The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 28



Only Krnovel

Gray clouds covered the vast plain.

Between the raindrops that had suddenly started to fall.

The train quickly crossed the vast plain.

Enoch was sitting on the train seat, looking out the window with the hood of his black robe pulled over his head.

Beyond the scenery passing by outside the window.

In Enoch’s head, the voice of Granthal that he had heard just the day before was ringing.

[The only person who has been revealed to be a senior member of Vendetta is a black magician called ‘Tantalos’.]

He said, holding out the papers.

[Tantalus has now disappeared, but his immediate subordinates are different.]

Tantalus’ direct subordinates.

They said that they moved independently of Tantalus.

They were the target of this last immunity mission.

[This time, they appeared in the city northeast of Elseid, where the ‘largest dark city in the empire’ was located in the past. Please check the relevant document for details.]

Destroying them is the condition for the success of the mission.

If you just look at the numbers, there weren’t that many.

However, their leader, the wizard, was the problem.

[The wizard who leads Tantalus’s followers who have revealed their true form is called ‘Persona’.]

“Persona”

A black magician who has reached the 10th level.

A confidant of Tantalus, the destroyer of Vendetta.

It was a very dangerous target.

[In the past, even a 10th-grade battle magician belonging to the family was killed by a Persona.]

Granthal’s advice was short but clear.

[Be sure to watch out for that wizard, my lord.]

Other guys aside, Persona was, without a doubt, the toughest opponent in this mission.

That’s exactly why the head of the household gave him this impossible task as an exemption.

Enoch, who has no followers, is going on a sweeping operation against such a dangerous warlock and his subordinates.

Because it would be a virtually impossible mission.

But apart from that, there was another, more uneasy aspect.

‘If the wizard called Persona is a 10th level, he will definitely use his own magic.’

If so, it is highly likely that he will be an even more difficult opponent.

I am well aware of how diverse and sometimes beyond common sense the ‘unique magic’ that can only be used by those of rank 10 or higher is.

‘But there is a 10th level wizard here too.’

Enoch turned his head to the side, feeling the gazes he had been feeling since a while ago.

Even though I was wearing a hood to hide my dark hair, I was still getting stares from people near my train seat.

In fact, it was obvious who that gaze was directed at.

“… … .”

The focus of attention is on the maid who has been sitting quietly in the seat next to me since the start.

Lien.

Enoch sighed softly as he looked at Lien, who was sitting quietly with her usual expressionless demeanor.

Already, people could be seen glancing at Lien from various seats on the train.

The reason was obvious.

Not only is her beautiful appearance something that naturally catches the eye, but what stands out most is her maid outfit in the middle of the train car.

Even though the maid profession is common here, it’s strange to see someone wearing a maid outfit on the train, let alone at work.

The only thing is that during the last mission, there were a lot of servants dressed in similar attire in a mansion, so it was a bit buried. I guess that’s not normal attire.

“… Do you have anything to say?”

Lien suddenly noticed my gaze and glanced back, speaking calmly.

Enoch asked her, who spoke in an impeccable, polite tone, perhaps because they were outside, out of pure curiosity.

“What about other clothes?”

“doesn’t exist.”

“why?”

“There are a lot of these in the castle supply room.”

Lien answered calmly, smoothing the hem of her maid outfit.

Enoch was momentarily speechless at that seemingly obvious answer.

But Lien herself seemed to think that was a sufficient answer, so she turned her head away as if nothing had happened.

Enoch hesitated for a moment about where to start, then decided to just leave it at that.

‘No matter what I say, it doesn’t seem like it will work.’

You’ll just have to be satisfied with the fact that a 10th-grade wizard will accompany you for escort.

‘… Now that I think about it.’

Enoch, who had thought about that, suddenly remembered a phrase from the original that had quite an impact.

“Mages above level 10 often have a screw missing somewhere.”

A phrase that clearly appeared in the original work.

Why did I only remember that important thing now?

Enoch glanced at Lien, who was sitting calmly as usual, with a slightly sour expression.

