Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 134

Episode 134 I'm Back

He was a court wizard loyal to the Estyrian royal family.

It was the job of the group he belonged to to carry out the royal family's will.

Whether it's burying alive your own soldiers accused of mutiny during a war with the Republic.

It could be arresting innocent villagers who have no trace of malice and handing them over to the new prime minister.

No matter how much blood was on my hands, I endured it with only loyalty.

His mission was to eliminate any subversive elements who might cause chaos in the kingdom.

Then one day, the truth unexpectedly came to light.

Human experimentation.

I witnessed a cursed place where the terrible results of the royal order were carried out, and where both children and adults met their cruel ends.

[ah…….]

Only then could I understand.

Why the soldiers had to be buried, and what happened to the villagers who were taken away.

This was a terrible shadow hidden behind the royal family.

Just then a man came to see me.

A magician who is the pinnacle of court magicians and a great man who is greatly respected.

He spoke softly.

────I suspect you of betrayal.

The reason was that he was in collusion with Duke Rivian, who had rebelled against the kingdom.

Of course, that wasn't true.

How could I act as a spy when I have never even been to the duke's territory, let alone the duke himself?

This was just a gag order.

Just like he has harmed countless people under royal orders so far.

[S… … Tiri… … Ah… … .]

I resisted, but there was no way I could win.

The fifth rank, and even the magician who had realized the magic, was too powerful.

He barely managed to escape with his life, using the lives of his comrades who were carrying out royal duties together as a shield, but in the end, it was only a matter of time.

So he jumped into a cave where there was no light. And he died.

The pain of being eaten alive.

They desperately dug into the cave, but all they found was a skull and a few bone fragments that fell into the deep abyss.

[Estiri… … Ah… … !]

But it was enough to become undead.

Luckily, he became an Elder Lich and wandered in the darkness for a long time.

After several decades, he obtained the Orb of the Commander and gradually regained his past memories and intelligence.

Eventually, I was even able to come up with a new purpose.

Revenge against the royal family that killed him, who was as loyal as a dog.

I should have done that.

[Where is the royal family… … .]

The Elder Lich reached into the air.

The core was completely destroyed from the inside out, so it could no longer maintain its shape.

It started to split slowly, starting from the fingertips.

[where…….]

Phusssssss.

The Elder Lich's body begins to turn to ash.

Even the black robe that had melted into the air had disappeared, leaving only the Commander's Orb behind.

* * *

“It’s over.”

The Elder Lich was completely destroyed.

Hoo. Verden put his hand on his knee.

As the excitement of battle gradually subsided, fatigue set in.

That was only natural.

Because I've been fighting countless aliens and subhumans in caves where there's no light for days.

Although I pride myself on having lived through fierce days, it was a time when the battle density was overwhelmingly high compared to that.

Still, it was refreshing.

It has risen to the 5th place in less than a year since it achieved its goal.

It was a growth that was miraculously achieved because it was the life that Verden lived.

But I didn't feel any particular sense of accomplishment.

Because it was a realm I had already experienced.

Even if it was only the magic circuit that was forcibly raised to the 5th level, without even being able to move the magic power, it was still a long way.

It already knew what was at the end, and Verden's body remembered.

That is why, unlike others, I reached the 5th rank without any particular obstacles.

So there is no need to try to be thrilled or amazed.

Just be happy.

Finally, we have reached the starting point of our journey to transcendence.

Damn it.

Verden took a step forward.

The Commander's Orb resting on a pile of sand. The light was weaker than when I first saw it.

It seems that a significant amount of magic and morale has been consumed due to the Elder Lich.

Verden stretched out his arms.

Warlock Warrens warned him never to touch it, but it didn't matter.

As soon as he touched the jewel, the aura of death slowly rose up through his fingertips.

'It's the same.'

Whoa whoa.

Verden's magic suppressed the Commander's Orb.

The evil spirits were running wild and he rebelled, but to him who had risen to the fifth rank, it was a trivial rebellion.

As soon as I succeeded in subduing him by force, he became quiet.

“……!”

That was when.

An idea was felt within the Commander's Orb.

A familiar feeling. This was none other than the memory of hatred left behind by the Elder Lich.

'There's no need to be surprised now.'

Memories of the Lamenting Knight.

Memories of the spirit.

And this was already the third time I had memories of the Elder Lich.

Verden suppressed his magical power and accepted the transmission of memories.

You will not be consumed by the wrath of the undead or suffer mental shock.

This was a certainty.

Before long, someone's death flashed through my mind.

But it's different from the time of the Lamentation Knight.

Because I was already prepared, I was able to capture more memorable scenes than before.

Verden organized the memories of the undead.

So, to summarize.

An elder lich who served as a court wizard during his lifetime.

Is it something like being ordered by the royal family to purge or procure citizens, only to realize about the human experimentation and be silenced?

'It's a conclusion with a story.'

Of course, Verden's interest ended there.

I had no idea about the betrayal that the Elder Lich felt.

'But there is something to note.'

First, human experiments.

The moment I saw this, I knew immediately who had done it.

It must have been something Gluttony had done in the past.

'The listener said that not only the new chancellor, but also the wizards he brought were part of Gluttony.'

And with the royal family's permission, they conducted large-scale human experiments, causing victims in the tens of thousands.

In the end, he succeeded in personally going out from the ark and annihilating Gluttony, including the prime minister, and even dealing with the test subjects.

'That means this memory is from about 30 years ago.'

I roughly understand the background.

But the problem was the second.

