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As I walked deeper into the dark underground waterway, a strange feeling began to creep over me. The musty smell gradually faded, and instead, it started to feel cleaner, like there were traces of human presence.

“Indeed… it seems like someone has tampered with this place; it’s an artificial space.”

“That means we should be close to finding the place we’re looking for,” I said, continuing to move forward without stopping.

Just as the unfamiliar underground scenery started to feel somewhat comforting, Aileen suddenly asked, “Black Knight, who are you?”

“A moment ago, didn’t you call me ‘Black Knight’?”

“Not that… I mean your identity.”

What is this? Why is she asking suddenly? Did I make a mistake?

“Given that I cover my face with such a hideous mask, wouldn’t it be more suspicious if I simply answered that question?” I thought my reply was reasonable, but she didn’t seem satisfied.

“It’s not that hideous…,” she murmured to herself, and I couldn’t help but hear it. An unexpected sentiment. Until now, I’d only heard complaints that it was ‘horrifying’ or ‘terrible.’ When I chose the coat at Baek’s store, I thought it looked fine, but it seems there was something off about it.

“Someone like you must have a separate identity within the empire, one that corresponds to the nobility.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Your equipment and the information you possess. These are not things an ordinary person could imitate.” As she spoke, Aileen pointed to the sword hanging at my waist.

“Especially that sword. What kind of mineral is it made from?”

“It’s similar to ordinary swords.”

“That’s a lie. All the swords I’ve seen before had consistency, but the one you use is made from a mineral I’ve never seen. It’s as black as a shadow… almost like it’s alive.”

Alive… as expected of a mage, she was quite accurate. It’s practically something akin to a living creature.

“Using that mineral is how you can emit such an aura from your sword, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Though it wasn’t relevant, I agreed for the time being. There was no point in explaining about ‘Sombra’ as it would only raise more doubts.

“To possess such a mineral and have the technology to craft it into a sword means you are someone with power higher than a noble in the empire.”

“Your deductive skills are impressive.”

“It also means you might be someone I know.”

There was a certain undertone to her words. It made me want to stop and look at her, but instead, I wondered, ‘Is she testing me?’

No point in engaging. Instead of replying, I remained silent and quickened my pace. Behind me, I heard the sound of her hurried footsteps and her calling out to me.

Try your best to keep up. It’s not me who is curious, it’s you.

***

‘Even the Crypart family, who detests Julian, is secretly supporting him.’

With this misunderstanding, Korund’s next move was clear.

– ‘Set up a meeting with Aiden on this day.’

‘Become bait to lure Aiden out.’

Julian must have said this with such thoughts in mind. At first, Korund thought that ‘Aiden’ and ‘Julian’ were in cahoots. It seemed that way because Julian had suddenly appeared in the Arena, looking like he was plotting with Aiden.

However, his expectations were wrong.

‘Did Julian show up there to prevent me from collaborating with Aiden…?’

By now, it was too late to renegotiate with Aiden. Korund’s body already bore the deep scars left by Julian.

Scars of ‘fear.’

“Aiden…”

Feeling acutely aware of his own shortcomings, Korund lifted his head and looked at the man in front of him.

“I didn’t expect you to agree to meet again.”

His voice was calm but carried a hint of sarcasm, as if he had anticipated this meeting.

“It wasn’t that long ago that you were furious, claiming I would team up with Julian to drive out your faction.”

“…I misunderstood. I jumped to the conclusion that you had allied with Julian.”

“Have you just now realized? What benefit would I gain from joining forces with that filthy imperial dog?”

“That’s true…”

Ignoring Aiden’s incredulous attitude, Korund recalled Julian’s words.

– ‘When you meet him, ask him to temporarily disable the magical devices in his possession.’

That was Julian’s only request.

Meeting Aiden and asking him to disable his magical devices.

“In that case, finding a common ground is important. Meeting again like this means our goals align, right?”

“Julian’s… overthrow?”

“Yes.”

“Before that, I have one request, Aiden.”

Korund spoke cautiously, aware of how absurd his request would seem.

Seeing his demeanor, Aiden wore a slightly puzzled expression.

“What is it?”

“I’d like you to take out all the magical devices you have and disable them.”

“What?”

Aiden frowned slightly. It was understandable. ‘Magical devices’ are the means by which wizards protect themselves and serve as their last line of defense. Asking to disable them was like asking him to expose his neck.

