The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 160

After talking with my sister for about 30 minutes, I returned to the hotel.

“Then, please rest well.”

Mr. Seokhyun, who had escorted me to my room, opened the door as usual and bowed his head.

“You’re not telling me to take the call bell today?”

“…Haha. Is it just my imagination, or do I feel a barb in your words?”

“It’s your imagination. It’s not like I found it annoying to carry the call bell around, or anything like that.”

Mr. Seokhyun gave a wry smile.

He clearly didn’t know how to react.

“I’m just kidding. It’s not like it was a difficult task that would make me feel annoyed. And it’s not like I don’t know you’re worried about me.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Mr. Seokhyun nodded expressionlessly.

“Then, as usual, I’ll be waiting here, so please call me immediately if you have any business or need anything.”

“Ah. Then, could I ask you for one thing right away?”

“…Yes. I’m listening.”

Mr. Seokhyun’s expression turned serious. Whenever I asked for something, it was always something unusual, so he must have been tense.

But what to do?

This time, it was a trivial request that had nothing to do with anything serious.

“Could you buy me some manga?”

“Manga… you mean comic books?”

Mr. Seokhyun’s brow furrowed slightly in question.

“May I ask why you need them?”

Buying manga.

He seemed to think there was some hidden intention behind this act.

His expression became even more serious.

“No, no. It’s not some kind of code or hidden meaning. It’s literally just a simple request to buy me some manga.”

“…Just for reading purposes?”

Mr. Seokhyun’s face lost its tension. He looked somewhat flustered.

“There’s a manga that Soonchan recommended, and I’m a bit free these days, so I thought I’d read it in between things.”

“I, I see. Young Master reading manga… Yes. Understood.”

Mr. Seokhyun chuckled with a very complicated expression.

“Young Master Hayul, who only knew magic, is now interested in other things…”

Should he be happy about this, or sad?

He let out a sigh, clearly thinking such thoughts.

* * *

I entered Mimir’s study and immediately told him about finding traces of the suggestion.

“Okay. Then, there’s a bit more credibility to my hypothesis.”

Mimir snapped his fingers, rejoicing after hearing my story.

His expression and actions seemed to be enjoying a strange catharsis from the fact that his hypothesis was correct.

“Then, it’s highly likely that the day of action will be within a day or two after the successor’s sister is discharged from the hospital.”

If Mimir’s hypothesis was correct, and the suggestion on my sister was ‘Lure me somewhere,’

Then this suggestion would definitely be activated right after my sister was discharged.

It would be impossible to call me out separately while she was hospitalized.

And since they would have to deal with things while I was in the US, they couldn’t leave too much time in between.

Therefore, Shin Jihan’s expected day of action would be within 1-2 days of my sister’s discharge.

“When is her expected discharge date?”

“The day of the Open Raid rematch.”

“What? Then it’s not even a day or two?”

“Yeah. Either the night of her discharge or the next morning. It’s one of the two.”

The Open Raid rematch is in three days.

The day after that, the fourth day, is the awards ceremony.

That means I would inevitably return home on the night of the fourth day or the day of the fifth day.

Since they need to deal with things before I leave the US, the day of action can only be three or four days from now.

“Good. There’s plenty of time to prepare, and the margin of error for the day of action is within 12 hours, so it’ll be easy to prepare.”

From the perspective of preparing a counter, the situation couldn’t be better.

“I don’t think it’ll happen, but just in case my prediction is wrong, prepare for that possibility as well.”

“It’s okay. Knowing that my sister is under a suggestion, we have an absolute advantage.”

The key to this operation is my trust in my sister.

As long as I suspect my sister, Shin Jihan’s plan can never succeed.

“Well, yeah. We can just change our response depending on how the successor’s sister acts.”

“Right.”

Whatever happens, now that we know my sister is under a ‘suggestion,’

The situation has become incredibly advantageous.

“Now, the key isn’t how to overcome the danger.”

Mimir grinned and continued.

“It’s how powerful of a counter we prepare, right?”

“Bingo.”

