Sponsored Content
*******
A small town located on the outskirts of the capital.
A place where only a little more than ten households live in a small way.
This seemingly peaceful place was inhabited by secretive people hiding their identities.
“It’s fortunate that we have plenty. It seems that Declen had this in mind when he told me to manage the inventory well.”
“Then what? It’s not necessary right now. There is a limit to what we can endure with this. There is no guarantee that this place will not be discovered forever.”
“That’s why we are also preparing to leave at any time.”
“Yes. We have to hide at the right time. If we wait, we will definitely be contacted.”
They were using this village as their base and spreading items made with black magic stones everywhere.
Most of the villagers were mobilized to do various chores and errands, not knowing the truth of the items.
“When we leave here later…”
The black wizard looked around the village.
His gaze towards the people who live there without knowing anything became cold in an instant.
“There won’t be any harm in not leaving a trace.”
“I suppose so.”
It was at this moment that the tentative decision was made to deal with the villagers.
“Are you keeping track of the princess’ movements?”
“At first, she appeared to be a bit suspicious, but since she couldn’t find much evidence, she seems to have changed her direction.”
“We have to be careful because it’ll be too much for us to handle if the princess comes forward herself.”
“But contrary to what I thought, the princess… Rather than being arbitrary, she seemed to have no time to look at anything else because she was taking the initiative in treating patients.”
“Who knew the princess had such an innocent side.”
While they laughed at the princess, there were those who silently watched from afar.
This village was marked on the map in the painting the emperor found.
It took some time to find it as the exact location was not listed. After synthesizing various characteristics, there were really black wizards here.
‘I don’t think I should disappoint them since they’ve evaluated me as such.’
Eristella’s shoulder twitched, and at the same time, someone grabbed her.
Heinricion’s sharp gaze was pointing straight at Eristella.
Sponsored Content
“According to the plan.”
With just one sentence from Heinricion, Eristella’s head fell automatically.
“I was going to wait here. I didn’t mean to go first.”
Heinricion patted Eristella on the shoulder twice before turning around.
Her role today was back support while he besieged the town with the knights.
Over the past few days, they had been observing the village and identifying the black wizards.
No matter how well-hidden it was, it wasn’t difficult to find the first trader if one was absolutely determined to catch the tail.
In the days of figuring it out, they also noticed that they were grasping the movements of Eristella.
That’s why Eristella and Heinricion pretended not to notice anything.
“The black wizards are done as of today. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t let a single person escape.”
Everything else was done by surprise.
Eristella provided support behind the scenes and protected the villagers.
No matter how desperately the black wizards blocked and adapted to the change, they could not compete with the best wizards of the empire.
The resistance collapsed helplessly in an instant.
The battle was pretty much determined from the start, to the extent that the time that had been dragged on so far was in vain.
Maybe it was the difference between having and not having Declen.
This was likely why Eristella didn’t laugh even after subduing all the black wizards.
*******
All the black wizards were sent to the underground investigation room of the Imperial Palace.
But in the village, there were also ordinary residents who knew nothing.
“What will the residents do?”
Brick asked, having gathered all the villagers together for now.
Eristella scanned them.
The people were trembling in fear that they would be implicated in a sudden situation.
“A black wizard disguised as a normal person might be hiding.”
Eristella spoke firmly.
“You can’t miss a single one here.”
This time, she must persistently attack.
Sponsored Content
“However, be careful not to make the residents anxious.”
“I will.”
After Eristella left, Brick’s squad, along with Heinricion, investigated the identity and current status of the remaining residents.
“It seems that no one has magical abilities.”
After ascertaining the magic power of the villagers, Heinricion cautioned.
“Most seem to be normal villagers, but it’s best to examine more.”
“Yes, we’re checking in detail the ones who have moved here, and it seems most of their move is because of their livelihood.”
“Still, scrutinize some more. Oh, and give them a new place to live. We’ll have to keep an eye out for a while, so make sure no one gets out.”
After giving instructions, Heinricion was about to turn around.
Someone caught his attention.
“Who is that person?”
Heinricion stared at the man who, unlike others, was standing alone.
