Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
Reborn as the Doomed Heir of a Mage Dynasty (Web Novel) - Chapter 219
Chapter 219
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
First, lets settle this before diving into hypotheses.Are they trying to take us out in one go?
Not a bad move, but its reckless for someone aiming to blow up Pentalon too. Its the kind of thing thatd just heighten our guard.
So, its better to see this as a warning.
Tone it down, huh?
Theyre pissed?
If theyre pissed, Im grateful. Theyre playing right into my hands with this blunder.
I snapped my fingers.
My heart skipped a beat too late, but I stayed put, unmoved.
In the dim light, I could feel Yulia and Leo looking at me with startled eyes.
Realizing the situation, they swung their wands, but no light sparked.
No Magic Powers coming out. They mustve tampered with the air to knock out the magic lights too, Leo reported curtly, tapping his artifact.
Yulia and I instinctively touched our ears. All we got was a connection tone.
Comms are cut too That stalkers not planning to show up in person, Yulia muttered in a grim voice.
It was a passing remark, but Leo caught it, looking up. What?
No time to answer his question.
Yulias right.
That bastards got no intention of facing me.
A small laugh escaped me, drawing their gazes.
Haha
Yeah, I let my guard down.
I underestimated them.
I thought theyd come out if I provoked them, but theyve got some sense after all.
If they want to play with me for the long haul, this kind of retaliations rational.
The structure of their game took shape in my mind.
Narce said someones targeting both me and Pentalon.
That someones the one who locked this door.
Their current goals clearly me, so this games designed to gradually put me in their palm.
The endgames me facing them in a situation where I cant reach out to the police or my friends, where I cant escape.
Im standing at the start of their board.
And Pentalons safetys on the line too. Aiming for two birds with one stonebrilliant idea.
Then Ill play along.
Lets see how intricately theyve set this up.
Revealing my true colors in enemy territorys my specialty.
Havent I always done it that way?
Of course, Im not letting them have their way until Im in. Like with Abraham, Ill burn down their carefully laid board as I move forward.
This looks like a petty tantrum, but Ill give my all even to this seemingly trivial attack.
Leos voice broke through. Lets get out. Ive been through this before. It feels like Magic Power wont work in this air
Leo put force into a snap. A pale blue light flared in the dark, but he staggered, his face paling instantly.
You can use magic a bit if you push past your cores limit. Downsides are you cant use it much, and since youre breaking your limit, recoverys mandatory. But one warp might be doable.
And then what? I asked.
One of us gets out and calls for help.
No.
Leo looked at me blankly.
Its a good plan, but is it worth damaging your core and health? Youve read the reportsusing magic in a place like this wrecks your body. It takes drugs worth millions of pel to barely recover.
Youre one to talk
What, me? Sure, Ive racked up maybe a billion in free Wittelsbach treatments, but what can I do?
Before he could bring up other identities, I cut in. Theres a way to get out without harming our vitality and make everyone grasp the situations severity.
Severity? Yulia asked.
I nodded. Think of Narces prophecy. The Royal Investigation Bureaus been on this for days, but whos treating it as a threat to Pentalon? Its a suspicious ability user committing suspicious crimes, yet admins and investigators see it as just some creepy notes.
Sure, they took it seriously, but did that seriousness translate to proper action? Not at all.
If we walk out fine and say, Someone sealed us in a room with Magic Power-suppressing air, it wont cut it. Saying, You can escape by straining your core downplays the issue. No matter how objective people try to be, they focus on visible damage.
And if the culprit stops the Magic Power suppression and vents the air to destroy evidence while were out?
So? Leo asked, his face darkening.
Whats he asking? In the dark, I looked at him. You know theres a way to alert more people, stimulate their senses, and trap the Magic Power in the air so evidence cant be destroyed.
No way Leo clutched his forehead, as if hed heard the unthinkable.
Yeah, he gets it. Good thing theres no one to evacuate this time.
Yulia looked between us. What? Im curious about the plan.
I rummaged through the spot where Id checked general supplies earlier.
Magic lights were installed, but since they werent universal yet, getting what I needed from the supply room wasnt hard.
Scrape! Whoosh
Fire wasnt hard to come by.
