, the slums were unusually noisy.
Dozens of burly men had suddenly burst in, rummaging through each shack one by one and dragging out the slum dwellers.
“You beggar bastards, where do you get off yelling!”
“Shut up!”
The slum dwellers resisted in their own way, but it was no use.
Once the burly men landed punches to faces and stomachs, they went quiet.
“Hurry and find that guy!”
“The boss said he'd give ten gold coins to whoever finds him first!”
The burly men started wandering through the slum dwellers, holding a portrait.
They scrutinized each face one by one.
“Isn't this the guy?”
“No mole on the forehead. Not this one.”
That was when it happened.
One of the slum dwellers suddenly jumped up and smashed his fists into the jaws of two burly men.
Then he turned and ran.
“Huh? He's running over there!”
“Catch him! If we lose him, the boss will kill us instead!”
The burly men chased after the man in a herd. The man didn't get far before being captured by them.
“You snake bastards, how dare you lay hands on me! Let me go right now!”
The man struggled wildly, but he couldn't overcome the burly men's strength.
He was pinned firmly to the ground by them.
“Boss! We caught the Sewer Rats' leader!”
“Come confirm him!”
The burly men who subdued the man called someone over.
A moment later, a fat man waddled over.
“Chomp chomp.”
With a large sugar bread clutched in his hand.
“Chomp chomp, caught him faster than I thought.”
“It's all thanks to you, Boss, being so outstanding. Talented subordinates gather under a capable superior, after all.”
A subordinate at his side rubbed his palms together in flattery.
Pleased by the flattery, the man nodded with a satisfied face.
“Chomp chomp, of all places, he had to hide in this filthy hole.”
The man devoured the pot-sized sugar bread in one go.
The subordinate quickly offered a new one.
“Chomp chomp, the smell ruins the taste of food. What a guy I really don't like.”
“Exactly, Boss. He has no sense at all.”
As the chomping sounds dragged on, the expression of the man pinned to the ground twisted.
Finally, unable to endure, he yelled.
“You pig bastard! Eat a little less!”
“Chomp chomp, pig? You saying that to me?”
“Seems like it, Boss. What a guy with no eye for quality. Calling your muscular body a pig.”
“Chomp chomp, with eyesight like that, no wonder he ruined his organization.”
The fat man didn't get angry at all.
Instead, he just tore into his third sugar bread.
“Hey, Sewer Rat.”
The fat man spoke while sucking the sugar powder off his fingers.
“I warned you. When I offered nicely, I told you to give up your organization and come under me.”
Sewer Rats.
Until recently, it was the name of the organization that tightly gripped Landwalk's underworld.
It was so powerful that other groups had to band together to oppose it.
Yet such a mighty Sewer Rats organization collapsed overnight.
And it wasn't just the Sewer Rats. All the other organizations crumbled too.
All at the hands of that fat man, Cedric Walker.
“See? In the end, a rat is just snake food, right?”
The organization 'Black Snake' created by Cedric Walker dominated Landwalk City's underworld in an instant, with its ferocious aggression at the forefront.
With even the Sewer Rats gone, not a single organization remained to oppose Black Snake.
“Chomp chomp, now that we've got this one, it's all over. Dispose of them roughly and bury the bodies anywhere.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Cedric Walker turned away as if he had lost interest.
The Sewer Rats' leader tried to spit curses.
“You dog-like... Mmph! Mmmph!”
Black Snake members stuffed a gag in his mouth, preventing it.
Cedric Walker climbed into his carriage and asked a subordinate.
“No more remnants left now, right?”
“Yes, that's right.”
For the past few days, Cedric Walker had been spending time eliminating the remnants of the shattered organizations.
“Then it's time to deal with that noble bastard.”
“That noble... Ah, you mean Demian Haksen, who raided the tavern.”
At the subordinate's words, Cedric Walker's cheek twitched slightly.
About a week ago, the tavern he was backing was raided.
It was a massive incident where even the guarding organization members and the hired apprentice knight were massacred.
Because of this, Cedric Walker and Black Snake's prestige had plummeted.
