The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 95

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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 95

The Shadow Mage Tower was built inside a sheer cliff in the southeastern part of the continent.

A mage tower doesn’t always have to soar high toward the sky.

Moreover, for a mage tower of dark mages who made darkness their trade, it made more sense to turn away from the sun and burrow deep into the earth.

Passing through the lush and grotesquely grown vegetation, Lashelle Shady’s face darkened as she saw the black stone situated between the sheer ravines.

Wasn’t this just like livestock being dragged to a slaughterhouse?

However, if there was a difference between the two, it was that livestock gets dragged while Lashelle was walking into hell with her own feet.

In that sense, she was more foolish than livestock.

Vera almost burst into laughter but managed her expression and placed her hands on Lashelle’s shoulders.

“Sister, how does it feel to come back home?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“Come on, don’t be like that. You should give us a comment.”

When Sierra pestered her mischievously, Lashelle carefully opened her mouth.

“It looks a little… smaller than before. I suppose… it’s because I’ve become an adult.”

“Haha. Is that so?”

Vera and Sierra laughed dryly while thinking to themselves.

‘Foolish sister, to think she came back on her own feet.’

‘Now she’ll never be able to escape again.’

After that, the heavy stone gate of the mage tower opened, and the three entered inside.

The Shadow Tower had a structure where the deeper you went down, the higher the floor was considered.

Taking the stairs that led down below the black stone, passing the lobby floor and going down to the second floor, there were numerous young girls gathered there.

They were all ‘daughters of shadow’ that Mother had taken in through various channels.

The girls all glared at Lashelle with sharp gazes. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

But it couldn’t be helped. The Dark Mage Guild never welcomed traitors.

“Surprised? These are the children who came in recently. They’ll probably be subjects for the next ritual. They’ll all become our precious sisters.”

At Sierra’s explanation, Lashelle bit her lips tightly and nodded.

“…Um.”

As they walked through the wide hall toward the corridor leading to the spiral staircase, Lashelle carefully spoke up.

“Is Sister Elisia… safe?”

“Hmm… Well, I haven’t seen her in a while either. Uncle Jeonon might know.”

“Sister Elisia first…”

“No. We need to see Mother first.”

The moment the word ‘Mother’ came out, Lashelle’s complexion turned deathly pale.

Seeing that, Vera smiled wickedly and whispered in her ear.

“…Don’t worry. Mother will forgive Sister Lashelle.”

However, she would have to receive appropriate ‘punishment.’

Just like Elisia, whom she loved so much.

Vera didn’t bother adding the rest.

She wanted to watch those anxious eyes soon fill with despair.

“…We’re all together in the shadows.”

Finally arriving at the sixth basement level.

The deepest part.

On the throne prepared there sat a woman.

“…You’ve come, my daughter.”

The Empire’s only female Grand Mage.

The leader and queen of all dark mages.

Arania Morian Shaydi raised her head and looked straight at Lashelle.

That expressionless face was unthinkable for someone seventy years old. At first glance, she looked young enough to be mistaken for someone in her twenties, eerily so.

“…Mother…”

Lashelle slowly bent one knee and bowed her head.

Though ten years had passed, she seemed not to have forgotten the etiquette of the Shadow Tower.

Perhaps she couldn’t forget.

“I… that is…”

“Say no more.”

Arania cut off Lashelle’s words and slowly walked down from the throne.

“Life in Benheim wasn’t too bad, it seems. That boy Steren took very good care of you. As a mother, I should send my thanks.”

The sound of heels stopped right in front of Lashelle.

“Raise your head, Lashelle.”

“…”

Lashelle’s face as she slowly raised her head was full of tension. Arania frowned as she looked at that face.

“Why are you so afraid? I am your mother. I was the one who took you in, who raised you. Yet you… only bring me disappointment.”

Lashelle tried to open her mouth to make excuses, but Arania placed a cold finger on her lips.

“Give me your hands.”

Lashelle carefully raised both hands.

Those hands that once performed the most delicate magic in the tower had thick joints and rough calluses from years of serving as a maid in Benheim.

“…My daughter… was doing menial work in such a place. And she left the tower on her own feet.”

“…”

“Lashelle. Do you know how many people bled because of your selfish and foolish escape? The spilled blood forms a river at your feet.”

Arania’s gaze turned coldly.

