Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 147 (Part 1)

Segan, the Healer, Was Perplexed.

He had been picking out herbs at an herbal shop when he was suddenly dragged away. The knights who had come to fetch him hadn’t bothered to explain the reason.

Something like this had never happened before.

A chilling sensation ran down his spine. He had a bad feeling that if he continued being taken like this, something unpleasant would happen.

‘There’s no way they know my true identity.’

Had it been another territory, he might have worried. But this was the Richmond Marquisate—a land of ignorant knights where even 4th Circle mages were rare. Even if he openly practiced black magic, there wouldn’t be anyone capable of recognizing it.

‘What on earth is this about?’

He glared at the backs of the two knights walking ahead. A few spells wouldn’t be enough to kill them, but he could at least inflict serious injuries.

‘Too dangerous.’

However, there were also two knights following behind him. If he ambushed the ones in front, he would be immediately taken down by the ones behind.

‘Should I have restored my strength earlier?’

Segan.

The original owner of his soul, Hesregus, had already given up on living long. The resonance between his soul and body was too incompatible.

It hadn’t even been a few months, yet his body was already showing signs of collapse. At most, he had a month left before his body died—and his soul would perish along with it.

‘A failure… I won’t be able to face my nephew.’

Fortunately, he had luck on his side. He had discovered that his nephew, the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Bolas, had already completely taken over someone else’s body. It was the body of a noble with a title, making it convenient for him to move about freely.

Though Segan outranked him in seniority, he had willingly decided to serve him.

His own destruction was inevitable anyway. If the great family and the Kingdom of Bolas could be resurrected in this distant future, he was willing to make some effort for it.

Luckily, it wasn’t even a difficult task. This was the Richmond Marquisate—practically devoid of mages. All he had to do was endure for a few more days, retrieve the pendant, and then quietly slip away.

“Hey. Where exactly are we going?”

“To the residence of Prince Harrison.”

“Has something happened to Prince Harrison?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Hearing Prince Harrison’s name, Segan secretly felt relieved. Perhaps the curse he had secretly placed had finally taken effect, bringing the man down.

If he had been summoned because a patient had appeared, then there wouldn’t be a major problem.

‘Was I just overreacting?’

Prince Harrison collapsing was something he had intended. If the man had lost consciousness completely, all he had to do was wait for a quiet moment, open the cabinet, and take what he needed.

‘Still… why do I feel so uneasy?’

—

Barclay Wanted to Escape.

However, he had no confidence in fleeing from the woman who had captured him.

He was a 6th-rank swordsman, yet he had been subdued without being able to do anything. While he had been careless, his opponent was clearly of a higher level than him. Even if he had struggled, the outcome would have been the same.

‘Could she be a Master?’

A long spear was strapped to the woman’s back.

He had never heard of a Master who wielded a spear. He wasn’t well-versed in the Masters of the Western or Eastern continents, but he was certain that there were no spear-wielding Masters in the Central Continent.

‘Could she be a mercenary Master?’

His memory was hazy, but he vaguely recalled hearing about someone with the Platinum Badge who wielded a large weapon.

‘No, that’s not right.’

The age didn’t match. The Platinum Badge Mercenary had risen to fame nearly twenty years ago. If she had been a Master back then, she would now be at least in his fifties, if not older.

Yet, the woman with the spear on her back looked to be only in her thirties. No matter how youthful she might appear, there was no way she could look this young.

‘Should I answer?’

The surrounding gazes were hostile. The piercing stares urging him to speak made him feel as if his entire body was being skewered.

“Uncle! Answer me.”

“Hah… Fine. I lent it out.”

“Uncle, with what authority? No—how did you even get your hands on Steniel…?”

Steniel was stored in the First Treasury of the marquisate.

The First Treasury was a top-tier security facility, accessible only to the head of the family. Naturally, Barclay Richmond had no right to enter it.

“Well… I just…”

“‘Just’ what? Speak properly! How did you get inside?”

“I had seen my brother enter many times.”

The “brother” Barclay referred to was the previous Marquis of Richmond—the father of the current marquis, Bake Richmond.

“How on earth…?”

“What is Steniel?”

“It’s… a high-grade Elviaz.”

“A high-grade Elviaz?”

Elviaz was the name of an orb used by mages. Orbs themselves were weapons for mages and were also used in the crafting of staves and wands.

“Though it’s called high-grade, its actual value exceeds even that. It’s only about the size of a fingernail, yet it contains more magic power than most high-grade Elviaz.”

“Hah… I didn’t know such a thing even existed.”

The Elviaz used as a trap against the Ingram Empire’s pursuit squad in the Hamless Gorge of the Western Continent had been of mid-to-high grade. If this was high-grade, then it was a treasure containing even greater magic power.

It was incredibly rare for high-grade Elviaz to appear on the market. Even Rodin had never heard of one appearing in an auction.

They were occasionally mined from Mana Stone mines, but across the entire continent, it was fortunate if even one emerged every ten years.

‘And it’s only the size of a fingernail?’

Rodin did not use the staves, wands, or orbs commonly favored by mages. They interfered with his ability to form hand seals, making them more of a hindrance than a help.

But if it was only the size of a fingernail, that changed things. Something that small could be crafted into a glove or a bracelet and used as a weapon.

“It was stored in the First Treasury because, despite being a treasure, it was deemed too dangerous.”

“I never expected the Richmond Marquisate to possess a mage’s weapon.”

“I heard it was obtained from Forslac.”

Forslac referred to Forslac Fortress. It was located at the easternmost edge of the Western Continent, adjacent to the Paroma Mountain Range.

Hearing that name reminded Rodin of Bron’s party, whom he had met in the Western Continent. When they parted ways, Bron’s party had accepted a request to escort a caravan heading to Forslac Fortress.

If things had gone smoothly, they should have already crossed into the Central Continent. However, since they weren’t a particularly famous mercenary group, no news of them had reached him.

“Did the previous marquis acquire it himself?”

“No. It has been passed down within our family, but the only record of its origin simply states ‘Forslac.’”

If it was a family heirloom, then the exact method of acquisition would be difficult to determine.

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