The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 15

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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 15
“You….”
“Greetings, Third Son.”
The figure wore a voluminous robe with the hood pulled up, obscuring their face, but Alex recognized them immediately.
He had encountered another man in identical attire not long ago.
‘Black robes mean… Black Moon?’
Even if they had revealed their identity, I never expected them to track me down directly in my own chambers.
Alex’s brow furrowed at such audacious behavior.
“Why did you come all the way here? Didn’t you say you’d contact me through the communication crystal?”
“I lost the communication crystal, so I came to find you directly.”
“But how can you just show up like this? Anyone who sees you will find it suspicious.”
“Please have no concerns. Not a soul will know of my presence here.”
Black Moon was an assassination organization composed of mages.
Though they could use invisibility magic, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“So? What’s the reason you came all this way?”
“I’ve come to report on the results of the assassination you commissioned.”
“You’re reporting awfully quickly. I’ve already heard—Peter is alive and Zeke is dead.”
“…So you already knew.”
“I heard Black Moon was a renowned assassination organization in Decan, but I’m sorely disappointed. How exactly do you conduct your operations?”
“My sincerest apologies. I am ashamed.”
“You should be. My hard-earned money went to waste! So what now?”
“We will complete the task.”
“Even if you finish it, there will be no final payment. You failed despite knowing the route—that’s on you!”
“Understood. But before that, I have something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
The robed man suddenly pulled back his hood.
His concealed face was revealed.
“You, you!”
Alex’s shock was as if he’d seen a ghost.
Dalton, standing beside him, couldn’t hide his astonishment either.
“Why are you trying to kill me?”
“…Zeke!”
The man he thought was an assassin was none other than Zeke.
“Yes, why are you…!”
“Tell me, Third Brother. What is your reason for trying to kill me?”
Alex’s mouth gaped like a goldfish, clearly flustered.
But only for a moment.
“I, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
At my denial, Zeke let out a scoff.
A contemptuous smile, as if he had anticipated this all along.
At that moment, Zeke withdrew a small rod from his robe pocket.
It was a recording device powered by mana stones.
“Don’t even think about playing dumb. Everything you just said has been recorded here in full.”
“….”
“Or do I need to play it back for you to remember what you said just now?”
“W-whatever you think you heard, it’s a misunderstanding. You’re the one who’s badly mistaken right now.”
“A misunderstanding? You hired assassins to kill me, my eldest brother, the guards, and all the attendants.”
“Look, I never did any such thing. Why would I want you dead?”
“That’s something only you would know, isn’t it? How would I know your reasons?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Alex continued to play innocent to the bitter end.
‘Without clear evidence, if I keep denying it, there’s nothing he can do.’
Even with the recording, couldn’t he just claim it was all a misunderstanding and slip through?
But Alex soon realized his thinking was flawed.
“Hmm. You intend to keep denying it? Very well. Then would you hand over that communication device you’re holding?”
“What? W-why would you need this?”
“I’m going to give it to Father. Once he contacts whoever’s on the other end, we’ll know for certain. We can even trace the mana signal to pinpoint their location.”
“….”
“Hand it over, please.”
‘Have I lost my mind? Give it to him?’
There was no way he could hand it over.
If Father investigated this communication device from the assassins, it would inevitably lead back to the Black Moon.
And if, by some chance, the Black Moon decided to cut ties and admitted that he had hired them?
‘I’m finished. Ruined.’
It wouldn’t end with just Father’s anger.
He could never allow such a thing to happen.
“Brother, I’m sorry, but I can’t give you this. It’s my property. How about you give me that recording device instead?”
“Absolutely not. It’s evidence. I’d have to be insane to hand it over to someone who tried to kill me.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. You’re the one misunderstanding.”
“Then I have all the more reason to take it to Father. I’ll submit it as evidence and report everything that happened here truthfully—that you hired assassins to kill me and my eldest brother.”
‘This bastard… a talentless fool without a single Circle, and he dares to stand up to me like this?’
Though infuriated, Alex suddenly grasped something crucial.
‘Wait, when he says he’ll report it to Father… that means he hasn’t told him yet, doesn’t it?’
Seizing the opportunity, Alex asked to confirm.
“You haven’t contacted Father yet, have you?”
“No. I wasn’t certain it was your doing, so I came straight here instead.”
At Zeke’s innocent honesty, Alex nearly burst out laughing.
‘Is this fool an idiot? Revealing such crucial information so readily. Is he still too young?’
If he hadn’t gone to Father yet, then Alex still had a chance.
A chance to silence him and set things right.
‘I’ll put him to sleep with a Sleep spell first, then handle the cleanup.’
Having made his decision, Alex McLafflin exhaled a bitter sigh.
At the reality that he had to kill his own brother with his own hands.
“Youngest brother. It seems you’re still too young after all. You can’t even grasp reality.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s why you’re foolishly wasting away buried in the Magic Library. Clinging to empty hopes that your talent will blossom.”
“What are you trying to say, brother?”
“What I mean is.”
A murderous gleam flickered across Alex McLafflin’s eyes.
“In your next life, don’t be born so unfortunate.”
Magical power formed in Alex McLafflin’s grip—prepared long before this moment.

