The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 56

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 56
“Huff, huff. P-please, wait for me, Young Master.”
“If you can’t keep up, I’ll leave you behind.”
“I-I’m sorry. My stamina just isn’t what it should be….”
When I turned around, there was Mary, her face etched with exhaustion.
Even as she wrinkled her nose in discomfort, she remained breathtakingly beautiful.
A far cry from her appearance at the Royal Palace.
‘The other members of the unit would never dream that her true self is this lovely.’
Ever since the assassination attempt on the King, Mary had been expelled from the Royal Mage Unit.
Though she had helped me apprehend the spy, the fact remained that she had enlisted under a false appearance.
As the commander, Gerard had no choice but to cast her out.
I had agreed to it as well, seeing no reason to keep her around.
‘Yet here we are, together now.’
I hadn’t summoned her.
Upon hearing that I was taking the succession trial, Mary had simply followed me of her own accord.
“Mary. There’s something I’m curious about.”
“H-huff, huff. Y-yes, Young Master?”
“How did you find out I was taking the succession trial?”
“Um, well….”
“Ever since you were expelled from the Mage Unit, what have you been doing? Were you watching me?”
“Y-Young Master Zeke. Why is your stamina so incredible? You haven’t stopped once while climbing this mountain. It’s truly remarkable. Haha….”
“Don’t change the subject. Answer me directly.”
Mary let out a deep sigh before speaking as if she had no choice.
“You’re right, Young Master. I was curious about what you were doing, so I’ve been watching you this whole time. Every single day.”
“You did that for a whole year?”
“Yes….”
In other words, she had been stalking me.
Though I feigned surprise, I had already known.
‘I sensed it with a hunter’s instinct.’
Over the course of a year, my overall stats had increased significantly.
Now I could read movements up to 350 meters away, making it effortless to track Mary.
‘I knew she was following me when I left for the succession trial.’
That was why I had parted with Russell so early.
Because I had known Mary was pursuing me.
I asked again to confirm.
“So you found out I was leaving for the succession trial through surveillance, and you followed me without any preparation?”
“I-I didn’t have time to prepare since I left in such a hurry, but I did tell my father. I have a communication stone with me.”
“Count Bryant didn’t object?”
“He didn’t. Rather, he told me to serve you well and not be a burden to you, Young Master….”
“Serve me?”
I let out a dry chuckle.
‘That old man is quite something. Entrusting his only daughter to me without a second thought. What exactly does he trust me with?’
I had saved his life, but strictly speaking, wasn’t I just a complete stranger to him?
‘Well, perhaps for a count, that alone was sufficient reason.’
I had no intention of taking Mary along with me.
“As I said before, go back.”
“Pardon? Oh, is it because of the succession trial rules? Don’t worry about that. The heir trial allows anyone who isn’t a member of the Duke Family to participate together, so….”
“You know about that too? You’re surprisingly talented at gathering information.”
“Hehe.”
‘That wasn’t a compliment—it was sarcasm.’
Her bright smile left me speechless.
I sighed and flatly refused.
“Either way, it’s not happening. This journey will be too harsh for you to handle.”
“But….”
“You’re already gasping for breath. How do you expect to keep up with that stamina?”
“I’m sorry. But I’ll manage to follow without being a burden. At least someone needs to cook, right?”
“Cook?”
“Yes! I’m very good at cooking!”
“Did you bring cooking utensils?”
“….”
Mary glanced down at her own hands for a moment.
Having rushed here in haste, all she held was her magic staff.
“D-don’t worry. I can make tools from wood or stone, can’t I? And for ingredients, I could hunt wild boar from the area and roast it….”
“I can do that much myself.”
“Th-then what about cleanup? Laundry? Don’t you need someone to keep watch at night? I can carry luggage. Yes?”
At this point, a hint of pity flickered in my eyes.
I couldn’t quite understand her desperation to appeal to me.
“I’ll be direct with you. Why are you so determined to follow me? You know full well this will be a grueling ordeal.”
“….”
“You could just rest comfortably at the Bryant Estate. So why are you volunteering to attend to me?”
“…Can I tell you the truth?”
When I nodded, Mary continued with a sigh.
“This past year has been difficult.”
