“……”
It looked like a laboratory… no, it actually was someone’s lab, where a woman holding a crystal orb was making a call to somewhere.
Woooom!
[…What is it? Eneria.]
As light filled the crystal orb, a super deep male voice echoed out of it. The ash-haired woman, Rynne, spoke.
“I’ve got a question, so I’m calling.”
[If it’s you asking… it can’t be about magical knowledge, and it must be something regarding internal affairs, right?]
“Yeah, that’s right.”
[Sorry, but even for you, there are things I can’t just blurt out. Things would be different if you joined our organization…]
“There’s nothing left to talk about regarding that.”
At those words, Rynne continued in a low tone.
“You guys, ‘Dark Sorcerers,’ supply me with mana energy, knowledge of dark magic, and experimental materials… and in return, I cooperate with you. That’s how our business works, right?”
[……]
That was true.
Rynne Eneria, an Alchemy Professor at the Academy, seemed to live a life enviable by many.
But her real identity was that of a collaborator with the Dark Sorcerer faction.
Though she wasn’t a Dark Sorcerer herself, she occasionally cooperated with them when necessary. The Dark Sorcerer faction often used non-Dark Sorcerers like her to gather various information or gain needed cooperation since hiding their identities was extremely tricky. When they used magic, they risked exposing their use of mana energy, which could only be concealed with specific magical tools or artifacts—and those were limited in number.
Thus, very few Dark Sorcerers could blend into society, and those who could sought out individuals they could use to further their goals within it.
Whether through coercion or willingly, they eventually found collaborators. Those forced into it were obvious, while others voluntarily collaborated due to their inherent interest in or need for dark magic and mana energy.
Rynne fell into the latter category.
She had shown great interest in dark magic, made contact with the Dark Sorcerer faction, and agreed to collaborate, continuing this relationship to this day.
Worldwide, research on demonic mana energy or dark magic using such energy was strictly prohibited, with severe punishments for violators.
However, human curiosity, thirst for knowledge, or greed couldn’t be suppressed. There would always be those interested in dark magic, and there will continue to be in the future.
But studying dark magic secretly alone had its limits, so they relied on the Dark Sorcerer faction. This way, the faction extended its influence globally in secret.
This was how the Dark Sorcerer faction grew.
The man said,
[Then it’s even harder to tell you. If our collaboration is purely business, there’s no reason for me to spill internal details.]
“It’s not like I’m asking for that. What I want to know is whether you guys sent some mole to the Academy.”
[A mole to the Academy…? What does that mean?]
Confused, the man asked back. Rynne narrowed her eyes and countered.
“…So, you guys don’t know either?”
[I’ve never heard of this before.]
Upon hearing that, Rynne gazed deeply into the crystal orb with a grave expression.
‘Lies… unlikely. There’s no sudden reason for him to lie about this. So, who is that guy?’
Lost in thought for a moment, the man spoke to her.
[We learned from you that the Empire’s Second Princess, having been infected by the Seed of the Demon obtained in the Maze, is gradually being consumed by it. That’s why we planned to target her. Understandably, we have no reason to lie about this.]
“I know. Your plan was to terrorize the Academy.”
[Exactly. Our plan was to cause chaos via a terrorist attack at the Academy and extract the Second Princess during the confusion.]
“So I’m confused too. Then who is he?”
[Who?]
“Yujin, Professor Han Yujin. He claimed to be a Dark Sorcerer.”
[…What? What do you mean by that?]
“I’ll explain.”
She gave a rough summary.
This time, the famous magician Yujin, whose reputation skyrocketed after delivering a lecture on Space-Time Magic…
After being hired as a professor at the Academy, arriving there, and approaching the princess…
How he sealed the princess’s mana energy to gain the president’s trust, his real purpose behind sealing it, and how he revealed it to someone else.
[……]
After hearing all this, the man paused briefly. Rynne asked.
“What do you think?”