I met Mimir’s eyes and smiled.

“Then, we should start by luring that stealth magic specialist and your father.”

“I already contacted my father.”

I tell my father and Mr. Seokhyun everything about what Shin Jihan is trying to do using my sister.

That’s the only way to catch Shin Jihan for sure.

Woong!

At that moment, the entire library trembled faintly.

The alarm magic, set to make the books tremble when someone knocked on the door or rang the doorbell, had been activated.

“Looks like they’re here.”

It seemed Mr. Seokhyun had arrived.

“Then, I’ll be back. It’s about time my father returned too.”

“Then it’ll take a while?”

Considering the seriousness of this matter, it was inevitable that the conversation would be long.

Mimir knew that, which was why he said it would be late.

“No. I’ll come back quickly first.”

“Why?”

“I have something to give you. I’ll come back and give it to you, then go back out to my father’s room.”

I plan to come back once, and then call my father and Mr. Seokhyun to talk.

“You have something to give me? What is it?”

“You asked for manga, right?”

“Ah.”

Mimir exclaimed in surprise.

“You already got it?”

“Of course. I got it. Who asked for it?”

“Successor…”

Mimir looked a little touched.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. If you need anything else, just tell me anytime. I’ll get it for you right away.”

“Okay.”

Mimir smiled brightly.

It was a smile that made me feel proud.

* * *

After that, I gave the manga that Mr. Seokhyun had bought to Mimir.

I immediately called my father and Mr. Seokhyun to have a conversation.

And I immediately started talking about the information I had obtained.

“Of course, it might not be true. But, looking at the current situation, this is the only way Jihan hyung [older brother] can reverse this situation.”

At first, they were listening with meaningful expressions, but as my story continued, their expressions gradually became more serious.

“Therefore, Jihan hyung’s goal is likely to lure me out separately, blame everything on my sister, and then kill me. That’s my conclusion.”

Mr. Seokhyun with a complicated expression and my father, whose thoughts were unreadable.

I looked at them and spoke my last words.

“If we concentrate all our forces on the place where my sister calls me out, we can definitely catch Shin Jihan.”

“…”

“…”

Silence fell.

I had finished speaking and had nothing more to say.

Mr. Seokhyun and my father were organizing their thoughts and had no time to speak.

Hence, the inevitable silence descended.

I waited quietly in the midst of it.

I waited for the two of them to finish organizing their thoughts.

About three minutes passed.

“…You found traces of a suggestion?”

My father opened his mouth, seemingly having finished organizing his thoughts first.

“Yes. If you ask me to prove it, I can.”

“…There’s no need for that. I know very well that you have no reason to lie in this situation. What I asked wasn’t whether you found traces of a suggestion, but if it was true or false.”

My father stared at me with sharp eyes.

“Was finding the traces of the suggestion your eyes… the power of the Divine Eye?”

Ah. That’s what he meant.

My father was asking how I found the traces of the suggestion.

“Yes. It is.”

“…I can’t believe it.”

It wasn’t my father who reacted to my answer, but Mr. Seokhyun.

“To guide a person somewhere. A detection eye that doesn’t miss even such a minor trace of a suggestion… This skill. Even Sophia Anetschepri is incapable of it.”

That’s right.

I couldn’t find it with just the power of my ‘Divine Eye’.

There’s no way Sophia’s Jewel Eye could find it.

“Does that mean the Divine Eye is truly a superior version of the Jewel Eye…”

My father said those words in a voice that seemed to be filled with admiration.

“I see. So, Sophia knew that, and that’s why she met with Hayul separately and talked to him.”

My father smiled contentedly, as if he finally understood.

About another minute passed.

“…Anyway, I understand the situation.”

My father’s expression turned sharp again.

“There are many somewhat far-fetched assumptions, but considering the current situation, it was a sufficiently credible hypothesis.”

My father looked straight into my eyes.

“As you said, in three… or four days. Right after Se-ah is discharged. I will prepare to catch Jihan.”

The pupils of my father’s eyes, reflected in my retina, were shining with a very complex emotion.

