The Enemy Beneath the Light
Seven years from now, the forces of black mages would rise up all at once and overthrow the Empire.
They would fan the flames of war by burning down the imperial palace, slaughtering the citizens of the capital, and raising the black flags of black magic over major cities.
Normally, black mages were like rats. It was their nature to live in hiding, constantly fleeing the brutal surveillance and pursuit of the Empire.
Yet, those scattered rabble had suddenly mobilized in unison to form a highly organized army.
While countless speculations swirled around this bizarre phenomenon, the accepted truth was that the Archduke of Demonic Magic stood at the center of it all.
But no one knew the true identity of the Archduke of Demonic Magic.
His origins, his real name—even his face was completely unknown until one confronted him directly.
Even Lunia, a direct descendant of the Benheim family in my past life, knew absolutely nothing about him.
"A mage of that caliber would have been widely renowned, even if he were a black mage. It is undeniably strange."
Lunia had argued that even if he had thoroughly concealed his identity, he shouldn't have been able to slip through the dense information network of the great magic families.
But now, having returned to the past, I finally understood how the Archduke of Demonic Magic had managed to lead the black mages from the shadows without drawing any attention.
"Is something the matter? You look quite pale."
The man—no, the Archduke of Demonic Magic—tilted his head and asked.
Instead of answering, I stared at his attire. Golden embroidery stitched onto a pristine white uniform. On his chest sat an insignia of a crossed staff and sword.
It was a dress uniform worn only by high-ranking imperial officials.
...To think the Archduke of Demonic Magic was part of the Imperial Magic Academy...
The darkest place is indeed under the candle.
It was the perfect expression for this very moment.
He had been building his strength while hiding behind the authority of the Imperial Family—the only power group that superseded the influence of the great magic families.
No wonder even Lunia hadn't known. Who would ever dare suspect an imperial investigator, someone who supposedly worked day and night to hunt down black mages?
"Is there perhaps something on my face?"
"Ah, no. It's just... this is my first time meeting such a high-ranking official, so I'm a bit nervous."
I forced a smile and made an excuse.
My stomach churned. The mortal enemy of my past life was standing right before my eyes.
A sudden impulse surged within me to draw the sword from my breast and slice his throat right then and there.
But I suppressed my emotions and calmly analyzed the situation.
...I can't gauge his exact level. He's at least at the 7th circle, equal to or greater than Stern.
The Archduke of Demonic Magic was currently at the 7th circle.
If everyone here joined forces, we might be able to subdue him.
But his circle wasn't the only issue. He was currently a high-ranking investigator of the Imperial Magic Academy, an organization directly under the Imperial Family. Accusing him without any concrete evidence would only draw unwanted attention. The authority of the Imperial Family was absolute, especially now in this era of peace. No matter how powerful the Benheim family was, they wouldn't be able to shield me if I made a reckless move.
So, I had to endure.
Forcing down my boiling murderous intent, I let out a soft sigh. Perhaps taking it as an attempt to ease my nerves, the Archduke of Demonic Magic smiled warmly.
"Please, make yourself comfortable. I am merely here to conduct a routine inquiry."
He offered a genial smile and opened his investigation notebook.
"I've read the report. Raygan von Benheim, the son-in-law of Benheim. You played a monumental role in this operation."
"I was just lucky."
"Luck... Well, I wonder. The opponent was far too formidable to chalk it up to mere luck."
His crimson eyes stared at me as if trying to pierce through my soul.
"Barg the Mad Dog. He is a rather notorious mercenary in the west, a master who has reached the level of an Aura Expert. And yet, Lord Raygan, who has not even reached adulthood, defeated such a man single-handedly."
"..."
"Just to be sure, I inspected the scene myself. Barg's corpse bore the traces of two different types of aura, as well as remnants of powerful magic. Normally, such marks only appear when at least three people of your age coordinate an attack."
He twirled his pen and continued.
"Or perhaps... there exists a rare talent capable of wielding both aura and magic simultaneously."
A faint, chilling smirk played on his lips.
Before I knew it, his gaze had drifted down to my dantian. It was a penetrating look. He had undoubtedly noticed the anomaly of the mana core inside my body.
Even though I hadn't channeled any mana, he was already seeing right through my mana core. His sensitivity to mana was borderline divine. Even Lunia in my past life couldn't achieve this level of perception.
Since he had already figured it out, there was no point in making excuses. In any case, drawing attention was inevitable the moment I killed Barg.
"...It is merely a trivial talent."
"You are too modest. A gift of that caliber is far from trivial; it is a talent that will go down in imperial history. If you weren't already bound to Benheim, I would have loved to recruit you to our Academy."
He chuckled lightly and went on.
"The Airid family will surely treat you as their savior as well. Since you rescued the child who is to become their next head, your reward will undoubtedly be immense."
"...Was that girl the successor?"
"Yes. Yusefin Airid. She is the most cherished, direct descendant of the Airid family."
"Why was someone so precious in a den of black mages?"
At my logical question, the Archduke of Demonic Magic placed his index finger over his lips.
"That is currently under investigation by the Imperial Magic Academy. As it is classified, I cannot disclose it."
He smiled apologetically.
But I knew. I could feel it instinctively—the sheer arrogance hidden behind that polite smile.
Controlling the black mages in this abandoned mine, kidnapping the daughter of the Airid family to use as an experimental subject—it was all his doing.
The sheer audacity to act as an investigator, pretending to clean up a tragedy he himself had orchestrated.
Disgusting bastard.