To the point where remnants who'd been hiding all came out in rebellion at once.
“Should I send some guys to clean it up?”
Cedric Walker suddenly smacked the back of the subordinate's head.
“Are you an idiot? Kill a noble in his territory, not even in the city?”
A no-account family like that could be wiped out in a day.
But a noble was a noble, no matter how minor.
A noble residing in his territory suddenly murdered?
The royal palace wouldn't just sit idly by such a huge incident.
“What a moron to have an idiot like you as a subordinate—I'm the real idiot!”
“S-sorry.”
“If you're sorry, give me one more bread.”
The subordinate quickly offered a sugar bread.
Cedric Walker took a big bite.
“Chomp chomp, touching him directly would be a hassle. Best to leave this to the experts.”
“As expected of you, Boss! But who exactly is the expert?”
“A black mage.”
“Pardon?”
“I'm hiring a black mage. No, I've already hired one.”
A sleazy smile crept onto Cedric Walker's lips.
“With a little meddling from a black mage, that puny territory will crumble in no time. No need to even see blood.”
Even hearing Cedric Walker's words, the subordinate's face didn't brighten.
“Aren't black mages dangerous? I heard if you even slightly upset them, they brainwash the employer into a slave.”
“You think high-level black magic like that's easy? Only top-tier black mages can do it. And finding one is incredibly hard.”
“True, but...”
“And right now's when the Church is cracking down hard on black mages. The high-level ones must be too busy hiding from the Church.”
The carriage stopped.
Cedric Walker led his subordinates into a rundown house on the city's outskirts.
“Oh, you've arrived.”
Inside the house, a grubby man was waiting for Cedric Walker.
“You're Faykley, right?”
“Y-yes.”
Faykley wasn't just grubby; he even stuttered.
He didn't look trustworthy in any way.
“You know the request already? The more damage you inflict on Viscount Haksen's family with black magic, the more I'll pay.”
“Y-yes, got it!”
“I'll provide whatever materials you need for the black magic. Just say the word.”
“Really? Th-thank you!”
Faykley bowed repeatedly.
Mages were usually arrogant by nature.
Because they wielded transcendent power called magic. Black mages were no exception.
Compared to that, Faykley was excessively servile.
“But if you get caught by the Church, you're no relation to me.”
“I'll keep that in mind, deeply in mind.”
Faykley bowed again. His head nearly touched the floor.
* * *
Breakfast time.
Everyone from Viscount Haksen's family was gathered, but no conversation could be heard.
Only the clinking of cutlery.
Occasionally, the family members gazed at one spot as if by agreement.
At Viscount Haksen's eldest son, Demian Haksen.
Whether aware of the gazes or not, Demian Haksen silently focused on his meal.
Once he emptied his plate, he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“I'll excuse myself first.”
“Go ahead.”
At his father's permission, Demian Haksen rose from his seat.
Outside, Demian Haksen scratched his cheek.
‘I must seem really awkward.’
It wasn't dissatisfaction.
His son, who'd been a total delinquent, changed overnight, so it was natural to feel unfamiliar.
‘It'll get better with time.’
Thinking so, Demian Haksen walked the corridor. Now he had to start morning training.
Then, a maid approached Demian Haksen.
“What is it?”
“The young lady said to deliver this to you, young master.”
The maid held out a canteen and simple snacks.
Demian Haksen stared blankly at the items for a moment.
“...Sister told you to give these to me?”
“Yes. She said to tell you she's always cheering for you.”
Demian Haksen gave a bitter smile.
Even after nearly being disgraced because of this worthless brother, she encourages him like this.
“Tell her I said thanks.”
The maid bowed slightly and withdrew.
* * *
Demian Haksen gathered training items and went outside.
Besides the water and food from his sister, he brought a towel for sweat, and finally, something a bit special.
“I should thank Father.”
It was a longsword.
The very longsword that nearly split Demian Haksen's head on his first day back.
He'd asked Father last night since he planned to start sword training today, and received it.
“Not a great sword, but... it's for training anyway.”