“You still seem suspicious after the incident at the Arena.”

In truth, Korund was making this request under Julian’s orders to overthrow him, but he nodded at Aiden’s words.

“We’re here to discuss the direction of our cooperation, but if you continue to be suspicious, there’s nothing I can do. You know what magical devices mean to a wizard.”

With a scraping sound, Aiden stood up from his seat, as if to signal that there was nothing more to say and the negotiation was over.

‘Oh no…’

Seeing this, Korund grew desperate. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if he didn’t follow Julian’s orders. As the pain from the injuries inflicted by Pintel began to throb, Korund stood up as well, just like Aiden.

And then…

“What are you doing?”

Clatter.

Korund placed the magical devices and wand he had been carrying on the table.

“We’re here to talk, so it’s better to eliminate any doubts.”

“What does that have to do with taking out magical devices?”

“The incident at the Arena. You planted a device on me with an eavesdropping spell at that time!”

To be honest, Korund didn’t know whether it was Aiden or someone else who cast the eavesdropping spell.

But right now, the truth of the matter wasn’t important. Korund knew he had to act regardless. His life, the honor of his family—everything was at stake, and he was increasingly aware of his growing impatience. His voice grew louder, and he felt sweat soaking his back. Moreover, Aiden’s disapproving gaze only amplified his discomfort.

“Let’s make one thing clear. The unfortunate incident back then has nothing to do with me.”

That fact is irrelevant now!

“But since you’re showing such a stance, I have no choice but to respond in kind.”

Saying this, Aiden began to remove his magical devices just as Korund had done. Earrings, rings, necklaces, and other jewelry were placed on the table. Once finished, Aiden sat back down.

“Is this enough?”

Seeing Aiden’s actions, Korund forced a servile smile and swallowed the rising fear. 

‘Is this enough now, Julian? I’ve done my part.’

***

“It’s a barrier.”

Just as we were starting to feel close to the laboratory, a magical barrier appeared in front of Aileen and me, as if to confirm our suspicions. It was a spell that ordinary people wouldn’t notice, but anyone with some knowledge of ‘mana’ would instantly recognize it.

“I don’t know what kind it is, but one thing is certain: it’s a barrier that sends some kind of signal to the user.”

“Can’t we just deactivate it?”

“Do you remember when you entered my mansion? Even if you deactivate it, the owner will inevitably notice.”

Aileen inspected the barrier closely.

“The fact that there is an alarm spell installed in this barrier means they have something to hide inside.”

With a meaningful look in her eyes, Aileen stopped me as I slowly approached the barrier’s location.

“Don’t get too close. Sending an alarm is just one of its abilities; it’s likely not its only function.”

I knew that as well. Just by looking at it, I had a sense it would be troublesome.

‘A mechanism that fires multiple metal spheres upon explosion.’

It’s a commonly known fragmentation grenade-like trap. The problem is that even if I manage to disarm them using detection skills or ‘amazing intuition,’ the alarm would still reach Aiden.

‘Seeing that there’s a barrier, Korund must have refused my request.’

I didn’t have high expectations anyway. I just had to be satisfied that Aiden wasn’t here.

Schwing─!

I drew my sword. It wasn’t even necessary to use ‘Sombra’ to conceal the sword made of ‘Moonstone.’

“Wait! Are you thinking of cutting through the barrier?”

Aileen, watching me, looked at me with shocked eyes.

“No matter how skilled you are in swordsmanship, that’s impossible!”

“Stand back. Unless you want to get caught in the crossfire.”

Preparing to shield my entire body with ‘Sombra’ if necessary, I swung my sword.

Swoosh!

But my sword cut through not the barrier but the empty air. To be precise, the barrier vanished just before the Moonstone sword could touch it.

…Did Korund follow my request?

There’s no other way to explain this phenomenon. This barrier could only be deactivated if Aiden’s ‘magical device’ was away from his body, as described in the original story.

‘Good timing.’

As I thought this, I heard Aileen’s startled voice from behind.

“Impossible… Cutting through a barrier with a sword! That’s absurd…”

I know. But this was a coincidence. Just thinking about explaining this process gives me a headache. But is it necessary? Probably not…

Without further hesitation, I stepped into the laboratory.

