Chapter 41
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Stolen Treasure
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Ian was the type who believed that if you were going to do something—or had made up your mind to do it—it was a hundred, no, a thousand times better to go all in rather than half-ass it.
Once a man draws his sword, he has to cut down the grass, right? It's far better to push forward with unwavering resolve than to waver between options and end up in a messy limbo.
That was exactly why, fresh out of the Imperial Magic Academy, he'd turned down recruitment offers from countless places and chosen the Magic Management Division.
If he was going to suck honey while working, he wanted the sweetest spot of all.
It was far from the capital's central politics, so no headaches there, the pay was good, and the workload was light. Investigators like him had even less to do.
If you weren't out on a dispatch mission, your day consisted of minor facility checks or filing reports, with the rest spent twiddling your thumbs.
Ian was convinced his choice had been the best. He'd been sucking that honey for over four years without a single regret. What could top that?
Unless something major changed, he wanted to keep this life going forever.
But things never go exactly as planned.
Circumstances and the political landscape had shifted, and now Ian realized he was at another crossroads.
He had a reason to grow stronger now. But to do that, he had to break free from his current situation.
Abandon Ddol Ddoli, who might be targeted by a dragon, and stay content? Or sacrifice some comfort and dive into the chaos to build power?
Ian's choice was the latter.
And the moment he made that decision, it was obvious which of the four interested parties to pick.
Duke Vallua, revered by every knight in the empire? Duke Kirsten, the war hero of the northern front? Siena, the 7th-circle master and youngest court mage in her mid-twenties?
Impressive, all of them—but none compared to Crown Prince Asteon.
How could you even compare the empire's second-in-command, standing one step below the throne, to the others?
That was why Ian accepted Crown Prince Asteon's offer.
When grabbing a lifeline from the heavens, you might as well take the thickest, sturdiest one.
"Find me one item."
"Yes. What item?"
"A sword. Ever heard of it? It's called Labris."
Ian nearly spat out his water.
"Labris... That's a royal treasure, isn't it?"
"Oh, you know it. I lost it. Go fetch it for me."
Ian's face twisted in disbelief. He'd wondered what important task would bring the prince personally to the division with an offer like this. Retrieving a royal treasure?
"Um, one question, if I may?"
"Ask."
"Why entrust something so precious to a nobody like me? Your Highness must have far more capable people at your side."
"Nope."
"Pardon?"
"No one like that."
Ian blinked. What was that supposed to mean?
'No one? The place is crawling with powerhouses.'
Aura-wielding knights by the handful. Top-tier mages galore.
'No one trustworthy, maybe?'
That could be it. From what Ian knew, Crown Prince Asteon's position wasn't rock-solid.
'Makes sense. He lived among commoners as a kid, so he might not have many allies.'
Ian didn't know everything about Asteon. He wasn't the type to dive deep into game lore.
But he knew two things for sure: Asteon's childhood had been brutally dark, and despite his shaky standing, he'd claim the throne.
"Anyway, you in or out? Don't tell me you're scared."
"Of course I'm in. I've got this."
"Oho, nice. Confidence suits a man. Now, listen up."
"Yes."
The guard behind him stepped forward and handed over a sheet of paper covered in intricate runes.
Secret Oath Scroll
"Tear it. To ensure you keep the secret."
The guard's face was stern, eyes glaring as if urging him to hurry.
But surprise flickered in those eyes. Ian tore the scroll without hesitation.
"Bold for a mage."
"I hear that a lot."
"Break it, and you'll face severe punishment. Not afraid?"
"Why fear what I'll never break?"
"I hope your boldness serves His Highness as well."
Mana seeped from the paper into Ian's body.
Confirming the scroll's effect, the guard spoke.
"To be precise, it wasn't lost—it was stolen. While transporting Labris, we were ambushed by some unknown force."
"Unknown force?"
"Yeah. Witnesses said they wore clothes with horned devil emblems."
"Pandemonium?"
"Right. You know your stuff."
Wow. How long had it been since he'd heard that name?
'You bastards are still alive, huh.'
Not surprising, but oddly satisfying.
'About time to exterminate those pests anyway.'
Better to squash bugs early.
It had been months since the last fumigation. Time for another.
Beat those guys, then claim that spatial teleport scroll.
"They fled to the Mist Haven region in the Kaltras Kingdom. Trail went cold there. Head to Mist Haven now and pick it up."
"Got it. Right now?"
"Yes. Immediately."
"I'm on duty."
"His Highness will handle that. Don't worry."
"Then no issue."
"Don't tell a soul about your mission. Clear?"
"Obviously. I'm not that dense."
Why broadcast hunting for a lost royal treasure? Not exactly brag-worthy.
Using a secret oath scroll meant they wanted it quiet anyway.
'Yeah, it'd be embarrassing. The royal guard, tasked with protecting the bloodline, ambushed by black mages and losing a treasure on top of that.'
"I'll head out now."
With that, Ian slipped away and took the warp portal to the Kaltras Kingdom.
The Mist Haven region sat on the Kaltras Kingdom's outskirts, infamous for its brutal terrain.
Mountainous with barely any flat land.
Mostly forests and swamps, shrouded in perpetual fog that cut visibility short.
What did that mean?
'Perfect hideout for all sorts of filthy scum.'
Sure enough, Mist Haven's security was notoriously bad—bandit hordes everywhere.
Probably why Pandemonium's black mages came here.
"P-please, spare me!"
"Spare you? Forgot pressing a blade to my neck?"
"Sob... Please... Gah!"
The bandit crumpled. Ian wiped the blood from himself and shook his head.
'Damn annoyances. Every pass I cross.'
