The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 220

Adela’s breath turned into white vapor. It was a natural phenomenon caused by the rapid cooling of the air. Her body trembled violently from the cold. The temperature had dropped so low that it was unbearable.

‘Even at this distance, I can feel this much cold…’ Adela’s lips quivered as she stared intently at Shin Ha-yul’s back. This magic was definitely Eternal Frost. She couldn’t confirm it properly because of the mana restraints, but she was sure of it. There couldn’t be another ice magic with this much power.

‘But… he didn’t chant.’ One of Shin Ha-yul’s ultimate moves, which could maximize its power through a chant of about 40 seconds. It was a double-edged sword with a severe penalty of having to chant for 40 seconds, making it highly likely to be countered if used carelessly. That was Shin Ha-yul’s Eternal Frost. But just now, Shin Ha-yul didn’t chant at all. He did recite an activation phrase during the battle, but that phrase didn’t contain any mana. The activation phrase was a fake. In other words, Shin Ha-yul had just used Eternal Frost without chanting.

‘How?’ Shudder, shudder. Her body trembled more and more violently. Her hands and feet, which were already not circulating blood properly due to the restraints, were rapidly turning cold. At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if she got frostbite. At that moment, Miho curled up around Adela as if to embrace her. Miho’s body heat was directly transferred to Adela. It was warm.

“…Thank you.” Adela thanked Miho. Miho whimpered softly, as if to say this was nothing.

“It’s over.” Then, Shin Ha-yul, having confirmed Wi Sang-hyun’s death, approached Adela. He looked at Adela with an indescribable gaze. He had an expression that said he didn’t know what to say to Adela right now.

“Did you… kill him?”

“Yeah. I killed him. I could have let him live, but I didn’t want to.”

Adela bit her lip.

“…You shouldn’t have.”

Adela’s eyes were filled with a sticky murderous intent.

“I should have killed him with my own hands.” She had the look of a vengeful ghost.

“That’s why I killed him.” Shin Ha-yul slowly knelt down on one knee and reached towards Adela’s restraints. ‘Disrupt.’ And then, he shattered the magic formula that was maintaining the restraints. Clang! The restraints on her hands and legs shattered instantly. Adela was immediately free. Adela, now free, looked up at Shin Ha-yul with a complicated expression.

“That way, you won’t be tormented by the guilt of killing a relative.”

“That man… he’s not a relative!” Adela shouted. That man could not be her uncle. A demon who had killed his own brother out of ambition and tried to kill his own daughter could not be a relative. He was a demon. Trash. An indescribable evil. Why would she feel guilty about eliminating such evil?

“You might be okay now. But what about later? Will you still be okay then?” Shin Ha-yul carefully took Adela’s hand. Her hand was very cold, whether it was due to the aftereffects of Eternal Frost or the torrent of emotions.

“You’re a good person to the core. Could you really be okay after killing a family member you’ve known for 18 years, even if they were evil?”

“That’s…” Adela couldn’t answer. She wanted to say that she wouldn’t, but the last bit of reason left in her heart was refusing to shout that.

“It’s impossible. You’re too kind.” Shin Ha-yul stood up. “That’s why I killed him. I didn’t want you to live your whole life trapped by guilt because of that trash.”

“…It’s none of your business.” Adela’s words were laced with thorns. Given the current situation, it was natural for her to say twisted things.

“I know. It’s none of my business.” Shin Ha-yul held out his hand to Adela. It was a gesture to help her up.

“I don’t want you to stop here.” Adela just stared blankly at Shin Ha-yul’s outstretched hand. As if she had no intention of taking it, she just stared blankly. Then, she suddenly exploded with anger.

“Then… then…! Where am I supposed to vent my anger, this resentment…!” Then, she lowered her head again and bit her lip. “My father… my dad was murdered. I’m angry. I’m so angry I feel like I’m going crazy!” Her anger was burning like a raging fire. The heat was so intense that Shin Ha-yul could feel it.

“If the target of my revenge is gone… what am I supposed to do…” Her voice trembled. It was a sobbing sound. Under her lowered head, a few tears fell. Excessive anger and sadness were turning into tears.

“That anger should be directed not at Wi Sang-hyun, but at the ones who seduced Wi Sang-hyun… the ones who caused your father’s death.”

“The… cause?” Adela slowly raised her head. Her red, bloodshot eyes stared directly into Shin Ha-yul’s eyes.

