The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 80

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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 80

The streets of Trion were as deserted as the gateway.

Street stalls were tightly shut, and carriages were haphazardly parked along the roadside.

It was far too desolate a scene for one of the major cities representing the western Empire.

“Ugh…”

Renia shuddered as she watched a passing pedestrian.

The few Trion citizens we encountered all wore bright smiles as if they had made some kind of pact.

“Ha, hahahat.”

They were laughing, but there was no emotion whatsoever carried in that laughter.

Their movements were also stiff, and their routes seemed to circle only predetermined areas rather than having actual destinations.

They looked like puppets in a puppet show, repeating only predetermined actions.

“We, welcome, you. Rooms are, upstairs. Have a comfort, able and pleasant night, hahahaha!”

“Reagan, this person is the same too…”

“Yeah.”

Even the noble who provided us lodging was in the same condition.

“Welcome to, haha, Trion. Please rest comfort, ably. Welcome to Trion. Please, kyahat, rest comfortably.”

Just in case, I tried asking a few questions, but only stereotypical answers came back.

When I asked the same question repeatedly, they gave exactly the same answers as the guard I’d seen earlier, not missing a single word.

In the end, we went up to the upstairs lodging and unpacked without gaining any useful information.

“Everyone, look over there.”

Sheril pointed outside the window.

In one corner of the street, there was a street musician playing a lute with all its strings broken, laughing madly.

‘It seems certain that all the city’s people are under some kind of spell.’

I could be sure because most of the victims who had suffered mental interference from Malik in my previous life were in this state.

Currently, all of Trion’s citizens were in a state where their consciousness itself was completely detached from reality.

“…Sheril, can the Mirage Tower’s illusion magic turn people into puppets?”

“It’s impossible. Illusion magic only shows hallucinations at most; it cannot manipulate the mind.”

“What if illusion magic were combined with black magic or dark magic?”

“…That’s.”

Sheril thought carefully before nodding her head.

“I’m not a black mage, so it’s difficult to give you a definitive answer, but… if it’s dark magic, it might not be entirely impossible. There are actually dark magic spells that erase memories…”

Sheril trailed off.

“However, the scale doesn’t make sense.”

“Right. That’s true.”

I was also certain that this situation was Malik’s doing.

However, what I couldn’t understand was precisely that scale.

‘Malik… couldn’t use mental magic on this scale even in my previous life.’

Brainwashing people through mental manipulation magic and making them move according to his will was Malik’s specialty.

However, mental magic is inherently high-difficulty magic. Even Malik, who had reached the 7th Rank in my previous life, could brainwash at most a single-digit number of people at once.

Brainwashing all these citizens and making them move according to his will was not something he could do at his current level.

And there’s no way Malik could have reached the 8th Rank.

“Sheril, do you think all the mages of the Mirage Tower working together could brainwash all of Trion’s citizens?”

“No. It’s absolutely impossible.”

I asked just in case, but the expected answer came back.

“Moreover, if they had done such a thing, the other two towers wouldn’t have just stood by and watched.”

“What about the possibility that the mages of the Azure Tower and Thorn Tower are also brainwashed?”

“That’s even more impossible. It might be different for ordinary people who haven’t learned magic, but infiltrating the mental world of mages who have accepted mana requires having a rank far higher than the target.”

“This is troubling.”

In the end, we currently have no way of knowing how Malik managed to brainwash all of Trion’s citizens.

“No matter how you look at it, things have gone completely mad.”

Valen, who had heard the entire conversation, draped his cloak over his shoulders and grabbed the door handle.

“Where are you going?”

“First, I’ll take a look around the city to see if there are any dangerous elements. If something happens, shoot an illumination spell into the sky. I’ll join you immediately.”

Valen said this and left the lodging alone.

After he disappeared, heavy silence continued in the room.

Arno glanced at the citizens coming and going outside the window with a thoroughly disgusted expression. He seemed to genuinely regret coming here.

“Hey, Reagan. What are we going to do now?”

“What do you mean what are we going to do. Do we have a choice?”

I got up from my seat.

“First, we should go to the Spiral Tower. After all, our ostensible reason for coming to Trion is to pay our respects.”

