The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 424

The next destination was set.

The Black Castle, once the stronghold of the former Black Magic Tower and the place where the final battle with the Black Magic King took place.

To find Mora, who was slumbering somewhere within that place.

That was the top priority.

“Then, I’ll leave the empty base raid to you.”

Before departing for the Black Castle, I greeted Sein.

“You don’t need to worry about this side.”

Sein looked at me with a serious expression.

“You be careful.”

The risk of the task Sein was taking on this time was not that high.

How dangerous could it be to attack an empty base without Veil, their only combat force?

Frankly, even if Veil returned sooner than expected, it wouldn’t be a big problem.

And another thing.

Unlike last time, this time we were the ones attacking.

Given the location, they couldn’t resort to means like taking the Korean Peninsula hostage, as they did before.

If there were no constraints of having to protect someone, Sein would never lose.

Even if Veil had become stronger than we anticipated, it wouldn’t matter.

Sein alone would have no problem escaping.

“I went to the Black Castle once before because of the Black Magic King… It’s a den of devils. It’s like the mouth of a beast gaping from the bottom of hell. If you step in there carelessly, you’ll be devoured.”

Sein had visited the Black Castle before joining me.

He said he confirmed the Black Castle had collapsed back then. That’s what the Black Magic King said.

“…Is it that bad?”

“It’s a complete mess. I don’t know how many magical devices they had placed in the Black Castle… The mana is twisted and collapsed beyond description.”

Sein frowned and trailed off.

“…Even I was hesitant to go in.”

“……”

So, it was a place that even Sein Vinoche was afraid to enter.

The wariness that had already reached its limit broke through that limit and soared even higher.

“I will be careful.”

Let’s assume a worst-case scenario one step above the worst-case scenario we are currently considering.

Only by thinking and acting that way could we prepare to some extent.

‘The good thing is that I’m infiltrating the Black Castle alone.’

The inside of the Black Castle was a maze, with mana twisted and colliding.

When searching such a place, numbers would only be a hindrance.

If things went wrong, we might end up scattered, and I might have to find my companions before finding Mora.

‘Of course, Adela and Soonchan are worth taking even if it means risking getting separated….’

Considering the danger, I didn’t want to take them.

It was right for me to do this search alone.

I came to that conclusion.

“Then, I’ll be going now. I’ll contact you again later…”

I was about to use Umbra [a teleportation spell] after saying my last goodbye when it happened.

“…What?”

Sein frowned deeply, asking back with a look that said, ‘What nonsense are you spouting?’

It wasn’t a response to my words.

Perhaps someone within Sein had said something, and he was reacting to that.

“…Why are you saying that now?”

A look that couldn’t be more furious. He was blaming someone with a look that said, ‘Are you kidding me?’

Judging by that cold reaction, it seemed he was talking to the Black Magic King.

“To say you forgot about it is just…”

Sein clicked his tongue.

There was no point in arguing any further.

That was the expression he seemed to have come to on his own.

“Haa.”

Sein took a deep breath, as if releasing his anger.

“Black Magic King. It seems there’s something this guy forgot.”

A sense of unease surged.

Judging by Sein’s reaction, it couldn’t be something trivial he had forgotten.

What had the Black Magic King forgotten?

“…Before the Black Castle collapsed, Mora was placed in a sealing vault on the highest floor of the Black Castle.”

“…Yes? Yes.”

Placed in a sealing vault on the highest floor. It was certainly information worth knowing.

But it didn’t seem like information that would cause Sein to react so violently.

Since the Black Castle had collapsed, it didn’t matter whether it was on the highest floor or the lowest floor.

The sealing vault would have collapsed anyway within the maze-like Black Castle.

That information was practically useless.

“The sealing vault is made of mana-blocking magic stones, so it wouldn’t have been affected by the collapse of the Black Castle.”

The sealing vault wouldn’t be broken or anything.

That was what he meant.

“I see.”

This changed things a bit.

If the sealing vault was intact, it meant the seal on the sealing vault was also intact.

Which meant.

“Then… it means we need to know how to open the sealing vault to get Mora.”

It was the same as saying that if we didn’t know how to break the seal on the sealing vault, we couldn’t get Mora.

If the seal was so sturdy that it remained intact even within the maze-like Black Castle, it would be difficult to break even with the power of Mimir [a powerful artifact].

If we couldn’t get the method to break the seal from the Black Magic King, we wouldn’t be able to get Mora.

“Why are you telling me such important information now…”

The Black Castle exploration was about to lose its meaning.

Now I understood Sein’s violent reaction.

This wasn’t information that could be brushed off as a simple oversight.

“He says it’s okay since he told you before you left.”

“……”

Sein shook his head. An expression of disbelief.

I must have been making a similar expression to Sein.

It was absurd.

“…Yes. It’s a relief, I guess. If he had remembered after we left…”

It was somewhat true.

It was a good thing he remembered now.

“So. What’s the method to break the seal on the sealing vault?”

“……”

Sein held out his palm, gesturing for me to wait.

His eyes were unfocused.

He must be listening to the method to break the seal from the Black Magic King.

“……”

Silence continued.

Suddenly, Sein’s expression twisted.

“You really are…”

A look as if his anger had reached the top of his head.

His face was red as if it would explode at any moment.

“…Is there a problem?”

“Really… it’s absurd.”

Sein pressed his furrowed brow and sighed.

“Perhaps… is it that there’s no way to break the seal… or something like that?”

“No. Fortunately, that’s not it.”

“Ah, that’s not it.”

Thank goodness.

I thought I would have to find a new way to break the seal.

“…But there’s a slight problem with the method to break the seal.”

“A problem… you say?”

Sein looked at me with a sharp expression.

“…Four are needed.”

