The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 71

—————
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 71
With resolute determination burning in her eyes, she set her mind to something and moved forward.
Her destination: the Underground Dungeon beneath the Lord’s Castle.
She stepped into that place for the first time—where the most heinous criminals were imprisoned.
She had come to carry out the execution herself.
Thud, thud—
She descended the underground stairs with careful steps.
As she drew closer to the prison, tension mounted within her.
Shing—
Tracy withdrew the short blade she always kept close to her chest and concealed it behind her back.
She carried it for self-defense, but now she intended to use it for the execution.
‘You can do this. You can do it.’
Steeling her resolve, she followed the torchlight down the corridor until the prison came into view.
Inside, a Guard was conversing with someone.
The moment Tracy identified the other person, her eyes widened like those of a startled rabbit.
‘Count Agos…?’
The other person noticed her as well, his eyes widening in surprise.
He was not the sort of person one would expect to find in a dungeon.
“Miss? What brings you to this place?”
Tracy did not answer the Guard’s question and instead rushed forward recklessly.
Now was the opportune moment to take her revenge on her enemy.
“Die—!”
The blade shot forward to pierce Count Agos’s chest.
Or so she thought—but it was merely an illusion.
Her wrist was easily caught by the Count’s hand.
Her chance for revenge slipped away in an instant.
“What—what are you doing, Miss! Let go of that!”
Clang—
The Guard’s shout did not cause her to release the blade.
The Count’s brutal strength forced her to let it fall.
Yet Tracy refused to surrender.
“Die! You worthless scum—you deserve to die!”
With her free hand, she struck at the Count wildly.
That hand too was soon seized, but Tracy’s fury could not be contained.
She thrashed about desperately, trying to break free from his grip.
“Let go! Release me!”
“Calm yourself, Miss! This man is not Count Agos!”
“Let… what did you say?”
At those words, Tracy paused momentarily and looked at the man before her.
She wondered if she had mistaken his identity, yet no matter how she looked at him, he was unmistakably Count Agos.
Just as she was about to dismiss it as nonsense and make another desperate attempt.
Tracy’s mouth slowly fell open.
Her eyes widened with astonishment.
Because Count Agos’s face was transforming into someone else entirely.
“I suppose I created a misunderstanding by not dispelling the spell sooner.”
Zeke McLafflin, now restored to his true form, let out a hollow laugh.
Tracy recognized who Zeke McLafflin was.
The Sword Mage of the Golden Eagle Mercenary Corps who led the war to victory!
With such accolades attached to his name, and her father and his vassals praising him endlessly, she could hardly have remained ignorant.
She had even seen him at the Lord’s Hall earlier.
But now she felt rather bewildered.
Count Agos had transformed into Sir Zeke.
“W-what’s happening?”
“I used magic that allows me to alter my appearance. I intended to approach as an ally and extract information.”
“Ah….”
Tracy finally grasped the situation.
Why he had been wearing Count Agos’s visage.
And what mistake she had made.
“I-I’m terribly sorry. I never dreamed you were Sir Zeke. I’m truly sorry.”
“Did you come to kill the Count? To end your revenge with your own hands?”
Tracy nodded carefully.
Since she was already exposed, excuses would prove futile.
“Let us go to the Lord first. I’ve finished my business here as well.”
“Yes….”
Zeke McLafflin ascended to the surface with Tracy.
During their journey to the Lord’s Hall, neither spoke.
Zeke McLafflin had nothing particular to say, while Tracy worried about the Lord’s displeasure.
She also felt apologetic toward Zeke McLafflin.
“Let us enter.”
“Yes.”
Upon entering the Lord’s Hall, the Lord of Hamilton brightened at the sight of Zeke McLafflin.
“Sir Zeke. Welcome….”
Then, seeing his daughter follow behind, his expression hardened.
“Tracy? What brings you here?”
“Well….”
Tracy, hesitating, confessed what had transpired in the Prison.
That she had mistaken Sir Zeke McLafflin for Count Agos and attempted to kill him.
“What on earth possessed you to do such a thing…?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t kill him for political reasons, Father. So I decided to do it myself. If that man doesn’t die, I suffer too much….”
“Sigh….”
The Lord simply exhaled a long sigh and refrained from reproaching his daughter further.
How could he fault her for suffering the wounds of trauma?
If anyone deserved blame, it was himself—powerless to strike down a single count.
“Forgive me. I’ve dragged you into this nightmare.”
“…No, you haven’t.”
“We’ll discuss the count’s fate another time.”
The Lord turned his gaze toward Zeke.
“Sir Zeke. What came of your interrogation? Did Count Agos divulge anything of value?”
