The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 41



Only Noblemtl

“Are you awake, my lord?”

A clear voice heard as soon as I woke up.

Enoch slowly opened his eyes at the familiar tone.

When I got up and turned my head, there was a maid bowing her head politely next to the bed.

Her long silver hair flowed down her back, shining softly in the morning sunlight.

It was Lien.

‘I guess I’m starting to get used to this.’

After promising to cooperate, she woke Enoch up at his side almost every morning.

As I guessed, Lien was still keeping an eye on this.

And the purpose is, of course… .

‘Enoch’s Escort.’

Sincerity was sincerity.

Besides, after seeing her inner self through the Persona Gun, it was difficult to stop her.

There was no particular reason to stop Lien’s actions from coming from her heart. In fact, it was impossible to stop them.

“You must be tired, but you need to cough.”

… But why are you speaking formally?

Enoch, who felt something strange for a moment, suddenly came to his senses.

She never treated him with respect when they were alone. Of course, this was not the real Enoch whom Lien adored so much.

But the fact that Lien suddenly woke him up like this, clearly… .

Knock knock knock!

As expected.

A loud noise was heard from outside the door.

“Enoch Elseid!”

An urgent voice rang out from outside the door.

When Lien went to open the door, several servants of the family were gathered there, looking at her with anxious eyes.

“What’s going on?”

“That… The regular meeting scheduled to be held soon has been urgently called forward due to the incident that occurred last night.”

“Brought forward?”

“Yes. This is an order to bring all the participants, including your direct relatives, to the conference room as soon as possible.”

This is what happened last night.

“Okay. I’ll go soon.”

Enoch slowly rose from his seat.

It seems that last night, a major incident that was originally planned to happen occurred.

“I will help you prepare.”

As I stood up, Lien quietly held out the neatly folded clothes, including the shirt.

It seemed that Enoch had already made all preparations to go out before he got up.

Even if he is not the owner of this body right now, is it true that Enoch’s reputation and appearance are also under the maid’s own jurisdiction?

“thank you.”

Enoch smiled faintly as he accepted the clothes.

Anyway, it starts now.

The first step towards full-fledged preparation of the original work.

***

A huge conference room located inside the Elseid Citadel.

A conference room in a castle so spacious and luxurious that participants can barely see each other’s faces.

Perhaps because of the sudden and unusual emergency call, the spacious room was filled with a subtle sense of tension.

Enoch took a look around.

The regular meeting resumed sooner than expected.

It was a somewhat familiar scene, as it was a meeting that Enoch had attended immediately after becoming president.

Of course, at that time, the situation was completely different, as the main purpose of the meeting was to discuss Enoch’s expulsion.

But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

For example…

‘… I never expected it, but you’re not letting your guard down even here.’

It was like the gaze of a wizard felt right across the conference room.

Needless to say, the identity of that gaze is the Vice-Captain of the Nemesis Knights.

It was Theano.

It seemed like she also attended this meeting.

Of course, if it’s a major subsidiary of a family as big as Nemesis, it would participate in regular meetings.

‘…It looks like he has no intention of hiding the fact that he is watching so intently.’

Does that mean Enoch is suspicious?

However, even if we were concerned, Theano’s surveillance would not suddenly disappear.

Enoch turned his attention elsewhere.

Rather than focusing on things that won’t really change anything, it would be much more productive to think about the problems you’re facing right now.

Just when Enoch’s thoughts reached that point.

Just then, one person in the audience stood up and opened his mouth.

“Sir. An emergency meeting? What on earth is going on?”

It was quite unusual for a regular meeting to be called so early and urgently as it was today.

In the Joo family, where everyone is busy carrying out their duties without a moment to breathe, the regular meeting schedule is created by coordinating each person’s duty schedule and situation.

However, the fact that they pushed the date forward even at the cost of breaking the schedule meant that the issue at hand was a major issue for the entire family.

“I will explain from now on.”

Butler Grantal began briefing the audience on the current situation using voice amplification magic.

“An emergency support request via communication magic has been sent to the magicians belonging to the family dispatched to the “Village of the Water Tribe” in the southern part of Elseid Territory.”

