[No title provided]
Kalderet gazed at Sennew with evident curiosity.
[An elf wielding black magic... That's a fresh twist. Worshippers of nature's order, now leading the charge against it. Quite the novelty.]
Thwack—!!
His front paw slammed into the back of Sennew's head.
[You trying to get yourself killed? We didn't craft elves for this nonsense.]
"Urk... grrr...."
Sennew's face twisted in pain.
[Still, impressive. No spark of life in him—just as Adel said, he's long dead. Yet his will persists unaided by any curse. Not some puppet turned undead by another's spell.]
Grind....
Kalderet pressed harder with the paw pinning his head.
[Means he bound himself willingly. A precious elf blessed by gods, pulling off such an adorable stunt?]
Clang—!!
It happened then.
"Hey... let go."
Sennew, who had flinched under the ancient god's pressure, roughly swatted Kalderet's paw away with his arm.
[Well, now?]
Kalderet stared at him in disbelief.
"What does it matter who made us? What have you lot ever done for us! You shunned us just for bearing Arun Asar's blood, and now you play the master??"
He shouted indignantly.
[Adel, is this the elf you mentioned from Gerald's lair?]
"Yeah. The last elf left on the continent."
[Last elf, and an undead one at that. Guess the elven race is extinct. What the hell happened while I was sealed?]
Normally, Kalderet might have torn apart the insolent elf who dared strike his arm. But something in his eyes—a profound sadness—stayed his claw.
"Why? Feeling pity because he's an elf? Cut the pointless sentiment. You said it yourself: gods don't meddle directly in worldly affairs."
[......]
"How many mighty powers have crumbled in history? They just couldn't adapt to the flow."
[I know.]
"Extinct? Who spouts such nonsense!! Can't you see him with your own eyes? Elves still exist!!"
[......That?]
But his cry fell flat against Kalderet's tepid response.
What caught their eyes was the massive glass tube behind Sennew.
Inside swirled a blue liquid, bubbles steadily rising as if air were being pumped in.
[A Form Soul. Makes sense—only elves with wisp souls can pull that off.]
The Form Soul, known as soul sealing. It fused an elf's soul into a wisp—the purest, low-tier spirit. A forbidden rite unique to elves, yet one that defied the gods by imprisoning a soul.
"Don't force it. Without elixir-infused preservative, those fading souls would be gone. After three hundred years, haven't you figured that out?"
"And who are you to keep ordering me around? Think I'll fear you just because you're Kalderet's contractor?"
Rumble....
Crimson magic circles bloomed in Sennew's hands.
A hazy mist seeped from their surfaces.
[Grrr....]
Incredibly, three undead knights in black armor materialized behind him.
[Black Moon Soldiers? Even among ancients, few could command dark knights. Fitting for a three-century survivor.]
Kalderet eyed the undead knights.
"This much is a relief."
[......Huh?]
But Adel sighed softly at the sight of them.
"Daring to invade my domain and stir chaos... You should've slipped in quietly to feed the soul fragments. Instead, you yap like a fool."
Thud— thud— thud—
"I've already defied time's laws. Think I'd fear gods? I'll grind you into reagents!!"
[Grrrrr...!!]
The undead knights lunged at Adel in unison.
"Hmph."
[Not bad at all. Setting aside three centuries, reaching this magical prowess rivals the elven progenitor Galapune.]
Splat—!!
In that instant, Kalderet's paw lashed out.
The Black Moon Soldiers charging at Adel shredded into rags.
"......?!?"
Sennew's face hardened.
[But you picked the wrong foe. Black magic springs from the Void. Forgot who I am?]
Poof....!!
The moment the knights' debris touched Kalderet's paw, it dissolved into black smoke and ash.
[I'm the god of the Void, you fool. Stop summoning these wretched things!]
"Enough."
Fearing what Kalderet might do if this dragged on, Adel grabbed his mane and yanked.
[Ow, ack... Let go!]
"No need to rage at him. You gods share the blame for letting the elves vanish. After they're all gone, who wouldn't snap at talk of divine blessings?"
[Let go first... Ahem, embarrassing.]
With his mane pulled back and chin skyward, Kalderet cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I don't care how the elves fell or why you resent it. I just want clean deals for mutual gain."
"......What?"
"Means you can hole up in the Black Magic Palace researching whatever. Just fulfill a few needs of mine."
"You want to trade with me?"
"Yeah."
