Published at 5th of December 2025 8:52 am

Chapter 105

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"Outside the building," Lichthofen said after a brief moment of thought, flicking his fingers.

Leo, still aiming his wand at Lichthofen, nodded.

It was a signal that it would be fine to release the restraints on his hands.

I crushed the magic orb binding him underfoot.

"Well, I didnt expect this, but thanks."

"Dont mention it. Ill just bind you again later."

"Haha"

Lichthofen rotated his shoulders, stretching them, and swept his hand through the air while muttering an incantation.

[In omni re vincit imitationem.]

In the space where his arm swept, an image of the crowd outside appeared.

In the distance, I saw a familiar figure kneeling with their neck held in someones grip.

Their voices, amplified by magic, echoed loudly through the room.

"Its obvious how little thought went into trying to brush this over with a careless apology."

"Who is that?" Leo asked.

Lichthofen squinted as if he were trying to see through his veiled eyes.

"The Commander," he replied.

"Robert Muller?"

"One of them, at least."

The fact that Robert Muller wasnt just one person wasnt surprising. What mattered was that this one was our target.

And the fact that he was with Elias.

Perfect.

It was a stroke of luck that Elias was with him.

"Some call me blue blood, others call me an insolent bastard. Should I be offended by both?"

"."

As expected, that was Elias.

Even when captured by Robert Muller himself, he didnt show a shred of tension.

Unconsciously, I glanced at Leo to gauge his reaction.

Hmm.

Surprisingly, Leo didnt seem irritated or alarmed.

What I saw in his eyes, instead, was trust.

Now that I think about it, this happened often in the novel.

"If you cant understand my words, I guess Ill just have to show you."

"No, I understand. Why are you acting so high and mighty? You're just trying to use me as bait to lure Nikolaus Ernst out, arent you? Do you really think hell walk right into your trap just because you put me on display?"

"Good judgment," Lichthofen interjected with a smirk.

So, the Commander was the type to act like that.

Naturally, Nikolaus wouldnt go.

Their intentions were blatantly obvious; why would he oblige?

More importantly, this isnt something Nikolaus should involve himself in.

Earning the support of the Catacomb was pivotal to changing Eliass fate. From now on, every word Elias spoke had to be his own choice.

At that moment, the magical restraints on Eliass hands shattered.

"H-Hey, whats going on?!" "That guy just broke!" "Now its obvious what Robert Muller really wants, isnt it?"

Watching the scene, I couldnt help but chuckle.

"Hell need to buy us more time."

"Seems like it," Leo responded simply.

I sat down and broke the magic covering Lichthofens eyes.

"Hmm?"

"Ive changed my mind."

I pressed my hand firmly against his chest, channeling energy into him.

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."

"Ugh!"

"Control the transfer of vision yourself. Or dispel the curse magic altogether."

"."

Lichthofen squinted against the light, then smirked at me.

"Naturally, Id have to. Otherwise, Id die, wouldnt I?"

"Youre catching on."

It was subjugation magica spell I had modified from another and was testing on him for the first time. Judging from his reaction, it seemed to have successfully anchored itself in his core.

"Now, youll be coming with us. But first, let me explain what we need to do next."

Looking down at him, I asked, "What do you think we came here for?"

"You came because of Pleroma most would say that."

And you think differently?

I swallowed that thought and smiled.

"We did come to capture Pleroma."

"Hmm"

He gave a cryptic smile and nodded.

"And to catch Robert Muller, the one who tried to kill me. Were here to eliminate both threats."

"Understandable. It seems youd have personal reasons to do so."

I pulled a folded letter from my pocket and held it up.

"The Emperor instructed me to investigate the Catacomb's movements. So no, this isnt just personal."

"."

Lichthofen stared at me intently before asking, "So you came all the way here for the Emperor? Out of loyalty to him?"

"The opposite. I came to remove the pretext he might use to justify a massacre of the Catacomb."

At that, Lichthofens lips curled into a grin. He tapped his ear three times and said, "Thanks for the useful information. I was wondering when youd bring up the Emperor."

"!"

I immediately realized what hed done.

A sensory transfer artifact.

"Dont worry," he said. "I only relayed that to the squad members."

I stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

We had inspected him for magical triggers, but hed managed to hide this. No doubt it was tied to spatial magic.

At any other time, I might have rewound the situation immediately, but now it couldnt have worked out better.

"Shouldnt I be thanking you for this instead?" I said.

"Dont get me wrong. It wasnt easy. Ive been here for ten years, but being a noble hasnt exactly earned me many allies."

Lichthofen stood up.

"Still, fortunately, not everyone in the vigilante corps supports Pleroma. When the Commander demanded the introduction of Vitriol, there was considerable resistance at first. But with the Emperor now in the mix, things are bound to change."

"How many people?"

"Five hundred people should be secured with this," Lichthofen said.

Not bad.

I hadnt expected such thorough preparations, but this was certainly useful. With manpower settled, it was time to shift focus.

I turned my gaze back to the image of the square.

While Elias was working to win the support of the Catacombs people, my task was to deal with the Pleroma connection tied to this place.

"Does the Pleroma faction Robert Muller is in contact with know about this situation?"

"We havent directly informed their leadership, but theyll know. Another Robert Muller must have told them by now."

That meant there was a way to contact their leadership.

I extended my hand toward Lichthofen and said, "Lead the way."

***

"Robert Muller?"

