The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 115

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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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The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 115
Recently, Baluduk had received numerous complaints from the Forerunners.
Every plan had fallen through, yet he had never heard backtalk from someone of the lowest rank before.
Perhaps because of that.
“Baluduk. This isn’t right, is it?”
Watching Rita the Wind God speak with a pouty expression before me, I couldn’t help but feel something unfamiliar stirring within.
I wondered if this was how one felt when a granddaughter complained.
“No matter how much Esca Robins has helped the Forerunners, he’s still a newcomer who just joined. To be honest, he’s an unfamiliar face to me, so I can’t bring myself to trust him.”
“I understand. My own will was heavily reflected in Esca becoming a Forerunner.”
“That’s exactly why I’d like you to reconsider. There’s no need to shoulder unnecessary risk on such an important mission. If we fail again because of this, what then?”
“That’s not something you need to worry about. You just need to take Esca and succeed in the mission.”
“I’m worried he’ll become a liability.”
“Don’t worry. Esca is a 9-Circle mage despite his appearance. He can manage on his own. However… that’s not the reason I assigned him to you.”
“Then why?”
Baluduk’s eyes narrowed into slits.
“Because he has no reason to betray us.”
“What? Betray?”
Baluduk explained the relationship between Esca Robins and King Shane II.
It was only natural that Rita the Wind God’s eyes widened.
“He was the King’s bloodline…!”
“That’s why he harbors such resentment toward Decan. He despises his father, King Shane II. However, I cannot guarantee whether such feelings have persisted until now.”
“You want to test whether he’s truly trustworthy, don’t you?”
“Yes. So Rita, watch over Esca carefully from beside him. Determine with certainty whether he would harm the King or not.”
“Don’t worry. If that bastard were to obstruct me at a critical moment… I’d be free to act as I see fit, correct?”
A thin, bloodstained smile crossed Baluduk’s lips.
“Of course.”

* * *
Four days later.
Rita the Wind God waited for a man at the designated meeting place.
Her face was brimming with irritation.
“Why are you so late for a newcomer?”
As I muttered this, the man I’d been waiting for appeared at the mouth of the alley.
It was Esca Robins.
Though he was a man in his fifties, twenty years my senior, I made no effort to conceal my displeasure.
“You’re late. Newcomer. Do you have a death wish?”
“I-I’m so sorry. I mistook the location…”
“What? How dare you make excuses in front of me?”
Whether we ranked eleventh or twelfth mattered little, but I let my displeasure show without filter.
“Are you out of your mind right now? On a day as important as this, you’re not only late but talking back? You must be thoroughly insane.”
“I-I’m truly sorry, Rita.”
“Call me Rose. When did we ever meet that you’d use my name like that, tsk.”
Esca, bowing his head like a new recruit being scolded by a younger superior, had no choice but to swallow his anger.
‘Damn it. I came as late as possible because of the transformation, and now I’m getting criticized.’
In truth, the person being berated in front of Rita was not Esca, but Zeke McLafflin.
Originally, I had planned to send Esca, but that wasn’t possible.
A sudden Quest had appeared.
【Sudden Quest: Disguise as Esca Robins and Uncover the Conspiracy】
└Rita Rose is targeting the Royal Palace of Decan for some reason.
└Disguise yourself as Esca Robins, follow her, and discover exactly what conspiracy she is plotting.
【Conditions】
└Disguise as Esca Robins and follow her
└Uncover the conspiracy
【Rewards】
└Random stat increase of 1,000
└5th tier skill proficiency increase of 50,000
The rewards were quite generous this time.
An offer I couldn’t refuse.
‘Since I was planning to stop her anyway, this Quest isn’t a bad deal…’
The problem was figuring out what orders Rita had received.
‘I’ve already achieved the disguise as Esca, so if I just uncover the conspiracy, I can claim the Quest reward.’
With that thought, I put on a cowed act and tried to extract information.
Like this.
