Chapter 88 : Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Furas tilted his teacup as he looked at the glass jars on the table.

Shining inside the jars were Rob and Blake's mana circles.

The state of the two circles was, in a word, pathetic.

The golden rings formed around the mana core, that is, the circles, were only about 3-4.

Even those were not very active, and the light of the mana core was dim.

"Their mana refinement level is probably at the level of a low-grade academy student at best."

"They were chosen from the start as idiots with no particular interest in magic. It's only natural that the level of the guy picked by such a guy is similar."

At Killian's words, Furas' expression showed dissatisfaction.

He tapped the cup with his fingertip, lost in thought.

"Even a mana circle of this level can only be 'extracted' after knocking them out… It seems the teacher needs to speed things up a bit."

At Furas' low, rumbling voice, the two men standing beside Heath flinched.

They had already changed into their green capes.

As Blake had guessed right before he died, they were heretical sorcerers.

However, that was their past identity.

Now, they had devoted themselves to an organization, dreaming of a future where they were not heretics but a new mainstream.

And their biggest collaborator was none other than Furas von Kirhausen.

Furas' gaze turned to the two men's green capes.

The memory of raising his voice at someone wearing the same cape a few days ago made him feel a little displeased.

'He said he didn't know no matter what I asked. That freeloader.'

What was the cause of Marcel's sudden drop in mana?

What was the reason for Sylvia's repeated malfunctions in a short period of time?

Furas had asked, but he had only given the pathetic answer, 'I don't know for now.'

For a moment, anger welled up at the thought of the money and time invested in him so far, but Furas held it in.

There were still many tasks entrusted to him, so creating an emotional rift would do no good.

Still, when Furas looked dissatisfied, he said, 'I understand the family head's anxiety,' and made a promise.

"If Eddie Summerson really gets out of control, then I will step in myself."

At those words, Furas' anger finally subsided a little.

A person for whom stealth was life had promised to 'step in himself.'

Since he had shown his sincerity, he decided not to press him further.

While Furas was finishing his reminiscence, Killian picked up the glass jars containing the mana circles.

Then, he rolled them slowly in his hand, his eyes shining with interest.

"So, if I inject these circles into those bodies, they'll come to life and move?"

"Even after injection, we need to check the mental system and the circle's attachment status, so it will take another two or three hours. It's impossible to send them to Lacania right away."

"It doesn't matter. The Lacania city hall audit starts tomorrow, so as long as they function perfectly before then, it's fine."

Killian had Heath take away the glass jars containing the circles.

Killian couldn't hide his anticipation, as if he wanted to see the living homunculus as soon as possible.

Furas chuckled at his excited expression.

Even to his eyes, this collaborator in front of him was quite ill-tempered.

"You're incorrigible. You were going to kill them anyway, so why go to the trouble of hiding the fact that you removed their circles and even showing them the homunculus yourself?"

"Hahaha- it's so much fun to see that look of utter despair when they realize they've been had. I'm surprised you don't understand that fun."

"No matter how fun it is, it's a waste of time. If you had extracted the circles and killed them right away, the completed homunculi would be sitting next to you by now."

"Just think of it as a morbid hobby and understand. They're guys whose only price for betrayal is their lives. Wouldn't I feel less wronged if I got to have some fun like that at the end?"

Furas chuckled as if he couldn't be stopped.

Still, he thought there was some merit to it, so he stopped at a scolding.

"Well, anyway, I'll leave the 'Architects' here until they're perfectly cast, so don't worry. The same goes for those two 'Extractors'."

"Thank you. I'll take care of the finishing touches after that."

The tone of their conversation was extremely warm.

But the plan contained within it was brutal and sinister.

Kill the Rob and Blake, then carefully preserve their bodies.

Then, replace the two empty spots with the pre-made homunculi.

During the audit, supply the synthesis materials needed at the facility until the Lacania lockdown is lifted.

When the material supply is finished, switch the homunculi and the two bodies back again.

The bodies would be hanged, and a pre-prepared suicide note would be set up.

In fact, this incident was a crisis for both Furas and Killian.

But in the process of avoiding the crisis, they had confirmed their solidarity and also had the effect of weeding out the weak links.

Of course, there were still unsolved problems.

For example, the problem of a mere tail who had become a famous person overnight.

Since it wasn't a problem he could get help from Killian for, Furas had deliberately not brought it up.

But Killian was not one to miss such an interesting topic.

He changed the subject first with a smooth expression.

"By the way, what are you going to do about the Kirhausen family's tail who has become more famous than the family head in one fell swoop?"

“……”

Furas placed his teacup next to the saucer as a sign of his displeasure.

But Killian continued to speak without minding him.

It wasn't just a day or two.

"Still, you've prevented him from going under Headmaster Devens, so haven't you avoided the worst?"

"That's not the worst."

"Huh?"

Furas, who had been listening silently, interjected.

Killian's words were all good, but there was one misunderstanding.

"The worst is when Headmaster Devens goes under that kid."

"What? What does that…."

"I hear that the commoners, and even the people of Lacania and Embas, are already calling him the 'second Phoenix Embas.' With that kind of fame, he can overcome the limitation of being a traitorous tail and create a new faction."

"Hmm……."

"In terms of influence alone, he could surpass even Headmaster Devens. There's no way that guy wouldn't have predicted this trend. He's probably persuading the tail kid right now, saying he'll be a great help."

