The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 61



Only Noblemtl

The fortress was larger than I thought.

Enoch, who was descending the dark fortress with Sirocco, glanced around.

The interior of the fortress was filled with complex passageways and secret rooms, befitting a defensive facility of the past.

‘A landscape that looks full of collectible elements to anyone who looks at it.’

If it were the original, it would have definitely been like that.

The stimulated instinct of the old man made his mouth water. However, it was not yet time for enjoyable farming.

It was already past midnight.

According to the experiment log, today was the test date for the entire Suin village.

‘Time is of the essence.’

Given the circumstances, it was imperative that we find out about Vendetta’s experiments as quickly as possible.

And to find out, we first need to ask the people who occupy this fortress.

If you’re working with the Vendetta, you probably know something about their intentions.

“…excuse me.”

At that moment, a young voice was heard from the side.

“You. What was that just now?”

When I turned my head, I saw Shiroko staring at me from the side.

“What was that?”

“I’m talking about your movements in the fortress earlier.”

Shiroko asked quietly.

“No matter how much physical strengthening magic our tribal warriors use, they can’t keep up with me. But you’re different.”

Shiroko slightly curled her fluffy tail into a question mark, looked this way blankly, and then spoke.

“In the fortress, you move as fast as I do, and you’re not even behind Leontos.”

Enoch looked at Sirocco for a moment.

“so?”

Let’s leave aside the movements that Shiroko mentioned. Since we saw him fight Leontos earlier, we would have seen him use his sword right away.

If so, her next reaction is also predictable.

Sirocco, who had been walking and staring at Enoch for a while, finally spoke in a low voice.

“That was unexpected. I didn’t think it was you….”

For a moment, the wolf ears on her head that had risen to Enoch’s chest perked up once.

“You were a strong wizard who used body strengthening magic like me!”

Sirocco, who playfully leaned in close to Enoch, grinned and nudged his waist with his elbow.

“You smelled pretty strong from the moment I first met you, but I didn’t know it was this strong!”

“Take it as a compliment.”

“Haha, you can be even happier! Even among our tribesmen, there are few who use body strengthening magic as much as I do. The successor to the chieftain has acknowledged you?”

She said so, wagging her tail.

In fact, they both mistakenly thought they were using the same magic, but Shiroko smiled brightly, wondering if that was a good thing.

Enoch glanced away.

‘Sirocco’s reaction is as expected.’

“The modern-day Suin people are those who have survived for a long time in an area virtually isolated from the empire.”

The magic of the water people, who were struggling to survive day to day while being tormented by demons in the wilderness, was overwhelmingly slower in development than that of the modern empire.

In particular, things like proper education in magic theory, especially like the curriculum within the empire, were not likely to be carried out properly.

Of course, the same goes for Sirocco.

‘At first glance, there’s no way you can tell the difference between physical strengthening magic and swordsmanship.’

That’s exactly why I thought I could reveal my sword without hesitation when I was alone with Shiroko.

Those judgments turned out to be exactly correct.

“There it is.”

“… … ?”

At that moment, Sirocco spoke to him in a quiet tone. Enoch looked to the side for a moment.

Before I knew it, she had stopped walking.

“And… I have something left to say to you.”

“What is it?”

Sirocco spoke carefully in a dead voice.

“sorry.”

She spoke softly, avoiding Enoch’s gaze.

“When you fought Leontos, I was frozen.”

Come to think of it, Sirocco had stopped moving in front of Leontos, who had appeared from the upper level of the fortress earlier.

She said, clenching her fists tightly.

“If you hadn’t just stood there like an idiot and attacked that guy together with me, we could have caught him… … .”

Chuuk.

Shiroko’s perked ears and tail drooped limply as he apologized honestly.

“I’m really sorry.”

She bowed her head.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t you say that water people can’t hide their emotions and true feelings through their ears and tails?’

So, that’s really a pity.

