Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 241

Chapter 241. Admission (1)

Even if the fact that Yulian is the 'Black Knight' were to be revealed, it wouldn't change anything significantly.

It was an undeniable fact that he had helped her, a truth that remained unchanged.

"Puhahahaha...!"

Yulian began to laugh uproariously at the probing question from Maier.

The slit-eyed man, who always had a smiling impression, made it hard to detect when he was genuinely pleased.

However, seeing him laugh so holistically like this, one could feel that he was truly enjoying it.

'... It might change a bit.'

Yulian thought to himself that perhaps perceptions might change a little.

The 'Black Knight' was an epitome of gravitas, reminiscent of a dark night.

If people were to find out that such a 'Black Knight' was a man like Yulian, who laughed easily and continually mocked others—it was only natural that perceptions would change.

"I seem to get that misunderstanding quite a bit, but honestly, it's not that different from reality."

Yulian nodded, speaking without a hint of displeasure.

"The term 'master swordsman' and a man draped in gravitas—aren't these essentially descriptions of me?"

"... That can't be."

"Of course, I'm more knowledgeable in swordsmanship than that Black Knight might be."

Yulian chuckled briefly at this. Normally, Maier would get angry at such antics, but today's Yulian seemed a little peculiar.

'... No matter how I look at it, he's suspicious.'

Maier had a rough idea why he might be hiding it.

If Yulian were indeed the 'Black Knight', then everything he had done as the 'Black Knight' would also be his actions.

This meant, essentially, all the acts of purging nobles and defying the imperial rules would be carried out by Yulian, a member of 'Blind Eyes'.

In such a case, a mere demotion wouldn't suffice. After all, a member of the agency directly under the imperial family would have harmed nobles.

'He seems to be hiding something.'

Maier squinted his eyes as he continued to watch Yulian's sneering expression.

***

"Huhut..."

Though I chuckled, I could feel the cold sweat running down my back.

I must not be discovered.

If it's found out that I am the 'Black Knight', things would get complicated in many ways.

There would be societal issues, and internally within the Dawn Society, great controversy might arise.

'Though my main goal was to leave the Dawn Society...'

If it gets found out that I'm the 'Black Knight', I might end up buried somewhere instead of merely leaving.

Moreover, although Maier wasn't deeply involved, he was somewhat connected to the 'Dawn Society'.

Therefore, I must deny it. I can't allow them to find out that I was the 'Black Knight'.

"Kuheum, I apologize."

I stopped laughing and waved a hand toward Maier, expressing my apology. There was no sign of displeasure from her.

"Anyway, it seems the lessons from Sir Flugel were quite meaningful."

I hurriedly changed the subject. Initially, Maier gave me a suspicious look, but when Flugel's topic came up, she nodded in agreement.

"That damned old man... Regardless of anything else, he is certainly skilled."

"For you to say that, you must have become quite close, then?"

"Yeah, aside from everything else, he always says that if he's going to die, it'd better be at my hands."

Upon hearing about their close bond, she harshly retorted.

"Have you received a staff?"

Once more, I tried to veer away from the 'Black Knight' topic.

"Staff?"

"Yes, for mages, receiving their first staff from their mentor is a common practice."

"What!?"

She glanced at the staff next to her and clicked her tongue.

"... Well, I needed a staff so I asked for one. But he told me I should buy it with my own money since I receive a salary."

Come to think of it, there was a condition that Maier laid down when she first came under Flugel's mentorship.

She demanded a salary under the guise of research funds and insurance. I remembered this condition.

"So, did you purchase it yourself?"

"No, I insisted that I wouldn't buy one until he gifted it to me."

"Then you dismantled Sir Flugel's barrier without a staff?"

"Yep."

Maier nodded. At her innocent demeanor, I clicked my tongue inwardly.

She truly is a genius.

"But isn't that the issue at hand?"

Maier attempted to steer the conversation back to the 'Black Knight'. Yet I couldn't take my eyes off Flugel's staff.

'He's late.'

Flugel seemed to be taking longer than expected. Could he have had some strange idea?

I wondered, but nothing in his recent behavior suggested anything suspicious.

"The barrier's been dismantled, and the staff is here."

Without a staff, as a mage, Flugel would be just an old man.

Or rather, he would still be stronger than an ordinary old person. But nevertheless, he could use parts of magic.

