The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 104
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 104
Reagan thrust his mana sword straight into Arania’s heart.
Perhaps because all her internal organs were already twisted, the blade slid in smoothly without any resistance.
“Kuh, huk…”
The sword tip pierced through Arania’s back and protruded out. Arania staggered and vomited black blood.
At the same time, the thick shadows that had filled the audience chamber vanished without a trace. This was because Arania, the caster, had suffered a fatal wound and could no longer maintain her manifestation.
“…N-no…”
Arania staggered backward. As a result, Reagan’s sword was pulled out from her chest.
Not a single drop of blood flowed from the wound. Instead, Arania’s once-white skin began to turn ashen. Her fingertips crumbled like sand. The collapse of her body, which had reached its limit, had begun.
“I, I am…”
Dying. If this continues, it’s truly the end.
Arania squeezed out her last remaining survival instinct and threw her crumbling body into the shadows.
Shadow Dive. It was her final desperate struggle.
However, the dark magic in her fatally wounded state was incomplete, and after just a few steps, Arania was thrown onto the cold floor at the entrance of the audience chamber.
“Kuuugh…”
As Arania raised her head while vomiting black blood, a woman stood right in front of her.
“…Mother.”
It was Sheril, who had just arrived at the audience chamber.
At that moment, a faint gleam appeared in Arania’s clouded eyes.
“Ah, aah… Lashelle… My precious daughter.”
For Arania, who needed a body to transfer into immediately, Sheril was her only lifeline.
So Arania grabbed the hem of Sheril’s robe with a servile smile.
“Give me your body, give me your body…”
Before long, Arania’s voice had become hideously cracked, and the flesh on her cheeks was turning to ash and scattering.
“This mother has given you great love… I took you in… and made you a sub-tower lord, didn’t I…”
It was an ugly and pitiful plea. So much so that it was hard to believe this was the end of the great mage who had been called the Queen of Shadows.
Sheril watched this scene calmly, then slowly opened her mouth.
“To correct a few things, I’m not Lashelle, but Sheril.”
“…What?”
“And… I don’t know much about the love you gave me.”
Sheril indifferently held out both her hands.
Hands where all ten fingernails had been pulled out, turned dark red.
“If this is… what you call ‘love’… I think I’d rather live my whole life not knowing love.”
Sheril gave a bitter smile.
“Since I never received it, I can’t return it either.”
“…”
Arania’s body trembled violently.
“You ungrateful bitch! Who was it that took you in when you were starving to death in the back alleys and fed and clothed you! If you know the grace of being saved, you should rightfully offer your life to your mother!”
Arania’s demeanor changed completely. Sheril flinched at the angry voice, but someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
It was Renia.
Meeting that gaze, Sheril’s trembling stopped. She looked at the dying Arania and asked.
“…Mother, you just asked for my body. Does that mean… you’re telling me to die?”
“Yes! Offer that shining youth of yours to me!”
Sheril was no longer shaken. She realized there was no reason to be afraid.
And why wouldn’t she, when Sheril already had a real family to return to.
“Ah, aah… Child, please…”
Toward Arania, who repeated pleas and curses, Sheril smiled brightly.
“Mother.”
It was a vibrant smile that Sheril had never once shown before.
“I don’t want to die either.”
With those words…
Fsssss—.
Arania’s body began to collapse. The destruction that started from her fingertips quickly consumed her entire body, and Arania’s flesh scattered as a handful of ash.
It was a miserable and fleeting death, unworthy of the awe-inspiring title of 7th-tier dark mage.
“…Ha.”
In the silence, Rosalindr, who had been tending to her wounds, snorted.
Immediately after, Renia rushed over and supported Reagan.
“Reagan, your wounds are severe. Are you okay?”
Reagan shrugged his shoulders.
“…I won’t die.”
Though he had been hit by dark magic at the last moment, he had avoided vital spots. Unlike with Markel, he hadn’t consumed Chronos, so he wouldn’t be hovering between life and death.
‘…That was close.’
If he hadn’t had Hrunir’s heart, if he hadn’t had spectral magic, if he hadn’t had blade magic.
He would never have survived.
Realizing this fact, Reagan felt a chill down his spine.
