Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 85

Episode 85: Interference (2)

Why did Gluttony attack Count Davirk and leave a trail of blood behind? If he had wanted to, he could have done it without leaving a single drop of blood behind.

But they didn't do that.

If you think about it, the reason was simple. It could be easily inferred from Gluttony's past actions.

Kidnapping people and using their life force to create red shards.

Likewise, it would be to use the troops to subdue Red Hat as material. That's why they didn't kill him but instead knocked him out.

Unlike ordinary citizens, they are trained humans, so they will be able to extract more vitality. Since they have been moving boldly since last time, it was completely understandable.

'So there must be Gluttony hiding here too.'

That's why Verden came to see me in person.

Once I had decided to deal with Gluttony, I had no intention of letting them move freely. If I left them alone, they would circle around and eventually block Verden's path.

Gluttony had already interfered with Verden in that way before, so he was sure he would do so again.

So, we arrived at the scene in 4 hours following the Central Knights.

Looking around, I saw knights and soldiers guarding the area tightly. If I approached without caution, it would only be a matter of time before I was discovered.

Although the Rune Ring has enhanced my senses, I can't overhear conversations from this distance.

There are wizards over there too, so it's out of the question to use magic rashly.

'Then I have no choice but to approach it directly.'

Verden activated the magic inherent in Yuzu's robe.

<Transparency>

Transparency is a 5th-tier magic buff.

It's not just about making the appearance transparent like the basic magic <Invisibility>. Even the caster's presence becomes blurred.

Verden, using transparency, slowly lowered his altitude.

Even though we had already entered the boundary, no one noticed.

Verden silently headed towards the Central Knights.

* * *

The person in charge of the scene who saw the Central Knights came running in a hurry.

He immediately saluted Ruppel and bowed.

“I’ve been waiting for you! Come this way.”

The person in charge guided the Central Knights to the scene.

Soon, the blood-soaked ground appeared, and the stench of blood tickled my nose. It had rained two days ago, but there were still such thick traces.

We soon arrived at the center of the scene.

A huge cloth was covering something.

“It was so gruesome that we covered the bodies.”

“Please show me.”

The person in charge made a heavy gesture at Ruppel's command.

The soldiers grabbed the corners of the cloth and pulled it back.

The corpses of the knights were torn to pieces. The cross-sections were jagged, as if they had been torn apart by a strong force, and almost none of them had a proper shape.

“This is crazy…….”

“Ugh!”

Some soldiers averted their gaze and retched at the sight that was more brutal than they could imagine. The Central Knights observed the scene without showing any expression.

Dukel clicked his tongue.

“It doesn’t seem like human work. What do you think, Ruppel?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Ruppel asked the manager.

“There are not enough heads for the number of corpses. And Count Davirk’s body is nowhere to be seen.”

“That… we don’t know about the head. We immediately collected the bodies around here and gathered them in one place. And the Count’s body is all there.”

The officer pointed to a severed wrist in the corner of the body.

Thick, callus-free hands. The torn clothes were stained with blood, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were made of high-quality fabric.

It matched the attire worn by Count Dabirk when he set out from the castle.

“You haven’t found the body?”

“Yes. And separately, there is one more body missing. It is a man named Ruknan, a participant in the tournament, a former professor at the Academy who specialized in mental magic.”

Ruppel nodded silently and narrowed his eyes.

After examining the corpses for a moment, he gave an order to the Central Knights wizard, Harold.

“Harold, 'The Shadow Behind'.”

“Yes, Mr. Ruppel.”

Harold took an old lamp out of his suitcase.

The secret of the duchy, the shadow behind it.

When the light of this lamp shines, traces that existed up to a month ago can be seen. When the white burning light illuminates the ground, numerous traces that have already been washed away by rain appear.

The manager swallowed his breath.

“This is…….”

Deformed, giant footprints carved everywhere.

There are numerous footprints that do not appear to be human at all.

They are all different sizes, but judging by their similar shapes, they are probably in a group. “They are all different sizes,” said Dukel, who was closely examining the traces.

“Torn corpses and missing heads. And these footprints…….”

“It’s a trace of Red Hat.”

AKA the head collector, Red Hat.

It has the habit of only eating the heads of living things. Its strength is such that it can easily tear apart dozens of soldiers.

Especially, because of its deformed appearance, people with weak hearts feel fear and are unable to respond properly.

