The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 24

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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 24
‘By now, Galph should be carrying out his task.’
Gregor checked the time and settled into his chair at the table, waiting leisurely for his guest.
None other than Gerard McLafflin.
‘Gerard has no idea. He doesn’t know that I summoned him to lure him away from the Duke’s Mansion.’
For Galph to complete his work smoothly, it was necessary to draw Gerard outside.
That’s why I arranged this meeting at such a late hour, claiming I had something important to discuss.
‘By now, the young lady and her fiancé should be dead, and the servant should be kidnapped without issue. The Hunting Dogs’ capabilities have already been proven.’
Since I’ve bound each of them with mana oaths, they have no reason to betray me.
There’s no possibility of the plan going awry.
‘Finally, I’ll get to see Gerard’s face twisted in despair. Hehehehe.’
I was already anticipating what expression that man would wear after losing his daughter.
Though I had no intention of revealing myself as the mastermind to his face.
‘When Gerard arrives, I’ll drag out the conversation with meaningless talk. That way, Galph will be able to complete his task without problems.’
However, Gregor was unaware that a problem had already occurred.
No contact had come through, despite the time having long passed.
‘What’s happening? The contact should have come by now.’
As Gregor grew puzzled, an ominous feeling suddenly washed over him.
There was no way contact wouldn’t come unless something had gone wrong.
It didn’t take long for his unease to transform into certainty.
Because he had just encountered the one person he least wanted to meet.
“Why are you here…?”
“Heh, ‘you’? Even after severing ties, you show no respect to your teacher?”
The person who appeared at the meeting place was not Gerard, but his former teacher—Dalfred.
Gregor found this fact deeply uncomfortable and openly frowned.
“You cast me out so coldly, and now you expect to be treated as my teacher?”
“At that time, there was no choice, was there? You were the one who broke the unspoken rule of this world—that one must not learn dark magic.”
“…”
Gregor rose from his seat as if he had nothing more to say.
I didn’t know why Dalfred had come instead of Gerard, but there was nothing good to gain from staying longer.
Only my mood would worsen.
As Gregor walked away in silence, Dalfred’s quiet voice reached his ears.
“I never spoke of it.”
Gregor’s footsteps halted instantly.
“I told no one that you had learned dark magic. Though I cast you out with my own hands, it was to prevent harm to your future career as a mage.”
“…”
“I don’t know how you became the Tower Master. I don’t know why you harbor such jealousy toward Gerard. But that doesn’t mean you’re permitted to cross the line.”
Dalfred was offering sincere counsel to his former student.
“Don’t cross the line. If you do…”
A chill gleamed in Dalfred’s eyes beneath his wrinkles.
“Your life will be in grave danger.”
Gregor merely scoffed at the unexpected threat.
“Hmph, so my former master comes seeking out his disciple only to resort to threats. How pathetic.”
“The fact that you perceive it as a threat suggests there’s something weighing on your conscience, doesn’t it?”
Dalfred probed, but Gregor refused to take the bait.
He could simply walk away.
“Think what you will. I see no further value in this conversation.”
With those words, Gregor turned his head away.
His face had hardened into an expressionless mask as he moved.

