Chapter 31

Chapter 31
## Chapter 31

Raymond gazed at Lucian with a stunned expression before escaping into a dry, breathless chuckle.

*I actually thought I’d have to knock him down a peg if he let this success go to his head?*

“What an arrogant delusion that was.”

Lucian wasn’t riding a wave of vanity; he had meticulously weighed every potential setback and crafted safety nets for the worst outcomes. What was more, he had mapped out this entire strategy in the mere heartbeat it took for the mercenary Sven to reveal himself.

Lucian was navigating a mental landscape Raymond couldn’t even perceive, yet he had the nerve to think he could provide guidance.

“Ha.”

Raymond couldn’t stifle the laughter that kept rising in his throat.

Throughout his tenure with the Black Lions, he had witnessed plenty of “gifted” youths. Barring those whose stars were snuffed out by tragedy, most had grown exactly as predicted.

Yet, this was his first encounter with a young man whose ceiling was genuinely impossible to see.

*Once we get back, I really should petition His Grace to let me serve as the Third Young Master’s personal guard.*

The Third Young Master was exhibiting such profound tactical brilliance at just sixteen years old. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of force Lucian would become with age. Simply observing that transformation from the front row promised to be anything but dull.

—

“…Well done.”

Tristan managed a clipped response after reviewing the achievements Lucian had secured.

The feat was too significant for empty platitudes, and his own pride as a rival wouldn’t permit him to be overly gushing. Consequently, he could only let out a long breath of genuine wonder.

Fortunately, the subordinates surrounding them seemed to grasp the weight of Lucian’s triumph from that brief acknowledgment alone.

*Then again, he is a man who hoards praise like a miser. Even saying that much is probably enough to rattle everyone here.*

“I’m placing the mercenary forces under your direct leadership from this point forward. I will lead the family’s knights to scout the high-risk zones near the border.”

Tristan’s features appeared significantly less tense than when they had arrived. Even though he had conceded the glory to Lucian, he seemed relieved just to have the primary stressor out of the way.

“Naturally, the territory is too expansive for the knights to handle alone, so we will need mercenary support in specific sectors. Take this map; organize their distribution as you see fit.”

“I understand. I’ve heard reports that the Empire Liberation Front and various beasts are surfacing simultaneously…”

“I’ve indicated them with different markings, so observe closely. The Empire Liberation Front is noted in red, while the monsters are in blue.”

Lucian scrutinized the tactical map presented by a knight. As was typical for a frontier zone, the region they were responsible for was dauntingly vast. Without the extra hands of the mercenaries, they would have been paralyzed by the sheer lack of boots on the ground.

*Now that the mercenary crisis is settled, things should settle into a rhythm by tomorrow. Still, the Empire Liberation Front is trouble enough, but monsters as well… Wait.*

Lucian’s eyebrows knit together as his eyes scanned the parchment.

The zones where the Empire Liberation Front operated and the monster territories intersected in multiple spots. Regardless of the size of the area, this was illogical.

Humans and beasts shared a fundamental predator-prey dynamic. Unless they occupied strictly partitioned lands, there was no way they could live in such close proximity without constant bloodshed.

“Brother, is the intelligence on this map verified? How can the Empire Liberation Front be popping up right in the heart of monster-heavy zones?”

“They likely purchased a minor artifact or utilized a monster-repelling musk. If it were more formidable beasts, it might be strange, but the ones currently sighted are merely Kobolds and Gnolls.”

“Kobolds and Gnolls? Together in the same areas?”

Kobolds were upright monsters with canine features, shorter than the average person. Gnolls were also bipedal but resembled hyenas and stood a head taller than a man. Both breeds possessed a sharp sense of smell, making them effective trackers, but they were also repulsed by strong stenches, making them easy to ward off.

“It’s typical for related monster types to work in tandem. Much like Goblins and Orcs are categorized together as greenskins, those beasts must share some tribal bond. It isn’t a new phenomenon.”

“No. This is highly irregular.”

Tristan brushed it off as a minor detail, but Lucian’s face became grim. If it were truly related species like Goblins and Orcs, it would be understandable, but Gnolls and Kobolds cooperating was a massive red flag.

“They might look similar to the untrained eye, but Gnolls and Kobolds do not play well together. If anything, Gnolls treat Kobolds as food. Far from being allied like greenskins, they are species that fundamentally cannot occupy the same space.”

“What? Then how are they moving as one?”

“To my knowledge, there is only one method to force the impossible into reality. You are aware of it too, aren’t you, Brother?”

Tristan’s expression turned to stone at Lucian’s implication. A suffocating quiet filled the room, and no one dared to breathe. After gauging the tension for a moment, Lucian was forced to voice the conclusion himself.

“Magic.”

“Mind your tongue.”

Tristan’s eyes burned the second the word “magic” crossed Lucian’s lips.

“Magic is not a term to be thrown around casually. All sanctioned casters are currently held within the capital. Why on earth would they travel to this remote border?”

“Look at the evidence. Humans are trekking through beast territory, and species that naturally hate each other are acting in concert. Magic is the only variable that makes this plausible.”

“That’s enough.”

Tristan cut him off sharply, refusing to entertain the thought.

“Do not blow this out of proportion. The Empire is already unstable; to whisper about magic now… I hate to think who might be listening in.”

“…”

“Father granted me total authority over this mission. Your success is notable, but do not overstep. It is sufficient for you to manage the mercenaries and brace for any random trouble.”

