The Empty Vessel
"...Hmm. It seems there was no need to bring the main force after all."
Not long after the investigators departed, Stern and the Benheim main force arrived in Rodel.
The secret operation had already been laid bare to the world with the arrival of the investigators. It was no exaggeration to say that Rodel was in a state of emergency. Thanks to that, Raygan was able to meet with Stern privately without having to worry about prying eyes.
"I have heard the whole story, Raygan. You have achieved a truly remarkable feat. Everyone is singing your praises."
Stern seemed to have already heard the details beforehand via a magic communication orb.
"Valen mentioned that you committed quite a serious transgression, though."
"Yes. But I had no choice. There were too many suspicious elements..."
"As the family head, I was not on the scene, so I intend to defer to Valen, the field commander, regarding your punishment. And Valen said he does not wish to punish you."
"...Vice-Captain Valen... doesn't?"
"It seems he has taken quite a liking to you."
Though Valen spoke sharply, he had petitioned the family head to show leniency. He really isn't a straightforward man, Raygan thought.
"It is a pity that Markel escaped, but rescuing dozens of hostages is a massive achievement. Especially a direct descendant of the Airid family. We have placed a heavy debt on them."
Stern grinned and squeezed Raygan's shoulder.
"Well done, Raygan. Thanks to your quick wit, we were able to subdue them without major casualties."
"You flatter me, Lord Stern."
"However, I must say this."
Suddenly, the grip on Raygan's shoulder tightened.
"No matter the circumstances, you were far too reckless. Walking straight into the heart of enemy territory on your own—and risking the lives of the branch family members to boot. It is fortunate that the outcome was good, but had anyone been injured or killed, I would not have let this slide."
"I apologize."
"Furthermore, if Lunia finds out, she will be absolutely furious."
"...That is certainly true."
Raygan had to shut his mouth at that.
In his past life, Lunia had a gentle personality, but once she got truly angry, she wouldn't speak to him for at least a week. Usually, she only got angry for one reason.
'When I risked my life in battle.'
He should have realized her true feelings back then.
Though he deeply regretted it, now that he had returned to the past, he had a chance to make things right.
"I am aware. I plan to make up a plausible excuse."
"How brazen of you to openly declare to your father-in-law that you intend to lie to Lunia."
Stern gave a wry smile, then studied Raygan's face closely.
"At any rate, you do not look well."
"Pardon?"
"Your face is full of worry."
Stern was sharp. He noticed Raygan's expression was darker than usual.
"I heard an investigator from the Magic Academy visited this morning. Did something happen?"
"......."
There were plenty of problems.
His sworn enemy, the Archduke of Demonic Magic, had appeared before him wearing the imperial uniform. He even had the audacity to say he wanted to recruit Raygan.
Suppressing his disgust and murderous intent had nearly torn his insides apart, but it wasn't time to confide in Stern yet. Revealing this secret would have to wait until he gained more power and built up his influence both inside and outside the family.
"It is nothing. I was simply displeased by the investigator's arrogant attitude."
"Those who feed on the imperial treasury are always like that. Do not pay it any mind. Although the Magic Academy maintains a cooperative relationship with the Grand Magic Coalition, they are still a haughty bunch."
Stern brushed it off, but Raygan's mind was racing.
The Chief Investigator of the Imperial Magic Academy, Demian Carius. He had uncovered the true identity of the Archduke of Demonic Magic, something he had failed to do in his past life.
'There is still plenty of time.'
He had already cut off Barg, who was essentially the Archduke's right hand. The situation was far better than in his past life.
But he had no intention of becoming complacent.
Currently, the Archduke of Demonic Magic belonged to the imperial court. Raygan couldn't just take his head right now. But he couldn't just sit back and watch him carry out his underhanded schemes either.
He had to find a clue to catch him red-handed.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
'Airid...'
This abandoned mine was practically a massive workshop set up by the black mages to extract the unique magic formulas of the Airid family.
If so, it was no coincidence that Yusefin Airid, the successor of the Airid family, was held captive here.