Because the ears and tail became so floppy.

Enoch simply shook his head at Sirocco’s sincere apology.

“It’s not all your fault.”

Here too, the world of nothingness was suddenly activated, and we were in a hurry due to unexpected variables.

Besides, Shiroko was the one who had single-handedly opened the fortress entrance and quickly cleared the way to the top floor. It didn’t make sense to blame her.

But apart from that, there was just one thing I wanted to ask Shiroko.

“By the way, it was a bit unexpected.”

“huh?”

Enoch looked back at her and asked.

“You were fine when you were fighting the enemies in the fortress earlier. But why did you suddenly stop in front of Leontos?”

Actually, I was curious about that from the beginning.

Why did Sirocco freeze so much after facing Leontos in the fortress earlier?

As far as Enoch knew, that was completely un-Scirocco-like behavior. That was why he wanted to ask.

“… … Ah, that’s what I’m talking about.”

Meanwhile, Shiroko lowered her head for a moment at that question. Then she quietly opened her small lips and answered.

“It was because of the look in your eyes.”

“twinkle?”

“Yeah… It’s hard to explain.”

Sirocco twitched the wolf ears on her head slightly. Enoch looked at her for a moment and then said.

“You don’t seem like the type of person who would be scared of anyone.”

Sigh.

At those words, Sirocco turned his head for a moment. Then he glanced at Enoch and asked.

“Hmm, that’s interesting~?”

“what?”

“You. How do you know me so well?”

Shiroko asked with a sly expression, her eyes slightly narrowed. Enoch, feeling a little stung, answered as if trying to cover it up.

“… … I guess I can understand it if I just look at it roughly.”

“Hmm~ Well, the village elders always tease me about how easy it is to understand. Am I really that easy to understand?”

However, Shiroko seemed to have somehow come to terms with it, and nodded slowly in response.

“That’s right. I’ve single-handedly taken down many demons much bigger and stronger than Leontos. But….”

She bowed her head for a moment and then added.

“The look in his eyes as he proudly declared that he was doing this to innocent people by kidnapping them and doing it for the future of our tribe… was scary.”

For a moment, Sirocco’s shoulders trembled slightly.

For some reason, I felt like I could understand it a little.

For a moment, Enoch thought back to when he had just entered the fortress. Among the people he had seen in the fortress’s test tubes, there was a water-man child younger than Sirocco.

Sirocco also saw that sight clearly.

She’s probably thinking about that right now too.

“I don’t know much about the magic experiment.”

Shiroko opened her mouth quietly.

“But I know that’s not the right way.”

She turned her head abruptly. Sirocco’s ruby-red eyes looked straight at Enoch.

“That’s right. Next time, I’ll be the one dealing with him!”

Enoch smiled slightly and asked back.

“You said you were scared earlier? Weren’t you scared?”

“Huh! Who keeps getting scared? And now that I think about it, I’m so embarrassed that I couldn’t move back then! Even so, I’m still the strongest in my tribe!”

Shiroko wagged her tail as if she was upset just thinking about it, then she crossed her arms and turned her head away as if she was a little upset.

Then he added in a slightly lower voice.

“And, I am the successor to the chieftain who leads the tribe.”

As she spoke, her ruby ​​eyes, bathed in moonlight, shone clearly with intense determination.

“I must pave the way for my people, my way, not the way of those outcasts.”

Enoch glanced at her and replied briefly.

“…I wish that were the case.”

***

Outside the fortress the night was thick.

In the large front yard, Elseid’s wizards, clad in black operational robes, were quietly gathered.

Among those holding the long staff, someone saw Enoch approaching and was the first to greet him.

“Enoch, are you here?”

Askle was giving instructions to clean up after the battle.

He bowed his head as he greeted Enoch.

“We successfully captured the fortress as planned. How is Enoch? Are you injured?”

“No. However, while we were fighting Leontos, he blew up the fortress and escaped through a secret passage.”

