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“…What?”
Eristella hardened as it was. Still, she asked again, just to be sure.
But what came back was…
“If you offer three sacrifices, you can break the power of black magic.”
Eristella’s face went cold.
—What bullshit are you suggesting?
When hostility was shown, Jay was neither agitated nor frightened. Rather, he was indifferent.
“I just told you what I know.”
“…….”
“Black magic is mostly like that. There can never be a clean way to break it.”
Eristella firmly said,
“I don’t need it.”
She didn’t show it, but strength left her body. She had no intention of begging for her life. She wouldn’t do such a thing.
By turning her back, she showed her desire for him to leave now.
But Jay still didn’t budge.
“Instead, I can help you hold on a little longer.”
This time, she wondered what kind of nonsense he was trying to pull.
But Jay had no intention of scoffing at or mocking Eristella.
It was just the truth he knew.
“This also comes at a price.”
Although Eristella wanted to say that she didn’t even have to listen…
“Say it.”
…No matter how dog-like it was, she had to listen to it at least once. She reluctantly gave it a chance, but her face bore no expectations.
“Does it require a sacrifice too?”
“You can say that. However, that sacrifice will be your own.”
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Eristella slowly turned back to face Jay.
*******
The next day, when Heinricion and the emperor came to Eristella’s room, the bed was empty.
“Where did Eristella go?”
They went looking for her.
Eventually, they found Eristella in her office. She greeted the two of them with a calm expression.
“How long did you think I would lie down? This is not the time to be so surprised.”
Eristella lightly chided them with a smile.
“Now that we’ve uncovered Declen’s identity, we need to find out what he’s been up to.”
Everything that had been blocking their attempts so far was finally cleared. Now all they had to do was estimate his tracks.
“Yes. We should.”
At Eristella’s prompt, the emperor and Heinricion hurriedly sat down.
And they put together everything they had learned so far.
In no time, surprisingly, a story different from what they had known so far was sorted out.
*******
The black wizards fell apart.
Only Declen was left now.
‘I’ve finally come this far.’
He, alone, had waited a really long time for this moment.
Even if all the black wizards were gone, his plan was unblemished.
From the beginning, this was all part of his plan.
The other wizards were just a facade to confuse for a while.
They had fulfilled their role, so they were no longer needed.
Declen was lost in reminiscence.
Back in time a few hundred years ago, when his story began.
*******
Before the birth of the Leonian Empire, Declen spent his first life in a time when there were no small countries.
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Declen was alone from the start.
He didn’t know who his parents were, and he didn’t even know when he was abandoned.
However, he had a rough idea why he was abandoned.
He was gifted with overwhelming magical powers, and he could handle them without anyone teaching him.
Unfortunately, unlike other wizards, his magical powers instinctively aroused fear, so he naturally became a target to be avoided and feared by everyone.
The more he experienced such a reaction, the more he kept his distance from people.
He didn’t bother trying to fit in and risk getting hurt.
Unless he was looking for daily necessities, he didn’t even walk where people lived.
Then one day—
It was a remote place, so even if one strayed off the main path, hardly anyone came.
—A certain fox was asleep in front of the door.
‘…Did it collapse?’
There were bloodstains on the floor. A normal person would have been fooled by it, but he was able to recognize at once that the fox was a transformed wizard.
‘How did it get here?’
In the past, there had been several raids by those who wanted to kill it.
‘Perhaps this little one is here for that purpose as well.’
He just pushed it sideways with his foot and went into his house. It would go somewhere when it feels well enough.
But when he came out the next day, it was still where he had pushed it with his foot.
Its condition worsened, and it was on the verge of death.
Tsk.
Seeing that it had been somehow breathing so far, it seemed to be quite a tough guy.
‘It’s annoying, but it’s also irritating to notice it every time I pass by, so let’s just treat it.’
After casting a moderate amount of recovery magic, Declen went out, only returning when it was late at night.
