Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 186

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 186

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A space where not a single ray of light entered.

Six shadowy figures wearing pitch-black iron masks with only eye holes sat around a massive round table.

A hazy orb floating in the center of the round table illuminated the surroundings, but even that wasn’t enough to distinguish their ages or genders.

Then, breaking the heavy silence, a woman with a gentle voice began to speak.

“The reason I’ve summoned all of you like this is none other than to convey the Seeker’s will.”

The Seeker.

At those words, everyone’s gaze focused on the woman.

As if burdened by their stares, the woman hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I trust you all know that those sent by the Gray Tower and the Temple have arrived in Baliko. Unfortunately, they seem convinced that our base is located here.”

“Good to know you’re aware of the situation. So, what did the Seeker say?”

To the large man’s question, the woman answered without hesitation.

“He said not to worry about anything and to proceed with the plan without delay.”

The woman’s voice carried deep faith and trust toward the Seeker, and the same was true for the others.

“If the Seeker said so…”

“Then I’ll stay hidden until ‘that day.'”

“Ah, it’ll be boring for a while.”

Everyone was adding their words one by one, indicating they would follow the Seeker’s words.

“Such a complacent response.”

At the words of a child so small they could barely peek their head over the round table, the woman’s voice sharpened.

“Complacent? His plan is perfect!”

“When the situation changes, the plan should change accordingly. But to insist on the original plan—I can only call it complacent. Tsk tsk.”

“Since you speak so knowingly, I suppose you’ve thought of a countermeasure?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t it be fine to just kill all the insects trying to interfere with our work?”

The child spoke as if throwing out an amusing joke, but the atmosphere of the meeting instantly turned menacing.

Because they knew he possessed both the power and nature to carry out what he had just said.

“Crimson Tower Master… Our purpose is not indiscriminate killing.”

“Tsk tsk, I thought probing each other’s identities was against the rules.”

“If you were going to say that, you should have hidden that staff first.”

A magic staff far too large for a child to hold.

Embedded with high-purity rare magic stones, it was a national treasure of the Mage Republic that had been owned by successive masters of the Crimson Tower.

Until ten years ago, when the Crimson Tower Master of that era became a dark mage and turned his back on the Mage Republic.

Though ten years had passed since he became a public enemy of the continent, befitting one who had once reached the top of the Crimson Tower, he leisurely evaded the surveillance networks of the Mage Republic and Temple while committing massacres everywhere.

However, even with the continent’s worst criminal before her eyes, the woman showed no sign of fear and fiercely retorted.

“And those words just now—may I interpret them as daring to defy the Seeker’s command?”

“You treat that Seeker fellow just like those temple folks do.”

At those words, the woman couldn’t say anything. She realized she had spoken rashly in her excitement.

A situation where each other’s identities were exposed.

It was the moment when an ominous purple light appeared in the eyes of both the priest woman and the Crimson Tower Master.

“We all owe a debt to the Seeker. Until we repay that debt, we shouldn’t be at odds with each other.”

Those words calmed the murderous intent of the two people that had been blazing like boiling lava.

“Of course, tsk tsk. Only the Seeker can fulfill this old man’s sole wish.”

“…I apologize for the disgraceful display.”

Everyone present had awakened to dark magic to fulfill their desperate wishes.

While they didn’t regret becoming dark mages, they had to pay the price of losing their place to stay and living the rest of their lives as fugitives.

It was the Seeker who wholeheartedly helped such people and taught them all kinds of dark magic formations so they could live proudly before others.

To them, the Seeker was a beacon of light illuminating their dark future and their hope.

After discussing the plan in detail, the dark mages exchanged the characteristic gaze of those who shared the same goal.

“All of this is to lift the veil of the world and prepare for the world after destruction.”

With those final words, the figures occupying the round table vanished without a trace.

All that remained was a dark magic formation glowing with an ominous light.

* * *

Hundreds of outsiders came and went daily in Valicoën to use the passenger ships heading out to the Delman Sea.

This made it a place with decent conditions for the self-proclaimed “Those Who Lift the Veil of the World,” aka “Veil Lifters,” to hide.

I thought somewhat pessimistically as I leisurely sipped my tea on the balcony of a coffee house overlooking the town square.

Use fairies to find dark mages, then raid their base.

The plan itself wasn’t bad, but…

‘In a city with this many people, finding dark mages would have to rely almost entirely on luck.’

What on earth is Giuseppe thinking?