[…I’m somewhat baffled myself. It’s strange to me too.]
“So that’s how it is?”
[Still, the story isn’t entirely implausible.]
“…What do you mean?”
[Let me explain briefly.]
The man continued explaining to Rynne.
[As you know, a spell that seals only a portion of someone’s energy, especially the energy of a Transcendent… I’ve never heard of such a thing. We also don’t know what side effects it might cause. Considering this, the story doesn’t seem completely absurd. Sealing means forcibly locking something away somewhere and suppressing it… especially if it’s the energy of a Transcendent? Who knows how suppressed energy might explode?]
“True.”
[Using the analogy of pus might be accurate. If left untreated, it festers and rots, so it needs to burst open. But we don’t know what happens if the sealed mana energy goes berserk. Leaving it untouched could literally cause decay from the inside out.]
“…”
[What exactly “decay” entails, I don’t know. Perhaps it could work in our favor. Maybe it means instantly transforming into a demon without resistance. In that case, it wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable for him to be a Dark Sorcerer. More importantly…]
He paused briefly before continuing.
[Han Yujin, right?]
“Yeah, that’s him.”
[You know, due to security concerns, we operate under a point-organization system.]
Point-organization.
Unlike typical organizations/groups, point-organizations consist of members who share common goals and sometimes rules but usually operate in extremely small teams of 1-3 people. They rarely have central managers or a permanent command/information-sharing structure.
This setup makes it almost impossible for “tail-cutting” (exposure) to fail and minimizes risks to individual members.
Such systems are commonly seen in secret societies or criminal organizations.
[Therefore, we lack shared communication systems among members. While a leader exists, no one knows what they do or who they are. They merely act as a spiritual pillar until occasionally appearing to issue brief orders before disappearing mysteriously. The recent terror plot wasn’t decided from above but rather self-organized by point-organizations due to internal circumstances. Simply put, it was a plan free from higher-ups’ interference.]
“Hold on, does that mean…”
[Han Yujin… He could possibly be our leader. At the very least, there’s a chance he’s close to the leader. Evading the Great Witch’s gaze, effortlessly subduing the Mage Association’s president, discovering Space-Time Magic, and even performing the incomprehensible magic of sealing the princess’s possessed mana energy… If he really is the leader, perhaps he understood the importance of this event and acted on his own initiative.]
“…”
[Of course, his behavior of revealing himself to the professor and playing around like a prank is hard to understand… but since I don’t know much about him, maybe it’s just his eccentricity born out of overconfidence.]
“Is that so…”
[Of course, it’s not certain. It’s just speculation since the leader didn’t appear while we were planning the terror plot, and then suddenly this mysterious figure emerged plotting something odd. If it’s true…]
The man paused as Rynne thought. Should she confirm it herself?
The man continued.
[If it’s true… perhaps we need to revise the terror plan.]
“What do you mean?”
[If the leader personally starts plotting something, it would be appropriate to carry out the terror attack when unusual phenomena occur due to the mana energy in the princess’s body. The leader must already know our plans. Maybe they’ll give us the right signal or timing… In that case, we might need to indefinitely postpone the plan while waiting.]
“…”
[Still, one curious point remains… How can a mortal seal the energy of a Transcendent? Was it possible through an artifact obtained in the Maze? We should investigate this as well.]
“…Maybe he’s not a mortal.”
At her unintentional remark, the man responded.
[…Perhaps. I once met the leader long ago, and they definitely didn’t feel mortal. You might be right…]
“…”
After a moment of silence, Rynne spoke.
“Alright, I get it. Since my questions are done, I’ll end the call.”
[Got it.]
Wooom.
With that, the connection through the crystal orb was cut.
“Hmph…”
Rynne exhaled deeply, leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and then slowly reopened them.
“A Transcendent… huh?”
Her eyes now gleamed with interest, peculiar obsession, and a hint of madness.
“…Checking it out once might not be bad.”
[!– Slider main container –]