“You’re finally here!”
It was not a fox that was waiting for him at home, but a man smiling stupidly.
He was, of course, a wizard, who introduced himself as Ethan.
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“If I’m in danger, I will turn into a fox, as I’m able to protect my magical powers more easily in that form.”
Even though Declen wasn’t curious at all, Ethan explained why he had turned into a fox.
“Thanks to you, I’ve healed up well, so I really want to repay this favor!”
Ethan one-sidedly made Declen his lifesaver.
“Get out. That’s my answer.”
Declen didn’t want to be bothered, so he cut it as resolutely as a knife.
To his dismay, Ethan did not leave and sat down for some reason.
It was annoying, but Declen just ignored Ethan. He couldn’t be bothered to chase him away. However, before he knew it, a month passed.
In the meantime, Declen learned a lot about Ethan because he kept talking to himself next to him.
Apparently, Ethan was kicked out of his family and was developing his powers for revenge. And how he was an idiot who had talent but couldn’t use it, so he only suffered.
Having no place to return to right now, he claimed he would only stay until his body fully recovered. It was most certainly a lie, for these days he smiled deftly, saying that the longer he stayed, the more comfortable and nice the place was.
‘How thick-faced and shameless you are, considering you’re intruding in my quiet space.’
Eventually, finally… After more than a month, he left.
Declen thought he was lucky, since it did seem as if Ethan would settle down here.
It was only a month or so, but it was the first time Declen had spent time with anyone else.
Perhaps that’s why. Unlike before, the time he spent alone was somehow creaking. But Declen didn’t know about the emptiness of the place, so he couldn’t identify the cause of the strangeness he felt.
When a few more days passed like that, Declen belatedly found a note on the floor.
It was about Ethan coming to his house for a while.
In spite of that, the date mentioned in the note had already passed.
‘Did you change your mind?’
Declen felt that if Ethan had somehow changed his mind, he would come to say so.
Then something must have happened.
Declen took a moment to ponder. Then he made up his mind.
Ethan was very talkative, revealing a lot about his personal life.
Thus, Declen already knew where he lived and which family he belonged to.
‘Let’s go. Let’s just go and check it out.’
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*******
‘Why are you bloody again? You’re weaker than I thought.’
Upon reaching a place where people were screaming, Declen found Ethan, who was in danger of dying.
‘Should I just go back?’
‘But then it’ll be a waste to come all the way here. I’ll do something before I go.’
It wasn’t even difficult.
Declen overpowered the family in an instant and brought Ethan out.
Seeing him use magic, everyone trembled in fear and ran away.
So, after bringing Ethan to a safe place, Declen placed him down and tried to go back home.
However, as Ethan crawled after him and grabbed him, he almost fell. Thus, he looked back.
Ethan’s face was shining with curiosity and envy.
“I was really surprised. I know you are a great person, but it’s more than I thought. Wow, really… Please teach me!”
He started begging and pleading. Even after Declen returned home, the guy called until his ears hurt the whole time.
‘I shouldn’t have fallen for it.’
Declen had been alone his whole life. His heart was shaken because the warmth of a human he felt for the first time was more comfortable than he had ever imagined. This was a problem.
He pretended to teach roughly, but Ethan was more talented than he had thought, and he instinctively got excited. This was another problem.
‘I should have stopped there.’
Declen fell for Ethan.
He was proud of watching him grow little by little, and later wanted to help his dream come true.
“Now, let’s get out of here.”
Surprisingly, it was Declen who brought it up first.
He wanted to see him grow further in the wider world, not the small but sufficient cabin he had been living in all his life.
This was how the adventure of the two began.
While saving many people, Ethan began to make a name for himself and created his own party.
Declen, too, was unwittingly tied to them with the word ‘colleague’.
10 years passed like that, and Ethan finally achieved revenge and founded the country.
Declen was more than happy.
