Chapter 42 : Chapter 42

Chapter 42 — The Black Mage (2)

The ten-year-old girl, Hailyn, had once lived a perfectly ordinary life. A curious child, she always loved to go on adventures—not grand journeys like those in knightly tales, but small, thrilling adventures fitting for her age.

She would climb the hill behind her village with her friends, chase animals and bugs, and proudly show them off. Even when the adults scolded her, she would sneak out late at night to gaze at the stars. For Hailyn, who lived in an isolated village, those little acts of defiance were her own kind of adventure.

She never understood why the adults always warned her to be careful.

What could possibly happen in such a quiet, remote place?

But that belief of hers shattered one day.

“Huh?”

While exploring the back hill as usual, Hailyn found an old man collapsed in the bushes. He wore a tattered robe stained in many places, and his face was deathly pale. He looked gravely ill. Without a second thought, Hailyn carried the unconscious man back to her village. If she had received even the most basic education, she would never have done so.

The young girl had no idea how dangerous it was to bring a stranger into an isolated village.

She didn’t know that the gray pendant around his neck marked him as an exiled Mage, nor that the branded mark on his wrist identified him as a fugitive from the Sky Empire. And thus, tragedy began.

The old man Hailyn had rescued awoke after eating some warm porridge. The moment he opened his eyes, he muttered incomprehensible incantations—and with a single wave of his hand, he brought calamity to the village.

That was the first time in her life Hailyn had ever seen magic.

And it was also the first time she realized—humans could shatter so easily.

When she came to her senses, the village was painted red. Blood and scattered entrails drenched the ground. And there, sitting among the carnage, was the old man she had saved.

He sat upon the corpses of her parents—as though they were his chair. But Hailyn couldn’t even bring herself to hate him.

She was too terrified. Terrified of the horrifying scene before her, terrified of the old man whose gestures had brought it forth, terrified of this “magic” she could not understand.

“Thank you, child. Thanks to you, I live.”

And along with that terror came self-loathing. It felt as though the dead eyes of the villagers stared at her, speaking without words.

Ah, Hailyn. Did we not always tell you to be careful? That the world was full of frightening things? Why didn’t you listen?

“I am Jerry Selfit, once of the ‘Blue Raven Tower’ and a noble Mage of the Sky Empire Velma. Thanks to you, my life has been extended beyond its destined end.”

But no matter what Hailyn was thinking, the old man—Jerry Selfit—just kept talking.

How Mage-like of him.

“You are my savior, child.”

“……”

“As a gift, I grant you the honor of becoming my servant. You may now serve one as noble as I.” And so, that day, the adventurous little girl named Hailyn fell into the gutter of fate.

The child who had loved the woods and stars now came to understand how wicked humans could become under the name of “Mage.”

Cruel stories could never capture reality.

To Hailyn, Jerry Selfit was no human—he was a demon wearing human skin.

Why, she wondered, did the righteous and merciful angels of life allow such a monster to roam the world? She could never understand.

Countless lives perished at Jerry Selfit’s fingertips.

He killed in the name of curiosity, he killed for amusement, and sometimes he killed for no reason at all.

During that long, horrific journey, Hailyn was eventually brought to this remote corner of the Iron Kingdom.

“I fancy that mansion. We’ll settle here.”

From the beginning of her ordeal, Hailyn had prayed silently—that someone would kill that demon.

If not…

“Yes, Master. A fine idea.”

Then at least, that someone would end her wretched fate today.

***

“Jerry Selfit. A Mage expelled from the ‘Blue Raven Tower,’ you say. You don’t know how powerful he is? I wish we had more information.”

I asked while watching the small figure leading the way—Hailyn. She’d been chattering endlessly, telling us things we hadn’t even asked for.

I couldn’t tell if it was part of some act to gain sympathy, or if she was simply being a child.

“I-I don’t know how strong he really is. I’ve never seen another Mage besides my master. But, um… Master always goes after weak people.”

“……”

“B-but one thing’s for sure. He’s not weak. Once, we ran into a knight—someone in full armor—and the knight didn’t even have a chance to fight back. He coughed up blood and died before getting close to Master.”