“Wait a moment! How did you do that!? Disabling a complexly intertwined barrier without triggering it—was it because of that sword!?”

No, it was just a coincidence. I expected some hassle, but Aileen’s fuss didn’t last long. As soon as she took in the laboratory’s scenery, her expression turned serious. 

It wasn’t just that. As time passed, her face grew more rigid, and she soon became pale.

“The arrangement and type of tools… they seem familiar.”

She noticed. This place is closely related to Aiden’s… no, to the ‘Donassien faction’ to which she belongs.

“What does this place have to do with our family…?”

To put it bluntly, it’s not just a relationship. This is where the heads of those wizards operate.

“No, I think I can guess without asking. Did you know?”

“Yes.”

“Then you might have already ‘identified’ who it is.”

“Aiden de Donassien.”

“What?”

Aileen was visibly shocked by my immediate response.

“He’s the owner of this laboratory.”

After speaking, I quietly watched Aileen’s face, preparing for any possible situation. If she defended her family head, I would have to make a tough decision in this situation.

“Are you trying to cover this up because you recognize the name?”

“Quietly… that’s impossible.”

Aileen seemed to have made up her mind. Judging by her words and actions, she, too, as a noble, couldn’t abandon the Donassien family.

“We have to expose this on a grand scale!”

Indeed, even if she is a collateral relative, blood is blood…

“We must report that illegal experiments were conducted in this facility to ‘Closed Eyes’!”

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As Aileen walked through the underground waterway, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

‘Has something like this happened before?’ she wondered. The feeling was not just because of the musty smell from the neglected waterway. Just moments ago, the words the Black Knight had uttered while helping her seemed oddly familiar.

‘It’s certainly the first time I’ve met him at the mansion, so why do I feel this sense of déjà vu?’ she thought. A person wearing such a grotesque and conspicuous mask would definitely be memorable if they had met before.

– “Is it necessary to know? It’s a secret.”

But why did those words sound so familiar? “It’s a secret… It’s a secret…” The words echoed in her mind, and she suddenly recalled an incident that had occurred at the old school building. 

A man who was always smiling, with eyes that made it hard to read his emotions.

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t the situation back then similar to now?’ Aileen murmured quietly to herself. As she thought about it, she realized that the situations were indeed similar. Julian had discovered a small demon hiding in the old school building and had dismissed the method as a “secret.”

Realizing this, Aileen looked up and followed the back of the Black Knight who was walking ahead of her. ‘Their builds are similar.’ Besides that, there were many other similarities. First, they both used swords. Also, their swordsmanship was remarkably superior.

‘But other than that…?’ Upon closer thought, there were no significant commonalities. While they both used swords and were skilled in swordsmanship, the swords they used were different. The Black Knight’s sword was as black as a shadow and gave off a sticky feeling, unlike the Moonlight Sword.

‘Moreover…’ The aura emanating from the Black Knight was also noble, like that of an aristocrat, but its direction was different from Julian’s. Additionally, Julian’s unique speech and behavior could not be easily imitated.

‘Even with effort, it might be possible.’  

But knowing Julian’s personality, he would never compromise. He was a man who would rather drown in his pride than bow his head, always smiling even while walking a razor’s edge.

“You’re late. If you don’t keep up, I’ll leave you behind.” Considering all these points, Aileen was well aware that the Black Knight was far removed from Julian. However, the doubt in her heart remained. 

‘Could the Black Knight be Julian?’ she wondered. She found this person, who was watching her, to be suspicious. “Sorry, I’m coming now.”

***

Drip, drop. 

A drop of sweat slid down his cheek, hung on his chin, and fell to the ground. Watching this, Korund felt acutely aware of how nervous and intimidated he was.

‘Unexpected,’ he thought. He had not anticipated that Pintel would be under the command of Julian, a branch of the Crypart family. How could he have predicted it? Pintel had shared his pureblood ideology and was one of the wizards expanding his influence through it. Who could have foreseen that Pintel would reject his power and choose the tumor known as Julian?

“Sir Korund, while you wait for the young master, may I bring you something to drink?” Korund flinched at the voice behind him. Though it was just a servant speaking, recent events with Pintel had left his mind in chaos.

The fact that Bishop Pintel, who was expected not to side with Julian, was actually supporting him made everyone question, “Could it be?”

