The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 50

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

Chapter 50

 

Three days later, we visited the Imperial Mage Tower according to the schedule for the council meeting to begin.

 

While riding in the carriage, Renia looked at me with a worried expression, as if remembering last night’s events.

 

“Don’t worry. I only received a brief scolding.”

 

When I said that, she visibly relaxed with relief.

 

We finally arrived at the Imperial Mage Tower.

 

The interior was as luxurious as its imposing exterior, but what was most surprising was that unlike how it appeared from outside, the internal scale was ridiculously massive.

 

“It’s spatial expansion magic.”

 

Seeing my interested expression, Steren explained.

 

“The inside is much more spacious than it looks from the outside. It’s magic of quite an advanced level that twists and connects space.”

 

I understood inwardly.

 

Renia’s resistance army barracks had similar magic applied to it. What looked like a shabby tent from the outside had space for a dozen or so people.

 

“Hey, Reagan. This is your first time here, right? I’ve been here three times already. Are you amazed because you’re a country bumpkin? Why don’t you close your mouth? You’ll start drooling.”

 

Arno thought my looking around was due to being overwhelmed by the tower’s magnificence and teased me. However, my consciousness was elsewhere.

 

‘…Damian Carius.’

 

The Imperial Magic Association headquarters is in the Imperial Mage Tower. Then this place could be called the Archmage King’s stronghold. Since Benheim had visited, that bastard who is the association’s chief investigator would also show himself.

 

Sure enough, as we walked further into the inner corridor, high-ranking mages from the Imperial Magic Association warmly welcomed us.

 

It was a moment when I could deeply feel that Benheim’s authority in the magic world was absolute.

 

“We meet again, Reagan.”

 

At the front of the group stood Chief Investigator Damian Carius.

 

He smiled warmly and offered me a handshake.

 

I reluctantly took his hand.

 

“You have a strong grip. Do you exercise?”

 

“…Just, well, it’s a hobby.”

 

I smiled as innocently as possible while looking at Damian.

 

I don’t know how my gaze appeared to him. But Damian seemed pleased with my reaction, his red eyes curving in satisfaction.

 

“Are you also attending this council meeting, Damian?”

 

“Of course. In place of the association president, I’ll be participating as the Imperial Magic Association representative. Naturally, I also have speaking rights.”

 

Did he manipulate the Grand Mage Alliance this way in my previous life too?

 

I could clearly see the tracks of this bastard who had grown his own forces while blinding and deafening the mages, backed by imperial authority.

 

Anger boiled up inside me, but I didn’t show it.

 

* * *

 

Afterwards, we were guided to the council chamber.

 

A massive circular meeting hall. The mages seemed to call this place the Round Table of Truth.

 

“Reagan, sorry, but you sit over there.”

 

Since Benheim had convened this council, we occupied the most central seats.

 

However, since I was a son-in-law of lower rank rather than direct blood, I was seated on the outskirts of the meeting hall. Renia pouted as if disappointed, but for me, this was actually better.

 

I could observe everyone, or more precisely, the head seat where Damian would sit, at a glance.

 

“You arrived first, Duke Benheim.”

 

Soon the council chamber doors opened and the mages from House Rucen arrived.

 

‘Kaiden Rucen…’

 

I focused on the red-haired woman following behind Kaiden, Petra Rucen.

 

Her physical condition was more stabilized than when we encountered her at the post station three days ago.

 

But it was merely a stopgap measure. From Rucen’s perspective, they didn’t want to become a topic of gossip at the council, so they must have taken some measures.

 

In any case, Rucen was one of the houses to watch carefully at this council. If they dropped any clues, I couldn’t miss them.

 

“Hey, that’s a face I haven’t seen before.”

 

At that moment, someone spoke toward me. When I turned my head, a woman with brown hair tied up was looking at me with interest.

 

‘…Is she a mage?’

 

Judging by the mana I felt from her body, she was at the beginning of the 6th circle. Not a particularly high level, but considering the woman appeared to be at most in her thirties, it was quite an impressive achievement.

 

However, what was strange was the woman’s attire. What she wore wasn’t the characteristic robes of a mage, but suspenders and a shirt with rolled-up sleeves. It was closer to work clothes.

 

“Ah, could you be that rumored son-in-law who newly joined Benheim?”

 

The woman’s eyes lit up as she saw Benheim’s crest on my uniform.

 

But before I could even answer, she grabbed my wrist. Since there was no hostility, I could have easily avoided it, but not knowing who she was, I decided to stay still.

 

“These gloves.”

 

The woman rubbed the leather gloves on my hands and asked.

 

“Uncle Valen would have had them, did you inherit them?”

 

I frowned. It seemed this woman was quite familiar with the gloves I had received from Valen.

 

“Do you know about these gloves?”

 

“What a joke. Of course I know about gloves made in Arcamen, since I’m the head of the family.”

