The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 38

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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 38
After the magical duel between Zeke and Gawen Baldor.
The Royal Mage Unit buzzed with excitement for quite some time.
There was talk that Zeke was the youngest 9-Circle Grand Mage, that a prodigy of the century had emerged to threaten the seats of the 12 Pioneers.
Some even whispered that he might be a legendary dragon in polymorphed form.
The reason was simple: Zeke, whom everyone had dismissed as a nepotistic appointment, had wielded Shadowless Incantation—a technique only Grand Mages could use.
This became an issue not just within the Royal Palace, but throughout the kingdom.
-The McLafflin Family’s useless heir has finally awakened his talents!
-They say he’s already reached 6-Circle at just fifteen years old!
-He can use Shadowless Incantation, which only Grand Mages can cast!
-His pretense of lacking talent all this time was because he feared his own demonic gift!
All manner of rumors about Zeke swirled beyond the palace walls.
Some held truth, others were pure fabrication, but one thing was certain: how people perceived Zeke had fundamentally shifted.
Yet an even greater change lay elsewhere—in the transformed attitudes of the unit members themselves.
“Zeke! How on earth did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Shadowless Incantation! How can you use such an advanced technique without even being 9-Circle?”
“Why does it concern you whether I use it or not?”
Despite Zeke’s blunt response, the other mage could only laugh nervously.
“Ha, I’m not asking you to teach me anything. I was just curious.”
“When did we become close enough for you to ask me things?”
“When? We saw each other at the induction ceremony!”
“Ah, so you were one of the dogs wagging your tail beside Gawen Baldor?”
“W-what kind of thing is that to say?”
“I’m merely stating facts.”
“That’s all in the past! And don’t even bring up Gawen Baldor. That bastard nearly killed me—do you think I’m happy about it?”
“Then were you happy when I was mocked as a nepotistic appointment?”
“Ugh.”
“Why do you keep coming to me when you and Gawen Baldor were banished together?”
“Ah, no. You seem too worked up right now. Let’s talk about this next time, alright?”
Watching the other mage flee without another word, Zeke clicked his tongue in disdain.
‘Tsk, look at him running scared like Gawen Baldor might get banished too. A cowardly creature, truly.’
After the magical duel, Gawen Baldor—once the true power of the Mage Unit—had fallen from grace.
He was disciplined for threatening people with wide-area magic during the duel, and when his previous bullying of new recruits came to light, he was expelled entirely.
A complete descent into ruin.
Ironically, it was his own loyal followers—those who had clung to him like dogs—who testified against him.
Fearing they would suffer consequences alongside him, they concealed his crimes and abandoned their former master.
And in seeking a new master, they turned their attention to Zeke, the one who had defeated Gawen Baldor.
With this duel, Zeke had effectively become the ace of the Royal Mage Unit, shedding the stigma of nepotism entirely.
The label that had clung to his status window had been erased.
‘Instead, I gained a different label: the genius of Shadowless Magic.’
In truth, it was the system’s power, but what did it matter?
As long as I earned the Circle members’ recognition and cleared the Quest, that was enough.
[Recognized for your abilities by a majority of Circle members—Complete!]
[Main Quest cleared!]
[You have acquired a new basic skill as a reward.]
Pleased by the notification, Zeke opened his status window.
[Name: Zeke McLafflin]
[Labels: Reincarnate of Pangaea Continent, Decan Kingdom’s Greatest Prestigious Magic Family, Youngest of the Duke Family, Illegitimate Child, Bastard, Diligent, Bookworm, 15 Years Old, SS-Rank Hunter, Aura Master Beginner, Draconian, Genius of Shadowless Magic]
[Strength: 2,738 / Intelligence: 2,667]
[Agility: 2,748 / Stamina: 2,770]
[Recovery: 2,727 / Resistance: 2,677]
[Mana: 11,380]
[Basic Skills: Interpretation, Analysis, Rune Absorption, Aura Operation, Aura Infusion, Aura Blade, Subspace, Eye of Truth]
[1st Awakening Skill: Mana Absorption (9-Star)]
[2nd Awakening Skill: Master of Mana (9-Star)]
[3rd Awakening Skill: Magic Absorption (9-Star)]
[4th Awakening Skill: Master of Magic Absorption (6-Star)]
[5th Awakening Skill: ???]
[6th Awakening Skill: ???]
[7th Awakening Skill: ???]
Nepotism, zero mana affinity, magical incompetence—all gone.
