Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 268
>Chapter Title: Flap-Flap, Flap-Flap
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Let's calmly sort out the situation first.
Standing before me was Aeviron von Prauksen, the first seat of the Seven Mages of the Decullan Family.
I had no idea what process he'd gone through to reach this spot, but his goal was clear.
‘……The Magic Tower.’
But if the Magic Tower was his target, why had he come to the Second Black-White Slums?
From the Decullan perspective, the Azure Wing's Captain Saurica and the Magic Tower should be separate matters.
Doubts arose, but there wasn't much time to think.
"Hey, young man. Do you know anything?"
I snapped out of my thoughts at Aeviron's question.
At the same time, I prepped my circles for combat at any moment. As for the wyvern…… let's keep it still for now.
I only opened my mouth after confirming my mask was properly in place one last time.
"Why are you asking, Duke?"
"Just confirming something. Ah, are you perhaps a mage? I heard the Duke has a knight and a mage as his underlings."
I'd thought he'd averted his gaze from the Second Black-White Slums, but he'd grasped that much.
Aeviron seemed to mistake me for a mage based on my use of magic, and I didn't deny it.
Instead, I asked cautiously.
"And who might you be, old timer……."
There were two possibilities here.
One, he'd brush off his identity.
‘That would be preferable.’
It'd mean he'd prefer to wrap things up quietly rather than flex his power directly.
But the worst case was him casually revealing it……
"You may not have heard of me, but I'm Aeviron von Prauksen, an old man. Does the name Decullan's Seven Mages ring a bell? I'm holding the overly generous first seat."
"Hmm."
From the way he openly revealed not just his name but his family and position, it seemed the Decullans were dead set on this.
"So, are you the mage? I don't think I heard your answer."
"Yes."
"Ha ha, well now. Talk about good luck. Saves me some legwork."
Aeviron smiled broadly, as if it were the best news ever.
But that didn't last.
Aeviron fixed me with a sly gaze and posed another question.
"Then let me ask: do you know of the Magic Tower? The main family suspects you lot might be connected to it."
……So that's how it was.
They must have been seriously pissed about this Seven Mages business.
Otherwise, Aeviron wouldn't be here less than a day later.
He was clearly determined to dig through every suspicious corner until he found the Magic Tower.
So, what to do?
Gulp.
I swallowed hard and gathered my thoughts.
"If I said we have no connection, would you believe me?"
"I'd have to, wouldn't I? What choice would I have?"
Normally, I'd flip him off, but right now, I wanted to slip away as quietly as possible. With the wyvern in tow and the Second Black-White Slums so close.
"In that case, I'll be honest. We don't know anything about this Magic Tower. Never even heard of it."
"Ha ha, is that so? Well, damn……."
Aeviron let out a hollow laugh, stroking his white beard.
"This is troubling. If not the Second Black-White Slums, then Lortel is the only other place to check…… ha ha."
He seemed genuinely disappointed, but another thought crossed my mind.
‘He's really letting it go just like that? For real?’
But that thought didn't linger.
"By any chance, do you know the Spirit Master of the Withering Wind?"
"The Spirit Master of the Withering Wind…… you say?"
"Or maybe the Troubleshooter training center. Or Professor Parun or Henji…… any of them will do. Even if it's not the Magic Tower, tell this old man any names you know."
……Damn it.
No wonder it seemed too easy.
This old bastard never intended to believe me from the start.
So, what now?
‘What do you mean, what? I bail.’
I'm the epitome of strong against strong, and strong against weak. But strength comes in varieties, and Aeviron was top-tier.
What does that mean?
‘It means I'm screwed.’
Not to brag, but in my past life, with my meager skills, I'd dodged Decullan pursuers for days, smashing their mage squads with ghostly ambushes.
Now that I've reached transcendence? Escaping this body would be a piece of cake.
As I prepared to bolt, Aeviron's voice drilled into my ear.
"Hey, mage. Running is your prerogative. But for your sake, in case you regret it, let me give you some advice."
He started prattling like he was doing me a huge favor.
And in the end, it was advice I was…… truly, genuinely, immensely grateful for.
Because if I'd actually bolted, I'd have regretted it for the rest of my life.
What did Aeviron say to make me think that? This bullshit:
"This old man won't chase you. As you can see, my body's not what it used to be—long runs are tough. Instead, I'll continue on my way. Eventually, I'll reach the Second Black-White Slums."
