The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 40

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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 40
“Mary! You’ve had quite the journey from the Royal Palace to reach us here! And who’s this beside you?”
“Ah, I mentioned it before I came, didn’t I? This is the person who will become my fiancé.”
“I’m Zeke McLafflin, the successor to the McLafflin Duchy.”
Zeke offered a respectful greeting as Mary introduced him.
Watching this exchange, Count Louis broke into a warm smile.
The expression of a man thoroughly satisfied with his future son-in-law.
“Delighted! I’ve been waiting so long to hear our daughter was bringing home a suitor. Hehehehe! Come inside at once!”
Count Louis made a favorable first impression.
With his weathered features and affable demeanor, he resembled a kindly neighborhood uncle.
For that reason alone, one might have felt at ease in his presence—but Zeke found himself unable to relax.
[The target you are currently observing is speaking falsehoods.]
‘This man here? He lies as casually as breathing.’
Just like Mary, the Count was concealing something.
Perhaps sensing the sharp intensity in Zeke’s gaze, the Count laughed heartily.
“Heheheh, nervous in front of your future father-in-law, are you?”
“Yes, sir. This is my first time in such circumstances.”
“I’ve had the chef prepare an abundance of delicious dishes, so relax and enjoy yourself while we eat. Haha!”
“Thank you, Count.”
The moment they sat at the table, the kitchen staff began bringing out course after course.
So much food arrived in succession that Zeke wondered how the three of them could possibly finish it all.
Though he felt genuinely welcomed, he couldn’t bring himself to eat freely.
One simply didn’t accept food from someone you couldn’t trust.
“What’s wrong? Doesn’t the food suit your taste?”
“Not at all. My stomach feels slightly unsettled. I’ve always been rather abstemious with my meals.”
“How old are you?”
“I’ve just turned fifteen this year.”
“Heheheh, at that age you need to eat well to grow properly. Mary, you eat up too.”
“…Yes, Father.”
When Mary began eating the meat before her, Zeke watched her carefully before picking some up with his fork.
‘If Mary, who’s on my side, is eating it, there shouldn’t be poison, right?’
Surely he hadn’t added something like a drug?
It was food from the same plate, after all.
With that reasoning, he placed a piece of meat in his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed—and in that instant:
[A small quantity of harmful toxic substance has entered your body.]
[Your resistance negates the toxic substance with 100% effectiveness.]
A message appeared that he’d never seen before.
‘Poison? I suspected as much, but there really was poison in it?’
It was absurd, but fortunately the amount was minimal.
Thanks to his high resistance, he successfully neutralized the poison.
‘What the hell did that count put in the food?’
Zeke suppressed the rising hostility with a forced smile, his gaze fixed on the count.
“The meat is quite delicious.”
“Heheheh, I’m glad it suits your palate! Please, have as much as you’d like! As much as you want!”
The count’s repeated offers of poison were grating, but Zeke held back his irritation and reached for another piece of meat.
Apart from the poison, the food was actually quite excellent.
‘Besides, I’m resistant to it anyway.’
The message that appeared each time I ate reinforced the certainty that I had perfect resistance to poison.
‘This is when the Resistance stat really shines.’
Even during my previous life as a Hunter, I’d benefited from the Resistance stat.
Though it was only low-grade, I had some resistance to monster toxins.
‘But Resistance does far more than just that.’
Resistance to cold, resistance to heat, resistance to poison—the list went on.
It wasn’t just elemental resistance either; I could resist certain status ailments inflicted by monsters to some degree.
Resistance was a honey stat that affected so many aspects of survival.
‘If Resistance is low, even the strongest Hunter will bite the dust.’
That’s why Hunters worked so hard to raise their Resistance.
But it wasn’t easy.
Unlike a game with levels, you couldn’t simply raise the stats you wanted.
In that regard, I was fortunate.
All my stats had risen tremendously and evenly.
‘Whatever poison this is, I might as well enjoy the meal.’
Clink—clink—
Count Louis, who had been watching Zeke eat with meaningful eyes, finally spoke.
“So, you two met at the Royal Court Mage Order?”
“Yes, we did.”
“I knew the head of the McLafflin Family was with the Royal Court Mage Order, but I hadn’t heard that his son had joined. Heheheh.”
“I got in through the back door, if you will.”
“What? Hahahaha!”
Though Zeke had spoken truthfully, Count Louis seemed to take it as a joke.
“You must be feeling more relaxed now, joking around like that.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Count.”
“Count? Now that we’re officially engaged, you should call me father-in-law.”
“Isn’t that a bit premature…?”
“Heheheh, I was just joking myself. Hahahaha!”