The wrath of a 7th Circle mage. Facing this head-on, Lashelle began trembling, unable to even breathe properly.

Even Vera and Sierra, who were watching from the side, bowed their heads, crushed by instinctive fear.

For a moment…

“…However, this mother loves even such a pathetic daughter. Whatever the process, you returned to me, didn’t you?”

Arania’s dark red lips curved into a sinister smile.

“What a beautiful body this is. Though it’s faded a little from your brief wandering life… it’s perfectly suitable as the next tower lord.”

Arania’s hand stroked Lashelle’s cheek. The moment the touch reached her, Lashelle’s body trembled like a leaf.

“But… as much as I love you, for this mother to fully forgive you, appropriate punishment is necessary.”

Right after those words.

“Hngh…!”

Lashelle let out a suppressed scream.

Before she knew it, Arania held in her hand Lashelle’s index fingernail, torn from her living flesh.

“…Considering you will become the next tower lord, I won’t give you severe punishment. Ten years in total, taking one fingernail from each of your ten fingers per year. A very generous measure.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Arania began roughly tearing out Lashelle’s fingernails.

She couldn’t scream. Because it wasn’t permitted.

So Lashelle could only endure the moans that escaped from the terrible agony. Tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks, but there was no mercy in Arania’s hands.

Finally, both hands with all fingernails torn out and blood flowing dropped onto the cold stone floor.

“…The night of the ritual is in two days. When that time comes, Lashelle, you will become my child again.”

Arania turned her head to look at Vera and Sierra.

“You two, take this child to the underground prison.”

“…Yes, yes!”

Without hesitation, they grabbed the limp Lashelle’s arms and dragged her.

Just as they were about to leave the audience chamber, Arania spoke casually.

“If possible, throw her into the room where that woman is.”

A deep smile appeared on Arania’s lips.

“It’s a touching reunion, isn’t it?”

* * *

After Sheril left, silence settled over Benheim Estate.

The fact that the maid who had been with them for three years was gone brought considerable emptiness. If I, who had only stayed in Benheim for three years, felt this way, what about Renia, who had shared joys and sorrows with Sheril for over ten years?

“Ugh…”

Renia was restlessly pacing the corridor. It was her habit to do this until the carpet wore out whenever she had something on her mind.

“…Reagan, shouldn’t we… go find Sheril?”

Even at her worried question, I couldn’t answer easily.

“There’s no justification. Sheril… made her own decision to head to the Shadow Tower.”

“But… she seemed reluctant to go.”

That was true too.

But how could I bring back someone who had already left?

It might be different if Sheril directly asked for help.

I had given her the button just in case, but I didn’t expect any meaningful response.

‘…However.’

I couldn’t shake my own doubts either.

In my previous life, the Dark Mage Guild eventually cooperated with the Black Mages.

So where exactly was this woman named Sheril at that time?

If she had met her death when Benheim fell, Renia would have mentioned it at least once. But Renia never said a word about Sheril, and there was no covert mage named Sheril in the Resistance Army either.

It wouldn’t be impossible since the Shadow Tower never became one of the Seven Great Towers, but it still bothered me.

‘…Is there really a need to worry about this alone?’

Come to think of it, wasn’t this place I was in none other than Benheim?

I immediately went to find Steren, who was handling business at the Magic Tower.

Steren, who had been looking out the window, sighed and turned his head.

“…Did you come alone?”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell Renia you were coming?”

“Of course I didn’t.”

“Then sit down.”

As soon as I sat down, I asked directly.

“The family head must know… both Sheril’s true identity and what happened at the Shadow Tower. Please tell me.”

At my questioning that wasn’t quite questioning, Steren let out a small sigh.

“How much did you hear from Sheril?”

“I only heard that she was afraid of becoming a tower lord and fled to Benheim.”

Then Steren nodded and began his story.

“Sheril fled to Benheim exactly ten years ago. Covered in blood from head to toe.”

“Covered in blood?”

“Yes. I don’t know the detailed circumstances. Since Sheril didn’t speak of it, I didn’t ask either. However… I could tell to some extent that she had nearly suffered something terrible.”

“…”

“That’s all I know.”

I frowned.

“Why are you only telling me this now?”

“As long as that child remained as Benheim’s maid ‘Sheril,’ I had to keep silent.”

