Translator: Wan ED/PR: Fan
Those bastards were trying to stretch their hands towards him again.
Feeling the sudden chill, Lucion clenched the reins.
‘This time it’s different.’
It was different from when he was young and had no power whatsoever.
‘I won’t just quietly endure it.’
He knew the enemy.
Now he only had to prepare.
‘No second time, Neavera.’
***
‘… There’s a letter stuck here?’
Heint stood for a moment, looking at the letter stuck to the door of his house.
He bought this house not a long time ago, and even Carson didn’t know about it.
But there was a letter?
Heint was really uncomfortable about it.
After giving a direct report to the emperor, he wandered around shops and bought cool alcohol and hot roasted chicken, so he felt good for a while.
Heint sent out Light inside the house through his feet.
After confirming there was no one inside, he picked up the letter.
Entering the house, he put down the ale and roasted chicken, and opened the letter.
— Looks like You need the location of Luminos.
‘What…?’
Heint frowned.
In addition to the first sentence, there was also a location written down on the paper in the envelope.
— You’re free to trust it or not, but wouldn’t it be better than to waste a month’s, three months’ or even three years’ time?
‘Someone… did a background check on me?’
Heint did not welcome the appearance of an outsider.
Even without it, there were many people in the Imperial Knight Order who didn’t look at him favorably.
His head was full of guesses as to who it could be.
‘That Garetio punk bothers me.’
Garetio Men.
A second son of Viscount Men.
He was also an Imperial Knight, but from a different order.
A few days ago, when he was working at night, he spotted Garetio looking around and crossing the castle wall.
When he returned, the day was dawning, and his clothes were different.
That was too suspicious, so he approached Garetio under the excuse of patrolling and his Light reacted.
There are two things the Light reacts to.
Darkness.
And when one owned an item containing Light.
‘… Haa.’
Heint sighed deeply.
‘I thought that I’d rest for a little, but it looks like I’ll have to go give another report.’
But his gaze didn’t leave the alcohol and roasted chicken.
‘Can’t I have just one bite?’
He swallowed his saliva.
***
Lucion looked at Anthony, who stood in front of his room with an armful of letters.
“Young Master.”
Anthony smiled widely as he looked at Lucion.
“I chose only things with a proper family crest and seal, and brought them.”
“… You mean all of those letters are for me?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Lucion frowned at Anthony’s answer.
He was displeased just looking at those ‘letters’.
“The letter on the top was sent by Young Lady Tella.”
[Oh! You have to open it right away!]
Russell got very excited.
[Why are you so happy, Russell?]
[Because it’s Lucion’s first close friend. As a master, I can’t help but be happy.]
[Ah. Indeed, that cannot be helped. My master-nim was also really happy.]
Recalling the past, melancholy lingered in Bethel’s eyes.
“I’ll take them.”
Hyum stretched out both hands towards Anthony.
“Thank you.”
Anthony smiled brightly and handed the letters to Hyum.
“Then I’ll call You for dinner in a little bit. How about You take a bath? I don’t know where You’ve been wandering, but it appears that You were really enjoying yourself.”
Anthony looked at Lucion’s clothes that were thickly covered in dirt, and smiled kindly.
In Anthony’s eyes, Lucion was still a child.
“I’ll talk with Hyum, so just go back.”
Lucion waved his hand and entered the room.
“Yes. Then I’ll be back, Young Master.”
“Goodbye.”
Anthony bowed to Lucion, and Hyum bowed to Anthony.
“Put them wherever.”
The moment he entered the room, Lucion just roughly waved his hand.
“Report.”
Lucion, who sat on the sofa, took off his outside clothes and looked at Ghost No. 2.
[Yes, yes! All 12 people were taken to the underground prison and are being interrogated. Only that butler wasn’t captured, and is packing, while trembling in anxiety.]
‘Not today, and tomorrow is too early. He will probably flee in two or three days.’
Lucion quietly thought, while he took out the documents handed to him by Pete and counted the people planted in Cronia.
13 people.
