The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 69

—————

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 69
“T-Tracy! P-please spare me….”
“Don’t call my name. It’s disgusting.”
At her glacial tone, Count Agos fell silent.
He instinctively sensed that any further words would only fan the flames of her rage.
He also understood that begging for forgiveness would be futile.
‘Damn it, this is bad. At this rate, my head might actually roll…!’
His life hung by a thread—dependent on the words of a woman he had violated.
He would have preferred to die as a warrior on the battlefield. He hadn’t clawed his way through life just to meet such a pathetic end.
“P-please, spare me. I was wrong. I’ll kneel and beg like this….”
“I’ve already made my decision, Father. Please dispose of this trash quickly.”
At his daughter’s cold voice, Count Hamilton felt somewhat troubled.
This was not the situation he had anticipated.
‘I thought she’d leave the decision to me, but Tracy is being this adamant….’
How could he possibly want to let the scoundrel who had violated his daughter live?
If he followed his heart, he would gouge out the man’s eyes and sever his neck right here.
But reality was not so simple.
Even in war, taking the life of someone who offers no resistance was not socially acceptable.
Especially not when the victim was a lord.
‘Even with justification, executing him would draw nothing but scorn from those around us.’
It would turn several nobles favorable to the Lord of Agos into enemies, and opportunistic vultures would swarm in, seizing the chance to hurl accusations and ride the tide of public opinion.
In short, social convention and political relations made it impossible to simply execute him.
To avoid complications, he would have to punish the crime without taking his life.
‘Explaining that to my daughter would be pointless—she wouldn’t listen….’
Given his daughter’s intense reaction, the lord could not bring himself to suggest mercy.
“Very well. Execute Count Agos.”
“W-what are you saying! This is not a decision to be made so hastily! Please, spare me! I beg you, please spare my life!”
Count Agos, desperate to live, pleaded frantically.
But Tracy turned away as if unwilling to listen, and Count Hamilton bowed his head as if resigned to the inevitable.
It was then that a vassal approached from the side.
“Your timing is perfect. Prepare immediately for the execution of Count Agos….”
“That must not happen, my lord.”
At the vassal’s objection, the lord’s brow furrowed.
“If this is about political consequences, I’m already aware. I intend to bear that burden entirely….”
“It is not for that reason.”
“Then?”
The vassal drew close and whispered something into the lord’s ear.
The contents were enough to astonish him.
“Is that truly so?”
“Yes. I only recently learned of it myself. Zeke McLafflin apparently detected it beforehand and captured him. Bring him here for a three-way confrontation.”
“Understood. Have them brought here at once.”
As the Vassal departed, Tracy approached her father, sensing that something had taken an unexpected turn.
“What’s happening?”
“Wait a moment. I’m still assessing the situation myself.”
Soon, the Vassal returned, escorting two men.
One was Baron Barton, the commanding officer, and the other was Zeke McLafflin, the war’s greatest hero.
“Greetings, my lord.”
“Welcome, Sir Zeke McLafflin. I’m delighted to see the hero who led us to victory again, but given the circumstances, I’ll dispense with pleasantries and speak plainly.”
“Yes, my lord. Please, proceed.”
“I’ve just heard something utterly preposterous….”
Count Hamilton’s gaze fixed upon the kneeling Barton.
“Is it true that Baron Barton is a spy?”
“Yes, it is true.”
“My lord! This is a misunderstanding! If you believe this man’s words… Gack!”
Zeke McLafflin immediately struck Barton’s jaw with a vicious backhand.
Blood sprayed as his jaw twisted, and the Vassals exchanged glances of disapproval at such brutality.
Even the lord himself seemed taken aback.
But Zeke McLafflin was not acting without evidence.
“My lord, I won’t waste time with explanations. Hearing it once is worth more than hearing it a hundred times told.”
“What do you mean….”
Zeke McLafflin ignored the lord’s words and produced the butterfly brooch.
The listening device he had used so effectively to root out traitors.
Click―
Two men’s voices soon emanated from the brooch.
―The operation you told me about is certain, yes?
―Of course. We’ll send one hundred cavalry shortly. You simply feign engagement with them while your main force enters through the Rear Gate.
―Is the Rear Gate unlocked?
―Not exactly, but it shouldn’t be difficult to break through. I’ve stationed most of my forces at the Main Gate.
―What’s the distance between the Main Gate and the Rear Gate?
―The distance is sufficient, so have no concerns. Even if Count Agos’s main force appears, we won’t be able to stop the gate from being breached.
―I hope your plan unfolds as intended.
―Rest assured. If any changes arise, I’ll contact you again.
Those who had been curious about what was happening before the button was pressed now stared at Barton with eyes wide in shock.
Count Hamilton himself gazed at the shameless traitor with an expression of utter disbelief.
“Baron Barton. Is this true? Did you truly collude with Count Agos?”
“….”
Barton could not respond.
He too was in turmoil.
He had never dreamed his conversation with Count Agos had been recorded.
‘When on earth…?’
Based on the content, the recording was made before the territorial war began.
That meant he had suspected me and attempted to eavesdrop from that point onward.
‘So he knew I was a traitor all along?’
He hadn’t apprehended me based on mere suspicion alone.
