The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 53



Only Noblemtl

It was quite a distance to the Suin tribe village.

The place we arrived at while being guided and guarded by the Suin tribe was surprisingly a village of quite a large size.

“You finally got here.”

Inside a slow-moving operational vehicle.

Askle spoke quietly next to Enoch.

Rough, built-in structures are exquisitely placed here and there on the rocky cliffs that rise without end.

On the wide road, you could see Suin children laughing innocently and running around, as well as pedestrians passing by.

Needless to say, it was a village of people.

Askle looked around and tilted his head.

“It’s a lot bigger than I thought. It’s almost the size of a city.”

But Enoch shook his head slightly.

That’s true, but something about it seemed strange.

‘There are not many people for the size of the village.’

There are only a lot of city-level buildings around, but if you look closely, there are many places where no one lives. Some parts of the village felt empty.

Enoch looked outside and muttered quietly.

“It’s more unfamiliar than I thought.”

“I’ve only heard rumors, but this is my first time coming to the Suin tribe village, so there’s a lot I don’t know. And… ”

Askle pointed to the scenery outside the window of the vehicle that was moving slowly according to the instructions of the people.

“I’m also curious to know what that big ‘tunnel’ is.”

I looked at the place he was pointing to, behind the square where the buildings were. There was a huge cave.

A cave heavily reinforced with steel.

Inside the dark passage, a wide staircase leading deep underground was visible.

However, the iron lattice structure that blocked the entrance was rusted as if it had been neglected for a long time.

‘Anyone who looks at it will see that it looks suspicious.’

Enoch narrowed his eyes for a moment as he looked at the entrance to the massive underground structure.

“Why is there such a huge underground passage in the village?”

Askle shrugged.

“Well, I’m curious too… … .”

He spoke quietly as he watched the Suin warriors walking around the vehicle, carrying their saddles.

“I guess this is the atmosphere in which we are treated… I guess we can’t ask the locals.”

The eyes of the people surrounding and guiding the operation vehicle were still filled with sharp tension.

They stopped the car in the middle of town.

In the middle of the square where the procession of operational vehicles had stopped, another group of water warriors holding horse equipment were waiting.

“I have been waiting for your call. The Chief would like to see you.”

One of them stepped forward and said:

“Not everyone here can go, so only your direct superior and the deputy commander of Nemesis can follow.”

Enoch exchanged glances with Lien, who was behind him, at the sudden call of his name, and then took a step forward.

Even if I inevitably have to be separated from her for a while, if anything happens, Lien will probably come to my rescue with the threat detection magic I’ve placed on her.

Since the last time I saw with my own eyes how obsessed she was with Enoch, I had built up infinite trust in that aspect, if nothing else.

chuck.

Meanwhile, on the side, Theano calmly adjusted his hat and stepped out among the uniformed Nemesis knights.

A female knight with long violet hair in a uniform, and a boy with pitch-black hair carrying a long black cloth bag.

The two of them followed the Suin people’s guidance for a while as they crossed the middle of a large village.

In the alleys and buildings here and there in the town, many people were peeking out to watch the two. And they were watching with considerable enthusiasm.

– Look over there, they’re foreigners.

– Don’t come close. It might be dangerous.

– Oh, that’s right! Moms are scary people too…

A whisper passed Enoch’s ear.

It seems that the appearance of an outsider was a big commotion and a notable spectacle for the entire village.

“This is it.”

After walking for a while, they reached the bottom of a huge rock cliff that towered into the sky. There was a large entrance in front of the rock cliff.

Damn it.

As I entered, a long corridor lined with glowing magic stones appeared.

There were warriors of the Suin tribe lined up there.

The guards of the Suin tribe were holding a roughly carved stone helmet in the shape of a stone axe. Their sharp gazes were directed in this direction.

‘You can even cut through rock with your gaze.’

Enoch glanced back at them.

Aside from the fact that the security is tight, these people do not have a very friendly view of Elseid.

When I entered the very innermost part of the hallway.

