Chapter 126

Chapter 126

#126. Encounter at the Demon Den (3)

Seems like my ultimate illusion magic failed. Probably.

Even if I’m generous, it was only about half successful.

‘Now it’s all about mental pressure!’

Still, I decided to push through until the end and keep up appearances.

“You can choose to believe me or not, Lord of the Golden Mage Tower. I have no intention of forcing or persuading you.”

“…”

When I stopped the telepathy and spoke aloud in a detached tone, Yulkaneis continued to look at me with an uncomfortable gaze.

It felt like a made-up story, but it wasn’t something to be dismissed lightly – that uneasy feeling came through his gaze to me.

“Yeah, whether I believe or not is my freedom. So what?”

Yulkaneis’s golden eyes shone strangely again.

‘Does he have another mind magic?’

At this sight, I furrowed my brows.

‘It’s not mind magic.’

Whenever Yulkaneis cast magic, his eyes would glow – it seemed to be one of his characteristics.

Guruguruguru

As Yulkaneis began casting magic, the Demon Den we were in started shaking violently as if there was an earthquake.

“What are you up to?”

“Final test.”

“Test?”

“That’s right. A test to confirm whether your words were true or not.”

“I get the feeling you’re mistaken, but as you saw from my circle, I’m not a combat or spell series magician.”

“Don’t worry. Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”

Kwagwagwagwa

The shaking of the Demon Den became even stronger.

“Kill the Lord of the Golden Mage Tower!”

As the situation grew serious, Valkyrie and the knights swung their swords at Yulkaneis.

Pyaat Pat Pat

The swords swung by the knights were blocked helplessly right in front of Yulkaneis.

“It’s a barrier!”

“When did he put up a barrier?!”

“There wasn’t even a hint of it!”

Indeed, an 8th Circle Great Mage. It seems while exchanging telepathy with me, he quietly set up a barrier without showing any signs.

“Hurry, leave the Demon Den!”

“Prioritize protecting Viscount Jin!”

As the attempt to attack Yulkaneis failed, the magicians and priests hurriedly tried to escape from the Demon Den.

“You don’t need to panic so much. I don’t intend to kill anyone. Even I can’t destroy this ruin instantly.”

While watching the struggling crowd, Yulkaneis said meaningfully.

“The Demon Den won’t collapse. However, the labyrinth barrier that I’ve painstakingly created will consume this ruin.”

With that statement, transparent glass walls appeared on all sides.

The magicians and priests trying to escape were ultimately trapped inside.

“If the barrier is fully deployed, even a northern sorcerer would take half a year to escape.”

“!!”

We couldn’t overlook Yulkaneis’s warning.

He had come here to the Demon Den much earlier than us.

There was a high possibility that he had already installed various totems, barriers, and traps beforehand.

If this was a barrier that he intentionally set up, it surely wouldn’t be an ordinary one.

“What do you want?”

Of course, I have high luck stats, an extradimensional pocket, and Arad Radar, but I had absolutely no intention of pointlessly disregarding the Great Mage’s warning and suffering for it.

“If everything you’ve said so far is true, answer my question.”

“Ask away.”

“We’ve been diligently researching something that I and my mage tower disciples have been studying for a long time.”

“?!?”

Could it be? Although I had suspicions from Yulkaneis’s words, I kept my mouth shut and listened carefully.

“Surely someone who lived through the last days of the great era knows about the Magic Circuit.”

“…”

I didn’t say anything. But Yulkaneis seemed confident that my silence meant affirmation.

“The dream energy circuit that turns impossibilities into possibilities and creates something out of nothing. It’s a revolution beyond the steam engine you unleashed on the empire! The Magic Circuit!”

Yulkaneis’s golden eyes sparkled with longing and thirst.

“…”

We’ve hit a dead end.

Yulkaneis’s question about the core of the Magic Circuit was the final puzzle piece to complete the illusion story I just fabricated.

At the same time, it was also a fatally treacherous act that would benefit the enemy.

‘If I give a vague wrong answer, he’ll catch on immediately…’

I considered giving false information to obstruct him but shook my head internally.

An 8th Circle Mage Tower Master is researching this with his entire life. He’d easily distinguish the truth.

Paaaahhh!

At that moment, a magic circle formed beneath Yulkaneis’s feet.

It was a space teleportation magic circle.

“One minute. I’ll give you one minute. If you don’t provide a convincing answer within that time, I’ll activate the labyrinth and disappear alone back to the empire.”

Yulkaneis smirked. That old man isn’t normal either.

“What’s the obstacle?”

“Why don’t you guess?”

“…”

‘How could you claim to be an ancient scholar when you don’t even know this?’

I gritted my teeth at the implication from Yulkaneis’s tone.