“Hm? Difficult how?”
“Because I couldn’t see you, Prince Zeke.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I’m not entirely sure myself. But there were countless nights when I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking of you.”
“What?”
I stared at her in disbelief.
Had she fallen ill with lovesickness?
A trick, perhaps?
That’s how I regarded it.
[The target you are currently observing is speaking the ‘truth’.]
It wasn’t a lie.
“So you’ve been stalking me? Because you like me?”
“I don’t fully understand my own feelings either. But I want to be by your side, and I keep wanting to see you.”
Mary’s sudden confession left Zeke’s heart in turmoil.
‘It can’t be just because I saved her life once. Surely it’s not because of that command to make me her master?’
A memory surfaced—a year ago, when I had given Mary a golden pen.
At that time, I had made her sign a contract binding her to serve me as her master for life.
‘That’s it. She really does see me as her master.’
The reason she couldn’t sleep and kept thinking of me.
The reason she followed me everywhere and volunteered her service.
It all stemmed from that ingrained sense of me being her master.
There was no other explanation for such obsession.
‘Sigh… I thoughtlessly ordered her to make me her master since she offered, and now I’ve turned her into a stalker.’
Realizing my own mistake, I rubbed my temples, and Mary grew concerned.
“Are you… are you alright? Does something hurt…?”
“No. My mind’s just complicated.”
“There’s no need to overthink it! I’ll follow you as if I’m not even there. Please let me travel with you. I won’t be a bother!”
I lifted my head and stared directly at Mary.
My eyes questioning whether I could trust this.
‘Isn’t this like carrying around a curse?’
Honestly, traveling alone would be more convenient than having company.
No restrictions on my actions, no need to worry about a companion.
Strictly speaking, she was more of a subordinate than a companion.
‘But having a subordinate might actually be convenient, wouldn’t it?’
I could have her do various tasks during the journey and offload tedious work onto her.
Whether it’s a curse or a blessing—only time would tell.
I sighed and finally nodded.
“Fine. Do as you wish.”
“Wow! Thank you! Oh, was I too excited? Hehe.”
Mary hastily lowered her head, but my gaze remained skeptical.
Then, a Quest completion message appeared—belated but welcome.
[Accepted the successor trial and left the family—Complete!]
[Cleared the sudden Quest!]
[You have gained 2,000 proficiency in 5th Circle skills as a reward.]
[The achievement level of skill ‘Magic Replication’ has reached 2 stars.]
[The number of magics you can acquire has increased from 1▶2.]
[The achievement level of skill ‘Magic Replication’ has reached 3 stars.]
[The number of magic spells you can acquire has increased from 2 to 3.]
[The skill ‘Magic Replication’ has reached 4-star proficiency.]
[The number of magic spells you can acquire has increased from 3 to 4.]
[Proficiency remaining until 5-star achievement: 600/3,000]
As the messages cascaded before me, my eyes widened with exhilaration.
I’d anticipated reaching 4-star in one fell swoop, but I hadn’t expected the number of acquirable spells to increase as well.
‘Now I can acquire four spells per mage through Magic Replication.’
A single quest had dramatically amplified my efficiency.
To me, mages were nothing more than walking treasure chests brimming with skills.
‘To raise proficiency further, I need to use the skill… but who should I test it on first?’
My gaze naturally drifted to the side.
My test subject was blinking at me curiously.
“Is something wrong, sir?”
“Just stay still for a moment.”
“Pardon?”
As I reached out and stepped closer, Mary flinched and squeezed her eyes shut.
Her shoulders trembled as if she expected to be devoured.
Regardless, I quietly activated the skill.
【Skill Activated: Magic Replication】
[Randomly replicating 4 spells from ‘Mary Bryant’.]
[You have acquired the 2-Circle spell ‘Mana Skin’!]
[You have acquired the 3-Circle spell ‘Lightning Hands’!]
[You have acquired the 4-Circle spell ‘Barrier’!]
[You have acquired the 5-Circle spell ‘Invisibility’!]
[Skill proficiency has increased by 130.]
[Proficiency remaining until 5-star achievement: 730/3,000]
I could sense five mana rings emanating from Mary’s chest.
I could randomly learn magic up to the maximum 5-Circle tier.
