I Already Know My Magic Power Is Ridiculously High! Now I Just Need a Cute Wife... - Episode 77

The moment I heard Roa’s report, my desires vanished in an instant. I immediately left the bathhouse and headed straight for the prison.

Right now, I was in Nephthys’ torture chamber.

“What exactly happened?”

“A single person, wearing a cloak that disrupts perception, launched an attack on a separate building. All the guards were knocked out in a single blow, and the assailant infiltrated the underground prison. The soldiers inside were subdued, and Nephthys was assassinated before the attacker escaped.”

“A single blow? That’s hard to believe…”

The security had been tight, especially after such a large-scale attack.

The Satera-class soldiers within the fortress had been restrained in the dining hall.

And now, before us lay Nephthys’ corpse, bl00d streaming from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“Did you try healing magic?”

“The poison used in the attack was from a magical beast.”

“I see… so that’s how it is.”

Nearby, there was a poisoned throwing knife—the weapon used in the attack.

Picking it up, I noticed its resemblance to the stargazer weapons used by Aquila.

Could the heroes of the Union be involved?

“Be careful. It seems to be a concealed weapon coated with magical beast poison.”

Even a Satera-class warrior wouldn’t survive exposure to magical beast poison.

Once it spreads through the body, there’s no saving them.

“I know. Were there any other casualties?”

“There are multiple injured, but no deaths.”

Hearing from Nicolette that none of our subordinates had died, I felt a bit relieved.

“Brother, even if it was a surprise attack, only someone of Satera-class strength could break through such security… I think. But if that’s the case, why couldn’t we find them when we searched the entire fortress?”

Roa spoke in a confused tone.

He must have realized the contradiction himself.

After receiving the report of Nephthys’ assassination, I immediately activated detection magic, but there was no Satera-class presence nearby.

“The attacker is unlikely to be Satera-class. If a Satera-class warrior had arrived later, either you or I would have sensed them. That means the assailant was already inside the fortress when the search began and had both the strength of a Satera-class warrior and the ability to conceal it.”

If someone had managed to slip past our magic detection…

“Could it be… the Beastman Hero?”

“By process of elimination, that’s the only possibility.”

The name that came to mind was Lynx, or whatever they called him.

I thought I had dealt with him, but was he still alive? Or was it someone else?

Maybe I should have prioritized eliminating Lynx back then.

I regret misjudging my priorities.

“…Hah… huff…”

“Wait… is he still breathing?”

A faint sound escaped from Nephthys.

But in this condition, there was no saving him.

Seeing him on the brink of death, I felt my shoulders drop.

“…I’m sorry for making you suffer, Nephthys. I’ll put an end to it now.”

I decided to give him a merciful death.

We had only known each other for about two weeks, but I had grown to respect him in some way.

No matter how much I tried to persuade him, he never broke under pressure. His loyalty was real.

Even as an enemy, that kind of devotion deserved acknowledgment.

Being targeted for assassination by Alberto was too cruel. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him.

“Brother…”

It felt awkward with Roa watching.

“Everyone, could you step outside for a moment?”

“…Understood.”

“Brother, don’t let this weigh on you too much.”

“I know.”

Nicolette and the other officers left the chamber.

Roa hesitated for a moment before following them.

Now, it was just Nephthys and me in the torture chamber.

“I still had so many things I wanted to ask you…”

“…Hah… huff…”

Though lifeless, Nephthys’ eyes seemed to be staring at me.

Was he angry about dying this way?

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I could sense his will to live.

“…Don’t look at me like that.”

Nephthys had been involved in the education of the Naia royal family.

He possessed valuable information about the inner workings of the kingdom.

If there were a way to save him, I wanted to try.

But healing magic was useless against magical beast poison.

There was nothing I could do.

“…No, wait. Maybe there is one way.”

A possibility crossed my mind.

But the risk was too great, and the effects were uncertain.

With the memories of my past life, using it on a person felt… wrong.

Still, while I hesitated, Nephthys was slipping closer to death.

“Well, if there’s a chance, I have to try. No point in being scared forever.”

Taking a deep breath, I focused my magic and gathered my power.

Then, I extended my right hand over Nephthys—

And cast the spell.

◇◇◇◇

In a certain forest within the Ortenos territory—

A place constantly shrouded in mist, making visibility poor.

Rumors spoke of a terrifying witch living deep within this foggy forest.

A large man, wearing a perception-disrupting cloak, walked along the path, following a faint scent.

Soon, another man of average build, also wearing a perception-disrupting cloak, appeared before him.

“Drowin, how did it go?”

“Lupus, huh? No issues. The Naia general in captivity has been eliminated.”

The man called Lupus was of average build, while the man named Drowin was large and muscular.

Drowin reported his success to Lupus.

“As expected, the Nia forces alone weren’t enough. Sending you as a backup was the right call.”

“Hah! The Ortenos soldiers were strong, but with my power, it was an easy job. Well, thanks to that, Serpence and Naia owe us big now.”

Drowin laughed in satisfaction.

“You left evidence pointing to the Union?”

“Yeah, I left the poisoned knife they gave me.”

“Good.”

“Why make me go through such a roundabout way? I could’ve just killed him without leaving any evidence.”

Drowin asked in his usual rough tone.

“I wanted to see Shalka’s reaction.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been two weeks since Lynx and Aquila disappeared. If Shalka was the one who killed them, he’ll make a move.”

Lupus leaned against a tree, arms crossed.

His tone suggested he was well-acquainted with the two missing heroes.

“Those two might have been lower-ranked among the ‘Union’s Thirteen Stellar Warriors,’ but they were still heroes. I wouldn’t expect them to die easily… but after seeing Shalka in action…”

Drowin touched his chin in thought.

Lupus, curious, pressed further.

“What do you mean?”

“You know how Serpence’s failed experiment was deployed in this operation?”

“Yeah.”

“Shalka took it down in a single blow. And the technique he used… was the Light of Demon Banishment. That means—he’s an Exorcist Mage.”

Drowin spoke in a serious tone.

Lupus was momentarily stunned but then burst into laughter.

“Haha… I see. Two weeks ago, when Serpence’s carefully laid plan failed, I wondered what had happened. So that’s how it is, Shalka… Ha, I can’t believe it.”

“Your laugh is still as creepy as ever…”

Drowin eyed Lupus warily.

“Drowin, don’t tell the leader about this.”

“What?! What if we get caught?”

Union heroes were trained to obey the leader without question.

Lupus’ defiance shocked Drowin.

“We won’t get caught. The Union is focused on Nia right now. They’re not paying attention to us.”

“That may be true, but…”

“Shalka is going to become the center of the storm. We just need to lay low until it passes.”

Drowin still didn’t understand Lupus’ reasoning.

“Why do you think that?”

“Just a hunch.”

—

The Union of Heroes had begun their secret maneuvers.

The day of the ceasefire negotiations was approaching—