Maybe it’s because he looks about the same age as me, or maybe it’s because of his clothes, but he doesn’t look like a level 10 or higher wizard at first glance… … .

‘Anyway, it’s not important right now.’

Enoch turned his head out the window, his hood up.

What we need to think about now is the target of this mission, Persona, and the magicians belonging to the Vendetta under her command.

Rattling.

Before I knew it, the train was passing over the bridge.

Outside the window, a large city view unfolded beneath a gray sky.

‘There are guys somewhere in this city.’

Well then, first we need to figure out their location.

Since they were opponents I had never encountered in the original, I had to know their exact location.

***

When I got off the train, the rain had stopped.

Rays of light filtered through the gray clouds.

Under a colorless sky with faint sunlight shining down.

A huge station appeared before Enoch’s eyes.

A train station with an impressive, artistic architectural form and a luxurious, arched ceiling that lets in sunlight.

However, the interior of the station building was empty, belying its vast scale and splendor.

Even the management was not good, so dust piled up everywhere, creating an gloomy atmosphere.

There are also people who appear to be pedestrians everywhere.

It was clear that although it had once been prosperous, it was in fact an economically declining city.

“What’s the plan?”

At Lien’s low whisper, Enoch responded by taking a step forward.

“Information gathering.”

A northeastern city located on the edge of Elseid Territory.

The most prosperous underworld of the past was located there.

The plan was to take the first step against them.

“For news from the gutter, ask the gutter rat.”

Enoch walked to a corner of the station.

A pedestrian was sitting with his head bowed.

He felt something and lifted his head slightly.

“…Who are you?”

On the outside, he looks like a beggar.

The smell of alcohol vibrated from his body, and his pupils were dilated and messed up as if he were drunk.

He opened his mouth and laughed heartily.

“Oh my, you brought such a pretty maid to such a shabby place. You seem to be doing quite well, so please have some mercy on this wretched person.”

But instead of answering, Enoch dropped something into the begging bucket in front of him.

Chalgrang.

What fell into the barrel was an intricately crafted pendant.

An identification card used in the underworld, obtained from a warehouse keeper in the underworld of the northern city that I visited during my first mission.

“… … .”

The moment he saw that, the pedestrian’s focus suddenly returned. He spoke in a cold tone, his drunken voice nowhere to be found.

“I heard that business was completely gutted recently.”

He looked up at Enoch with sharp eyes and asked quietly.

“Who are you, you punk?”

“It’s not something you should be asking about.”

Enoch responded calmly.

The pedestrian’s expression distorted for a moment at his answer.

“I presented my ID. Where is the Omen?”

“this…!”

At that moment, the pedestrian felt something was wrong and took out a crystal ball-shaped horse helmet from his bosom.

But before he could do anything, Enoch crushed the bastard’s head with his foot.

Kuung.

His head hit the floor vertically with a dull sound.

Enoch continued speaking, looking down at him with an indifferent expression.

“Judging by his reaction, he must be inside.”

“Omen” is the leader of the underworld of this city and the master of this street.

In order to properly gather information for the mission, it was necessary to meet him first.

Sling.

The tip of the sword was aimed at the beggar’s neck.

“Ugh.”

The man lowered his eyes with difficulty, feeling an instinctive fear at the sharp cold.

“Stop wasting your time.”

Enoch spoke to him quietly.

“Guide me.”

***

“Who are you?”

A platform hidden inside the station’s giant pillars.

An iron door located at the end of the hallway on the lowest floor.

As the beggar knocked on the door, the eyehole in the iron door opened and a man’s voice was heard.

“Are you the alley keeper? What’s your business?”

The pedestrian hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Enoch, who was holding a sword, and then spoke.

“To see the captain.”

“A man without morals. Starting with the wind in broad daylight…”

There was a grumbling sound from inside, and then the iron door opened with the sound of a lock being released.

And the next moment─

Phew!

The man who opened the door while grumbling was knocked out by a fist flying through the open door.

Enoch goes in first, his hood pulled down low as he retrieves his fist, and you are left with wide eyes, having just missed his movement.