The blacksmith's skill was poor, and the iron used was low quality.
Still, considering Viscount Haksen's finances, even this one sword had to be used sparingly.
“Should've stolen Erwin Ryanbloom's weapon.”
As befitting a marquis family's scion, Erwin Ryanbloom had an impressive famed sword. Even Demian Haksen was tempted.
“If I get the chance, I should acquire a good sword first.”
He had long passed the realm of being bound by weapons.
But swordsmen always crave famed blades by nature.
As Demian Haksen was lost in such thoughts while exiting the manor,
“Aigoo, what a mess.”
A sigh came from the stables.
Feeling curious, Demian Haksen headed that way.
Servants were clustered in the stables.
Wondering what was up, he peered inside through the servants.
‘The horse is dead?’
One of the three horses owned by the viscounty lay dead.
Its eyes not fully closed, tongue sticking out.
“It was fine just yesterday...”
“Why'd a healthy horse like that die?”
“That's why I'm frustrated too, not knowing.”
The servants scratched their heads.
“The lord's gonna be furious...”
“If he just yells, we're lucky. What if he makes us pay for it?”
It wasn't unreasonable for the servants to worry, having killed such an expensive and valuable animal as a horse.
Though it was just a beast dead, Demian Haksen couldn't easily look away.
He sensed a familiar aura from the dead horse.
A complex, subtle feeling like completely burned ashes mixed with blood's fishiness.
‘...Black magic?’
To investigate closer, Demian Haksen pushed through the servants toward the horse.
“Who's pushing? Huh, young master?”
“T-the young master's here?”
Realizing Demian Haksen's presence, the servants paled in fear.
It was natural, with major damage to the viscounty's assets and the infamous delinquent young master appearing.
But Demian Haksen had no interest in the servants.
He only examined the horse's corpse for traces of black magic.
‘My hunch was right.’
Stroking the horse's hide, black mana stuck to his fingertips.
A small amount, but definite. Not ordinary mana, but black mana.
‘Someone killed the horse with black magic.’
In truth, Demian Haksen was also proficient in black magic.
During his Death Knight days, Dorgo had wanted to make him even stronger.
So he infused all the black magic he knew into Demian.
As Dorgo wished, Demian wielded sword and black magic together, reigning as an object of terror.
‘Who would do this?’
The ones with grudge enough to hire a black mage against him were only Erwin Ryanbloom and Black Snake.
But Erwin Ryanbloom left yesterday, so he hasn't even reached the marquis family yet.
‘That leaves only Black Snake.’
Too risky to kill a noble directly, so they're using a black mage to harass.
‘This is a headache.’
For a poor territory like Viscount Haksen's, livestock dying like this continuously would be huge damage.
‘I need to eliminate the black mage as soon as possible...’
The problem was how to find the black mage.
If he were his Death Knight self, he'd expand his senses and locate them, but that wasn't possible now.
‘...Track with black magic?’
Honestly, Demian Haksen loathed black magic.
His life ruined by Dorgo, it was natural.
But regardless, he'd use it if it helped.
What mattered to Demian was his family's safety and happiness.
‘First, send the servants away.’
He couldn't use black magic in front of them.
Demian Haksen said to the servants.
“This horse seems to have died from a contagious disease.”
“Huh? Sudden disease... Eep!”
The servant hurriedly covered his mouth. He stared at Demian Haksen with frightened eyes.
Thinking he'd get severely scolded for questioning about the horse.
“It could spread, so keep people away from the stables. And call people to burn the corpse.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
At Demian Haksen's command, the servants dispersed.
The stables area quickly quieted.
With people gone, Demian Haksen gathered all the remaining black mana from the corpse.
Black mana couldn't be gathered ordinarily.
So he had no choice but to recycle what was in the corpse.
A small amount, but enough for tracking magic.
“Like this...”
Demian Haksen drew a ritual circle and activated it.
Black waves spread from him in all directions. A moment later, Demian Haksen's lips twisted.
“Over there.”
Demian Haksen's gaze turned west.