Translator: Wan ED/PR: Fan
‘Of course, things will work out according to Lucion’s plan.’
When Russell stretched out his hand to try to close Lucion’s eyes, who kept them open, Lucion closed them.
“I’m going to sleep now.”
[Okay. Don’t think about anything when you sleep. No enemies will come to target you right now.]
Although he didn’t quite like it, Russell went out to not disturb his disciple’s sleep.
But he felt better thinking that he had a colleague ghost so he wouldn’t be bored during the night.
After a while, Lucion opened his eyes again.
He listened to Latta’s quiet breathing, and looked at the moonlight coming in through the window.
As he dwelled over Pete’s words, one question lingered in his head and it was difficult for him to sleep.
‘How did in-novel Lucion become a mid-boss of the Hand of Void?’
Wasn’t it strange?
If Neavera Kingdom was targeting him, the Hand of Void, who joined hands with it, would have similar goals.
What stupid group would target its members?
The wrinkle between Lucion’s brows deepened.
‘No way…’
At that moment, his stomach churned.
Supposing Lucion was a target, why did the Hand of Void put him in the mid-boss position?
‘They must have used Lucion to kill Cronia.’
However, the doubts remained.
The in-novel Lucion was outed as a warlock in the public space by a priest and lost Russell.
As a result, the in-novel Lucion became corrupted.
‘Even if I didn’t have a good relationship with Master-nim in the novel like I do now, Master-nim would have warned me about the priest. No, I can’t imagine how powerful the Light must have been to destroy Master-nim.’
Lucion carefully got out of bed.
Silencing his footsteps, he approached the window and leaned against it.
‘Even if I assume the in-novel Lucion didn’t listen to Master-nim out of hostility, I can’t understand at all how Master-nim was annihilated.’
If he tried to validate the second, he needed to meet two conditions.
One, they had to already know that Lucion was a warlock.
Two, they also had to know about Russell’s existence.
So they could prepare priests for that.
‘Is there anyone who can satisfy those two conditions?’
Russell could hide himself from warlocks.
The same was with ghosts dominated by warlocks.
Lucion sighed deeply.
Regardless of the reason, if his theory was correct, wasn’t the in-novel Lucion a foolish bastard who let himself be used by others his entire life and then died?
‘… And that very person is me.’
His face reflected in the window looked twisted.
***
Neigh.
Lucion stroked Syandra and dismounted in the town close to Chepplan mansion.
Novio didn’t like the continuous outings very much, but Lucion confidently received permission today, too, and went out.
‘Luminos’ location should have reached the emperor’s ears by now.’
There was no way that the diligent Heint didn’t receive the letter and didn’t report it to the emperor.
‘And that information would also reach Father’s ears.’
There would be no happier news for Novio right now than the fact that they found the base of Luminos.
It might have been the reason why he gave permission to go out today, too.
Leaving Syandra behind at the inn for a moment, he used Ghost No. 18 and No. 19 — which he dominated on his way home yesterday — for Shadow Movement and got inside the forest around Chepplan’s mansion.
The massive drain of Darkness due to the distance didn’t feel particularly good, but because he would have to use it one more time, he took deep breaths while wanting for the Darkness to refill.
‘I should examine the documents Pete gave me when I return home.’
Lucion thought, while taking out a costume.
Because Novio offered a walk after dinner and he sorted letters in the afternoon, he was so tired that he didn’t see the documents.
But when he laid down in bed, sleep didn’t come.
Lucion looked around while swiftly changing into his uniform.
Thanks to the increased Darkness he got after making a contract with Bethel, he could now precisely feel where his ghost, No. 19, was.
‘Inside the mansion.’
— Latta is ready! Once Lucion speaks, Latta can quickly use Whoosh!
Latta was happily running around Lucion.
Because she was a round fox with puffed up fur, she looked just like a rice cake.
“Wait just a moment, Latta.”
Lucion sat down and took a deep breath while waiting for Darkness to quickly gather.
[Take it slow. There is still time.]
Russell calmed down Lucion.
He couldn’t help but be nervous ahead of an important event.
Russell looked at Hyum.
Her eyes were clear, and she was waiting for Lucion to move.
‘I can’t see any nervousness.’
Then Russell turned his head and looked at Bethel.
When their eyes met, Russell flinched and Bethel smiled.
[You’re very nervous about Lord Lucion’s work, Russell.]
[I can’t help but be very nervous.]
It was the organization personally made by his one and only disciple, who he barely established a connection with, so how could he not be?
