The Innocent Mage's Spellbinding Nights - Chapter 48
Shhhhh.
As Irina put all her strength into forging the wind spear, she saw the man’s face before her melting away like butter on a hot pan.
‘It’s an illusion breaking apart.’
When the man’s new, or rather original, face was revealed, Irina’s green eyes shook violently.
“H-How…?”
Just as the man said, they had indeed met three times in total.
The second time was at the street stall, the third time was here now, and the first time was at Lake Umir in the east.
‘I’m sorry, Hisran, Siord. I let one get away.’
‘Irina, it’s not your fault. It was my oversight.’
‘Still, I was the one who allowed the breach in the barrier…’
During the operation in the east to rescue Yeonhwa, Siord’s lover, who had been kidnapped by the dark sorcerers, Irina, along with Black Tower Master Loretta, had set up a barrier to prevent the enemies from escaping. However, the leader of the dark sorcerers, Devrant, had used a strange power, not black magic, to escape her barrier.
“The power you used back then and the power you’ve been hiding here all this time come from shamanism, Devrant!”
“Dear lady, you truly are like a flower growned in a glass greenhouse. People who grew up in a blessed environment like you wouldn’t understand, but those in the shadows learn whatever they can to survive.”
Being able to stab with a spear, in addition to swinging a sword, increases the chances of survival.
Seeing Irina’s wind spear waver as she became agitated, Devrant smiled slyly.
But the next words from Irina wiped the smile off his face.
“Why did you become the leader of the enemy group that destroyed your own tribe?”
Her green eyes, previously filled with determination, now glistened with sorrow. Irina realized that Devrant, who wielded ‘Gluttony’, was once a member of the Shan tribe and one of those kidnapped by the dark sorcerers.
“Hah!”
Devrant found her pity repulsive.
“You will never understand why.”
He then revealed his second ploy. Devrant gestured to his shadow, and from within, he pulled out a person he had hidden with his shamanic power.
“Noyad!”
A hostage.
The moment she realized this, Irina couldn’t fully concentrate on creating the wind spear to defeat Gluttony.
“Given that you inferred so much from just a few hints, you probably know the answer to this question as well. Will you finish creating the wind spear to kill Gluttony and defeat me faster, or…”
Devrant grabbed Noyad, who seemed to have just regained consciousness, by the collar. With his other hand, he conjured a blade from black magic and aimed it at Noyad’s abdomen.
“Do you think it’s quicker for this man to die painfully?”
The calm-natured shaman didn’t cry out for Irina to save him, nor did he tremble or struggle like a frightened rabbit. His resigned demeanor, as if he was ready to accept death, only heightened Irina’s sense of guilt.
‘…Hesed was right. I’m really not suited to be the White Tower Master.’
If she hadn’t let Devrant escape back then in the east, he wouldn’t have come to the west to create Gluttony and harm the people of the slums, and this shaman would have spent today just like any other ordinary day.
Seeing Irina’s lips tremble as she looked on the verge of tears, Devrant smiled brightly. Watching the praised, kind-hearted Master of the White Tower being crushed by her own gentleness, unable to act, was quite entertaining.
‘Shall I push that noble heart a little closer to the edge?’
Noyad, who had been watching the tense standoff between Irina and Devrant with narrowed eyes, sighed inwardly. He swiftly cast a powerful sleep spell at Irina.
“…!”
Focused solely on guarding against Gluttony and Devrant, Irina was helpless against the sleep spell.
‘Why?’
Her last memory before losing consciousness was locking eyes with Noyad, who looked at her with a complicated expression.
“What are you doing, sir?”
Watching as the unconscious Irina was placed gently on the ground, Devrant asked in a polite but menacing tone.
“Devrant.”
Unlike when Irina called him, his name sounded quite affectionate coming from the old man.
“Your goal was to capture her, wasn’t it? Don’t do anything unnecessary now.”
Stopping Gluttony, which was about to swallow the unconscious Irina, Noyad spoke to Devrant as if he were scolding a grandchild.
Devrant scoffed. Noyad had helped him stay hidden in the west for a long time because he was a surviving member of the tribe, had cooperated in creating Gluttony, and had played a crucial role in luring the White Tower Master here. Even so, he couldn’t understand why the old man put Irina to sleep, seemingly not wanting her to suffer unnecessarily.
Ah, the selective nature of human conscience.
“Grandfather.”
“…”
It couldn’t be true, but.
“If she wakes up, do you think she will be grateful for your actions?”
“I didn’t help expecting gratitude from you either.”
Noyad replied in an indifferent voice to Devrant’s sarcastic question. The old man, having survived the annihilation and with not much time left to live, was simply following his heart.
“I couldn’t help you and your sister in the past, so I’m helping now.”
“…If you want to preserve what little life you have left, leave the west immediately.”
Gritting his teeth slightly, Devrant withdrew Gluttony and disappeared with the unconscious Irina.
Watching Devrant’s retreating figure until it was out of sight, Noyad pulled a bottle from his pocket. As he uncorked it, a fragrance that would be delightful to any drunkard wafted out.
Taking a deep swig from the bottle, the old man slowly sank to the ground. The poison mixed with the alcohol began to constrict his airways.
“…Foolish boy. Go and burn out your rage and resentment within limits.”
Thinking of the man who hated everything in the world, including the black magicians, Noyad closed his eyes. He soon fell into a sleep from which he would never awaken.