 

“…”

 

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

 

But the woman had clearly said she was the family head.

 

Did my bewildered emotions show on my face? She laughed heartily and patted my back.

 

“Ahaha. I’m late with introductions. I’m Iline Arcamen. As I just said, I’m the head of Arcamen. You really didn’t expect me to be this young, did you?”

 

“…May I answer honestly?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Iline chuckled at my answer.

 

It was a fresh shock for me. I had thought even Kaiden Rucen, who was in his forties, was quite young among family heads, but to think there was a family head ten years younger than him.

 

“Are you flustered that a sister who’s only thirty-three is strutting around as a family head? Does it seem laughable?”

 

“That’s not the case.”

 

“What do you mean it’s not? It’s written all over your face.”

 

Iline smiled mischievously and asked.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“It’s Reagan.”

 

“Yeah. Reagan. That’s a good name.”

 

Iline put her arm around my neck as if we were close friends. Then she pointed toward the seats where Arcamen sat. There sat old men with bushy beards.

 

“Actually, I’m not the family head by choice. Those old fogeys you see over there forced me into it. Originally, Arcamen isn’t really a traditional mage family but more of a gathering of technicians. A kind of trade association? A family business bound by blood, you could say? So it would be more accurate to call me a representative rather than a family head.”

 

“I see.”

 

Now I could understand why Steren had said we didn’t need to be wary of Arcamen.

 

Open-minded and sociable.

 

If the family head was like this, the other mages in the family wouldn’t be much different either.

 

“That aside, you.”

 

Iline looked at my dantian with interest.

 

“You have a very unique mana core, don’t you? It looks similar to Benheim’s but different. Did you modify it yourself?”

 

“…”

 

Even saying that, was a family head still a family head? Iline had already grasped my mana core.

 

Just as I was about to give an appropriate answer.

 

——Click.

 

The council chamber doors opened and mages wearing purple robes filed in one after another. At their head was a white-haired old man.

 

It was a face I’d never seen before, but I could tell who he was. The pale-faced girl following behind the old man with her head bowed.

 

It was a face I had seen in Rodel half a year ago.

 

‘…Yusefin Airit.’

 

Iline brought her face close to mine without removing her arm from around my neck and asked.

 

“Hey, do you know who that person is?”

 

“Iridia… isn’t it?”

 

“Right. Iridia of Spectral Light. That’s the old man Oswald Irid, their family head.”

 

Iline’s lips twisted slightly.

 

“Hey, you’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you?”

 

Then Iline lowered her voice as much as possible and whispered.

 

“Airit’s heir was found in a Black Mage lair. They say he’s suffering from the Black Death. But you know what? No matter how I think about it, doesn’t it seem suspicious?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Heh. Playing innocent, are we? Either Airit’s head is colluding with the Black Mages to create the Black Death, or he’s treating it. Looking at that old man’s condition, the latter seems more likely.”

 

“….”

 

Iline, Archmage Lord of Arcamen, was voicing the same suspicions as Steren.

 

She claimed she only became head because the elders pushed her into it, but that alone wouldn’t be enough to lead a Great Magic Family.

 

Along with instantly grasping the uniqueness of my mana core, her insight was also extraordinary. In the end, the mage called Iline was also someone with abilities that didn’t fall short of other family heads.

 

Since I couldn’t tell if I could trust this person, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

 

“Wise. The right to remain silent is important.”

 

Iline chuckled as if pleased with my reaction, then stepped away.

 

“Reagan, was it? Come visit me once this council ends. I can look at your gloves and various other things. Who knows? I might give you something even better.”

 

Just then, Arcamen’s elders gestured to Iline. She clicked her tongue and moved away from me.

 

After that, Maelrn, who was the last to arrive, finally came. Maelrn’s head had black hair, blue eyes, and a bushy beard.

 

“It seems everyone has gathered.”

 

The Imperial Magic Academy President, who served as chairman, struck his gavel and spoke.

 

“We shall now begin the 178th Great Mage Alliance Council. Let Benheim, who convened this assembly, speak first.”

 

Steren rose from his seat. After looking around once, he opened his mouth in a solemn tone.

 

“I’ll get straight to the point. The Black Mages already have their blades at our throats. The incident in Rodel isn’t the entirety of the problem.”

 

Steren spoke with a deep sigh.

 

“A Benheim elder and my younger brother were Black Mages. Not only that, but several Black Mages hiding their identities were discovered in the Magic Tower as well.”

 

Murmurs spread like waves. The fact that there were Black Mages within Benheim had been a secret. For other mage families, it was shocking news.

 

Steren drove the point home to the agitated assembly.

 

“This isn’t just Benheim’s problem. If Benheim’s heart has been penetrated, there’s no guarantee that other families are safe. The Black Mages are moving in an organized manner unlike before. It’s time we devise new methods as well.”

