The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 231

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 231
231
4.
Several days had passed.
Yet the atmosphere within Sysvalt remained charged with excitement and fervor.
Despite five days having elapsed.
Of course, there was good reason for it.
Leon Banzar, the former Commander of the Equinox Knights who had been reported missing all this time, had reappeared—and he had brought with him the corpse of Ragna Ecrion.
The withered, twisted corpse of Ragna Ecrion, corrupted by demonic energy.
The revelation that Ragna Ecrion’s overwhelming strength stemmed from human sacrifices performed with weapons imbued with demonic energy was certainly a topic that would sustain conversation for five days without pause.
Both users and NPCs alike could not conceal their excitement.
Some NPCs continued to point fingers and curse, saying they had suspected Ragna Ecrion all along, while users chimed in with their own assessments—he was far worse than they had anticipated.
Against this backdrop, the news that Leon Banzar had returned to lead the Equinox Knights spread far more rapidly than expected.
“Even with his injuries, a man of his chivalry won’t disappoint us.”
“Is a commander’s strength merely a matter of raw power? Isn’t strategy and tactics far more important?”
“Even without that cursed wretch Ragna Ecrion, the Equinox Knights are plenty strong. Absolutely!”
“And did you hear? A monstrous newcomer has joined the Equinox Knights.”
“Ah! They call him Iron Wall, don’t they? Apparently he completes any mission in less than a day.”
“They say he takes on commissions every single day—that’s why they call him Iron Wall!”
“Hmm, a knight of foreign origin, I hear. Quite remarkable.”
The NPCs’ chatter had been relentless for days now.
Yet upon hearing such talk, the users too could not help but express their bewilderment.
A knight of foreign origin.
Just that alone was extraordinary.
A foreigner had actually obtained a knighthood!
They had heard recently that Yoo Sung-hyun had obtained one.
Had another user achieved it?
That was their thought.
And all the pieces of the puzzle were already screaming to the users residing in Sysvalt that this was connected to the recent incident.
“Ah! I’m telling you, it’s definitely that user who was with the High Elf!”
“That Iron Wall, the new Equinox Knight?”
“Yeah, it really does seem like it, doesn’t it?”
“Otherwise it’s too strange! A user is spotted with a High Elf knight, and not long after, a user-origin knight starts making waves? That’s too much of a coincidence!!!”
“That’s true.”
The users too were treating the two as the same person.
And that was indeed the truth.
Walking through the streets while listening to the chatter of both users and NPCs, Yoo Sung-hyun pulled his hood down even deeper over his face.
He also continuously verified that Fiora’s perception obstruction was functioning properly.
If he got caught again, it would be genuinely troublesome.
Thus Yoo Sung-hyun left the streets.
I headed toward the barracks of the Equinox Knights.
Several players were stationed at the entrance, watching it intently.
Yet I effortlessly conjured an illusion using the Lord of Darkness and slipped inside undetected through stealth.
‘Why go to such lengths?’
What could they possibly accomplish if they encountered a High Elf and a knight together?
I couldn’t fathom their reasoning.
My only thought was to avoid them for now.
In any case, upon arriving at the Equinox Knights’ barracks, I dispelled my perception obstruction alongside stealth and removed my hood.
Several knights nearby recognized me.
We’d grown quite familiar with each other through our missions.
Recognition was hardly surprising.
We were all members of the same order.
I revealed myself without much concern.
“W-what!? Iron Hammer!?”
“What? Iron Hammer? Where, where!? I-it’s really him!”
“Iron Hammer has returned!?”
“Our order’s hero!”
Their reaction was far from ordinary.
Why were these knights acting like this?
As I observed them with such thoughts.
They were all excitedly chattering away.
“Iron Hammer! We heard that you received a mission from Commander Leon and defeated Ragna Ecrion!”
“Ahahaha!!! I suspected your skills were no joke! And I was right!!!”
“If you’re someone Commander Leon personally requested, you’re trustworthy!”
“Thank you so much for saving our order!!!”
“If not for you, we would have fallen victim to that vicious Ragna Ecrion’s schemes!”
The knights gathered together showed none of the harsh demeanor I’d witnessed before.
When I first arrived at this place, they had displayed considerably rough temperaments.
That venom had completely vanished without a trace.
I understood that their gratitude toward me and Leon’s return had softened their edges.
Yet wasn’t the change too dramatic?
As I stood there bewildered.
Someone emerged from the barracks building and bellowed loudly.
“Hey, hey!!! What are you all doing instead of training!?”
His voice thundered across the grounds.
Everyone flinched and turned their heads.
There stood a large, imposing knight with a menacing appearance and a robust frame.
Despite bearing numerous scars and appearing worn, he radiated an unmistakable aura of authority.
It was Leon Banzar, Commander of the Equinox Knights.
At Leon’s appearance, the knights surrounding me gasped sharply.
And then.
“I-I’ll correct it right away!”
“I-I’m heading there now!”
“Ugh!”
The knights cried out in their own ways as they fled toward the Training Grounds.
Yoo Sung-hyun watched them go and let out a soft chuckle.