* * *
‘I knew he’d do this.’
Zeke remained unperturbed by Alex McLafflin’s blatant display of killing intent.
It fell well within his anticipated range of actions.
Honestly, he’d even provoked him into acting this way.
‘I can’t just take it lying down.’
Already sensing the magical power gathering in his brother’s grip, Zeke immediately activated his mana absorption skill in response.
“Sleep.”
Alex McLafflin chanted the incantation and extended his palm with a smile.
“Just get some rest. I’ll dispose of your corpse myself—huh?”
Alex McLafflin blinked in disbelief at his own ridiculous words.
The magical power that had gathered in his hand had vanished without a trace—reason enough to be shocked.
“What, what’s happening?”
His expression as if possessed by a ghost.
Alex McLafflin gathered magical power once more.
But.
[Absorbed 2 mana.]
[Absorbed 2 mana.]
[Absorbed 2 mana.]
As fast as the power accumulated, it was drawn away—leaving Alex McLafflin helpless.
“Brother.”
“What?”
“What are you doing? Were you really trying to cast magic on me?”
“Why, why won’t it manifest? I’ve never experienced this before….”
“How disappointing. I didn’t want to believe it, but now it’s certain. I’ll have to report this to Father.”
As Zeke turned without hesitation and moved toward the door, Alex McLafflin immediately issued an order to Dalton.
Unaware it was a trap.
“Dalton! Seize that bastard!”
Thud—
“Ugh.”
When Dalton shoved him, Zeke deliberately fell and feigned pain.
With my Stamina stat exceeding 2,500, there was no way I could actually be hurt.
Dalton, believing he had subdued me by pinning me down, glanced back at his master.
“Third Son. What should we do? Shall I kill him here?”
“Knock him out first.”
“Understood.”
“Gack, gack!”
Dalton’s massive hands wrapped around Zeke’s throat.
Protected by an aura, I felt no pressure whatsoever, but I performed with all my might, feigning suffocation and gasping for air.
“B-brother… help me….”
That was when it happened.
Bang—!
“What in blazes is this!”
At the sudden appearance of Second Son Russell, Dalton flinched and released his grip, scrambling to his feet.
When First Son Peter entered right after, Dalton had no choice but to retreat further back.
“Zeke! Are you alright?”
‘Why did you take so long? Second brother.’
Unaware of Zeke’s reproachful glare, Russell turned to Dalton and Alex, who had been trying to kill his younger brother, and shouted.
“What is the meaning of this! Attempting to murder your own brother!”
“Brother. It’s not like that….”
“I suspected as much—so it was all your doing after all. The claim that you hired an assassin was true!”
“What?”
In that instant, Alex’s gaze snapped toward Zeke.
Only upon seeing Zeke’s subtle smile did he belatedly realize the truth.
That he had fallen for Zeke’s deception.
“You clearly said you wouldn’t tell anyone….”
“Did you actually believe that? I’m not an idiot.”
“You bastard…!”
“Alex!”
Alex, who had lunged forward like a wild dog, flinched.
Russell was glaring at him with a menacing aura.
‘Damn it.’
Zeke might not know, but Russell was a 4-Circle mage.
I, having only reached 3-Circle this year, stood no chance against him.
And behind him stood Peter, who was already eyeing 6-Circle.
‘How underhanded—dragging my brothers into this.’
But Alex did not know.
That Zeke had drawn in an even more formidable opponent.
Crunch— crunch—
Everyone’s heads turned at the terrifying surge of magical power flooding into the room.
“A.lex.Mc.Laf.flin.”
At the voice alone—one that made his chest tighten—Alex went pale.
Gerard McLafflin, the family patriarch and an 8-Circle Grand Mage, was walking toward him with a murderous glare.