Sennew stared at Adel in utter disbelief.
"I get you're Kalderet's contractor and tied to Gerald. But why should I grant your wishes?"
"It's a trade."
Adel replied as if he'd waited for it.
"Trades happen when interests align. Means I can grant yours too."
"And what are you?"
"Me?"
He smirked at Sennew.
"The guy who brought this."
Thud—
He pulled a scroll from his bosom and tossed it at Sennew's feet.
"Th-this...?"
Sennew's eyes wavered at the three tomes of spells.
"If my blood shows two marks, you know where I've been. As you guessed, Gerald's lair. Lucked out, broke his seal, claimed his legacy. Found something amusing there."
What Adel tossed were the ancient spellbooks he'd snagged from Gerald's lair during the Tomb Tournament.
"Sennew Laren. The Ivory Tower's Julian Pader and Spirit Formation's Hanna Kran aren't just leaving you alone because of rumors you hit 9th class."
Step— step— step—
Adel approached.
"It's because you're trapped in the Black Magic Palace by the self-binding curse keeping your three-hundred-year-dead self 'alive.'"
"You...."
"Heard it somewhere: the Black Magic Palace lord's just a greenhouse flower. A caged monster that dies outside."
"Shut up."
"But that's not quite right. Three ancient grimoires could upend all established magic systems. Say... letting the dead walk proudly in the light. Might even snap those chains."
"What do you...."
"Only elves read Arun Asar runes. You're the sole one who can manifest these books."
Sennew hesitated, then reached for the scrolls on the floor.
Squish—
Adel stepped forward, pinning them underfoot.
"What're you doing?"
"Spellbooks imprint theory on reading—even if you can't cast yet. Cherry-picking what you want isn't a trade. Right?"
"What do you want?"
"First, wind spirits for scouting. Not a couple—wide area. No low-tiers. Need ones that detect Phantasmal Barriers."
"Phantasmal means Invisible spells, right? Mass mid-tier spirits? Magic guilds would riot."
"Eh, not my problem."
"Then whose?"
Adel pointed at Sennew.
"Yours, obviously."
"Hey, you madman! Why me? Even a lion-body can't handle mass-summoning mid-tiers!"
"Mana's on me. Can't use magic myself yet."
"Ate a black dragon heart and can't cast? Hilarious."
"Bonus if you teach me."
"Ha? Shameless...."
Sennew stared, chuckling in exasperation at Adel's grinning face.
"Fine. Dragon mana should work. Ivory Tower, Spirit Formation—who cares? They show, I turn 'em to skeletons."
"Good attitude."
"What're we hunting?"
"Leviathan's Sea Wave Island. Could be floating at sea, airborne, or submerged."
"Scanning the whole continent... That'll take time. Even spirits need days for that range."
"Fine by me. Got things to do here anyway."
"Here? Just trade and done."
Adel scooped up two of the three scrolls from the floor.
"Equal exchange. Even undead defiers need firm deals. One scroll, one trade. No like? Walk."
"Wh-what?!"
"But these feel like a set."
Sennew's face crumpled at Adel's words.
'Sorry, Sennew. Not toying with you. I roughly know the contents... And you'll crave them desperately.'
And unbeknownst to him yet, it tied to his current research.
"......So, what's the second?"
"No loss for you. Maybe more intriguing than the first."
"Hmph, don't mock me. Nothing tops Kodner's spellbook...."
The moment he spotted the worn book from Adel's bosom, Sennew's surprise turned to shock.
"It... exists?"
"Titan's Book. The prior ones were Kodner's—Arun Asar's disciple. But this? Different league. You know its worth."
[Oof... That book hurts to see again.]
Garon eyed Titan's Book, lips twitching at memories of his contract scam.
"Impossible... An Immortality Book?! What're you thinking, lugging this around!!"
Sennew snatched it from Adel, genuinely aghast, dusting it tenderly.
"This is why humans are trouble...."
Adel smirked at how Sennew cherished it more than he did.
Thud—
Adel set one final spellbook on the table.
"Last one. Deal done, you're owner of these three—and the only mage to decipher Titan's Book."
Gulp—
Sennew swallowed dryly.
The scroll before him was the most tantalizing of his life.
"......What now?"
"Simple. Easier than the first two. No effort—just nod."
"What is it?"
Sennew scowled quizzically.
"The Black Magic Palace."
"......What?"
Adel hopped onto the table where he sat, leaning in.
"Hand it over."