Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 84

Episode 84: Interference (1)

Verden left the capital together with Count Rodenmayr.

Of course, we rode in a carriage instead of using strategic weapons like flying machines as we had done when we first arrived. Verden looked out at the scenery outside and spoke to the Count.

“A mining right for silver and magic stones? It’s more than I expected.”

“It’s called a mining right, but it’s not that great. It takes a lot of investment to build a mine, and we don’t know exactly how much silver is accumulated. At worst, I won’t lose any money, but it will take at least three years to recover the investment.”

“What is the Magic Stone Tunnel?”

“It was mined by a certain company. However, it went bankrupt due to a bad investment in the middle and was transferred to Magnus Bank. The Crown of the Duchy took over. The reserves have been reduced by half, but since it is only closed, it is not difficult to activate it again. It will not make as much money as you think, though.”

Count Rodenmeyer seems to have done some preliminary research. He seems to have already estimated the approximate profit.

It sounds like they're secretly lowering their profits to cut salaries, but I'm probably mistaken.

“But isn’t it excessive for an award from an agency that only comes once a year?”

“It’s a bit excessive. In fact, it’s the biggest award of any agency in history. But that doesn’t mean that only our Rodenmire family benefits.”

In any case, whether it was a silver mine or a magic stone mine, someone among the nobles had to have the right to mine it. The king simply offered it as a product for his agency.

In the first place, these businesses are not conducted directly by the king.

It was possible to infer that the profits were being turned into fiefdoms rather than royal domains, even though they could have been pursued through the process of granting mining rights, as they were offered as rewards for the agency.

In this way, the king always prioritized the development of the country over his own interests.

But that didn't mean the king suffered any losses at all.

Minerals and magic stones.

These have particularly high tax rates.

In other words, the more Count Rodenmeyer earns, the more the royal treasury becomes affluent.

“I don’t think he would give you that much money just because the land is well-received. His Majesty the King has a cheerful personality, but as you know, he is quick-tempered. However, even so, he instinctively calculates things. It is obvious that he decided after judging that the current situation will be beneficial to the entire duchy.”

Count Rodenmeyer has been watching the Duke for a long time.

His assessment would be correct. Verden nodded as if he understood. Then he asked softly.

“So what’s my salary?”

Verden won the match.

It was clear that this contributed to the evaluation of Count Rodenmeyer.

The count paused for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“476 million elk. 200 million in cash, the rest in kind.”

Lower than the Soul Tree subjugation reward.

But it was the largest commission I've ever received.

“But if it’s in kind……?”

“I’ll give you gold bars. If you want, I can give you jewels too.”

Cash is more convenient.

While I was pondering, the count continued speaking.

“The value of gems is stable. On the other hand, their investment value is low. However, gold is the opposite. It is quite volatile, and the price of gold has shown signs of rising recently. It would not be bad to hold on to some of it.”

Yeah, that wouldn't be bad.

Since it has a space bag, it won't be inconvenient to carry around.

But I wondered if it was really necessary to accept the gold bars.

Verden wasn't really interested in investing. He would just make money by taking on commissions. When there was no answer, the count sighed.

“Just be honest. I don’t have enough cash because of the mines and the magic stone tunnels, so just take it. You got the robe and ring from the agency, too. And they extended the deadline for the missing person case. If possible, just take it.”

That's what it was.

Verden also gained a lot through the agency.

It's not like Count Rodenmeyer didn't pay his salary, and frankly, it was shameless to demand cash. This much was enough to make a concession.

Verden nodded.

"All right."

“Yes. I will send the compensation through Pale.”

So the carriage moved forward, and after some time it arrived at the count's mansion.

“Then I will go and see.”

Verden returned straight to the city of Cohen.

The count, who had been watching his back, turned around and headed towards the mansion.

Now that the grand event that you have been preparing with all your heart and soul is over, it is time to take care of yourself and your family. There is a lot of work to be done to prepare for the activation of the magic stone tunnel and the silver mine.

The management of the estate could be left to his aide, Viscount Bailon. The count planned to take a few days off to rest before making his move in earnest.

But a few days later.

“……Who died?”

“Count Davirk has been murdered.”

The incident broke out.

* * *

The death of a nobleman is never a light matter.

Even more so if he was a noble above the current count, and even more so if he was murdered. Furthermore, since he died while returning home after finishing the official duties of the duchy, the inside of the palace became even more noisy.

A listener who came to find Verden.

He said.

“The Principality’s Royal Castle is said to be controlling information and planning to deploy the Third Central Knights. They said they will receive support troops from the lords in the surrounding territories.”

The death of Count Dabirk could cause chaos.

Of course, it would be better not to tell anyone until the case was definitely resolved. In the meantime, Berden thought.

'Was the Ark's information network spread even inside the palace?'

It's so easy to obtain information that is considered confidential in the duchy.

It occurred to me that perhaps some of the Ark's members were in the upper echelons of the duchy. Highly ranked nobles at that.

“But the Central Knights?”

“It is one of the knights directly under the king. It is composed entirely of former officers, and although it is a small elite, it is quite powerful. And the two children of the marquis are the captain and vice captain respectively. It is not due to the influence of the marquis, but purely due to their skills.”

heartbreak.

The reader of the Marquis de Gardran, Rupel Rains de Gardran.

Vice-captain.

Dukel Veil di Labishurn, the eldest son of the Marquis of Labishurn.

'It's Duquel.'

I don't know the former, but I know the latter.

He was the muscular nobleman who would eat up the dishes at the banquet without stopping.

That's enough information about the Central Knights. It's not very useful.

There was something else that was important.

“Did Gluttony move?”

The listener nodded.

