The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 14

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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 14
-Carbollearos, what is this tiny butterfly-shaped object?
-It’s an ancient device that reads a target’s mana pattern and allows you to eavesdrop on communications. We called it a listening device.
-Fascinating. It looks like an ordinary brooch. How do you use it?
-Simply press the butterfly button near the user you wish to eavesdrop on. It will then read and register the target’s mana pattern.
-That’s all there is to it?
-That’s all. Once the pattern is registered, you can press the button to eavesdrop on communications through any mana-linked channel whenever you wish. The drawback is that you cannot listen if the distance becomes too great.
-There’s no risk of the eavesdropping target discovering us?
-Since we eavesdrop by recognizing the registered pattern, there’s no danger of being traced. They’ll be too occupied with their conversation to notice anything.
I recalled a conversation I’d had with Carbollearos not long ago, and raised my hand.
In my palm gleamed a butterfly-shaped listening device crafted from gold.
‘Carbollearos. Why is this happening?’
-The communication of the user whose pattern was imprinted is currently being recorded.
‘What?’
That meant Peter was speaking with someone right now.
I was certain—I’d registered his mana pattern without his knowledge when we were in the magical carriage.
“Raker.”
“Yes, young master.”
“May I attend to something for a moment?”
“Of course. Just don’t venture too far.”
After I nodded and walked far enough that no one could see me,
I lifted the butterfly-shaped brooch and pressed the button.
-You wanted me to bring Zeke as an experimental subject for research on mana backlash reactions….
-…If I’d intended to kill him, I wouldn’t have asked you to bring me a subject. Where is the subject?
-Zeke won’t be coming back alive.
-A pity. I wanted to examine him myself, given that he supposedly lacks mana affinity, using magical training as a pretext.
‘This… this can’t be!?’
Throughout the conversation, I doubted my own ears.
It was hard to believe, but I certainly hadn’t misheard.
‘My eldest brother conspired with the Tower Master to sell me as an experimental subject?’
Now I understood.
Why the Magic Tower had invited someone as talentless as me.
‘I nearly became material for human experimentation.’
It was absurd.
The Magic Tower conducting secret human experiments, and my eldest brother selling off his younger sibling out of sheer disdain.
‘These damned bastards….’
My fists clenched involuntarily, but there was nothing I could do immediately.
Peter had used invisibility and fled, and the Tower Master was far too formidable for a fifteen-year-old like me to confront.
‘First, I need to escape the Monster Forest.’
I’d learned from Raker that this place was the Monster Forest.
How ferociously the monsters swarmed through that place.
How no one who entered the Monster Forest had ever returned unscathed.
But I would survive and escape.
‘First, I’ll return to the family. With Peter gone, there’s no reason to visit the Magic Tower. And this recording…’
It would strike a fatal blow against those who sought to use me as a test subject.
I clutched the brooch tightly in my hand as I returned to my original position.
Yet Raker and the escort knights were staring intently at something.
Their eyes trembling with fear.
“Sir Raker?”
“Y-Young master. Please don’t come any closer.”
I saw what was happening—we were facing off against monsters with crimson skin and hulking, muscular frames.
“Blood Orcs.”
I’d seen them before in a book called the [Monster Compendium].
They were the most prevalent monsters in the Monster Forest, creatures that grew stronger at the sight of blood.
Each one was fundamentally at the level of an Aura Expert.
And there were dozens of them visible.
“We’ll hold them off however we can, so please retreat, Young master Zeke.”
Raker spoke with grim determination, as if prepared for death—but only for a moment.
“Squeak, squeak.”
“Squeak, squeak.”
Contrary to that grim resolve, the Blood Orcs began retreating first.
“Huh? Why are they backing off?”
The Blood Orcs slunk backward, their expressions twisted in terror, before vanishing beyond the undergrowth.
The escort knights found themselves deflated by this turn of events.
“They’re suddenly retreating?”