“Y-yeah,” Korund stammered.

Of course, there was no way Julian could have bribed even this servant. No matter how cunning Julian was, it would be a bad move to enlist commoners, let alone nobility.

“Young Master Joshua will be here shortly. I apologize for the wait,” the servant said.

Korund nodded at the servant’s words, sighed deeply, and looked around. He was currently at the mansion of the Crypart family. Normally, he taught ‘mana manipulation’ to Joshua, the youngest member of the Crypart family, one of the four great families of the empire. Despite having been kidnapped and confined, he couldn’t postpone the private lesson. The prestige of the four great families of the empire was that significant.

“If this is the main house of the Crypart family, they must detest Julian… The family’s disgrace. Not a painful finger but one that should disappear. Everyone knows the treatment Julian receives from the Crypart family. If I reveal Julian’s behavior here…?”

As a bishop of the Dawn Society and one of the many nobles of the empire.

“Sir Korund, I apologize for being late.” Lost in thought, Korund swallowed his anger and smiled as he saw Joshua entering the room.

“It’s alright, young master.”

“Thank you. But Sir Korund, what happened to your face?” Joshua asked.

At Joshua’s question, Korund felt the stinging pain of his wound. Julian’s warning echoed in his mind again. The image of Julian smiling slyly while subtly grasping his sword hilt surfaced, and fear seeped back into Korund’s heart. The thought of exposing Julian’s behavior began to bury itself deep in his chest. Upon reflection, there was very little he could discuss without revealing the Dawn Society. Moreover, Julian wouldn’t suffer much even if his reputation was tarnished. His name was already stained black, so further smears would be meaningless.

“Haha, I had a small accident during an experiment. It’s nothing for you to worry about, young master,” Korund said, choosing to keep his words to himself.

Joshua, watching Korund, had other thoughts.

‘I never imagined that Brother Herand would support Julian in the family meeting.’

Joshua felt the narrowing of his position within the family through the family meetings. Even his father, Oben, the head of the Crypart family, didn’t seem to outright despise Julian.

‘The position of the next family head is in jeopardy.’

Even the dim-witted could see the changing atmosphere. ‘But I can’t openly express my dissatisfaction… Julian remains silent about my use of the fake demon horn, the replica, to cause a disturbance.’

Julian holds the leash.

Moreover, he could no longer simply suggest to the family members that they deal with Julian. With positive stories about Julian beginning to surface, it was hard to tell who was on Julian’s side.

‘The solution must come from elsewhere,’ Joshua thought, realizing that the answer was right in front of him.

Wizards fundamentally advocate for “pure-blood ideology.” If you trace their lineage, their blood purity is far from “pure-blood,” but they fabricate this idea to solidify their status.

“Teacher Korund, you are one of the wizards who follow pure-blood ideology,” 

Supporters who could back him and condemn Julian. While bringing external forces into a dirty family feud was unappealing, Joshua was desperate to secure the position of the family head, especially with Brother Herand’s strange behavior lately.

“In that case, that’s a relief. I thought the recent ‘troublemaker’ who returned to the country caused some issues.”

“Troublemaker… you say?” Korund looked puzzled, and Joshua smirked internally.

“Yes, our family’s tumor, Julian Crypart Frason. Didn’t he recently return from the Holy Nation?”

“Haha… Surely not.”

“In my heart, I want to deal with him for the sake of the family,” Joshua subtly revealed his intentions.

“You must dislike him that much. Sir Julian would be saddened,” Korund remarked.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s sad. It’s the result of his actions,” Joshua replied.

Though Joshua had limited opportunities to socialize as an adult, he was smart enough to understand what wizards liked. Connections with nobles and, most importantly, a lot of money. Magical research required astronomical amounts of money, enough to shake even an ordinary noble family.

“The chair of the noble council and former head of the Crypart family, Lord Orun, doesn’t seem to want to see Julian rampaging around anymore,” Joshua dropped the hint.

Orun Crypart, the real power behind the Crypart family, one of the four great families, and the chair of the noble council. Joshua hadn’t conveyed his intentions to his grandfather yet, but he knew that Orun vaguely wanted him to be the next family head. With his oldest brother in the monastery, the second brother being a wastrel, the third brother lacking the ambition fitting for the head of a great family, and Julian, a mere branch family member acting as the empire’s lapdog, none of them were satisfactory to Orun. 