*******
Eristella headed to the underground investigation room of the Imperial Palace.
She intended to question the black wizards herself.
—Their identity. What is their goal. Even their relationship with Declen. And are there any leftovers?
There was a lot to find out.
In particular, how they came to dabble in black magic and grow their power.
Astoundingly, the black wizards easily opened their mouths.
“Anyway, it’s not something you can stop even if we say everything. So there is no need to hide it.”
The black wizards didn’t break down and continued speaking with a confident attitude.
“We were insignificant wizards.”
Surprisingly, it had been a long time since they had been practicing black magic.
The ancestors who first started teaching them black magic were, in other words, crappy black wizards.
People possessing magical ability but were unable to change their lives as a wizard due to their insignificant talent somehow obtained information about black magic.
With that, they studied alone and developed their own black magic.
But even so, it wasn’t that strong, so they hid it.
A boy had come before them.
Sponsored Content
“I will help you. So work under me.”
It was cheeky, but there was an overpowering atmosphere.
That boy was Declen, who was still young at the time.
“That was when it started.”
After Declen became the center, more who had been hiding in the shadows became organized and developed proper power.
“Our goal is to eliminate all of the current nobility and the imperial family and create our own world.”
“Is that your goal?”
It was quite predictable. But Eristella was convinced that that was not all.
Then the black wizard’s eyes twisted in an unpleasant way.
“It’s our goal, but it’s not Lord Declen’s. We don’t know that.”
“…….”
“We just take what Lord Declen gives us.”
To the black wizards, Declen was a being who would make their desires come true. He gave the nobles who followed him the riches they wanted.
But he didn’t share what he wanted with anyone.
He only used them thoroughly as a means to his ends.
Eristella suddenly remembered something she was curious about.
“Did Declen live in that village too?”
“No. He did not stay with us.”
“Then where has he been?”
“We don’t know that either. He’s always alone, only coming when it’s necessary.”
Declen kept a thorough distance from the black wizards.
He seemed to be more of a lone wolf than Eristella had expected.
It was probably deliberate to not keep anyone by his side.
Even after all the questions, it was difficult to understand the true aim of the black wizards.
Declen fulfilled the desires of others, yet revealed nothing about his own.
“Is there no one who was at least a little close to Declen?”
It was another burning question.
This time, the black wizards’ reaction was subtle, and one opened his mouth a little later.
Sponsored Content
“…There used to be one, but she’s dead now. The princess killed Yeriel.”
“Yeriel? Who is that?”
Eristella asked, digging through her mind of all the black wizards she had dealt with thus far. Who among them?
“She was planted at the emperor’s side. She almost made it… It was a pity.”
Eristella knew right away who they were talking about.
They were referring to the black wizard who brainwashed the emperor.
It reminded her of how strangely loyal she had been until right before her death.
“Why is he close to the black wizard named Yeriel?”
“That child was picked up by Lord Declen from somewhere. He was like her guardian. But I know nothing beyond that.”
Eristella followed up with a few more questions, but to no avail.
*******
It was when Eristella came out of the basement after completing the investigation to some extent.
There was an unexpected discovery while cross-checking the villagers.
“Sianne?”
Eristella double-checked that what she had heard was correct.
“Sianne was among the residents of that village.”
Heinricion was investigating to weed out the black wizards hiding in the village.
Then he accidentally found a survivor of the Sianne family.
“Didn’t the Sianne family already die out?”
“He is probably the only survivor. I think that he is also the head of the Sianne family.”
Needless to say, the timing was suspicious.
“Did the black wizards hide him on purpose?”
“The black wizards seemed completely unaware of the Sianne family.”
Eristella, too, was apprehensive; she belatedly recalled her childhood memories. If it wasn’t for that, she wouldn’t have even known about the existence of the Sianne family.
“Why is he in that village?”
“Well… I’m not certain but I believe he went there on purpose.”
Whatever the purpose, it was an opportunity to learn about the Sianne family.
Ame: There’s just 9 more episodes to go! Which… feels kinda little??? Is 13,500~ words enough to wrap things up and get our leads officially together???