Leon was certainly intimidating.
Yet at the same time, the atmosphere was distinctly different from when Ragna Ecrion had held command.
Even as the knights maintained their dignified bearing, I could see the genuine admiration shining in their eyes.
It was clear just how revered Leon was as a knight.
After sending them off like that.
“The lads were a bit of a nuisance. Care to come in?”
He seemed to have something to discuss.
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded at Leon’s words and followed him inside.
And upon arriving at the Commander’s Office.
It was a different room from the one Ragna Ecrion had used before.
Though honestly, sharing a space with that man didn’t seem particularly appealing.
So it made sense.
In any case, as I entered the Commander’s Office.
I was somewhat surprised to find it rather modest for the office of the commander of the Equinox Knights, one of Sysvalt’s three great knight orders.
Leon then gestured toward a worn-looking sofa, and as I took a seat.
Leon settled into the equally worn sofa across from me and spoke.
“First, let me thank you again. Thanks to you, I was able to return to my post.”
“Not at all. It was only possible because you’re a knight so admired by your peers.”
“Hehehehe! I appreciate you saying so, and I mean it sincerely. If there’s anything I can help you with now, I’ll do everything in my power.”
Leon spoke with such earnest eyes.
I realized he’d already figured it out.
After all, I had vanished without contact for five days before suddenly reappearing.
It was reasonable for him to draw that conclusion.
With him offering such support.
It would be rude to hesitate.
Thinking this, I looked at Leon and spoke.
“There’s a place in Sysvalt I want to enter.”
“A place you want to enter… You could go anywhere you wished, but if you’re asking me specifically… Could it be that place?”
He said “that place,” but.
I nodded as if I already knew exactly where he meant.
And Leon couldn’t help but be genuinely astonished at my response.
‘How does a foreigner know about that place?’
That place wasn’t even known to outsiders.
In fact, it was somewhere they wouldn’t even think to take interest in.
If he speaks that way, there must certainly be something to it.
It’s undoubtedly one of the deeper secrets.
Leon pondered for a moment at the thought, then nodded.
“Ordinarily, outsiders could never enter such a place. It’s managed by the royal family, but….”
Leon’s words trailed off.
It was no simple location.
It was a place managed by the royal family.
Those words alone made clear just how heavily guarded the place Yoo Sung-hyun sought to enter truly was.
Even more so than a mere Lord’s Castle.
Sysvalt was a direct territory of the Knight Kingdom, the Riescan Kingdom.
It was only natural that those related to the royal family managed it.
Because of this.
Entering the Castle of Sysvalt, which could be called a Lord’s Castle, was no easy feat.
Moreover, unless one were the Commander of the Equinox Knights, known as one of Sysvalt’s three great Knight Orders, it was extraordinarily difficult for a common knight to gain entry.
Even with a recommendation from that Commander.
Which is why I had to be cautious.
Yoo Sung-hyun understood this as well.
But then.
“That much can be arranged easily enough.”
“…What?”
He could arrange it easily?
How?
Even for a Commander, it shouldn’t be a simple matter, should it?
At such thoughts.
“However, you’ll have to accept some loss in the bargain.”
“What do you mean?”
“Actually, when I reported on what happened during my reinstatement, it seems those in high places became curious about you. They’re apparently considering giving you a reward for eliminating Ragna Ecrion. I believe we can request access to the Archives as part of that reward.”
“Ah!”
A reward for eliminating Ragna Ecrion!
This actually worked out better.
Items and skills were already abundant and clearly unnecessary at the moment.
Besides, I even possessed a Legendary-grade skill book that could be exchanged for the Tome of Despair.
Yoo Sung-hyun smiled at the thought.
Things seemed to be working out well.
I knew the Riescan Kingdom was a dangerous place.
‘But they won’t know I’m an Overload.’
Since they wouldn’t know I was an Overload.
I could act boldly.
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded at Leon’s proposal.
Leon spoke to him with determination, pledging to do his utmost.
“No matter how high your station in Sysvalt, you are my benefactor. Even if I were to betray Sysvalt itself, I would protect you by any means necessary.”
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded in acknowledgment at Leon’s resolute vow, his eyes burning with unwavering determination.
In that same moment, I accepted his pledge.
[Hidden Quest, ‘The Administrator of Sysvalt’ has been generated.]
‘The Administrator of Sysvalt’
→The Administrator of Sysvalt is quite curious about you. Meet with him and engage in conversation.
The reward was more generous than I’d anticipated.
Substantial experience points, and the ability to make one request—a reward worth the effort.
I had to go anyway.
Even if there were no reason to visit, meeting him alone made it impossible to refuse.
I found myself thoroughly satisfied at the prospect of entering the Sysbalt Archives, my anticipation mounting with each passing moment.
Would I truly find what I sought?
With that thought in mind, I rose from my seat, watching Leon turn toward me with an expectant expression after issuing instructions to his subordinates, my own face alight with curiosity about what awaited.
Now that I thought about it.
‘Lately, it seems like wherever I go, I end up entering a lord’s castle.’
That was the impression I had.
But I let it pass without dwelling on it.

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