* * *
Three hours earlier.
Gerard, who had been handling family affairs outside the estate, received shocking news.
“What did you say? What happened to Zeke?”
-Sob, sob… what should we do? Our Zeke went into the Monster Forest…
“Daina! Calm yourself and speak clearly. What exactly happened?”
-Well, you see, Peter came back and…
After hearing the story from Daina piece by piece, Gerard ended the communication.
‘Zeke is dead. I can’t believe it. I need to return to the estate immediately.’
Abandoning his duties, he rushed back and was able to hear all the details directly from Peter.
“…So you’re saying you only saw him enter the Monster Forest, but couldn’t confirm the body?”
“Yes, Father. I’m truly ashamed. As his older brother, I should have protected him…”
Peter hung his head and delivered a masterful performance of remorse, but Gerard had no time for such things.
A passage he had seen in his Personal Library not long ago flickered through his mind.
-Monsters instinctively fear dragons, the apex predators. The same applies to those who have awakened draconic power. If you plan to subjugate monsters, it’s recommended not to bring a Draconian. The monsters will clear the path themselves.
‘Zeke has the talent of a Draconian. I cannot assume he’s dead simply because he entered the Monster Forest.’
If the monsters sensed Zeke’s draconic power, they might have cleared a path for him of their own accord.
That thought planted hope in Gerard’s mind.
At the sight of his father suddenly grabbing his coat, Peter voiced his confusion.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Monster Forest. He might need my help.”
“What?”
Peter expressed alarm and tried to stop his father.
“Two days have passed since the incident. It wouldn’t be strange if he were already dead.”
“Even so, I must see it with my own eyes. Don’t we need to recover his body?”
“…”
Gerard’s active concern for his youngest son only stirred jealousy and inferiority within Peter.
Unaware of this, Gerard was about to move when he had to stop in his tracks.
The door opened, and the person he thought was dead had come to find him.
“F-Father!”
“Father. I see my eldest brother is here too.”
Peter deliberately avoided meeting Zeke’s piercing gaze.
He had abandoned everyone else to save only himself and fled—if he had any conscience, he couldn’t raise his head.
“Zeke! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Yes. As you can see, I’m unharmed. But please, keep your voice down. I came in secretly.”
“Secretly? Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t want to alert the culprit behind this incident.”
“What? That means you know who the culprit is?”
“Yes. The person I suspect is my third brother, Alex McLafflin.”
“Alex McLafflin?”
Gerard doubted his own ears.
Alex had tried to kill his brothers?
“What makes you suspect him?”
“The succession competition, naturally. I likely wasn’t the primary target. The First Son, who was the leading candidate, was probably the main objective, and I was secondary. After all, my third brother has always despised me.”
“But that alone isn’t sufficient evidence. No matter how much Alex dislikes his brother, he’s hardly the type of reckless fool to hire assassins.”
“I’m not certain either. I’m only at the stage of suspicion. However, it’s an undeniable fact that we suffered serious harm at the hands of assassins hired by someone from within. And Alex McLafflin is the most likely suspect.”
“So what do you want? For me to interrogate Alex McLafflin?”
“No. I simply wanted to inform Father of the situation and obtain his permission.”
“Permission?”
“I intend to conduct a sting operation. I’ll disguise myself as an assassin and attempt to record our conversation. If I can obtain audio evidence, won’t that strengthen my case?”
“That’s far too dangerous. If Alex McLafflin is indeed the culprit, won’t your safety be at risk?”
“Then please watch as I enter, and if it seems like trouble is about to break out, come in with my first and second brothers.”
“Very well. I shall do so.”

* * *
As Gerard’s recollection ended, his gaze turned colder than ever before.
So it truly was Alex McLafflin who had hired the assassins.
“What in the world are you doing?”
“Ah, Father.”
“You hired assassins to murder your own brothers?”
He knew every detail of what had transpired.
The moment Alex McLafflin recalled that fact, his denial crumbled.
“It’s a misunderstanding! I would never do such a thing…!”
“Here is the evidence, Father.”
Zeke activated the recording device right on cue.

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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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