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Chapter 113: The Mage of Ashes (3)
The Seed of Corruption.
The final stage of research into the original sin involved experints on living subjects.
Naturally, this led to intense conflict between Oscar and Lloyd.
“Why are you so against this? Orcs are everywhere. If we use them for the experints, we’ll get the most comparable data to what happens when a human takes the seed.”
“Are you seriously asking that? Unapproved human experintation is a violation of imperial law.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll ensure there are no leaks.”
“…Didn’t you learn anything about the rule of law when you were young?”
He definitely taught him that!
This ti, Oscar didn’t budge.
He refused to commit illegal acts hand-in-hand with his disciple.
The re thought of it was horrifying.
In the end, thanks to his staunch opposition, the live test subjects were replaced with fragnts of living slis.
Even that was sufficient to obtain the desired data.
“Hmm.”
Oscar nodded as he inspected the dozens of flasks containing individual slis.
“This will do. Let’s wrap up the experint here.”
“What? Already?”
Lloyd frowned.
It had only been four days since they started the sli experints.
“Yes. Continuing further won’t yield any additional data.”
Oscar activated his magic, reducing the slis tainted with demonic energy to dust as he continued.
“Besides, we’ve already gathered more than enough data.”
As Oscar handed over the compiled report, Lloyd read it with a skeptical expression.
By the ti he reached the last page, his face had completely relaxed.
“…Impressive. Have you done similar work before?”
“I’ve conducted experints on insects a few tis.”
Of course, the “insects” Oscar referred to were demons.
During the war, he had dissected and tortured them rcilessly in the na of victory.
Lloyd, unaware of this, casually praised him.
“If the imperial court knew about your talent, they’d treasure you without a doubt.”
“Thankfully, they don’t. Otherwise, I’d be stuck in a dreary lab for life.”
Lloyd chuckled briefly at that remark before pulling out a parchnt from his coat and presenting it abruptly.
“Sign this.”
The parchnt was none other than a binding oath.
It stated that he would never disclose anything he saw, heard, or experienced here, with death as the penalty for breaking the agreent.
“Don’t you think this is a bit much?”
“No.”
“Wow.”
How could he say that with such a straight face?
When did he beco so shaless?
Oscar looked at him incredulously.
“What happens if I refuse to sign?”
“You die.”
“…Hand the pen.”
After quickly signing the parchnt, Oscar grumbled softly.
“Do we really need to go this far?”
“I hate complications.”
Then, with a cryptic expression, Lloyd asked a question.
“If a human who has taken the seed appeared before you, what would you do?”
“I’d kill them.”
“…You’re surprisingly cold in these matters.”
“It’s the right thing to do for them. At that point, they can no longer be considered human.”
Oscar tapped the report and explained.
“Just look at the data. The mont a living creature is infused with demonic energy, their aggression increases dramatically, especially towards humans.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“It must be due to the inherent nature of demonic energy.”
Oscar elaborated logically.
“Even among mages, the nature of their magic varies depending on the tower they belong to.”
This was due to the attributes of their respective elents.
For example, water mages of the Blue Tower were generally calm, while fire mages of the Red Tower were often hot-tempered.
Of course, not everyone fit the stereotype, but the influence was undeniable.
“Demons are beings born as enemies of humanity. We can never coexist with them.”
“Hmm.”
Lloyd pondered for a mont before speaking again.
“What if the human who took the seed was soone too important to kill? What would you do then?”
“….”
Oscar felt a chill at that mont.
Unlike the previous question, which seed rooted in simple curiosity, this one carried an unsettling specificity.
His eyes narrowed.
“What are you getting at?”
“I’m just asking out of curiosity. Answer .”
“….”
After a brief hesitation, Oscar responded.
“I’d weigh how important the individual is. If the risks outweigh the benefits, killing them would still be the cleanest option.”
“What if they were so important that they couldn’t be killed, even for the empire as a whole?”
At that question, Oscar clamped his mouth shut.
Then, instinct—no, his sixth sense—guided his gaze beyond Lloyd’s shoulder to a heavily sealed door.
“…What’s behind that door?”
“Hmm.”
Lloyd tucked the parchnt, the one binding Oscar to silence, into his coat and stood up.
“Follow .”
“….”
The door, reinforced with layers of magical protection, creaked open to reveal a long, pitch-black corridor.
At the end of the corridor, Oscar found sothing that made him frown deeply.
“….”
It was a human.
A giant man, bound tightly by hundreds of flowers, slowly lifted his head as he sensed their presence.
The mont Oscar’s eyes t his, he nearly unleashed his magic involuntarily.
It was because of the complex emotions swirling in the man’s eyes.
Eyes swirling with chaos, a mixture of serenity and madness, benevolence and hostility.
A voice, grating like tal being scraped, flowed from his lips.
“So… you’ve brought a guest today… Would you care to introduce them?”
“This is the mage I ntioned earlier,”
Lloyd replied, using a tone of respect shockingly deferential for him.
He added a stunning revelation.