Raygan recalled a term Valen had casually mentioned a few days ago.
"Lord Stern, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Do you happen to know anything about the Black Sickness?"
Stern's eyebrows twitched. He looked around and lowered his voice.
"I do not know where on earth you heard that... Did Valen tell you?"
"I just... overheard it. Could you explain the Black Sickness to me in detail?"
"......."
Stern stared at him for a moment, then sighed and nodded.
"Very well. To understand the Black Sickness, you must first understand the magic of the Airid family. The unique magic formula of the prestigious Airid family is called Spectrum Magic."
"Spectrum Magic?"
"Yes. It is a peculiar magic that separates the mana within the body like a spectrum of light, combining those colors to cast spells. In terms of combining various components to derive a desired result, it shares common ground with Benheim's Rune Magic."
Stern's explanation continued.
"However... there are rampant rumors that a bizarre hereditary disease has recently been spreading through the Airid family."
"What kind of hereditary disease is it?"
"Originally, mages of the Airid bloodline are born with mana of various vibrant colors. But if they contract this disease, they lose their unique colors, and their mana itself becomes turbid."
"They lose... their color?"
"That is why it is called the Black Sickness. It is a terrifying disease where not only the mana but eventually the body itself turns monochromatic, until even the mana core solidifies. I do not know the details, but seeing the Airid daughter this time, it seems the rumors are true."
Raygan finally realized the source of the incongruity he felt when he first saw Yusefin Airid.
Gray hair, gray eyes, skin so pale it was almost translucent.
As if all the color in the world had been drained from her, her appearance perfectly matched the symptoms of the Black Sickness.
'If so...'
The pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
The black mages had locked Yusefin in a cell, but they had provided her with a private room, luxurious furniture, and books to read.
At first, he thought it was simply because her value as a hostage was high.
But what if that wasn't the case?
'What if Yusefin Airid wasn't captured by the black mages... but came to them of her own free will for a cure?'
The Archduke of Demonic Magic was a 7th-circle black mage. It was no exaggeration to say he was the highest-ranking black mage on the continent.
And most black mages were masters of human modification and biological experimentation.
Therefore, it was highly possible that the Airid family had joined hands with the black mages—and by extension, the Archduke of Demonic Magic—to cure the Black Sickness.
"Father-in-law, is it possible... that there is some sort of cooperative relationship between the prestigious Airid family and the black mages?"
"Shh. Raygan, lower your voice."
Stern silenced him with a finger to his lips. But seeing that reaction, Raygan realized Stern was thinking the exact same thing.
"Your theory makes sense. However, it is merely speculation for now. If you speak of this carelessly, you will turn the entire Airid family into our enemies."
"......."
"The truth will likely be uncovered at the Grand Magic Coalition Council next year. The head of the Airid family will attend, so we can verify the truth of the rumors then."
Ultimately, there was no way to confirm it right now.
He wanted to meet Yusefin again and question her, but a mere son-in-law of the Benheim family had no pretext to demand a private audience with the direct heir of another great family.
He had no choice but to wait.
"I understand."
Raygan swallowed his discomfort and agreed. Stern patted his shoulder.
"You must be exhausted from being interrogated since this morning. Go inside and rest. Lunia is waiting for you with bated breath."
Hearing Lunia's name, Raygan could only nod quietly.
Returning to the Rodel mansion, Raygan entered his private room and locked the door.
There was something he had to do before seeing Lunia.
"...The barrier stone."
Sitting on the bed, he pulled out a grooved red gem from his coat.
It was the core of the barrier stone he had recovered from the abandoned mine in the Mist Valley.
Normally, he should have handed it over to Valen, but he had smuggled it out.
'Well, Lord Stern probably already noticed.'
A 7th-circle mage like Stern would have easily sensed the barrier stone on his person. The fact that he hadn't said anything meant he tacitly agreed to let Raygan keep it.
"Alright."
He placed the barrier stone on the bed and took a deep breath.
'Shall we begin?'
Absorbing the barrier stone.