“What’s going on?”
“Well, thank goodness. If we’d fought them, someone would’ve been wounded for sure.”
“Don’t let your guard down yet. They might be calling for reinforcements. Let’s move to a different location.”
But as we walked deeper into the forest, we encountered no more Blood Orcs.
Nor any other monsters.
“This is strange. Why aren’t we seeing any monsters?”
“I heard the forest was so teeming with them you couldn’t even draw your weapon…”
“Could it all have been exaggerated rumors?”
The Monster Forest lived up to its name in everything but the presence of actual monsters—finding them was like plucking stars from the sky.
The only monsters we’d encountered were that initial pack of Blood Orcs.
They didn’t even return with reinforcements; they simply never appeared again.
Though only I knew the reason.
‘They won’t show themselves again. What monster would dare approach after catching the scent of a dragon?’
Dragons were apex predators that commanded monsters as extensions of themselves.
Walking alongside Carbollearos’s soul and radiating draconic power, the monsters had no choice but to be consumed by terror.
‘Carbollearos, spread your aura wider. Don’t let anything near us.’
-I’m already doing that. No monster will even touch my shadow.
‘It’s my shadow they won’t touch, not yours.’
Zeke chuckled and urged Raker forward.
“We haven’t even seen any monsters. Let’s move faster.”
“Understood, young master. Everyone, increase your pace.”
I needed to escape this place and reach my father as soon as possible.
‘I’ll expose him. The identity of the one who hired the assassins.’
As I thought of that person, my eyes narrowed.

* * *
“Mother….”
“Peter! What happened to you!”
Christina gasped and rushed toward Peter, who had returned covered in dirt from head to toe.
“What on earth happened?”
“I was attacked by four Sixth-Circle mages on the way.”
“Attacked? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, but Zeke….”
“Zeke?”
“What about Zeke?”
Daina approached, having heard the commotion.
“Peter, tell me. What happened to Zeke?”
“That is….”
Peter, who had been hesitating, delivered the death sentence with a heavy heart.
“Zeke is… dead.”
“What, what are you saying? Why would Zeke…!”
“Zeke and the escort knights fled into the forest to escape the assassins. Unfortunately, the forest they ran into was the Monster Forest. I couldn’t confirm the body, but it’s unlikely he survived. It’s a place with such a terrible reputation.”
“Ah….”
“I was fortunate enough to return with minimal injuries thanks to my magical training.”
“That’s truly fortunate, truly fortunate.”
Christina embraced her son and stroked his head, but Daina remained trapped in shock.
“I can’t believe it. Our son couldn’t possibly be dead….”
“Aunt. I hate to say this, but the Monster Forest is a place even Grand Mages avoid. The probability of surviving is extremely slim….”
“Ah, Zeke….”
Despite the sobbing in his aunt’s voice, Peter’s gaze remained cold.
‘Tsk. Why mourn over one worthless fool’s death? Rather, isn’t it fortunate that the family’s shame has disappeared?’
Of course, it wasn’t incomprehensible.
Even mute creatures mourned the death of their offspring.
‘Zeke should be grateful to heaven. There are people shedding tears for his pathetic death.’
Though my youngest brother was dead, I had no intention of mourning him.
But the dead don’t simply return to life, do they?
I never even hoped they would.
“And Father? Is he home?”
“Your father had matters to attend to and stepped out.”
“I see. Then I’ll inform my younger siblings.”
“Do so.”
Peter, departing with Christina’s permission, passed by the weeping Daina without a glance.

* * *
Within the Decan Kingdom exists an assassination syndicate known as the Black Moon.
True to their nature as assassins, they operated contract killings as their trade—yet the true scale of their organization and the identity of their leader remained shrouded in mystery.
Clients knew only the methods of contact, payment procedures, and disposal techniques.
Even Alex McLafflin had been ignorant of the Black Moon’s existence until Dalton, his personal guard knight, had recommended them.