“No way, you want to visit the Spiral Tower in this situation? Are you crazy? At least until Uncle Valen returns…”

“No.”

I looked at Arno and spoke decisively.

“Trust me. In a situation like this, it’s actually better to act according to plan.”

“Why?”

I answered with a slight smile.

“What do you think would happen if we acted suspiciously outside of our planned schedule, and all of Trion’s citizens considered us enemies?”

“…”

Arno, hearing my words, let out a small hiccup.

* * *

The Spiral Tower was located in the very center of Trion.

We could reach it by walking straight along the main road from our lodging, so there was no chance of getting lost.

I checked the condition of passersby in case there might be someone in their right mind, but the citizens we occasionally encountered were all puppets with grotesquely raised corners of their mouths.

Eventually, we were able to arrive in front of the Spiral Tower before long.

“Welcome, khat, please come in.”

The mages guarding the entrance to the Spiral Tower were also wearing the same smile as the citizens.

It seemed brainwashing made no exception for mages either.

“This is strange, indeed.”

Even Sheril frowned.

She had just judged that brainwashing mages was impossible.

Even if it were possible, to brainwash this many mages.

It couldn’t be possible with Malik’s individual abilities.

“We’ve come from Benheim to pay our respects.”

When we went inside and explained the situation, the brightly smiling mages didn’t even show suspicion and guided us to the memorial site in the center of the Spiral Tower.

The funeral flowers were already rotting and falling apart, and dust had settled white on the incense burners.

For a memorial site of a former representative, it looked like it had been neglected for at least a week, but the mages helping with guidance just kept grinning like mad people, and none of them seemed to care.

“…Tsk.”

I placed Benheim’s jewelry box next to the dust-covered tombstone while trying not to show my feelings.

After that, we were guided to a drawing room, and a few minutes later, someone opened the door and entered the room.

It was a middle-aged woman with red wine-colored hair and a gentle impression.

“Ah, Lady Rosaline!”

Arno brightened up and jumped to his feet.

“Who is she? Do you know her?”

“Rosaline Blair. She’s the Thorn Tower Lord. I’ve met her a few times in social circles before.”

At Arno’s words, I carefully observed the woman who had entered the room.

Thorn Tower Lord Rosaline Blair. She was definitely of a different caliber from the ordinary mages we had seen on our way here.

Befitting her position as Tower Lord, her level was at the highest tier of the 6th Rank.

Equal to or higher than Valen, the Warden of the Runes.

She was undoubtedly a powerful individual.

However, when Rosaline opened her mouth next, we all had no choice but to stiffen our faces.

“To Benheim’s condolences, haha, the Spiral Tower expresses deep gratitude.”

A dry, emotionless tone with no fluctuation in feeling.

Parched laughter erupting intermittently.

Two unfocused pupils.

And finally, lips stretched in a wide smile.

“…Ah.”

Arno’s expression was stained with despair.

In the end, even the Thorn Tower Lord at the peak of the 6th Rank couldn’t escape the aftermath of mental manipulation.

‘…Then the Azure Tower Lord must be the same.’

Other mages aside, someone at the Tower Lord level should have resistance to ordinary mental manipulation magic.

Hadn’t Sheril said that to interfere with a mage’s mental world, there needed to be a stark difference in rank?

This was clearly abnormal.

“Tower Lord Rosalindr, Benheim’s successor has come to offer condolences on behalf of the family head.”

Though I politely offered my greeting, Rosalindr only stared at the empty air beyond my shoulder with unfocused eyes.

“To Benheim’s, condolences, hahaha, we are grateful.”

I hadn’t expected a meaningful response to return.

However, just in case, I tried asking another question.

“Lady Rosalindr. By any chance, how did the former representative of the Spiral Tower pass away?”

At my question, Rosalindr paused for a moment before stammering out an answer.

“While trying to control, the rampage of a mana vein, the mana, ahaha! backflowed and he passed away.”

Then she shook her head as if sad, but each movement reminded me of a clockwork doll mimicking human behavior, which was quite unpleasant.

“Died trying to stop… a mana vein’s rampage?”

Renia tilted her head in confusion. Her doubt was justified too.

A 7th Rank mage dying because he couldn’t control a single mana vein.

It was an obvious lie.

