Chapter 22

Chapter 22

“What is this?”

“It is a Recorder.”

At that answer, Dalfred’s face filled with bewilderment.

That was because he could not feel any Mana from the Brooch, even though Gerard claimed it was a Recorder.

“What sort of mechanism does it use for there to be no Mana felt from it?”

“I do not know that much myself.”

“No, more importantly, why are you handing this to me?”

“First, press the button on the butterfly’s body. The recording will play.”

Dalfred pressed the button as his disciple instructed.

“……!”

Soon, as the voice flowed out, Dalfred’s eyes widened.

The fine wrinkles on his forehead deepened even further.

“Is this not the Tower Master’s voice?”

“That is correct. I eavesdropped on the communication between the Tower Master and my son, Peter.”

“Eavesdropped? How?”

“It works on the principle of allowing one to listen in on a target’s communication through their registered Magical Energy Pattern.”

“Hah…… Where did you obtain something like this?”

“My son Zeke said he picked it up from the Dragon Ruins.”

“The youngest?”

He had already heard that his disciple’s youngest son had gone to the Dragon Ruins in order to awaken his talent.

The problem was that the item he had brought back from there was no ordinary object.

‘No, the object is not the problem. The contents are the problem.’

It was not enough that Gregor, the Tower Master, was using Peter like his hands and feet; he had even tried to kill Zeke.

And he had intended to use him as a Test Subject?

‘Does that not mean he is conducting human experimentation?’

Naturally, human experimentation was taboo among mages.

It was an inhumane crime, so if it became known to the outside world, it was obvious that he would face all kinds of condemnation.

Dalfred looked at the Brooch with trembling pupils, then soon took on a serious expression.

“Who else have you played this recording for?”

“No one except you, Master.”

“Then only you, me, and Zeke know of it. Just the three of us.”

“That is correct. I have not even told Peter. Before that, I wanted to ask for your advice, Master.”

“Well done. You did very well bringing this to me. If handled incorrectly, this could become the spark of a war.”

“The war has already begun.”

Gerard’s gaze had grown cold before he knew it.

“Now that he has targeted my son, I cannot let him live. I will make sure to catch that bastard Gregor and kill him.”

“I understand. I do understand. But given the gravity of the matter, now is not the time to move rashly. At the very least, we need to confirm the evidence.”

At Dalfred’s words, Gerard calmed his anger.

He had no intention of recklessly attacking the Tower Master either.

“What should we do?”

“I will meet the Tower Master once.”

“As it happens, I arranged a meeting with the Tower Master before coming here.”

“A meeting?”

“He said he had something to discuss with me and asked to meet tonight.”

“That is good timing. I will go to that meeting in your place. Would it not be better for me to go rather than you, when the two of you are on bad terms? The boy was also once my disciple.”

“What do you intend to do when you meet him?”

“I will speak with him indirectly and see what I can learn.”

“Hmm.”

Gregor, the Tower Master, had once been Dalfred’s disciple.

In the past, he and Gerard had learned under the same master as fellow disciples, but now they were at odds.

‘No matter how far Gregor has lost his mind, he will not be able to treat Master carelessly. Master’s Circle achievement level is higher as well.’

It was certainly true that it would be more effective for his master to speak to him than for him to do it himself.

“Understood. I will leave it to you, Master.”

“Good. And I may take this object with me, yes? A situation may arise where I need to use the Recorder.”

Gerard nodded without delay.

Dalfred was the only person he could trust.

“Yes. Please do.”

“How do I use this?”

“You press this button here……”

After hearing how to use it, Dalfred nodded.

“So this is how it works. Understood. It is late, so you should return now.”

“Then I will leave it in your hands.”

Dalfred nodded, then soon disappeared somewhere with the Recorder in hand.

***

“Aaah! This is irritating, irritating, irritating!”

For some time, Theo had to break into a cold sweat trying to soothe Luna as she shouted hysterically.

“D-do not let it bother you too much.”

“How could I not let it bother me? That brat Zeke laughed at me!”

‘I do not think he is a brat, though…….’

Since he had been defeated so miserably, Theo wanted to object to the word “brat,” but he had no excuse to offer even if he had ten mouths.

Whatever the case, it was true that he had lost.

“Are you not angry?”

“I am angry.”

“Then why are you so calm?”

‘I suppose…… reality has simply hit me.’

At the time, Theo had been unable to hold back his anger and had shouted that Zeke had better remember this.

But as time passed and he regained his reason, he began to see what he had not been able to see before.

‘Even though I struggled that desperately, I could not land my sword on him even once. That means the gap between him and me is unimaginably wide.’

Only belatedly did he realize it as he recalled Zeke effortlessly suppressing him, as if he were toying with him.

No matter how many times he challenged him, the same result would only repeat itself.

‘Damn it. I was pushed back even though I secretly used magic. What kind of bastard is he?’

If he had his way, he wanted to crush Zeke’s pride in a Magical Duel, where he had confidence, but how could he possibly do that against a non-mage?

Even if he took the victory, it was obvious that everyone around him would point fingers at him.

‘I have no choice but to acknowledge it. This was my complete defeat.’

Unlike him, however, Luna seemed to think there was still hope.

“Theo. Challenge him one more time.”

“Hmm? O-one more time?”

“You can call a capable Swordsmanship Instructor, train under him, and then take revenge.”

‘What exactly did you see? Do you think that is possible?’

She had watched him being overwhelmingly thrashed with her own two eyes, and yet she was saying something like that.

She was his fiancée, but even so, she was far too thoughtless.

“Hmm. Rather than a-a sparring match, I think it would be better to look for another method.”