“Suin Tribe Village”

As soon as they heard that word, the atmosphere in the audience momentarily fluctuated slightly.

There was no one who did not know about the ‘Suin Tribe’, one of the forces that required attention in the Magic Empire.

Wheeze-

Granthal waved his hand lightly in the air. The mana at the tips of his fingers emitted a halo of light.

The next moment.

Behind him, the lights on the giant monitor on the conference room wall turned on, displaying data images.

Woof

The images lined up on the white display are reports from various media outlets, including print newspapers.

Additionally, many family documents, video footage and photographs taken at the scene were also arranged.

Based on that, Granthal continued.

“Three months ago, a magician from the Juga clan who was dispatched near the village of the Suin tribe was attacked by an unknown assailant.”

“A raid during a dispatch?”

Someone’s embarrassed retort.

Granthal nodded.

“Yes. In addition, there have been reports that residents in the area have been kidnapped and murdered several times by unknown assailants in the middle of the night.”

Not only was the Elseid wizard attacked, but innocent victims continued to occur as well.

“Based on the circumstances revealed so far, all of these incidents appear to be deeply involving the ‘Suin Tribe’.”

So, the family had recently dispatched a small number of surveillance personnel to the scene to first understand the incident.

With my back to the screen that showed that outline.

Granthal continued his briefing slowly.

“However, since the personnel dispatched to the scene last night suddenly received a request for assistance, all contact has been cut off to this day.”

Contact cut off?

Even though it was a small surveillance mission, considering the individual abilities of Elseid’s magicians, it couldn’t be simply passed over as something trivial.

The fact that so many wizards have suffered something means that there is a corresponding threat lurking.

Granthal spoke as if driving a wedge into it.

“The report from the field team stated that ‘some of the Suin tribes are plotting a rebellion against the Empire in collusion with the black magic organization, Vendetta.’”

“Collusion between the Black Magic Organization and the Water People…?”

At someone’s low muttering, Grantal nodded.

“Yes.”

He spoke while arranging the data displayed on the screen with light gestures.

“Therefore, under these circumstances, the Elseid clan has concluded that there is a high possibility that the Suin tribe currently gathered in the south, or some of them, are currently plotting a large-scale ‘rebellion’.”

-revolt.

At those words, the expressions of the clan wizards attending the meeting each changed slightly.

A race of Ain people who were pushed to the outskirts of the empire.

One of those races, the “Suin Tribe”.

They look exactly like humans, but with one exception.

These people have unique physical features such as animal ears, horns, or tails on top of their heads.

Since the founding of the empire, it is known that there has been constant friction with the “water people”.

But it’s rare for something to spread this far, especially to the point where the word ‘rebellion’ came up.

Rebellion against the Empire is, of course, a capital crime.

It was said that this was no ordinary matter.

“thus.”

Standing in front of the large screen with the data, Grantal made a solemn declaration to the wizards attending the meeting.

“With your approval, I hereby declare a ‘joint mission’ to the Suin tribe village.”

“Joint Mission”

The room shook for a moment at those words.

A joint mission is a concept where magicians belonging to each family organization are drafted and temporarily organized into one team.

It’s a kind of ‘task force’.

Even the fact that this case has been approved by the head of the household means that this is a mission of high importance to Elseid.

Meanwhile, someone asked a question.

“Butler. How are the personnel organized?”

“It will consist of three Nemesis Knights and 15 11th-grade wizards from the family.”

The crowd was slightly shaken by that answer.

Someone in the meeting muttered absentmindedly.

“Fifteen 11th-grade magicians in one joint mission, and even three Nemesis…!”

It was not that it was not, but it was a joint mission of considerable scale even if you only look at the number of personnel required.

And that also meant that it would be an incredibly dangerous mission.

“As you said, given the potential danger of this mission, the Nemesis Knights will also be joining us at the command of our lord. Three Nemesis Knights, including Vice-Captain Theano, will accompany us on the mission.”

chuck.

Granthal pointed to one of the chairman’s seats.

Theano was sitting in one of the conference rooms.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on her.

After receiving Grantal’s designation and gaze, she closed her eyes silently and nodded to Grantal, confirming that she had been given the mission.