The negative labels had vanished, replaced by new ones: Draconian and Genius of Shadowless Magic.
And the Quest reward had been added to my basic skill list as well.
[Basic Skill: Eye of Truth]
-Effect: You can discern whether your opponent’s words are truth or falsehood.
-Special Note: Activates automatically when you are looking at your opponent.
‘To see through deception… this is incredible.’
The current Pangaea Continent was an age of turmoil, rife with schemes and hidden machinations.
What could be more important in such times?
The ability to discern who stood with me and who stood against me.
‘With this alone, I can tell if someone speaks falsehood or truth. I can separate ally from enemy.’
To distinguish lies from truth.
It was a skill that would undoubtedly prove useful in navigating the world.
‘I’ve shed the stigma of nepotism, gained an unexpected skill. It’s a win on both fronts.’
I’d come to understand this clearly, both then and now.
The Quest system was a supplementary mechanism designed to aid my growth.
‘The problem is, I have no idea what conditions trigger them…’
The inability to initiate Quests at will was the only thing that troubled me.
And there was one more thing.
There was something that bothered me.
‘Carbollearos.’
-What’s wrong?
‘Remember what you said when I had that magical duel with Gawen Baldor?’
-Ah, you mean about how the cohesion of your mana was stronger than expected?
‘Yes. What exactly did you mean by that?’
-Exactly what I said. Since magic is composed of mana, the higher the cohesion, the stronger it becomes. Simply put, your magic was sixth Circle in rank, but it actually possessed the power of seventh Circle level.
‘My magic was that strong?’
-That’s right. If you hadn’t focused solely on defense and had used it properly against your opponent, the match would have ended immediately, regardless of elemental advantage or anything else.
‘Hmm….’
Until now, I had never cast offensive magic against an opponent.
Naturally, I had no idea how much power my magic possessed.
‘But a whole Circle higher in power….’
No matter how much I thought about it, the only stat that could influence magic was the ‘Intelligence’ stat.
Otherwise, there was no way my magic could be amplified like this.
‘If I had learned magic instead of Aura, I would have grown incredibly strong?’
Of course, that didn’t mean I regretted my current decision to learn Aura.
Magic could be blocked by skills anyway, so the only real threat to me wasn’t mages but Aura users.
‘Will I be able to make a name for myself like the Aura Masters of the Pangaea Continent someday?’
The Pangaea Continent had five Aura Masters.
Known as the Five Lords or the Five Luminaries, they were naturally the masters who had reached the Grand Aura Master rank, the highest tier among Aura users.
I wasn’t sure if the opportunity would come, but I wished to meet them at least once.
Out of curiosity.
‘When will the next Quest appear?’
While I waited constantly for Quests, different news was waiting for me.
“Young Master McLafflin. Duke Dalpred Bigsland wishes to see you.”
Why would my father’s master seek me out?
“Is that so? I understand.”
Upon hearing the servant’s words, I moved with a curious expression.

* * *
Jake Palmer earned a reputation among the instructors for his outstanding skill and dedication.
Having worked ten years in the Royal Mage Unit without a single incident to his name had become a significant asset.
But now, that very reputation stood on the precipice of collapse.
“Jake! What in blazes were you doing to let things deteriorate to this point?”
“I… I have no excuse, Duke Bigsland.”
“A duel in the Dormitory Plaza? And you permitted a freshly inducted recruit to spar with Gawen Baldor? How could that possibly be acceptable?”
“….”
Dalpred Bigsland made no effort to conceal his displeasure—a stark departure from his usual composure.
During his tenure as commander, the unit members never engaged in magical duels.
They exchanged spells during training, certainly, but the notion of members casting magic to harm one another during their personal time was utterly unthinkable.
Yet what truly ignited Dalpred’s fury was the conduct of that wretched Gawen Baldor.
“I hear Gawen Baldor has been tormenting not only Zeke, but every new recruit who arrives. Is that true?”
“Yes… it is true.”
“And you knew of this while allowing it to continue?”
“No, no! How could I allow such a thing? Had I known, I would have reported it immediately!”
“So you were unaware?”
“Yes… I only learned of it recently.”
Jake felt a sting of guilt at Dalpred’s words, yet he could not afford to admit the truth.
Regardless of his retirement, Dalpred possessed the influence to have him removed from his post.
Fortunately, his years of accumulated reputation seemed to lend credence to his words in Dalpred’s eyes.
“An instructor unaware of conflicts among the trainees? Remarkable.”
