◈ Episode 96. An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth (1)
Tall.
A gaunt frame.
A face so thin it was practically skin and bones.
The interrogation led by that very Marcelo was, unlike what I had expected, full of force.
So much so that I didn’t regret passing it off to him in the slightest.
Above all, perhaps because it was related to the Magic Tower.
There was no mercy to be felt.
“I am asking you about Karimzeva’s whereabouts.”
“I told you I don’t know, didn’t I? Do you think that arrogant old geezer would tell me where his hideout is?”
“I will confirm whether those words are sincere.”
“Ugh, uuuuugh!!”
Bzzzzzt—!
Magic that made even the onlookers feel numb.
Without changing his expression in the slightest, Marcelo tortured Jang Hyeondo.
No, the demon.
I realized it once again.
That the mages of the Magic Tower were beings one should never provoke lightly. ‘In some ways, I can understand why they’re said to have neither blood nor tears.’ Of course, this interrogation process.
It wasn’t really something I, who was watching calmly, had any right to say.
As for me, it couldn’t be helped.
Me, Granfell, feeling sympathy for a demon?
That was impossible.
“S-say something, please……!!”
Looking at me with those eyes won’t do you any good.
I organized the information obtained at the end of the interrogation. ‘A demon of true name, Acampatam.’ That Acampatam was the demon possessing Jang Hyeondo.
Calling it a demon of true name made it sound grand, but there likely wasn’t much difference. After all, the demons classified as named monsters among demons were the demons of true name. ‘Stronger than demons of the same level range.’ A named monster, huh. I’d seen plenty of those in the [Predator’s Swamp] rift.
Even an ordinary monster becomes a pain in the ass once the name “named” is attached to it.
So it was only natural that a demon would be even worse.
“You heard him, didn’t you? From the beginning, I had no intention of cooperating with that old geezer Karimzeva! Though I did think about stabbing him in the back. I don’t want an upper demon king to revive either!”
Acampatam was no different. ‘That mouth of his is especially a pain in the ass.’ What the Magic Tower wanted wasn’t a small fry like him.
It was the demon worshiper, Karimzeva.
After realizing that fact from Marcelo’s questions.
He had been subtly twisting the point.
“I swear it. I’ve told you everything I know.”
Karimzeva must have fallen for that way with words too.
Not only that, he’d almost gotten stabbed in the back as well.
Well, thanks to that, we came to understand all of Karimzeva’s plans.
“Simultaneous generation of rifts, huh…….”
That was right.
What Karimzeva was preparing was a summoning ritual for an upper demon king.
Just as Frost and Decarabia had done.
The revival of an upper demon king would require sacrifices as well.
The demon worshipers, including Karimzeva, planned to open rifts.
And supply the sacrifices through those rifts.
“So Senior Bangrit nearly became a sacrifice.”
To dare do that to a senior mage of the Magic Tower……
Marcelo’s eyes once again filled with killing intent.
Marcelo calmly assessed the situation.
“Now that the two demon worshipers aside from Karimzeva are imprisoned in Mugan, he should no longer have the capacity to control as many rifts as he originally planned.”
I agreed with that.
But even if there were fewer rifts than planned.
I could guess the appropriate levels of those rifts.
[Broken Dimensional Rift]
[Appropriate Level: Lv.900]
Of course, since it had been a trap meant for Senior Mage Bangrit.
Its appropriate level may have been unusually high.
However, there was a variable even greater than Karimzeva’s appropriate level. ‘To put it bluntly, suppose Karimzeva is waiting inside the rift.’ The moment players enter?
They’d simply be sent straight off as sacrifices for the upper demon king.
The problem was that there was a sufficient possibility Karimzeva would act that way.
The proof was that he had revealed all of his plans to Acampatam.
Karimzeva had been driven into a corner.
“I was simply unable to withstand his threats……! All I did was say I’d hand over information about you, Mr. Lee Hoyeol. That way, he could learn how the Magic Tower operated. But damn it. Why in the world did a succubus……?”