Swish.

The participation of Nemesis, who is absolutely loyal only to the head of the household with the highest commanding authority, is now confirmed.

“Although the Suin tribe is a minority group on the outskirts of the empire, they are known for their innate physical strength and their ability to sense mana, as well as their natural talents that are at the level of 15.”

Granthal’s briefing followed.

“If the Suin tribe were actually planning a rebellion, it could turn into a very big problem.”

He added after repeated warnings.

“Therefore, I would like to receive support from the direct superiors who will command this mission.”

Direct command of the joint mission.

After emphasizing the dangers of the Suin Tribe so diligently, why would they insist on putting the direct descendants of the family in charge of a mission?

This was due to the circumstances of the Elseid border crossing.

Carrying out official duties for the Count’s family in Elseid Territory means fulfilling the duties that the Emperor of the Empire has assigned to the Count.

This is soon seen as acting on behalf of the empire’s public affairs rather than for the family’s personal gain.

This is also the reason why the presence of a direct line is considered very important in other missions.

In an official sense, it certainly looks better if the direct line of the family leads and carries it out.

Therefore, the direct lineage of the Zhou clan serves as a ‘symbolic commander’ who takes command of joint missions that bring together various magicians.

But why is it necessary to borrow this with the support of a direct descendant?

It was simple.

Because every mission is a process of proving your worth as a direct descendant.

The society of the Magic Empire is a society based entirely on merit.

The competition for succession in the Magic Empire, including the Juga clan, also comes down solely to the ‘reputation’ of each direct descendant.

The higher the reputation, the higher the successor’s ‘rank’ in the line of succession to the next head of the family.

As a person’s reputation rises and they get closer to the top ranks, it means that they have a strong chance of succeeding to the next head of the family.

‘And that reputation also includes the process by which the direct line selects and participates in missions at their own discretion.’

– Take on a mission by judging the benefits you and your family can gain from each mission, as well as the risks you face when performing the mission.

It may be natural to consider these factors collectively as the factors that will determine the ability of a leader to lead the family in the future.

This naturally also applied to the tasks that direct descendants personally performed.

For example… .

Things like the solo search and destruction missions in the underworld that Enoch solved as soon as he got here.

It is said that even the ordinary missions of direct lineage members taking only their own followers are fully reflected in the evaluation of the direct lineage’s succession order.

‘For those reasons, I think the joint mission also voluntarily entrusted mission support to the direct line.’

Of course, any mission that is successful is a jackpot.

But what if you volunteer for an unreasonable mission that doesn’t suit you or your followers and fail miserably?

‘One way or another, he doesn’t seem very suitable for the role of the next head of the household.’

Therefore, whether or not one takes on this joint mission is also a matter of choice for one’s immediate superiors.

Because every mission involves the struggle for succession, and furthermore, it involves the lives of oneself and the followers of one’s clan.

Therefore, one had to be careful when accepting direct missions.

Even for the direct descendants, there are many conflicts of interest involved.

‘That’s usually the case.’

But there was only one person mixed in this place.

A direct line that moves solely for its own purposes, completely unrelated to the competition for succession.

And what he was going to do from now on had already been decided a long time ago.

“Currently, there are many direct descendants of the family who have gone abroad to command other missions. Therefore, if there are any direct descendants who wish to apply among the remaining direct descendants of the family… .”

Just as Granthal was saying that.

Enoch immediately stood up and said,

“I will go.”

As soon as he finished speaking, all eyes around him instantly turned in his direction.

As expected, it seemed to draw considerable aggro.

Reactions varied.

Some people nodded their heads in interest and agreed, saying, “Yes.” Others kept their mouths crooked and looked at me with suspicious eyes.

Enoch smiled very slightly as he felt the reactions of their gazes piercing his skin.

‘Of course I can understand those kinds of reactions.’

Although the previous Enoch succeeded in his exemption mission and remained in the family, not much is known about him yet.

‘The fact that a direct descendant who was not a magician suddenly succeeded in a mission is questionable, so it would be a huge problem.’

Therefore, the fact that Enoch personally volunteered for this mission may be ambiguous in many ways.

at that time.

A voice burst out from among the crowd.

