Chapter 120

Episode 120

Jericho, who had been in Alpheon, returned upon hearing of my arrival. His complexion was pale, as if he had been pulling all-nighters. He looked like a walking corpse.

“You look like you’ve lost half your weight. Are you even eating?”

“I’m not the type to skip meals.”

“Well, that’s true.”

I had asked seriously, but I was grateful that he responded with a joke.

“Sigh… It’s so frustrating. It feels like I’m almost there, but then it slips away. It’s like playing an endless game of tag.”

“So, you haven’t made any progress.”

“It’s a good thing you narrowed down the search area. Otherwise, I’d be scouring the entire Alpheon region by now.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Jericho was surprised by my words.

“That’s it? I thought you’d scold me for failing to decipher the code.”

“How can I scold you when I couldn’t decipher it myself? A respected person is someone who can accomplish what others can’t. I’ll give you plenty of time, so don’t rush. Haste makes waste.”

“Yes, sir.”

His answer was short, but the fatigue on his face had disappeared. It seemed like he had been under a lot of pressure.

I turned to Selendis.

“Have you completed the tasks I assigned you?”

“Yes, my lord. I’ve investigated all the monster habitats, as you instructed.”

We moved to the table.

A map was spread out on it, with dozens of red pieces placed on it.

‘The situation in Alpheon isn’t looking good.’

There were only a few red pieces in the area where Walker Castle was located. We had cleared out most of the monsters during the territorial war and the gold nugget excavation.

But the Alpheon region, which had been ruled by Baron Roman, was a mess.

There were clusters of three or four red pieces in some areas, and almost every location was marked as a monster habitat.

It showed how little Roman had cared about public safety. He had neglected the people’s well-being.

“Looking at the distribution map, it seems like Alpheon is the most likely place to find Dark Souls.”

“I agree.”

“Jericho, can you specify the discovery conditions?”

“There are none. Like the case with Viscount Cliff’s estate, most Dark Souls are found in unexpected places. We usually find them by tracking down those who have been corrupted by demonic energy.”

But we couldn’t rely on luck. The Viscount Cliff incident had been a stroke of fortune. There weren’t any strange rumors circulating at the moment.

I didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll personally search for Dark Souls. I’m bound to find something if I keep looking.”

“Wait a minute. It’s a dangerous object. Wouldn’t it be better for me to handle it?”

“Deciphering the secret ledger is just as important as the mission. Make me some demon-resistant gloves and a storage case. We have plenty of holy water, don’t we?”

“Hehehe. I knew you’d say that, so I prepared them in advance!”

There wasn’t much difference between Jericho searching for it and me searching for it.

I had already experienced the system message and acquired the passive skills “Demon Detection” and “Demon Resistance.”

‘I might even be able to find it more safely than Jericho.’

I was a transmigrator. There were probably still many skills I hadn’t unlocked yet.

Jericho soon returned with thick gloves and a small wooden box. They emanated a holy aura.

“I poured a lot of holy water into them, but you shouldn’t touch Dark Souls for too long. Okay?”

“Understood. So, let’s wrap up the mission briefing. I have some bad news. I met a reliable informant on my way back, and it seems like Arthur has finally made his move. She said he seems to have learned magic.”

“…What? Learned magic? That’s impossible! Magic isn’t something you can learn so easily!”

“Don’t you have a perfect example right here?”

Jericho fell silent at my words. Come to think of it, I had learned magic quite easily as well.

But that was because I was a “transmigrator.”

Arthur, an NPC in this world, couldn’t have learned it so easily.

“Ahem… I still find it hard to believe. We have almost complete information on Prince Arthur. May I ask who this informant is?”

“Princess Beatrice.”

“Then, it must be true. She’s been observing Prince Arthur for a long time.”

I met Selendis’s gaze. I gave her a reassuring look, seeing her concern.

“Thankfully, Her Highness will gather more information for us. I’m not worried about Arthur himself but the people behind him.”

“You mean Muon, the court mage.”

“Yes.”

There was a common cliché in web novels and games that featured magic: the “magic experiment subject.”

If Muon, a mage of unparalleled talent, had enabled Arthur to learn magic in such a short time, it must have been the result of some experiment.

And most of those experiments were inhumane.

“If the people behind this have other goals besides turning Arthur into a mage, it’ll be a dangerous situation. We need to be prepared.”

“Understood. I’ll activate more of our information network.”

“Good. Let’s wrap up the meeting. Any other reports?”

Selendis spoke up, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“There’s something I did without your permission, my lord. Some areas in the Alpheon region are highly vulnerable to monster attacks, and the residents are in danger. I evacuated them to nearby cities, and Sir Paris is leading the subjugation operation.”