And I’d acquired four of them at once.
‘There was no visual effect when the skill activated.’
That meant I could acquire magic without the target’s knowledge.
As expected.
Mary opened her eyes and looked at me with a confused expression.
“You had something in your hair.”
“Oh.”
I brushed my hair casually and turned my attention back to the messages, unaware that Mary had lowered her head in embarrassment.
Without realizing that Mary had bowed her head in embarrassment.
‘Let’s see… I acquired quite a few support spells? Mana Skin, Barrier, and Invisibility too?’
Support magic was beyond my capacity to absorb.
Of course, I could use them with Carbollearos’s assistance, but relying on others didn’t suit my nature.
I cannot rely on Carbollearos’s aid indefinitely.
‘I need to prepare for situations where he might not be available.’
After all, magic like Invisibility cannot be used by anyone but the caster.
Now that I’ve learned it, I’ll be able to put it to good use.
‘Interesting—when I replicate a skill, the caster’s name appears?’
Perhaps I can use this as a means to identify my opponent’s true identity.
‘Status window.’
[Name: Zeke McLafflin]
[Tags: Reincarnate of Pangaea Continent, Decan Kingdom’s Greatest Prestigious Magic Family, Youngest of Duke Family, Mage-Slayer, Illegitimate Child, Diligent, Bookworm, 16 Years Old, SS-Rank Hunter, Intermediate Aura Master, Draconian, Genius of Silent Incantation]
[Strength: 3,460 / Intelligence: 3,386]
[Agility: 3,468 / Stamina: 3,492]
[Recovery: 3,445 / Resistance: 3,396]
[Mana: 15,100]
[Basic Skills: Interpretation, Analysis, Rune Absorption, Aura Operation, Aura Infusion, Aura Blade, Subspace, Eye of Truth, Blessing of Light, Hunter’s Senses, Banish with Poison, Mana Skin, Lightning Hands, Barrier, Invisibility]
[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 (9-Star)]
[5th Awakening Skill: Magic Replication (4-Star)]
[6th Awakening Skill: ???]
[7th Awakening Skill: ???]
Opening my status window, I noticed my tags had changed.
My age had increased to 16, and my Aura Master rank had advanced from beginner to intermediate.
All my stats had grown across the board.
I had made considerable progress compared to a year ago.
Additionally, the spells I had just learned were now listed among my basic skills.
[Basic Skill: Barrier]
-Effect: Creates a barrier composed of mana around you.
-Special Note: Size and durability increase based on Intelligence stat.
The description was written as proof that this was a skill I had mastered.
‘Am I really acquiring skills this easily?’
The corners of my mouth lifted into a smile.
There was a time when I wondered what it would have been like to study magic instead of aura, but now I didn’t envy mages in the slightest.
‘I thought this was a curse, but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise.’
Perhaps my gaze had made her uncomfortable, as Mary asked with a hint of anxiety.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that, Young Master? Did something get on my face again?”
“No. Nothing at all.”
“But Young Master, where are we headed? Have you decided on a destination?”
At her words, I paused briefly before breaking into a grin.
“I have. Just now.”
“Huh? Just now?”
“Truth is, I have no interest in building a reputation or becoming a family head. What I want is to travel the world and meet as many mages as possible—whether as enemies or allies. So what profession would be best for that?”
It was an abrupt question, but Mary considered it seriously.
“Hmm, if you want to meet diverse mages, a mercenary would be ideal, wouldn’t it? There are mercenary companies composed entirely of mages, and you could also participate in territorial wars to face enemy mages.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m going to become a mercenary. And so are you.”
Mary’s eyes widened.
She was suddenly becoming a mercenary alongside her master.
“I originally thought I’d work as a mercenary alone, but with you around, it’s better we go together. At your age, reaching the 5th Circle is exceptional, isn’t it? Two of us will have an easier time joining a renowned mercenary company than I would alone.”
“That’s certainly true.”
“So we’re heading to the Tenjin Region below.”
“Tenjin? That’s practically the Borderlands. Why there…?”
“Because there’s one more person I need to recruit as a member.”
‘Slave Number One, whom you don’t even know about.’
Zeke swallowed the rest of his words, his lips curling into a subtle smile.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————