The manager tilted his head.

“Red Hat… that’s an unfamiliar name.”

“They are cunning monsters. They set traps just like humans, and some even control minds. They are a dangerous aberration to humanity in every way.”

“Oh, I see. But if it’s similar to the traces you saw in the past, then isn’t it as if the evil spirit has already been revealed?”

“That’s true, but I can’t be sure. Red Hats have only been found twice in the Duchy so far. And most importantly, they don’t form groups.”

Heterogeneous.

Just because the traces are similar doesn't mean they are the same. Some have abilities that defy common sense.

No matter what happens, you shouldn't make hasty judgments.

“If the cause is Red Hat, we must track them down immediately. If they can annihilate the knights of Count Davirk’s family, they will be much stronger than the Red Hats I have faced. If we waste time, we may end up making meaningless sacrifices.”

That made sense.

Dukel, who was standing next to him, nodded vigorously. As the deputy commander, Dukel personally commanded the soldiers and prepared to pursue them.

Verden was watching the whole scene.

'A lamp that reveals the traces of disappearance. Was there such a magical item?'

Thanks to that, I got a clue without putting in any effort.

Verden took out the Black Hour Compass.

The needle was still not in the right place, but it was responding differently than before. The needle had slowed down noticeably. Maybe this meant that Gluttony was among them.

The moment Verden took a few steps towards the Central Knights, Ruppel turned his head towards Verden.

“Huh? Why are you like that, Ruppel?”

“No, I just had a strange feeling… I guess I was just too sensitive.”

Ruppel turned his head again.

Berden, who had stopped moving, sighed in relief.

'Isn't he the commander of the Central Knights for nothing?'

There is no choice but to keep your distance.

Verden, who had put away his compass, began to pursue again.

* * *

The shadow behind Harold's presence.

They got off their horses and followed the other man's footsteps into the forest. But soon they had to stop.

Footprints divided into four directions.

This is why we couldn't all move together. If we did, there was a high chance that we would lose them.

Ruppel soon made up his mind.

“Let’s disperse our forces.”

After dividing the knights and soldiers called out from the city into four squads, each squad was assigned two knights from the Central Knights. Even without the shadows behind them, their skills should be enough to track their tracks.

In addition, the 3rd Central Knights are a select group of elites who have undergone special education and training. They are by no means lacking in terms of strength.

The number of the 3rd Central Knights is eight in total.

We divided the group into two pairs each.

Rupel looked at everyone.

“You brought all the flares, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

When the mission is accomplished, a green signal flare.

When engaged and pursued, an orange signal flare.

When reinforcements are needed, a yellow flare.

In case of emergency, red signal flare.

Rupel explained the signal flare to the city's soldiers and knights.

It was to prepare for the case where a member of the Central Knights died or was seriously injured. Of course, if that happened, there was a high chance that they would have already been annihilated, but just in case.

Then, following Ruppel's instructions, the squad dispersed.

Verden looked at them as they split in four directions.

'Who should I chase?'

Actually, it doesn't really matter who you're chasing, given the circumstances.

Because Gluttony won't move just to target one of these.

'But it would be good to know the possible locations.'

That way, you can move more nimbly.

Verden approached the first squad secretly.

Then, he synthesized a tracking magic circle and a concealment magic circle on the spot and inscribed them onto the soldier at the very back.

And the second squad.

Since the leader, Rupel, was there, it was too risky to do anything. I had no choice but to skip it.

Finally the third and fourth squads.

There was a wizard here, so it was difficult to use the magic circle. Even if it was successful, there was a high chance that it would be discovered soon.

‘… … Then is it over there?’

Dukel.

The son of Marquis Ravishun, whom I met at the agency's banquet.

If you have to choose between the two, it would be reasonable to pursue the vice-captain who has the highest rank.

There is still plenty of time for transparency to last.

Verden followed the third squad through the trees.

* * *

Dukel moves ahead, following the trail.

Along the way, he felt the young knight next to him glancing at him.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no, that’s… I, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, just tell me.”

At his words, the young knight reluctantly opened his mouth.

“Their opponents are monsters who annihilated the knights of Count Davirk’s family, so I wonder if it’s okay to divide our forces like this…….”

“What else am I saying? Don’t worry about that. I prepared the signal flare for a reason. And if there’s danger, our leader will come to the rescue. After all, he’s one of the ten strongest men in the Duchy.”

