Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 225
>Chapter Title: Not All Mages Are Bad. But…
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Hormei... so, the lump that had been creating discomfort in someone else's turf opened his mouth more easily than expected.
...Well, not exactly easily?
“Ugh, u-ugh...”
I stared at the lump wriggling like a filthy rag and fell into thought for a moment.
‘So, let’s summarize.’
This lump’s name, as I mentioned earlier, was Hormei.
He had once been the second-in-command of the 2nd Black-White Slums, with authority that rivaled the Godfather’s.
But then his dirty businesses got exposed, his forces were torn apart by the Godfather, and he got exiled...
‘A backer?’
The question was, who was that backer.
It was quite a coincidental name for me.
And unexpected, too.
‘...Goldrin.’
Or, to be more precise, Goldrin’s eldest son, Basilin.
At that thought, my gaze naturally shifted to the thugs sprawled behind Hormei.
‘Why not Decullan?’
I figured Decullan’s name would come up, given the Troubleshooters attached to them.
No matter how much I beat it out of them, the “De” of Decullan never came up—just Goldrin. Didn’t seem like they were lying.
So, was it Basilin or whoever who’d joined hands with Decullan?
That would make sense.
“Tch... I just don’t get it.”
The situation was turning out more complicated than I’d thought, so I scratched the back of my head.
‘At least it doesn’t seem like they were after the auction.’
From what I heard, they’d had their eyes on the 2nd Black-White Slums even before the auction... What the hell was going on?
Anyway.
I shook off the nagging question that wouldn’t resolve and stepped toward the alley’s exit.
“Ar-are you... done?”
“Eh, more or less.”
The one who approached as I exited the alley was Collin, Timur’s right-hand man.
Unlike our first meeting, he showed me polite deference—thanks to a heads-up from Timur.
Oh, and for reference, I’d had Evelin step away before the interrogation began.
Timur was the type who’d seen it all, good and bad, but Evelin was different.
“Duke?”
“He’s gone back to the hideout with the boss. No need to worry about that side—they’ve got the action squad guarding it.”
“Right, got it.”
Considering the hideout’s forces from before, it wasn’t exactly reassuring, but it should hold for now.
I heard the action squad hadn’t been there the day I first barged in, so they could probably hold out for a while no matter what.
“Then, can you handle cleaning up inside?”
“Yes, that’s fine, but... how should we handle them?”
How to handle them.
I organized my thoughts briefly and gave a curt reply.
“Do whatever with the lump. Leave the robed ones alive for now—they’re mages, so be careful.”
As I turned to leave after saying that.
Collin’s voice came from behind me.
“Yes, as you command. But...”
“...?”
“The hideout’s that way. Where are you headed?”
Ah, where to?
Isn’t that obvious?
“Time to pull up the roots.”
“Roots...”
“Never mind, I’ll report back when I’m done. Listen then.”
I left Collin behind and started walking again.
I didn’t know if the mastermind behind this was Goldrin, Decullan, or both.
But...
‘If you step into someone else’s territory, you take responsibility, right?’
I had no idea how the future me, who bowed to Decullan, had lived.
But it wasn’t hard to guess.
He’d probably hidden and bided his time, avoiding clashes with Decullan until he built up enough power.
So now, things had to be different.
“Let’s see... If Troubleshooters are scrambling, it means one of the official magic corps.”
Official mages.
‘I don’t know which magic corps, though.’
Should I have interrogated the Troubleshooters?
I shook my head at the thought.
Interrogating the Troubleshooters would’ve just been a waste of time.
And...
‘Doesn’t matter where they’re from.’
It was enough of a warning to leave for Decullan, wherever they were.
* * *
A back alley in the 2nd Black-White Slums.
“Sniff, h-hic.”
One street rat was sobbing as he raised his guard.
Exhausted? His fists hung loose, but his eyes held undisguisable terror.
Like he was scared out of his mind.
The kid across from him was the same, the two terrified boys facing off in their battered states.
It was a bizarre sight.
Street rat fights usually ended the moment one got scared.
This was far from normal, and that’s when voices reached their ears.
“What’re you doing? Fight already?”
The owner of the voice was a kindly-looking man, and right then, the two street rats charged at each other.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
“Uwaa!”
They screamed like they were in agony as they tangled.
Was this even a fight?
More like a desperate flail.
The two rolled around, swinging fists—pitiful more than fierce.
Like they were thrashing just to survive.
The man lounging lazily on a wooden crate popped a peanut into his mouth and nodded.
“Yeah, that’s it. Tsk, now it’s getting interesting.”
He looked like he was relieving boredom, and that’s exactly how he felt.
The man’s name was Newrus.
A member of Decullan’s Azure Ice Magic Corps, one of the two sent on the captain’s orders to support Hormei.
Frankly, it bruised his pride something fierce.
