Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 144 (Part 1)

Rodin remembered the man’s face. It was a face he had deliberately confirmed long ago, even going so far as to deploy an Anti-Magic Field to do so.

He had only seen it for a short time, and many years had passed since. Yet Rodin’s memory brought back the image as vividly as if it had happened just moments ago.

‘He’s not a dark magician? Hmm.’

The shape of a circle* alone was enough to differentiate a dark magician from others. While other magicians might not be able to tell the difference, Rodin could recognize it instantly.

(T/N: “Circle” refers to the core formation or structure used by magicians to channel magic. In dark magic, its appearance differs significantly.)

However, the man he had been suspecting didn’t have a circle made of dark mana. In fact, he had no circle of any kind visible on him.

‘He’s in a cursed state.’

It wasn’t the mark of the one who cast the curse but the sign of a victim who had been cursed. There was no way someone like him could be the mastermind behind this curse incident.

“Hold on for a moment.”

“Did you discover something, Mage Rodin?”

“Mage?”

“Are you saying that we’ve been summoned here by some mere mage?”

The moment the word “mage” left Marquis Richmond’s mouth, the elderly men in the room collectively flared up.

Disrespecting magicians wasn’t a sentiment limited to common folk in the territory. The Richmond Marquisate itself fostered a culture that favored knights and looked down on magicians.

“Uncle, who is this person?”

“Elder, could you please be quiet for a moment? I’m trying to concentrate.”

“What? Y-you… disrespectful brat! This is exactly why I hate magicians! I’ve never met one with proper manners in my life!”

“Yes, yes, feel free to hate them for the rest of your days, old man. Now, you—what’s your name?”

Rodin ignored the elder and focused his attention on the young man. The one who had initially been a suspect but turned out to be a victim.

“Me? I’m Harrison Richmond.”

“Mage Rodin, this man is my son. Harrison, show some respect. This gentleman is a Grand Mage.”

“W-what? A… Grand Mage?”

Harrison Richmond’s eyes widened in shock. Even the elders, who had been muttering complaints about Rodin just moments earlier, fell silent.

The Richmond Marquisate currently had no swordsman who had reached the rank of Master. The most skilled individuals present, including Marquis Richmond himself, were three 6th-circle swordsmen.

But if a 7th-circle Grand Mage were to become their enemy, it could potentially threaten the very survival of the family.

“Have you recently experienced symptoms like feeling heavy, or your vision becoming blurry?”

“Well, I’ve been a bit tired lately…”

“Your hearing might not be as sharp either, and you probably don’t feel refreshed even after a full night’s sleep.”

“Oh! That’s true. My hearing does seem off at times. As for my vision, uh… well, it’s never been great to begin with.”

Rodin had already identified the curses afflicting Harrison Richmond’s body. There were two: the Curse of Sluggishness and the Curse of Plunder.

“Is there something wrong with my son?”

“He’s been cursed.”

“Are you saying my son has also fallen victim to the curse spreading through the territory?”

“Hmm, that’s part of it, but there’s another curse as well. It’s called the Curse of Sluggishness—think of it as a curse that dulls the senses.”

Just as elemental magic had attributes like fire and water, dark magic also had its own attributes.

The three primary attributes of dark magic were Darkness, Demonic, and Death.

Curses fell under the Darkness attribute of dark magic. They were among the most difficult types of magic to trace, making them highly suitable for covert operations.

“Can it be cured?”

“That won’t be difficult. What we need to think about is why Harrison has an additional curse placed on him.”

“Pardon?”

“Someone cast the Curse of Sluggishness specifically on Harrison. The goal must have been to dull his senses in order to obtain something from him.”

Rodin hadn’t forgotten that Harrison had been trying to acquire the statue of the Bolas Kingdom. This incident was undoubtedly connected to that statue.

“So, you’re saying…”

“For now, we should head to Harrison’s quarters. By the way, is everyone here?”

“Uh… it seems like someone’s missing…”

The Richmond family had far too many members. This was a problem created when the previous marquis refused to expel his siblings.

With so many people, not even Marquis Richmond could immediately tell who was absent.

Thus, someone else answered instead.

“Isn’t Barclay missing?”

“Oh! Uncle Barclay isn’t here. Hamilton, did you send word to him?”

“Yes, I did. He should be on his way.”

At that moment, the door opened, and an elderly man entered. He was hunched over, his face covered in wrinkles, and leaned heavily on a cane. He looked frail and drained of energy.

‘Well, look at this.’

Rodin detected circles made of dark mana on the old man’s body. There were three of them.

‘So, he’s become a dark magician? No, was he a dark magician all along?’

Rodin had found the mastermind behind this incident. However, he still needed to confirm whether this was something the old man had done alone.

“Let’s head to Harrison’s quarters. Oh, and make sure that old man comes with us.”

“Uncle Barclay? You want him to come along?”

“Yes. Tell him to follow us. If he refuses, drag him along by force.”

Rodin’s tone carried an unmistakable hostility.

Marquis Richmond realized from Rodin’s words that this incident was connected to Uncle Barclay.

It was almost impossible to believe. Barclay Richmond was one of the elders of the Richmond family. He was five years younger than the late father of the current marquis, making him the third eldest in the family.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

“Ah, understood. Hamilton, escort Uncle Barclay.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Marquis Richmond squeezed his eyes shut and gave the order, choosing to follow the Grand Mage’s lead for now.

Unaware of the situation, Barclay Richmond looked around in disbelief. It seemed he was searching for someone to back him up, but the other elders avoided his gaze.

Hamilton, the steward, carried out the order dutifully. He called over several knights to stand by Barclay Richmond’s side and instructed them to follow Marquis Richmond’s group closely.

***

They arrived at Harrison Richmond’s quarters. The knights had already gathered and were standing guard.

“Harrison.”

“Yes? Please, speak, Grand Mage.”

Ever since learning that Rodin was a Grand Mage, Harrison Richmond had maintained a deferential attitude. He couldn’t risk offending someone of such stature.

“In the past few months, have you had any contact with that old man, Barclay?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s… uncomfortable, and we don’t really have anything to talk about.”

“Then, do you possess any items that a dark magician might covet?”

“Yes? Items? Uh… Well… I don’t really…”

Harrison’s mind was flooded with images of the countless artifacts he had collected over time. Every single one of them was a rare treasure that even dark wizards would covet.

“Let’s go inside.”

“I’ll lead the way.”

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