“Good job. You don’t need my permission for such matters. You’re the Knight Captain of our family. You have to make decisions on my behalf sometimes. Like in this case. Be confident.”

“Yes, my lord.”

I received Selendis’s heartfelt salute and stood up, stretching my limbs.

“It’s time for me to go hunting. Jericho, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Understood. I’ll try to make some progress within this week.”

“I told you not to rush.”

I took my “Sword of Chaos” and “Black Wind Bow.” I didn’t need to take “Arachne’s Carapace” because I always wore it.

I packed some rations, potions, and the map Selendis had made and headed outside.

But there were two horses prepared. Selendis was standing next to them.

“My lord, I’ll accompany you this time. Please allow me.”

“You’ve worked hard making the map. Get some rest.”

“It’s a dangerous mission. I won’t be able to rest peacefully.”

She had a point.

Retrieving “Dark Souls” was a dangerous task. If the church found out about it, the entire territory could be in jeopardy.

Only Selendis and Jericho knew all the secrets of the Inspection Unit.

So, I allowed her to accompany me.

“Thank you, my lord.”

I mounted my horse and unfolded the map. I tapped the area with the highest concentration of monsters.

“We should investigate the Capella Canyon first. Viscount Cliff’s territory also had rough terrain, so it’s best to start with similar areas.”

“I’ll lead the way. Let’s go.”

Selendis spurred her horse forward.

I wasn’t going to just follow her obediently because I was the lord. I caught up to her, and we increased our speed.

***

Tension filled the Manald family mansion when news arrived that a noblewoman from the Kalisto Dukedom was visiting.

It was an unannounced visit.

The head butler, in charge of receiving guests, was deeply troubled.

“Excuse me, Madam. Count Manald is currently occupied and unable to receive guests. We would appreciate it if you could schedule an appointment and visit again later.”

“Is this how House Manald treats guests from Kalisto? If His Lordship is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I’m sure he knows how to receive visitors.”

The woman who retorted was Viscountess Rosalyn. She was a lady-in-waiting of House Kalisto and known as the queen of the social scene.

Rosalyn had to meet the Count immediately.

“However, His Lordship has instructed us not to let anyone in…”

“How will you handle the consequences if I return empty-handed today? Will you still talk about appointments? Step aside.”

Rosalyn pushed past the head butler and entered the mansion. No one dared to stop her because they knew about her secret relationship with Count Apellai.

Some servants in the mansion were loyal to Rosalyn. Guided by them, she arrived at a luxurious door and opened it without hesitation.

“Aah!”

A young woman’s scream pierced the air. Count Apellai, who was in bed, glared at Rosalyn.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Rosalyn ignored the Count’s question and kept her eyes fixed on the young woman.

The trembling woman was young and full of life. Rosalyn felt a surge of envy.

She envied her youth.

Envy quickly turned into anger.

“How dare a lowly creature be in the Count’s bedchamber? Get out this instant!”

“I… I’m sorry… Madam. Please spare my life…”

“Get out!”

The young woman, hastily covering herself with her clothes, fled the room. Silence returned.

“I never knew the beloved of all men could be jealous.”

His tone was mocking.

“Beloved of all men” meant that any man could be her lover for a night.

But Rosalyn didn’t have time for such trivial matters.

“Things are going badly. Did you hear the news? O’Brien killed Baron Roman. And he took over the entire castle.”

“Didn’t Roman declare war first?”

“Was it necessary to kill him so brutally?”

“Hehehe. Interesting. To think you’d whine like this over the loss of a mere toy.”

The Count took a glass of water from the nightstand and drank it in one gulp. A sigh of satisfaction escaped his lips.

He finally turned his attention to Rosalyn.

She was speechless, and her silence made him impatient.

“You’re also a member of Eclipse, aren’t you? Don’t you think it’s a bit much to just sit back and watch?”

“Let’s be clear. I’ve never participated in that group. I was just interested.”

“You’re good at escaping responsibility. If this continues, both you and His Lordship will face dark times.”

Count Apellai chuckled.

“Why do you think so?”

“Prince Arthur, whom you were relying on, can no longer wield a sword. Don’t you think you should secure another connection?”

“If he can’t wield a sword, he can wield something else. If he’s a man, that is.”

“What a vulgar joke.”

Rosalyn felt a chill. She had expected Count Apellai to be at least a little shaken, but he was too calm.

As if everything was going according to plan.

“So, what do you want?”

“We have to eliminate O’Brien. I need your help.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

“What do you mean?”

Count Apellai slowly approached her. He stopped when he was close enough to feel her breath on his skin. He caressed her waist and said, “I believe in fate. Those who incur resentment will be punished. So, just wait. You’ll hear good news soon.”