Chapter 81: Meanwhile, The Hero’s Party…?

“Ahh! This is what demonic life is all about!”

Demon Faction Officer, Lucia.

She was in a particularly good mood today.

Needless to say, it was because she had triumphed over the hero’s party.

Not just a victory, but a grand victory.

The cheap wine she normally wouldn’t even consider drinking tasted like honey today.

“So, what exactly is the situation with the humans?”

Her aide bowed slightly and responded.

“The knight order we were confronting has turned their forces around. It seems they will give up on attacking this place for a while.”

“Hmm~ Well, that figures. The morale must have plummeted to the underground with the hero’s party crumbling.”

“Yes, to be honest, the hero was a nuisance just for the morale boost he provided. But now that he has been defeated and even fled…”

“How amusing. I heard that only the saintess and he disappeared together through teleportation?”

Lucia let out a scoffing laugh.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Is that really true? The hero ran away, abandoning his comrades?”

“It’s impossible to confirm the details, but with more than one witness, that much is certain.”

“Well, it wouldn’t make sense otherwise. The hero’s party, which used to be four, ended up with just the two of them.”

“My apologies. We should have somehow stopped the teleportation… but everyone thought it was a desperate last resistance and focused on defense…”

“That’s fine. Who would have imagined the hero would run away.”

Lucia nodded her head.

“But really, I don’t understand. Why would they even attempt such a hopeless gamble? Even the lowest soldier knows about the strong barrier here.”

“Perhaps they were politically cornered? Our intelligence also suggests that the hero’s standing wasn’t very good. They must have been desperate for a victory.”

“Had there been any other conquests before they came to us?”

“Not that we are aware of. And with the demon faction’s intelligence network, we wouldn’t have missed such information.”

“Wow, the intelligence network we laid out to avoid that damned black magician comes in handy now.”

Lucia smiled satisfactorily.

The Demon King’s forces were on higher alert than ever.

And they had managed to neutralize the hero’s party early on.

With this, there was plenty of time to regroup the forces that had been pushed back.

“How’s the captured elf doing? Still resisting?”

“She was furious at first, but now she’s quiet. Actually, her initial outburst wasn’t at us, but while cursing the saintess…”

“Wow, I’ve never heard such cursing in my life. Abandoned, perhaps. I feel a bit sorry for her, even though she’s an enemy.”

Lucia licked her lips slightly.

Capturing a member of the hero’s party alive was not just a feat, but a monumental achievement that’s hard to find in history.

But knowing the full story made it somewhat uncomfortable to enjoy completely.

“Well, we’re not in a position to sympathize with the enemy. What about the beastman?”

“My apologies. We lost them.”

“No, that’s alright. Suddenly losing the hero scattered their forces. In this case, we have to acknowledge the opponent’s remarkable strength.”

Lucia shook her head as if disgusted.

“Even with a broken arm, they threw their sword and fled?”

“Yes, they managed to escape, but the injuries were severe. It will take a long time for them to return to the front lines.”

“Neutralizing two out of the four in the hero’s party. The Demon King herself might praise us~”

As she spoke, Lucia suddenly frowned at the thought of a certain man.

“Well, the most troublesome human remains unidentified and at large.”

“The black magician… you’re referring to.”

The aide’s expression darkened as he spoke.

Such was the depth of the mark that Lee Hyun-woo had left on the Demon King’s forces.

“In this battlefield too, he ended up not showing? Not even among the rear knight orders.”

“It seems like the knight orders themselves are having a hard time securing a magician. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be fighting like this. And this is-”

“Related to Lee Hyun-woo’s disappearance?”

“It seems reasonable to think so. After all, he was acting as a connection between the kingdom and the mage tower.”

Lucia nodded calmly.

Even if he has not been visible for a while, the black magician remains a formidable enemy.

You never know when, where, or how he will appear.

“…I thought it would be the end when the hero’s party came because of him.”

“Yes, Lee Hyun-woo is definitely not an easy opponent.”

“It’s not just ‘not easy.’ With our current strength, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Lucia lightly swirled her glass.

“So, the news that Lee Hyun-woo has disappeared is real? Or is it just our hopeful thinking?”

“Though our intelligence network is keeping quiet… given the current situation, it seems almost certain.”

“Well, whether he left the hero’s party or returned to the mage tower, it seems certain he’s not on the front lines at least.”

The aide nodded.

“Considering it’s a burden, shall we devise a strategy that weakens the magical defense a bit?”

“No, we can’t afford to lower our guard. We’ve just captured an elf. Tell everyone to be on the lookout for Lee Hyun-woo just in case. Don’t engage in battle, just call me immediately.”

“Wow, to be evaluated that highly? I’m flattered.”

Suddenly, a voice was heard, and Lucia and the aide froze.

Then a magical barrier unfolded, and the aide drew his sword.