“I’m talking about the Black Magic Tower.”

“The Black… Magic Tower.”

Shin Ha-yul withdrew the hand he had extended. Then, he sat down and met Adela’s gaze.

“I’m saying this so you don’t misunderstand, but I’m not telling you not to take revenge.”

“…” Shin Ha-yul wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of Adela’s eyes. “I’m not saying that revenge is futile or meaningless. That’s a matter of individual judgment. And interfering with that is just meddling.” Shin Ha-yul didn’t think revenge was useless. He didn’t think forgiveness was a virtue either. On the contrary. If a grudge was formed, it should be returned in kind. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Kindness tenfold. Revenge a hundredfold. That was Shin Ha-yul’s creed.

“The reason I killed Wi Sang-hyun was, as I said, because I didn’t want you to feel guilty about killing a relative. That’s all.” If Wi Sang-hyun had been left alive, Adela would have killed him by any means necessary. No, even if she couldn’t kill him, she would have lived to kill him. And she would have despaired soon after. He was confident that it would have turned out that way, as he knew Adela better than anyone else. That’s why he killed Wi Sang-hyun. He killed him even though he could have saved him.

“Direct your anger at the Black Magic Tower, not Wi Sang-hyun.” Adela was kind. But at the same time, she was ruthless. Adela’s kindness was directed only towards the people around her. She had surprisingly no interest in anyone else. Therefore, Adela would not feel any guilt about killing the villains of the Black Magic Tower. Unlike Wi Sang-hyun, who was already in the category of family, she would be able to take revenge with peace of mind.

“Revenge… on the Black… Magic Tower…” A light began to return to Adela’s eyes. She looked like a lost lamb who had found the light again.

“…” Looking at Adela, Shin Ha-yul had a subtle expression.

* * *

After that, I took Adela to the main house of the Shinbiwi family. And in the study of the main house, we found Elder Wi Sang-cheol’s cold corpse. Adela collapsed on the spot and cried her heart out. With the saddest expression in the world, she hugged her father’s corpse and cried loudly. I couldn’t bear to watch her, so I quietly left the room.

“…Hoo.” I went outside, looked up at the sky, and sighed deeply. Even though I had successfully dealt with the culprit of this incident, I didn’t feel any sense of relief. What filled my chest was not relief, but a sense of heaviness.

“Hey. Is it okay to leave her alone like that?” At that moment, Commander Charles appeared next to me. I wasn’t particularly surprised. I already knew that Commander Charles was watching nearby.

“I’ve already said everything I wanted to say. The rest is for Adela to think about on her own. It’s not my place to interfere.” I had already interfered too much. From now on, it was not my place to step in. It was a matter for Adela to decide on her own.

“Oh, you’re such a good guy.” Commander Charles gently placed her back against mine.

“Adela is a little envious to have a friend like you.”

“…I wonder.” Was I really a good friend? If I were a truly good friend, shouldn’t I have stepped in before Wi Sang-cheol was murdered?

“Hey.” Then, Commander Charles suddenly tilted her head back and hit the back of my head with the back of her head.

“Don’t think strange things. You have 0.1% responsibility for Wi Sang-cheol’s death.” Then, with our heads still touching, she moved her hand up and stroked my head.

“You did your best. I guarantee it.”

“…Yes. Thank you.” Her words were a little comforting.

“But I can’t help but feel guilty.”

“Why?”

“Because of the things I said to Adela. I said it was for Adela’s sake, but I wonder if I was acting that way for my own benefit.”

“What’s your benefit?”

“I gained an ally.” I looked up at the sky again. Even on this sad day, the stars were shining brilliantly.

“The Black Magic Tower and I have already crossed an irreversible river. Either I die, or the Black Magic Tower disappears. It’s one of the two.” Not only because of the current situation, but I had an inseparable, ill-fated relationship with the Black Magic Tower. To a successor of the Vaitener style [a specific fighting style or school of magic], the Black Magic Tower was nothing more than an absolute evil that must be eliminated.

“In that situation… I turned Adela’s anger… her desire for revenge towards the Black Magic Tower. I said it was for Adela’s sake, but I wonder if I said those things thinking about my own benefit.” Was I trying to use Adela’s desire for revenge? Was I trying to connect my friend’s sadness with my own benefit? Such thoughts filled my head.

