Episode 1157
by CristaeEpisode 1157
The remnants of the anti-magic faction were truly people of great ability.
And the greatest of those abilities was, in the end, having somehow managed to persuade Lee Han.
Even as they screamed in all sorts of ways, the anti-magic faction members proved that they were, in fact, innocent villains with no connection to Sanguiros.
“It was the Prahgal Order??”
“Th- that’s right.”
“…You don’t think the Prahgal bastards have made a deal with the Sanguiros bastards?”
“We don’t know that much detail… Aaaagh!”
Giselle, who was sitting and resting, clicked her tongue in pity.
There was no misfortune greater than this.
They really were criminals entangled with evil god worshippers, but for it to actually be a different evil god order!
Catten and the students from the White Tiger Tower, who arrived late, also gave looks full of bewilderment.
“How could someone be this unlucky…”
“They’re not lying, are they?”
At Angrago’s mutter, Lee Han immediately reacted.
“Is that so, after all?”
“N-no! No!! You damned wretch! What grudge do you have against us to sow such discord?!”
The frightened remnant screamed, glaring at Angrago. Angrago flustered and apologized.
“S-sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for, is there?”
“Right? I mean, you’re anti-magic and evil god worshippers—it’s your own fault!”
Realizing it, he suddenly became angry. With the crimes they had already committed, these people deserved to rot in the Empire’s prison for life. Who were they to blame anyone else?
While Lee Han continued the interrogation, Catten checked the surroundings. There might be traps or an ambush.
It’s not that she didn’t trust Junior Wardanaz, but a skilled swords… no, wizard must always be thorough.
“I respect you, Senior.”
Angrago looked at Catten with eyes full of admiration.
This senior, as cute in appearance as Professor Verdus or the Pengerine family, would turn into a venerable battle-hardened swordsman upon opening her mouth.
“Where did you learn such things?”
“Ah. Junior. I learned it in the punishment room. You can learn so much there.”
“……”
All the White Tiger Tower students fell silent at once. Catten, unaware of their awkwardness, continued her advice.
“Unlike the regular punishment room, the deep punishment room contains a truly diverse range of prisoners. Each of them lures and attacks people in different ways.”
“W-wait. The headmaster actually put you in the deep punishment room?! That’s just too much…!”
Unlike the regular punishment room, the deep punishment room below was a place for the Empire’s criminals or people like Professor Verdus.
To lock someone there just for struggling with magic!
“That’s not it.”
“Huh? Then…”
“I just went down out of boredom and loneliness. The punishment room gets boring pretty fast.”
“……”
While the juniors gaped in shock, Catten continued explaining how to fight one-versus-many.
“By the way, was this corpse perhaps created by Junior Moradi?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Giselle replied politely.
Though she would curse and kick her fellow Tower friends, when interacting with others, she reverted to the model knightly demeanor of her noble family.
And this transformation had many benefits. Giselle pretended to be polite while casually covering Halenken’s blown-off head.
She didn’t want to show the traces of victory by hidden weapon in front of her senior.
Of course, Catten didn’t care at all.
From the moment she’d seen the corpse, Catten had figured out everything that happened. It didn’t matter to Catten whether she won with a hidden weapon or with a dirty trap.
“You used aura exceptionally well!”
“Did I?”
Giselle’s face brightened. The other friends looked on with a mixture of respect and jealousy.
To hear such words from Senior Catten!
“May I ask when you awakened aura?”
“Actually, duri—”
Giselle paused, having been about to say “during the battle.”
Saying it like that made her feel suddenly as if she’d seemed too desperate.
She would’ve fully awakened her aura whenever she faced a strong opponent—that had nothing to do with Wardanaz.
“…I had completely mastered it even before the battle.”
“Ooh!”
“Moradi…! You hid it from us too!”
Her friends shuddered anew at Giselle’s secretiveness.
If it hadn’t been for this incident, she would have covertly laid traps, hiding her mastery of aura.
They imagined she would have bet them on whether she could use aura, then cleaned them out effortlessly. It sent a chill down their spines.
“One alley by the southern gate’s magic market, and one in the temple district to the east… Bold. Fine. I’ll trust you.”
While the White Tiger Tower students chatted in the distance, Lee Han finished the interrogation.
Now that he had the locations of all the enemy hideouts, he planned to strike without delay.
He would also contact Knight-Captain Garcia and his Death Knights, waiting outside.
‘Ah. I unconsciously thought of the professor as the knights’ leader.’
“I’ll extract the worms now.”
“Wait, wait!”
The remnants were startled into shrieks.
Of course, they wanted to remove the evil god’s malicious worm from their souls immediately. They had been helpless because of it, completely powerless against this young wizard.
But the thought that they might end up like Halenken earlier made them afraid.