“…”

“Whether Sheril sought refuge with Benheim in the past, or walked out on her own feet with the delegation today, it was ultimately Sheril’s own choice. In that case, there’s nothing more we can do.”

It wasn’t wrong.

When the heir of another family decided to return home on their own, the head of Benheim had no justification to forcibly detain them.

Moreover, the Shadow Tower had now risen to the ranks of the Seven Great Towers. Without clear justification, carelessly opposing or antagonizing them could negatively affect the alliance’s unity.

It was a natural judgment as a family head.

However…

“I have one question.”

“Ask.”

“How long has the current Shadow Tower Lord Arania Sheydi been the tower lord?”

“Since I became Benheim’s heir, so roughly thirty years ago.”

“…I see.”

I pieced together the clues in my mind.

The succession ceremony.

The Shadow Tower Lord.

The reason Sheril refused the tower lord position even while getting severely injured.

“…Family head.”

…There was one part I could guess.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“If eighteen-year-old Sheril fled in fear of the ceremony back then, there should have been at least one ceremony held to establish the next tower lord.”

“…”

“But the current Shadow Tower Lord is still Arania Sheydi.”

This meant that the ‘ceremony’ the Shadow Tower spoke of wasn’t an ordinary tower lord succession ritual.

Moreover, I had one piece of evidence to support this.

My previous life.

From my memories of when the Dark Mage Guild was used as the Archmage King’s pawns, I caught one clue.

I’d need to confront it directly to know the detailed circumstances, but if my speculation was true…

“…I’ll step out for a moment.”

“Where are you going?”

“There’s someone I need to meet.”

I conspicuously pulled out a rose-shaped brooch from my chest.

Steren’s expression hardened upon seeing the brooch.

“Reagan, don’t tell me you’re…”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

I grabbed the door handle and added.

“I haven’t formally held a ceremony with Renia yet. So even if an outsider who hasn’t been registered with the family causes trouble on his own, please don’t be too angry.”

* * *

Thorn Tower Lord Rosaline Blair heard the news two months after the incident in Trion.

A summons came from the Great Mage Alliance branch chief who was in charge of the commercial city near Benheim Estate.

[There’s someone looking for the Thorn Tower Lord. A gray-haired man with a red rose brooch. He says the situation is very urgent and that the tower lord must come in person…]

Upon hearing the message, Rosaline clicked her tongue.

It was obviously Reagan.

She wanted to refuse, but… Reagan was a benefactor to the Spiral Tower, and since he said the situation was urgent, she couldn’t ignore it.

“Tsk.”

In the end, Rosaline put all her work aside and rushed over.

Benheim Estate was a full five days’ journey from Trion. But Rosaline used the giant roots that connected the continent’s underground like a spider web as a medium, squeezing out her mana for two days and nights without rest before reaching her destination.

The Great Mage Alliance branch she hurriedly visited.

Reagan, who was there…

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

Was leisurely sipping tea.

Rosaline’s expression hardened.

“…Reagan von Benheim.”

“Yes. Thank you for the trouble of coming. You arrived much earlier than I thought. I expected it to take a full five days, but you came in just two days.”

At Reagan’s nonchalant greeting, thick veins bulged on Rosaline’s forehead.

“…What exactly is this about?”

“I’d like to ask you a small favor.”

The fatigue from flying through dark underground spaces on tree roots while enduring motion sickness for two straight days instantly transformed into anger.

“…So you’re saying… you summoned a tower lord just to ask for one favor?”

“You’re the one who said you’d provide convenience, Tower Lord.”

“I didn’t tell you to summon me.”

“But you responded to the summons, didn’t you?”

That sly smile was infuriating.

She felt pathetic for having rushed over covered in dust, but even so, Reagan was a benefactor of the Spiral Tower.

Rosalind tried to compose herself and asked.

“What on earth is going on? Since it’s come to this, I’ll help you as much as I can.”

Then Reagan set down his teacup with a sharp clink and said this.

“I want to kidnap a Covert Mage from the Shadow Tower. Preferably one with high rank.”

“….”

Rosalind’s mouth fell open.

“So, so you mean….”

Rosalind racked her throbbing brain to interpret Reagan’s request in her own way.

“Reagan, you are… right now asking me, the Thorn Mage Tower Lord… to help kidnap a Covert Mage from the same Seven Great Mage Towers… as a ‘favor’?”

“…You understand correctly.”

“You crazy bastard—.”

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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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