Askle nodded as if it was okay.

“It doesn’t matter. Thanks to Enoch’s single-handedly striking at their leader, the enemy’s command structure collapsed and we were able to subdue them without any casualties to our forces.”

Askle looked around the secured fortress with calm eyes and said.

“Besides, even if the leader of the exiles succeeded in escaping alone, he would not be able to recover as before since he had lost all his comrades.”

But Enoch shook his head.

“He is not the main body. He is just an arm and leg of the vendetta.”

“yes?”

“Vendetta was planning a ‘mass experiment’ on the entire village of the Suin. Leontos was just a puppet who was cooperating with the plan.”

Askle stared blankly at Enoch for a moment.

“…You said it was a large-scale experiment?”

He quietly repeated the shocking fact.

“But how on earth do you say that?”

Askle asked with a slightly embarrassed look.

“No matter how strong the Vendetta’s power is, conducting human experiments on an entire village of the Suin tribe? What kind of tricks would it take to make something like that possible…?”

“I don’t know.”

Enoch passed him by and answered.

“So, from now on, I’m going to ask you directly.”

The front yard of the fortress.

There, the outcasts of the Suin tribe were bound and forced to their knees in a miserable state.

Next to them, several healers belonging to the sect who had accompanied the assault on this fortress were using healing magic on the captured men.

“All captured.”

A wizard from another family who had been participating in the operation quietly approached and reported the situation.

“Only those who can be interrogated have been brought here, and the rest are being treated elsewhere and put to sleep using ‘subduing magic’.”

At that moment, Sirocco mumbled and repeated next to him.

“Huh? ‘Subjugation magic’?”

She looked up at Enoch and asked.

“Subjugation magic? What is that?”

Enoch nodded to Askle, who was following him.

He reluctantly gave Sirocco a short answer.

“A magic spell that stuns the target.”

“Wow, really? Is there really such a magic?”

“Yes. Of course, even a small spell that can only stun one person takes too long to cast, and it only takes effect if cast from very close range, so it can never be used in the middle of combat….”

Askle looked around at the wizards and said.

“Even so, if we capture magicians who are skilled in battle and simply tie them up, we never know when they might suddenly use magic to counterattack.”

Meanwhile, Enoch approached the bound captives.

The Suin tribe outcasts who had been kneeling raised their heads with eyes filled with anger when they sensed the presence.

Askle, who realized this too late while explaining the suppression magic, quickly stretched out his arms and shouted.

“Oh, Enoch! It might be dangerous. You should keep your distance…”

Damn it.

But Enoch approached the man without hesitation and looked down at him coldly with his dark blue eyes.

The outcast of the kneeling water people responded. He raised his head and glared at Enoch, opening his mouth.

“… … You have guts, you’re a direct descendant of Elseid.”

The Suin Tribe exile growled, baring his fangs.

“Why did you keep us alive? What do you want from us?”

“Simple. All information about the large-scale experiments Vendetta is conducting on the Suin village.”

Suin laughed at Enoch’s words.

“Do you think I’ll tell you?”

“of course.”

Enoch answered, tilting his head slightly.

“You’re not going to hide it anyway, are you?”

Enoch took a document out of his bosom.

“Vendetta’s Experimental Journal” obtained from Omen before.

Suin’s eyes widened slightly when she saw that.

“You were already preparing to conduct a large-scale experiment on the Suin tribe village.”

Enoch continued coolly.

“And yet, you touched the wizard of Elseid and induced a joint mission. Isn’t your intention too obvious?”

Of course, it was an inconsistent action.

If they had any intention of hiding the fact that they were about to undertake a large-scale experiment, they would not have done something so stupid as provoking the stock market into participating in the experiment.

“It seems like they wanted to advertise that they were going to experiment on Elseid anyway, so let’s stop wasting each other’s time.”

Enoch looked down at the man and spoke calmly.

“Tell me. I will listen.”

