The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 27

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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 27
“You… you are…!”
King Shane II’s eyes widened dramatically.
The person Zeke had pointed to was the Third Prince, Joe Philip de Decan.
Though he ranked third among the brothers, he was nonetheless the Crown Prince.
Thus, the King and his retainers could not help but be astonished.
“Third Prince. Did you truly switch out the evidence?”
“What? Ah, no, what are you talking about? Father. That’s absurd.”
“Then why did the sound come from you?”
Confronted by his father’s interrogation, the Third Prince could only panic.
His crime had been exposed before everyone’s eyes.
The Third Prince’s obvious distress aroused suspicion, and the retainers regarded him with eyes full of doubt.
“Search the Third Prince’s person for the brooch.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“No, Father! Stop this! How dare you!”
The guards surrounded the Third Prince and began searching his body.
Soon they found what appeared to be Zeke’s brooch in his possession.
“Here it is, Your Majesty.”
“Bring it to me.”
The King pressed the button on the brooch he had received.
-Antonio. What is it?
-Tower Master. I have a progress report for you.
-Go ahead.
-As you predicted, Tower Master, Gerard appeared before King Shane II at the Royal Palace. And he spouted some unnecessary nonsense.
-What nonsense?
-That you, Tower Master, are a traitor conspiring with Baluduk.
-And what did you do?
-I naturally raised an objection and forced a vote. As a result, Gerard’s opinion was suppressed by majority vote.
-Well done. You’ve worked hard.
-However, it is not yet over. There is another problem.
-A problem?
-Gerard brought evidence—a listening device capable of recording the other party’s communications. It contained a complete recording of your conversation with Baluduk, Tower Master.
-What? What are you saying? My communications were eavesdropped on?
-Yes. I have never seen such a device before. It’s fortunate that King Shane II is foolish, or the evidence would have been accepted.
-Such a device exists… Where did Gerard obtain it?
-He said his youngest son brought it to him.
-His youngest son… You mean Zeke?
-In any case, what matters is that we must intercept this device as soon as possible. It is a dangerous object, but if we seize it, it will surely prove beneficial to you in many ways, Tower Master.
-I agree.
-How about I attempt it myself?
-No. If you’re careless, your identity will be exposed. Stay silent. I’ve planted other spies in preparation for situations like this. For now, continue watching the King as you have been and obstruct Gerard.
-Understood, Gregor.
The shocking conversation cast a heavy silence throughout the Throne Hall.
Several courtiers exhaled quiet sighs.
“Antonio Baldor.”
At the sound of his name, Antonio flinched and looked toward the King.
“So you’ve been making a fool of me all this time.”
“Y-Your Majesty. That is not… it’s not what you think—”
“I don’t want to hear it. Guards, throw this traitor in the dungeon at once.”
“Yes, sire!”
“Wait, Your Majesty!”
Clang!
The guards, having fitted Antonio with restraints to prevent him from casting magic, dragged him away.
Boom—
As the Throne Hall doors closed, silence descended once more.
The Third Prince, knowing he was next, couldn’t even wipe the cold sweat trickling down his face as he nervously glanced around.
“Third Prince. Tell me yourself—was it you who switched the item?”
“F-Father, I… I…”
“I won’t ask twice. Speak.”
Faced with the King’s furious gaze and tone, the Third Prince realized there was no point in further evasion.
The evidence was already overwhelming—there was nowhere left to hide.
“Y-Yes, it was me… I used a shape-shifting magic scroll to swap the brooch.”
“Why would you do such a thing? How long have you been conspiring with the Tower Master?”
The Third Prince sighed briefly before confessing everything.
“I met Gregor Fontaine three years ago. I had business in the Borderlands and happened to encounter the Tower Master by chance. I was about to exchange pleasantries and move on when he suddenly made me a proposal—that he would support my claim to the throne if I would join hands with him.”
“What!?”
Shane II looked as though he might seize the Third Prince by the collar, but he quickly composed himself.
“Hmph. Continue.”
