The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 251

Shadow was extremely flustered by Shin Ha-yul’s sudden message.

‘What is this now…’

His expression was completely hidden by the shadow he constantly wore, but his motionless, stiff body showed just how much he was taken aback.

‘I don’t know when I’ll be able to make contact again due to Hermes’ surveillance, but he’s just going to waste all three communication opportunities like this?’

Currently, Shadow was not in a situation where he could move independently.

Given the situation, the communication terminal he had given to Shin Ha-yul was incredibly valuable.

To just throw away such important communication opportunities at once.

Of course, he would be flustered.

‘I can’t grasp the situation at all.’

Shin Ha-yul’s unexpected actions alone were enough to fluster him.

The contents of the message Shin Ha-yul sent were more than enough to further confuse Shadow.

‘Tracking the Doctor’s location… Requesting to join the Doctor’s support? Is he even fighting with the Doctor right now?’

The Doctor’s research was top secret.

The only people who knew about it were the Black Magic King and Hermes.

Therefore, Shadow did not know about the Doctor’s whereabouts.

‘So, the Doctor is in Paris? What is he doing there?’

Shadow’s questions grew more and more.

‘This second message. Transaction preparation complete. Does this mean that the preparation to erase my shadow is complete?’

This was also too sudden.

Shin Ha-yul, who had been trying to postpone the transaction until now, was suddenly sending such a message.

‘What kind of change of heart has he had…’

No. It wasn’t that Shin Ha-yul had a change of heart, but that the situation forced him to send such a message?

‘I don’t know.’

He really didn’t know.

He had no idea how the situation was unfolding.

He, who was called a specialist in stealth and infiltration, knew absolutely nothing.

Wasn’t this the first time his mind had gone so blank?

‘Whatever the reason, the fact that Shin Ha-yul has decided to erase my shadow is a good thing for me. Regardless of the current situation, I just need to follow Shin Ha-yul’s instructions.’

Shin Ha-yul must have had his own reasons for giving such instructions.

Shadow just needed to follow those instructions.

‘…No. Even if I follow the instructions, there’s no way to do it.’

As mentioned, Shadow currently had no idea where the Doctor was or what he was doing.

Since he had no information at all, it was impossible to track the Doctor’s movements.

‘Knowing that he’s in Paris, it might be possible to figure it out somehow, but…’

That was only possible ‘under normal circumstances.’ It was impossible now.

Not while he was being monitored by Hermes.

‘It’s also obviously impossible to join as the Doctor’s support, given the situation.’

Shadow, who had no information about the Doctor, was suddenly saying he would join as the Doctor’s support?

That was the same as saying, ‘I’m a traitor, come and get me.’

‘Unless the Doctor personally contacts me, it’s impossible for me to join the Doctor’s side.’

There was nothing he could do on his end.

It was impossible to track the Doctor’s location.

It was impossible to join as the Doctor’s support.

Therefore, it was impossible to join Shin Ha-yul at all.

‘…This is a headache.’

Shadow pressed his throbbing temples with his hands.

‘Shin Ha-yul should know about my situation. How am I supposed to follow these instructions…’

Just as he was internally blaming Shin Ha-yul for giving such impossible instructions in an impossible situation.

Bzzzz-!

The phone in his pocket vibrated. It was the same type of communication terminal as the secret line connected to Shin Ha-yul.

The only difference was that it was a modified Hermes product, so there was no limit of three contacts.

‘Is it Hermes contacting me?’

He already had a terrible headache, and he hoped they wouldn’t say anything to make it worse.

Shadow frowned and checked the message.

“This is…”

However, contrary to Shadow’s expectations, the contact was not from Hermes.

[Doctor]

The sender was the Doctor.

One of the main culprits currently giving Shadow a headache.

[Requesting support. I need your help.]

[I will reward you handsomely.]

[I will send location information. Please join me here.]

Shadow’s expression went blank.

His face was completely dazed.

“Did he anticipate this and… send that message?”

Shin Ha-yul knew that the Doctor would make such contact.

That was why he sent that message.

‘How the hell?’

Shadow’s eyes slowly trembled.

‘Even if Shin Ha-yul did something to create a situation where the Doctor needed support, is it possible to make him choose me specifically for that support? How did he make the Doctor request support from me specifically?’

Shadow was not the only executive of the Black Magic Tower.

There were many other candidates to send as support.

He could have asked Hermes, who seemed to be in contact with him, for help.

He could have requested support from ‘Levi,’ who was known to be friendly with the Doctor.

In that situation, he called Shadow as support?

Moreover, it wasn’t a contact through Hermes, but a direct line like this?

‘How the hell…?’

It was something that Shadow could not understand with his common sense.

‘Shin Ha-yul. What kind of magic did you use?’

The questions that were already big were getting bigger and bigger.

It seemed that the only way to solve these questions was to meet Shin Ha-yul directly and talk to him.

Shadow used the terminal to send a message to the Doctor.

[Confirmed. I will join you right away.]

Immediately after that.

Shadow’s body disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

The next day at lunch.

A guest visited Vinoch.

“Wow, I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve received such a warm welcome at a first meeting.”

I was familiar with her, but she was a stranger to everyone at Vinoch.

A mercenary who spoke politely, which seemed very awkward.

A woman with a wolf-like physique and eyes that stood out.