I glanced at the priests who had come along to guard me, then whispered to Suga.

“Suga, tell me if you see anyone giving off a foul stench.”

【Just trust Suga! I’ll eat up all of Bel’s gold and make her go bankrupt!】

100 gold per dark mage.

At the reward I offered, Suga’s eyes gleamed like a bounty hunter as she surveyed the crowd in the square.

To bankrupt me with the reward money for finding dark mages, she’d have to capture every dark mage on the continent and it still wouldn’t be possible, but well… dreams should be big.

‘Besides, dark mages wouldn’t be brazenly walking around the square in broad daylight like this…’

【Poop pile! I found a 100-gold poop pile!】

“What? Where!”

When I asked back in surprise, one of the priests approached and asked me.

“Marquess, what’s the matter?”

Of all times for something to happen when Giuseppe and Ophelia were away.

I quickly stood up and pointed my index finger toward the area below the railing that Suga was indicating.

“There, my fairy…!”

Just then, a yellow butterfly fluttered and landed on my fingertip. It was a messenger familiar I knew very well.

While the priests all rushed over and looked outside the railing like me, the man Suga had pointed to gracefully stepped up through the air and stood before me.

“Hello, Master. Did you miss me?”

A gray cape indicating Magic Tower affiliation and a sweet eye-smile.

“Chaser?”

Why are you here…

‘No, more importantly, how dare you acknowledge me when you clearly know there are priests here!’

I immediately grabbed Chaser by the collar and pulled him inside the railing.

Just for being a mage from the Magic Tower, the priests glared at Chaser with triangular eyes.

I roughly sat Chaser down in a chair, then said to the priests.

“My fairy says she found someone she knows.”

“…A mage from the Magic Tower, I see.”

“Right. Now that you know, could you give us some space? It’s a joyful reunion and I have a lot to say privately.”

The priests reluctantly left.

As soon as they completely disappeared, I growled at Chaser.

“Chaser, are you insane?”

What the priests were looking for were the Veil Lifters, but Chaser was also a dark mage. Nothing good would come from encountering them, yet he brazenly revealed himself like this!

“It feels really good to be alone with Master after so long.”

Whether he knew my anxious heart or not, Chaser just smiled brightly with his chin resting on his hand.

“I’m so happy that Master is worried about me, but you don’t need to worry that much.”

Chaser, who had been giggling, casually touched the brooch on his cape.

“See this? Thanks to this magic tool, what Master is worried about won’t happen.”

It was a magical tool I knew very well too.

[Item] Shadow’s Footsteps

The moment you wear this brooch, you become like a shadow—someone whose presence feels natural yet has no substance.

But be careful. Nervous people are startled even by their own shadows. Those with good instincts will notice your presence.

A cash item I had used when ambushing to tame Cheri in the North.

It failed to hide my presence from Cheri, who had beast-like instincts, but normally it would make the wearer virtually invisible.

I knew that items sold in the Cash Shop were originally objects that existed in this world, but seeing the genuine article before my eyes felt strange.

‘If the First King created 【Hirome】, then he must have also created the Cash Shop items. But even with magic, can you really create anything just like that?’

Setting aside the question that suddenly occurred to me, I looked at the brooch with somewhat suspicious eyes.

For someone wearing ‘Shadow’s Footsteps’, Chaser’s presence was felt too clearly, and more importantly…

“That brooch hides your ‘identity’?”

The brooch only eliminated presence; it had no function to erase traces of dark magic.

“This magical tool erases the wearer’s presence. I modified the tool slightly using that principle. Instead of erasing my presence, it erases something else.”

Ah, so he modified the magical tool to erase traces of dark magic.

Only then did I feel relieved and soothed my burning insides with the half-melted iced tea.

“By the way, how did you get here?”

“I came for the same reason as the Temple. I heard that a dark mage wanted by the Mage Republic was in the Kingdom of Jenos. As the Magister, shouldn’t I fulfill my duty?”

Duty as the Magister.

“Even Suga wouldn’t believe such an obvious lie.”

When I narrowed my eyes, Chaser pouted his lips.

“Just play along a little. It would look too pathetic to say I hurriedly chased after my master.”

While Chaser grumbled with a sulky face, Suga shouted like a siren beside him.

【Bel! Piece of shit! 100 gold!】

“Suga, this is a piece of shit you already know. So it’s invalid.”

【Tch.】

While Suga clicked her tongue and resumed scanning the crowd with eagle eyes, I began having a proper conversation with Chaser.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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