“As you know, I held the lowest rank among the princes and was dissatisfied with my current position. The throne seemed an impossible dream. But when he offered to make that dream reality, I couldn’t resist the temptation.”
“So you joined hands with Gregor?”
“To be precise, I joined hands with Baluduk, one of the 12 Pioneers. Gregor was merely an intermediary. In reality, I acted under Baluduk’s direct orders.”
“What orders? What have you done as a spy within the royal family?”
Shane II demanded answers, but the Third Prince hesitated, reluctant to speak.
“Speak now!”
“If… if I tell you, will you reduce my sentence?”
“What? You dare bargain in your position!?”
Fury blazed across Shane II’s face, and not a trace of his usual gentleness remained.
“Speak at once!”
“W-What I did was nothing difficult. I merely helped people Baluduk wanted to establish themselves within the kingdom.”
“You brought spies into my realm? Into the kingdom I’ve built and nurtured my entire life!?”
As Shane II’s voice reached its peak, the startled Third Prince had no choice but to shrink back.
“…I-I’m terribly sorry.”
“Who is it? Tell me the name of the spy who helped with the invasion.”
“Th-that, I don’t know either. I only opened the door on the appointed day as instructed. As for who infiltrated and how many there were….”
“What a treacherous, ungrateful wretch who would sell out his own country like this!”
“Y-Your Majesty! Please calm yourself!”
As Shane II lost control of his agitation and began to rage, his attendants rushed to restrain him.
In that moment, I watched.
The attendants’ expressions—impossible to hide as they regarded the Third Prince with contempt.

* * *
‘Sigh, what a mess this is.’
Left to wait outside because the king was in an extreme state of agitation, I glanced sideways at my father.
Gerard stood there dazed, clearly not having anticipated that matters would escalate to this degree.
‘He couldn’t have known that the Magic Tower Master’s rebellion involved the Crown Prince as well. No wonder he’s shocked.’
As the commander of the Royal Court Mage Order protecting the monarchy, he must have much on his mind.
Perhaps guilt over failing to identify the spy, or a sense of responsibility weighing upon him.
Then Gerard turned to look at me.
“Zeke.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
I shook my head, and Gerard spoke.
“I’m thinking it was good that I brought you. Thanks to you, I was able to identify the spies lurking in the Royal Palace. I’m truly grateful.”
“I’ve been hearing that word quite often lately.”
“Gratitude is gratitude, after all.”
As father and son smiled at each other, the door to the Audience Chamber opened.
“Duke McLafflin. His Majesty is calling for you.”
“Understood.”
“And the Young Master as well.”
“Me too?”
I asked in surprise, and Gerard led the way.
“Let’s go.”
Upon entering the Audience Chamber, there were surprisingly few people present.
It seemed all the attendants, the Third Prince, and even the guards had been sent out.
Only the king, who appeared somewhat composed now, sat upon the throne in the center.
“You’ve come?”
“You called for us, Your Majesty.”
“Sigh, this is embarrassing. To show such unseemly behavior, even if only briefly, before the disciple of an old friend.”
“No, no, Your Majesty. Please don’t say such things.”
“You said the son beside you is the youngest?”
Gerard glanced at Zeke, then lowered his head.
“Yes, it is Zeke.”
“Zeke McLafflin, come forward and receive this.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Zeke accepted the brooch from the king with a respectful bow.
“Thank you. Because of that listening device you brought, I was able to excise the rot from this kingdom’s timber—Gregor’s treason, Baluduk as the mastermind, the Baldor Family’s espionage, and even the Third Prince’s treachery. There is still much decay to cut away, but nonetheless, I shall not forget this service of yours, nor your name.”
“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”
Though I bowed as though unmoved, my heart was utterly bewildered.
When I first came to the Royal Palace, I never imagined I would receive recognition from the sovereign of an entire nation.
“The Commander has truly raised an excellent youngest son.”
“You are too kind, Your Majesty.”
“Now that the preliminaries are concluded, I wish to move to the main matter.”