During this time of uncertainty, Joshua was born. Orun had educated Joshua from a young age to prevent him from going astray like the other bloodlines.

“You are the one to succeed the Crypart family,” Orun always reiterated to Joshua, making it seem natural to him. However, Julian’s position had been steadily rising recently.

Joshua surmised that his grandfather would also want to deal with Julian. For this reason, Joshua made his proposal to Korund.

“I can arrange for you to connect with Orun Crypart, so lend your strength to deal with Julian.”

This was a proposal that any ordinary wizard family would drool over. Orun Crypart, the chair of the noble council, held immense power, even capable of influencing the Mage Tower. Aligning with him could significantly reduce the astronomical costs associated with magical research.

“How about it? As a wizard, you can’t refuse, right?” Joshua’s pride swelled at the thought of making an offer that no ordinary wizard noble could resist.

However…

‘Is this guy crazy…?’

Korund’s reaction was the complete opposite. 

‘Why is he suddenly making this proposal?’

A connection with Orun Crypart. Korund knew this was no small matter. Normally, he would have accepted the proposal without hesitation and lent a hand in dealing with someone like Julian.

The problem was…

‘Why at this timing…?’

His body began to ache from his wounds again, and the events of ‘that day’ started to flash in his mind. The image of Pintel, eyes wide with madness, wildly swinging his staff.

“Could this be…?”

If not, such a proposal wouldn’t come at this time.

Korund swallowed hard, gathering the courage to speak.

“Y-Young Master Joshua, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything today.”

“…What?”

“Let’s postpone today’s lesson. I’m not feeling well…”

Ignoring Joshua’s slightly confused response, Korund quickly gathered his coat and bag, stood up, and hurried out. Even while getting up, the wounds from being struck by the staff throbbed, prompting him to leave the Crypart mansion in haste.

“What on earth…?”

In the quiet room, Joshua muttered to himself. Had he misspoken? No, upon careful thought, it didn’t seem so. 

Then why had Korund left the room as if terrified and pursued?

Joshua had no way of knowing.

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Having heard the news that the Blood Ghost Clan had located ‘Aiden’s laboratory’ through the ‘Resonance Stone,’ I immediately set out for the place. 

Destroying and erasing the essence of the ‘Demon Research’ kept there was essential to preemptively eliminate the dangers related to the subsequent ‘event.’

“An underground waterway in the slums…” 

Just the name conjured up images of filth. 

The very thought of it made ‘Julian,’ who suffers from severe germophobia, vehemently reject the idea, and I couldn’t help but agree. 

Honestly, who would want to go to a place filled with polluted water, foul odors, filth, and rats? 

Despite my reluctance, I forced myself to go, as it was crucial to prevent the disaster that could ruin the ‘Blood Tuesday’ event. 

However, the person I encountered there was all too familiar.

“…Aileen?” 

Why was she here? 

No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t figure it out. 

This situation had never occurred in the game. 

Then, a thought crossed my mind: ‘Could she be here to protect Aiden de Donassien’s laboratory?’ 

I had considered the possibility, but to be honest, it seemed highly unlikely. 

Aileen held a more upright moral compass compared to other wizards. 

Moreover, Aiden, who detests the side branches, would never reveal the location of such an important laboratory to her.

“Come out, won’t you?” 

While I was organizing my thoughts, I heard Aileen’s voice. 

Did she notice me? 

“If you don’t come out, you’ll regret it. Magic used in such a confined space is hard to control.” 

Damn! She caught me. 

‘What should I do now?’ 

Though I was still hidden in the darkness and my identity wasn’t revealed yet, stepping out now would surely confuse Aileen. 

If ‘Julian’ were here, anyone would be suspicious, linking Aiden’s research to Julian. 

‘I have no choice.’ 

I used ‘Sombra’ to create a mask and cover my face. 

I didn’t expect to use it so soon. 

‘Once should be fine.’ 

Feeling the mask form, I stepped into the light, revealing myself.

Though she was from a side branch, Aileen was still of the Donassien lineage, so she could potentially ally with Aiden. 

It would be wise to neutralize her beforehand to avoid any interference.

As I thought this, I felt the hard touch of a gemstone against my stomach, making me frown slightly. 

‘She won’t go down easily.’ 