A rough voice spoke to me.

“…I heard that you came from the Elseid clan.”

The lined up warriors of the Suin tribe retreated to the left and right, and an old man with white hair came up the stairs from inside the cave, which was lit by magic lanterns and candles.

He was old, but of considerable stature. On top of his graying hair stood prominent wolf ears of the same color.

He looked at them both with stern eyes and said.

“He is the village chief and the head of the Lycaon family.”

Thump.

He was walking awkwardly, and was holding a very heavy-looking staff that looked like a stable.

The chief spoke slowly.

“I heard the news. I heard that you met my granddaughter outside the village. Please forgive her if she was rude. She is still young.”

Sirocco is your granddaughter.

Then the current chieftain must be Sirocco’s grandfather.

In the first place, the chief is a character who never appeared in the original work.

Enoch studied him for a moment with interest. It was not for nothing that his blood was there, unlike his graying hair. His eyes were red like Sirocco.

“No need to drag this out. Let me get to the point.”

Meanwhile, the chieftain who had been given the seat slowly opened his mouth.

“I heard that the wizards of the Elseid family who were dispatched to this area a few days ago went missing.”

He spoke, slowly glancing at Theano and Enoch.

“The reason Elseid came here is to investigate whether the incident was the work of our people?”

“Yes. Our purpose is to investigate the recent attacks and kidnappings of innocent civilians in this area.”

Theano answered calmly.

“In addition, I have heard that some of the Suin tribe are plotting a rebellion against the Empire by colluding with a dark magic organization called Vendetta.”

She asked, her eyes darkly shining under her hat.

“…Is that true?”

“It is true that some of the people attacked civilians outside the southern part of Elseid Territory.”

The chieftain spoke in a low voice.

“However, it is not the actions of our village people.”

The culprit is a beast, but he claims that he is not a beast belonging to the village. Theano sharply questioned.

“Is there any evidence?”

The chief replied, taking his hands off the arms of his chair.

“Our village has strictly prohibited contact with or attacks on outsiders since ancient times. Anyone who breaks this rule, regardless of status, is branded a criminal and exiled.”

Enoch suddenly remembered Askle’s words.

If that’s true, then the Suin tribe must have lived in the southern part of Elseid Territory and had little interaction with the outside world.

Even leaving aside the reason why contact with the outside world was so strictly restricted in the Suin tribe village, the chief’s words did not feel like a lie at all.

“As you said. If it’s not the village’s doing?”

At Theano’s words, the chieftain bowed his upper body and said.

“Two years ago, there were people in our village who committed such a crime, and they were expelled according to the law.”

“exile?”

“That’s right. Being exiled from the South, where there are hordes of demons and the barren rocky desert, means death.”

At his words, Theano’s eyes narrowed.

“So are you saying that the people who are in league with the warlocks are not currently in this village?”

“Yes. They were banished from this village long ago, before they ever touched your affiliated wizards. It was their own doing.”

Theano said quietly.

“I thought you said earlier that banishment meant death.”

“That’s right. Originally, even great warriors like them would not have been able to endure long after being exiled and would have died.”

“But, you survived?”

“exactly.”

The chieftain handed over a photo to the man who appeared to be his attendant.

The photo showed a man in a suit, seemingly taken from an angle that seemed to have been taken secretly.

It was a man with lion’s ears on his head and gray hair that hung down like a lion’s mane.

“The Exile, Leontos.”

The chief said, looking at the water lilies in the photo.

“This Leontos was once known as the strongest warrior in our tribe and this village.”

“A person like that, would join a vendetta?”

“That’s right. The village outcasts currently led by Leontos have joined a black magic organization called Vendetta and are acting as their puppets.”

The chieftain continued speaking with an angry look on his face.

“… The exiles supported by the Vendetta are kidnapping not only outsiders but also fellow villagers and offering them as research material for the Vendetta.”

For a moment, Theano’s determined gaze faded.

“You said research material?”