I struck a match hard against the red phosphorus strip, and it ignited. Like before, striking three or four at once made the flame grow fast.
Huh?! Yulia let out a hollow laugh.
I grabbed five more matches and struck them against another matchboxs strip. Holding ten burning matches in one hand, the flames licked the wood, heating my hand. I climbed the ladder Leo had set up, bringing the fire to the sprinklers solder joint. The sprinkler started to char.
Like before.
One, two, three
Four.
*Pop Whoosh*
Five.
With the sound of something unclogging, cold water poured from above, spraying everywhere.
The stench of wet air and sulfur from the matches lingered in my nose.
Ah, nice.
Beep Wail
A deafening alarm blared, making my heart pound. Red lights flashed beyond the door. Water kept pouring onto the floor until someone outside shut it off.
I grabbed Leos outstretched hand and stepped down.
Swish
[Fire detected. Citizens, please follow safety personnel to the emergency exits promptly. Fire detected. Citizens, please]
Stepping onto the flooded floor, I looked at the dark door. Now theyll come. The Investigation Bureau will get their act together, and that bastard their movementsll be restricted now.
If tighter security keeps them from getting to me?
Thats more than half my goal achieved.
But if theyre unrestricted despite tighter security?
Thats a great lead for deduction.
Turning someone elses trap into mines always fun. Trapped in my plan, every breath they take will lend weight to one of my hypotheses.
At my relieved, laughing words, Yulia, dazed, burst out laughing. Hahaha!
What?
This is just insane.
Yulia stood. Amid the alien alarm, white text appeared.
Ding!
Favorability +1
Yulia was suddenly right in front of me.
She whispered, barely audible over the water. Lucas.
Yeah.
Youre the best.
Heard that before.
Even in the dark, I could feel the joy and thrll in her expression.
She didnt give favorability during her act but does now?
Does she like ideas thatd get you fined?
Id done this before, so it wasnt new to me, but since she didnt join the potion contest, maybe it felt fresh to her.
First time Ive seen someone give favorability for triggering a sprinkler.
Feeling like I should retract my hopes for Yulia, I smiled.
Bang!
Someone flung the door open.
I squinted at the red light flooding in.
Three people stared at us, wide-eyed.
This is the place!
Someone locked the door from outside! Did you know? Uh, wheres the fire?
There isnt one.
What?
Someone made it so we couldnt use magic, so we had no way out.
A mage snapped his fingers, puzzled. When nothing happened, his face paled. Huh? I warped fine.
You used Magic Power outside the building, so it worked. Not here.
True. Shouldve brought an oxygen sprayer
Cant you contact via artifact?
No. Even before the alarm, our artifacts werent connecting.
They looked conflicted, radiating indecision.
Unlike modern times, sprinklers dont auto-call the fire department. Theyd found another issue to report, but with Magic Power and artifacts down, running would be too slow. Magic crimes need speedair-based evidence is easily erased.
No problem. I triggered the sprinkler partly to secure evidence.
I opened one of the many glass bottles on the shelf and scooped up the floors water. The airs Magic Power shouldve dissolved in the water. Analysis will show Magic Power not from us three. Maybe an illegal potion.
!
The mage took it, exchanging looks with the others.
Another mage said, Thank you. Can one of you come with us? Warp to Pentalon headquarters outside. Well head to the Police Bureau and Investigation Bureau.
Yes.
Yulia strode forward, then grinned at us, clearly thrilled.
Another mage gestured. You two, please wait outside. Well call for backup soon.
Before I could reply, Yulia and the mage headed downstairs.
I shook water off my coat and hat, stepping out of the supply room.
The sprinkler was still going.
Leo was staring at the floor, soaked, lost in thought.
***
Leo.
Lucas called me from afar.
His voice didnt register, blending into the background. Water had risen to my shoe heels. Ripples in the dark blue water, overlaid with red light, kept shifting.
Leonard.
Lucas, shaking water off his hat and coat, called again.
I knew we needed to leave, but my feet wouldnt move. Other thoughts consumed me.
That stalkers not planning to show up in person.
Yulia said that.
And when I asked what he was doing earlier, Lucas said hed explain by tonight.
