novelraw Chapter 129 : Chapter 129
Chapter 129 : Chapter 129
Chapter 129. Allies
Silence fell over the office.
The Count and Lumina didn’t speak for a while.
Their minds couldn’t keep up with the situation.
Right before their eyes, Yohan had transformed into a demon.
He had become the White Horn, bearing two horns.
The Watcher of the Abyss was the Thirteenth Apostle of the End.
They were stunned.
The Count slowly opened his mouth.
“…So that confession back then was true.”
In the past, Yohan had told the Count the truth about his identity.
At the time, the Count had dismissed it as a joke.
But now, the situation has changed.
He had witnessed Yohan’s transformation with his own eyes.
He had no choice but to accept that Yohan was an Apostle.
Mapheltan let out a quiet laugh.
“Now you believe me. Cromwell, that’s just like you.”
Count of Staviana was a man who only believed what he saw with his own eyes.
Grand Mage Lumina, however, was different from the Count.
Even though she had clearly seen Yohan’s transformation, she couldn’t trust her own eyes.
She immediately began chanting several incantations.
A strange light flickered in her white pupils.
Detection magic was being activated.
“H-How can this be!”
Lumina had thought what she was seeing was an illusion.
At the very least, she assumed it was a disguise spell.
All wrong.
Once the detection spell was complete, she confirmed that Mapheltan was indeed a real, physical being.
Mapheltan frowned.
“Lumina, that’s enough. Get rid of that gaze. It’s starting to get annoying.”
Countless spells were scanning across Mapheltan’s body even now.
To him, it felt like he was a frog in a specimen jar.
It was unpleasant.
Lumina immediately withdrew her mana.
“Forgive me. I was just so surprised, I acted without thinking.”
She was a Grand Mage. Like a witch, a creature mad for the unknown.
Faced with something beyond common sense, she couldn’t help but feel curiosity.
Mapheltan said,
“With your level of ability, you’ll never perceive my true nature. So don’t try anything foolish.”
Until Yohan revealed his identity himself, no one had ever perceived his essence.
Even Ilea hadn’t known what he truly was at first.
Lumina cautiously asked,
“…What exactly are you?”
Mapheltan spoke in a calm voice.
“I’m a half-demon. A hybrid born between human and demon.”
There were some half-demons in the world, but none who possessed both a human and demonic body simultaneously.
Even for Lumina—who had lived a long life and experienced many unknowns—Mapheltan was an unfamiliar existence.
Her eyes shook.
“I-I want to know more about you. Please, bestow your knowledge on this ignorant one.”
Like Ilea, she was obsessed with the mysteries surrounding Mapheltan.
‘All magic users are the same.’
Mapheltan clicked his tongue.
“I don’t have time to satisfy your curiosity.”
The truth was, even Mapheltan didn’t fully understand his own nature.
He could only offer vague answers for now.
Lumina’s expression fell, clearly disappointed.
The Count, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, opened his mouth.
“Are you planning to kill me and the Grand Mage right here, right now?”
Mapheltan chuckled.
“Cromwell, how did you come to that conclusion?”
The Count answered with a calm expression.
“You just revealed your greatest weakness to us. The moment it’s known that you’re a half-demon, what do you think will happen? Both humans and demons will turn their backs on you. A half-demon belongs nowhere.”
Mapheltan slowly nodded.
“If you reveal my secret to the world, I’ll be in quite the bind.”
The Count continued.
“The dead don’t speak. Wasn’t that your plan all along—telling us this because you intended to kill us?”
Mapheltan smiled faintly.
“That’s a reasonably logical conclusion.”
At that moment, blue mana descended within the office.
The door slowly opened.
Ilea entered.
The moment Lumina saw her, she swallowed hard.
The Count, however, showed no change in expression.
Ilea smiled gently with her eyes.
“As expected, Father. You're composed even in a situation like this.”
The Count stared at her.
“One grows indifferent to all things with age. The only benefit of growing old.”
Ilea turned to look at Lumina.
“For someone so old, you seem pretty nervous.”
Lumina’s eyes were full of caution.
Though she looked young due to her Shedding, she was actually far older than the Count.
She began backing away from Ilea.
“Even if you’re a witch, if you’re going to fight me, you’d better be ready.”
A gentle smile settled on Ilea’s lips.
“I am a little curious about your abilities.”
No one could predict the outcome of a fight between the two.
The rank of Grand Mage was that formidable.
Tension filled the room.
Silence sank in.
Mapheltan’s voice shattered the stillness.
“Stop all of it. I don’t intend to kill any of you. Not yet.”
Lumina’s brow twitched.
“…‘Not yet’? What does that mean?”
Mapheltan looked at her.
“I want to hear your answer to my proposal first—then I’ll decide what to do with you.”
Lumina glanced between Mapheltan and Ilea before speaking.
“Let’s hear it first.”
Mapheltan answered immediately.