* * *
“Sigh… I’ve only soured my mood for nothing. I should have left immediately without engaging.”
Gregor paused mid-stride and exhaled heavily.
For one who had been expelled, a reunion with his former master could hardly be welcome.
‘Damn it. And to think I learned dark magic because of him.’
There was a time when their relationship had been good.
Gregor, who had studied magic with genuine passion.
Dalfred, who had taught him with satisfaction, watching such a devoted disciple flourish.
To any observer, they embodied the ideal master-disciple relationship.
Until Gerard arrived as a priest.
‘Had it not been for Gerard, I would never have ended up like this.’
Gerard hadn’t done anything particularly egregious.
There was no inherent personality clash between him and Gregor.
Perhaps the fault lay with me.
I had begun to resent the bond between my master and Gerard.
‘Who wouldn’t feel jealous when the master favors only Gerard for his faster progress?’
This was why I had turned to dark magic.
Without it, I could never catch up to Gerard.
Yet I harbor no regrets now for having learned dark magic.
‘Who knew that curiosity would elevate me to Tower Master?’
Gregor, who had always harbored an interest in dark magic, had crossed a line he should never have crossed—using the excuse of catching up to Gerard.
He hadn’t known it would lead to expulsion.
‘In truth, my fault was grave. I violated an unspoken rule of the craft. But… was it right to cast out a disciple I’d trained for twelve years as if pruning a rotten branch?’
Though more than a decade had passed, the memory remained vivid in Gregor’s mind.
The expression of disgust that had twisted Dalfred’s face.
‘To discard me so coldly for a single mistake. Was his honor truly so precious?’
It was selfish.
Shouldn’t a true master embrace even the flaws of his disciple?
That was what a master should do.
Not cast them out like this.
‘He already has an excellent disciple in Gerard, so I’m not needed. That’s what this is about. He nipped me in the bud early on, worried it might cause problems for my career at the Royal Court Mage Order later. Damn old bastard.’
A twisted heart distorts all perception into negativity.
Yet despair can sometimes transform into opportunity.
There was someone who extended a hand to Gregor, who had nowhere left to turn after dabbling in black magic.
That someone was Baluduk, known as the Hand of Darkness.
‘If it weren’t for Baluduk, I wouldn’t even be standing here now.’
This was why Gregor abandoned his master and swore loyalty to him.
Wasn’t it only natural to pledge allegiance to one’s savior?
Regardless of which nation they served.
Of course, there were other reasons for joining hands with Baluduk.
He had promised to bring down Daphred, who had looked upon me like vermin.
This was also why I targeted Gerard’s children instead of Daphred himself.
‘What must a master feel watching his cherished disciple crumble?’
Gerard was merely a stepping stone for my revenge against Daphred.
There was no personal animosity involved.
‘Regardless, Galph—why hasn’t that bastard made contact yet?’
Gregor, staring at the unresponsive communication stone, suddenly recalled Daphred’s words.
‘He showed up out of nowhere just to threaten me about not crossing a line. Does he know something?’
Galph wasn’t responding, and Daphred had appeared at the meeting place instead of Gerard.
And he’d even issued something like a warning.
‘Things are unfolding strangely.’
Sensing trouble, Gregor retrieved the communication stone he’d hidden in a subspace.
It was reserved solely for urgent contact with his master.
He tapped its surface and waited; a voice soon emerged.
-Gregor? What’s the matter?
“Baluduk. We have a problem.”
-What problem?
“The Hunting Dogs aren’t responding. Gerard never showed up at the meeting place.”
-So you’ve caught on.
“Pardon? That can’t be.”
Though Gregor denied it, Baluduk’s voice carried absolute certainty.
-The Hunting Dogs have already been captured. They must have realized you were behind it.
‘Could that old man have meant something by those words?’
Recalling Daphred’s cryptic remarks, Gregor’s expression grew grave.
“Then what should I do now?”
-For now, wait and see how they respond. There’s nothing more you can do anyway, is there? Khehehehe.
“Hmm… understood.”
It wasn’t a particularly productive conversation.
Gregor had hoped for some decisive instruction.
But he didn’t know.
For someone eavesdropping on the conversation, it was an extraordinary windfall.