If hes explaining tonight, why not now or before bed? Whats the difference?
Frustrating, but my experience with him gave me a guess.
There was a valid reason he couldnt explain now.
So, Lucass unusual behavior and Yulias comment
I fucked up again, like in first year.
How many times have I done this in front of Lucas?
He didnt suddenly get close to Yulia behind my back or form some exclusive bond I cant touch.
If that were true, Bavaria would be out of options, which is why Ive always kept an eye on Yulia.
Yulia Tsheringens ambitious enough to tackle anything to get what she wants. Even without knowing Nicolaus, she saw Lucass boundless potential. She knew hed be a major national influence.
With her keen eye, she never liked me or my parents advisors. As a kid, she even tried to recruit Bavarias retired chancellor as her political mentor.
Knowing Yulia well, Ive had to compete to keep the empires light and shadow from stealing that talent.
If what I saw today was just her playing the rival to catch the stalkerif thats all it was
Lucas wont go to the Grand Duchy of Baden. Not yet.
The natural desire not to lose Bavarias fully supported talent to another nation turned into triumph that I still held the edge over Yulia, and relief that Nicolaus remained in Bavaria.
And, separately
My earlier panic was utterly shameful.
If Id prioritized my friends safety over Bavarias claim, Id have understood why they acted that way.
Leo stood silently, letting water drip onto his face.
A victory gained by exposing everything isnt a real victory.
But, regardless of my regret, this was a wake-up call for my complacency.
Nicolaus hasnt gone to Baden yet, and with todays lesson, Ill ensure he doesnt, as long as his heart stays true.
But just once.
This time, I want to hear it from him. Beyond state affairs, if Lucass will differs from mine, I wont tie him to Bavaria.
After moving my lips silently, I stared at the flickering red warning light in the water and said, Youre not going to Baden, right?
***
I looked at Leo, standing far off.
Even over the water, I heard him clearly.
He brought up Baden.
Whether soundproofing magic would work against the culprit is unknownlikely notbut its better than nothing.
I cast a soundproofing spell and mulled his words.
So thats what I was missing
The puzzles coming together.
Yulias from the Grand Duchy of Baden; Leos from the Kingdom of Bavaria.
Theyre neighboring nations, and the gap between them is far less than between Anhalt and Bavaria. While not as powerful as Bavaria, Badens got sizable territory and strong military.
Yulia and Leos temperaments and stats are strikingly similar, though their personalities differ.
So, Leos always had to view Yulia politically.
Now Ive got all the answers.
This guy.
Nicolaus is enough.
I get that as a politician, he cant just be buddy-buddy with friends, but seeing him agonize over securing human resources already makes me think hes got a tiring life.
Of course, national competitiveness hinges on capital, so his drive to not lose a single resource shows hes got the makings of a great ruler.
Thats Leos deal, but Ill stay close with Yulia Tsheringen too.
Not because shes Badens future grand duchess, but because shes upright and kind. She doesnt shine uniquely like Elias or Leo, but her steady glow makes her hard to dislike.
If Leos approaching politically, Ill balance it with a human approach.
Not my style, but still.
Beyond personal ties, if I answer his political question politically
I layered faint Divine Power, speaking only to him. Yeah, Im not going.
Why ask the obvious? If I dont stay in my country, hows Anhalt supposed to function?
Leos eyes widened.
Oh.
He finally got it.
I nodded, smiling contentedly.
Should I slug him once?
He clearly assumed Id work for Bavaria as Nicolaus forever.
Bavarias supports been 90% of my survival, so ifI stay in this world, Im willing to work for them lifelongbut Anhalt comes first.
Leo let out a light laugh. Nice. Solid resolve.
His breezy reply, as if nothing happened, made me ask dryly, Whered that brooding scholar go?
Huh? Hahaha
Leo laughed like hed lost it.
Is he back or not?
I dragged him out before he looked more like a drowned rat.
All three of usYulia includedneeded to rewash our clothes, but Leo was worse. Water dripped with every step.
Unfazed, Leo laughed and said, Im still floored.
Spill.
You made that whole romantic vibe just for this?
Romantic vibe? So he felt something beyond just acting close
Yulia and my tearful collaboration yielding this stellar result? Satisfying.