Sponsored Content
*******
A small town located on the outskirts of the capital.
A place where only a little more than ten households live in a small way.
This seemingly peaceful place was inhabited by secretive people hiding their identities.
“It’s fortunate that we have plenty. It seems that Declen had this in mind when he told me to manage the inventory well.”
“Then what? It’s not necessary right now. There is a limit to what we can endure with this. There is no guarantee that this place will not be discovered forever.”
“That’s why we are also preparing to leave at any time.”
“Yes. We have to hide at the right time. If we wait, we will definitely be contacted.”
They were using this village as their base and spreading items made with black magic stones everywhere.
Most of the villagers were mobilized to do various chores and errands, not knowing the truth of the items.
“When we leave here later…”
The black wizard looked around the village.
His gaze towards the people who live there without knowing anything became cold in an instant.
“There won’t be any harm in not leaving a trace.”
“I suppose so.”
It was at this moment that the tentative decision was made to deal with the villagers.
“Are you keeping track of the princess’ movements?”
“At first, she appeared to be a bit suspicious, but since she couldn’t find much evidence, she seems to have changed her direction.”
“We have to be careful because it’ll be too much for us to handle if the princess comes forward herself.”
“But contrary to what I thought, the princess… Rather than being arbitrary, she seemed to have no time to look at anything else because she was taking the initiative in treating patients.”
“Who knew the princess had such an innocent side.”
While they laughed at the princess, there were those who silently watched from afar.
This village was marked on the map in the painting the emperor found.
It took some time to find it as the exact location was not listed. After synthesizing various characteristics, there were really black wizards here.
‘I don’t think I should disappoint them since they’ve evaluated me as such.’
Eristella’s shoulder twitched, and at the same time, someone grabbed her.
Heinricion’s sharp gaze was pointing straight at Eristella.
Sponsored Content
“According to the plan.”
With just one sentence from Heinricion, Eristella’s head fell automatically.
“I was going to wait here. I didn’t mean to go first.”
Heinricion patted Eristella on the shoulder twice before turning around.
Her role today was back support while he besieged the town with the knights.
Over the past few days, they had been observing the village and identifying the black wizards.
No matter how well-hidden it was, it wasn’t difficult to find the first trader if one was absolutely determined to catch the tail.
In the days of figuring it out, they also noticed that they were grasping the movements of Eristella.
That’s why Eristella and Heinricion pretended not to notice anything.
“The black wizards are done as of today. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t let a single person escape.”
Everything else was done by surprise.
Eristella provided support behind the scenes and protected the villagers.
No matter how desperately the black wizards blocked and adapted to the change, they could not compete with the best wizards of the empire.
The resistance collapsed helplessly in an instant.
The battle was pretty much determined from the start, to the extent that the time that had been dragged on so far was in vain.
Maybe it was the difference between having and not having Declen.
This was likely why Eristella didn’t laugh even after subduing all the black wizards.
*******
All the black wizards were sent to the underground investigation room of the Imperial Palace.
But in the village, there were also ordinary residents who knew nothing.
“What will the residents do?”
Brick asked, having gathered all the villagers together for now.
Eristella scanned them.
The people were trembling in fear that they would be implicated in a sudden situation.
“A black wizard disguised as a normal person might be hiding.”
Eristella spoke firmly.
“You can’t miss a single one here.”
This time, she must persistently attack.
Sponsored Content
“However, be careful not to make the residents anxious.”
“I will.”
After Eristella left, Brick’s squad, along with Heinricion, investigated the identity and current status of the remaining residents.
“It seems that no one has magical abilities.”
After ascertaining the magic power of the villagers, Heinricion cautioned.
“Most seem to be normal villagers, but it’s best to examine more.”
“Yes, we’re checking in detail the ones who have moved here, and it seems most of their move is because of their livelihood.”
“Still, scrutinize some more. Oh, and give them a new place to live. We’ll have to keep an eye out for a while, so make sure no one gets out.”
After giving instructions, Heinricion was about to turn around.
Someone caught his attention.
“Who is that person?”
Heinricion stared at the man who, unlike others, was standing alone.