Third bandit group since arriving in Mist Haven.
Just hiking the mountains, and this hassle. Exhausting.
Monsters on top of it all—what a shithole.
'Might as well try here.'
Ian summoned Lara. Light swirled, birthing a tiny fairy.
The summoned Lara had cream on her mouth and a bread chunk in hand.
"Nom nom. Ian! You called?"
"Yeah. Eating something?"
"Oh, just some cake. Super tasty—want some?"
She said, but her face screamed don't take it.
Why else hide the bread behind her back?
"Nah, it's fine. Eat up."
"Hehe, okay!"
'Stuff yourself. Or I'll snag it.'
She pulled the bread out again, grinning as she munched happily.
"Anyway, I need your help."
"What? Just say it!"
"Tracking traces."
"Traces?"
"Demonic energy traces."
Lara's face hardened.
"Demonic energy! Evil villains again?"
"Something like that. Need your help."
"No worries! I'll handle it! Where?"
"That's the thing—I don't know, so I'm asking you. Think you can? Demonic traces seem like your holy magic specialty."
"Of course!"
Lara shoved the rest of the cake in her mouth, chewed, and snapped her fingers.
"My children, come forth!"
Amazingly, starlit stepping stones appeared in the air, and tiny fairies hopped across them—over fifty strong.
Ian gaped at the picturesque scene.
'Whoa, she can summon fairies too?'
Incredible. She had minions and everything.
The minions spotted Ian and swarmed happily, perching on his head and nuzzling his cheeks. Lara scolded them.
No playtime—they pouted but obeyed.
"Children, spread out. Search every inch of this forest. Report any whiff of bad energy immediately. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Gotcha!"
The tiny fairies chorused and scattered in all directions.
"Hmm, that might not be enough. Calling more!"
"You can call more?"
"Duh! More stepping stones, more fairies!"
Lara conjured multiple bridges, summoning nearly two hundred for recon.
"I'll search too! See ya!"
Lara zipped off.
Too fast to track.
Lara uses skill 'Sacred Eye'!
Lara uses skill 'Petals' Memory'!
Skill alerts kept popping, so she was on it.
'Guess I'll look around too.'
Standing idle felt wrong. Time to move.
Even with two hundred fairies, this vast area would take time.
'Fairies went that way, so I'll go opposite and...'
"Found it!"
Ian whipped around. Lara flew from afar.
"What? Already?"
"Yeah! Suspicious spot over there! Follow me!"
'This fast?'
Stunned.
Less than an hour searching. In this huge place?
Made no sense.
'Hope it's not a false positive.'
It wasn't.
Shockingly, black magic traces lingered at the site the fairies found.
Faint—Ian had to get close to sense it—but unmistakable.
"See this tree? Black magic traces here. Concealment mana, so it's probably hiding something... Ian? Listening?"
"...Huh? Yeah, yeah."
"It's cloaking something. Remove it, and whatever's hidden should appear."
"Got it."
Ian snapped to. Still dazed, though.
'Maybe I underestimated Lara.'
The more he saw, the more versatile she was.
Tons of minions. Teleports. Magic.
'Can I ride those stepping stones later?'
Ask next time.
"I'll dispel it!"
Lara uses skill 'Light Purification'!
Bright light spread. But the black magic held.
Lara deflated.
"Eek, sorry. The barrier's too strong."
"It's fine. Happens."
"Sanctuary? That should break it!"
"No, save it. Never know when we need it."
Sanctuary wasn't spammable—best to conserve.
"Then what? Stuck..."
"Brute force."
"B-brute force?"
"Yeah."
No barrier withstands overwhelming power.
Skill 'Golem Summon' activated!
Light swirled, summoning Ddol Ddoli.
-Ddoli here. Master called!
Ddol Ddoli thumped excitedly. Short separation, but thrilled to be summoned again.
"Ddoli, smash this first?"
-Got it. Following orders!
Ddol Ddoli inhaled deeply, loaded his fist, and slammed the tree.
Booom!
A deafening roar split the air. Space cracked, the tree toppled with a groan.
Ian's face hardened at the revealed site.
Downward stairs.
But the alert grabbed his eyes more.
The draped 'Curtain of Darkness' lifts.
Hidden location discovered: Nightmare's Altar.
'Nightmare's Altar?'
A site for demon-summoning descent rituals.
Its presence here meant one thing.
'Quiet for a while, but they've been up to no good here?'
"Let's go down."
"Okay."
"Ddoli, shrink."
-Got it.
Ian led with a grim face.
Lara followed, serious from the underground demonic energy.
Only Ddol Ddoli thumped along carefree.
Balteros opened his eyes. Instinctively, he checked above his head. Where his massive horns once stood, only jagged stumps remained.
'Damn it. My proud horns...'
Those huge, majestic horns were his pride—not just as mana organs, but for their sheer grandeur.
Breaking them was a massive blow to his ego.
Horns grew back eventually, but it took time and energy.
That might extend his hibernation beyond plan.
-I can't bear it.
He'd tried. But he couldn't. The dragon society already knew.
The idiot dragon beaten by a mere stone golem. The loser whose horns snapped. Humiliating rumors.
-Stone golem! You bastard!
He shot up, wings unfurling skyward. No holding back. He had to vent.
-Golem. I'll find you. And your master. Rip you limb from limb for my guardian's feast.
Eyes closed, he floated over his breath-ravaged lair, focusing. Faint evaporated mana traces lingered.
'This way.'
He glared.
[Search]
Mana-infused words became power. Dragon Word—one of their mightiest forces—activated.
Not for casual use, even among dragons, but he was beyond reason.
'That direction.'
Wings beat, carrying him toward the trace.