The moment he finished his piece, Tristan rose and marched toward the exit. His posture made it clear the discussion was closed. Lucian had no choice but to stand as well, but he threw out one last inquiry before Tristan vanished.

“Have the six captives from today been questioned yet?”

“…Not yet.”

“Ensure they are thoroughly broken. They likely hold the key to this inconsistency.”

Tristan offered no reply.

Lucian sighed as he watched him go. At this rate, Tristan might execute them to bury the secret rather than actually interrogating them.

*It looks like I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.*

A cynical grin touched Lucian’s mouth. He had a sinking feeling this situation wouldn’t resolve quietly.

—

“Magic. This has escalated far beyond our initial estimates.”

Raymond and the rest of the Black Lions scowled as one. When the Empire Liberation Front and the beasts appeared together, they had simply viewed it as two separate headaches. To think that magic was the thread connecting them changed everything.

While Lucian and the Black Lions fell into a pensive silence, Hugo spoke up with visible anxiety.

“Isn’t this a catastrophe? Ever since the sorcerers’ uprising three centuries ago, the Royal Family has classified every unsanctioned mage as a dark practitioner. If news leaks that a mage is active here…”

“The Royal Family will act instantly,” Lucian countered. “Even if the mage smells the danger and vanishes, there’s a massive chance the Royal Guard will be dispatched to dismantle this place. In the worst-case scenario, the entire Bornholm territory will be consumed by a purge.”

It was a standing policy of the Empire that the Throne wouldn’t meddle in a lord’s private land unless treason was involved. However, the moment an illegal mage entered the picture, those boundaries vanished. The mere presence of an unsanctioned mage was viewed as the spark of a revolution.

“Despite my father being a loyalist to the Emperor, the deep-seated hatred for mages has lasted over three hundred years. If magic is truly at play, they won’t show an ounce of restraint.”

“What was the First Young Master’s stance?”

“He seems determined to sweep it under the rug. I see his logic, but the issue is that if a mage really is present, the potential body count could spiral out of control.”

The Royal Family’s tendency to panic at the sight of a mage was a liability. However, from another perspective, the Royal Family was also the only group with real experience fighting them. Normal knights, who hadn’t even seen a spark of mana, risked being slaughtered before they even realized they were under attack.

“But just reporting it to the Palace is also a dangerous gamble. A full-scale investigation could leave all of Bornholm a smoking ruin.”

“That is my point exactly. We simply don’t have enough data to make a move.”

Lucian rubbed his chin, drowning in thought. In his previous life, he couldn’t recall anything earth-shattering happening in Bornholm. If the Palace had intervened, the news would have been unavoidable. It was obvious that Tristan had managed to hide the mage’s trail.

*He must have buried it deep. The problem is that because he was so thorough, I have no clue what actually went down.*

Based on the context, he could infer two things. First, the event was contained enough to be hidden. Second, the finale wasn’t a clean enough win to be touted as a triumph.

If it were small enough to mask, they could have deleted the mage’s presence and claimed a standard victory against the Empire Liberation Front. The fact that they didn’t suggested the outcome was closer to a loss.

Even if they had technically won, it was probably a hollow, costly victory. Essentially, if things followed Tristan’s path, the secret might stay safe, but the damage would be severe. He had to step in and pivot the strategy.

After a long period of internal debate, Lucian finally stood up and exhaled.

“First, we gather intelligence. We’re blind right now.”

“Do you intend to interrogate the captured Empire Liberation Front members? But the First Young Master won’t give you access.”

“Who said I was going to the dungeons?”

Lucian answered Raymond with a knowing smirk.

“I’d much rather extract info from a fresh target than someone who’s been sitting in a cell all day. Since I’ve promised platinum rewards for results, let’s see what these motivated mercenaries can bring in.”

No matter how comfortable those insurgents felt in the woods around the fortress, they wouldn’t realize the net had been pulled tight. At least one of them was bound to stumble into a trap within forty-eight hours.

Until that happened, Lucian simply had to manage the ranks and wait.

—

The locals referred to the woodlands flanking the walls of Bornholm as the Yellow Forest. The canopy of the giant trees was so dense that the smaller flora beneath, starved of light, had shriveled and perished. The woods, choked with brittle yellow foliage, felt even more ghostly after dark.

Two silhouettes moved through the Yellow Forest, a territory usually shunned because it was a highway for predators.

“Stop. When the bolt of the firmament strikes.”

“It shall strike the usurper on the seat of power. It is I, brother.”

After confirming the code, the two men revealed their faces and stepped into the light. Both were clad in dark cloaks and appeared to be in their middle years. Having fought alongside the Empire Liberation Front for over a decade since their youth, they were close allies.

“Why the urgent meeting? We only just agreed a few days ago to stick to our sectors to keep the plan moving.”

“That’s the problem. The plan has hit a snag. I heard the stalemate between the Valdek family and those idle mercenaries was broken today.”

“What? How? That mess wasn’t going to be fixed anytime soon. Did they cave to the mercenaries’ demands?”

“Not at all. Word is someone from the main house showed up and settled the whole thing in a single afternoon. It looks like the Grand Duke sent one of his inner circle to assist.”

“Tsk, ridiculous. I wonder what kind of person he is.”

The man on the right scowled at the news. To untangle such a messy negotiation in one day, the individual had to be one of the Grand Duke’s top minds. If such a high-level asset had been deployed, did it mean they were onto the scheme?