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“…What?”
Eristella hardened as it was. Still, she asked again, just to be sure.
But what came back was…
“If you offer three sacrifices, you can break the power of black magic.”
Eristella’s face went cold.
—What bullshit are you suggesting?
When hostility was shown, Jay was neither agitated nor frightened. Rather, he was indifferent.
“I just told you what I know.”
“…….”
“Black magic is mostly like that. There can never be a clean way to break it.”
Eristella firmly said,
“I don’t need it.”
She didn’t show it, but strength left her body. She had no intention of begging for her life. She wouldn’t do such a thing.
By turning her back, she showed her desire for him to leave now.
But Jay still didn’t budge.
“Instead, I can help you hold on a little longer.”
This time, she wondered what kind of nonsense he was trying to pull.
But Jay had no intention of scoffing at or mocking Eristella.
It was just the truth he knew.
“This also comes at a price.”
Although Eristella wanted to say that she didn’t even have to listen…
“Say it.”
…No matter how dog-like it was, she had to listen to it at least once. She reluctantly gave it a chance, but her face bore no expectations.
“Does it require a sacrifice too?”
“You can say that. However, that sacrifice will be your own.”
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Eristella slowly turned back to face Jay.
*******
The next day, when Heinricion and the emperor came to Eristella’s room, the bed was empty.
“Where did Eristella go?”
They went looking for her.
Eventually, they found Eristella in her office. She greeted the two of them with a calm expression.
“How long did you think I would lie down? This is not the time to be so surprised.”
Eristella lightly chided them with a smile.
“Now that we’ve uncovered Declen’s identity, we need to find out what he’s been up to.”
Everything that had been blocking their attempts so far was finally cleared. Now all they had to do was estimate his tracks.
“Yes. We should.”
At Eristella’s prompt, the emperor and Heinricion hurriedly sat down.
And they put together everything they had learned so far.
In no time, surprisingly, a story different from what they had known so far was sorted out.
*******
The black wizards fell apart.
Only Declen was left now.
‘I’ve finally come this far.’
He, alone, had waited a really long time for this moment.
Even if all the black wizards were gone, his plan was unblemished.
From the beginning, this was all part of his plan.
The other wizards were just a facade to confuse for a while.
They had fulfilled their role, so they were no longer needed.
Declen was lost in reminiscence.
Back in time a few hundred years ago, when his story began.
*******
Before the birth of the Leonian Empire, Declen spent his first life in a time when there were no small countries.
Sponsored Content
Declen was alone from the start.
He didn’t know who his parents were, and he didn’t even know when he was abandoned.
However, he had a rough idea why he was abandoned.
He was gifted with overwhelming magical powers, and he could handle them without anyone teaching him.
Unfortunately, unlike other wizards, his magical powers instinctively aroused fear, so he naturally became a target to be avoided and feared by everyone.
The more he experienced such a reaction, the more he kept his distance from people.
He didn’t bother trying to fit in and risk getting hurt.
Unless he was looking for daily necessities, he didn’t even walk where people lived.
Then one day—
It was a remote place, so even if one strayed off the main path, hardly anyone came.
—A certain fox was asleep in front of the door.
‘…Did it collapse?’
There were bloodstains on the floor. A normal person would have been fooled by it, but he was able to recognize at once that the fox was a transformed wizard.
‘How did it get here?’
In the past, there had been several raids by those who wanted to kill it.
‘Perhaps this little one is here for that purpose as well.’
He just pushed it sideways with his foot and went into his house. It would go somewhere when it feels well enough.
But when he came out the next day, it was still where he had pushed it with his foot.
Its condition worsened, and it was on the verge of death.
Tsk.
Seeing that it had been somehow breathing so far, it seemed to be quite a tough guy.
‘It’s annoying, but it’s also irritating to notice it every time I pass by, so let’s just treat it.’
After casting a moderate amount of recovery magic, Declen went out, only returning when it was late at night.