“If that’s the case, then I am…”

“I was wondering what you were going to say.” Then, Commander Charles scoffed. “That was the most novel bullshit I’ve heard recently.” Commander Charles took her back off my back, turned her body around, grabbed my shoulders, and turned my body around. Commander Charles’s eyes were right in front of me. She looked a little angry.

“Don’t think such ridiculous things. As if you would have thought that in that situation.” Her confident and self-assured eyes pierced right through mine.

“I’ll say it again. You made the best choice. You protected your friend, and you protected your friend’s future. Don’t have any regrets about that action. Got it?” Her eyes, filled with trust and faith, felt like they were comforting me.

“…Yes.”

“Geez, you’re like a child sometimes, and then like an adult. I don’t know what to do with you…” Commander Charles chuckled and roughly stroked my head.

“Hoo. You made me say embarrassing things that don’t suit me.” Commander Charles’s face was quite red. It seemed like she was embarrassed by the words she had just said.

“Ugh. It’s hot. It’s hot. Anyway, this conversation is over. If you say anything more, I’ll punch you, so just try it.” Commander Charles smiled fiercely and threatened me.

“…Yes.”

“Okay. That’s all I needed to hear.” Commander Charles lightly tapped my head one last time and then crossed her arms again.

“Oh, and as you said. There were quite a few guys watching you. I only managed to confirm about half of them. But the ones I confirmed were all black mages.” Commander Charles’s expression turned serious in an instant.

“There were no traces of anything done to Wi Sang-cheol’s body. As you expected, it seems their goal was to check your power.”

“Yes. Seeing that they didn’t even try to help Wi Sang-hyun until the end, it seems certain.” Before, while I was holed up in the training ground for 11 days. Shadow had given Commander Charles various information. Starting with information about the Black Magic King, he had given quite a lot of high-quality information. Among them was this information.

[Hermes, the executive who currently oversees the information of the Black Magic Tower, is suspicious of me.]

[It seems that he is also suspicious of the information about Shin Ha-yul.]

[Currently, Hermes is managing Korea as the successor to Tkish, so please be careful.]

In short, the executive named Hermes did not believe that my power was at the level of a great mage. And he suspected that Shadow and I had some kind of relationship. To summarize, that was what it meant. Knowing that information, Wi Sang-hyun suddenly caused an incident. It would be one thing if he only dealt with the head of the family, Wi Sang-cheol, but he kidnapped Adela and even called me out separately. It was a situation where the risk was high and Wi Sang-hyun didn’t seem to gain much. Then, it suddenly occurred to me.

‘Could this incident be an incident that Hermes orchestrated to observe me, using Wi Sang-hyun as a pawn?’ That was the thought. That’s why I brought Commander Charles with me, but I fought alone. I showed off overwhelming power so that Hermes would never doubt my power again. To show Hermes my power.

“Anyway, this will make Shadow less suspicious.” With this, Hermes would have no choice but to believe my power to some extent. And if that happened, the suspicion towards Shadow would inevitably fade to some extent. Suspecting me and suspecting Shadow were on the same line.

“Who would doubt it after seeing that scene? I didn’t even believe it.” Commander Charles shook her head, sticking out her tongue.

“How are you a 6th circle mage? …If things go wrong, I might even lose to you?”

“That’s impossible. Wi Sang-hyun was also a fool who couldn’t use his power 100%, so I was able to overwhelm him to that extent. If he was a real 7th circle great mage, it would have been difficult. But how could I beat Commander Charles?”

“Hehe. You know me well. That’s right. You still have a long way to go to catch up to me.” Commander Charles laughed heartily.

“Still, if you become a 7th circle… then I really don’t think I’ll be able to handle you?”

“If I become a 7th circle… well.”

“…You’re confident if you become a 7th circle? That’s a bit of a blow to my pride?” Commander Charles gave a rather scary smile.

“If you become a 7th circle, we’ll fight right away. I’ll show you what’s what.”

“I’m not one to back out of such a proposal.”

“I’ll remember those words.” I smiled slightly and answered casually.

Wee-ooh, wee-ooh, wee-ooh! At that moment, the sound of police cars approaching from afar could be heard.

“I reported it 10 minutes ago, and they’re coming so fast. Geez.”

“I know.” Listening to the siren sound that was getting louder and louder, Commander Charles turned her body.

“Then I’ll go first. See you later. Take care of the aftermath. And comfort her well too.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Good work.” With that, Commander Charles disappeared in an instant. And soon after, the garden of the Shinbiwi family was filled with the lights emanating from the sirens of nine police cars.