The Unfilial Heir Who Tries to Kill Me Tempts Me - Chapter 25

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

Chapter 25.

“Blegh.”
This tastes terrible.
I grimaced without thinking.
Every time I chewed the root, a bilious bitterness spread across my tongue, and nausea welled up unbidden.
Now that I thought about it, raw, unprocessed Ilawne carried toxins too.
If I got sick from eating this, I’d be billing everyone for it—and I wouldn’t accept the servants’ average wage. At this point, I deserved hazard pay on top of my regular stipend.
Gulp.
I barely choked down the retching and swallowed the Ilawne whole.
“Nngh…”
Thump, thump, thump.
My body responded instantly. My heart hammered as if it might burst, and heat flooded my head. A tingling sensation crawled up from my fingertips toward my core.
Stay calm.
I need to keep my wits about me from here on out.
I drew a deep breath, focusing on every sensation coursing through my body. As I steadied the wild thrashing of my Mana, I felt my blood vessels dilate, and the energy tore through me in a rushing torrent.
“…It’s working!”
I gasped in wonder, forgetting the grimace that had twisted my face just moments before.
“Ilawne is no joke.”
Charlotte already possessed an enormous reserve of Mana, but feeling it double, triple, swell beyond measure left me dizzy.
I’d only chewed a raw root and felt this much—what could a properly refined Elixir even accomplish?
The marvel lasted only a moment before I focused entirely on containing the vast power surging through my frame.
I channeled the Mana that flooded every inch of my body down to my fingertips, condensing it into a tight, brilliant knot.
Such power—I couldn’t waste a single drop.
A deep hum resonated from within.
In the next instant, something exploded at my fingertips, and a dazzling radiance burst outward. The light swallowed the entire sky overhead in a blinding wash. I couldn’t see a hand’s breadth ahead.
Flash!
The brilliant flare that had flooded the world detonated and scattered in all directions.
Shriek!
Through the blazing light, I heard the griffin pack writhe and cry out in agony, and then fragments of luminescence cascaded down like a glittering rain of gems.
“Did… did it work?”
I cracked open my eyes, which I’d clamped shut. It took a long moment for my vision to adjust as the afterimage faded.
When I finally looked up at the sky, the griffins were already fleeing in every direction.
“Ha… it’s done.”
I dropped my arms as the tension released.
The Mana that had filled my body drained away in a sudden rush, like a dam bursting. The strain of such focus left me hollow, all strength bleeding from my limbs.
Soon after, soldiers who had been in hiding began to emerge one by one. They gazed upon the now-silent battlefield and broke into cheers.
“The Mage has driven off all the Magical Beasts!”
“Long live the Mage!”
“She’s saved us!”
Roar!
Listening to their thunderous acclaim, I simply collapsed onto the ground.
Growl.
My stomach was empty, and I felt the urge to cry.