“I don’t know exactly how or for what purpose they killed Count Davirk, but they have the tail. But they are nothing more than expendable items in Gluttony, just one of many tails that can be cut off at any time.”

“It doesn’t matter. I had no intention of cutting it in the first place.”

It's enough to react to the bait thrown.

If things go as planned, those bastards will reveal their hidden heads.

Verden gave the doctor's mark, Gluttony's front tooth.

“Then please do as we said before.”

“Yes… But are you really okay alone? Even with Lord Locke….”

“No, it’s easier to move alone.”

Locke has a strength that belies his age.

But it was a stumbling block for Verden at the moment. He had no intention of caring about other people's lives in a situation where he might face Gluttony's hidden power.

I don't know if I can afford that.

The listener hesitated for a moment, then took out a small crystal from his bosom and handed it over. Verden tilted his head at the sight of this object, which he had never seen before.

“What is this?”

“It’s a kind of transmitter. When this crystal is broken, a specific magical wave bursts out, transmitting its location to the Ark. That’s ‘wherever it is.’ As it’s purpose is, it’s only given to a very small number of people on the Ark.”

When the location is transmitted, the ark moves.

That's why it's dangerous. If it falls into the hands of guys like Gluttony, there's a lot of room for abuse. That's why it's never been given to outsiders in history.

“This is my decision. If a dangerous situation arises, do not hesitate to break it.”

It was a favor to the listener.

That means he values Verden that much.

I don't plan on joining the ark, but I like it quite a bit. At least the unpleasant feelings I had when I first met him have long since disappeared.

Verden received the correction and put it in his space bag.

Gluttony, who is active in the duchy.

It was time to pull out that fang.

* * *

Lords who rule over the neighboring territories of Dabirk.

They gathered in one city and held a meeting in a heavy atmosphere.

“How long has it been since the agency ended for something like this to happen……!”

A count was indignant.

None of those gathered here had a close relationship with Count Davirk. However, they acknowledged him as a member of the nobility of the duchy.

Even if it was a bad relationship, it was natural to feel anger at the count's death.

“Isn’t this the first time since the birth of the duchy? There have been occasional cases of reckless nobles being injured or killed, but it’s a shame that a count has been murdered so brutally.”

“It wasn’t just that they were murdered.”

Count Rodenmeyer furrowed his brow.

“The knights of Count Dabirk’s family were guarding Count Dabirk. But they failed to protect him. On top of that, they were all slaughtered. Whatever it is, there must be a danger lurking around here.”

“He’s right. The priority is to immediately determine the cause. Judging from the traces at the scene, it’s likely to be an alien species or an inhuman species… but it could also be the work of humans. They may have manipulated the traces.”

“Does that mean someone is after the nobles of the duchy?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he has a vengeance against Count Dabirk. As you all know, Count Dabirk is not a very good person.”

Everyone agreed with that opinion.

It is safe to say that Count Davirk rarely succeeded in anything he did, whether it was business or anything else. In the process, there were many victims and there were even a few uproars.

However, killing a noble for any reason was an unforgivable sin.

“Anyway, the 3rd Central Knights will arrive from the castle today. Then we’ll be able to figure out the truth quickly.”

If it were a normal case, the lord would have sent a knight to handle it. Or he could have hired a trustworthy person from Gray to handle it.

But this is an extremely exceptional case.

In a situation where information had to be restricted, there was a high possibility that outsiders would be suspected of being criminals if brought in rashly.

The murder of a count of a country has its own significance.

Even if he is a nobleman that most nobles do not like.

At that moment, a voice was heard from outside the conference room, and soon the door opened and unfamiliar figures came in. They were wearing uniforms and armor with a blue theme. They were the 3rd Central Knights who had come from the royal castle of the Duchy of Liviant.

The lords rose up all at once.

One of the counts was the first to show his knowledge.

“Welcome, Captain Ruppel. And Vice Captain Dukel.”

The children of the two marquises who support the duchy.

Rupel nodded.

“I am Ruppel Rains de Gadran, leading the Third Central Knight Division. I would like to greet each and every one of you respectfully, but the situation is urgent, so I ask for your understanding.”

“Of course. We have drafted the necessary troops, so please go to the scene quickly. If you are short on manpower, our family can also provide assistance.”

The opponent is the son of a marquis before being a knight.

It was natural that they would actively cooperate. When several lords said they would help, Ruppel smiled.

“Thank you for your words. I hope that doesn’t happen, but I will ask for help if I need it.”

Ruppel.

As rumored, he was a man of upright character. And above all, he was passionate about his job. The Central Knights left the city immediately, and dozens of soldiers and knights from the city rode their horses to the scene.

Verden was watching the scene from the sky.

“You’re finally leaving now?”

The Black Hour compass that Verden was holding. The needle was still unable to find its bearings.

It's still unclear whether Gluttony requires you to get within a certain distance of him, or if the error simply occurs because there are multiple targets.

It is impossible to identify Gluttony right away.

But, apart from that, Verden had guessed.

What will Gluttony think and what will he do?

Verden turned toward the clouds.

The air gradually became thinner, and the amount of magical power consumed increased. The immense height was psychologically stressful. It was a height that a normal magician would have been too scared to even think about.

Although it is extremely rare, there have actually been cases where wizards who mistakenly believed their own abilities fell to their deaths due to difficulty breathing or a lack of magical power.

Of course, Verden was different.

It increases the density of the surrounding air to maintain breathing, protects its body temperature with a robe, and uses more sophisticated flight. It is not difficult. Its foundation, whether it is a body, magical power, or magical power manipulation ability, there is nothing lacking.

Verden, which has risen higher than the clouds.

I headed to the scene following the central knights visible below.