Count Louis, laughing continuously, appeared to anyone as a pleasant and good-natured man.
At least, not to Zeke’s eyes.
‘Even Mary beside him doesn’t look happy.’
Was it because the poison’s effects were spreading?
In any case, a count who would poison even his own allies appeared to Zeke as nothing short of a demon.
“Mary. Why do you look so troubled? Are you unwell?”
“Oh, no. Father.”
“If your stomach is bothering you, feel free to leave. I have some matters to discuss with this young man.”
“Yes? Ah, of course. Then….”
Mary, sensing the unspoken request, rose from her seat.
Only after his daughter had disappeared outside did Louis speak.
“Mary mentioned you’ve distinguished yourself quite well in the Royal Court Mage Order?”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Ha, no need for false modesty.”
“I’m serious. Compared to my senior mages, I’m rather unremarkable.”
“May I ask what Circle you’ve reached at present?”
“Only the 4th Circle.”
“Don’t jest with me. Mary told me you defeated Gawen Baldor, who was the true power of the Mage Order.”
‘He doesn’t seem to have heard about the Shadowless Incantation. Good.’
I saw no reason to bring up the Shadowless Incantation.
He wouldn’t believe it anyway.
The Count was more curious about something else entirely.
“If you defeated Gawen Baldor, then you’re effectively the true power of the Mage Order now, wouldn’t you say?”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
“Don’t brush past this. Give me a straight answer. This is important to me. I need to know exactly what kind of future my future son-in-law has.”
Though I found his persistent questioning somewhat grating, I had agreed to accept his hospitality.
“It’s difficult to say from my own mouth… but yes. Since defeating Gawen, my standing in the Mage Order has risen considerably.”
“Ha! Magnificent. Truly magnificent! To command the Mage Order at such a young age!”
Louis, lavishing praise without restraint, eyes gleaming with intensity.
For just a moment, those eyes resembled those of a serpent.
“My daughter mentioned it, didn’t she? That I’d give you our family heirloom. Come along.”
With those words, Louis rose first, and I found myself rising as well.
It felt awkward to refuse an offer of a family heirloom, so I followed along.
Besides, I needed to understand what he was scheming.
Click—
The Count led me to the Study Room.
He withdrew a book from the shelf, and with a grinding sound, a secret passage opened.
“The heirloom is inside. Follow me.”
The passage was lit by torches, so it wasn’t as dark as I’d expected.
The descending staircase was also clearly visible.
‘Are we heading underground?’
Even as I followed the Count’s footsteps, I remained vigilant.
One never knows where a trap might appear.
As I descended the stairs, the passage gradually widened.
The problem was that the deeper we went, the thicker the darkness became.
The corridor ahead was shrouded in darkness—there were no torches to light the way.
‘How much further are we going? We’re descending quite deep, aren’t we?’
I followed silently behind, relying on the footsteps echoing ahead of me.
“Hold on a moment.”
“Yes?”
The instant I stopped at the count’s command.
CLANG!
Something plummeted from above, and I gasped in shock.
‘What is this? An iron cage?’
A cage fashioned like a birdcage had suddenly trapped me inside.
“Count?”
“Hehehehe, blinded by greed for treasure, you followed without a second thought. Your magic may be impressive, but your mind is utterly pathetic.”
Louis, his true nature revealed, flashed a sinister smile from the darkness.
“Count! What is the meaning of this?”
“You don’t even realize what predicament you’re in. What a fool. This is why one must always be cautious with women. Take this as a life lesson and rot in there, drowning in regret and remorse. Hehehehe!”
With those words, the count’s figure vanished into the shadows.
Now imprisoned, I dropped the act of panic I’d been maintaining.
‘So all those lies during dinner were leading to this—locking me away was the plan all along.’
The title of “count” was likely fabricated as well.
I could sense the traces of shape-shifting magic clinging to him distinctly.
Mary must have sensed it too, given how terrified she’d been of him throughout the meal.
‘He probably wasn’t her real father after all.’
I didn’t know the full details, but regardless, I was now neatly imprisoned.
Or rather, I’d allowed myself to be imprisoned—that was the more accurate way to put it.
-Zeke. This prison is constructed from the same material as restraint devices.
‘I see. But that poses no problem for me. It would be troublesome for a mage, perhaps.’
If I could only use magic, I’d be in a bind. But I felt perfectly at ease.
A door like this was nothing—I could simply smash it to pieces with raw strength.
It was then.
[Completed: Posed as fiancé and met the head of the Bryant Family!]
[Cleared the sudden Quest!]
[Received 600 random stat points as reward.]