“Lumina, sever all ties with Muel. Just for one year.”
Lumina’s brow furrowed.
“May I ask why?”
Mapheltan nodded.
“To escape his foresight. Muel’s scheming offends me.”
Lumina was a conduit connecting Muel to the physical realm.
If that connection were broken, Muel would inevitably lose some of his influence in this world.
“With all due respect to the Apostle, that won’t be enough to block Lord Muel’s precognition.”
Mapheltan partially agreed with her.
He smiled.
“Then how about a wager? One year from now, we’ll see Muel’s reaction together.”
There were several methods to escape Muel’s grip.
The first step was severing the link between Lumina and Muel.
If they continued following the steps after that, they could likely block Muel’s foresight.
Mapheltan was confident in his approach.
Lumina asked,
“What if I refuse?”
A shadow passed over Mapheltan’s face.
He spoke in a cold voice.
“You know my secret now. If you don’t get on board, I’ll have to kill you—no matter what it takes.”
He meant it.
This room was fully prepared for killing Lumina.
Even for a Grand Mage, with traps set and a joint attack from a witch and an Apostle, survival would be difficult.
Lumina looked slowly around, then spoke.
“…I see. I only ever had one choice, then.”
“Just one year. If you truly believe in Muel’s power, there’s no reason to refuse.”
By forming a contract with Mapheltan, Lumina could raise her magical standing.
And when the one-year term ended, she could return to Muel.
There was no loss on her end.
She said,
“You mentioned a wager earlier, right?”
“We’ll see Muel’s reaction together in one year.”
A competitive spark lit up Lumina’s expression.
“And if everything is still going according to Lord Muel’s prophecy by then?”
She likely believed even this current situation was part of Muel’s plan.
And she might not be wrong.
But what mattered was what happened from this moment forward.
Mapheltan said,
“I’ll grant you one wish.”
Lumina immediately answered.
“Become my familiar.”
The moment she finished speaking, a horrifying chill swept the room.
Ilea’s expression froze cold.
She spoke in a voice like ice.
“…You’ve crossed a line.”
She looked ready to kill Lumina on the spot.
Mapheltan held her back.
“Ilea, let it go. Lumina, I accept your proposal.”
Ilea’s expression twisted in frustration.
“But…!”
Yohan cut her off.
“In return, Lumina—if Muel’s foresight is truly broken, you’ll become my slave. Do you accept it?”
Lumina smirked with confidence.
“Fine. Great Apostle of the End, I accept both your contract and your wager.”
Mapheltan grinned.
Miasma began to rise in tendrils from his body.
The swirling black smoke shot toward Lumina.
A contract with a demon was being engraved.
From now on, for one year, Grand Mage Lumina would wholeheartedly aid Yohan and Mapheltan—and sever all ties with Muel during that time.
The contract was fully sealed.
As the two completed the pact, Ilea said,
“I’ll take my leave.”
Without waiting for a reply, she left the office.
She clearly wasn’t in a good mood.
Mapheltan swallowed a breath.
The Count, who had been silent, clicked his tongue and muttered,
“You really are the Watcher of the Abyss.”
Mapheltan frowned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just the rambling of an old man. Don’t mind it.”
Mapheltan stared at him briefly, then changed the subject.
“Cromwell, now it’s your turn.”
“If you're thinking of forming a contract with me, forget it. I have to move between the Kingdom and the Empire.”
The Empire had a far stricter system for dealing with demons compared to the Kingdom.
A demon contractor could never set foot in the imperial capital.
If the Count’s relationship with the Empire broke down, Yohan’s entire plan would collapse.
He needed the Empire’s approval to become Public King.
Mapheltan nodded.
“I know. I have no intention of forming a contract with you.”
“Then why reveal your weakness to me?”
Mapheltan replied calmly.
“Because I want to maintain our alliance—forever. Even after Yeriel returns as an angel.”
The moment Yeriel was resurrected as an angel, Mapheltan and the Count would inevitably become enemies.
The Count would stand with his angelic wife, and Mapheltan, as a demon, would be her natural enemy.
But things are different now.
Mapheltan had revealed that he was a half-demon.
He could choose to stand with humans.
The Count, expressionless, asked,
“…Do you trust me?”
Mapheltan chuckled.
“I trust your ability, Cromwell.”
Yohan owed the Count a great deal.
The Count’s power and skill would undoubtedly shine in the latter half as well.
Mapheltan didn’t want to use a man like that as a mere pawn.
The Count let out a dry laugh.
“Sounds to me like you want to work me to death.”
Mapheltan shrugged.
“Well, something like that. If you refuse, I’ll kill you here and now.”
Half-serious, half-joking.
Though honestly, mostly serious.
The Count closed his eyes.
After a brief silence, he opened his mouth.
“Just one question. What is your ultimate goal?”
Mapheltan didn’t hesitate to answer.
Because the answer had already been decided.