“Don’t worry. Halenken ended up like that because he didn’t know the curse was stagnant inside him. I’ll remove all the curses first, then extract the worms.”
“Th-thank you.”
The remnants exchanged sly glances.
If the curses and worms were all removed, there would be nothing left to worry about. They planned to break out through the back wall and make a run for it.
But the young wizard they were dealing with was far more tenacious than they thought.
“Senior? And the rest of you, stop talking and come here now.”
Catten and the friends rushed over. Lee Han pointed to the remnants.
“Keep your swords on them.”
“If they seem suspicious, I’ll cut them down immediately.”
Catten instantly understood what her junior wanted and nodded willingly.
The anti-magicists hung their heads, faces dark with defeat.
They had thought she was careless, but she had foreseen everything…
“All right. I’ll extract them now.”
Crack!
A rupture like the one from Halenken erupted from the souls. The remnants shivered and froze.
At the same time, several worms gathered in Lee Han’s hand and fused into one.
The worm tried to flee as if to resist, but now that Lee Han had stolen the evil god’s power, it had no chance. Its control was instantly seized and it surrendered.
‘All right.’
And at that moment, the worm opened its mouth and spoke in a chilling voice.
Who are you?
“!”
Everyone present was shocked. The first to respond was Lee Han.
“Who are you, then? Are you an evil god’s lackey?”
If you haven’t realized it, you mortals may call me so.
The opponent, even when provoked, responded calmly.
At that, Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘A tough opponent.’
Of all enemies, those who never got emotional and always acted the same way were the most fearsome.
Especially among evil god worshippers, whose every move usually exuded madness, such composure was rare.
I do not recall bearing any grudge against you wizards recently, yet you strike first like this. Do you not fear retribution?
“You don’t recall harboring a grudge? What the…”
Lee Han was dumbfounded.
Weren’t they the ones who had committed terror by summoning undead monsters just this year?
But Giselle nudged her friend’s heel.
“?”
‘Get a grip. Back then, you were Stedal Nago.’
With that whisper, Lee Han realized it.
Come to think of it, he had fought under the identity of Stedal Nago then.
“You cunning bastard. Trying to probe my identity with simple questions.”
‘Did he really mean to do that?’
Giselle wondered curiously, but Lee Han had already come to a conclusion.
“Don’t bother with such cheap tricks. It’s you who should fear retribution.”
Hahaha… How bold you are, wizard. Have you not heard that a plague is spreading in the city?
The undying one mocked the mage.
He didn’t know what means had been used to capture the power’s worm, but by now the plague should be spreading on its own.
Even if the worm was gone, the infected citizens would spread the plague among themselves.
“……”
“……”
Lee Han and his friends exchanged complicated looks.
They considered saying that they had already treated the plague before capturing the worms, but then again, why be so kind to such a person?
“Even if a greater disaster than the plague came, I wouldn’t care.”
Indeed. That’s how a true mage should be. Some mages aren’t so weak, after all. But remember. The plan of the great regenerator is one you mortals cannot disrupt. You will only be branded! I’ll definitely remember what you did today.
“Suit yourself. I’ll remember you too—you interfered with me today.”
The plague is not interference. It is evolution. For all incomplete life…
“I’m not talking about the plague. I mean the Sanguiros Order.”
Lee Han answered bluntly.
In the past, he might have flinched at a threat from an evil god worshipper, but now he just felt irritation.
Why do these creeps who hide in the shadows and play such cheap tricks have such long tongues?
Sanguiros?
The Prahgal bishop was taken aback by the unexpected name.
Considering that even storms scarcely shook this fanatic, it was truly surprising.
Why do their names come up here?
“We were chasing them, and your men got in the way and got caught.”
……
For the first time in ages, the undying one felt sheer humiliation and was momentarily mute.
No provocation could faze him, but this…!
You lie. That is a lie…
“If you aren’t sure whether I’m lying or not, verify it yourself. If you don’t want to be hunted down in future, stay out of sight.”
Lee Han, now unwilling to talk further, erased the worm of power.
…!
That the power’s worm had been completely annihilated was felt even in another dimension.
This worm was like a fragment, a clone, split from the undying one’s soul. When it was destroyed, the blow was immediate.
The undying one groaned at the unexpected attack. He had been caught off guard.
Impossible…
He’d known the enemy mage had extracted the worm, but assumed it was by magical means only.
But now it was clear the opponent was truly controlling the power. Without giving time for any reaction or counter, he had erased the worm at his whim.
Even a fairly skilled mage couldn’t steal power from the divine magic branch. Who the hell was this guy?
‘Could the Sanguiros talk… No. It must have been a provocation.’
The undying one felt himself waver.
Especially since he’d heard reports of Sanguiros remnants rampaging recklessly of late.
His ripened plan wouldn’t be derailed by just this, but if a problem arose, how would he take revenge on these remnants?