“Um, Rose. By the way, what exactly are we supposed to do…”
“You just shut up and follow me. Got it? Sigh, I’d be grateful if you’re not a total burden.”
But with Rita already treating me like dead weight, extracting information wasn’t going to be easy.
‘If I want information, I’ll have no choice but to follow her around, won’t I?’
I could discern what scheme was being plotted by observing it directly with my own eyes.
There was no choice but to play the role of bowing and submitting.
“Y-yes, I’ll work hard.”
Did that display please her somewhat?
Rita’s gaze still held disapproval, yet her eyes had softened slightly as she lifted her chin with an air of arrogance.
“Hmph, that’s enough. For a Forerunner, you certainly do shrink your shoulders.”
“Th-thank you.”
“By the way, what’s your specialty?”
“My specialty is why…”
Rita’s brow furrowed sharply.
“Are you talking back again? If we’re going to work together, shouldn’t you at least know what abilities are necessary for our strategy?”
Each of the Forerunners possessed a primary attribute they specialized in.
Nox Venomayer wielded poison.
Azrahil Johnston commanded illusion magic.
Zacar Patrick specialized in necromancy, and so forth.
While they were all ninth-circle mages, each of them excelled in different attribute magics as their specialties.
‘Rita Rose uses wind, if I recall correctly?’
As I recalled being called Rita the Wind God, I momentarily brought Esca’s magical repertoire to mind.
“I primarily use a spell called Soul Burst. I’m also capable of Dispel, Mana Burn, Blink, and similar techniques.”
“So you’re just using miscellaneous tricks? That won’t be very useful.”
At her scathing assessment, I suppressed an inward sigh.
I sensed there was no escaping this treatment as mere baggage.
“Don’t get in my way and just follow behind me while doing as I say. Understood?”
“Yes, but at least I should know what the mission is…”
“You don’t need to know. Just follow me.”
“Then at least where are we going…”
“You’re persistent, aren’t you?”
Rita glared at me sharply, but apparently deciding that revealing the location was acceptable, she spoke with a sigh.
“We’re heading to the Royal Palace now.”
“The Royal Palace?”
“If we’re going to capture the King of Decan, we naturally have to assault the Royal Palace, don’t we?”
“You’re not planning to charge in directly, are you…”
“Just follow me. I’ll show you my power.”
Rita smiled with a sharp edge and turned to leave.
I had no choice but to follow anxiously behind her.

* * *
Among the five kingdoms of the Southern Continent, Decan is treated as a minor power.
Yet the reason other kingdoms dare not invade is largely due to the strength of Byso, our ally.
After all, the King of Decan possesses both virtue and an extensive network of connections.
Of course, various political considerations were also woven into the matter….
“What matters is that the Royal Court Mage Order plays a crucial role in protecting Decan. Therefore, I expect each of you to dedicate yourselves to training without fail, every single day. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!!!”
“You’ve all worked hard in today’s training. Those not on duty, return to the Dormitory and rest your weary bodies.”
With his address concluded, Gerard returned to the Division Commander’s Office to finish his day.
Not to ease his fatigue like the others.
But to process the accumulated paperwork.
Rustle—
After immersing myself in the work for some time, I leaned back in my chair and took a brief respite.
In doing so, my gaze naturally drifted to the framed photograph on the table.
Within the frame were the small, sketched faces of Peter, Russell, Alex, Luna, and Zeke.
‘Luna is staying with the family, so there’s no need to worry about her… I wonder if Peter and Alex are doing well in the countryside?’
It had been over a year since I’d seen those two sons.
Though I cast them out from the family for their transgressions, my heart cannot find peace.
No matter what anyone says, they are my blood—my own children.
Even if I cannot visit them, my heart remains filled with worry for them.
The same was true for my other children.
But among them, what troubles me most is…
‘Where are Russell and Zeke, and what are they doing?’
Nearly half a year had passed since Russell and Zeke departed for the successor’s trial.