“Four?”

What did he mean by four?

“The sealing vault where the Black Magic King sealed Mora is said to be a sealing vault that used a special form of seal called the Four-Direction Sealing Array.”

Four-Direction Sealing Array.

It was the first time I had heard that name.

“It’s a sealing technique used to seal Mora more securely…”

Sein clicked his tongue.

“To break this seal, special magic circles must be activated simultaneously in each of the four directions.”

“In four places… simultaneously…”

“Yes.”

What the four meant.

I understood it at this moment.

“For this attack on the Black Castle, at least four people are needed.”

It was impossible to attack the Black Castle alone.

That was what he meant.

“Why are you telling me that now…”

The plan I had carefully made was ruined in an instant.

The annoyance towards the Black Magic King, who had forgotten such important information, surged to the top of my head.

* * *

After that, I returned to Korea with Sein.

To choose the three companions needed for the attack on the Black Castle, I had no choice but to return.

“…It’s awkward to say this, but is it really okay to go like that?”

About 30 minutes after returning to Korea.

In those 30 minutes, I had finished explaining the entire situation and completed the selection of the three people who would go to the Black Castle with me.

“I think it would be better to reconsider.”

Commander Charles said with a look of half worry and half dissatisfaction.

“At least one of me, Kim Kang-in, or Shin In-hyuk should be taken.”

Commander Charles turned his gaze and made eye contact with the three people who were going with me, one by one.

“I can understand taking Adela and Soonchan. In terms of teamwork, none of us can match you three. But…”

He made eye contact with one of them and frowned.

“Stella Vinoche. I can’t understand taking her.”

Commander Charles’ eyes were filled with distrust as he looked at Stella Vinoche.

“She was always crying as if she was the only tragic princess… Why would you take such a weak-willed person…”

Commander Charles didn’t like Stella.

No, to put it bluntly, he hated her.

The reason was all in what he had just said.

“I can’t agree. At least leave her out. It’s an important mission, right? What if she breaks down again and becomes a burden?”

Following the death of Sein Vinoche, France was devastated.

After that, Stella had become practically a wreck.

Even though there was an important operation, even though there was an opportunity to avenge the dragon that had devastated France. Stella showed no will and just sat there, huddled up.

That was why Commander Charles hated Stella.

He called her weak-willed, a ticking time bomb that could break down again at any moment, and was reluctant to act with her.

“……”

Stella lowered her head and remained silent.

An expression that said she had nothing to say even if she had ten mouths.

She knew how pathetic and insignificant she had been back then.

That was why she couldn’t raise her head even more.

“Look at that. She can’t even answer back even when I say this. She’s not the one. Let’s change the members now…”

“No.”

I cut off Commander Charles’ words and shook my head firmly.

“The members are confirmed as these three. I have no intention of changing them.”

Adela. Soonchan. And Stella.

These three were the best members.

I couldn’t think of any other combination.

“…What’s the reason?”

Commander Charles asked with a cold expression.

He was angry at the incomprehensible decision, but since I had chosen it, he would at least listen to the reason before getting angry.

That was the expression he seemed to be making.

“First, Adela and Soonchan. The reason for taking these two is, as you said, that it’s easy to coordinate with them….”

I said, looking at the two figures floating behind Soonchan and Adela.

“The bigger reason is to borrow the wisdom of Elena and Aslan.”

Aslan, who had guarded the Labyrinth of Desire.

And Elena, who had succeeded in fortifying an entire forest.

The wisdom of these two would surely be of great help in attacking an unknown dungeon.

That was why I chose Adela and Soonchan.

“It’s awkward to say this, but in terms of skill, they’ve now reached a level where they can stand shoulder to shoulder with you three.”

They were still a little lacking, but they had reached a similar level to some extent.

There was no reason not to choose Adela and Soonchan in the current situation.

“I understand those two? What I was talking about was…”

“And Stella…”

I cut off Commander Charles’ words once again and said.

“I chose her for balance reasons.”

“…Balance?”

“Yes.”

There was a clear reason for choosing Stella.

“The Black Castle is now a giant labyrinth of an unprecedented scale. The various traps and magic circles that the Black Magic King had prepared are mixed together, creating something unimaginable.”

“…So?”

“According to what I heard from the Black Magic King, many of the traps are designed in a way that magic doesn’t work at all.”

This was the reason why I chose Stella as the last member.

“It’s possible that those traps have been strengthened for some reason, to a level that even my magic can’t handle.”

It was a possibility.

“If that situation arises, neither Commander Charles, nor my father, nor Kim Kang-in, nor Adela or Soonchan will be of any help. Of course, neither will I.”

If I couldn’t do anything, it meant that other magicians wouldn’t be able to do anything either.

“There are only two people here who can overcome that situation. Sein and Stella.”

In such a situation, a swordsman was needed.

“Among them, Sein cannot leave his position to keep Veil in check.”

He couldn’t participate in the attack even for this empty base raid operation.

“That’s why I chose Stella.”

Commander Charles fell silent.

It was too logical, so he had no words to refute it.

That was the expression he seemed to be making.

“Even so…”

“And one more thing.”

I turned my gaze away from Commander Charles and looked at Stella.

Clear eyes that resembled a lake.

Unlike when she had completely broken down before, her eyes were now clear and were staring intently at me.

“The things you’re worried about won’t happen.”

Iron doesn’t become strong just by being heated.

It becomes strong only by heating, hammering, and heating again. That process must be repeated several times.

“Stella is strong. No, she has become strong.”

That was what Stella was like now.

Through the tempering of a great despair, Stella had become incredibly strong.

She had become even more solid by the hammer of Sein Vinoche.

“That’s why I chose her.”

The current Stella would not break.

I had that conviction and chose Stella.