It was on mark.
Their names matched exactly with everyone pointed out by his ghosts without mistake.
Now, the only one remaining was the butler.
“No. 2.”
At Lucion’s words, the ghost replied with a stiff expression.
[Yes, Lucion-nim.]
“Well done. Looks like you hate going to heaven.”
[I’ll work hard!]
How could he ask Lucion for forgiveness?
He knew that even if he was dying, he couldn’t say those words.
“Okay. Leave and keep on watching.”
Lucion looked at Ghost No. 2 with endlessly cold eyes.
Once the ghost retreated, Lucion put aside opening Tella’s letter and read other things.
— Lucion Cronia-nim. I cannot forget the majesty of Cronia-nim I saw that day…
Rip.
— Isn’t it the moon of truly beautiful nigh….
Riip.
‘They are all just talking bullshit.’
Lucion had no plans on sending replies to something he thought was bullshit and just shredded them.
It was better than the occasional letters pouring curses at him, but they didn’t feel good.
— Hello. I’m Imperial Knight Garetio Men.
He didn’t know how many he ripped before at last a proper letter came out, and Lucion put it aside.
‘Just categorize them. I’ll read them later. I’m tired.’
“Should I bring tea?”
Hyum asked.
“No. Warm milk. And some chocolate.”
Lucion said, while sorting letters.
— Can you bring Latta’s too?
“Yes. It’s okay. Please speak if You need anything.”
Hyum stroked Latta.
— Then Latta wishes you bring just a few chocolates.
“Understood. I’ll bring them immediately.”
Hyum smiled widely and left.
[Is there something I can help with, Lord Lucion?]
Bethel asked.
“No. I’m just choosing those who write like humans, so there is nothing to help with.”
The people who sent him letters right now were without a doubt aiming for his title of a saint.
He had little to no intention of having exchanges with those things.
‘Even if those bastards are disgusted with me, they will obviously come to the next banquet with big smiles.’
They could do that knowing his position as someone who was receiving the emperor’s attention and was Cronia’s youngest child.
But of course, if the names he saw in the novel came out, the story would be different.
[Lord Lucion.]
Bethel stared at him, sorting through the letters, and then called out to Lucion.
“Yeah, Bethel.”
[Are you having complicated thoughts?]
“Indeed. Aren’t the matters to keep close attention to increasing?”
Lucion’s hands stopped, and he took a deep breath.
Frankly, he expected it would just end if he quickly got rid of the Hand of Void.
If he wasn’t caught off guard by something that wasn’t revealed in the novel, it would end when he caught the leader of the Hand of Void — if he thought like this, it was a simple matter.
‘… Neavera Kingdom. If there are no variables.’
[But nothing has changed. Lucion, the Neavera Kingdom was targeting you either way, so you have to continue to learn black magic to grow stronger, and you have to grow the organization, right?]
Lucion smiled at Russell’s words.
“True, Master-nim. Nothing has changed. The obstacles are just a bit bigger, and what I’m doing is more important.”
At Lucion’s words, Bethel unknowingly bloomed into a smile.
Even just watching Lucion firmly deciding on something was admirable.
It would be even better if she met him when she was alive, so she could push his back.
“I’ll probably be even more busy.”
Lucion repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Once we obtain the base, we will have to begin growing in full-swing. Enough to make everyone covet it.”
[Lucion, it seems you’re already planning on using the six branches to grow, but I’m not sure what’s beyond that.]
Even Russell didn’t know all of Lucion’s thoughts.
Rather, he wanted to dig into Lucion’s head to see what the hell he was thinking.
“Master-nim. The empire is powerful, that’s a fact. But it’s not the whole world. Perhaps we should broaden our perspective a little.”
Russell reacted like he couldn’t believe Lucion’s words.
[The whole world?]
“We have to at least try. If the organization grows any bigger than it is now, it will unavoidably face restraints. How can an organization grow in such a situation?”
Lucion planned to bring the big and small forces, that Heint in the novel saw in his wanderings, into his own force.
“And I have Latta.”