‘By now, they’ve surely handled it cleanly. Heheheh.’
Before Zeke’s party departed for the Magic Tower.
Alex McLafflin, the third son, had placed a single request with the Black Moon.
To eliminate First Son McLafflin and myself—the fourth son.
The reason was straightforward.
To remove them from the succession race.
‘If things continue as they are, that unlucky eldest brother will likely become the heir. Better to simply eliminate them. And while I’m at it, dispose of Zeke as well.’
If both died en route, the succession would narrow to Russell and myself.
My chances of becoming heir would rise to fifty percent.
‘If I’m competing against that weak second brother, I’d have a fighting chance. Heheheh.’
Assassinating one’s own brothers to become heir?
Anyone witnessing such an act would rightfully condemn it, yet Alex McLafflin felt no pangs of conscience.
He rationalized it as the only means of survival for someone lacking talent and ability.
Perhaps for that reason, something other than conscience troubled him.
The exposure of his identity to the assassination syndicate.
‘Originally, I wanted to place the request through Dalton in secret… but they insisted the client appear in person. I had no choice.’
He’d assumed they’d kill anyone for money, but the Black Moon proved surprisingly selective.
Given that the targets were children of the Duke Family, renowned as a Prestigious Magic Family, their caution was understandable.
‘Are they planning to use me as insurance in case something goes wrong?’
While exposing his identity was unsettling, it wasn’t incomprehensible.
Given the gravity of the matter, wouldn’t the syndicate need some form of insurance?
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. Once the assassination succeeds, there’s no way my involvement will be discovered.’
Four sixth-circle mages specialized in assassination would handle it without issue.
Moreover, he’d provided detailed information about their route and timing.
‘I even swapped out the communication device for a broken one so Father can’t be reached for help. The plan is flawless.’
The carriage’s shield would shatter instantly against sixth-circle flame magic, and the guard knights’ abilities were mediocre at best.
The assassination could not fail.
It was as if I were spoon-feeding him the answer.
‘I lost some money, but so what? As long as he’s dead, that’s all that matters.’
Now I just had to sit back and wait for Black Moon to make contact.
I was toying with the communication orb, my lips curling upward, when it happened.
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
“Young master. It’s me. Dalton.”
“Come in.”
Dalton, my personal guard knight and accomplice, entered the room.
“What is it? Did the assassins make contact?”
“No, it’s about First Son McLafflin….”
“Why would my eldest brother…?”
“…He returned to the family just a moment ago. In perfect condition.”
“What?”
The assassination target had waltzed back alive?
I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“How did this happen? Tell me everything.”
“He was attacked by the assassins but managed to survive by using Invisibility and barely escaped.”
“Damn it, Black Moon—how do those bastards operate? They swore they could kill him in one strike even if he were a 5-Circle mage!”
I couldn’t help but mutter, feeling as though I’d simply wasted money on a botched plan.
“What about Zeke McLafflin?”
“He’s dead, they say.”
“Are you certain?”
“Apparently, he fled into the Monster Forest to escape the assassins.”
“The Monster Forest?”
A smile bloomed across my lips.
Entering that forest was as good as death.
“Well, that worked out nicely. I was sick of looking at him anyway.”
“But First Son McLafflin survived, did he not?”
“It doesn’t matter. There will be other opportunities.”
Even if the prime candidate had survived, it was of no consequence to me.
Black Moon would surely target Peter again to make up for their failed mission.
If they refused, I could simply hire another assassination guild.
“In any case, Dalton, all you need to do is trust me and follow my lead. When I become the heir, I won’t forget the service you’ve rendered today.”
“Heh, I’m grateful for your words, young master.”
Dalton and I were grinning at each other when it happened.
The door burst open.
Without so much as a knock, the door swung wide, and my brow furrowed in irritation.
“Who dares enter without my permission….”
As I turned my head, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Someone who should never have entered had just walked in.

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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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