"Youre not thinking of denying it, are you? Its exhausting just talking to you," Elias said, tightening his grp on the hand holding his shoulder.

At that moment, the Catacomb vigilante mages standing in a line on both sides of the balcony raised their wands.

[Immodica ira creat insaniam.]

"!"

Elias quickly moved his hand to his chest as the spell took effect. The flow of magic in his body, previously coursing alongside his blood, began to slow as if it were being suppressed.

It seems they thought one wouldnt be enough. They layered multiple spells at once.

Elias grinned to himself as he carefully channeled his magic into his core. He had to act, albeit slowly, to prevent their magic from completely overwhelming his body.

"Trying to block my magic, huh? Im not even angry yet, and I certainly havent gone mad. Dont you think your spell choice is a bit underwhelming?"

"Even a royal known as a good-for-nothing would understand this much interpretation, I see."

"Well, were forced to learn this stuff to death at school."

"Not relevant to someone like me who couldnt even get into a gymnasium."

Elias sighed, still wearing his signature smirk.

"Ah, really. This again Of course, this would be a sore spot."

"This again? Do you not realize your very existence is an offense to us?"

"Yeah, I guess Id be pissed too. Honestly, Im amazed youve kept me alive this long."

At that, the Commander spoke in a soft tone, "You are gravely mistaken."

"About what?"

"That Latin you find tiresome to study is something the children in the slums below would desperately wish to learn. That tattered outfit you put on to infiltrate this place is someone elses daily wear. And those sacred incantations you recite so casually? They are a privilege denied to many."

The murmurs in the square began to fade, as if the crowd was waiting to hear Eliass response.

Undoubtedly, there were bourgeois commoners in the crowd. Still, given the nature of the Catacomb, which prioritized the most downtrodden, the Commander had strategically framed the narrative to highlight the struggles of the lowest classes.

Of course, that was as far as the analysis needed to go.

Elias had never been blind to these realities. Despite what others assumed, he had always questioned the privileges he was born into.

The Commander bent down, leaning close to Eliass ear, and spoke in a sharp voice.

"Even if you see yourself as the black sheep of noble society, or if that is indeed true You are still someone far more accustomed to Premier Cru Classe wine than a 5-pel gin."

"."

Elias silently gazed down at the people in the square.

The Commander wasnt wrong.

Was there a more accurate way to describe him?

But claiming to think differently from them, or to share their struggles, would achieve nothing. At best, it would provoke anger.

Standing in the heart of privilege and saying such things would be meaningless.

Elias couldnt even discern whether his defiance stemmed from genuine beliefs or a simple rebellion against his uncle.

Even if it were merely rebellion, he had no intention of defending the class system. But to pretend he understood the lives of commoners while being held captive by them would make him no better than his opportunistic uncle.

If I ever say such things, it should be just before I cut my uncles head off.

Only then might the message carry weight.

Of course, even then, he risked being branded as a despot wrapping a coup detat in the guise of reform. But it would be far more fitting than now.

"Frankly, I cant help but laugh at your words. What depth could there possibly be to a phrase like, If it were me? From birth, youve stood in a position that can never understand ours. Whatever lofty ideals youve latched onto, its just excessive self-righteousness compelling you to help us, isnt it?"

"Spot on."

Elias murmured with a faint smile.

Soon, his uncles shadow would reach this place.

If the Catacombs secrets were exposed to spies likely planted by the Emperor, it would result in devastating losses, no matter how advanced their spatial magic was.

Even if Elias often thought of them as fools, they werent actual idiots.

Like Lucas, Elias couldnt bring himself to leave these people to die.

The Commanders cold voice broke into his thoughts.

"But understand this: we do not need the help of someone as noble as you."

Even now, as he endured their treatment, the outcome reflected generations of oppression, which had forced the marginalized to seek refuge underground.

But thats beside the point.

It was time to move on to the real issue.

Elias spoke clearly, his smile vanishing.

"You dont need my help? Makes senseyouve already allied with Pleroma."

The square fell into a stunned silence.

Elias let out a quiet chuckle at the reaction.

"Pleroma?"

"Pleroma, he says?"

Someone in the middle of the crowd shouted, "What is the meaning of this?! Explain!"

The murmurs spread like wildfire across the square.

Elias tilted his head with a mocking expression.

"Whats this? You didnt agree to let that slip? Impressive~"

"Enough!"

The Commander stepped forward, raising his hand.

The rising clamor in the square began to subside.

Elias let out a sharp whistle.

"Wow, youve got their support. No wonder you can sell the country so freely."

"Keep spouting your delusions if you like," the Commander said.

Elias pulled the corner of his mouth into a sly grin.

The Commander seemed to think holding a conversation was a better approach than locking Elias away immediately.

Suppressing suspicions without addressing the claim of a Pleroma alliance would only fuel the crowds doubts. At the same time, it suggested there was something to defend against.

"You think my privileged position means I can never truly understand your lives. That compared to worrying about surviving today, I live in comfort, spouting meaningless complaints. Am I right?"

"Not bad for someone who just woke up. But how does this relate to your earlier claim?"

"Haha"

Elias chuckled softly.

It was entirely related.

To win the crowds trust, the first step was to acknowledge his own weaknesses.

Slowly, Elias pushed away the Commanders hand and stood, raising himself to his full height.

"Youre right. Claiming to understand everyone would be arrogance."

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