When Lucion pointed at her, the eyes of Latta, who was biting a ball, sparkled.
— You talk about Latta’s Whoosh?
“Yeah.”
Lucion smiled.
“As I grow more powerful, so does Latta. And if Latta grows, I become powerful, too. Latta hasn’t awakened her power as a divine beast yet, and Shadow Movement can probably grow even more.”
Just by using Shadow Movement, wouldn’t it be like using portals?
— Right! Latta will work hard! Latta will eat well, play well, sleep well, and grow big quick!
Latta energetically wagged her tail.
Lucion planned to first safely establish his position in the empire and then gradually widely expand his power.
‘And I already told the Ratmen.’
He called the Ratmen to the Chepplan mansion.
Once the organization puts its hands on them, it will spread its wings and grow even more.
To punish the people who leaked his secrets outside, he needed the organization’s sword.
‘And I, too… have to grow stronger.’
Lucion clenched his fists.
To not die and be happy, why was this so complicated?
Lucion laid down on the sofa and sighed heavily.
[Lord Lucion.]
Bethel looked at Lucion, who laid on the sofa.
He looked sleepy, like he would fall asleep at any moment.
“I’m listening.”
[How are you planning to deal with the Chepplan mansion? Is it really possible without one, no, a few people shedding blood?]
“It’s possible for me. Because I’m a warlock.”
Lucion pointed to his head.
“I can get it with just one person.”
[Looks like you have a good idea?]
Russell figured out Lucion’s plan.
They understood each other since they were both warlocks, but Bethel looked at Lucion with a face full of doubts, just like before.
“I’ll tell you when Hyum comes.”
Lucion replied, revealing his tired face.
Knock, knock.
With the sound of knocking on the door, Hyum entered the room.
Seeing a cup of milk and a bowl being placed beside the sofa, Lucion swept his hair behind his shoulder, and propped himself up.
“Young Master.”
“Yeah.”
Lucion picked up the cup of milk, and huffed at it, as he replied.
“Please tell me what I should do in the situation where Young Master becomes the target.”
“Continue as usual.”
“Can I prevent Young Master from becoming a target?”
“No. Those are different things.”
“If I become powerful… can I prevent Young Master from becoming a target?”
At Hyum’s repeated question, Lucion looked at Hyum after taking a sip of milk.
Looking at him so earnestly, Lucion replied seriously.
“No. I’m Cronia, so it’s impossible. It’s not that serious, Hyum. It happens to everyone who has power. The emperor especially. He is targeted the most.”
“… Is that so?”
“If you become powerful, it will decrease the chances of me dying. Me becoming powerful will also only decrease the chances of me dying. So the answer is power.”
“No one. When I become powerful enough that no one can touch Young Master, then can I prevent Young Master from becoming a target?”
He thought it was an innocent question, truly worthy of Hyum.
“That’s right. At that time, I’ll also be free thanks to you.”
At Lucion’s reply, a strong will shone in Hyum’s eyes.
“I’ll enjoy that moment. I’ll be happy to give Young Master that happiness. Thanks to me.”
At that moment, Lucion looked at Hyum with surprised eyes.
No matter who saw it, they would know that Hyum was smiling brightly out of sincerity.
The tip of his nose became strangely itchy.
“Okay. If you wish so.”
Lucion quickly turned his gaze away and swallowed a chocolate.
Perhaps it didn’t have much sugar, since the taste of bitterness lingered in his mouth.
***
Lucion blankly stared at the ceiling.
[Just close your eyes. You have to move tomorrow, so you should sleep early.]
Russell looked at Lucion, who was wide awake, and sighed deeply through his nostrils.
He looked truly innocent when he kept his mouth shut, but what a reckless plan he came up with in that head of his?
He wasn’t really certain.
But it was surely a plan that let him take the viscount mansion while shedding the blood of just a few people.
Enough to look forward to tomorrow.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: I’m choosing to believe that all that dirt on Lucion clothes was from when he went to roll with Latta on the ground after the camera went away.
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