The Master of Language - T.M.L Chapter 42 (Part 1):

Butler Clark, imprisoned in the underground dungeon, didn’t answer any questions.

Finally, I used my last card.

“I’ll let you go.”

“……”

Clark showed a reaction for the first time.

“I said I’ll let you go. Without Count Furst knowing.”

Clark opened his eyes wide and looked back and forth between me and Fabre.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re joking. Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious. What do you think, Fabre? Are you okay with this?”

Fabre glanced at me and nodded slightly.

“Do as you wish. Executing Butler Clark won’t bring my mother back anyway.”

Hearing this, Clark’s face filled with bewilderment.

I looked at him and said,

“But there’s a condition. You have to confess everything about the magic cast on this mansion.”

Clark’s gaze turned cold.

He stared intently at Fabre and then bluntly said,

“I’ve been employed as a butler since Count Furst’s father’s time, managing this mansion. As you said, Ran, I know a lot of secrets.”

I interjected.

“You must’ve learned even more while making assassination attempts.”

Clark rolled his eyes to look at me.

“Indeed, in the past three years, I’ve learned more than ten times the secrets I knew before. Dozens died to uncover those secrets.”

“Tell me everything. All of it. Then I’ll let you go.”

Clark stared at me intently.

His expression remained unchanged, but his mind must have been racing.

After who knows how long, he finally spoke.

“If you answer my questions, I’ll accept that condition.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s true that countless protective spells are cast on the mansion. I’ve figured out most of them. Yet the assassins still failed. I thought it was because of defensive magic I didn’t know about, but there’s something that doesn’t add up.”

I answered immediately.

“This kid is a mage. Ordinary people don’t stand a chance against him. Especially not in his own castle.”

Clark’s mouth opened slightly.

“That, that can’t be. So that’s why you were so indifferent.”

“You probably didn’t think of it because you underestimated him and thought he was just a dull boy.”

He sighed a few times, seemingly dumbfounded.

It must be quite shocking.

Soon, his expression hardened as if he understood the situation.

I asked again.

“So, anything else?”

Clark swallowed dryly and said,

“How did you learn about that magic?”

“What magic?”

“The magic that only allows writing true names.”

“I told you, I saw it once. Geoffrey showed it to me.”

“You saw it once? Is that all?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Clark frowned.

“The magic that only allows writing true names is not something that can be discovered after seeing it just once. Please tell me honestly if Geoffrey has betrayed me.”

“It’s just that the magic was so simple that I could understand it after seeing it once. Geoffrey didn’t sell you out.”

“No. That scroll is an ancient treasure, and the magic contained within it is incredibly complex. If it were such simple magic, it wouldn’t have been shown so easily.”

Come to think of it, he’s right.

There’s no way the Assassins’ Guild would use simple magic to create their member list, and they certainly wouldn’t show it if the principle could be easily discovered.

I shrugged.

“I don’t know. It seemed easy to me.”

“……”

“Anyway, is there anything else? Or are we done?”

Clark still looked like he couldn’t believe it, but he seemed unable to get a read on my confident attitude.

Eventually, he furrowed his brow and asked,

“Why do you need to know about the protective spells cast on the mansion? Why are you asking me to tell you about them?”

His question cut to the core, showing his experience in managing a large estate.

I answered honestly.

“There will be a battle soon. It’s to prepare for that.”

“……”

Clark silently lowered his head.

I quickly spoke again.

“It’s time to answer. Do you want to reveal the mansion’s defensive magic and survive? Or do you want to be executed like this?”

Clark muttered under his breath.

“How can I trust you, Ran?”

“You can’t. But I’m about to face a serious battle soon. I won’t do anything to lower my dignity. If you don’t understand what that means, there’s nothing I can do.”

Clark thought for a moment, then raised his head.

And slowly moved his lips.

***

The explanation continued for well over two hours.

While Clark was speaking, Fabre played with beetles on the side. Judging by how he answered well when I asked a few questions, it seemed he was listening to everything.

I waved my staff to open the underground dungeon door and safely escorted him to the spot he mentioned.

“You probably already know about the secret passage out of the mansion. Be on your way.”

Clark glared at me, then disappeared to one side without saying a word.

In the end, I couldn’t hear why he tried to assassinate Fabre.

Fabre said,

“Will Father be okay with letting go of the person who killed Mother?”

“No. But he’ll understand that it was necessary to prepare for the coming danger.”

“……”

I bent my knees slightly and patted Fabre’s head, who looked surprised.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely protect you and the Count.”

Fabre bit his lip slightly and said,

“Okay.”

“Fabre, why don’t you go back to your room for now? I’ll drop by after meeting your father.”

Fabre nodded slightly and returned to his room.

I entered Count Furst’s room.

“Didn’t I say not to let anyone in?”

Count Furst was sitting in the same place as before.

The only difference was that there was a half-empty wine bottle in front of him.

Seeing him this disheveled when he was always so cool-headed shows how much Butler Clark’s betrayal must have hurt him.

I sat down next to him.

“Our lives are in danger.”

Dangun

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