“You’re finally here!”
It was not a fox that was waiting for him at home, but a man smiling stupidly.
He was, of course, a wizard, who introduced himself as Ethan.
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“If I’m in danger, I will turn into a fox, as I’m able to protect my magical powers more easily in that form.”
Even though Declen wasn’t curious at all, Ethan explained why he had turned into a fox.
“Thanks to you, I’ve healed up well, so I really want to repay this favor!”
Ethan one-sidedly made Declen his lifesaver.
“Get out. That’s my answer.”
Declen didn’t want to be bothered, so he cut it as resolutely as a knife.
To his dismay, Ethan did not leave and sat down for some reason.
It was annoying, but Declen just ignored Ethan. He couldn’t be bothered to chase him away. However, before he knew it, a month passed.
In the meantime, Declen learned a lot about Ethan because he kept talking to himself next to him.
Apparently, Ethan was kicked out of his family and was developing his powers for revenge. And how he was an idiot who had talent but couldn’t use it, so he only suffered.
Having no place to return to right now, he claimed he would only stay until his body fully recovered. It was most certainly a lie, for these days he smiled deftly, saying that the longer he stayed, the more comfortable and nice the place was.
‘How thick-faced and shameless you are, considering you’re intruding in my quiet space.’
Eventually, finally… After more than a month, he left.
Declen thought he was lucky, since it did seem as if Ethan would settle down here.
It was only a month or so, but it was the first time Declen had spent time with anyone else.
Perhaps that’s why. Unlike before, the time he spent alone was somehow creaking. But Declen didn’t know about the emptiness of the place, so he couldn’t identify the cause of the strangeness he felt.
When a few more days passed like that, Declen belatedly found a note on the floor.
It was about Ethan coming to his house for a while.
In spite of that, the date mentioned in the note had already passed.
‘Did you change your mind?’
Declen felt that if Ethan had somehow changed his mind, he would come to say so.
Then something must have happened.
Declen took a moment to ponder. Then he made up his mind.
Ethan was very talkative, revealing a lot about his personal life.
Thus, Declen already knew where he lived and which family he belonged to.
‘Let’s go. Let’s just go and check it out.’
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*******
‘Why are you bloody again? You’re weaker than I thought.’
Upon reaching a place where people were screaming, Declen found Ethan, who was in danger of dying.
‘Should I just go back?’
‘But then it’ll be a waste to come all the way here. I’ll do something before I go.’
It wasn’t even difficult.
Declen overpowered the family in an instant and brought Ethan out.
Seeing him use magic, everyone trembled in fear and ran away.
So, after bringing Ethan to a safe place, Declen placed him down and tried to go back home.
However, as Ethan crawled after him and grabbed him, he almost fell. Thus, he looked back.
Ethan’s face was shining with curiosity and envy.
“I was really surprised. I know you are a great person, but it’s more than I thought. Wow, really… Please teach me!”
He started begging and pleading. Even after Declen returned home, the guy called until his ears hurt the whole time.
‘I shouldn’t have fallen for it.’
Declen had been alone his whole life. His heart was shaken because the warmth of a human he felt for the first time was more comfortable than he had ever imagined. This was a problem.
He pretended to teach roughly, but Ethan was more talented than he had thought, and he instinctively got excited. This was another problem.
‘I should have stopped there.’
Declen fell for Ethan.
He was proud of watching him grow little by little, and later wanted to help his dream come true.
“Now, let’s get out of here.”
Surprisingly, it was Declen who brought it up first.
He wanted to see him grow further in the wider world, not the small but sufficient cabin he had been living in all his life.
This was how the adventure of the two began.
While saving many people, Ethan began to make a name for himself and created his own party.
Declen, too, was unwittingly tied to them with the word ‘colleague’.
10 years passed like that, and Ethan finally achieved revenge and founded the country.
Declen was more than happy.