A moment later, the surrounding soldiers also drew their swords.

-Swoosh!

Though there was a slight individual difference, the drawn swords made a sharp sound almost simultaneously.

However, Lucia couldn’t be reassured by their well-trained appearance.

Instead, she heightened her alertness to the maximum towards the person who had suddenly appeared before her.

‘…I didn’t feel his presence at all.’

Lucia bit her lip as she looked at the person before her.

A man in a black robe, with black hair and black eyes.

People called him the ‘black magician’ because of his unique appearance.

Unlike other flamboyant titles, his was so straightforward it was almost arrogant.

Yet, no one doubted it.

“…I didn’t expect to meet you here, Lee Hyun-woo.”

“Same here. Honestly, I didn’t expect to meet like this either.”

Hyun-woo said, raising his hand lightly.

“How about putting away the swords for now? I’ve seen so many sharp swords lately, it’s a bit scary.”

“Do you know what you’re about to do?”

“I won’t tell you to be unguarded because of what I’ve done. But today, I really came just to talk. It’ll be a good conversation for you too.”

Lucia frowned as she looked at Hyun-woo.

‘If he intended to ambush us, he wouldn’t have started a conversation like this…’

According to reports, the usual Lee Hyun-woo wouldn’t hesitate to launch magic at his enemies without a word.

Considering that, it might be safe to assume he really didn’t intend to fight right now.

‘Well, I’m not naive enough to trust the words of an enemy.’

Gathering information came first.

Lee Hyun-woo was currently of interest to both the kingdom and the demon army.

Even a slight piece of information would be valuable.

Depending on the situation, a word from this man could be more important than the captured elf.

“…If you’re not here to fight, why did our esteemed magician come all this way? To rescue the captured elf?”

“Ah… it is related to that. But it’s not exactly what I’m asking for.”

“Hm? Isn’t she your companion? You’re okay with not rescuing her?”

“I have my reasons, so right now, she’s more of an enemy to me.”

Lucia slightly cocked her head in intrigue.

“Then, are you saying you’re no longer part of the hero’s party?”

“Yeah, haven’t you noticed? I haven’t been fighting for a while.”

“…Reports did say you disappeared suddenly.”

“Right, I’ve withdrawn from the conflict between the kingdom and the demon army. There’s no reason for me to fight you.”

“Umm…”

Lucia tapped the armrest of her chair thoughtfully.

“It makes sense, seeing how easily the hero’s party fell apart… But then? It’s even stranger. If you’ve withdrawn, why are you here?”

“To make a trade.”

“A trade?”

“You’ve captured the elf, haven’t you?”

Lucia visibly frowned.

“I can’t return her. I’ve already reported it up the chain. If I release her, I’ll be in trouble with the Demon King.”

“Ah, I’m not asking for her to be handed over. Rather, I’d prefer if you kept her.”

“…Then what are you proposing to trade?”

“Allow me to torture her.”

“…”

Lucia involuntarily clenched her mouth shut.

Looking into Hyun-woo’s eyes, she didn’t sense any deception.

That was precisely the problem.

“…How deep is your grudge?”

“It’s not about inflicting the kind of pain you’re thinking of. Just-”

Hyun-woo tapped his temple lightly.

“I’ll just mess with her mind a bit. In a psychological sense.”

“You’re not planning to kill her to silence her, are you?”

“Think what you will. But she’s so thick-headed, interrogation would yield nothing.”

“Umm…”

Lucia pondered for a moment.

She didn’t fully trust this magician.

But provoking him in this situation could be more troublesome.

They had just celebrated a victory over the hero’s party, boosting morale to its peak.

She didn’t want to spoil that with this incident.

“…Your words are quite enticing, making them all the harder to believe.”

“I thought you might say that. How about we engage in a mage’s oath then?”

Lucia’s body stiffened.

A mage’s oath was an agreement under the supervision of the ‘God of Mages.’

Under its protection, two mages could discern the truth or lie in each other’s words.

In fact, if the ‘God of Mages’ deemed the relationship unfair, the oath wouldn’t even take place.

Thus, the very establishment of an oath meant one could trust the counterpart.

Of course, one could still refuse to answer or avoid lying directly.

“…Interesting. You’re that serious?”

“So, will you do it? Will you speak?”

“Fine. I see no reason to refuse. By the covenant, I swear.”

“By the covenant, I swear.”

As they spoke, a blue magical energy enveloped them.

From this point on, the truth of their words was guaranteed by the God of Mages.

Lucia opened her mouth as she observed this.

“Ask your question first.”

“Me first? I was just trying to offer trust; I don’t really have any questions.”

“You could be setting a magical trap for all I know. I don’t trust you yet.”

Hyun-woo, appearing disinterested for a moment, then casually asked,

“Are you a virgin?”

Lucia’s face flushed red.