Though my insides burned with rage, I maintained a calm exterior and asked,
"What will happen to the black mages captured this time?"
"They will be transported to a high-security prison in the imperial capital. You might have heard of it—it is called Grave. True to its name, once you enter, you will never see the light of day again. They will rot in their graves for the rest of their lives."
I was certain of it now.
This was how the Archduke of Demonic Magic had commanded such a massive army of black mages in my past life.
To him, the black mage prison was nothing but a barracks. Utilizing his authority as an imperial investigator, he had secretly turned the imprisoned black mages into his private army.
With this, the lingering mysteries surrounding his actions in my past life were finally resolved.
His identity, the source of his power, and his background.
Should I expose him right now?
I considered it for a moment, then shook my head.
I still had no evidence.
He was an investigator of the Imperial Magic Academy. If I attacked him based on mere suspicion, the backlash would destroy me instead.
Even my current deductions lacked physical proof.
In the end, I had to bide my time.
I stood up from my seat. I felt that if I stayed in the same room with him any longer, I wouldn't be able to hide my bloodlust. As I bowed politely, the Archduke of Demonic Magic nodded slightly and closed his notebook.
"Thank you sincerely for your cooperation."
I didn't even bother to reply as I reached for the doorknob.
But before turning it, I paused.
There was still one thing left to confirm.
"May I ask you one thing?"
I turned back, flashing the most innocent, boyish smile I could muster.
I had no idea how that smile looked to him. Perhaps it was laced with hidden hatred. Yet, the Archduke of Demonic Magic simply nodded without any change in his expression.
"Yes, of course. What is your question?"
"I would like to know your name."
"...My name?"
He tilted his head in surprise, then let out a soft chuckle.
"Ahaha, indeed. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Demian."
"...Demian."
"Demian Carius."
The Archduke of Demonic Magic, Demian Carius, added with a bright smile.
"...Demian Carius."
I rolled my enemy's name around in my mouth.
Chewing on it, as if grinding it to dust.
"...I will be sure to remember it."
I would never forget.
Creak.
The door closed, and silence enveloped the room. Demian stared at the door Raygan had just walked through for a long moment.
"Demian?"
When the closed door opened again, a man of dignified appearance stood there. It was Gideon, a Chief Investigator of the Imperial Magic Academy and Demian's direct superior.
"Is the interrogation over?"
"Yes. Just now. I've just finished."
Demian stood up to greet his superior. Gideon gestured toward the door with his chin and asked,
"So, is it true that Benheim's son-in-law killed Barg the Mad Dog?"
"It appears so."
Demian nodded.
"He possesses an incredibly unique mana core, allowing him to utilize both aura and magic simultaneously. While it is based on the Benheim mana cultivation method, its structure has been modified to a bizarre degree. It is so complete that it's hard to believe he designed it himself. It is not the kind of refinement a mage of his circle should display."
"Indeed. I wondered what kind of person he was when I heard Benheim took in a commoner as a son-in-law. He is certainly no ordinary boy."
Gideon clicked his tongue in admiration.
For months, the rumor that Benheim had taken in a commoner as a son-in-law had been a hot topic in the imperial magic community. The Imperial Family had even shown keen interest in investigating the matter, as the prestigious Benheim family's recent actions were unprecedented.
Today, the reason became clear. An eighteen-year-old boy had single-handedly defeated Barg the Mad Dog—an Aura Expert-level mercenary whom even the Imperial Magic Academy had repeatedly failed to capture.
"That is not all. He even interrogated and killed the leader of the Black Fang Mercenary Group. Judging by the marks on the corpse, he didn't hesitate for a second. It was the work of someone highly accustomed to killing."
"I heard he was just a low-ranking member of that mercenary group."
"Yes. That is what makes it even more fascinating. He drove his sword into the throat of someone he once shared bread with without a second thought."
Demian rested his chin on his hand, looking intrigued.
"Above all, his eyes were truly fascinating."
"His eyes? What do you mean by that?"
At Gideon's question, Demian chuckled softly.
"Hostility."
"...Hostility?"
"Yes. It wasn't fear or awe, but pure, unadulterated hostility. He tried to suppress his bloodlust, but his eyes... well, some things are simply impossible to hide."
"Demian, did you play one of your tricks on the boy again?"
Gideon sighed deeply and pressed him.
Demian was exceptionally skilled, having risen to the rank of Chief Investigator at a young age, but he occasionally possessed a rather wicked streak. However, Demian simply shook his head and spoke in a low voice.
"No. Not... yet."
"...Yet?"
"Yes. Not yet."
Gideon shrugged and asked,
"So, Demian? Are you planning to close the investigation like this?"
The situation itself was resolved.
But from an investigator's perspective, there were still several suspicious elements left unresolved.
"Don't we need to look into the connection between the Airid family and the black mages? The fact that Lady Yusefin was kidnapped by black mages in the first place is highly unsettling."
"I will look into that separately. It would be best to wrap up today's matter here. We must consider Benheim's pride; digging too deep wouldn't be wise."
Demian gathered his documents and stood up.
"Sir Gideon."
"What is it?"
"Another den of black mages has collapsed. With this, the Empire has become a safer place."
"Mmh. I suppose so."
Gideon nodded, but he couldn't shake off a lingering sense of unease.
Demian's work was always flawless. He was Gideon's most trusted subordinate and a prime candidate to become the next President of the Academy.
Yet, whenever Demian wore that unreadable smile, a cold shiver would run down Gideon's spine.
"Let us return. The President is waiting."
"Right, let's go."
Gideon hurriedly left the room.