As I debated where to start denying, Leo said quietly, Sorry.
For what?
If Id thought deeper about your situation, I wouldnt have said anything. You were already stressed, and I probably made it harder for you and Yulia. I know youre not the type to act without reason, but
It wasnt that hardI just thought he was being a textbook goody-two-shoes. This apologys so him. I wasnt even mad, and hes thinking this.
I smiled, waiting for him to continue.
In the dark, I saw Leo avert his eyes. He stifled a laugh, then tried to look serious. The first thing I saw was you and Yulia about to kiss, so I misunderstood.
What?
I wont stop you next time or maybe I will, but Ill assume youve got a plan. But
What kind of misunderstanding?
I grabbed my forehead.
My vision darkened. Now I fully get why Leo overreacted.
Hed walk in on a moment like that. Yulias hat bumped mine off, her hair brushed my forehead. I think she turned her head toward the window too.
Leo stifled another laugh, cleared his throat, and asked, Really *cough* you didnt actually, right?
His barely contained laughter showed he found our act absurd.
My head cooled as I replied, You thought that? What was going through your mind?
Honestly, my first thought?
Yeah, honestly.
These idiots are fooling around at work? Is this a dorm? School? Shit hows the team gonna function?
Of course, my second thought was that I know you two arent like that.
He tried to justify, but my focus was on his first statement.
These idiots are fooling around at work?
If Id seen that at work, Id have smacked them both and kicked them out. Leo grabbing Yulias neck to drag her off wasnt even that extreme.
Didnt happen, we had no intention, and no plan for it
What? Then why was Yulias face so close to yours
Yeah, it was misleading.
Thats why he sabotaged us so hard.
If romance starts in the team, its awkward until graduationor forever. In a seven-person team, not seventeen, two getting lovey-dovey?
Even if it goes well, it could disrupt missions. If it crashes, its worse. Tears all around.
Beyond politics, as team leader, he couldnt stand that.
I gave a proper response, not my earlier half-hearted one. Yulia just followed my request perfectly. I asked her to act close, not create that vibe, but to provoke the stalker, just acting close wouldnt cut it. Im grateful.
Right. Ill apologize to Yulia later, so dont worry about me and her messing up the team vibe.
No need to apologize, really.
If anything, Yulia and I owe him for not cluing him in.
Like Leo said, its not a schoolits practically a temp job. Spending all day touchy-feely with a friend deserves criticism.
But even if I say he doesnt need to, hell apologize for anything he thinks he did wrong.
Thats how hes kept smooth friendships despite his rigid, by-the-book personality.
If he needs to express something, I wont stop him.
But why do you keep calling Yulia Tsheringen? You used to call her Yulia.
Dunno.
Leo gave a short answer and flashed a small smile.
Even without him saying, I knew it was due to his rivalry with Baden.
Childish
Friends playing nice. Whether by surname or whatever, I can tell theyre close.
The first floor got noisy fast. Mages who warped out mustve brought backup.
Maybe realizing the teams peace was intact, a much softer Leo gestured. Lets go.
***
5 p.m.
Unlike the dark, night-like interior, it was still bright outside.
They should install gas lamps.
No, before that, stop potions from being sprayed in the air. The opening ceremonys this weekendwhen are they laying gas pipes?
Theres no way.
Investigators bickering drifted through the window.
The outside was packedmostly investigators and mages. Some civilians peeked from across the street, but the situations severity kept them out.
Shouldve done this sooner.
Now theyre on alert because its serious.
They assumed a special ability user from the start, given untraceable notes appearing in real-time at a checkpoint with ID checks, yet their investigative skills couldnt catch them.
Yulia and Leo were called out for questioning.
Left alone indoors, I explained to the Investigation Bureau mages at headquarters, changed into spare clothes Narce brought from the dorms since outsiders cant enter the Wittelsbach estate I use.
Why am I always borrowing from you guys?
I chuckled, buttoning up. Narce laughed, patting my coat collar. Haha, who cares! Its just for going back to the dorms.
Yeah, its just for the trip back. Cant I wear anything if Im going straight to the dorms without detours?