As Acampatam said.
If I hadn’t been contacted by Baek Iseol, I might have ended up taking quite the long way around. However, I was also the one who had turned that very Baek Iseol into a human through [Exorcism Ritual].
In that sense. ‘Well done, Lee Hoyeol.’ I had no choice but to praise my past self once again.
My iron mask had already grown as thick as it could get.
Something like this no longer even counted as self-praise.
As if proving that, I calmly sank into sentiment. ‘If it had been like before, it would’ve been dreadful. Seriously.’ Rifts boasting absurd appropriate levels appearing simultaneously all over the world, the possibility of a monster called Karimzeva lurking in those rifts, and on top of that, if those rifts weren’t cleared, an upper demon king might be summoned. ……
Wow. Isn’t that insanely bleak?
As if that weren’t enough, my level was only 324.
If I were alone, where would I even begin?
It was a scale so vast I wouldn’t even be able to imagine it.
However, I was no longer alone.
Yes, at the very least, I had authority.
“As of this moment, I authorize senior mages to access the rifts, Marcelo.”
Yes, full authority regarding the mages’ departure from the tower……!
Karimzeva was a great criminal of the Magic Tower.
Since it was for the sake of securing that great criminal.
It was not an authorization to leave the tower that went against procedure, or pride.
Yes, it meant I could wield the Magic Tower’s prestige more confidently than ever before. ‘Magic Tower quests are a given.’ In the process of securing Karimzeva, the rifts would also be cleared. ‘The experience and spoils obtained through that won’t be negligible either.’ Of course, there was no way my selfish motives would show on the surface.
Marcelo replied.
“I will hurry the preparations. Karimzeva will soon learn of it as well.”
Flinch—
I looked at the twitching Jang Hyeondo.
He’d learn?
Learn what?
I told you everything truthfully, didn’t I?
Jang Hyeondo. No, Acampatam’s expression seemed to ask that.
I looked coldly at Acampatam. ‘What’s the use of being smooth-tongued?’ When you have no sense at all….
Grit—
Acampatam lowered his head and ground his teeth. ‘……Damn it.’ Thanks to selling out Karimzeva.
Their wariness toward him had lessened.
For the moment, Acampatam was relieved. ‘At least I can keep my life.’ Though that relief came over him, he couldn’t help trembling with rage. ‘Those crazy Magic Tower mage bastards.’ Karimzeva was one thing, and this skeleton-like bastard was another.
Every one of them was ignorant.
To wield mana like this and yet not even show emotional agitation.
They had no awareness of the mana they were pouring out.
In that sense, he couldn’t understand it. ‘What the hell is he?’ Lee Hoyeol.
He couldn’t sense any mana like Karimzeva’s or the skeleton’s from that man.
Acampatam knew the kind of creatures mages were very well.
If anything, mages flaunted their mana.
They would never hide it.
And yet……
Was he hiding his mana?
Or did he not possess mana of that level?
Whichever it was, neither made sense. ‘Because since a while ago, without fail.’ This skeleton had been speaking politely to Lee Hoyeol, hadn’t he?
As if that weren’t enough, his attitude was extremely respectful.
He couldn’t sense any negative emotions either.
It meant those actions came from the heart. ‘Forget it. It has nothing to do with me.’ Thinking any further only made his head more complicated.
So Acampatam stopped thinking.
Instead, he put his mind to what he was confident in. ‘In any case, they’re saying anything they please right in front of Lord Acampatam.’ Lee Hoyeol and the skeleton, Marcelo.
Thanks to the conversation between the two, he had roughly grasped the situation. ‘They’re trapped in the Magic Tower, in a space called Mugan.’ Karimzeva.
The fellow demon worshipers he had been searching for, that is.
That was unexpected even for Acampatam.
If they were Karimzeva’s companions, then surely.