Originally, he had planned to take his time and attempt this after returning to the Benheim estate. But now that he had run into the Archduke of Demonic Magic, he couldn't afford to delay any longer.
He needed to raise his stage and circle as quickly as possible, and absorbing the barrier stone was essential for that.
A barrier stone was a mass of corrupted mana. For an ordinary mage, simply absorbing the mana within it was dangerous enough to twist their mana circuits.
However, Raygan's mana core was different. He possessed the dual mana core separated by a barrier, conceived by Lunia and realized by himself.
'In theory, it's possible.'
Using one core to filter out the corruption while the other core absorbed the purified mana.
The barrier dividing the mana cores would act as a sieve.
If he failed, he would suffer severe internal injuries, but if he succeeded, he would obtain a massive amount of mana, comparable to an elixir.
"...I must absolutely keep this a secret from Lunia."
He sat cross-legged on the bed.
Holding the barrier stone in both hands, he slowly circulated his mana.
Wuuuung.
The barrier stone vibrated, spewing a dark red energy. Along with a sickening stench, a sinister flow of mana crawled up his arms.
His entire mana circuit overheated in an instant. His body screamed in pain. A burning sensation assailed him. Ignoring it, he operated the Benheim mana cultivation method.
'Filter it.'
First, he drew the barrier stone's mana into his first core. He spun the core, trapping the corrupted energy in the center.
Then, using his own pure mana as a catalyst, he pushed the barrier stone's mana against the dividing barrier.
The mana that passed through the barrier was stripped of its impurities. But a single pass wasn't enough. He repeated the process in the second core where the mana arrived.
Of course, he didn't forget to keep circulating the mana throughout his body.
Everything depended on balance. The moment the balance broke, the corrupted mana would spread throughout his body, destroying his mana circuits and eventually reaching his heart.
But Raygan didn't even contemplate the worst-case scenario. When it came to mana manipulation, he was superior to most 7th-circle mages. It was a talent certified by Lunia herself. He would not make a mistake.
Chiiiiik.
The clashing mana inside his body produced white steam.
Like walking a tightrope, he operated his cores precariously but with extreme precision.
The process was far from easy, but it felt like a form of training. A training that pushed his sense of mana control to its absolute limit. It wasn't a bad feeling.
'Faster.'
He increased the rotation speed of his cores.
The red light of the barrier stone in his hands gradually faded.
Conversely, his mana cores burned hotter, as did the mana circuits throughout his body.
Cold sweat poured down like rain.
Finally, when the barrier stone lost its light and turned into a transparent glass bead...
"Phew..."
He let out a long breath and opened his eyes.
His entire body was drenched in foul-smelling sweat, and he was utterly exhausted, but his mind was clearer than ever.
His lower dantian felt heavy.
Though it wasn't as potent as an elixir, he had accumulated enough mana to firmly solidify his current stage.
"I succeeded..."
With a satisfied smile, he picked up the empty shell of the barrier stone.
The gem had turned completely transparent.
It was the leftover dregs after all the corrupted mana had been drained.
Normally, it should be thrown away, but...
'Empty, huh...'
He turned the empty barrier stone over in his hand.
Originally, a barrier stone was like a vessel designed to hold a vast amount of mana. However, since they were never meant to be emptied, they usually shattered rather than becoming empty.
Yet, he now held an empty vessel in his hand. He could fill this vessel with something else.
'For example... storing a spell in advance.'
Like a magic scroll, if he could store a spell and activate it instantly when needed. Or if he could compress and store aura inside it.
It meant he could repeatedly pull off a trick similar to the one he used against Barg a few days ago.
Its utility was endless.
"This could be quite useful."
For now, he had to utilize every single resource at his disposal.
"Demian Carius."
In his exhausted state, he muttered his enemy's name.
At that moment.
"Demian? Who's that?"
A clear, ringing voice spoke, and he hurriedly looked up.
Standing in the wide-open doorway, holding a tray, was a golden-haired girl.
"...Lunia."
"Hi, Raygan. By the way, what is that smell? Are you feeling sick?"
"......."
Lunia's eyes sparkled with curiosity.