The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 36

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

Chapter 36

With Valen’s approval, we commenced the operation.

It wasn’t much of an operation, really. We simply boarded the Black Crows mercenary group’s slave transport wagon and boldly snuck into the Black Mages’ stronghold.

However, to the branch mages who had to board the wagon, this must have seemed like a suicide mission.

“This is insane. Absolutely insane! This is madness!”

“Quiet, Brock. We’re almost at their stronghold, so shut your mouth.”

Since Brock had the most influence among the branch mages, he chattered incessantly until we boarded the wagon and moved to the abandoned mine. My ears were starting to hurt from listening to him.

“This doesn’t make sense… Reagan, you tricked me! You said this was definitely a secret operation!”

“Well, from now on it’s definitely a secret operation. What could be more secretive than walking into the heart of enemy territory with our own feet?”

“We’re all going to die! It’s like entering a tiger’s den barehanded without any weapons!”

Brock made a tearful face as he patted down his body. The branch mages in the wagon had no staffs or artifacts, wearing only tattered clothes.

“What does it matter if a mage has weapons or not? As long as the mana core is intact, that’s enough.”

“That’s your standard!”

“This is why young ones are…”

“You’re young too!”

Just as Brock was voicing his grievances, the wagon jolted heavily. We had entered the narrow passage of the abandoned mine.

Soon the wagon stopped in a huge cavity that served as a loading yard.

“Remember. If you just do as I told you, you won’t die.”

The branch mages reluctantly nodded at my words.

The cargo compartment door opened. There were four Black Mages total in the cavity. They couldn’t even imagine that mere ‘goods’ would fight back.

While I drew the Black Mages’ attention, everyone moved according to strategy.

The commotion was brief.

—Thud!

The branch mages including Brock stabbed the defenseless Black Mages in their vital points, killing them, and I subdued the lone remaining Black Mage.

Some branch mages trembled at killing a person for the first time, but that trembling didn’t last long.

“Hii, hiiek! P-please spare me!”

The Black Mage prostrated flat under my feet let out a shrill scream.

I had subdued him without killing since he seemed to have high status, and fortunately unlike Elder Beron, this guy didn’t seem to have any prohibition spells on him.

As soon as the blade touched his neck, he started spilling information I hadn’t even asked for.

“I-I truly committed a mortal sin. I was just following orders!”

“Where did you use the people you captured?”

“Th-that is…”

“Speak.”

“For experiments… and as ritual materials…”

“Bastards.”

Just as I expected.

I didn’t need to hear more as it was obvious. I kicked him and asked.

“There must still be people alive. Where are they?”

“Th-the ones we captured last week are all in the cavity next to this one! There’s a prison there!”

“How many guards are there in total?”

“Four.”

“What tier?”

“Probably… 3rd tier.”

Three 3rd tier Black Mages.

A manageable level for the branch mages here.

However, causing a commotion would be problematic in many ways. It could become dangerous if more personnel were added. I decided to take advantage of infiltration.

“You, your name was Calus, right?”

“Y-yes…”

“Guide us to the prison next door. But disguise it like you’re escorting us. You understand what I mean, right?”

“Th-that means… to betray the others…”

“You catch on quick. Try anything funny and you’ll get a hole in your chest.”

Calus, who hesitated at first, became obedient when I lightly pricked his shoulder blade with my sword tip.

The cave passage we entered was damp and gloomy. The fishy smell of blood and the distinctive stench of black magic vibrated from everywhere. As my expression naturally hardened, Brock carefully asked.

“Reagan… you’re… okay, right?”

“Just, old memories coming back.”

A sensation similar to exploring Black Mages’ lairs in the past.

I clicked my tongue looking at the black magic formulas carved into the cave walls.

‘I never thought Black Mages would be swarming at such an early point.’

Black Mages are like cockroaches. Once they proliferate, they multiply uncontrollably.

Even though the Imperial Magic Order designated black magic as taboo and threatened extreme punishment for violations, the number of Black Mages showed no signs of decreasing.

Perhaps it was natural. Like swordsmen, mages also worship power. Those who hit walls as mages come to crave methods to elevate their realm, and black magic is inevitably an attractive option.

After all, the very reason the Archmage King started the war was to achieve the 9th tier and transcend humanity.

“…Tsk.”

My mouth felt bitter.

It felt like I had a mouthful of bitter herb roots.

“H-here it is.”

As I was taking deep breaths to shake off distracting thoughts, we had arrived at the cavity where the hostages were imprisoned.

The three Black Mages standing guard lowered their vigilance upon seeing Calus’s face.

“Guk!”

“Kwaak!”

We didn’t miss that momentary gap.

The branch mages simultaneously fired rune magic, and instantly three corpses were sprawled on the ground.

Though I hadn’t given separate instructions, it was swift and efficient. Even though they looked ready to die when in the wagon, once thrown into the actual situation, the branch mages thrived like fish in water.

Even if they were branch mages, they were still Benheim’s mages. Or perhaps their blood boiled at the Black Mages’ cruelty.

Inwardly clicking my tongue, I surveyed the prison’s full view.

“…”

Standing before the iron bars, dozens of pairs of terror-stricken eyes turned toward me.

A horrific sight.

Nearly dozens of people were caged like beasts.

Most were children or young people. Among them were mixed a few corpses.

“…Ugh.”

Brock and several mages turned their eyes away. It seemed like a sight too difficult for pampered noble young masters to handle.

I scanned the interior.