‘To see them again, I have one and a half years remaining… Why does two years feel so impossibly long?’
Even when I sent Peter to the Magic Tower for eight years under the guise of magical training, my heart never felt this hollow.
Perhaps because I cannot even hear news of them—I already feel the ache of longing.
Then.
“Gerard, are you in?”
“Ah, yes.”
At the sight of my mentor entering through the door, I set aside my reverie.
“What were you doing?”
“Working, sir.”
“Working? I saw you staring blankly just moments ago. You were undoubtedly worrying about your children again.”
Dalpred Bigsland settled into a seat with a mischievous smile.
“Would you care for some tea?”
“That would be nice.”
The two of us sat at the table, sipping tea and conversing.
As both were court mages, our discussion typically centered on the state of the realm and work-related matters, but today’s topic was different.
“I wonder how Russell and Zeke are faring?”
“I’m curious. Unlike with Peter, there’s no communication device, so we can’t even hear news.”
“Don’t worry. They’re each living independently somewhere, doing well. Both of them are skilled enough not to embarrass themselves anywhere, aren’t they? One of them is even a Draconian.”
“Even if he is a Draconian, he’s only sixteen years old. It’s natural to be concerned.”
“Have you forgotten what that sixteen-year-old has accomplished in the meantime?”
At my master’s words, Gerard chuckled as Zeke’s achievements came to mind.
Not only did he play a crucial role in capturing Gregor Fontaine, but he also apprehended the Poison Pioneer.
Beyond that, he accomplished the unprecedented feat of breaking the true power of the Royal Court Mage Order and preventing the King’s assassination.
That was the record of my youngest son, Zeke.
For a mere sixteen-year-old, his accomplishments were nothing short of brilliant.
“Zeke is the one who possesses the talent of a Draconian, a gift that was only passed down in legend. There’s nowhere he could go and not be treated with respect.”
“That’s true.”
“Rather than worrying about that boy, we should be worrying about ourselves. We never know when he might surpass us.”
“Hasn’t he already surpassed us? He’s a child who can already use Shadowless Incantation, something I cannot even cast.”
“That may well be. Heh heh.”
Even at the thought of being surpassed by a boy so much younger, Dalpred Bigsland wore a contented smile.
To him, Zeke was both his student’s son and a treasure of the Decan Kingdom.
There was no reason to view him as a rival.
“By the way, there’s been something strange lately.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“It’s about Duke Jose Deporte.”
“Deporte? Isn’t that one of the three Prestigious Magic Families?”
“Yes. Recently, he’s been sending gifts to our family or visiting to have tea and then leaving quite often.”
“Is that so?”
“When I ask what he’s brought or whether it’s alright for him to spare the time when he’s busy, he answers evasively like a cunning fox, hiding his true intentions. I can’t figure out what he’s after.”
“Isn’t that obvious? He’s trying to establish relations early for the marriage of his eldest daughter, Princess Sillis.”
“But our family doesn’t have anyone suitable to present as a fiancé. Peter and Alex have already been exiled to the Countryside, and as for Russell or Zeke, there’s no connection at all.”
“Hmm… Perhaps he’s laying groundwork in advance? In any case, I suspect he’s considering Russell and Zeke as potential sons-in-law.”
“Is that so…?”
Duke Jose targeting a son-in-law…
If that were the case, Gerard thought it more likely to be Russell of the two.
The youngest in the hierarchy, Zeke, probably wouldn’t catch Princess Sillis’s eye.
“Whatever his intentions, don’t view it negatively. Duke Jose is an upright man. He’s not the type to scheme with ill intentions.”
“I understand.”
“That aside, pay extra attention to security today. The King is receiving a special guest.”
“Yes. We’ve already strengthened security and completed inspections to ensure there are no gaps.”
That was when it happened.
Kuuuuuung―
A tremor rang out as if an explosion had occurred in the Royal Palace.

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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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