“I am deeply sorry. I should have been more vigilant, more attentive… I have no excuse.”
“Tsk, tsk. In my day….”
‘Here we go again.’
As Jake endured Dalpred’s inevitable tirade in silence, the door opened.
Zeke stepped through, and Jake’s eyes caught his entrance.
“Ah, Zeke has arrived. Come in, come in.”
“I was told you summoned me, Duke Bigsland.”
“Ha, no need for such formality before me.”
Dalpred’s demeanor shifted markedly—far warmer toward Zeke than toward Jake—as his expression grew serious.
“I summoned you for a reason. I wished to ask you about what happened that day.”
“That day, you mean…?”
“The day you dueled Gawen Baldor. I would like to hear the details of what transpired.”
‘Hmm.’
Zeke regarded Dalpred quietly.
More precisely, he gazed at the System Message hovering beneath him.
[The target you are observing is currently speaking the truth.]
Through the lens of his truth-seeing ability, he detected no ulterior motive.
‘Is he simply seeking to understand what happened?’
It didn’t seem like he intended to interrogate me.
“I heard that you were harassed by Gawen Baldor’s group.”
“Gawen Baldor’s group? I thought it was just Gawen Baldor alone?”
“No, sir. I endured all manner of ridicule and contempt from Gawen Baldor and those who follow him. They even threatened me right after I came down from the induction ceremony.”
“What?”
Dalpred Bigsland’s previously serene face contorted like a malevolent spirit.
It was completely different testimony from what the unit members had reported.
“These wretches—I’ll deal with them at once! Who were they? Tell me one by one who mocked you!”
“There were far too many, and most of them I don’t even know the names of….”
“So many? It sounds like they gathered in groups to torment you, Zeke!”
There hadn’t been direct harassment, but I didn’t deny it.
They were the ones who stood beside Gawen Baldor and looked down on me.
“Jake Palmer, you training instructor! You didn’t even know the situation had become this serious?”
“I-I’m sorry. I truly had no idea such things were happening among the unit members….”
The instructor’s face showed grievance, but to my eyes, it appeared differently.
[The target you are currently observing is speaking a ‘lie’.]
‘A lie in this situation? His acting is quite skilled—this isn’t his first time.’
The fact that he would lie so brazenly even before Dalpred Bigsland, the highest-ranking Archmage, suggested he’d made a habit of it.
‘Now that I think about it, I didn’t see the training instructor at the training grounds either.’
While two hundred students gathered, the instructor who lived in the same dormitory was nowhere to be seen?
‘He deliberately didn’t show up. To accommodate Gawen Baldor’s convenience.’
Now I understood why Gawen Baldor had never been punished, and why the unit commanders claimed to know nothing.
‘That contemptible instructor. Now that I know the truth, I can’t just let this slide.’
I looked at Dalpred Bigsland and spoke with a serious expression.
“Your Grace. Jake Palmer is lying right now.”
“What?”
“When I was being harassed by Gawen Baldor’s group, I saw the instructor’s face. He clearly saw me but pretended not to notice.”
“What?”
Dalpred Bigsland stared at Jake Palmer with wide eyes.
Jake Palmer looked suspicious enough for anyone to see—he was clearly flustered.
“Jake! Is what Zeke says true?”
“N-no, sir. I wasn’t there. I had no idea Zeke was being harassed by Gawen Baldor….”
[The target you are currently observing is speaking a ‘lie’.]
I watched the flustered Jake Palmer with a smirk.
‘How brazenly he spins his lies. Though I’m hardly one to talk.’
In truth, I didn’t actually know whether Jake Palmer had seen me back then or what he was doing.
I’d simply guessed based on seeing him lie.
But judging by his reaction now, it seemed he really had been watching.
‘So he saw me during the induction ceremony and only stepped in later?’
An instructor who turned a blind eye to a student’s harassment?
Even if I’m stripped of my qualifications, I have nothing to say in my defense.
Zeke added weight to the testimony.
“Back then, the instructor told me directly. To keep a low profile while I’m here. Not to do anything that would displease him.”
“Jake!”
“Ack!”
At the thunderous shout, Jake flinched in panic, and Dalpred’s face showed he had obtained his confirmation.
“So you really have been covering for Gawen Baldor!”
“I, I wasn’t doing anything like that….”
“What is this commotion?”
At that moment, a man appeared behind the flustered Jake.
“Who said someone was covering for Gawen Baldor?”
Zeke’s father, Gerard McLafflin, was glaring at Jake with a terrifying gaze.

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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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