They must have possessed mana comparable to his. ‘Those monsters were subdued?’ Just what kind of place is the Magic Tower?
Thinking that he had been dragged to such a Magic Tower.
He shuddered once again, but……
In any case, he had obtained valuable information. ‘This is enough to return with.’ Having disclosed all of Karimzeva’s plans.
He had no desire whatsoever to meet him.
But that didn’t mean the bastard would stay still.
When Karimzeva came looking for him.
Wouldn’t he need to have something to say if he wanted to preserve his life? ‘Of course, I’ll have to keep today’s events a secret.’ Deceiving Karimzeva?
He was confident.
No matter how great the man was.
He was nothing more than a human Acampatam had already deceived once.
The second time would be even easier. ‘For that, I have to keep my mouth shut for now.’ Acampatam held his breath.
Yes, he only had to make it out of this place alive.
Then, in the midst of that, a voice rang out.
“I will hurry the preparations. Karimzeva will soon learn of it as well.”
“?”
He’ll learn?
Learn what?
I’m going to keep my mouth shut about this, though?
“!”
Acampatam lifted his head in surprise and met eyes.
With Hoyeol.
And then he remembered.
It was a voice he had heard in passing.
—“I do not exchange words with prey.”
That was right.
Those were the eyes of a natural predator looking at its prey.
Acampatam’s pupils turned pitch-black.
“Y-you are?”
Tremble, tremble—
The tongue that had been perfectly fine even before the Fire Dragon, Karimzeva, would not listen to him.
He could not utter the sly words that had deceived even Karimzeva.
Even his mind stopped thinking.
Yes, this was an irresistible trembling.
It was fear.
To that Acampatam, Hoyeol said.
“I can see it.”
“……?”
“That foolish misconception.”
Misconception.
He was able to understand what it meant immediately. ‘The thought that I could return alive was a misconception……?’ But he couldn’t say anything.
He did not “exchange” words with prey.
As if what had just happened was not a conversation, but a one-sided declaration.
There was not the slightest hesitation in Hoyeol’s actions.
Acampatam was aghast. ‘I-it ends like this? Me, Acampatam?’ Slice—
Of course, he couldn’t even voice that shock.
*
“It would do us no good for him to know the internal situation.”
Marcelo erased Jang Hyeondo’s memories.
As for how far back he erased those memories, I couldn’t know.
But I hoped he erased as much of his old memories as possible.
Preferably up until before he went astray. ‘Jang Hyeondo is famous in a different sense, after all.’ Drugs, drunk driving, abuse of power.
Even before being possessed by Acampatam, Jang Hyeondo was someone who had been in and out of the newspapers for all sorts of scandals.
Just imagine if that scoundrel went back to his old habits and started causing trouble again. ‘Do you think Karimzeva would just sit back and watch that?’ Acampatam’s memories had been erased.
So there was no way the two would be able to communicate.
It meant Jang Hyeondo might become the target of Karimzeva’s anger.
Of course, that depended on whether Jang Hyeondo turned over a new leaf.
And on how much of his memory remained. ‘Anyway.’ [Natural Enemy Relationship].
And while activating [Exorcism Ritual].
I felt it firsthand. ‘It’s a little embarrassing to say this with my own mouth.’ It seemed that I had grown considerably after clearing [Predator’s Swamp].
Of course, there had been no demons in [Predator’s Swamp].
So it was possible that the effect of [Natural Enemy Relationship], which had activated after a long while, felt especially dramatic.
But even taking that into account, I hadn’t expected to be able to hunt him this easily.
I checked my status window.
The demon of true name, Acampatam.
After defeating him, my level rose by 9.
[Name: Granfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo]
[Title: Last Adventurer]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 333]
[Stats]
Strength: 60 / Agility: 65 / Magic Power: 271 / Luck: 6 / Aesthetic: Low
[Available Points: 9]
Judging by the amount of experience I’d gained.
Acampatam must have been at least level 560.