“You need to know the progress of the research to make any inferences, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

With those words, Yulkaneis sent a telepathic message.

[This is how far the research has progressed.]

Chirrit

Along with the message, he sent an image through telepathy.

Seems like at 8th Circle, pretty much anything is possible.

‘Tch, stuck at rubber, huh.’

After confirming the image Yulkaneis sent, I clicked my tongue internally before speaking.

“…”

“A material that can expand and contract, perfectly seal mana, be light yet tough, stretch long and quickly return to its original form… You need a strong and flexible material, right?”

Clap clap clap clap clap!

“Correct!”

As I pinpointed the problem, admiration and surprise spread across Yulkaneis’s face like a panorama.

“Can you answer? Does such a material exist? Can it be created through alchemy?”

“Even the mighty empire and mage tower can’t obtain everything.”

“Bastard. Because of the decline of the Magic Circuits during the Holy Age and the Dark Age.”

Meanwhile, the earthquake shaking the Demon Den had stopped.

The only things active now were the defensive barrier protecting Yulkaneis and the completed space teleportation magic circle ready to take him to the imperial capital anytime.

“If you tell me that, I’ll believe your identity. And I’ll quietly leave without causing any trouble.”

Yulkaneis’s oath was sufficiently trustworthy.

The situation proved his oath.

Because if they get stuck in research again, they’ll have to come back to me for answers.

“…”

After pondering for a moment, I spoke.

“I’ll just give you a hint.”

“Yes! Yes!”

“Southern Continent.”

“Southern Continent? Is that all?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Hmm… So you mean the material is in the Southern Continent.”

“That’s correct.”

“Then neither you nor Lenslet will ever be able to create the Magic Circuit.”

“That’s why we made the steam engine.”

“Aaaah! That’s why!”

Yulkaneis’s face broke into a broad smirk.

“If you manage to get that item in the future, please sell it to the north as well.”

“That’s something the emperor decides.”

Watching the Golden Mage Tower Master switch tactics so quickly made my mood sour.

Compared to his reputation and achievements, Great Mage Yulkaneis was an incredibly petty person.

“By the way, what did they call that material in the Golden Age?”

“…”

“They called it rubber.”

I briefly considered saying something else instead of rubber but decided against it. An 8th Circle Mage would likely have max-level mind reading skills.

“I’ll have to look for books recording Elvish language to find words and etymologies similar to ‘rubber’.”

“So, do you believe the hint I gave you?”

“Of course.”

“?”

“Because I also thought it would probably be in the Southern Continent. I’ve searched all over Arcadia but found nothing? Then it must be either the Eastern Continent or the Southern Continent. I just lacked certainty.”

Answering correctly every time. Yulkaneis had thrown me an answering-correctly-every-time question.

“Thanks to you, I can focus on exploring the Southern Continent.”

“I’m glad it was helpful.”

“Is that so? Hahaha!”

Though I gave away crucial information and committed treason, I didn’t feel much guilt.

‘The current empire can’t project its power to the Southern Continent.’

Because the empire of this worldline is completely different from the original history’s empire.

Since it’s not an empire unified around the royal family, it absolutely cannot open a new front in the Southern Continent.

“The Southern Continent is a sealed land where other races crossed over. Even the empire would find it difficult to enter, right?”

Still, I asked Yulkaneis how they planned to reach the Southern Continent, just in case.

“Mages don’t belong exclusively to the empire. There are quite a few mages in Badenheim who are close friends with me.”

Badenheim is the capital of the Kingdom Alliance.

It’s a major city located where four countries – Feise Republic, Scania, Aurelia, and Gargantua Kingdom – share borders.

It’s also the most advanced port city in the world.

“What does that mean?”

“We don’t necessarily have to rely solely on the empire. The Southern Continent is vast after all.”

“…”

To mages, nationality or national borders aren’t important.

For mages, the path of magic always comes first.

‘The mages throughout the continent will soon start planting ideas in the minds of their respective rulers and nobles.’

I suddenly felt like I had sown the seeds of colonial imperialism.

The problem was that doing this might disrupt my plan to inject steampunk into Arcadia.

‘I need to quickly spread steam engines not just throughout the empire but across the entire continent. That way, the research and dissemination of the Magic Circuit can be delayed at least somewhat.’

While outwardly dealing with Yulkaneis, I was inwardly thinking about what needed to be done immediately after this meeting ended.

“I’ll keep my promise. We’ll likely be indebted to each other often in the future.”

Unaware of my inner thoughts, or perhaps aware but unmoved, Yulkaneis smiled openly and said,

“I don’t want to see you again. But next time, let’s have a deeper conversation in a different place and atmosphere. About the culture and history of the Golden Age, things like that.”

