novelraw Chapter 128 : Chapter 128
Chapter 128 : Chapter 128
Chapter 128. Lumina (2)
The priest Juris’s body exploded.
Fragments of flesh scattered in every direction.
The underground prison was defiled in an instant.
Dark grey walls were now smeared with gore.
Amid the spray of blood, the Grand Mage Lumina opened her mouth.
“Watcher of the Abyss, what do you want from me?”
She stood facing Yohan, all her restraints cast aside.
Yohan spoke in a flat tone.
“I want to hear about Muel. From you.”
Lumina curved her lips into a meaningful smile.
“Then… is this situation your bribe?”
Yohan had freed Lumina from her restraints.
Winning her favor was more advantageous than torture when it came to extracting information.
He nodded.
“Think of it as my show of sincerity. Though, now that I see the results, it might have been a bit much.”
The moment she was freed from the mana suppressors, Lumina had slaughtered Juris.
Slaughtered him thoroughly.
She was far more extreme than Yohan had anticipated.
She chuckled and said,
“Does the fact that I killed him put you in a tight spot?”
Juris had been assigned by the Order to assist Yohan.
Now that he was dead, of course it would cause Yohan trouble.
Yohan replied expressionlessly.
“It’s true things have gotten a bit annoying. Just thinking about cleaning this place up makes me sigh already.”
The solitary cell was drenched in blood and flesh.
If anyone saw it, it would spark a major commotion.
──The Grand Mage’s seal was broken, and she butchered the Inquisitor sent by the Order.
This had to be cleaned up before such rumors could spread.
To Yohan, it was a massive nuisance.
Lumina opened her mouth.
“If it’s about cleaning, I’ll help. Think of it as repayment for releasing me.”
She whispered an incantation under her breath.
At the same time, pure white mana spread through the prison.
The filthy interior was instantly scrubbed clean.
There was no trace of Juris’s body left.
Yohan, unimpressed, said,
“Cleaning alone doesn’t cut it.”
He had freed Lumina. He had saved her life.
He deserved something more in return.
Lumina furrowed her brow in thought.
“Hmm… Then what do you want? Ah, you said you wanted to hear about Lord Muel?”
Yohan nodded.
“To be precise, I want to know what Muel’s objective was in orchestrating this incident.”
Thanks to Muel, Yohan had gained significant political advantage.
He needed to know for certain if that outcome had been part of Muel’s plan.
Lumina replied,
“Sorry, but I don’t understand all of his will. Just… small parts of it.”
“And what are those parts?”
A look of ecstasy suddenly flooded Lumina’s face.
“That Lord Muel hasn’t abandoned me.”
Yohan spoke calmly.
“That’s not exactly the wrong answer.”
Lumina exclaimed in an elated voice.
“Right? Don’t you think so too? Lord Muel foresaw everything—even that you would come to find and save me!”
To some extent, Yohan agreed with her.
They were all standing atop the board that Muel had laid out.
‘Annoying, but I have to admit it.’
From the moment one got involved with Muel, there was no escaping him.
Yohan still lacked the power to surpass Muel’s precognitive ability.
For now, he’d have to let Muel play him for a little while longer.
Yohan said,
“That’s not the kind of talk I’m interested in. Don’t you have something I’d actually care to hear?”
“There is something related to you. You’re the bridge between me and the Thirteenth Apostle of the End.”
Yohan slowly nodded.
“A predictable line of thinking.”
Lumina clearly knew there was a connection between Muel and Yohan.
Even if she hadn’t grasped the full picture, a Grand Mage could at least deduce that the Witch, the Apostle, and the Watcher of the Abyss were acting together.
Lumina seemed convinced that all of these relationships and the flow of events had been arranged by Muel.
──Muel had orchestrated this entire situation for the sake of Grand Mage Lumina.
That was likely the conclusion she had reached.
Lumina smiled.
“Please. Let me meet the Apostle. I’m begging you.”
Just forming a connection with an Apostle would allow Lumina to elevate her magical standing.
Yohan thought for a moment, then asked,
“What can you offer me in return?”
Lumina answered without hesitation.
“Exactly one year. I’ll assist you at your side for that time.”
Lumina was extremely useful.
Beyond being a Grand Mage, she was politically valuable as well.
Yohan smiled faintly.
“Not a bad offer.”
Lumina bared her teeth in a grin.
“Great. Now, shall we get out of here? Honestly, this place is suffocating.”
Yohan shook his head.
“You’ll remain in confinement for now.”
Lumina had to give testimony in the Council that would benefit Yohan.
Until then, she couldn’t be allowed her freedom.
She pouted.
“Mind telling me why?”
“You said you’d help me for a year. Think of this as part of that promise.”
Lumina pondered for a moment.
Before long, she opened her mouth.
“I have to meet the Apostle. As soon as possible.”
Yohan smirked.
“Don’t worry. In a few days, you’ll get more than your fill.”
Lumina let out a small sigh of resignation.
“Fine. But know this—I’m not exactly the most patient person.”