[Strength permanently increased by 101.]
[Intelligence permanently increased by 99.]
[Agility permanently increased by 102.]
[Stamina permanently increased by 103.]
[Recovery permanently increased by 97.]
[Resistance permanently increased by 98.]
The moment I cleared the Quest to meet the family head, a smirk tugged at the corners of my mouth.

* * *
‘Father….’
Mary stood in the room, gazing at a portrait.
She had been staring endlessly at the massive painting of Count Louis’s face when she suddenly whirled around.
She had sensed a presence.
“So you were here.”
“…Where is Zeke?”
“As you can see, I’ve just come from locking him in the Underground Dungeon.”
“What?”
“That wretch will never escape from there until death. He’s already consumed poison that destabilizes his mana, after all. Hehehehe.”
Mary’s eyes widened at those words.
“You never said anything about killing him!”
“I said I wouldn’t kill him directly. Look, I haven’t even laid a finger on him, have I?”
Count Louis laughed with satisfaction, but Mary’s expression twisted as if she found the sound repulsive.
“I’ve done everything you asked. Now please release my father.”
“What are you talking about? Your father is right here, isn’t he?”
As Louis spread his arms wide, disgust bloomed across Mary’s face.
“This isn’t funny.”
“What a hopeless girl.”
In an instant, Count Louis’s face contorted.
The shape-shifting magic dissolved, revealing a face entirely different from the portrait.
Unlike the mild-mannered impression of Count Louis, his true visage was sinister and dark.
“Your filial devotion toward your father is truly admirable. That’s precisely why I chose you. Hehe.”
“I brought the most influential member of the Mage Tower as you ordered. So keep your promise and tell me where my father is.”
“Hehe, do you think I would tell you?”
Faced with an answer contrary to her expectations, Mary’s eyes went wide.
“That’s not the agreement! You said you’d release him once this was over….”
“When did I say that? I only said I would release him if you obeyed my commands. That doesn’t mean just this one task.”
“Ah….”
Mary belatedly realized she had been deceived.
This man would likely never let her and her father go for the rest of their lives.
Moisture welled up in Mary’s eyes.
“You… liar.”
“I wonder who’s calling whom a liar. You brought me Zeke as a sacrifice with that meager tongue of yours.”
“….”
“You cannot see your father until I permit it. You must obey my every word unconditionally. You still have value to me, after all. Don’t worry too much though. If you follow my orders well, I might let you meet him once in a while. Kuhkuh.”
Thud—
Mary’s legs gave out beneath her and she collapsed.
Her face held nothing but despair.
“Is my father… still alive? Surely you haven’t already….”
“What do you take me for? I don’t lie about such things. Your father is doing well, so don’t worry yourself.”
“…What will happen to Zeke now?”
“I told you. He’ll waste away in that cell until one day he starves to death. Whether that happens or not, you still need to carry out the next operation with me.”
Nothing the man said registered with Mary anymore.
Every word from his mouth had been a lie.
The promise that he wouldn’t kill the strongest member of the Mage Tower once lured here.
The promise that he’d release her father once this was over.
Perhaps sensing the shift in Mary’s heart, the man narrowed his eyes in warning.
“Don’t even think about freeing that bastard. If he escapes, you’ll never see your father again for the rest of your life.”
“Sob, sob, sob…”
Mary wept bitterly, realizing she was completely trapped.
“Stop your crying and get up. If you want to save your father, you need to work. There’s much to do ahead.”
“What kind of work?”
At the sudden sound of a voice, the man’s head snapped up.
He whirled toward the source of the sound in panic, and shock flooded his eyes.
Standing before him was someone who should not be there.
It was Zeke McLafflin.
“Y-you… how did you…?”
“Escape from a prison with restraint mechanisms? Curious? Go down and see for yourself. See what happened to the dungeon.”
“Tch, tch…”
Infuriated by Zeke’s composed demeanor, the man immediately sprang into action.
“Lett aitsch tizuo cesi!”
Blades erupted from the darkness, engulfing Zeke.
A sudden, vicious assault.
The man expected Zeke to be shredded by the attack.
“What?!”
His expectation shattered spectacularly.
The dark blades didn’t wound him at all—they simply vanished as if absorbed into Zeke’s body.
“I had it right. Using demon tongue like Gregor Fontaine does.”
“How…”
“How, nothing.”
Zeke’s smile faded as he pointed his hand at the man and spoke once more.
“Release.”
“Gahhhhh!”
Blades burst forth like shrapnel, piercing his limbs.
A shadow fell over the bleeding man as he collapsed.
“Let’s exchange a few blows.”
The shadow of death itself.

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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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