He had secured concrete evidence before taking action.
‘Damn it! I shouldn’t have underestimated him just because he’s young!’
Barton glanced at Zeke McLafflin and bit his lip in frustration.
In truth, even if he hadn’t underestimated him, there was nothing Barton could have done.
It wasn’t so much his mistake as it was Zeke McLafflin’s ability being absurdly overpowered.
“Baron Barton! Answer me! Is that conversation true?”
Sensing that there was nowhere left to retreat, Barton looked up at the lord with sharp, piercing eyes.
His expression had changed dramatically from before.
“What a foolish lord. Haven’t you grasped the situation yet?”
“Baron… Barton?”
“Damn it, this was a game I’d already won, yet I couldn’t even seize this one territory.”
Count Hamilton, shocked by those muttered words, belatedly grasped reality and erupted in fury.
“Baron Barton! I entrusted you with command, yet you’ve endangered my territory!”
“Who asked you to entrust me with command? You might as well entrust a fish to a cat.”
“You insolent wretch!”
Unable to bear the sarcasm, the lord shot to his feet and advanced toward Barton.
Drawing the sword from his waist.
“I shall sever your head here and now!”
“My lord, please. You must restrain yourself.”
Only after his vassals restrained him from killing Barton on the spot did the lord’s rage subside.
The shock of betrayal that Count Hamilton had suffered was beyond words.
“When did it start? When did you begin spying to swallow our territory?”
“Is that what matters in this situation?”
“Then what does matter?”
“What information I possess matters.”
“Information?”
“Surely you don’t think only you and Count Agos are involved in this affair?”
The Lord of Hamilton’s expression hardened.
I wondered why he remained so confident despite being exposed, but there was a reason for it.
Barton raised the corners of his mouth, straightened his chest, and made a bold demand.
“If you want to know who orchestrated this, let’s make a deal.”
“What? A deal?”
Prepare a horse and five hundred thousand gold for me to leave. Then I’ll tell you who ordered the attack on Hamilton Territory.”
“That’s ridiculous! Do you think I’d release a traitor who tried to seize my territory?”
“Then you’ll never obtain information about the mastermind.”
“Hmph, I’m not the only one who can obtain that information.”
The lord let out a scoff and shifted his gaze toward Count Agos.
“Count. You must know who’s behind this, don’t you?”
“W-well, of course I know….”
“There’s nothing to squeeze out of the Count. This fool knows nothing.”
“I-I’m not ignorant!”
“You’ve never even met that person, and you don’t even know their name. That’s what ignorance means.”
‘That person?’
Zeke McLafflin’s eyes gleamed at the mention of “that person” as he listened to their exchange.
[The target you are currently observing is speaking the ‘truth’.]
The system confirmed it—there was definitely someone pulling strings behind the scenes.
A powerful figure who had orchestrated and commanded the invasion of Hamilton Territory.
Then, an unexpected Quest materialized before my eyes.
【Sudden Quest: Uncover the Mastermind】
└Kierus Barton claims there is a mastermind behind the territorial war.
└Use your Fabrication skill to expose the true culprit.
【Conditions】
└Expose the mastermind using Fabrication skill
【Rewards】
└Random stat increase of 600
└5th-tier skill proficiency +4,000
Until now, only proficiency had increased, but the reward now included random stats for the first time in a while.
‘The system wants me to expose the mastermind.’
I had felt unsatisfied ending things here anyway.
‘Since the system is offering rewards, I should comply.’
With that thought, I observed Barton and Count Agos.
They were still bickering.
‘Use the Fabrication skill to expose the mastermind?’
A clever idea suddenly came to mind.
Zeke McLafflin carefully opened his mouth toward the lord, who seemed to be contemplating what to do.
“My lord. May I offer a suggestion?”
“Speak, Zeke McLafflin.”
“First, I believe we should imprison both men and postpone their punishment for now.”
“Postpone it?”
“The way they’re speaking suggests there truly is a mastermind. Shouldn’t we find them? The one who orchestrated this entire debacle?”
“How would we find them? Surely you’re not suggesting torture?”
As Zeke McLafflin nodded, Count Agos and Barton were startled in turn.
“T-torture?!”
“Wait, if you release me, I’ll reveal the mastermind!”
“Why would we need torture to extract information?”
At those words, Barton snorted derisively.
“Go ahead and try if you wish. You’ll soon realize it’s pointless.”
“I know it will be. Of course, I’ll need the Lord’s permission first.”
Zeke McLafflin spoke thus while gazing at the Lord of Hamilton.
Yet the Lord’s eyes were fixed elsewhere.
As if to say the decision rested with someone other than himself.
“Are you certain? Even if we let Count Agos live?”
“There’s no other choice….”
Tracy’s voice carried the weight of resignation, as if she understood there was no alternative.
She would have preferred to execute Count Agos immediately, but someone behind the scenes was involved in this affair.
They couldn’t kill him until they extracted information.
“Sigh, very well. You there!”
“Yes!”
“Imprison both of them in the Prison, as Zeke McLafflin suggests!”
As Barton and Count Agos were dragged away by soldiers, the Lord turned to his Vassal with another command.
“We need to extract information from them, so find someone capable of interrogation.”
“Understood….”
“Wait a moment.”
Zeke McLafflin interjected, cutting off the conversation.
“Would you entrust that task to me instead?”

—————

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

—————