‘As expected, I need to reach at least the 7th tier.’
Making that resolution, Reagan stood up with Renia’s support.
He checked on Melchior and Rosalindr’s condition. When their eyes met, Rosalindr gave a bitter smile and waved dismissively. Though the wounds weren’t shallow, they didn’t seem life-threatening.
So Reagan turned his head and spoke to Sheril, who was quietly gazing at the pile of ash that had once been her adoptive mother.
“…Hey.”
“…”
“Are you still Lashelle? Or… are you Sheril?”
At Reagan’s mischievous question, Sheril chuckled and replied.
“I’ll continue to be Sheril from now on.”
Reagan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Ah, about that expression you made earlier. It was quite worth seeing.”
“Is that so? I wasn’t conscious of it, but… smiling broadly felt quite good.”
“Finally got the will to live?”
“…Yes. I’ve developed the will to survive, even if it’s in a pathetic way. Thanks to you both.”
When Reagan looked toward Renia, she grinned and made a V sign with her left hand.
“Good.”
Reagan murmured quietly.
“That’s enough.”
* * *
We stayed in the audience chamber for a while to check our physical condition.
Fortunately, the Thorn Tower, where Rosalindr served as tower lord, was also well-versed in herbalism.
“Everyone drink this. I brought it just in case, and it’s a good thing I did.”
After drinking Rosalindr’s special potion, the bleeding stopped and the pain quickly subsided.
After completing the emergency treatment, Sheril and Renia each supported the recovered Melchior and Rosalindr as they left the audience chamber.
“Father, Allet, and Uncle Valen should be on the first floor. They were fighting the dark mages there.”
Renia said as we climbed the spiral staircase.
No wonder no one came to help despite all the commotion we made in the audience chamber—there was a reason for that.
We came up to the first floor inner corridor, and at that moment, a thick scent of blood hit our noses.
“…What the.”
The scene in the corridor was truly hellish.
On the floor, nearly a hundred corpses in black robes were piled up like mountains.
“Renia, by any chance… were the Rune Surveillance Unit deployed in this incident?”
“No? Uncle Valen, Allet, Father, and me. Just the four of us came.”
“That means…”
Just three people had completely wiped out nearly a hundred elite dark mages from the Shadow Tower?
What was even more surprising was the group of young girls huddled together and sobbing on one side of the corridor, beyond the pile of corpses.
“…They’re the ‘Daughters of the Shadow.’ All orphans adopted by Mother. The Shadow Daughters receive mana from Mother from a young age and become dark mages. The reason those children are crying is… they probably instinctively sensed their mother’s death.”
Sheril explained.
The Daughters of the Shadow—there wasn’t a single scratch on any of the girls’ bodies.
‘So… Father-in-law… while killing nearly a hundred dark mages… managed to subdue those children without harming them at all?’
Was such a thing even possible?
It was a moment that made me realize anew the majesty of a supreme 7th Rank archmage, the strongest of this era.
As I stood there speechless, blankly surveying the corridor’s situation, a familiar voice came from behind me.
“Just getting here now? You look terrible.”
It was Valen, his entire body drenched in sweat. Whether from the aftermath of fierce battle, Valen’s whole body was stained red with blood.
In contrast, Steren walking slowly behind him was strangely ordinary. Despite all the blood that had been spilled, not a single drop stained his suit.
‘…Wait, couldn’t I have just waited and gone in together to avoid all this trouble?’
Such complaints rose to my throat, but…
No.
If we had delayed, Arania would have transferred her soul into Sheril’s body, so the decision to enter first was correct.
As I tried to console myself with these thoughts.
“Hmm.”
Steren, who had walked up to us, placed his hand on his chin.
“I don’t sense Arania Sheydi’s presence. Reagan, did you finish her?”
“I didn’t exactly finish her—it was more like… she destroyed herself.”
It was due to repeatedly violating taboos to maintain her extended life.
7th Rank mages are monsters beyond normal standards—even if their chest is pierced, given enough time, they can somehow recover and avoid death.
However, Arania died from just one attack. Her rotting flesh couldn’t withstand the strain of intense battle.
If Sheril hadn’t escaped from the tower ten years ago, Arania would have transferred into a healthy, young body, and I couldn’t have won even if I died and came back to life.
