Chapter 544: Traitors of the Corps
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 544: Traitors of the Corps
"Captain, what exactly is our mission this time?"
After a long period of rapid travel, Seniel finally couldn't suppress his curiosity. He turned to ask the man at the head of the group, Squad Captain Cotton.
Cotton was a solemn-faced, middle-aged man known for his steady hand and hardline style. Though he appeared middle-aged, he was actually quite advanced in years; it was only his profound cultivation realm that made him look younger.
Being older than everyone else here gave him the deepest accumulation of magic and the experience to face any situation with composure. It was rumored that with his seniority, he only needed to wait for the old Guild Master to retire before he would naturally step up as Deputy Guild Master, truly joining the highest echelons of the Corps.
Under normal circumstances, Seniel would never have doubted the Captain’s orders. But... today’s operation was simply too bizarre.
Setting aside the sudden midnight deployment without a stated objective, even the composition of this squad was strange.
This wasn't the squad Seniel usually belonged to—or rather, not entirely.
Out of the eleven people present, only Seniel and two others were originally under Cotton’s command. The rest had clearly been transferred from other squads, and Seniel didn't even recognize two of them.
Yet, before this, Seniel hadn't heard a single whisper regarding any transfer orders.
It was fair to say that Seniel was completely in the dark, both regarding the purpose of this midnight excursion and the makeup of the team itself.
Having never executed such a peculiar mission, Seniel naturally couldn't remain silent.
"Captain?" Seniel asked again when Cotton failed to answer.
"Less talk, more work!"
Cotton remained silent, but a fierce-looking burly man beside him turned and glared at Seniel.
"Seniel, have you still not memorized the Royal Mage Corps' field manual? Or is your daily training insufficient, and you need me to add some 'extra flavor' when we get back?"
"I... I’m sorry, Mr. Nell."
Seniel rarely showed fear even toward Captain Cotton, but he immediately backed down before this burly man named Nell.
Nell was a member of Cotton’s squad and his deputy. Known for his unwavering loyalty to Cotton and his extreme severity toward subordinates, it was safe to say that everyone in Cotton’s squad lived under the shadow of this man.
However, the habitually fierce Nell never showed even a hint of doubt toward Cotton’s orders.
"How much further?"
"Soon. Stay focused."
"Yes, sir!"
Rebuked by Nell, Seniel naturally didn't dare ask anything else and followed the group in silence.
However, the unease in his heart only grew stronger.
After all, while he had been staying obediently within the Corps lately, he had still learned through certain "special" channels that the current state of Belland was far from peaceful.
He only wanted to coast along in the Royal Mage Corps, eating his fill and waiting for retirement while making a little extra coin on the side. He had no desire to be swept up in those storms.
"We’re here."
Just as Seniel’s mind was wandering, Cotton pulled on his reins. The galloping steed beneath him came to a dead stop in a way that defied conventional physics, yet the rider didn't even wobble.
The others slowed down a moment later and brought their horses to a halt one by one.
Cotton looked around with a grave expression and said, "This is the place."
Seniel looked up at their surroundings, only to find it was an ordinary residential district. At a glance, it was filled with the deep shadows and silence of late night, with nothing special about it.
If there was any value to this location, it was that it was a crossroads—many paths converged here after winding through the rugged streets.
Wait, a crossroads?
Could it be...
The unease in Seniel’s heart intensified.
At that moment, Cotton’s gaze swept over Seniel, lingering for a second before he suddenly spoke:
"I know that some of you are still feeling confused and uneasy, obeying my orders only out of the professionalism expected of a Royal Mage. But since we have come here together, I think it is better to lay some things out in the open."
As he spoke, Cotton pulled out a golden pocket watch.
Seniel quickly recognized it. It was Cotton’s most prized possession; ever since Seniel joined the Royal Mage Corps, he had often seen the Captain fiddling with this golden watch.
"This is..."
Seniel didn't quite understand why Cotton was taking out the watch, but in the next instant, he saw a black bird mark appear on the back of the golden casing.
It was... a robin.
Seniel’s pupils shrank. Simultaneously, he felt a searing heat in his hand.
With some difficulty, he lowered his head and opened his palm, revealing his own ivory bone flute.
At this moment, a black bird mark was slowly surfacing on the body of the flute as well.
It wasn't just him. As if by prior agreement, several people around him pulled out various exquisite and expensive items—some were gem-encrusted magic daggers, others were wands crafted by master smiths. And on these items, the same lifelike bird had appeared.
A robin! Had that guy tampered with the gifts he gave out?
No, it was just a mark with no other special function; otherwise, he wouldn't have failed to notice it for so long.
And since it was a mark, that meant...
Seniel looked up, his neck turning stiffly as he scanned the people around him.
They had been companions moments ago, but now, in Seniel’s eyes, they had become cold and strange.
Had these guys all become lapdogs of the Inner Council? Were they all following Robin’s orders?
Damn it, these bastards betrayed His Majesty and the Royal Mage Corps so easily? Where is their backbone? Where is their conscience?
The person I, Seniel, look down on most is someone like—
"Seniel..."
Suddenly, a broad palm patted Seniel’s shoulder. Cotton wore a rare, kind expression as he looked at him warmly.
"It’s a good feeling to realize you aren't alone, isn't it?"
"Y-yes... exactly. It’s great. This feeling is wonderful."
Seniel struggled to make his smile look natural.
"So, Captain Cotton... what exactly are we going to do?"
"Anything worthy of our personal intervention is, of course, a great undertaking. Naturally, due to the confidentiality of the event, I cannot give you the full details. But I promise you, once this succeeds... we will all have a bright future!"
Cotton declared this to the group like an orator, a fiery fanaticism flickering in his eyes. He then began distributing thin pamphlets to everyone.
"Now, everyone follow my instructions and engrave the magic array patterns in this area."
"Magic... array patterns?"
Seniel took the pamphlet, still confused. But when he saw the layout required by the booklet, he broke into a cold sweat.
Amidst the complex text and symbols, Seniel quickly realized that this was to be a massive formation engraved by two Radiant-Tier mages and nine Sublimation-Tier mages working together. It would consume a staggering amount of mana and use an incredible value of magic materials to cover this crossroads, even extending into the nearby streets.
This formation didn't have any complex utility. Its only function, once activated... was to annihilate every living soul within its range.