"yes?"

The knight's eyes widened.

At the age of not even thirty, that was hard to believe, even though he was the son of a famous writer.

“When I was young, I was sick and always lay in bed, but miraculously, I recovered from my illness and showed my prowess. I’m a real monster. I trained quite a bit and we had a few fights, but I couldn’t win, and I was even pushed back in a fight of strength.”

“Huh… I guess that’s what it means to be a genius?”

“He’s a genius. And as you saw earlier, he doesn’t let his words slip away, and he always helps people who need help. Isn’t that right, Merk?”

“Yes.”

Merck.

He was a man who was able to become a knight thanks to Rupel's support. There were many people who received help from Rupel like this.

“That’s why there are many people among the knights, including me, who respect Ruppel. Well, because of that, I, as a friend, am always the subject of comparison.”

Dukel laughed heartily.

Even though he said that, I didn't feel any jealousy at all. Rather, he seemed proud of his friend. That was Dukel.

At that moment, something caught his eye.

There was a blunt mark high up in the tree.

“There’s a trace of Red Hat. It looks like we’ve entered its territory.”

When Duke gestured, everyone drew their weapons.

The opponent was a monster that could annihilate the knights of the Count's family. It was scary, but that was it. After all, the Central Knights were here.

Some time after that.

Many headless corpses, including those of humans and animals, were discovered.

* * *

Dukel and other investigators.

And the knights and soldiers stood guard around and searched for the bodies. Judging from the traces, it seemed like they had been attacked after the rain two days ago.

'So does that mean that if I do something wrong, it might be nearby?'

But the traces seemed to end there, as Dukel clicked his tongue lightly.

Even if he was Dukel, there was nothing he could do without a clue. Furthermore, since this was Red Hat’s territory, he had to move carefully because he might get attacked in return.

“……?”

Then, Verden sensed a movement.

It was such a faint presence that I would have passed it by if I hadn't been paying attention. First of all, it wasn't a person.

As they turned their gaze to the side, they saw a red shape looking at Dukel and his group from inside the forest.

'Is that Red Hat?'

A squashed face with no facial features, a body with peeling skin and twisted, tangled muscles. Anyone who saw it would say it was a heteromorphic creature.

It seems like he didn't notice Verden wearing the transparent mask at all.

Red Hat watched them for a while and then slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Verden looked at Dukel.

He seemed not to notice Red Hat as he gathered up some of the corpses and gathered his soldiers. It seemed that since it was getting dark, he was planning to return to the meeting place for now.

'Should we chase Red Hat?'

The transparency effect will disappear soon.

Waiting for something to happen even after catching the tail was not to Verden's taste.

At that moment when I was about to change direction.

──────Phew!

A red light burst from the sky.

“It’s red…?”

Dukel, who sensed something had happened, hurried to the place where the flare had gone off. And he could not help but be shocked by the sight that appeared before him.

Soldiers lying everywhere.

There was a sea of blood all around, but most of them were breathing with difficulty. The knights were also groaning unconscious.

Harold and Jerron of the Central Knights were with them. Harold was staring at the sky with dead eyes, as if he had already died, and Jerron was covered in blood and gasping for breath.

And one Red Hat was trying to kill Jerron.

“How dare you!”

Dukel picked up a spear that had fallen to the ground and threw it with all his might.

The force of the blow knocked Red Hat's shoulder off, and Dukel, who had come closer, grabbed the creature by the neck and pinned it to the ground.

He then drew his sword and struck Red Hat.

Kwajik!

Red Hat's head was cut off.

After confirming that the bastard was dead, Dukel ran to Jeron in a hurry.

“Are you okay, Jeron?!”

“Due, Deukel…… sir……!”

“Okay, then drink the potion first.”

Dukel opened the forensic scientist's bag, the string of which had been cut off.

The bottle containing the potion was shattered by the impact. Without hesitation, Dukel took out his best potion and fed it to Jerone.

Jeron quickly regained his color and his rapid breathing resumed.

Jeron raised his hand with difficulty and pointed somewhere.

“Duke, there’s a strange red hat over there…!”

"what?"

Dukel and everyone else's eyes followed Jeron's finger.

And I witnessed it.

A crimson-colored figure standing in the darkness, staring at them intently.

“What is that…….”

At the same time.

Sigh.

The blade hidden by Jeron pierced Dukel's side.