The excuse was “to maintain friendly ties with Goldrin,” but in reality, he was just babysitting Black-White Slums trash.
‘If they’d at least stir up some chaos, it’d be better.’
Unfortunately, his orders were to stand by.
So he couldn’t move carelessly.
He hated this situation, but the Black-White Slums street rats made for decent entertainment.
Look at them now.
“D-die! Die, you bastard!”
“Aaack!”
Terrified and trembling one moment, now snarling kill threats the next...
‘In some ways, better than dogfights.’
No, definitely better.
Dogfights cost money to raise one mutt, plus that beastly stench... disgusting. But street rats were everywhere.
Just grab some and pit them against each other.
‘And they don’t stink as much.’
Even if one died, easy cleanup.
But why was this?
“Hmm.”
Newrus watched the fight for a while, boredom flickering in his eyes.
“This is getting dull too.”
Was it because he’d seen the same thing for weeks?
Fun only lasted so long; he was growing numb to the thrill.
‘Dogfights might be better in that regard.’
Not the fight itself... more like the rush of betting and winning?
At first, the human element was novel, but now it felt lacking.
“What to do...”
Newrus exercised his malicious imagination for new thrills.
That’s when a voice spoke.
“Having fun, huh?”
“...?”
A creepy voice, gender and age indeterminate.
Newrus frowned slightly and turned, finding a stranger there.
“Who’re you? ...Hm?”
Ignoring Newrus’s voice, the stranger strode forward.
Newrus watched with bored eyes as the stranger stopped right next to the tangled street rats.
Then...
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed through the alley.
The boys, who’d been glaring murderously, crumpled to the ground.
“Hmm.”
Newrus raised an eyebrow, eyeing the intruder.
An unexpected guest.
But the emotion in his eyes wasn’t irritation—more like interest.
“There’s a mage in the Black-White Slums?”
He’d spotted the magic used to knock out the boys, and right then, the stranger’s gaze turned to Newrus.
“Knowing you were playing around, I should’ve brought your buddy too.”
“...?”
Newrus tilted his head.
Buddy? What...
But the stranger didn’t wait for him to finish thinking.
“Newrus of the Azure Ice Magic Corps, right?”
“Right... Ghk!”
Before Newrus could finish, his mouth clamped shut. He had no choice.
Zzzzzz—
Terrifying mana enveloped everything.
No, not mana.
It was mana itself, churning and rippling around the stranger.
At the eerie phenomenon, alarm bells rang in Newrus’s head.
‘...Dangerous.’
His reaction was immediate.
He kicked off and leaped.
But.
“...Guh!”
Immense pressure slammed him into the ground. The impact from landing on his back left him gasping.
Then a voice rang in his ear.
“Didn’t kill your buddy. But...”
The stranger looked down at Newrus writhing on the ground, then glanced at the two sleeping street rats.
No, not exactly the rats.
The thick blood scent permeating the alley.
The rotten corpse stench leaking from beyond the decrepit door.
“Not just a couple, huh?”
“...”
“You won’t get off easy. Right?”
Killing intent rarely gleamed in Aster’s eyes.
Right now, more than anything, he wasn’t seeking the moon.
* * *
Aster returned to Svetlana’s hideout a couple of hours after parting with Evelin.
“Nai...t?”
“You’re ba... ck.”
Evelin and Timur started to say something at Aster’s return but quickly shut their mouths.
Deeply hooded robe.
Face-obscuring mask.
No expression visible, but his aura felt oppressively sunken.
“For now, tie this guy up. And Boss Timur, handle cleanup at the spot I tell you. Send some people.”
Aster tossed a man down like luggage and pointed out a Black-White Slums alley.
The man was, naturally, an Azure Ice mage—the first one Aster had subdued, not Newrus.
Evelin hesitated to speak at Aster’s unusual demeanor, but after directing Timur, Aster left the room.
“Then, let’s talk in about an hour.”
Timur tilted his head at the one-sided exchange.
He couldn’t understand a word of what Aster was saying.
Suddenly specifying a location, asking to pick up sleeping street rats there, give proper funerals to the kids inside the shabby door...
But Timur asked nothing and called Collin to give orders.
Meanwhile, Evelin quietly committed Aster’s recent appearance to memory.
Somehow, it was rare...
‘Angry?’
No outward show, but unusually sharp.
And so, with questions lingering for the two.
Aster entered another reception room in the hideout and sank into thought.
- Fuck, what did I do wrong?! Just played with some filthy rat bastards and this... Argh, ugh!
Not all mages are bad.
Likewise, not all Decullan mages were like Newrus.
But.
No one could deny that every Black-White Slums street rat was treated like vermin.
‘Magic Tower, Magic Tower...’
In Aster’s mind.
The tower’s form was gradually taking shape.
The moment one brick was laid.