Then, one prison cell particularly caught my eye.

At the very back of the cavity, unlike the other iron cages, there was a private cell with luxurious furniture and a bed.

A girl sat inside it.

“…”

A dull, lifeless girl, as if a colorless painting had been brought directly into reality.

She sat on the bed reading a book, paying no attention to the commotion outside.

I stood in front of the private cell.

It wasn’t a face I knew. However, her features were strangely familiar. Had I seen her in my previous life?

I tried to recall, but no particular name came to mind.

“Who are you?”

At my question, the girl raised her head. Unfocused gray eyes turned toward me.

“…And who are you.”

I hadn’t expected her to answer a question with a question, so I furrowed my brow.

“I’m not a Black Mage. Rather, I came to rescue you.”

“Really? Then go ahead and rescue me.”

The girl turned her eyes back to her book. As if it were someone else’s business, she seemed to have no particular attachment to her own life.

However, I could feel the precarious yet pure flow of mana around the girl’s body.

‘A mage. And a 3rd tier one at that.’

From her appearance, she seems to be around my age.

A 3rd tier mage at this age would likely be from a fairly prestigious magical family.

Seeing that she’s imprisoned, she doesn’t seem to be part of the Black Mage gang, and there’s no disgusting smell coming from her body.

Most importantly, there must be a reason why they’re giving her such special treatment and keeping her locked up.

She must be an important figure to the Black Mages.

“Listen carefully. You have two choices.”

I continued speaking while tapping on the iron bars.

“First, dying a dog’s death in this cavern that could collapse at any moment.”

As soon as the words “dog’s death” came out, small screams and sobs erupted from among the imprisoned children.

The girl stopped turning the pages of her book, but still didn’t raise her head.

I paid no attention and raised my second finger.

“Second, following us and escaping from this damned den. The choice is yours, but I’d personally recommend the second option.”

A moment of silence passed.

The girl closed the book she was reading and looked up at me.

“I don’t like either option.”

“Then which one do you dislike less?”

“The latter.”

“It’s decided then. Come out and follow me.”

I gestured to Calus, and he tremblingly pulled out a bundle of keys.

* * *

It seemed this colorless girl had been acting as the focal point for the children imprisoned here.

“Everyone come out. Let’s go home.”

When the girl spoke in her dry voice, the children began following us without complaint.

While Brock unlocked the shackles on the children’s bodies one by one, I pushed Calus’s back again.

“Now guide us inside.”

“Excuse me? Inside… you mean?”

“Yes. We can’t get out the way we came because of the barrier anyway.”

Barriers are usually one-way.

Since we entered through the only entrance, we needed to find another way to get out.

Usually, you either kill the caster who deployed the barrier or…

“From now on, we destroy the barrier’s core.”

We need to destroy the core that serves as the barrier’s medium.

This was groundwork for the Rune Surveillance Unit that would be preparing to assault from outside.

It was also the second objective of the operation.

“So guide us to where the core is located. Right now.”

“Th-that’s not possible!”

Calus turned pale and shook his head frantically.

“That place is… truly dangerous…!”

“Why?”

Calus pointed to the dark passage ahead and spoke pleadingly.

“That place… that person is there.”

That person.

Come to think of it, the Black Mage who was communicating with Gerkin through the crystal sphere also used similar words.

There aren’t many names among Black Mages worthy of being called “that person.”

‘Could it be.’

Is the Archmage King here?

“Answer me. Who is that person? Is it the Archmage King?”

“Arch-Archmage King… who is that?”

However, Calus blinked his eyes as if hearing this for the first time.

Judging from his reaction so far, it didn’t seem like he was lying.

I thought that if he was a fellow Black Mage, he would at least know the Archmage King’s name, but perhaps he hasn’t emerged prominently at this point.

“Then is that person you mentioned perhaps Markel Benheim?”

“N-no. Lord Markel has been away for some time.”

This matches the Benheim informant’s report.

Markel Benheim is scheduled to show his face on the day of the meeting, five days from now.

“Then who exactly is there?”

“At the central mine… there’s a mercenary that the higher-ups hired at great expense.”

“A mercenary?”

“Yes. He’s an incredibly formidable person… He has truly monstrous skills! He cuts people’s necks like chopping radishes, thunk…”

So the mercenary they hired wasn’t just Gerkin after all.

Well, they probably couldn’t trust the third-rate Black Hyena mercenary group. It makes sense they’d hire other mercenaries to protect themselves.

“Who is this mercenary?”

“I-I don’t remember the name well. However… he calls himself the ‘Mercenary King.’ I heard that… he uses an incredibly large sword…”

“…”

Hearing that much, I could roughly guess.

A mercenary hired by Black Mages, who uses a massive long sword.

And the arrogance of calling himself the Mercenary King.

“Ha…”

Without realizing it, the corner of my mouth twisted upward.

He’s someone I could never forget even if I wanted to.

My nemesis who, during my days as a mercenary before regression, persistently tormented me while clinging to the Archmage King.

The Archmage King’s most faithful hunting dog, who would sell even his soul for money and power.

“…Barg.”

“Ah, yes! That’s right! That was definitely the name!”

Calus chimed in agreement.

I let out a small sigh and placed my hand on my sword hilt.

“How convenient.”

“Excuse me?”

I gripped the sword hilt hanging at my waist tightly.

Benheim’s treasured sword that I received from Stern vibrated slightly in response.

“It’s about time to settle an old grudge.”

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