The main magic of the Donassien family involves storing mana in gemstones for later use. 

In other words, the gemstone pressed against my stomach was infused with mana, ready to be used for magic at any time. 

‘I might be able to defend with Sombra, but I’m not sure about the power.’ 

I needed to try to change the situation through conversation, even though it was uncertain.

“Why are you here?”

Just as I was about to speak, Aileen opened her mouth first. 

Her crimson eyes reflected the mask of the ‘Black Knight.’ 

Her gaze was filled with curiosity rather than admiration or determination. 

“Why are you here?” 

I was equally puzzled by her question. 

If ‘Aiden’s laboratory’ were here, Aileen would know it defied the Empire’s arbitrary rules.

In other words, if there was someone other than herself here, it meant they were either related to the laboratory or had come to destroy the facility. 

‘Could it be that Aileen has no connection to Aiden?’ 

Just because they are from the same Donassien family doesn’t mean they are working together. 

Moreover, Aileen was one of the righteous wizards who sided with the Sword Saint until the end. 

Ah, I mean the Sword Saint from the game, not the one currently causing trouble in the Holy Nation. 

Besides, she also goes against the ‘pureblood’ ideology that Aiden upholds. 

“Did you perhaps come following the energy of the Resonance Stone?” 

The idle thoughts I had turned into certainty with her question. 

“If so, put that away. I also came here following the energy of the Resonance Stone.” 

After speaking cautiously, Aileen removed the gemstone from my stomach and put it away. 

“So reckless.” 

Seeing her so defenseless, I couldn’t help but click my tongue in disbelief. 

“What?” 

“Putting away your weapon without even getting an answer. Even if you did get an answer, there’s a chance I could be lying.” 

The characteristic of using formal speech doesn’t apply when wearing the ‘Black Knight’ mask, so I could express my frustration plainly. 

“If I were your enemy, you could have died.” 

“If you were, you wouldn’t have said that.” 

The mask of the ‘Black Knight’ reflected in Aileen’s eyes looked grotesque even to me. 

Despite seeing such a thing, she didn’t flinch, which was quite bold of her. 

“Moreover, you gave me the Resonance Stone.” 

“True.” 

After putting away my sword, I extended a hand to her, and Aileen took it and stood up as if it was nothing. 

“Does the energy of the Resonance Stone here have anything to do with the royal family?” 

“No.” 

When I denied it, Aileen fell silent for a moment. 

It didn’t take long for her to speak again. 

“Then, the energy of this Resonance Stone must be something the royal family wouldn’t welcome.” 

“Why do you think so?” 

“You said it yourself before, didn’t you? ‘I work for the royal family.'” 

Indeed, I had mentioned that when I gave her the Resonance Stone before, but it was more of a joke. 

“You remember that?” 

“That was a lie.” 

Aileen frowned slightly at my mocking tone. 

“Honestly, I didn’t believe it either.” 

Despite her curt response, there was a hint of confusion in her eyes.

***

“Anyway, why are you here?” 

After sorting out the situation, I turned to look at Aileen following me deeper into the underground waterway. 

“Probably for a reason similar to yours.” 

“Did you receive orders from the royal family?” 

When I brought up the previous topic again, Aileen cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. 

“The demon incident in the slums. I concluded that it wasn’t a natural occurrence but a manufactured one.” 

“So, you came to confirm what that ‘manufactured’ thing is?” 

“Yes, they must have conducted human experiments.” 

Indeed, a fifth-ranked wizard like her, with the title ‘Vargo,’ didn’t earn it through mere jokes. 

As she said, ‘Aiden’s laboratory’ was conducting human experiments. The emergence of humanoid demons meant that. 

The question is whether Aileen will maintain her stance even after discovering the truth here. 

“What if the person conducting those experiments is someone you know?”

“……Someone I know?” 

Yes, it’s none other than Aiden de Donassien. 

There’s no way she wouldn’t recognize that name. 

“Even if it’s someone I know, I’ll have to do something about it.”

“If you’re a wizard, you’d be taught that satisfying your curiosity comes before considering morality, wouldn’t you?”

“I’m a person before I’m a wizard.” 

That’s quite a noble sentiment. 

Most of the people I’ve encountered so far claimed to be ‘wizards’ before being ‘people.’ 