* * *

After that, time passed quickly.

Nothing much happened in between.

The search for Shin Jihan continued, but they still couldn’t catch him.

My sister was still hospitalized.

And I was still focused on training.

It was a repetition of the same routine as before.

And so, a total of three days passed.

Finally, the day of the Open Raid rematch, which would bring the grand finale of the Olympiad, had arrived.

It was 20 minutes before the start of the match, but the stadium was as quiet as it could be.

It was natural.

This Open Raid rematch was a match without an audience. A match held without spectators.

It was being broadcast on TV, so there were commentators, but since there were no spectators, there was no need to turn on the speakers or anything like that.

Since there were no spectators, there was no possibility of noise.

Therefore, the stadium was inevitably quiet.

“Hoo.”

I leaned against a corner wall of the empty spectator seats and looked up at the sky.

Is it because it’s the last match?

I felt a mix of relief and regret.

“It’s so strange that there are no people in the stadium. Right?”

While I was doing that, someone suddenly approached me and spoke.

“Is it okay for you to be here like this?”

Charles, the leader of the Hounds.

He had his hands in his pockets, looking at me with his usual easygoing demeanor.

“It’s fine. It’s a match without an audience anyway, so no one’s watching.”

Charles glanced around.

“I’ve already taken care of the CCTVs filming here.”

He had already finished the preliminary work.

“You’re thorough.”

“Well, after being Madam’s secret friend for over 20 years, it’s a skill that’s naturally ingrained in me.”

Charles laughed exaggeratedly, saying ‘Eumhaha’.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Oh, come on. Why are you being so distant? Are we only able to meet when there’s something going on?”

“It’s not that…”

I took my eyes off the sky and looked straight into Charles’s eyes.

“Someone who has been quietly circling around me, hiding their presence, for the past three days, no… maybe even longer, suddenly showing up like this, it’s natural to think there’s a reason, isn’t it?”

“…You knew?”

“Yes.”

Charles made a humming sound.

“You really have good eyes. Even Kim Seokhyun didn’t notice.”

“Your aura is just too outstanding, Captain Charles. It’s clearly visible even from afar.”

“My aura? I’m not so clumsy as to emit such a thing.”

“No. That’s not what I mean.”

My mana perceives the surrounding mana of a target as a ‘property’.

Therefore, the more outstanding the target’s mana, the more visible it is.

“It’s just that there’s something that only I can see.”

“What, you can see another world that only you can see?”

Seeing another world.

Well, it’s not exactly wrong.

“You could say that.”

“What’s that? That’s a cheat.”

“Well. It’s not exactly like that. Usually, if you’re that far away, it’s hard to see. It’s just that your aura is so wild… it’s too out of place in the city, so it’s particularly noticeable.”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about, but anyway, my stealth is meaningless to you. That’s what you’re saying.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then it’s a cheat.”

“Well. You could say it’s a cheat, but only for Captain Charles.”

“…Tsk.”

Charles scratched the back of his neck, looking like he was thinking, ‘What a troublesome eye.’

“So, you’re not here because you have something to say to me?”

“…No. I am.”

Charles put his hand back down and his eyes sharpened.

“You. You’re preparing something, aren’t you?”

“…”

I remained silent. This matter was something that had to be handled internally within the ‘Mado Shin-ga’ [Magic God Clan].

I couldn’t tell anyone, not even Charles or Sophia.

“You can’t answer? That’s disappointing. We shared all our secrets.”

“…It’s a very personal matter.”

“Well, fine. I know roughly what’s going on. I roughly understand why you’re reluctant to answer.”

…He knows what’s going on?

Did he follow me and get some information?

Or is it just a bluff?

“It’s related to the Black Magic Tower, isn’t it?”

Charles’s aura changed.

Before, he felt like a somewhat tamed wolf, but now he was emitting the savage aura of a wild wolf.

No, a ferocious aura like Fenrir [a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology].

“Let me in too.”

He was emitting a murderous gaze and aura, shining with the intention to devour everything.