“Oscar Crucian. If anyone can heal the commander’s body, it might be him.”
* * *
It took a mont to calm the startled mind.
Back in the laboratory, Oscar sent a questioning glance, demanding an explanation. Lloyd snapped his fingers.
“First, take a seat.”
Two chairs made of flowers appeared, and Lloyd took his seat first.
Oscar followed, sitting down as he urged Lloyd with his eyes to hurry up and explain the situation.
“…It was an accident during the operation.”
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Lloyd began speaking in a composed voice, recounting what had happened.
“It was a month and a half ago. We noticed that the army of orcs gathering in front of the citadel was no ordinary threat. Around that ti, a scout brought critical information—news of an orc chieftain approaching from the west.”
“That orc was the master of that formidable army?”
“At the ti, we assud so. We only realized much later how mistaken we were.”
As the orc forces grew day by day, a full-scale war seed inevitable.
Unwilling to face the overwhelming numbers, Commander Theodore Bale devised a plan.
“The gist of the operation was to target the orc chieftain approaching from the west. Orcs scatter when they lose their leader, so the plan was to strike and eliminate him before he could join forces with the army. A detachnt unit was ford for this mission.”
The team’s lineup was impressive.
“A Level 7 knight, a Level 7 mage, and 21 knights and mages of Level 5 to 6.”
The commander of the Red Citadel, Theodore Bale, and the Ashen mage, Lloyd Schultz, led the detachnt.
They secretly left the fortress and waited in the western desert.
“Though the orc chieftain was said to be strong, we thought he’d be at most Level 5 or 6. Failure wasn’t even a consideration.”
Their overwhelming firepower left no room for doubt.
But the mont they ambushed the orc chieftain, the ground trembled as if it had been lying in wait.
“Sand from the desert rose as if to engulf the sky, and the King Sandworm, known as the ruler of the underground, appeared.”
A massive orc, several tis larger than the rest, stood atop the monster’s head.
A single entity whose re presence dominated the entire space—
“That was the Orc Grand Chieftain. He had united all the orc tribes in the desert and even brought the King Sandworm under his control to prepare for war.”
The orc tribes in the vast Zakamunt Desert number in the hundreds, perhaps thousands.
A Grand Chieftain capable of uniting them under one banner appears only once every few centuries.
“It was clear he had consud a seed of power—the demonic energy he emitted was overpowering.”
He fought Theodore and Lloyd alone.
But just as the Grand Chieftain was cornered by their combined efforts…
“…I was his real target all along.”
Lloyd missed a split-second movent by the Grand Chieftain and was put in danger.
Unable to stand by, the commander threw himself in front of Lloyd.
“The creature’s fist created a massive hole in the commander’s chest, where it then planted a seed.”
“…But I didn’t see any such wound.”
“It’s all healed now, likely due to the demonic energy’s properties. His regenerative abilities are monstrous.”
As Lloyd panicked over the convulsing commander, the Grand Chieftain disappeared underground atop the King Sandworm.
“…At that mont, I had two choices.”
One, reveal the truth to the detachnt and grant the commander a peaceful end.
Under normal circumstances, Lloyd wouldn’t have hesitated to choose this.
“….”
But perhaps out of compassion for the commander who saved him, he chose the second option.
“Theodore Bale is an exceptional commander. He’s defended the Red Citadel for over 30 years, possesses strategic ingenuity, and commands high morale. With war against the orcs looming, we cannot afford to lose him.”
Lloyd lied, saying the commander had been taken by the King Sandworm, and retreated with the detachnt.
At dawn, out of sight, he secretly moved the commander to his underground lab.
“The flowers binding his body are Tamrahua. They slowly consu all energy. It’s the only way he can maintain his sanity by keeping his demonic energy at a minimum.”
“…So you started researching how to restore his humanity?”
“Yes. But I couldn’t do it alone. That’s why I called you. Your skills far exceed my expectations.”
Oscar frowned.
Hiding the existence of a demonic creature was a far cry from re unauthorized experints.
“If this gets out, you’ll be executed for treason.”
“I know. I’m praying it doesn’t co to that.”
“You’re surprisingly reckless for soone so calculated.”
Oscar clicked his tongue and asked, recalling sothing.
“If the soldiers knew the commander wasn’t missing, wouldn’t it stop the infighting?”
“That’s a naive joke. The Red Citadel houses tens of thousands of soldiers. Do you think they all share a single will?”
A bitter smile appeared on Lloyd’s lips.
“I fundantally don’t trust people. That’s why I keep secrets like this. The fewer people involved, the easier it is to handle and erase the matter.”
“….”
A profound mistrust of humanity.
But considering the gravity of the situation, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
‘If they found out their revered commander had beco a demonic creature, the reactions would be diverse.’
So might try to restore him, like Lloyd.
Others would covet his position or seek to replace him with another superior.
After so thought, Oscar let out a long sigh.
“When this is over, let punch you once.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Having signed the pact of binding parchnt, Oscar and Lloyd now shared a fate.
In short, they had to find a way to restore Theodore Bale’s humanity.
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