“Well, I heard that you were my VIP’s important guest. I just made some preparations accordingly. I didn’t expect that guest to be a mercenary, a hunting dog at that.”

Charles.

The leader who had been doing his best to hide my whereabouts in Korea as a decoy had arrived in Paris.

“Luan. I tried not to care, but if you keep doing this, I’ll get curious again.”

“…Haha.”

My past was very concerning.

That was the meaning behind those words.

“Oh, right. The other members outside can come in too.”

“It’s okay. They’re all about 100 million light-years away from manners, so they’re bound to make mistakes.”

“Hmm. I don’t really care about manners…”

“They’ll probably be more impolite than you can imagine.”

“You’re making me more curious by saying that. I thought I’d seen a lot of impolite people…”

Sein’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Well, let’s satisfy that curiosity after this is over. I don’t think it’ll happen, but if one of your mercenaries touches my reverse scale, it’ll interfere with the mission afterwards.”

“…Interfere, you say?”

“If you think of me as an enemy, there’s no way you’ll be able to carry out the mission properly, right?”

In other words, if any of the mercenaries crossed the line and touched Sein’s reverse scale, he would immediately cut their heads off.

That was what he meant.

“You’re more scary than I heard.”

“Well, you don’t seem scared at all.”

“Why would I be scared of a colleague, unless they were an enemy?”

“That’s true.”

Sein laughed heartily.

Charles smiled.

‘…She’s like a completely different person.’

She spoke informally to Sophia.

She spoke informally to her father.

She spoke informally to Kim Kang-in.

I thought she would speak informally to Sein as well, since she always spoke down to everyone she met.

But she was using honorifics.

It didn’t suit her at all.

“The accommodation?”

“I’ve secured it, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay in this mansion separately.”

“Hmm. That would be easier for receiving instructions and such… Do that then.”

Sein gestured to Stella, who had been quietly observing the situation from the side.

It was a signal to assign a room. Stella nodded slightly in affirmation.

“Please come this way.”

Stella responded with the cold mask of a knight.

She always had that look when she met someone for the first time.

“Wait a moment…”

Charles looked at Stella for a moment, then turned her gaze back to Sein.

“Is this the end of the conversation?”

She had a very surprised expression.

“Is there anything else to talk about?”

“I thought you’d at least give us a light test.”

“A test? Are you talking about skill?”

“Skill is one thing, but also to see if we can keep secrets. A test of trust.”

“A test of whether we can be trusted…”

Sein stroked his chin as if he found it interesting.

“If some mediocre mercenaries had come, I would have done it. But you are not mediocre mercenaries, you are ‘hunting dogs,’ aren’t you?”

“You’re giving us quite a high evaluation.”

“Considering your achievements, I think it’s a natural evaluation.”

Charles had a very surprised expression.

“Usually, they look down on mercenaries.”

“Knights don’t judge people based on their status.”

Mercenaries were often looked down upon.

But knights were openly looked down upon.

Therefore, knights considered it the greatest taboo to judge someone based on their appearance or status.

Because looking down on others like that was just spitting in their own face.

“And I can see that you’re treating me with respect, so I should treat you the same way, shouldn’t I?”

“By respect, you mean…”

“That awkward honorifics.”

Sein laughed heartily.

“That’s enough. So stop with those clumsy honorifics and speak as you normally do.”

“…Was it that awkward?”

Charles’ expression changed much more vividly than before.

“Anyway, well, good things are good. Whew. I feel alive now.”

Was this the expression of a fish in water?

“Anyway, thanks. I was about to die from being so stuffy.”

“Hahaha! That look is much better. I like it.”

Sein laughed loudly.

“Then go and rest. The mission is tomorrow morning, so you should rest beforehand.”

“Thank you for your great consideration.”

Charles raised her hand in a friendly gesture to express her gratitude.

Sein’s smile deepened.

He seemed to like Charles very much.

“Stella.”

“Yes. Leader Charles. This way…”

“No. It’s okay. I’ll get the guide from him.”

Charles stretched out greatly, then approached me and put her arm around my shoulder.

“I have something to talk about with this ungrateful guy who suddenly asks for help without any contact. Just let me know the room location later. I’ll go by myself.”

I could feel the bone in her words.

‘Did I not contact her too much?’

I was doing my best to maintain secrecy.

It seemed that she was a little upset about that.

“Leader…”

“Shhh. Don’t make excuses. If you’re going to make excuses…”

Charles grinned and wrapped her arm around my neck.

Then she put me in a headlock.

“Do it after you get hit!”

It was a sincere headlock, so it hurt quite a bit.

Of course, it wasn’t enough to make me scream.

“L, Luan-nim!”

Stella called my name with an anxious expression.

“Luan-nim is a patient! If you treat him so roughly…!”

“Patient my ass. He’s perfectly fine. Isn’t that right?”

“…Yes.”

The aftereffects of Resonance were completely resolved this morning.

I was in perfect condition now.

“That’s enough, let go of him. It’s rude!”

Stella forcibly tried to remove Charles’ hand.

No, she was about to remove it.

Kuuuuuung-!

“This is…”

She would have done it if an explosion hadn’t suddenly erupted outside the mansion.

“Captain!”

Before the explosion had even stopped, a mercenary ran over and shouted.

“It’s an attack!”

Kwaaaaaang-!

Another explosion erupted with those words.