* * *
‘This can’t be….’
Watching the flickering light of the butterfly brooch, Dalfred found his jaw hanging open.
‘So the 12 Pioneers were behind Gregor all along….’
Dalfred hadn’t met Gregor for any other reason.
His purpose was to imprint a mana pattern onto the butterfly brooch and eavesdrop on their conversation.
A fishing expedition undertaken on the assumption that this wasn’t a solo operation.
But he’d caught far more valuable information than expected.
‘I suspected someone was pulling the strings, but to think it was Baluduk, the Shadow Hand….’
The world had selected twelve of the greatest mages who elevated magic’s prestige.
They were the 12 Pioneers.
Among them, Baluduk, known as the Shadow Hand, ranked second among the Pioneers—an extraordinarily formidable figure.
‘The problem is that Baluduk doesn’t belong to the Decan Kingdom.’
Baluduk was affiliated with the Albitz Kingdom, which could be called an enemy nation.
It was hardly surprising that Dalfred was shocked to discover collusion with such an adversary.
‘What am I to do? If Baluduk is involved, even I will struggle.’
All of the 12 Pioneers were 9th Circle mages.
Yet even among 9th Circle mages, their abilities varied vastly.
The 12 Pioneers were beings called “another sky above the sky,” so Dalfred couldn’t afford to underestimate Baluduk.
In their eyes, he was nothing more than a fledgling who’d only just reached 9th Circle.
‘I can’t waste time like this. I have to inform Gerard.’
Gerard might be in danger.
With that thought, I tried to contact him, but it seemed I was already too late.
I’d heard that a bloodbath had swept through the McLafflin Duchy.
“Wait for me. I’m heading there right now.”
Dalfred cast Teleport and met Gerard.
“Master.”
“Gerard, tell me what happened.”
“We were attacked by assassins last night. There were six 6th Circle mages, but because they were disguised as servants, I couldn’t respond in time. It was my own negligence.”
“Assassins?”
Gerard answered with a grim expression instead.
There was a reason his disciple’s face had looked so troubled all this while.
“Your family—they weren’t hurt, were they?”
“My family is safe. However, our guards and servants suffered casualties in the process.”
“I’m not sure what words of comfort I can offer.”
“It’s alright. I’ve identified who the culprit is.”
“Gregor?”
At my instant correct guess, Gerard’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How did you find out?”
“Who else would harbor such resentment toward you besides that bastard? And then there’s this.”
“This is…?”
What Dalfred presented was the butterfly-shaped brooch that Gerard had given me.
“Listen to it. Hear what recording is stored inside.”
Gerard immediately pressed the button.
As the conversation played, Gerard’s pupils gradually dilated.
The moment the recording ended, Dalfred spoke as if he’d been waiting for this.
“I’m glad you learned how to use it so well. Otherwise, we’d never have obtained such invaluable information.”
“Is, is this really a conversation between Gregor and Baluduk? I didn’t mishear, did I?”
“You didn’t. Not if that device’s performance is as reliable as it seems.”
“But Baluduk is a 9-Circle mage from the enemy nation of Albitz Kingdom, isn’t he? One of the strongest mages of our age, called among the 12 Pioneers.”
“You know your facts well.”
“So that monster has been backing Gregor all this time? And he’s the one who ordered the attack on our family?”
“That much I can’t confirm. What’s certain is that the two are connected.”
“That’s treason, then.”
Dalfred nodded in agreement.
What else could conspiring with an enemy nation be but treason?
“Gregor—what on earth is that bastard plotting? What possible grudge could drive him to go this far against me…?”
“Pathetic inferiority complex.”
“Sigh….”
To corner someone this thoroughly over nothing but inferiority—where was the honor in that?
Did we share nothing, having once trained under the same master?
I exhaled in frustration, yet my path forward was already clear.
“I’ll go to him right now.”
“And do what?”
“Come what may, I need to confront him.”
“Do you think he’ll meet you willingly? With the assassin unreachable, he’ll assume his crimes have been exposed.”
“….”
“And if Baluduk intervenes? Even if we combine our strength, we can’t defeat Baluduk.”
“Then what? Should I simply stand by and watch while that shameless wretch who attacked my family goes unpunished?”
Gerard’s agitation was uncharacteristic, but Dalfred remained unmoved.
Instead, he offered rational counsel.
“First, have your family flee since Gregor may strike again. Ideally, seek refuge in the Royal Palace.”
“The Royal Palace…. That would certainly be safer than anywhere else.”
Only the royal family and those belonging to the Royal Court Mage Order could freely enter the palace.
No matter how reckless Gregor was, he couldn’t breach the palace itself.
“And after that?”
“Inform His Majesty of the truth and seek his aid. We’ve found a traitor, after all.”
It was the most practical course, yet Gerard’s expression remained troubled.
“Do you think His Majesty will believe me?”
“He will. Once I show him this.”
Dalfred produced a butterfly-shaped brooch.

* * *
“The Royal Palace?”
I asked in surprise upon hearing that I would need to move to the Royal Palace unexpectedly.
“Why?”
“Because of the assassins who attacked last night, your father has decided to stay at the Royal Palace for a while. He judged it too dangerous for you to remain here.”
Daina examined my body as she spoke.
“Are you really all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“So you caught the assassins? Why on earth did you do that?”
‘Why? Because of the Quest.’
I suppressed my true thoughts and answered with a composed expression.
“Shouldn’t you ask how I subdued them first?”
“That doesn’t matter. What’s important is your safety. You could have been in real danger.”
Looking at my mother’s worried face, I felt genuinely grateful for my reincarnation.
In my past life, no one had ever worried about me.
“I acted because I was confident. And how could I ignore it when Luna and Theo were in danger?”
“Luna and Theo would be so happy to hear that.”
‘Would they really? They left without even a word of thanks after I saved them.’
It seemed Daina didn’t even know that they had confronted me.
“Still, be careful. You’re all I have.”
“Don’t worry. I have the strength to protect myself.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
Daina never asked how I possessed such strength.
“Has the person who orchestrated this been identified?”
“I’m not sure. Your father seems to know, but he says it’s not the right time yet.”
‘Actually, I wasn’t asking out of curiosity. I was just confirming my suspicions.’
I already knew who had hired the assassins.
All signs pointed to the Tower Master as the most likely culprit.
The fact that Father was hiding this truth suggested my suspicions were nearly correct.
‘The Royal Palace, huh… Will I be able to absorb magic there?’
I was focused solely on building my skill proficiency when
someone unexpected approached me.
It was Luna and Theo.
“Hello, Aunt.”
“Luna. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt at all.”
“Even so, you must have been quite shocked after experiencing something like that.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Watching the two of them converse, I found myself genuinely surprised.
I had never seen Luna conduct herself with such impeccable courtesy toward my mother.
“It seems you came because you have something to discuss with Zeke. I’ll excuse myself.”
As Daina tactfully withdrew, an awkward silence settled among the three of us.
Theo was the first to break it.
“Listen, Zeke.”
“What is it?”
“Well, the thing is…”
From Theo’s hesitant lips tumbled words I had never anticipated.

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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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