A magician who single-handedly destroyed the group that Elder Lich was a part of during his lifetime.

Although Verden had never seen that face directly, he remembered it indirectly.

'A middle-aged man who kidnapped an elf who was with a forest spirit.'

Although he looked younger because of the time difference, it was definitely the same person.

'It seems clear that that magician is someone directly related to the royal family… … .'

Why did you take the elf?

Is it related to Glitney? It doesn't seem to be directly connected, considering he wasn't killed by the Ark.

'I can't tell what's what right now.'

However, I can understand how rotten the Estyrian royal family is.

… … But in fact, Verden also has a relationship with the royal family.

Because it played a decisive role in destroying a part of the union, including the glory of the corpse.

In other words, even if he was currently in conflict with the Three Princes, he had nothing else to say.

I suddenly had a thought that if I continued like this, I might end up becoming an enemy of the entire royal family.

Verden shook his head.

'Well, I hope that doesn't happen.'

To be hostile to the royal family of a country is immediately a rebellion and treason.

Even though he was Verden, he didn't intend to act so rashly.

I don't know if it would be different if the royal family tried to kill Verden.

Whatever it is, it's just a useless fantasy in the current situation.

'Rather than that, the top priority is to deliver the Commander's Orb to Kalia.'

Verden turned his back.

I took a step to leave the cave where there was no light.

* * *

“Ugh!”

The tip of the sword pierced the warlock's abdomen.

He twisted the blade and swung it sideways, killing the warlock instantly.

The punitive force member knelt on the floor, breathing heavily.

I was hit by the curse of paralysis and my breathing was so difficult.

Then I felt a warm breeze behind me.

“The curse has been alleviated. It won’t be completely lifted, but you should be able to move without any major problems right away.”

“Go, thank you.”

The priest smiled brightly at the bowed member of the punitive force.

Up until now, the subjugation of the evil warlock has been progressing without a hitch.

A punitive force supported by priests is the natural enemy of a black magician.

They also managed to rescue a woman who was being held captive in a hideout along the way.

The priest took off the robe from his shoulders and handed it to the woman.

“It has a thermal insulation effect, so it will help you endure the cold.”

“Ah…… thank you, priest……!”

The woman repeatedly bowed and expressed her gratitude.

Rescuing lambs in danger was his reward.

“But, priest, can I go home? My siblings will be waiting for me…….”

“Of course. I swear by the god Luas that I will make sure you return safely to your family. After you recover your health in the city of Lines first.”

The priest spoke softly to her.

“Lines… is that the great city ruled by His Excellency the Marquis of Esperance?”

“Yes. They are people who truly care about the peace of the kingdom. They were also a great help in saving you. All of this must be under the guidance of the god Luas.”

“Aha…… Those people……”

The woman nodded.

Then he took a step behind the priest and whispered softly.

“I wondered who dared to invade here, and it was Esperance. I heard that the traitor’s whereabouts were lost. Did he go that way?”

“Huh? What are you talking about now…….”

“Thanks for letting me know. Bye.”

Fit.

A bone thorn thinner than a needle pierced the priest's spinal cord and brain.

Viola, the woman who killed the priest with one blow, let out a small sigh.

“Nosa, he was acting all picky, but even the hideout he made was raided? Well, all that was left here were the scraps.”

Moving the hideout when a traitor appears was a basic of the basics.

By the way.

“If the traitor has joined Esperance… would the Commander’s Orb be there too?”

Viola thought about it for a moment and then made a decision.

Having already spent enough time in the kingdom to make her sick of it, she wanted to conclude the deal with the Third Prince as soon as possible.

Viola's gaze turned to the corpse of the priest.

And then he chuckled.

“Should we try a puppet show for the first time in a while?”

* * *

… … As time passed, the three divided punitive forces gathered in one place.

There were casualties, but thanks to the priests, there were no casualties. Furthermore, those who were trapped inside the hideout were able to be rescued.

Although we cannot capture any prisoners due to the curse engraved on the Warlock's body, we should be able to get closer to the truth about the Warlock through people's testimonies.

“Fortunately, it seems that no one escaped.”

The paladin spoke after thoroughly checking that there were no remnants left.

That was the best result ever.

Fortunately, the warlock subjugation ended successfully.

'I'm sure Lady Kalia will be pleased.'

Vespa smiled inwardly and led the return of the punitive force.

But neither the knights nor the priests nor anyone else realized it.

One priest died.

That the warlock who turned the shell inside out remains.

* * *

“Thank you for your hard work, Vespa.”

“I was just doing what I had to do, Lady Kalia.”

Kalia nodded with satisfaction.

The word disappointment did not suit her faithful knight commander.

But soon, Kalia's expression changed subtly.

“……I wonder if Asher is okay.”

During that time, Kalia was not feeling very well.

Even though he said he would step forward, in the end he was sent to his death.

It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted.

“Don’t worry, he’s not a man who can be easily defeated. And it’ll still take at least a week for him to return, so I think it’s best to trust him and wait for news.”

“That’s true, but…….”

Negativity prevails over positivity.

Kalia sipped sweet tea to soothe her bitter palate.

Just then, a servant knocked on the door. It meant that a guest had arrived.

'Probably Bishop Nebiron.'

A few days ago, I said that Warren's condition wasn't very good and that there was something we needed to discuss.

Before a voice could be heard, Kalia waved her hand. Vespa, who had gone out to see her off, returned a moment later.

Just as Kalia was about to welcome her guests.

"uh……?"

“I’m back.”

Not a bishop, but Verden.

He showed up alive and well.