Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 143 (Part 1)

Rodin had suspected a curse ever since he heard about the plague spreading in the Richmond Marquisate. Even when he heard about the transportation of antidote potions, his suspicion of a curse did not waver.

The doubts he had held for so long turned into certainty at the gates of the estate. The aura of death that filled the land was not poison—it was a curse.

‘Is it the Curse of Plunder?’

It was a type of black magic curse, commonly referred to as the Curse of Plunder. In ancient times, black magicians often used it to recover when they were injured or had overexerted their power.

As it had been widely used, it had once been a significant social problem, but there were also many countermeasures against it. The most reliable countermeasure was an artifact engraved with Purification magic.

There wasn’t even a need to keep the artifact activated continuously.

The Curse of Plunder was a black magic spell that took over ten days to fully activate. For that reason, simply activating the artifact briefly once every ten days could prevent the curse from spreading within a few kilometers.

‘They’ve laid this curse down with meticulous precision.’

The curse thoroughly enveloped the entire estate. Even the inner sections of the lord’s castle, which outsiders could hardly enter, were evenly permeated by the Curse of Plunder.

‘This is the work of someone from the inside. Whether they orchestrated it or merely assisted.’

Moments later, the soldier guarding the gate returned. His face looked considerably urgent.

“Please come this way.”

“I just want to deliver the goods and return.”

“His Excellency the Marquis has requested to meet with you.”

At the soldier’s words, Larry turned to look at Rodin, seeking his opinion.

Rodin gave a slight nod. It was a gesture that meant, “Do as you see fit.”

“We don’t have much choice, do we? Lead the way.”

“This way, please.”

As they entered the lord’s castle, Rodin continued analyzing the Curse of Plunder that filled the area. Since the curse permeated the entire surroundings, he could analyze it even while moving.

‘The curse is densely spread even inside.’

There was no area where the concentration of the curse was particularly high. Conversely, there wasn’t anywhere where it seemed weak either. The curse had been distributed with great precision, taking into account the estate’s structure and population distribution.

‘Could it be that person from before?’

Rodin recalled the man who had attempted to steal the guardian statue of the Volas Kingdom. If that man had been possessed by the spirit sealed within the statue, spreading a curse like this wouldn’t be difficult.

‘But how?’

Rodin had destroyed the passage through which the spirit could emerge when he returned the statue. No matter how skilled a black magician was, restoring a passage that had already been destroyed was impossible.

“This way.”

“Yes.”

The soldier who had escorted Rodin’s group to the inner entrance of the castle turned back. That was as far as the soldier was permitted to go.

“Welcome. I am Hamilton Kylus, the steward of the Richmond Marquisate.”

“Yes, I am the mercenary Larry.”

“I’m Bianca.”

“From here on, I will guide you.”

Rodin immediately recognized that the steward was an exceptionally skilled swordsman. Although he couldn’t gauge the exact level, it was clear that he was strong enough to deal with Larry in an instant if he wished.

Aware of this, Karis subtly moved closer to Larry. She positioned herself in a way that she could protect both Larry and Bianca from the steward’s potential attacks.

“This way. His Excellency the Marquis is waiting for you inside.”

“Thank you.”

Larry gave a slight bow and stepped inside.

In the spacious reception room, a man in his fifties was reading through some documents. He was Bake Richmond, who had recently ascended as the new Marquis after the previous one had passed away.

Thud.

“I greet His Excellency the Marquis. I am Larry, a mercenary with an iron plate license.”

“I’m Bianca, also an iron plate mercenary.”

“Nice to meet you. Please, have a seat.”

“There’s no need. I’d prefer to complete the task and leave promptly.”

Larry declined to sit opposite the Marquis. It was a clear expression of his desire to not linger here any longer than necessary.

“If that’s what you prefer. I’ve heard you’ve brought the goods we requested.”

“Yes, we received a transport commission from Asir and safely delivered the items here.”

“You’re a mercenary, correct?”

“That’s right.”

Bake Richmond quietly observed Larry. He seemed to be gauging Larry’s skills.

As a sixth-rank swordsman himself, Bake Richmond could immediately discern the level of Larry, a first-rank swordsman.

However, something about Larry raised doubts, prompting the Marquis to examine him two, even three times.

“Hmm.”

“I would like a seal to confirm that the goods have been delivered.”

“Just a moment. May I ask you something?”

The Marquis’s tone was cautious. Despite Larry being merely a young, low-ranking mercenary, he maintained a respectful demeanor.

“Of course. Feel free to ask, Your Excellency.”

“Was there any trouble along the way? For instance, bandits targeting the goods?”

“Well… we were attacked, but we dealt with them. There were also a few monster attacks, but they weren’t difficult to handle.”

Larry deliberately avoided revealing that he had been used as bait. He didn’t want the conversation to drag on.

This was Larry’s first assignment as a mercenary, and he wanted to wrap it up quickly with a confirmation seal for completing the task.

“You must have had a hard time. To be honest… we used you for this commission.”

“Used me?”

“The actual transport of the goods was entrusted to someone else. You and your group were meant to serve as a decoy. We knowingly sent you into danger.”

Transporting the goods in two directions and using one as bait.

This plan had been devised despite Bake Richmond’s opposition. While the Marquis was struggling due to the blockade of antidote potion supplies, he had felt it was against the dignity of a noble to intentionally endanger someone.

However, the elderly retainers of the estate, who had served the family for many years, had pushed for the plan to proceed. As someone who had just recently assumed the title of Marquis, Bake Richmond could not ignore the influence of these seasoned retainers.

“It’s fine. No one was hurt, and we gained some combat experience.”

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that we were in the wrong. I apologize for our actions, even if it’s too late.”

Bake Richmond bowed deeply. It was an attitude that went beyond what one might expect from a noble addressing a mere mercenary.

Contrary to what one might expect from a high-ranking noble, Bake Richmond was a man of great courtesy. Watching this from the back, Rodin smiled in satisfaction and made up his mind.

‘I should help him.’

While he had already decided to assist with the territorial conflict, he had been hesitant about intervening in the plague issue. He knew that getting involved would complicate matters and hadn’t been ready to make a hasty decision.

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