And then a maid with silver-white hair who seemed to be in the same group as those two passed through the iron gate.

The rest was smooth sailing.

A long iron corridor. At the end of it, we reached the entrance to a room that looked like a reception room.

Squeak.

As I opened the door, inside, a man wearing an artifact that looked expensive at first glance was sitting at his seat, drinking alcohol in broad daylight.

He opened the door and asked the beggar rudely.

“Number 17. What are you doing here in broad daylight?”

In response to his question, the pedestrian pointed to the swordsman and the maid standing behind him.

“Oh, these people want to meet the owner of the street.”

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know either… … but here is the evidence they presented.”

The pedestrian said, holding out the pendant he was holding in his hand.

Sigh.

And at the same time, he rolled up his sleeves.

A small tattoo of a hawk catching a rat was revealed on the walker’s inner forearm.

─A sign that you are being threatened by an outsider.

It was an old secret slogan within the workplace, asking for help from a partner.

“Was it like that?”

The man who saw that nodded his head as if pretending to see it.

But Enoch, who was watching all of this from the side, snickered and glanced away.

If you were watching without knowing anything, it is a signal hidden in natural movements that you wouldn’t notice.

But unfortunately, we already know the signals they are giving and receiving.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve watched the cutscenes that zoom in on that scene in-game.

“First, sit down.”

The man sitting motioned for Enoch to sit in the chair in front of him.

Then he tapped the table with his ring-covered finger and said:

“Coming to this street in broad daylight? You really don’t know anything about the rules of this place.”

“Should I know?”

In response, the man looked at me for a moment and let out a laugh that was almost mocking.

“Of course. If you were accompanied by a maid with such high commercial value, you should know even more.”

The man who said that had a sharp look in his eyes.

Enoch just sat down on his chair, leaned back against the backrest, and crossed his legs calmly.

The man sitting across from me slowly raised one hand and added:

“If you don’t know the rules, then on this street… .”

The next moment, dozens of mana-like auras rose up from behind the man.

Ten wizards of rank 15 who serve as escorts behind the darkness of the reception room.

“I have to die.”

Exactly!

As soon as the man’s fingers touched, dozens of magic circles formed simultaneously in the darkness behind him.

Countless magic circles raised their heads toward the intruder.

surprise attack.

A traditional welcoming greeting, close to the customs of the underworld, intended to suffocate raiders.

Even a high-ranking magician would not be able to withstand this level of magic being suddenly poured out without taking damage.

The corners of the man’s mouth, who had sent the attack signal, rose in anticipation of what would happen in the next moment.

however,

“… … ?”

It was then that the man realized something was wrong.

The intruder boy was still sitting on the chair, looking this way, without any change in expression.

For a moment, an inexplicable ominous feeling came over the man.

He clearly signaled “kill” just a moment ago.

Of course, no matter how slow it is, it would be normal for it to have fired the magic it cast by now.

But for some reason, the escorts remained silent.

“What, what is it…? Why are there magic…?”

Only then did the man notice something was strange and he quickly turned around.

Then his face began to turn red with horror.

That extreme.

A small metallic noise resonated faintly.

In the darkness, silvery wires stretched out in all directions, forming intricate paths.

The escort magicians waiting behind the man were all wrapped up in that thin wire.

There was clearly no sign of magic being used.

And yet, before we knew it, all the people, without exception, were completely subdued.

“uh?”

At the end of the wire path, a silver-haired maid girl stood silently behind the intruder boy.

The man was speechless when he saw her blue eyes shining coldly in the darkness.

He just kept muttering in a low voice.

“what…….”

But there was no time to be surprised.

The sound of footsteps rang in his ears.

Damn it.

The boy wearing a black hood was already walking right up to me with his sword hanging down.

A pair of dazzling blue eyes approached him.

The man who met her gaze instinctively felt his life was in danger.

“Oh, oh my god!”

He immediately stood up, stretched out his arm, and activated the ring-shaped magic wand he wore on his finger.