 

Steren’s gaze swept over Kaiden and Oswald in turn.

 

“I propose this. How about selecting elites from each family to organize a joint subjugation force? Under the name of the Great Mage Alliance, let’s completely cut out the tumor that is the Black Mages.”

 

After Steren finished speaking and sat back down, silence filled the hall.

 

A joint subjugation force.

 

The intention was to gather the military strength of each Great Mage Alliance family to check the Black Mages, while also uniting the families to root out traitors.

 

The first to speak was Maelrn’s head.

 

“Maelrn will not involve itself in such trivial matters.”

 

With his arms crossed, he looked around at everyone and continued in an arrogant tone.

 

“Even if Black Mages ran wild within a family, that’s due to Benheim’s negligent management, not a crisis for the entire continent. Since Maelrn’s territory is more peaceful than ever, we won’t concern ourselves. Handle it yourselves.”

 

Though these weren’t words that should come from a council convened for cooperation, everyone’s reaction was lukewarm. Rather, it was more of a ‘that figures’ response.

 

I was newly reminded of how accurate Steren’s explanation about Maelrn had been.

 

They were high-handed and uncooperative. Even their gaze toward others held a strange contempt.

 

As Maelrn’s head sat down as if he had finished speaking, Rucen spoke next.

 

“Rucen agrees with Benheim’s proposal. During the last Hunting Festival, the Black Mages also targeted Rucen’s mages. Those rats who dared challenge Rucen’s authority should all be caught and exterminated.”

 

Rucen valued face more than any other family. Their agreement with Benheim was probably all for the sake of appearances too.

 

However, I shouldn’t let down my guard. Given Petra’s condition, Rucen might also have connections with Black Mages.

 

Next, Airit’s head, Oswald, struggled to rise and spoke.

 

“Airit opposes this. Since there are many internal matters to resolve, we don’t have the luxury of contributing troops.”

 

Airit, on the other hand, was negative.

 

It could simply be due to lack of troops, but it could also be a move to protect the Black Mages.

 

Whatever the case, that family was the one to watch most carefully right now.

 

Perhaps for that reason, Airit’s statement was followed by other questions.

 

“There are rumors of an unknown disease spreading in Airit. Is it unrelated to that?”

 

“It’s none of your business.”

 

“We might be able to help.”

 

“We don’t need help. Airit will always stand proudly in the Great Mage Alliance as the Spectral Airit.”

 

Oswald reacted irritably.

 

His stubborn refusal to that extent was even more suspicious.

 

Just as everyone’s attention was focusing on Airit.

 

“May I speak?”

 

Chief Investigator Damian Carius raised his hand.

 

As the surroundings grew quiet, Damian opened his mouth with a gentle smile.

 

“The Imperial Magic Association is already hunting down Black Mages at every moment, so do we really need to mobilize the Great Mage Alliance’s forces as well? This could become an infringement on the Royal Court’s authority.”

 

Damian’s voice was soft, but the content wasn’t.

 

“The Black Mages are well confined in Grave, their dedicated prison. There isn’t even a speck of possibility for escape. If necessary, you’re welcome to visit for inspection. I’ll give the warden a heads-up to guide you kindly. So please trust and leave it to our Magic Association.”

 

The other mage families in the hall seemed convinced. Even the chairman, being the Imperial Magic Academy President, nodded as if agreeing with Damian’s opinion.

 

The fact that Black Mages were continuously being captured and their numbers appeared to be decreasing also lent weight to his opinion.

 

This was the authority of the Royal Court. A statement that possessed justification, practicality, and power all at once.

 

‘Tch.’

 

I clicked my tongue. The Archmage King was indeed in a very advantageous position.

 

“Let me summarize the opinions so far.”

 

The chairman struck his gavel and spoke.

 

Maelrn abstained, Benheim and Rucen were in favor, the Imperial Magic Association and Airit opposed.

 

In the end, the meeting was in a tense standoff.

 

“What about Arcamen?”

 

The chairman asked.

 

Iline, Archmage Lord of Arcamen, the last remaining speaker, shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Well. If a joint organization is formed by your decision, Arcamen promises full support. Even if military support is difficult, we can provide weapons and equipment for your use. But honestly, it’s all the same to us. To be frank, we’d actually prefer to reduce expenses if possible.”

 

In the end, she was casting a neutral vote. In a way, it was the right judgment. Since both sides’ opinions were sharply divided.

 

Eventually, the council ran parallel lines once again.

 

Watching this silently, I let out a small sigh.

 

No matter how much the Archmage King had gained the Royal Court’s protection, I had wondered if he could really bring down this massive alliance of Empire mages in less than a year.

 

But seeing this farce, I realized anew.

 

‘They deserved to fall.’

 

Somehow, these so-called leaders of the magic world were all half-wits.

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