*******
Eristella headed to the underground investigation room of the Imperial Palace.
She intended to question the black wizards herself.
—Their identity. What is their goal. Even their relationship with Declen. And are there any leftovers?
There was a lot to find out.
In particular, how they came to dabble in black magic and grow their power.
Astoundingly, the black wizards easily opened their mouths.
“Anyway, it’s not something you can stop even if we say everything. So there is no need to hide it.”
The black wizards didn’t break down and continued speaking with a confident attitude.
“We were insignificant wizards.”
Surprisingly, it had been a long time since they had been practicing black magic.
The ancestors who first started teaching them black magic were, in other words, crappy black wizards.
People possessing magical ability but were unable to change their lives as a wizard due to their insignificant talent somehow obtained information about black magic.
With that, they studied alone and developed their own black magic.
But even so, it wasn’t that strong, so they hid it.
A boy had come before them.
Sponsored Content
“I will help you. So work under me.”
It was cheeky, but there was an overpowering atmosphere.
That boy was Declen, who was still young at the time.
“That was when it started.”
After Declen became the center, more who had been hiding in the shadows became organized and developed proper power.
“Our goal is to eliminate all of the current nobility and the imperial family and create our own world.”
“Is that your goal?”
It was quite predictable. But Eristella was convinced that that was not all.
Then the black wizard’s eyes twisted in an unpleasant way.
“It’s our goal, but it’s not Lord Declen’s. We don’t know that.”
“…….”
“We just take what Lord Declen gives us.”
To the black wizards, Declen was a being who would make their desires come true. He gave the nobles who followed him the riches they wanted.
But he didn’t share what he wanted with anyone.
He only used them thoroughly as a means to his ends.
Eristella suddenly remembered something she was curious about.
“Did Declen live in that village too?”
“No. He did not stay with us.”
“Then where has he been?”
“We don’t know that either. He’s always alone, only coming when it’s necessary.”
Declen kept a thorough distance from the black wizards.
He seemed to be more of a lone wolf than Eristella had expected.
It was probably deliberate to not keep anyone by his side.
Even after all the questions, it was difficult to understand the true aim of the black wizards.
Declen fulfilled the desires of others, yet revealed nothing about his own.
“Is there no one who was at least a little close to Declen?”
It was another burning question.
This time, the black wizards’ reaction was subtle, and one opened his mouth a little later.
Sponsored Content
“…There used to be one, but she’s dead now. The princess killed Yeriel.”
“Yeriel? Who is that?”
Eristella asked, digging through her mind of all the black wizards she had dealt with thus far. Who among them?
“She was planted at the emperor’s side. She almost made it… It was a pity.”
Eristella knew right away who they were talking about.
They were referring to the black wizard who brainwashed the emperor.
It reminded her of how strangely loyal she had been until right before her death.
“Why is he close to the black wizard named Yeriel?”
“That child was picked up by Lord Declen from somewhere. He was like her guardian. But I know nothing beyond that.”
Eristella followed up with a few more questions, but to no avail.
*******
It was when Eristella came out of the basement after completing the investigation to some extent.
There was an unexpected discovery while cross-checking the villagers.
“Sianne?”
Eristella double-checked that what she had heard was correct.
“Sianne was among the residents of that village.”
Heinricion was investigating to weed out the black wizards hiding in the village.
Then he accidentally found a survivor of the Sianne family.
“Didn’t the Sianne family already die out?”
“He is probably the only survivor. I think that he is also the head of the Sianne family.”
Needless to say, the timing was suspicious.
“Did the black wizards hide him on purpose?”
“The black wizards seemed completely unaware of the Sianne family.”
Eristella, too, was apprehensive; she belatedly recalled her childhood memories. If it wasn’t for that, she wouldn’t have even known about the existence of the Sianne family.
“Why is he in that village?”
“Well… I’m not certain but I believe he went there on purpose.”
Whatever the purpose, it was an opportunity to learn about the Sianne family.
Ame: There’s just 9 more episodes to go! Which… feels kinda little??? Is 13,500~ words enough to wrap things up and get our leads officially together???