A knight, huh.

That meant he was at least capable of instantly killing a Sword Walker-level warrior.

I frowned as I looked at poor Hailyn.

I didn’t know much about Mages myself. In this backwater, there was no way such exalted figures would appear. I had never seen one in my life.

The first being I’d met who wielded spiritual power was that Orc Elder from before.

I hadn’t even heard many stories about Mages.

In short, this was an unknown enemy.

I didn’t know how Mages fought—or how to fight one.

“B-but… must you both go see my master yourselves?”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Wh-what about reporting him?”

While I was thinking, Hailyn timidly offered an alternative.

“M-my master’s a black Mage. He broke the rules of his tower and got expelled. The Sky Empire’s been chasing him ever since because of all the terrible things he’s done.”

“A fugitive, then.”

“If you report him, the pursuers will come and take him away! The Sky Empire will send its terrifying Judges.”

A fugitive from the Sky Empire, huh.

That wasn’t a bad suggestion.

Rather than recklessly fighting an unknown Mage, it’d be better to leave it to someone experienced—someone used to hunting Mages, someone who already knew about him. And if we reported it, we might even get rewarded. The Sky Empire was known for its generosity.

No one handled matters more efficiently than them.

The Sky Empire Velma was the strongest nation on the continent, after all.

But there was one problem.

“I don’t know how to contact them. And even if we did, do you realize how far the Sky Empire is from here? We can’t just sit around and wait.”

Hailyn’s eyes trembled at my words.

“B-but still, wouldn’t that be better than facing him yourselves?”

“……”

“I-I saw you kill those golems. You’re strong, I know. But… I don’t think anyone can beat my master. He’s… he’s a demon.”

The fear rooted in Hailyn’s heart ran deep. As I looked at her pale face, feeling an unexpected pang of pity, Liam spoke.

「A demon, she says. How amusing. Only those who’ve never set foot in the ‘Land of Despair’ would say such things. They’ve never seen a real demon.」

“……”

「Young descendant, are you afraid? Of facing a Mage you’ve never seen before?」

I looked inward toward Liam and muttered silently, Yes. I am.

「There’s no need to fear. Let me tell you something interesting.」

「The Steel Blood flowing through our veins holds the power to bring despair to tricksters like those Mages.」

It was as if he had read my thoughts.

「That’s why, long ago, Mages used to call the Karavan domain by another name.」

He smiled faintly.

「The Grave of Mages.」

***

Guided by the ragged little girl, Hailyn, we arrived near a small cabin hidden in thick undergrowth. Dark, ominous energy pulsed around it—far thicker and heavier than what had spread near the village.

I turned to Liam before stepping closer.

“What do you think we should do?”

「What do you mean?」

“He’s an intruder, yes—but he hasn’t harmed me directly yet. Shouldn’t we at least try to talk first? Like we always do?”

「Hmm. True. So far, all he’s done is spy on the estate.」

My usual method was to confirm intentions through conversation before taking action.

Even if he was a wicked black Mage, killing someone just for that title didn’t sit right with me.

“But still… I’m not sure this time.”

This opponent was different. Unlike ordinary trespassers with mere weapons, this one commanded mysteries with gestures.

Was it right to give such a foe time to act?

Would it not be better to strike first, swiftly and silently?

As doubts swirled in my mind, Liam said,

「Do as you will, young descendant.」

“……”

「If you sneak in like an assassin and strike him down, I won’t blame you. If you face him openly and die for it, I won’t blame you either. Every choice and consequence will be your own.」

His tone sharpened.

「Do as your will commands you—to the end. As befits Steel.」

“……”

「That is the Karavan way.」

My master was the same as ever—He never imposed his will upon me.

After a brief silence, curiosity made me ask,

“If it were you, Master—what would you have done?”

「I would’ve killed him.」

No hesitation in his answer.

「I would never forgive a Mage bold enough to covet my domain.」

“Was that the way of the old Karavans?”