[It was just a month and half ago that this child was a handful.]
A slightly sentimental look appeared on Russell’s face.
“Master-nim. Can’t You talk about it when I’m not here?”
Lucion said, embarrassed.
[You told me ‘I hear you, you jerk’, so it would be strange to talk behind your back.]
Russell shook his head while giggling.
There was nothing as fun as teasing his disciple.
[Lord Lucion…?]
When Bethel reacted with disbelief, Lucion spoke, half-giving up.
“Right. That’s true. I said that to Master-nim, among all kinds of things.”
[No one besides me probably knows.]
Russell proudly pointed to himself.
— No. Latta knows!
Latta raised her front paw.
— Latta is Lucion’s Darkness, so Latta knows how Lucion was to Russell. What Lucion said to Russell was…
Lucion urgently covered Latta’s mouth.
“Bury it deep in your mind.”
— How to bury it in your mind? Latta doesn’t know how to do it.
When Latta asked, Lucion wanted to groan.
Because Latta’s voice rang in his head instead of his ears.
[That’s right. Latta knows, too. Aye, what a pleasure!]
Russell shook Latta’s front paw with an excited face.
Even though Latta didn’t know what was going on, as Russell was happy, Latta wagged her tail with a bright face.
“Let’s go.”
Lucion looked at Bethel.
Bethel, who was smiling with them for a while, quickly erased her smile at Lucion’s gaze and nodded.
[I’m ready, Lord Lucion.]
Lucion planned to enter the mansion after using body-sharing with Bethel out of worry about unknown dangers.
***
“… You mean you still don’t know where that bitch went? No, from the beginning, the fact that you had no idea that ring was a fake…”
The middle-aged woman was venting her anger when the door suddenly opened and she unknowingly moved her head.
“What now…?”
“My Lord…!”
Before she moved, the knight hastily stood in front of her.
An intruder.
Swish!
Something flashed with the sound of the wind and the knight’s hands fell to the ground with a ‘thud’.
At some point, the sword the man held was covered in blood.
Before the knight could scream in pain, a girl jumped from behind the man and grabbed the knight’s neck in a blink.
Crunch.
The sight of a thin-looking girl crunching the knight’s bones like paper in her hands was beyond ridiculous.
The middle-aged woman was speechless.
“Ah… There should be just one person, but there is one more than I expected.”
The man in the mask spoke with a voice full of regret.
Thud.
His footsteps were loud.
The girl closed the door with an expressionless face and stood behind the man.
“Ah… Ah…”
Just when the middle-aged woman was about to scream, something covered her mouth.
Because it was dyed black like darkness, her eyes grew large.
But that was impossible.
Even in her room alone there were four items containing Light, so how could a warlock come in?
‘… Wow.’
Lucion had difficulty concealing his trembling hands.
He ate latchou in the morning and wore a bracelet containing Light, but it was even stronger.
His insides were turning upside down.
He felt uneasy, thinking that the Darkness he brought out and the body-sharing could be released.
[Are you okay, Lord Lucion?]
Bethel hesitated, and asked.
[Hyum. This, this. And…]
Russell hurriedly pointed out items containing Light.
Lucion looked at Russell while he was pointing.
‘… I feel like I’m going to die, but for Master-nim it’s nothing? What the hell kind of Light annihilated master-nim?’
Crack!
After the item containing Light shattered to pieces in Hyum’s hands, Lucion was barely able to breathe.
Then Bethel also sighed deeply.
[Thanks to Lord Lucion, I wasn’t affected by Light, but is Lord okay?]
“I can endure.”
Lucion replied.
Though he was deceiving himself, his breath was a bit shallow.
‘There is a lot to clean up.’
Lucion looked at the dead knight and the pieces of items containing Light.
He knew about the items containing Light from when Ghost No. 19 cried, but he didn’t know about the knight.
[The timing is a bit off.]
Russell voiced regret.
“It’s fine. The goal didn’t change.”
Lucion’s plan was simple and clear.
Make the current family head of the Chepplan family declare that she will hand over the position of family head to Miella in front of everyone.
It was possible with the black magic of compulsion.
The mansion would enter Miella’s hands without anyone shedding blood, just like that.
‘Opportunely, Miella has the real ring, which symbolizes the Chepplan family head.’
After Lucion checked the clock in the room, he looked at the dead knight.
“Strip.”
“Understood.”
It was time the Chepplan’s mansion welcomed its real owner.