“Enoch Elseid is not fit for this mission!”

Oh, this is informal speech to a direct descendant.

Of course, it would be one of Enoch’s brothers.

Besides, it was a familiar voice. The moment I heard it, my ears felt ticklish, and it didn’t seem to be a voice that gave off a very good impression.

As expected.

When I turned my head, I saw Dionil Elseid, whose face I had seen a few times recently.

The man stood up, leaning on the table with both arms, and began to argue loudly.

“This is a joint mission! We need to know each other’s roles, capabilities, and positions during operations. However, we don’t even know exactly what kind of magic Enoch uses.”

The guy continued speaking, glaring this way.

“Also, we must not forget that he still lacks experience and training for group missions. If he does not even have that foundation as a direct descendant, he would be unqualified to take on this mission.”

In his words, most of the magicians present at the conference seemed to agree.

Indeed, Dionil’s logic was not wrong at all.

In such a dangerous mission, you never know what threat might put your life at risk.

‘It may be a formality, but it’s obvious that it would be burdensome to accompany a direct subordinate who knows nothing to the field command.’

Because it’s a life-or-death matter for the mission participants.

Moreover, there are still unresolved questions about the power that Enoch has awakened, and it is true that these questions are becoming public knowledge both within and outside the family.

It was also true that although he had successfully completed his exemption mission, he had never participated in a mission involving multiple people like a joint mission.

Therefore, it is only natural that the wizards of the family are concerned about Enoch’s involvement.

It was also obvious what they were worried about.

-When would he, who has lived a life of confinement until now, have ever gained experience in a joint mission?

Meanwhile, Dionil seemed to think that his remarks had changed the mood, and his expression became even more relaxed.

“That is, given these uncertainties, it would be rash to dispatch Enoch, currently in the 9th rank, on this mission…!”

“then.”

At that moment, Enoch cut off his momentum and spoke briefly.

“I just need to prove that I’m fit for the joint mission.”

For a moment, silence fell on the room.

The logic was very simple and clear.

If there are any doubts about his abilities, he should just prove them in front of everyone.

Certainly, that was the fastest and most certain way to put the surrounding controversy to rest without any disagreement.

“Then as you said. Before this mission, I must personally confirm Enoch’s capabilities.”

The Granthal steward readily agreed with his words.

“It will take two days to finish preparing for the joint mission. There is time in between.”

As always, no one raised an objection.

Currently, Enoch has already regained his direct position in the public eye by completing the unprecedented exemption mission.

And that wasn’t enough. It was a hot topic among the media and the people of the empire, calling it ‘the splendid revival of a direct lineage that was about to be expelled.’

Refusing his request without a good reason would only cause damage to the family’s prestige.

Also, since Enoch was a direct descendant, it was also a problem that the family had to solve at least once.

“If you want to assess Enoch’s ability to carry out the joint mission, you must receive an objective evaluation that is not biased toward any one side.”

Grantal looked around and said.

Enoch’s verification is not a problem that can be left to just anyone and easily proven.

“We need a way to conduct thorough verification without any conflict of interest.”

This huge stock market is a place where even the internal interests are very complexly intertwined.

Direct,

Countless followers,

A faction of wizards belonging to the clan,

And the main affiliates of the stock market.

The stock market is where all these forces operate based on a delicate balance of power.

And there, there was only one name that dared to bear the word ‘neutral’.

-Nemesis Knights.

Everyone’s attention was naturally drawn to the Nemesis Knights who attended this meeting.

The one that meets all of these conditions is the elite knights of the family that symbolizes absolute neutrality.

Because there is only Nemesis.

When everyone’s attention was focused on him, Theano finally opened his lips quietly.

“… Enoch’s notarization was not planned.”

Several people held their breath at the remarks of the Vice-Captain of Nemesis, which were quite rare even in regular meetings.

She paused for a moment before speaking.

“Coincidentally, it looks like our Nemesis might be able to help you with this.”

Known for her reserved and reserved silence during regular meetings, she eventually made a concise proposal, as if responding to the expectations of the meeting attendees.

“How about passing the [Nemesis Knights’ first entrance exam] that is being held tomorrow?”