“Do you have another good method?”

“That is something we should think about gradually……”

“Hmph.”

At his words, which were different from what she had expected, Luna turned her head away as though disappointed.

She had tried to humiliate Zeke, only to be humiliated instead.

She was so furious that she felt as if she would not be able to sleep like this.

“It is late, so please go back for today.”

“Hmm? D-did we not agree with our families that I would stay here tonight?”

“I am not in the mood for that, so please go back.”

Theo could not help being flustered at the cold dismissal, which he had never seen from her before.

“Hoho, Luna. Why are you acting like……”

“Should I contact House Baldor myself?”

“N-no. I will do it……”

Like a puppy with its ears drooping, Theo weakly turned his head and picked up the Communication Orb.

“It is me. Theo Baldor. Send someone to the McLaughlin Ducal House immediately. I will be returning home.”

Once the communication ended, an awkward silence settled over them.

Theo had no choice but to gauge her mood like a puppy that desperately needed to pee.

“I-I will go to the restroom for a moment.”

“Do as you please. Hmph.”

Theo let out a quiet sigh and left Luna’s room.

‘I will have to suffer for a while to soothe her mood.’

Theo shook his head and walked down the corridor, then looked out the window.

The moonlight dimly illuminated the Ducal House.

‘My situation truly is pathetic. I am being nagged by my fiancée, who is five years younger than me, and I was humiliated by the man who will become my future brother-in-law.’

It was embarrassing enough that he could not tell anyone, but there was nothing he could do.

Having been pushed out of the succession rankings, the only thing he could do was form a marriage alliance with a higher-ranking family and prove his own worth.

‘If I become connected to the McLaughlin Ducal House, Father will acknowledge me.’

That was also why he had readily accepted when his father told him to win Luna over.

He wanted to receive recognition from his father, the Family Head.

‘If that happens, at the very least, my eldest brother will no longer ignore me.’

He did not like Luna’s personality, but he did not care too much.

If they lived together and shared their lives, would affection not arise even where none had existed before?

‘Even so, my lot in life is far too pitiful.’

He was briefly lamenting his situation while looking at the bright, risen moon.

That was when it happened.

‘Hm? What is that?’

Something was moving beneath the moonlight.

It was a person’s shadow.

‘What is it? Guard Knights?’

His curiosity was soon answered by a maid who appeared.

“Young Master! You must get out at once! Assassins have infiltrated the estate!”

“What? Assassins?”

“Take Lady Luna and escape from here quickly!”

“U-understood. I shall do so!”

At the maid’s urgent voice, Theo hurried back to Luna’s room.

“Luna! Something terrible has happened!”

“What is all this commotion?”

“They say Assassins have infiltrated the estate. There is no time for this. We must escape quickly!”

Luna opened her eyes in shock, then soon took the hand Theo held out to her.

“L-let us go.”

In the corridor, the same maid was waiting with an anxious expression.

“This way! Hurry!”

The two of them followed the maid’s guidance and began walking without hesitation.

But none of them expected that it would be a trap.

***

It was a time when thick darkness had fallen.

Zeke, who had been feeling sleepy, had to open his eyes at the message that suddenly appeared.

[An unexpected Quest has occurred!]

‘A Quest?’

During the fifteen years Zeke had spent living in his reincarnated body, he had never once received a Quest.

He had never heard of such a thing existing in his previous life either.

Still, there was no reason to find it strange now.

Was this not the System that had given him a Quest to become stronger in the first place?

‘I do not know what it is, but I should check it.’

When he touched the blinking message with his finger, a new window opened.

【Unexpected Quest : Stop the Assassins】

└Assassins have invaded the peaceful McLaughlin Ducal House.

└Subdue the Assassins and protect the Ducal House.

└Subdue Assassins 0/6

└Random Stat increase of 300

[Will you accept the Quest? Y/N]

‘What? A Stat increase of 300?’

At present, the amount of Stats Zeke could raise in a single day was 10.

A 300 increase would let him bring forward an entire month’s worth.

‘I have to accept this no matter what. It does not seem like there is a penalty for failure anyway.’

More importantly, he had no intention of staying still when Assassins had infiltrated his home.

Although he had reincarnated here, this place was, after all, his home no matter what anyone said.

‘I have to move quickly. My family might be in danger.’

After accepting the Quest, Zeke left his room.

-Zeke. Where are you going all of a sudden?

‘Assassins have entered the house.’

-Assassins? How do you know that?

Karbol asked, but there was no time to answer.

For now, finding the Assassins was more urgent.

‘But how do I find them? Should I check on my family first?’

He did not know whom the Assassins were targeting, but there was a high chance it was his family.

‘Unless they want to die, there is no way they would target Father, who is an 8th-Circle Mage. Did they come for Mother or my siblings?’

For now, he decided to check the rooms of his siblings nearby.

As he ran down the corridor with that thought in mind, it happened.

[Mana is detected at a point 60m away.]

‘Mana?’

-What are you talking about? Mana?

Karbol asked, but Zeke turned his head without answering.

He could feel several traces of Mana from the far end of the corridor.

‘There is someone over there.’

-Would that not be the servants or Guard Knights?

‘No. If I can feel Mana, they must be mages. And not just one, but several.’

Several mages walking around at this late hour?

‘There is no way that is normal. They are the Assassins I was looking for.’

Zeke ran without hesitation in the direction where he could feel the Mana.

Then he encountered an unexpected sight.

“Elder Sister Luna? Young Master Theo?”

“Z-Zeke!”

The two of them had been captured by the Assassins.