A magic circle appeared in front of the man’s outstretched hand.

Scratch!

But at that moment, a dark blue trajectory cut through the space before his eyes.

The eyes of the man who was gathering mana and deploying a magic circle were filled with shock once again.

“… … ?”

The magic circle he was forming was canceled in an instant.

Chaaaaang!

Countless particles of mana shattered and flew into the air.

“Cough!”

Before I even realized what it was.

The man staggered back from the severe backlash of mana flowing through his body.

He muttered, shaking from the shock he had just received.

“That thing just now, blocking magic… Was that a unique magic?”

Enoch looked at him with pitiful eyes for a moment.

The mindset of trying to connect everything with magic. At this point, I’m honestly amazed.

Is it not for nothing that the Magic Empire is a place where everything relies on magic?

“Then yes, you. You’re saying you’re a 10th-grade? Why on earth would a guy like that come here… … Ugh!”

Enoch did not respond to the meaningless nonsense.

Instead, he grabbed the neck of the man who had staggered and was backed up against the wall. Then he thrust his sword close and said.

“I need information on the location of a 10th-level warlock named Persona and her Vendetta agents.”

The man swallowed as he felt blood flowing from his neck where the blade had made a shallow puncture.

“That, that… … !”

But before he could answer.

The boy continued speaking quietly.

“But, you.”

Enoch looked at the wizard in front of him and said.

“It’s not Omen.”

In that moment, the faces of the magicians inside the room hardened even more.

Their leader, the ‘master of the streets’, never reveals his face to the outside world.

But how do you know for sure that it’s fake?

A riding ground that defies common sense, a ridiculous fighting style, and even knowledge.

Their expressions hardened as if they could not figure out the identity of the swordsman before their eyes.

But the man in front of her tried hard to resist and laughed.

“… I don’t know how you knew that, but do you think you would just tell someone you don’t even know?”

“I guess so.”

widely.

Enoch picked up the long staff-shaped scepter he had dropped on the ground and snatched it out of the air.

And then he said to the bastard.

“Then there’s nothing I can do. I have to use magic to get an answer.”

“What? What kind of magic…?”

“Confession magic.”

Enoch swung the wizard’s staff he had picked up with a full swing towards the bastard’s face.

Pfft!

A dull sound echoed throughout the room.

The other dark wizards looked at Enoch in stunned silence for a moment.

One of the wizards in the room saw it and muttered quietly.

“…magic?”

Confession Magic (Physical).

Historically, this has been the answer.

For a while after that, only a dull, creepy sound echoed in the room.

Before I knew it, the confession magic was starting to take effect.

Enoch asked the distraught wizard again.

“Where is the Omen?”

He spoke in protest, his face looking so disfigured it was hard to describe.

“What, what kind of magic is this…!”

Enoch lifted the saddle again without saying a word.

Then the man became lost in thought and shouted desperately.

“Ah… No! I’ll tell you!”

The moment when Enoch, a pragmatic traditionalist, once again became convinced of the powerful power of violence.

Suddenly, a languid voice echoed from the other side of the room.

“What’s going on? What’s all the fuss about?”

The owner of that sudden voice appeared from across the room.

“I was having a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.”

Compared to the other men with somewhat haggard faces, he looked considerably younger.

One of the surrounding wizards who saw him shouted as if he had seen a savior.

“Oh, Brother Omen! These guys are acting up… Please save them!”

All of the guys who could stand still ran away behind the man.

Enoch tossed the half-raged wizard aside from the confession spell and looked at him.

“Omen”

The dark district of the city district northeast of Elseid.

The master who reigns over a street that is left with only past glory.

“You came to the underworld in broad daylight and beat up the residents like dogs. You’re crazy.”

The man in front of me glanced over for a moment, scratching his head.

And then, as if he understood, he raised his finger in a listless manner and pointed at Enoch’s robe.

“In that robe, that pendant. You must be the one who raided the underworld of the northern city.”

He added briefly, meeting my gaze through my hooded face.

“Isn’t that so? Nari of the Elseid family?”