Chapter 112. Underground Canal (1)

"Are you certain it's alright to release him?"

As we exited the hut, Pintel, who was following close behind, voiced his concern.

I turned my head slightly to get a look at his face, noticing the worry etched across his features.

"It's okay. He's mentally broken already."

"... Is that so?"

"Yes."

I nodded.

After all, when I looked at Corund's face through the 'Color of Negativity', it was filled with the hue of 'fear'.

"But I'm still worried."

"What are you worried about?"

"Whether Corund will truly follow Sir Yulian's words."

Before releasing Corund, I had asked—not really requested—something of him: to meet with Aiden and suggest they work together.

"Aiden may not show up at the designated meeting spot."

It's a valid concern.

Corund had already rejected Aiden's proposal once.

"It doesn't matter, even if he doesn't show up."

"... Weren't you planning to use Corund as bait to lure out Aiden, Sir Yulian?"

Despite his appearance, Pintel seemed to have some depth of thought, as he had deciphered a bit of my intention.

However, he hadn't grasped the thoughts hidden beneath.

'It feels like beating a dead horse to keep meddling in affairs that are already concluded.'

If nothing else, Pintel acting on my behalf wasn't part of my plan.

'To think he'd actually subdue the same bishop by beating him up...'

It was completely unexpected.

"He might have lied just to escape immediate danger, don't you think?"

"That's what you're here for, isn't it, Sir Pintel?"

I looked at Pintel steadily for a moment.

The slit eyes reflected in his gaze looked as if they belonged to someone plotting in the shadows, but in truth, that wasn't the case.

'Just stay put, will you!'

It was simply to prevent Pintel from acting like a bridleless colt.

"I'll assign you to keep an eye on Corund. If he does something strange..."

"Understood, Sir Yulian."

Pintel nodded seriously, even before I finished speaking.

The affirmation held a strong resolve as if he had made a decision, but I expected nothing would actually happen.

Corund's will was thoroughly broken, so there's unlikely to be any need for Pintel to act.

Probably.

***

"Lady Aileen's thesis has been rejected."

"Again!?"

In response to the servant's words, Aileen couldn't help but raise her voice.

The reporting servant flinched slightly, causing Aileen to clear her throat and dismiss her.

"Ha... truly."

Now alone in the room, Aileen sighed. She had lost count of how many times her work had been rejected.

"Aiden de Donatien."

In the quiet room, Aileen murmured to herself as she gazed at the Donatien family crest hanging on the wall.

"I understand the rejection of my previous thesis, but not this time!"

It was well-known that the head of the Donatien family harbored resentment towards research on 'Soul Stone' and played a significant role in rejecting her thesis.

"When certain mana patterns are projected onto the Soul Stone, a 'mana mark' remains on the fabric! Is that not an achievement in itself!?"

Talking to the family crest, Aileen mumbled her grievances.

"Or is it because I'm just a half-baked scholar that I'm not allowed to conduct proper research?"

Feeling the despair growing in her complaints, she took deep breaths to regain her composure.

"Huh?"

Her eyes caught sight of a document scattered among the mess of papers.

"A demon subjugation directive in the slums?"

Come to think of it, she had heard about this.

There were rumors of demon appearances in the slum areas, leading to a dispatch from the imperial palace.

Aileen knew well who had handled that task under the palace's order.

"Yulian Cryphart Frason."

The signature next to the imperial seal was enough to catch Aileen's attention.

Moreover, his hasty handwriting was surprisingly neat, unlike his usual behavior, which made her chuckle softly.

"But still, demons appearing in the slums..."

Though the slums had poorer public order compared to the cities, could it be bad enough for demons to appear? That was questionable.

"After all, it's close to the capital."

With these thoughts circling in her mind, Aileen furrowed her brows slightly.

"Could it be artificially created?"

Having recently studied Soul Stones, Aileen could approach such a hypothesis.

The energy source embedded in a Soul Stone was 'demonic energy', and if humans were made to host it, wouldn't they become 'demons'?

"It's a possibility. However, that would imply someone else besides the imperial family also possesses a Soul Stone."

Furthermore...

"Human experimentation, too..."

Taking a closer look, it clearly stated 'humanoid demon' in the records.

Although not certain, someone experimented with 'demonization' on humans.

"It's not good to get buried in hypotheses."

Of course, this was just an 'assumption.'

It could also be a dangerous statement.

Knowing something is a process to enhance insight but could also create some enemies.

"If human experiments were really conducted, it means there's a mage conducting such experiments."

"So, I have no choice but to confirm it with my own eyes to ensure I don't get entangled."

Aileen promptly stood up and donned her coat.

"Where are you going, lady Aileen?"

"I have some urgent business. I might be back late today, so you all can leave for the day."

After instructing the household staff, she proceeded to the rumored site of the demon appearances in the slums.

***

Aileen arrived at the part of the slums reportedly plagued by the demon incident.

Despite the location being clearly indicated, she had wandered a bit, causing beads of sweat to form on her forehead.

"Ha... Why is the construction here so shoddy?"