After Lucion changed into the knight uniform, Hyum took off and he grabbed the head of the Chepplan’s family head.
He twisted the Darkness like before and sent it into the Chepplan’s family head.
Jing!
At that moment, Lucion felt something hot rise in his throat.
His insides were turned upside down because of the Light a moment ago, so even a small shock felt big.
“… Spit!”
He slightly lifted the mask and spit out blood that rose in his throat.
— Lucion?
Latta was startled.
“Continue.”
Lucion shook his head and continued to send Darkness into the Chepplan’s family head’s head.
The first time was difficult, but the second time was much easier.
Peuk!
After the Darkness quickly settled into her head, dark flames burned in her pupils.
“Go to the gate.”
Lucion commanded and the Chepplan family’s head moved.
Lucion was satisfied with her natural gait, and commanded Hyum.
“Clean it up.”
“Understood.”
Because Lucion was body-sharing, Hyum trusted Bethel and started to clean the room.
‘… Haa.’
He took just a step when Lucion trembled under the weight of heavy armor.
In addition, because he put a helmet over a mask, it was really difficult to see.
[Don’t worry, Lord Lucion. I’ll walk.]
When Lucion swayed because of the weight he was bearing for the first time, Bethel started to walk instead of Lucion.
Feeling the weight bearing on their shoulders, Bethel moved Lucion’s feet with familiarity.
“Master-nim. Don’t I look strange?”
Lucion asked.
He was wearing clothes of the knight who was bigger than him, so he worried it would look strange.
[The armor itself is just a basic padding, so if you don’t look too close, you won’t notice anything strange. Don’t worry.]
Lucion frowned in doubt when Russell spoke, suppressing his laughter.
[It’s fine, Lord Lucion. It doesn’t look awkward at all.]
Bethel soothed him so Lucion wasn’t worried when he had important things to do ahead of him.
— Um. For Latta, it looks a bit big but not big. Here it looks big. Here it looks fine.
Latta circled around Lucion.
“Get in for a second.”
Lucion pointed at his shadow because Bethel, not him, noticed a presence.
Latta nodded and entered Lucion’s shadow, and a moment later they heard hurried footsteps.
“My Lo-lord! Trouble! The-there is Young Lady Miella outside the mansion, leading the soldiers.”
Even at the butler’s urgent words, the Chepplan’s family head had an expressionless face and just followed her mission commanded by Lucion.
“Our Lord already knows.”
Lucion pretended to be the knight protecting the Chepplan’s family head and said with a thick voice.
Perhaps the butler didn’t notice because of the emergency situation, he just followed after the Chepplan’s family head with a stiff face.
Because the head of the family moved, the knights naturally followed, so it soon looked like a proud parade of the family head.
Lucion stuck close to the Chepplan’s family head, instilling very weak Darkness in her, so the compulsion magic wasn’t cut off.
“My Lord. You can’t go outside right now. Young Lady Miella is waiting for Lord outside.”
The butler in front of the main gate spoke to the Chepplan’s family head.
But guided by the compulsion magic, the Chepplan’s family head didn’t stop in her tracks.
The family head’s march couldn’t be stopped.
The main gate that was firmly closed before, opened.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: If there comes a day when I translate a novel where the protagonist doesn’t have self-hatred problems, you will know I was replaced by a doppelgänger.
(Only one chapter this week, my deepest apologies.)
Patron thank you note:
Thank you patron, Nobody, please accept this Goetzea elegans’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Al, please accept this Salpichroa origanifolia’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Dust, please accept this Lycianthes rantonnetii’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Maru, please accept this Espadaea amoena’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, kamisonk, please accept this Metternichia principis’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Kasimir Ilmonen, please accept this Cyphanthera albicans’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Tara Hess, please accept this Duboisia myoporoides’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Ice, please accept this Calibrachoa parviflora’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Hematite, please accept this Nierembergia rivularis’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Deflubs, please accept this Nierembergia scoparia’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, TheFloorGuy, please accept this Nierembergia frutescens’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Akemidy, please accept this Nierembergia veitchii’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, vicky moch, please accept this Petunia axillaris’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Diana-Maria, please accept this Petunia exserta’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Links to support this translation and access to 8 advanced chapter (Patreon & Kofi)
> Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LibraryKeyTranslations
> Kofi-Euro: https://ko-fi.com/wanthetranslator
> Kofi-USD: https://ko-fi.com/wanthetranslatorusd
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
Leave a Reply