Yohan shrugged.
“We’re alike, then. Keep that in mind.”
As he turned to leave, Lumina looked puzzled.
“You’re just leaving like that?”
“Is there something else to say?”
“No, it’s just… It’ll look strange. Two came in, but only one’s leaving.”
Juris had vanished.
Anyone would find that suspicious.
Yohan said nonchalantly.
“That’s not your concern. I have a solution.”
With Ilea’s disguise magic, the issue of Juris could be handled perfectly.
In truth, Yohan found it far easier to work now that Juris was dead.
Juris had always been a cumbersome obstacle.
‘Guess I should say, good riddance.’
Yohan clicked his tongue.
He didn’t feel even a shred of pity or guilt about Juris.
‘…Was I always like this?’
His emotions had dulled significantly compared to the beginning of his possession.
It left him with a strange feeling.
Lumina stared at him with an odd gaze.
“You say you’ve got a solution, but your face looks serious. Why’s that?”
Yohan composed his expression.
“It’s nothing to do with you. I’m leaving. We’ll talk again later.”
He stepped out of the cell.
Lumina silently watched his retreating back.
***
Time passed quickly.
Although many groups—the Order, the royal family, various private organizations—investigated Muel, no real results emerged.
No one could uncover the full truth behind the summoning ritual.
Only Yohan had produced visible results.
During his interrogation of Lumina, he uncovered one fact:
──Just before Muel was summoned, the Thirteenth Apostle of the End halted the ritual. Unlike the other Apostles of the End, the Thirteenth does not seek the extinction of humanity.
These words had come directly from Grand Mage Lumina.
Once this fact was made official, the capital was thrown into an uproar.
“Did you hear? An Apostle protected the capital.”
“I can’t believe it. That Grand Mage must’ve gone mad and started spouting nonsense.”
“Well… if it was the Order’s torture, maybe…”
Wherever one went, all talk was about the Apostle.
Count of Staviana looked out the window and said,
“There’s now a faction in the capital that reveres the Apostle. Everything is turning in your favor.”
Yohan replied with a blank expression.
“Well, things are going better than expected. I’ve gained quite a bit of standing thanks to this incident.”
King Roderick was now openly supporting Yohan.
The Count had used every available means to back him.
As a result, Yohan had become the most influential noble in the Council.
No one dared challenge his authority.
The Count raised his teacup and said,
“Your goal is becoming more and more tangible.”
Yohan looked directly at him.
“You mean the Public King?”
The Count nodded.
“It’s about time we start laying the groundwork.”
Even with royal power, becoming Public King wasn’t automatic.
The Empire’s approval was also necessary.
A great deal of preparation would be required.
Yohan said,
“Laying the groundwork is fine, but don’t rush it. If we move too fast, we’ll ruin everything.”
Once Yohan became the Public King, the Count’s wife, Yeriel, would be resurrected.
In matters concerning his wife, the Count sometimes lost his composure, so caution was necessary.
The Count let out a small laugh.
“Now you’re trying to teach me?”
Yohan shrugged.
“If I offended you, I apologize.”
“You’re not wrong. One must always be cautious.”
Yohan nodded.
“Whatever the case, I’m counting on you to continue supporting me.”
The Count was a highly capable partner.
Yohan wanted their alliance to last.
The Count rose from his seat.
“Not like you to get all sentimental. It’s embarrassing, so I’ll be going. You’d better get ready too. Grand Mage Lumina’s execution is about to begin.”
Lumina was scheduled to die by fire today.
“No need to go. You stay here.”
The Count looked out the window.
“The sun will set soon.”
Until now, Yohan had even banished the Count at nightfall.
But today was different.
The sun was setting—and Yohan remained with him.
Yohan said,
“It doesn’t matter.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the sun dropped below the horizon.
Darkness flooded the room.
The Count’s pupils began to tremble.
Cracks formed in his usually calm expression.
He was visibly shaken—very unlike himself.
“Th-This can’t be…”
A monstrous presence stood silently before him.
Eyes redder than blood gleamed in the dark.
A chilling voice echoed.
“This is likely the first time you’re seeing me in this form.”
The Count said nothing.
He simply stared at Mapheltan, stone-faced.
Mapheltan curled his lips into a long smile.
Just as he was about to speak, a flash burst within the room.
Pure white mana flared out from somewhere, forming a distinct shape.
Grand Mage Lumina. She had suddenly appeared and spoke.
“Finally done with the suffocating charade… Huh!”
The moment she saw Mapheltan, she dropped to one knee.
Mapheltan looked down at her.
“Lumina, I kept my promise.”
Lumina’s voice trembled slightly.
“A-A promise, you say…?”
“Did I not promise to let you meet the Thirteenth End?”
Her eyes rolled with shock.
“But that promise was with the Watcher of the Abyss… Don’t tell me—!”
Mapheltan let out a soft laugh.
“I am the Watcher of the Abyss and the Apostle of the End.”
Both the Count and Lumina froze.
Their faces went blank.