“Kukuk… .”

Suin let out a low laugh.

“You’re a quick thinker, you little brat, Direct.”

He said, raising his sparkling eyes.

“That’s exactly right. We need you guys for this experiment.”

“reason.”

“Why? That’s simple.”

At that moment, the exile glared at him with eyes that glowed in the darkness and laughed heartily.

“What happens here from now on will spread throughout the empire through you!”

The moment he heard those words, Enoch’s eyes narrowed.

Was that so?

Enoch recalled the original story.

“Tantalos’ large-scale experiment was ultimately a success.”

“The villagers who have turned into powerful demons and the wizards of the Elseid family engage in battle.”

“In the end, the Water People who were transformed by Elseid were completely destroyed. They met a miserable end.”

‘This is the future that awaits the Suin people.’

And with this incident as the starting point, Vendetta succeeded in striking at Elseid and made their name known throughout the Empire.

That must be the reason why Vendetta brought Elseid into this experiment, as the exile mentioned earlier.

-Elseid’s failure is soon the success of the vendetta.

The fact that the Zhu family, known as the pillar of the empire, failed to stop their plans. That alone would bring them enormous benefits, including the most important ‘reputation’ in the empire.

Enoch asked quietly.

“That experiment. How does it proceed?”

What happens in future experiments?

We all know what the ending will be.

– However, I don’t know ‘how’ they will conduct their experiment on this village.

That wasn’t described in the original work, so I had to figure out how to do it myself.

Only then can we change the future.

“… If it’s your wish, let me know. Direct line.”

Shh.

Meanwhile, in response to Enoch’s question, the exile laughed eerily, his mouth wide open. Then he raised his head and shouted:

“Anyway, I can’t hide it any longer!”

-Wheein!

And at that moment, a communication magic circle quickly rotated and appeared in Askle’s ear.

“…communication active.”

Askle’s expression briefly wavered when he saw that.

“This is an emergency communication from Elseid personnel waiting in the village.”

Emergency communications.

Those words solidified the atmosphere around them.

Ominous feelings of foreboding passed through the wizards.

“I will connect you with full voice.”

But as soon as he connected the magic circle and turned it into a whole, an urgent voice rang out like a speaker.

[Notice from the village waiting team! All the people in the village are currently unconscious!]

– All the people in the village are unconscious.

At the unbelievable news, the reactions of everyone around them suddenly turned cold.

First, Askle, who had been communicating, asked back while maintaining his composure as much as possible.

“…What is the cause?”

[This is a magic circle for suppression!]

Shiroko exclaimed with a bewildered expression at the name of the magic that had just been explained to her.

“If it’s a suppression spell, then it’s the one that knocked you out earlier?”

Askle said as calmly as possible.

“Are you sure it’s a suppression spell?”

An urgent voice was received beyond the communication magic.

[Just now, I saw with my own eyes the light of a large magic circle coming out from underground!]

“A large magic circle?”

[Yes! It is judged that ‘suppression magic’ has been activated through a large magic circle that covers the entire village!]

A look of agitation crossed the faces of the Elseid personnel who had been listening intently to the communication.

“It’s strange.”

From the side, one of the battle mages belonging to the family spoke calmly to Askle.

“Suppression magic is a sophisticated magic that takes a long time to cast even on a scale that can stun a single person. To cast it on a scale that is large enough to cover an entire village would have required at least several months of preparation time.”

“Are you saying that you have already prepared for the village?”

“It is highly likely.”

“You said earlier that the magic circle’s light was leaking out from underground. It looks like they’re up to something underground.”

As he said this, Askle looked back at Enoch.

“If it’s underground, there’s only one place that comes to mind right away.”

Enoch nodded quietly at those words.

“…a closed underground living area.”

That was the only possibility that came to mind right away.

An underground area that was closed in the past due to population decline. In other words, magic was prepared and activated under the surface of the town.