In hindsight, Sheril’s choice to flee the Magic Tower ten years ago had led to Arania’s downfall.
“…I see. How… ironic.”
After hearing my explanation, Steren smiled bitterly. He must have felt some regret about the corruption and miserable end of an archmage he once knew.
However, Steren didn’t probe further about Arania and patted my shoulder.
“You did well, Reagan. I believed in you.”
Steren’s gaze turned to the two Tower Lords standing awkwardly behind me.
“Duke Melchior, Lady Rosalindr. You both must have had a difficult time.”
“Not at all. I’m just embarrassed to have been reduced to a supporting role despite being a Tower Lord.”
“…Ahem.”
Rosalindr scratched her cheek awkwardly and averted her gaze. Melchior also bowed his head with an embarrassed cough.
Finally, Steren looked at Renia and spoke.
“…Renia, congratulations on reaching the 6th Rank. Well done.”
“…Hm?”
At those words, I looked at Renia in surprise.
Indeed, though I had been too distracted to notice earlier, the level of mana flowing around Renia’s body was definitely at the 6th Rank.
‘Crazy…’
In such a short time.
Renia had finally broken through the 6th Rank barrier.
And Renia wasn’t even an adult yet.
‘What the hell is wrong with Benheim bloodlines?’
Unreasonably absurd talent.
Dumbfounded, I stared at Renia, and when our eyes met, she pushed her head toward me like a puppy seeking praise.
When I reluctantly ruffled her golden hair with the back of my unbloodied hand, Renia giggled with pleasure.
Steren’s expression briefly soured at the sight.
“Family Head.”
Sheril, who had been silent, slowly stepped forward.
“Sheril, you seem to have something to say.”
“Yes.”
Steren’s gaze moved to Sheril’s mangled hands. However, he waited silently for Sheril to speak first.
Eventually, Sheril dropped to her knees and bowed her head. Renia was startled, and Sheril began to speak.
“Our Shadow Tower has… caused tremendous trouble for the Great Mage Alliance, including Benheim. Nevertheless… I am grateful for your mercy and magnanimity, as vast as rivers and seas, in allowing us to leave successors.”
“….”
Steren silently looked down at Sheril.
In that heavy silence, Renia grabbed Sheril’s arm in alarm.
“Sheril, get up. You don’t need to apologize. We’re family!”
However, Steren slowly raised his hand to stop Renia.
“Renia, wait. Right now, Sheril is not… apologizing as Benheim’s servant.”
“What?”
Steren’s gaze turned to the girls quietly sobbing on one side of the corridor.
The children Arania had adopted to extend her own lifespan.
Following his gaze, I understood Steren and Sheril’s intentions.
“Renia, Sheril is apologizing as the next Tower Lord of the Shadow Tower.”
“…What?”
At my explanation, Renia’s violet eyes widened.
That was exactly right. Arania Morian Shaydi was dead. The dark mages under her command had all been slaughtered. All that remained were Vera, Sierra, and those ‘Daughters of the Shadow.’
Among them, Vera and Sierra were accomplices who had aided Arania’s atrocities, while the rest were just innocent young girls.
In the end, there was only one person here qualified to lead the Shadow Tower.
And that one person was now kneeling before Steren.
“…Sheril.”
Steren spoke in a grave voice. The current Steren was facing the next Tower Lord of the Shadow Tower as the master of Benheim Mage Tower.
Rosalindr and Melchior, fellow Tower Lords, also stood at attention as they looked at Sheril.
“The burden you wish to bear will not be light. Are you truly prepared for this?”
“I too am able to stand here thanks to Sister and others. In the end, I received the grace of salvation through others’ kindness, so it is only right that I repay this debt. As everyone’s elder sister, I have a duty to take responsibility for these children.”
“…Sheril, you don’t need to force yourself.”
“No.”
Though Renia tried to dissuade her with a worried expression, Sheril firmly shook her head.
Then, wiping her bloodied hands, she continued quietly.
“This too is the life I have chosen.”
“….”
“I will live the rest of my life as Sheril, Tower Lord of the Shadow Tower.”
The night of ceremony.
A new Queen of Shadows was born.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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