Hearing my muttering, Maier glanced at the cedarwood staff similarly.

Then, realizing something, she looked astonished. Leaving her behind, I set off towards the room Flugel had headed to.

Bang—!

I kicked open the closed door, forcibly swinging it wide, inspecting the surroundings.

'... Tsk.'

As expected, Flugel seemed to have been attacked by someone and fell.

The floor was stained with blood.

"That damned old coot!"

Maier saw the fallen Flugel and dashed to him urgently.

Unbothered by the blood pool, she knelt down, placing her hand on Flugel's chest and began summoning the spirits.

As expected, the spirits she had summoned before permeated Flugel's body and began to heal him.

"Is he okay?"

"... He's not dead."

If he hadn't died, he could be saved by Maier's hand. With this assurance, I surveyed the surroundings.

'... Refined demonic energy is scattered here.'

There was a faint presence of demonic energy around us. It was faint enough for only those who were either 'vessels' like me or experienced with raising 'demons' to notice.

Nonetheless, the aura of 'lingering resentments' was certainly left here.

'Why wasn't Flugel able to resist?'

Even without the staff or the barrier, he was a imperial mage.

Being a imperial mage means being among the strongest in the empire, a first-class mage recognized by the 'Emperor'.

'Though he had a constraint that prevented him from harming any imperial associates...'

Recalling this thought, I scrutinized the fallen Flugel's face once more.

'He moved to another location to hand me something.'

Most likely, it was something related to the 'Demon God's Horn'.

Whoever attacked Flugel must have come to take it away.

With this suspicion, I began examining the scattered documents and tools near Flugel.

'These don't seem like traces of resistance.'

It seems like someone rummaged through hoping to intercept whatever it was that Flugel was meant to hand over to me.

Emperor Adratan.

Could he have arranged this to ensure nothing about the 'Demon God's Horn' gets out?

But could that madman really do something like this?

I am not sure.

But it seems certain that attacking Flugel was meant to silence him.

The reason Flugel, a imperial mage, could not put up a proper resistance was likely due to being attacked by someone with the 'mark of the Emperor.'

imperial mages cannot inflict harm on individuals related to the imperial family.

The contract activated, restraining Flugel from resisting.

"We need to find the culprit."

I murmured this to Maier, who was treating Flugel, and she turned her head.

"Can you find them?"

"Yes."

I must find them.

Even though focusing on the 'Demon God's Horn' was supposed to take a back seat, I couldn't help feeling perturbed.

'The sensation of someone moving to prevent me from figuring something out.'

It feels profoundly unpleasant.

***

In reality, there were certain individuals intrinsically linked with the 'Dawn Society', ones impossible to sever connections with.

The nobles were so, and so were the mages.

After all, when the 'Dawn Society' was originally established, all the members were mages.

The demonstration of 'demonic energy' as a source.

And the method to circulate it through magic.

The conversion of Dark Element.

These were the reasons why the 'Dawn Society' existed.

"... Kuheum."

Thus, one could boldly assert that 'mages' were inextricably tied with the Dawn Society.

Among those members, 'Magic Tower lord' Einhardt Wyn Solvern was also one of the members of the 'Dawn Society'.

"It's troublesome for us on this side to reveal that too."

Einhardt, a member of the 'Solvern' family, known for their expertise in magic, furrowed his brow upon hearing my words.

"Though the Magic Tower has an Administrator, from antiquity its owner has been the imperial family, you are aware of this, Sir Yulian, aren't you?"

"So, you mean you won't disclose it?"

"... Kuheum."

Once again, Einhardt cleared his throat. Although he was informed of 'Flugel's' assault, Einhardt still seemed reluctant to discuss the internal records.

"Every passage within the Magic Tower is equipped with surveillance magical devices. Sharing that information isn't too formidable, is it?"

"Sir Yulian, although you belong to an agency directly under the imperial family, this is beyond your authority."

Einhardt retorted with a stern expression.

"No one but the orders from the imperial family can access the information of those who pass through, you know this, don't you?"

"I'm not unaware. That's why I'm sincerely requesting this, Sir Einhardt."

I smiled.

Though I didn't want to exploit authority, the unpleasantness I was feeling had already crossed the line.

Having reached this point, I shall exploit authority. I shall wield power.

"No, monsignor Einhardt."

I will use everything I have to uncover who assaulted Flugel and the location of the 'Demon God's Horn'.