Well, who cares about what’s under their feet?

The abandoned and closed underground area would have been the perfect place to secretly prepare large-scale magic.

But Shiroko denied it with a trembling voice, as if she couldn’t believe it.

“No! Our village is heavily guarded! We have to protect the tribesmen from the demons, so even in normal times, there are always warriors…”

“Security is meaningless.”

At that moment, a woman’s neat voice spoke clearly.

As I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw a sorceress dressed in the uniform of the Black Nemesis.

It was Theano.

She was walking with the knights of Nemesis, her long hair flowing down her head.

“The enemy is a dark magic organization called Vendetta.”

Theano spoke, his dark purple eyes shining darkly beneath the shadow of his deeply pressed hat.

“Warlocks are good at moving cunningly without being detected. That’s how they survived.”

She added calmly.

“They must have been hiding in the village long ago. The outcasts who were working with the Vendetta must have told them the geography of the village.”

So Theano approached the communication magic circle that Askle was deploying and spoke beyond it.

“This is Theano. Village standby team, report in. What is the current status of the village?”

[Team 1 here, as soon as the suppression magic circle was confirmed to be activated, several people cast defensive magic. All family members are currently safe!]

[Team 3, the combat personnel are currently scattered and continuing the fight! The sect healers and non-combat personnel are attempting to rescue the Suin tribe!]

Enoch, who was listening to the communication, felt a little amazed inwardly.

He reacted immediately to the magic that was suddenly activated underground, defended against it, and then immediately moved to respond.

Certainly, they were not the wizards of Elseid for nothing.

─But, that’s it.

Even if it were Elseid, it would be virtually impossible to protect all the townspeople who had passed out while also engaging Vendetta.

As if to confirm Enoch’s concerns.

Kwaaaaang!

With a piercing crack, another urgent voice channel was transmitted through the communication magic.

[Notice! Team 3. You are currently isolated by a number of unidentified wizards approaching the village!]

Amidst the urgent sounds of battle, the voice of the clan wizard shouting desperately echoed through the communication.

[It seems like what they’re after is securing the villagers who have been hit by the suppression magic! They’re holding on, but if things continue like this, they won’t be able to protect all of the unconscious people!]

─Touk

And then the communication magic circle lost its light.

For some reason, the connection on the other side seemed to have been cut off. It was clear that the situation was very urgent.

“What the hell, this is a vendetta! Go back to the village immediately and provide support to the village staff…!”

Theano shook his head at Askle’s words.

“If we rush, there is a risk of friendly fire.”

She continued calmly.

“They probably knew we were moving towards the fortress and attacked the village. There is a possibility that an ambush will be waiting for us on our way back.”

Theano looked back at his men and said.

“First, Nemesis will quickly complete the reconnaissance and secure the route to the village.”

The other magicians from the other families slowly nodded their heads in agreement with her words.

“All right.”

“The rest of you, get ready and move while we finish our reconnaissance. Get ready.”

Theano gave a short order to the rest of the wizards and turned around.

The knights of Nemesis followed her.

Enoch slowly looked back toward the fortress, checking the black uniforms disappearing into the night.

‘I finally have time. That’s good.’

There was still work to be done here as well.

“Then I’ll explore more of the fortress by myself.”

Enoch looked up and saw the huge fortress.

Traces of the distant past sleeping in the darkness.

Soon he started walking towards it.

As Enoch walked towards the fortress in the opposite direction from Nemesis, Askle shouted from behind.

“Master Enoch? But, you just got into combat! It would be better if you could just rest a little bit…”

“Who here doesn’t have a hard time? There.”

Enoch looked up at the fortress and said.

“There may still be more information remaining in this fortress.”

okay.

There might be more.

‘The remaining ‘information on the sword’.’

Finally, we set foot in the quiet fortress.

Enoch smiled slightly as he confirmed the sentence floating above his vision that was beginning to waver.

? Free World: Until Restart… 20%