「No.」

Liam glanced at me, his gaze colder than usual.

「That was my way.」

“……”

「So choose your own.」

His eyes gleamed like tempered steel—cold, unyielding… and somehow, lonely.

「So you won’t regret it.」

***

In the dark, damp cabin, Jerry Selfit gnawed at his fingernails—a habit of his whenever he was displeased.

“Why…”

He was far from satisfied with the current situation.

“Why do these pests keep appearing to interfere with me?”

By chance, he had discovered a fine mansion within this provincial estate. Compared to the home he once had in his homeland, it was modest—but after years on the run, it felt luxurious enough.

He’d been thrilled by the thought of turning it into his new haven, building a magical labyrinth, crafting his perfect lair.

But in an instant, everything was ruined.

“Why.”

The territorial control spell he had cast had been dismantled effortlessly.

The intricate magic he’d prepared had collided with some sort of spiritual power and shattered.

Jerry realized it wasn’t caused by a magical artifact—but a spiritual one, wielded by someone with power far surpassing his own.

“Why!”

He had immediately ordered Hailyn to destroy the spiritual artifact. Such tools excelled in spiritual defense but were weak to physical attacks—typical of shamanic charms.

If the girl died cursed for touching it, so be it. That wasn’t his concern.

But Hailyn failed.

He realized this when all his golems ceased functioning.

So—the one in that estate wasn’t just that young Sword Walker girl. Someone else was there.

“Who dares ruin my noble plans? Why?”

His fury boiled over. Everything he’d planned was in shambles. By now, he should’ve already claimed the mansion, washed himself clean, changed into fine clothes, and laid upon a soft bed—with wine and lamb beside him.

That was the dream he’d had last night—a dream of regaining the peaceful life he’d lost for decades, thanks to the hunters from the mage tower and the Sky Empire.

Jerry’s rage was uncontrollable. His eyes burned red, and the darkness within the cabin writhed around him. Then—through that silence—an unfamiliar voice broke through.

“I have a question.”

“……?”

“Are you a trespasser, or a neighbor?”

Jerry frowned and turned his head. There stood a young man of striking beauty—almost delicate enough to be mistaken for a woman.

“If you’re simply hungry, I can share food. If you need a place to stay, I’ll give you a house.

Our village has plenty of supplies and spare rooms. So answer me.”

“What—”

“Are you here to threaten my village as an intruder? Or are you willing to settle peacefully as a neighbor?”

Hearing the young man’s noble, courteous tone, Jerry’s expression twisted. He could feel traces of his own mana on the boy. That meant only one thing—this pretty-faced brat was the one who’d destroyed his golems.

The one who ruined his plan.

Jerry glared coldly at him.

“Whether I’m an intruder or a neighbor isn’t for you to decide. That village is already mine—because I’ve decided it is so. So your question is meaningless.”

“…I see. You’re not one for conversation.”

The young man sighed deeply, his calm demeanor only fueling Jerry’s anger further. Instead of shouting, the old Mage moved. He muttered a short incantation—mana surged, forming destructive magic that seized and tore living flesh apart.

The spell shot toward the young man hidden in the shadows.

He didn’t move.

He simply drew his sword.

In the pitch-black darkness, the blade shone proudly.

The sword traced graceful arcs through empty air.

He wasn’t merely practicing sword forms—Jerry could see it clearly.

Mana was flowing along the sword’s path. It surged like waves, gathered, thinned, and then formed a single Line.

That line touched Jerry’s magic—And shattered it.

Like glass struck by a stone.

“Wh—what—”

It was something Jerry Selfit couldn’t comprehend even with all his decades of magical study.

His eyes trembled violently.

Cutting magic with a sword? Impossible.

No mere Sword Walker could ever do that.

Just as one couldn’t grasp running water with bare hands—one could not slice magic.

“This cuts easily.”

Indeed—Jerry had no idea.

“Throw another one. I’ve got the feel for it now.”

That the young man before him was Karavan.

And that he—

“Go on. Again.”

—was a descendant of Steel, the ancient bane of all Mages, long thought extinct in history.

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