Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 205

Episode 205 Return (2)

Verden's nerves are particularly sensitive.

As much as he had declared that he trusted his opponent but never trusted him, the memory that was so strongly engraved in his mind made him do so.

Plus, a sense enhanced by the Rune Ring.

Thanks to this, Verden's vigilance deepened even further.

Even for those who have not awakened to magical powers, it is possible to estimate the danger posed by the opponent to some extent.

Of course, it's not entirely accurate.

Moreover, this is only a subjective standard. Among the opponents I have met since then, not a single one has been significantly outside of Berden's predicted range.

The same goes for the wizard Edmon.

'Melzard.'

Verden's gaze suddenly became sharp.

A refined spirit, refined breathing.

The voice and attitude are similar to that of the knight.

The weight placed delicately on the tip of the foot is in preparation for any unexpected variables.

And if there's a sword hidden inside the robe, the table Verden is sitting at will be cut down in the blink of an eye.

He was a man who could be thought of that way.

'A knight on par with Edmon.'

It must be one of the pillars supporting the writer.

Verden sipped the fruit drink.

Edmon stood up and introduced Melzard.

“Ahem, this guy is the commander of the Knight Melzard, who leads the Red Cross, the highest order of knights of the Marquis of Esperensa. He is a man who is trusted as much as I am by His Excellency the Marquis, and he is also relatively young.”

“Even if you say so, it doesn’t change the fact that my vacation was wasted.”

“Haha, I was just telling the truth.”

Edmon shrugged.

Melzard let out a small sigh at the foolish attitude. It was impossible to get angry at an old man who was smiling and talking like a sorcerer.

“By the way, I didn’t know that Lord Edmon would act so unilaterally. I don’t know about the past, but haven’t you been quiet for the past 20 years?”

“Isn’t that something that can’t be helped? Everything related to the Marquis is done under His Majesty’s command, so there’s no need for me to assert my opinion… By the way, have you heard about this matter?”

“I am familiar with the necessary information, although not in detail.”

Melzard turned his head.

Linus flinched as he met her blue eyes. He slowly placed the lobster he was holding in one hand onto the plate.

“……I never thought I would get results in just a few days.”

“Haha, if that weren’t the case I wouldn’t be here relaxing.”

“Is there no problem?”

“The pursuit has completely stopped. The friend we worked so hard to rescue will not leave any traces. So don’t look at him too suspiciously. He’s still eating.”

"All right."

Melzard nodded in agreement and looked away.

It's not like he's completely free of doubts and worries. If there's something that can fool Edmon's eyes, Melzard won't notice it either.

There was no point in being overtly cautious.

Melzard crossed his arms.

Unusual armament was revealed beneath the robe.

“I made special preparations in case I ended up becoming an enemy of Leonil, but it looks like I won’t be involved. I guess that’s a blessing…….”

“We almost ran into each other. Well, it ended up with three court magicians.”

“Three people?”

“They were in the process of destroying everything related to Leonil’s experiments. They were all wizards of the fifth rank or higher, two of whom I don’t know, but one of them was Brick Medwar, fourth rank.”

Brick Medwar.

It was a name I remembered. He must have been a court magician who had been in charge of guarding the royal family when they visited the palace in the past.

“He’s not as big as Leonel, but he’s a big shot. But…….”

Melzard checked Edmon's condition.

“You’re in better shape than I thought. Even though you’re not a magician, you’re still at the top of the fifth tier, and yet you’re not even a single scratch. Did you suddenly reach the sixth tier?”

“Hahaha! I wish that were true, but as you know, I’ve already reached the limit of the hierarchy. With my talent, I can never get above it. But that doesn’t mean I can do it alone, right?”

The letter Edmon sent read:

He said that he would take elves and wizards with him to Acrien.

I've never seen an elf before, so I don't know, but the name of the wizard has been heard a lot recently within the Marquisate.

'Asher.'

I came face to face with a wall.

Verden and Melzard.

The two nodded lightly and greeted each other without saying who would speak first. It was simple, but clear.

'Isn't that just an exaggerated rumor?'

The depth is unknown.

That was Melzard's first impression of Verden.

And the elf… … .

“Brother, there is not much food left. I will share what I have.”

“You eat it.”

“……! Thank you, brother.”

Karans was absorbed in food.

At first I was wary, but now that I had confirmed that they were not enemies, my interest in outsiders had long since disappeared.

Melzard understood everything like that.

Besides, I had heard briefly what had happened, so there was no reason to spend any more time in Acrien.

“We have already taken care of the illegal entry. After crossing the border, we will join the caravan prepared in the nearby forest and hide our tracks. We will stop by the city and use the name of the Count Peltor family, and then in Lines, we will use the name of the Marquis and head to His Majesty’s residence.”

“Haha, even a court magician wouldn’t be able to chase that. If only he could find a clue that wasn’t there in the first place. You must have worked hard preparing. When are you leaving?”

“It’s possible even tonight.”

“It’s night… yeah, it would be safer to get inside the border before they notice.”

“Then I will prepare it right away.”

You can take breaks as you go.

It's a waste of money to pay for the inn, but there's no other choice. You must have filled your stomach, said Verden, who had been listening to the story, as he stood up from his seat.

“Ah! Elf, my lobster!”

“Huh? Is something wrong?”

“I just put it down for a moment, how could you just pick it up?! And you saw it yourself!”

“Doesn’t letting go mean giving up ownership? Ha, humans really are greedy. Take after the example of your brother who readily shares his food.”

“No, please go to sleep and look at the sheep…….”

Karanth and Linus had a war of nerves over food.

Even after eating so much, he still seemed to be hungry. Edmon scratched his chin with a chuckle.

“It’s not so urgent that you have to skip a meal, so you’d better finish your meal. I’ll order more food, so you should sit down too. It looks like you haven’t eaten yet.”