Such a flimsy excuse wasn’t even worth believing.

However, probing deeper about this might arouse unnecessary suspicion, so I asked a different question instead.

“Then could I meet the newly elected representative of the Spiral Tower? I have matters to discuss regarding the Great Mage Alliance.”

Naturally, I thought another standardized response would return like before.

However, Rosalindr’s reaction completely exceeded my expectations.

“Shut up!!!!”

Rosalindr’s mouth opened grotesquely as she began shrieking like a beast.

The emotionless face from moments before was nowhere to be found.

Her facial muscles were hideously contorted as if truly enraged, and emotion was laden in her tone.

“The Spiral Tower is no longer part of the Great Mage Alliance!!! Mind your own business!!! How dare you Benheim rat bastards!!! Aaaah!”

At the sudden shouting, Renia and Arno stepped back in shock.

I narrowed my eyes and examined Rosalindr’s distorted face.

There was emotion present.

However, this anger was not Rosalindr’s own will.

Rosalindr’s voice was layered in two parts.

Over her clear voice, a neurotic young man’s voice mixed with metallic sounds was overlaid.

‘This is… Malik’s will.’

Malik was monitoring us through the vision of his brainwashed puppet. So when necessary, he could remotely manipulate the puppet like this to convey his intentions.

Breaking the brainwashing here and now… would probably be possible. I have Barisada, a sword that cuts magic, after all.

However, I still don’t even know what method Malik used to seize control of the entire city. Acting rashly would carry too much risk.

“…I apologize. That was a slip of the tongue. We’ll be taking our leave now.”

As I turned around and spoke, Rosalindr put on a smiling face again as if nothing had happened.

“Please go, *hiccup*, safely. Thank you for your visit.”

At that chilling temperature difference, Arno and Renia just stared at my face, pale as sheets.

“What are you doing?”

“Uh, huh?”

“Let’s go back. Our business here is finished.”

First, finding out what Malik’s true intentions were was the urgent priority.

* * *

How much time had passed since we returned to our lodging like that?

Valen, who had finished his reconnaissance, came back.

“Did you find out anything?”

“Not particularly. Most of the citizens were inside their homes. Just in case, I peered inside and they were mechanically repeating their usual activities.”

At Valen’s words, I recalled the street musician I had seen from outside the window. The man who was smiling while playing a lute with broken strings.

It seemed all the puppets Malik had brainwashed were unconsciously repeating what they used to do in life.

It was the same as what I had seen in my previous life.

That meant eliminating Malik himself was the only solution.

“Ah, I did obtain one piece of information though.”

“What is it?”

“They say a festival starts tomorrow.”

“…What festival? Starting tomorrow?”

“That’s right. There was a crude festival stage prepared in one corner of Trion Square. A poster said the festival starts tomorrow.”

Valen pulled out a crumpled poster from his chest and grinned.

“When I tore this off, the citizens nearby came charging at me like they wanted to kill me, so I had some trouble shaking them off.”

“…Hah.”

To calmly tear off a flyer from among brainwashed citizens.

There’s no such thing as a stronger heart than that.

I took the poster Valen handed me and examined it. It was crudely made as if drawn by a child. The writing was so messily scrawled that it took considerable time to interpret.

[Laughter Festival]

[Date – Day of the Moon’s Bite]

“A Laughter Festival… was this originally a festival in Trion?”

“Not that I recall. I wouldn’t have approved a festival with such a name either.”

I flipped the poster over.

On the back, it read:

[Congratulations on the great Malik’s inauguration!]

[Forget your sorrows and let’s all smile together!]

[Until every citizen of Trion is smiling.]

[※ Warning: Laughter is contagious. Those who don’t laugh cannot participate in the festival.]

“…Ha.”

I snorted.

The Laughter Festival was a game of house that the new representative of the Spiral Tower, that is, Malik Elrayson himself, was holding for himself.

And the date was even tomorrow.

‘Day of the Moon’s Bite.’

As could be seen from Renia being attacked by black mages in the past, the Day of the Moon’s Bite is when negative energy becomes strongest.

There’s no day more suitable for a mage to perform large-scale rituals.

“…He’s quite extreme with his doll play.”

I crumpled up the poster and expressed my modest impression.

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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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