***

That evening, the elite knights who had set out to capture the Dark Mage returned.
The criminal, who had been fleeing in all directions, was apprehended by Daemon and dragged down into the dungeons beneath the Grand Duke’s Castle.
Daemon had distinguished himself upon arriving at the Territory—with minimal casualties and light damage throughout.
A clean resolution.
“Sigh…”
Everyone but me.
“…My lord, is something the matter with Charlotte Schmit?”
“She’s been like that since yesterday. Just leave her be.”
That ungrateful wretch, with no idea what I’ve sacrificed for her.
“Ugh…”
My Ilawne.
My escape plan.
“It’s all because of the Grand Duke. If we’d just stationed one more Mage in the Territory, I could have… I could have…! Ugh.”
I slammed my fist on the desk and lurched to my feet in protest. Kaius and Basiel turned their attention toward me.
But that was all. Kaius dismissed me lightly and asked Basiel instead.
“What’s the damage report?”
“A few market stalls collapsed and some roads were damaged, but that’s all. The Territory residents are unharmed—no casualties. And….”
Basiel glanced at me briefly, then gestured for an attendant to wheel a trolley into the study.
Good heavens. What is all this?
The trolley was piled high with fruits, meat, handcrafted spices, and animal hides.
“These are Tribute Gifts from the Territory residents. All of them are addressed to Miss Charlotte Shmidt.”
“…To me?”
Me? But why?
“Because you evacuated all the Territory residents to safety and defeated the Magical Beast single-handedly. After restoring the farmland and distributing magical elixirs, now you’ve driven away a creature altogether—the people are simply grateful.”
“No, but still, how am I supposed to use all of this…?”
I forgot all about the tears that had stained my cheeks moments ago, replaced by bewilderment. I’d been consumed with thoughts of my precious Ilawne now spent, never imagining I’d receive gifts like these.
“…Am I really supposed to accept all of this?”
“Take it. Refusing would wound them more deeply.”
What is this?
My chest felt strange.
A ticklish sensation gathered just beneath my ribs.
While I blinked stupidly, the attendants set the Tribute Gifts beside my desk and withdrew.
I picked up a fruit from the top of the pile. It was perfectly round and gleaming—someone had clearly selected only the finest specimens.
[Chirp?]
“Golsun, I think I’m actually moved.”
Though the taste of Ilawne still lingered bitterly in my mouth, perhaps this sacrifice wasn’t entirely hollow after all.
That’s right—I’d come here seeking the Wish Stone to return home in the first place.
I decided to think of it this way: good is good.
“So then, how is the culprit faring?”
“He caused quite a disturbance overnight but has settled down since. The Mana Suppression Restraint has rendered him essentially powerless.”
“Good to hear. We still haven’t extracted any meaningful confession?”
“Daemon is conducting the interrogation, but he’s being quite resistant. And as you’ve seen, he’s considerably younger than the Dark Mages we’ve apprehended recently.”
Wait. Hold on.
“Younger?”
I dropped the fruit I’d been turning over and asked.
“Yes. Since he’s refusing to speak, we can’t determine his exact age, but he appeared to be a boy of around fifteen. Quite young for a Dark Mage.”
A boy…?
Wait a moment.
Surely not.
“Did he happen to have red eyes?”
“…How did you know that?”
I shot to my feet without thinking.
I’d suspected something was off from the start—a common Dark Mage commanding so many Griffins? It made no sense.
“Is he in the Underground Dungeon? Would it be possible for me to see him?”
Kaius and Basiel exchanged a puzzled glance.
“Do you know this Dark Mage?”
“No, not exactly. But there’s something I need to confirm.”
Kaius tilted his head.
“What do you think I’m about to say?”
He’d refuse, obviously.
As predictable as it gets.
“Er, Your Highness. What is that?”
I pointed desperately out the window.
The moment Kaius’s gaze shifted, I rapidly deployed a Teleportation Magic Circle.
Bang!
“Ow.”
I’d teleported in such a rush that my landing was terrible.
I scrambled to my feet, rubbing my backside. I’d arrived in the middle of an underground corridor—the Apothecary lay to my right, and the entrance to the Underground Dungeon stretched to my left.
“What brings you to this place, Mage?”
“Oh, hello there.”
By coincidence, the same soldier I’d met in front of the village was standing guard at the dungeon entrance.
“I received instructions from the Grand Duke. May I go inside for a moment?”
“Yes, of course.”
Easy. Simple.
I slipped quickly into the Underground Dungeon before anyone could chase after me.
The inside was dark and damp. It was twice as desolate as the Underground Dungeon beneath the Imperial Palace where I’d been imprisoned. The stench of dried blood clung to everything, mixed with something else rotting underneath. I had a sinking feeling I knew the source, so I squeezed my eyes shut and quickened my pace.
After a few minutes of walking, I reached the deepest part of the dungeon. Fortunately, Daemon seemed to have stepped away—there was no one guarding the area.
I peered carefully through the bars. Just as Basiel had described, a small figure who looked to be in their mid-teens sat huddled inside.
Skin pale as fresh snow. Hair the same white, falling past the shoulders.
A flash.
Then a pair of crimson eyes fixed on me.
“…You startled me.”
Clang, bang!
“What are you doing here again? Get lost!”
“Hello.”
I waved my hand gently, and the boy’s face twisted into something savage. He bared sharp fangs and growled.
“Now some small fry comes crawling in… You should all be dead if I hadn’t let my guard down. You ungrateful bastards, binding me with these toys? Traitors, the moment I get out of here…! Damn it all!”
My ears were ringing.
I’d worried something might have gone wrong, but the kid was clearly full of life.
I stepped closer to the bars and bent forward.
“I know what you are.”
“What?”
“You’re not a Dark Mage.”
His eyes narrowed at me.
“Huh. I thought you were an idiot, but you’re making some sense.”
“Obviously.”
I smiled at him.
“You’re a Demon.”

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