Chapter 53

“Consume my enemies, frigid chill of the bitter cold.”

As Werner chanted the spell, the minions of the Black Round Table instantly froze solid. When Werner touched them, they turned into icy dust and scattered into the air. Though he had been smiling, Werner was seething with anger.

How dare they kidnap Zick’s brother and Media’s daughter? How dare they ruin the long-awaited reunion with his brothers and sisters? How dare they make Media shed tears? To Werner, these were all unforgivable crimes, and his verdict was clear: “Death to all those involved.”

Still, freezing to death instantly was merciful compared to the other fates he could have chosen. Drying up like a mummy as tree roots sucked the life out of them, being impaled from the soles of their feet to their mouths by suddenly sprouting iron spikes, being electrocuted to death, or being sliced to pieces by blades of wind—Werner had plenty of options.

Werner grabbed one of the minions blocking his path and chanted another spell.

“Snake of lightning, crawl upon the earth.”

The minion he held was instantly electrocuted, screaming as he died. The black soot covering his body suggested that Werner had been sending continuous currents through him, just enough to keep him alive until the end.

Then Werner grabbed another minion tied to a tree root nearby.

“Hey, you know what?”

“Wh-what are you talking about…?”

The minion, who had been boasting earlier about how a brat like Werner had no chance, now looked utterly pathetic. Werner couldn’t help but scoff.

“I don’t know much about family… but I do know it’s precious. My brothers and sisters mean the world to me.”

“Uh…?”

“But you messed with Zick and Media’s family. Zick might not show it, but he’s hurting. Media even cried.”

“If my brothers and sisters disappeared, my heart would sink… but you made Zick and Media feel that pain…”

“Plus, you ruined our long-awaited reunion. I had so much I wanted to brag about, but you ruined it all, huh?”

Werner’s grip tightened around the minion’s neck.

“So you agree that I have every right to kill you, right? If you have any objections, feel free to appeal.”

It was absurd. Werner was choking the minion so hard he couldn’t even speak, yet he was asking if there were any objections. It was pure malice, but the minion, desperate to live, tried to plead for his life.

“Guh… gurgle… gah…”

“I can’t hear you. I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Gah! Gah… gurgle…”

“Can’t you speak clearly? Should I electrocute you? Freeze you? Impale you? Suck the life out of you? Or… how about all of the above?”

The minion desperately protested, but Werner, annoyed by the gurgling sounds, impaled his tongue with an iron spike.

“Impaled like a skewer. I’d love to roast you, but that’s not an option… so I’ll just make your stomach explode.”

Werner wanted to burn them all, but given the cave’s structure, using fire magic could endanger Airi. So he had sealed his fire-based spells. Area-of-effect spells were also off the table since they could harm allies. But even with these limitations, a mere minion stood no chance against an Archmage. For Werner, it was just a minor inconvenience.

Werner brought his finger to the minion’s mouth.

“Earth, spew sand through my finger.”

Werner filled the minion’s mouth with sand, and soon his lungs and organs were packed with it. The minion died in agony, though Werner thought he should be happy since his wish to have his stomach explode was granted.

Though Werner acted like an innocent youngest brother in front of his siblings, his inherent cruelty hadn’t disappeared. The only one who knew this side of him was Lorcha, his close friend and sole confidant.

Werner stepped over a pool of blood, muttering in frustration.

“Where the hell is it…? This damn place is a maze.”

The cave was structured like an ant colony, with paths branching off endlessly. One path split into two, then three, then four, and so on. If it weren’t for Airi, Werner would have flooded the place or set it ablaze, but with her captured, he had to hold back. His robe and hair were soaked in blood, and the musty cave smell was starting to cling to him.

“Ugh, I’ve checked most of the paths, but I still can’t find her. Damn these bastards.”

Now muttering to himself, Werner marked an X on the map he had drawn in blood. The paths he had checked were all dead ends.

It had been two days since he entered the cave. Without sleep and constantly searching the massive ant colony, his stamina was reaching its limit. In fact, he hadn’t slept for three days before entering the cave, making it five days of non-stop magic use. Even an Archmage had his limits.

Bringing his comrades would have made things easier, but he didn’t want to explain how he knew about the symbol. His siblings thought he was just a simple orphan. He didn’t want to worry them and believed he could handle it alone, but it was proving harder than expected.

Werner sat on a tree root he had grown, catching his breath.

“Sigh…”

Lately, Werner had been feeling a sense of distance. Camellia had gone to search for her missing father and could only communicate through letters. His other siblings were busy with their families or work. The Heavenly Demon Grandfather often played with him but would disappear for training. Zick and Media were busy with Airi. Werner understood it was natural, but he had been spending more time with Lorcha lately.

Just when he was feeling awkward about the growing distance, Media had told him he would always be the youngest. It reminded him that they were still family. His siblings, though rough in speech and action, all cared for him. Even the Heavenly Demon Old Man.

After resting for about ten minutes, Werner pressed on. Not for comrades, but for family.

After walking for a while, Werner came across a door with a different design. The skull-shaped decorations made it clear that something important lay beyond.

“These bastards really like to show off, huh? They haven’t changed a bit.”

Werner turned the doorknob and entered. In the center of the room was a cradle, and inside, Airi was giggling. Relieved, Werner’s expression darkened when he saw the masked figures in robes surrounding her. He knew they were up to no good.

“Tree, I have prepared nourishment for you. Do not hesitate to absorb it.”

Tree roots sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the figures and draining their life force. They screamed, but the roots didn’t stop until they were reduced to mummies.

Werner approached the cradle and checked Airi’s condition. Thankfully, she was unharmed and in good health.

Seeing Airi smile at him, Werner chuckled. Though he was covered in blood, he didn’t have time to clean up. He picked her up, remembering how Media had taught him to hold a child. He had been terrified at first, but now he was confident.

“Let’s go home, Airi. Your brother and sister haven’t even eaten properly waiting for you.”

Werner joked with the baby, who couldn’t understand him. He thought everything would end well once they left the cave, but as always, reality was cruel.

Someone blocked Werner’s path as he tried to leave with Airi.

Werner’s expression turned cold, and he asked in a voice filled with killing intent.

“Who the hell are you?”

The man drew his sword and replied.

“Pleasure to meet you. I am a humble servant of the Black Round Table, holding the seat of Gaheris.”

Seeing the crimson sword, Werner instinctively knew.

This guy is dangerous.