"……."
"Oh, and I hear…… you run an orphanage?"
That one line was enough.
"You fucking……."
Rage boiled up from deep in my gut like wildfire. My vision spun, my head reeled.
But that passed quickly. Cold reason settled in.
"Ha ha, looks like you're finally ready to talk. Let's have an honest chat, then. I've got plenty of questions for you."
No more words were needed.
[Chi, friend. I, great dragon. I help too…….]
Ignoring the wyvern's voice echoing in my mind, I hurled it far away and charged at Aeviron.
……This was an unavoidable fight.
- When there's something to protect, even nonexistent power surges forth.
I'd thought that day was it, but no—it was today.
* * *
Aeviron von Prauksen.
A mage from the Decullan vassal family Prauksen, born as the patriarch's bastard son, destined to fade into obscurity without any power.
That is, if the patriarch two generations back hadn't spotted his talent.
- Boy, wouldn't you like to stand at the pinnacle?
Trained directly by that patriarch, Aeviron showed rapid growth despite starting magic late in life.
In under five years of learning magic, he matched the elite Decullan mage squad members. In less than ten, he surpassed their captains. It took him just thirteen years to claim a seat among the Seven Mages.
Some lamented that if he'd started earlier, he'd have left a mark in mage history.
At just thirty-seven.
He reached transcendence before even turning forty.
Of course, compared to the world's geniuses, it was a bit late.
Long ago, the King Slayer had ascended before twenty. Some prodigies from mage noble houses reached it in their twenties.
But enthusiasts ranked Aeviron's talent above those geniuses for two reasons.
First, he'd started magic late.
Second, unlike those prodigies, he wasn't from a noble house's direct line.
Even with direct training from the Decullan patriarch, the quality of secret arts and support paled against direct descendants. The age penalty was obvious.
Yet.
Aeviron broke through all those handicaps to reach transcendence.
……Of course, transcendence isn't achievable by environment and talent alone, making direct comparisons with history's geniuses tricky.
But one thing was certain.
Aeviron von Prauksen.
He was a ‘genius.’
Few ascended mages hadn't been called geniuses at least once, but Aeviron was different.
Not a relatively superior talent…… the real deal.
In Aster's terms…… yeah, on par with Shine and Damian.
Shine, Damian, Aeviron.
No way to rank their talents definitively, but Aeviron's true genius was undeniable.
And right now, Aster felt that bone-deep, more than ever.
‘Damn it.’
……Nothing worked.
Not Crimson Jade, which had flustered two Seven Mages, nor transcendence-unleashed magic nullification.
Cataclysm scattered before manifesting, caught in strange mana flows. Even my trump card Blink was effortlessly countered by the genius Aeviron without a hint of panic.
I tried steering to close combat, my strength, but he dismantled it without moving a step.
And the result.
"……Cough. Hack, gah……."
Aster spewed blood and collapsed.
Had I ever felt this powerless? Even Pahren von Decullan from my past life hadn't handled me this easily. Did that mean this old man outranked past-life Pahren?
Thoughts tangled in chaos as footsteps approached my head.
"Ha ha, getting swept up in your realm, eh?"
"……."
Aster glared at Aeviron with bloodshot eyes. Aeviron looked unchanged from before the fight. As if nothing had happened.
"Don't glare like that. Just bad matchup. Want to go again? This old man won't mind."
"F……uck."
Go again?
No need to ask.
I couldn't fall here.
"Fine, but this old man can't wait forever…… ah, how about this?"
Aeviron grinned like a fun idea had struck him.
"If you can't move, this old man will take one step toward the Second Black-White Slums at a time. One step…… let's say this much."
He took a stride, his form stretching far away before stopping.
That was one step.
……A viciously cruel hobby.
The fight was decided, and he could end it anytime for his mission.
Like a kid toying with a bug in a jar, Aeviron pushed Aster to the brink. To see how far he'd go. Like he'd found rare entertainment.
So, what does the bug in the jar do?
There was never a choice.
Aster staggered to his feet.
"Stop……."
Fight.
And die.
In this moment, he thought of nothing. Not the old man's unfathomable realm, nor this fight's end.
……And far from there.
Flap-flap, flap-flap.
A chubby lizard soared through the night sky.
[I find. I save, way.]
No longer a powerless spirit.
Far off, the Second Black-White Slums sprawled.