“The main matter, you say?”
“I sought you out because there is something I must discuss in utmost secrecy.”
What could be so important that he dismissed not only his attendants but even his guards?
“Please, speak freely, Your Majesty.”
“I wish to entrust you with a matter of great importance.”
‘A matter?’
Gerard listened intently.
“Capture the Magic Tower Master, Gregor Fontaine. Subdue that cursed traitor and bring him before me. This is my request.”
A king resorting to the word “request” when addressing a subject—most unusual.
Gerard was somewhat surprised, yet he understood.
It signified the gravity of the matter.
“I dismissed my attendants and guards to speak of this because you alone, Duke McLafflin, are the only person I can trust at this moment.”
If the Third Prince’s words were true, there was no way to know how many spies lurked within the palace.
There was no method to discern who among them was a spy.
The only certainty was that Gerard, who had come forward to expose the conspiracy, was the sole person worthy of trust.
“Will you grant me this request?”
“A request? I cannot accept such framing. I shall without fail bring the Magic Tower Master before Your Majesty.”
“I am grateful. Should you need anything, you need only ask. You may make use of my Royal Guard.”
The king’s Royal Guard were mages who had sworn their loyalty through the Oath of Mana—utterly trustworthy.
They were elite warriors as skilled and reliable as the Royal Court Mage Order itself, and their aid would prove invaluable.
“I am grateful for your kindness. I shall devise a strategy to apprehend him.”
“Do so. Should you complete this task successfully, I shall bestow upon you a reward befitting your service.”
“Your benevolence is boundless. I shall not disappoint your expectations.”
Gerard bowed before the king’s smile and withdrew.
His expression as he departed was more grave than ever before.

* * *
“Father, are you alright?”
“Mm, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
‘He doesn’t look fine at all.’
Despite his words, Gerard’s expression was troubled.
His face bore the weight of a heavy burden.
It was only natural—he had been saddled with the daunting task of capturing the Tower Master against his will.
As expected.
The mental strain was evident as Gerard opened up about his worries.
“For me, the task the King has given is not the problem. In fact, I was pleased to receive such a mission. I have always harbored the desire to capture and kill Gregor Fontaine. However, the true difficulty lies in determining how to apprehend him.”
“Why not? Can’t you simply storm the Magic Tower and capture him?”
“It’s not as simple as it sounds. There are detection spells that prevent me from infiltrating the Magic Tower covertly. Even if I were to enter directly, I would inevitably encounter the soldiers guarding the tower. By the time I finish fighting them, Gregor Fontaine at the tower’s highest level would have long since escaped.”
“So the key is not giving the Tower Master time to teleport?”
“Precisely. But how easily can that be accomplished?”
“Is there no way to reach the highest level directly? For instance, launching a surprise attack through a window….”
“The Magic Tower has no windows. Even if it did, there are alarm spells that would immediately alert the Tower Master the moment an outsider enters.”
“I see….”
Covert infiltration was impossible.
Entering quietly without combat was impossible.
Reaching the highest level in a single advance was impossible.
With every method blocked, it was hardly surprising that Gerard was troubled.
“Based on what was discussed with Duke Baldor, the situation should be fully understood by now. He may already be formulating an escape plan.”
“Then he won’t meet you even if you contact him?”
“Sigh, that’s right.”
It was as Gerard exhaled in frustration that Zeke McLafflin casually posed a question.
“Mm… Father. What about this approach?”
“What approach?”
“Using Peter McLafflin. As you know, my eldest brother maintains close contact with the Tower Master, doesn’t he? Since they’ve even made a mana oath, the Tower Master will trust my eldest brother even if he wouldn’t trust anyone else.”
“Ah…!”
Gerard’s pupils dilated as if he hadn’t considered it.
“That’s right—Peter exists.”
“Yes. I actually have a strategy in mind that utilizes Peter McLafflin… Would you like to hear it?”
At those words, Gerard’s eyes gleamed with interest as he leaned forward to listen.

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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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