“I heard it was some kind of human experiment.”

Human experimentation.

Enoch covered his mouth for a moment, rubbing his chin with his hand. It was a familiar word.

‘Tantalos. As expected.’

The experiment log I received from Omen before, and the incident related to human experiments.

It seemed certain that Tantalus was deeply connected to the events taking place in the village of the water people.

“I understand what you are saying, but then.”

Theano spoke coldly to the chieftain.

“Your Majesty, you knew of their existence and continued their criminal activities, but you simply stood by and watched?”

“… How could that be!”

The chieftain said in a low growl.

“The village’s tough warriors have already gone to the outcasts’ stronghold several times to stop them. However… .”

In his eyes as he spoke the following words, there was pure anger born of helplessness.

“Every time, what came back was news of the tribal warriors’ miserable defeat.”

Theano’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s not just the exiles.”

“Yes. It seems that they have become much stronger with additional combat personnel and equipment from an organization called Vendetta.”

“Vendetta.”

Enoch muttered for a moment.

A force so strong that even the warriors of the Suin tribe village, born and raised in the barren rocky desert, could not withstand it.

Although it was said to be 5 years ago in the original, it seems that Vendetta’s power is still the same.

“At present, the situation is beyond our ability to resolve.”

The chief slowly rose from his seat. He spoke solemnly, placing his staff on the floor.

“We too would like to eliminate the outcasts, but we cannot afford to waste any more warriors. The tribe’s numbers are already past a dangerous level.”

“Are you saying there are no people?”

“Yes. Because our people’s population has decreased.”

The chieftain said, frowning.

“You too have probably seen the entrance to the large underground passageway in the town square.”

Carak.

At the chief’s gesture, the attendant removed the carpet covering the wall. There was a large hole like a window.

Beyond that, the plaza’s massive underground entrance was visible.

It was a huge structure that could be seen even from here.

The chieftain continued speaking, looking out the window at the underground entrance.

“That entrance is a passage leading to the complex network of tunnels and ‘residential quarters’ underground in the village.”

Enoch tilted his head for a moment.

‘Residential area?’

So that underground area was where people lived, the chief explained again.

“Back in the old days when our ancestors settled in this village, it was a residential area used to accommodate all the beastmen who gathered from all over the empire.”

Outside, the sun was already setting.

The setting sun cast a lonely light on the crowds of people passing through the square and the entrance to the closed underground passage.

“But as you can see, it’s completely closed now. There’s no one left to live there.”

The reason was eerily realistic.

It is a crisis of survival due to population decline.

“Our ancestors did their best to survive in the desolate South. But now, they have reached their limit.”

The chieftain continued speaking solemnly.

“With the current power of the tribe alone, we can’t even properly stop the outcasts who have joined hands with the warlocks.”

He turned his head towards Enoch and Theano.

The chieftain’s red eyes looked at the two, his back turned to the sunset outside the window.

“Therefore. Here, as the chieftain of the village, I bow my head deeply to the Elseid family and make a request.”

The chieftain slowly bowed his head deeply, leaning on his cane.

“… Please. Stop the evil deeds of the Outcasts and Vendetta.”

He spoke in a low, lamenting voice.

“Leaving them alone like this will cause harm to innocent civilians in this village and the surrounding area… .”

The chieftain recited in a voice filled with anger.

“It’s also disrespectful to our ‘ancestors.’”

“ancestor?”

“exactly.”

The Suin tribe attendant spread a large map on the table. Looking at the map, the chieftain continued speaking slowly.

“The place they are currently located is an old ‘fortress’ that has been abandoned for hundreds of years.”

The chieftain raised his large hand and pointed to a spot on the map marked in red.

Detailed photographs attached to the spot he pointed to showed a very old-looking fortress built on top of a huge cliff.

“It is now abandoned due to the increase in demon hordes, but that fortress was once….”

The chieftain opened his mouth quietly.

“… It was once the residence of a great being known as the ‘Last Swordsman of the Empire.’”