“Well, that’s true… but I understand.”

Edmon and Melzard took their places.

Suddenly, only Verden was awake.

“Oh, Asher. Could you please press the pager next to me?”

"……yes."

The pager is on the wall.

Verden pressed the call button and sat back down.

A second meal followed.

* * *

A night when darkness has fallen.

The Verden party followed Melzard out of Acrien. The direction was not the usual route, but the border beyond several mountain ranges.

After several days of travel, we arrived at our first destination.

'It's still quiet, so I guess Leonil hasn't arrived at the lab yet.'

Well, we moved to the middle of a cave where no light could enter.

It would have taken time for them to figure out the terrain and escape, let alone the Ainz or the heteromorphs. It was only natural.

In that way, he entered the kingdom safely.

Then, he rode in a carriage that had been prepared in advance and twisted and cut off the traces several times.

After proceeding smoothly without a single trouble along the way, Berden and his party, who had left Lines, finally reached their destination.

'Is this the home of the Marquis of Esperance?'

A castle and gardens built on a vast territory.

This place, directly guarded by the Knights of the Red Faith, was extremely strict. Compared to the First Prince's Castle, it was lacking in functionality, but in terms of military power, it was superior.

Edmon said.

“I will take this friend and report to Your Majesty first. So you take the spirits and rest comfortably in your room. I will send someone later when the time is right.”

“Human wizard, do you dare to imprison an elf?”

“Carans.”

“……Understood, brother.”

Karans was displeased, but soon agreed.

The word of Verden, who saved his life and allowed him to avenge his people, was the only one he could trust here, and his words were law to him.

Edmon whispered.

“Please don’t cause a ruckus.”

“Okay, I understand. But I have a favor to ask.”

"ask?"

“You can let me talk to Linus alone later.”

“Hmm, now that I think about it, it seems like you have some business with that friend. Understood. I’ll tell His Majesty, and if there are no problems later, I’ll do whatever you want.”

"thank you."

Verden bowed his head slightly.

He walked along the corridors with Karans and the two spirits, under the guidance and supervision of the knights. After catching a glimpse of them, Edmon headed to the conference room with Linus.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve met a noble other than a court wizard, so I’m a little nervous.”

“Hehe, a moderate amount of tension is good for the body and mind. Of course, keep in mind that you should not lie for any reason.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you exactly what happened to me. I’m a person who repays grudges tenfold and kindnesses in kind.”

Linus assured.

Edmon smiled softly and pulled the doorknob. He cautiously entered, where the Marquis was waiting alone at the head table.

Edmon set the example, and Linus followed.

“I have returned from my mission, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Edmon. I have a lot to say, but… that’s not the issue right now. Just sit down.”

"yes."

Two people took their seats.

Edmon was near the Marquis, and Linus was directly in front. The Esperensa family, their characteristic red eyes glowing faintly.

“Foreigner, Linus Baltimog. Is that you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I have many questions for you. Why was the craftsman who went missing seven years ago found in Leonil’s laboratory, and what on earth was going on in the laboratory… everything.”

The Marquis of Esperance took out a scale from underneath.

A single female figure was placed in the center. The two plates hanging on either side were perfectly level.

The Marquis' heirloom, the Scales of Truth.

There is absolutely no lie in this.

“I want the truth.”

Libra reacted to the Marquis' words.

A kind of starting word.

The eyes of the woman statue embedded in the scales flashed white as she looked at Linus.

* * *

Linus had a gut feeling.

That scale is an artifact in its own right. And judging by the circumstances, it is certain that it can see through the other person's lies.

'I can't afford to make a slip of the tongue.'

Linus took a deep breath.

He said softly, as soon as he was ready.

“I visited the underworld, Loafra, seven years ago.”

The purpose was because of rumors that rare metals would be found at an auction that would be held that year.

Linus, who had become interested in it, was fortunate enough to easily obtain an invitation and enter Loafra's auction house, where he succeeded in obtaining the metal through competitive bidding.

And then a few hours later I was kidnapped.

It happened so suddenly that I couldn't even properly resist. And when I woke up, I was in Leonie's laboratory.

The Marquis' eyebrows twitched.

'Kidnapped from Loafra. And considering that he's connected to the royal family, it's definitely Bintert.'

Wintert is also deeply involved in the experiment.

The Marquis asked, having engraved that piece of information in his mind.

“What did you make in that lab?”

“I was in charge of making various magic items, including the magic concentrator. I refused in the middle, but… After starving them for nearly ten days and only giving them water, there was nothing I could do… I have a reason to live.”

“There’s no need to try to make excuses. I’m just curious about the facts. What did they do with it?”

"therefore……."

The magical power was refined using the magical circuits of elves and humans.

There were dozens of dead bodies and the screams were endless. And there were also various incidents in the prison.

The Marquis, who had been listening, narrowed his eyes.

“So, what is Leonil’s purpose?”

“That… I don’t know.”

"what?"

“I, it’s true. Not even the court wizards in the laboratory know, only Leonil knows. Leonil has always been the only one conducting the experiments.”

The Lady of the Libra statue was silent.

It meant that it wasn't a lie.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve seen a blue crystal that makes a heartbeat. I only saw it once, in passing… but I think that’s the gist of it.”

“Blue crystal…….”

It was also in the elf's memories that Edmon sent.

A blue crystal that makes a heartbeat. It was something I had never heard of or seen before.

The Marquis was lost in thought.

'Blue crystal… … heart sound… … heart… … blue… … heart… … heart… … .'

"uh……?"

for a moment.

'The heart?'

“Wait, wait, no way……!”

The Marquis immediately rose from his seat.

A face covered in cold sweat.

His eyes were filled with a level of bewilderment that had never been seen before.