“By the way, I still haven’t heard why you’re here….”

“Shh.” 

<Amazing Intuition>

<Discernment>

You have detected a negative gaze observing you.

When I stopped and put a finger to my lips, Aileen looked at me with a puzzled expression. 

It didn’t take long for her face to turn serious. 

A pack of demons that looked like wild dogs appeared from the opposite corner.

“…Seeing demons here means my guess was somewhat correct.” 

Indeed. 

I came here for the same reason. 

“I’ll handle this.” 

Just as I was about to conceal my identity by covering the ‘Moon Sword’ with ‘Sombra,’ Aileen stepped forward, taking out her wand and gemstone.

The demons growled as they watched her.

Dripping purple mucus from their mouths, they charged at us without any hint of caution.

“Disgusting creatures.”

Swish!

The jewels scattered throughout the dark underground waterway.

As Aileen swung her wand towards the demons, the jewels in the air began to flicker a few times.

“Scatter.”

As Aileen murmured softly, the jewels in the air shattered into dust.

Of course, the dust was not just simple powder.

Each particle was imbued with Aileen’s mana, refined into tiny blades.

The demons, unaware of this, continued to charge at us without stopping, as if they were throwing themselves into a storm.

Crunch, crunch!

– Screech, squeal!

Eventually, they became so unrecognizable, resembling minced meat.

‘That’s terrifying.’

If I had left it to her earlier, my body would have ended up like that.

The thought made me shiver and let out a dry laugh.

“I don’t want to waste time on these worthless demons.”

After using her magic, Aileen seemed rather confident.

“Let’s head further inside. It will take time to verify the truth.”

“Alright… huh?”

Just as I was about to head deeper into the underground waterway as Aileen suggested, the Resonance Stone in my pocket started to emit a faint light.

It’s far too small to be used as a barrier, but it’s highly effective at detecting demons, so I brought it just in case.

‘If this is glowing…’

It means there are still demons nearby.

As expected, a sharp killing intent mixed with demonic energy was detected from the crack in the ceiling.

The same type of demon dogs that Aileen defeated earlier.

‘Aileen seems to have missed it.’

Perhaps due to her lack of experience, her follow-up was incomplete.

Recalling my duel with the ‘Blind Warrior,’ I placed my hand on the sword hilt.

Aura that retains its form and function even when distanced from its user.

Unconsciously, I realized something about the ability the ‘Blind Warrior’ used. 

‘Wrapping another layer of aura around the edge of the existing aura.’ 

Through this, it minimizes the mana wasted in the air and allows for a more effective ‘sword energy’ that can inflict significant damage on the enemy.

“Hup.” 

I focused for a moment and swung my sword at the demon that sprang out of the crack. 

Slash! 

The demon dog hit by the sword energy splattered blood and collapsed weakly to the ground. 

“Ahhh!” 

As a large demon dog fell right in front of her, Aileen, who had been confidently walking, let out a dull scream. 

“What, what was that!?” 

“Can’t you see? It’s a demon.” 

Leaving the bewildered Aileen behind, I approached the demon struck by the sword energy and examined the wound. 

It was sharper and more lethal than the experimental sword energy I had used on Fern. 

‘Though the attempt to split it in half failed.’ 

But this was good enough. 

Though I couldn’t use it unconsciously, I was beginning to grasp the realm of ‘One Strike.’ 

“That’s not what I meant. How did you know there was a demon hiding there?” 

Her question felt oddly familiar, but I didn’t want to talk about the ‘Resonance Stone’ in my pocket. 

No matter how small, using a ‘Resonance Stone’ operated by the Magic Tower carries a high risk of being tracked. 

Besides, I couldn’t reveal to anyone that the ‘Black Knight’ was Julian. 

“Do you need to know? It’s a secret.” 

It’s best to keep difficult things as secrets. 

Having said that, I started walking again in the direction of the laboratory. 

“Hmm?” 

Strange. 

When I looked back, Aileen was staring blankly at me, lost in thought. 

“Are you having second thoughts?” 

Was she scared after seeing the demons? 

That shouldn’t be the case. 

Her magic was well executed, and as a fifth-rank wizard with the ‘Vargo’ title, these demons should be easy for her. 

Aileen, snapped out of her thoughts by my words, shook her head slightly. 

“Oh, no. I’ll follow you.”

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