And yet, to defeat such a creature.
There hadn’t even been any need for grand magic.
──────
Silver Mastery (81%)
──────
I had simply attacked him with silver whose form I’d changed roughly.
Partly to raise my skill proficiency while I was at it.
But then, an unexpected critical hit occurred.
[A ‘critical hit’ occurs against the demon of true name, Acampatam.]
Was I simply lucky?
Or was this also thanks to investing points into Luck?
I could have thought about it indifferently and let it pass.
But I knew. ‘[Natural Enemy Relationship]. So it’s not only the activation radius that increased.’ The higher my level became.
Just like the activation radius of [Natural Enemy Relationship], which continued to grow ever wider.
The [Natural Enemy Relationship] between me and demons must have become even more solid. ‘Does that mean I can take an even greater advantage in battles against demons?’ I shamelessly said.
“However, I cannot be satisfied.”
It is not that I am too greedy, but that I am still far too lacking.
There was no need to look far back. [Predator’s Swamp]
That place alone was enough.
What an ugly, desperate struggle I had fought there.
My swordsmanship was lacking, for one.
Because my mana was insufficient, I had to ride around on lotus leaves.
Not to mention teaching a pure spirit the bitter taste of a class society…
‘That is why I cannot be conceited.’
Granfell, who is always brimming with confidence, may be one thing.
But I must maintain my reason until the very end.
I must not forget to know my place.
In that sense, I was preparing thoroughly.
Ssssss—
Letters surfaced on the parchment.
──────
The enchantment of the magic tool you requested has been successfully completed.
──────
Click—
I set down my teacup.
[Your Intelligence increases by 1 point due to the effect of the elixir herb, “Starflower Root.”]
I mean every possible preparation to dispose of Karimjeba.
The same must be true for the senior mages of the Magic Tower.
So I resolved once more.
I would know my place.
I would make proper use of the reliable reinforcements known as the Magic Tower.
I had no desire to get caught between fighting whales and die a sudden, tragic death…
Yes, that was what I had resolved.
But I had not asked for this excessive treatment, either.
‘……
This is beyond reassuring. It is burdensome.’
But as always, I could not let it show.
I looked at the middle-aged man sitting across from me.
With a benevolent smile, he said to me,
“This is the first time we have had a conversation like this. Allow me to introduce myself.”
He had a small build for a man.
But the transcendent mana rippling from his body reminded me once again of who he was.
Still, I did not bow.
‘That damned pride.’
This was exactly why I quit working for a company!
As if mocking the resentment echoing inside me,
I arrogantly opened my mouth.
“No, we will dispense with introductions.”
“Oh?”
“Elder Mage Senios. State your business in seeking me out.”
Noblesse oblige.
The two elder mages who had merely stood by and watched
until the Magic Tower reached its current state.
There was no way Granfell’s pride would look kindly upon them.
Which meant that polite speech was out of the question, let alone kind words.
I simply wanted to close my eyes.
‘If you think about it, he is my superior… I would have no excuse if I got fired. Truly.’
Does the Magic Tower have a severance pay system too?
If so, what would they give me?
What happens to the magic tools I borrowed?
But the answer I heard was different from what I had braced myself for.
“My business is simple. I have come to receive permission.”
……
Wait, permission?
What permission could an elder mage possibly need to receive from me?
As I thought about it, I remembered.
The full authority over leaving the Tower that had been granted to me.
Senios continued with a smile.
“Elder Mage Senios formally requests permission to leave the Tower.”
As if he could not be more sincere,
and in accordance with procedure,
he even added his purpose.
“The purpose is to execute, with my own hands, Karimjeba, the great traitor of the Magic Tower.”
……
No, you have far surpassed the qualifications to apply as reinforcements, haven’t you?
I was so shocked that a gasp nearly burst out of me aloud.
But I could not let it show.
Click—
I calmly set down my teacup and said,
“A more specific reason will be necessary.”