“…”

“I’ll be going now. I’ll visit Lenslet occasionally, so don’t treat them too poorly.”

Showing slight narcissistic tendencies, Yulkaneis heard my words with one ear and ignored them with the other while continuing to talk.

“And by the way…”

Only then, at the very end, did he acknowledge the illusion story I had fabricated through telepathy.

[And for now… I’ll believe you. Oh glorious one who lived in the great age.]

[If the Magic Circuit is ever completed… I swear. If the imperial court tries any funny business in the north, neither I nor my disciples will cooperate.]

Yulkaneis’s attitude toward me became noticeably more courteous.

[This is my respect for the great age, Yulkaneis.]

Pyaat-!

With that, he sent the telepathic message, bowed respectfully, and disappeared.

“…”

“…”

“…”

That’s how Yulkaneis left.

Everyone remained silent for a while.

“Hoooa-!”

“He’s gone…”

“The Demon Den seems safe.”

“I don’t feel any transparent walls or barriers anymore!”

Everyone exhaled deeply at once.

It felt like a fierce storm had swept through and then dissipated.

‘Should I be happy about this or not?’

In the midst of it all, I furrowed my brow, recalling the intense exchange of words with Yulkaneis.

I leaked crucial information to the mages of the empire, or rather, the continent.

‘But we took one step further in dividing the empire!’

On the other hand, I established a friendly relationship with Yulkaneis, the greatest mage on the continent.

Also, the ancient illusion story somehow worked out well in the end, regardless of the process.

‘To antagonize the royal family by alienating the nobility faction, the church, and now the mage tower. Just achieving that one thing was worth it!’

Though painful, it seemed I could indulge in some self-satisfaction.

“Is everyone alright?”

Having organized my thoughts, I checked on my companions.

“Thanks to Viscount Jin calming down the Lord of the Golden Mage Tower, we’re unharmed.”

“If Viscount Jin wasn’t here, it would have been a real disaster.”

“We probably would have been wandering around trapped in the barrier the Lord of the Golden Mage Tower set up by now.”

My companions didn’t criticize the dubious conversation I had with Yulkaneis.

“So, what do we do now?”

Instead, Valkyrie approached me and asked.

“There’s nothing left to see in the Demon Den. Let’s hurry back to the Jin Viscountcy.”

“To the Jin Viscountcy? Not the High City?”

“Yes. We need to hurry. Time is tighter than we thought.”

“What will we do at the Jin Viscountcy?”

“We’ll build an airship dock there.”

Since it’s technically my territory, I should have at least one subsidiary of the Arad Group, right?

“And we need to contact the High City by carriage immediately.”

Turning my head, I addressed the magicians walking alongside us.

“We’ll activate the magic communication device! What message would you like us to transmit?”

Hearing my instructions, the magicians nodded and asked.

“Currently, all construction projects underway in the High City should be halted and magicians and workers sent to the Jin Viscountcy.”

“!!”

“One more thing. Request that all white snake scales, except for about ten, be sent to the Jin Viscountcy.”

“If there’s such a sudden large-scale movement, the information about building a dock in the Jin Viscountcy might leak to the empire.”

A high knight from Frosthaven, overhearing this, expressed concern.

“With the combined efforts of Frosthaven, the Mage Guild, and the church, it shouldn’t be detected. Lenslet is the most closed-off country in the world, so if we’re determined, we can thoroughly conceal it from outside eyes.”

After answering the knight’s concerns this way, one of the nearby magicians nodded and spoke.

“Hmm… People will be monitored by Frosthaven knights, and familiars will be thoroughly checked by magicians and priests. I’ll relay the familiar part to Isabel via magic communication.”

“Thank you.”

“Uh… Is the magic communication secure?”

“Unless it’s within imperial territory, you can rest assured here in the north, especially in the Magic Realm. No matter how powerful an 8th Circle Mage is, I can beat them when it comes to magical artifacts.”

Saying this, I looked around.

I took out the Arad Radar with my hand, checking for any remaining familiars of Yulkaneis.

Noticing my intentions, my companions heightened their senses and scanned the surroundings. Some activated their own Arad Radars.

‘There’s none. It’s clean.’

Even an 8th Circle Mage can’t perform teleportation and familiar summoning simultaneously.

“We can relax about familiars for now. Let’s move quickly. To avoid revealing our destination to the Lord of the Golden Mage Tower, now’s the only time.”

After completing the detailed detection, I boarded the carriage.

I felt I needed to start building the Arad Dock sooner rather than later, which I had been planning for some time.

‘We can’t let the empire and kingdom alliance monopolize the profits from the Southern Continent!’

The airship docks being built in Lenslet will not only target Badenheim but also expand to the Southern Continent.

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