Narce, reading my thoughts, started chuckling.
After changing, the mage recording my statement closed his notebook. You can go now. You must be shaken, so
Excuse me, can you two come back? an investigator said, barging in without knocking.
Wed been called out like this five times already.
Narce and I stood.
To check the barriers safety, Narce and I were summoned for Divine Power and Magic Power tests. Among all mages here, Eszett mages have the strongest Magic Power, so we were picked.
Elias, Ulrike, or Yulia could test barriers too, but there was no special reason I went and they didnt. Its just grunt work, so they grabbed the first people they saw.
Just gotta hit the barrier as hard as possible
An investigator beside us said gravely, As you advised, we reinforced the barrier. It wont crack even under longitudinal shock.
Good. Lets test it.
Bet itll crack again.
Narce used Divine Power to whisper to me.
Definitely using Insight. I stifled a laugh, shaking my head.
A breeze hit my face. The mage, excusing himself through the crowd of investigators and imperial mages, led us to the barrier.
He turned to us. Well place them 10 meters apart, set to disperse as gas if broken
Gah!
Narce yelped, grabbed my shoulder, and pushed me back.
Crack
An egg smashed into another mages back nearby.
What the hell?!
Whered an egg come from? Before I could process, something flew past my vision. A pop rang in my ear.
Ow.
I touched my temple, wincing.
Something slimy dripped onto my shoulder.
The mage and Narce gasped silently. Narce brushed it off and wiped my face.
He pulled my fallen hat up with Magic Power.
While I stayed silent, nearby mages backed away from me and the other egged mage.
Whats that?
Werent only imperial folks here?
What!
An investigator, catching on, blew a whistle, swapped his wand for a staff, and slammed it down. Tapping his fixed comms artifact, he barked to his subordinate, Seal the entire stadium branch now! Restrict warps and track anyone whos already warped.
[What?!]
The culprits here. Screen everyone inside. Ill divide zonesmove fast!
As he ordered the lockdown, other investigators and friends ran to me.
I looked up. The translucent barrier, dyed red for testing, shimmered at the edge.
Screen everyone, huh.
What a joke.
Theyll never catch the culprit before I do.
Leo, running over with Yulia, forgot to act distant and asked, You okay?!
Not the time to answer.
I watched the egg residue on the ground morph into pink notes. The eggs mustve been enchanted.
I grabbed a handful and read them.
[Sprinkler! I have 200 Anhalt Times issues with you, but five are so worn their Magic Powers gone. Seeing in person what I only read in papers? Shouldve recorded it.]
[Meant to make you feel the oxygen vanish with every breath, but I was too careless.]
[Random thoughtwanna go to the opera?]
[Youre so aware of me, its thrilling. But theres a linemaking me *that* mads not cool]
[Im gonna watch you for a long time. Trying to draw me out like this? I almost showed up. If I did, Id be locked up, never seeing your face again. I nearly fell for that dumb move. Know how pissed I am?]
[Top 1% of the top 1% thinks differently, huh? Watched all your exam videos. Great method!]
Talking big when they dont even know how much theyve exposed.
Almost fell for it?
They didnt almostthey already acted, giving me info.
I chuckled, letting the notes slip from my hand.
Leo, startled, then calmly asked, Whyre you laughing? Not the time.
My hypothesis was right.
Narce replied flatly.
What hypothesis? About the culprits identity?
No, later.
Narce cut off Leos question.
He knew it absolutely couldnt be said aloud.
I nodded. Cant say. Dont know whos listening. But
Looking at the sky, I continued, Well settle this before Pentalon ends. Ill explain soon. For now, we should make a code for talking.
Leo, frustrated, cast a soundproofing spell. Code? Go rest. You dont need to explain. Ill follow your lead, no questions.
What? You sure youre Leo?
I laughed lightly, staring at the sticky residue on my hand.
Leo, who always nitpicked my plans for being too risky or unrealistic, saying this now feels fresh. Shame I cant purely admire his change with my head full of the culprit.
All the possibilities and thoughts are making my vision shake.
Anyway
I was gonna head back to the estate, but now Ive changed my mind.
Narce.
Yeah, what?
Take me to school?
I smiled, holding out my hand.