With a slightly irritated tone, she muttered to herself and raised her eyes to inspect the dilapidated houses.

This was the site of the 'demon appearance incident,' as recorded in the papers.

Had it happened within the city, a follow-up would have been conducted. However, this place was left just as it was.

"... Excuse me."

She knocked twice on the door before stepping inside.

The room was musty, with a stench that prickled unpleasantly at her nose, but she entered without hesitation.

"What a mess..."

The inside of the building was in complete disarray.

A creaky wooden floor responded to her entrance, and the surroundings bore the marks of gigantic claws, as if decorating the walls.

"Is this the demon's trace? And then..."

The swift sword strokes clearly left by an expert were enough to attract her interest.

It was likely the swordplay of Yulian wielding his Moonlit Sword.

"Of course, there's no demon corpse."

Swiping a hand over the charred ground, Aileen could almost feel that this was where a demon had died.

"Well, it's over, so there's nothing left to find...."

Mid-sentence, Aileen sensed an unsettling aura lingering around the scorched ground.

'This...'

It was unmistakably a Soul Stone.

Having conducted numerous studies, she recognized the peculiar aura of the Soul Stone.

Rising from her spot, she began tracking the 'Soul Stone' presence with urgency.

Finding a Soul Stone here could mean encountering a tri-horned demon at worst, but Aileen felt prepared.

'I've brought all my combat memorizes and gems.'

She was ready for the worst-case scenario if it occurred.

"Here..."

Following the 'Soul Stone' presence led her to an underground canal connected to the slums.

It was a part of infrastructure construction ordered by the former emperor for the slums, but it had been abandoned due to Emperor Adratan's change of heart.

"Considering its abandoned years, it should be dirty."

Surprisingly, the entrance to the underground canal wasn't filthy.

Of course, compared to the capital, it was dirty, but for a slum, it was unexpectedly clean.

"More importantly..."

There was no trace of the slum's typical stench.

It seemed like people who didn't belong in the slums frequented this place.

Resolutely, Aileen entered the underground canal's entrance.

What first caught her eye was the barely recognizable imperial seal.

Despite the complex emotions stirring within, she moved forward without hesitation.

'... Ugh.'

Eventually, when she sensed the demonic energy intensifying, three paths appeared before her.

With the overwhelming aura in the surroundings hindering her sensing ability, simply following the Soul Stone aura wouldn't suffice.

Given the situation, there was no other option.

"Oh well... I have no choice but to use magic to discern the path."

Muttering to herself, she pulled out a wand adorned with a gem from her bosom.

The gem, which glowed a soft green, began to gather Aileen's mana, slowly illuminating with light.

Afterward, casting her magic, she directed the wand toward the left path.

"Come out, now?"

In a voice that was cold and restrained, Aileen spoke.

Until now, chasing the 'Soul Stone' presence, she suddenly realized.

From the left path among the three, someone harboring the 'Soul Stone' aura was watching her.

"If you don't show yourself, you'll regret it. Magic used in such confined spaces makes controlling its power difficult."

Aileen spoke with confidence, mixed with hostility.

Naturally, she assumed that the presence felt here held the truth of the 'demon occurrence incident' in the slums.

"I'll count to three."

With those words, Aileen's wand began to exude powerful mana.

If the opponent was undetermined, even if they fled, she'd be able to catch them almost instantly.

"One... huh?"

As the hidden figure revealed themselves, Aileen's emotions were stirred.

The figure was none other than the legendary presence known as the 'Black Knight', who had previously visited her estate.

"If you wish to live, withdraw your mana."

The low, dark voice reverberated with solemnity.

As if in a trance, Aileen complied with the 'Black Knight's' words and gradually released the mana from her wand.

Thud—!

In that instant, the 'Black Knight' pushed off the ground and leaped towards her.

'Ah, he's incredibly fast!'

Impressed internally, Aileen swiftly ignited the gathered magic in her wand.

Once refined mana left the wand, it began forming a barrier of metal.

However, just before its completion, a sharp something flew in, disrupting the formation of Aileen's magic.

'What!? Was that a sword strike!?'

Though she'd heard of knights using aura like magic, she hadn't heard of them launching a 'sword strike' imbued with mana.

Caught in surprise, the gap closed rapidly.

The metal wall crumbled, and the Black Knight was upon her, close enough to swing his blade at leisure.

'Ugh...!'

Once in such proximity, no advantage remained for a mage.

Still, she began charging her wand with mana for the next spell.

Whirr—!

"Ough...!"

Having disposed of Aileen's wand with ease, the Black Knight seized her by the neck.

Enveloped by overwhelming strength, unable to maintain balance, Aileen fell to the floor.

'Damn it it...'

Feeling the blade's edge against her neck sent shivers through her spine.

The looming threat of death engulfed her, yet her eyes held resolute strength.

"Quite a bold fighting style for a mage."

The Black Knight glanced at Aileen and then towards his abdomen.

Unbeknownst to him, a jewel infused with mana was in Aileen's grasp, aimed at his core.

Indeed, a commendable maneuver befitting a high-ranked mage.

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