"Aren't you overreacting a bit? Of course, that tail kid is a surprising existence."

Killian was nonchalant.

At his answer, Furas' eyebrow twitched once.

Overreacting.

"No matter how great of an existence he has become, it's hard for an orphan from an orphanage to suddenly broaden his horizons like that."

“……”

"Besides, isn't he only 14? How could a kid like that form a faction in the magical world…."

"He did it."

"Hmm?"

"Edmund von Kirhausen, that man."

“……”

With Furas' words, an uncomfortable silence fell in the drawing-room.

Killian was about to rebut, 'Are you saying that guy and Eddie Summerson are the same?', but he stopped when he saw Furas' expression.

Because he knew well how sensitive Furas was about Edmund von Kirhausen.

Besides, what he said was true.

Edmund von Kirhausen.

He showed his talent as soon as he entered the academy, and in that year, he became the most talked-about person in the magical world.

Moreover, in his second year, he won the empire's largest magic tournament, which he had entered by lying about his status and age.

He was on the verge of being expelled when the fact that he had entered was discovered, but it was too late to expel him by then.

Because when it became known that the winner was a commoner child, he had become the hope of commoner mages.

The talk of expulsion that had briefly come up was crushed by even greater enthusiasm and popularity.

The magical world at that time was much harsher to commoners than it is now.

That's why the existence of Edmund, who had swept the magical world while shouldering the penalty of his young age, sparked a fanatical craze among the commoners.

And Edmund went even further, standing up on his own and creating a faction instead of belonging to any faction.

As a result, decades later, the Kirhausen family, a minor and insignificant mage family on the outskirts, became a prestigious mage family of the empire.

Killian also kept his mouth shut because he knew all these facts.

What Eddie Summerson was doing now?

Edmund von Kirhausen at the same age had done even more than that.

Furas spoke to Killian in a slightly softened voice.

"I'm not just wary of the influence he'll have on the magical world. If it were just that, there would be a way to keep him in check, even if it's difficult."

"Then what are you so worried about?"

"Do you think he only fought Rakan at Valcon?"

"Didn't he come back covered in blood? Of course, to the mana beasts or the Mana Beast King… wait, don't tell me……?"

"The supervising professors for the first-year field trip are both Headmaster Devens' limbs. It was the perfect condition to hide Eddie's condition on site and share it only within Palamedes."

"Are you saying that Summerson kid might have formed a cooperative relationship with Rakan? That he really became the second Phoenix Embas?"

"Just looking at what Headmaster Devens did first after the news of the accident was known, it's a sufficiently possible thing, isn't it."

“……It was a request for an embargo on his detailed condition and the story related to the Mana Beast King. Indeed.”

Killian nodded his head as if he finally understood.

He knew well that the way mana beasts acknowledged a specific human was quite rough.

Belatedly, he understood that Furas' concern was not an overreaction.

"If that kid really has received Rakan's power, it might be impossible to subdue him with force."

"Even if it were possible, it would consume a huge amount of the family's power. It would be better to just let him go and find a new well."

"Then, in the end, we need to find a way to control the kid who is outside the family. But is there such a way… ah…."

Killian chuckled as if he had realized something.

"I see why you were satisfied with that teacher's words, 'I will step in myself.'"

"I don't know what he's planning to do. He'll probably approach him saying, 'I'll be a better backer than Headmaster Devens.'"

After that, he'll either coax him again or brainwash him, or that side will take responsibility and dispose of him.

Furas spoke of disposing of a person without hesitation.

If a tool runs wild, correct it, and if it can't be corrected, destroy it.

It was a matter of course and something he had been doing until now.

"Then it's settled. It would be even better if we could make him stumble at Circe's level, but...."

“…Of course.”

But for some reason, it felt like he had to look two or three steps ahead to get a hold of Eddie Summerson.

It had been a long time since he had felt this way, and a cool smile hung on Furas' lips.

'It's been a long time since I played chess with him.'

About 30 years ago.

When he was at Shainborough not as a master but as a guest.

He was recalling the moment he had faced Edmund von Kirhausen.

* * *

At the same time, at the Pantheon.

"Gasp… gasp… gasp…."

Eddie gasped for breath and clutched his left side.

As the magic deployment ended, a pain as if his bones were about to pierce his flesh followed.

"Hoooooo……."

Eddie endured the pain while controlling his breathing.

He was now standing on the black cliff of the Pantheon.

When he looked up, he saw the black sky lavishly embroidered with golden mana particles.

It was the trace of the 6th and 7th-star spells he had just deployed.

'As expected… as long as I don't lose my mind, I won't lose the initiative.'

The training to master Rakan's mana continued for 5 hours.

And the greater the pain, the clearer the results.

Unlike a few days ago when he could only control the power of up to 4th or 5th-star spells, he could now control the power of most 6th-star spells.

Of course, the higher the difficulty of the spell, the more strongly Rakan's claws reacted, and with each time, a terrible pain washed over him.

But the moment he endured that pain and controlled Rakan's mana.

The power increased immeasurably.

Chwaaaaaaaak-!!!

The wind that came from the tip of Eddie's wand split the black sky in half.

Then, the blue sky that had been hidden by the clouds was revealed, and light poured into the Pantheon.

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