Zeke shook his head.
“No, my lord. As Barton said, the count knew remarkably little. He merely received instructions through a communication channel from whoever orchestrated this. That was the extent of it.”
“What manner of figure commands such influence that a single word moves him to invade our territory?”
“Consolidating the testimonies of two witnesses, I’ve identified the mastermind as Azrahil Johnston. He operates under the epithet Brahm’s Illusionist.”
“Brahm’s Illusionist…!?”
The Lord’s expression betrayed recognition.
“You’ve heard of him?”
“How could I not? He’s one of the legendary 12 Pioneers.”
Zeke’s eyes widened considerably.
Truthfully, I hadn’t known.
Information about the 12 Pioneers wasn’t recorded in history books, and I’d never thought to investigate them.
The 12 Pioneers existed only as epithets and whispered rumors.
“Why would such a formidable figure order an assault on our humble territory…?”
“According to the intelligence extracted from Barton, the objective was to seize the mine.”
“The mine?”
Hamilton Territory possessed the Hamilton Mine.
It was scarcely an exaggeration to say the mine alone had sustained the territory despite its perpetual financial strain.
For the inhabitants, it was not merely a means of self-sufficiency but the very lifeblood of their existence.
“Then this territorial war was waged solely to seize the Hamilton Mine?”
“Precisely. Barton infiltrated your service as a vassal from the outset with this objective, biding his time for opportunity. Upon learning that you doted upon your only daughter, he lured her to an isolated place, enabling Count Agos to perpetrate his heinous act. Everything proceeded according to their design—until they miscalculated and lost the territorial war.”
“Ah….”
The Lord finally grasped the full scope of the conspiracy.
While he had apprehended the spy, he could not absolve himself of responsibility.
He had hired Barton as a vassal, and he had appointed him as commander.
He could not deny his culpability in what befell his daughter.
Had he relinquished his obsession with her, Tracy would never have become a target.
“Ha… haha….”
The Lord fell silent, exhaling only sighs as despair and self-recrimination washed over him.
It was Zeke’s voice that drew his consciousness back from the abyss.
“My lord. Are you well?”
“Well… No, I am not.”
“If I may ask—does the Hamilton Mine possess value sufficient to warrant years of such meticulous planning?”
“Well… I’m not certain it’s worth all this effort. There’s no vein of gold running through it—merely an ordinary mine yielding iron ore, copper, and such common minerals. I confess, I cannot fathom why anyone would pursue it so relentlessly.”
“Is that so…?”
I had uncovered who was behind this and what they sought, yet the intelligence yielded little of substance.
The true purpose remained shrouded in mystery.
“Phew, you’ve done well, Sir Zeke. Merely obtaining information of this caliber is no small feat—your service is considerable.”
“Thank you, my Lord.”
“I hold your accomplishments in high regard and wish to bestow a generous reward upon you. Is there anything you desire?”
‘Desire? Yes, there is. Mages.’
To encounter as many mages as possible and accumulate proficiency against them.
That was what I truly wanted, yet it was not something the Lord could provide.
Besides, I had already received my reward.
Just now.
[Manipulation Skill utilized to expose the conspirators—Complete!]
[Sudden Quest cleared!]
[You receive a random stat increase of 600.]
[Strength increased permanently by 99.]
[Intelligence increased permanently by 102.]
[Agility increased permanently by 103.]
[Stamina increased permanently by 98.]
[Recovery increased permanently by 101.]
[Resistance increased permanently by 97.]
[Fifth-tier Skill proficiency increased by 4,000.]
[Proficiency remaining until 7-Star Achievement: 24,510/30,000]
‘Then it’s best I simply decline the Lord’s reward.’
I was about to refuse when I reconsidered.
‘Wait. If the Mercenary Company grows stronger than it is now, won’t we be able to undertake far more territorial conflicts?’
It seemed more advantageous to prioritize the Mercenary Company’s welfare rather than my own.
“I am content as I am, my Lord. Please see to the Mercenary Company’s needs instead.”
“The Mercenary Company?”
The Lord’s eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected request.
“You have a reason?”
“Without the Mercenary Company, I would never have come here. They are my comrades who have suffered alongside me, and so the reward should go to them. That alone satisfies me.”
The Lord was inwardly impressed by this answer, which differed from what he expected.
‘Remarkable. Most would demand various rewards for themselves, yet this boy thinks first of his comrades… Such depth of character for someone merely sixteen years old.’
Beyond his formidable skill, his virtue and integrity stirred an unexpected desire within the Lord.
It was only natural to wish to claim such exceptional talent for oneself.
“Would you have any interest in accepting a title?”

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