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Lewelin Elshid.

A member of the Seven Heroes of the continent known as the ‘Scarlet Sage’ and the current master of the Imperial Magic Tower.

A powerful wizard who has earned the title of ‘Archmage,’ a title shared by only two individuals on the continent.

My impression of him is…

“That voice must belong to the Faceless Hero, right? Wow, it’s been quite a while. So, this lady here is Silvia, I gather? Even though it’s only been three days, it’s nice to see you. I’m really glad that the mana jamming equipment I wanted has been properly implemented here. If it hadn’t been, I would have had to come myself or use regular communication and risk being eavesdropped on! Oh? You two? Why so quiet? Hmm, strange. My optical data is 87% distorted since my eyes are like fireballs, but my auditory data should be fine. Faceless Hero? Silvia? Can you hear me?”

“……”

He was an incredibly loquacious chatterbox, to say the least.

I let out a short sigh and opened my mouth.

“…You’re still as oily-tongued as ever. Anyone can tell it’s you right away.”

“Haha! That’s a rather unfunny joke. If I had indeed oiled my tongue, it would have burned up to the root by now. And you’re still using those impersonal titles, I see. Have I not told you countless times to call me Lewelin? It’s become a habit for me to use nicknames since you never told me your name, but I remember introducing myself from the very start!”

Lewelin’s chatteriness had not changed a bit. There was a time I wondered if that long tongue of his was the secret to his remarkable spellcasting speed.

In that short span of time, his expression and tone fluctuated constantly; someone unfamiliar with him might think he was insane.

In fact, that thought wasn’t entirely wrong. Lewelin Elshid was a madman obsessed with magic.

I never imagined the expert Silvia spoke of would be the Scarlet Sage. He typically showed not a shred of interest in topics that didn’t capture his attention. Yet, if he went through the trouble of sending what seemed to be his avatar, he must have had enough interest after all.

Silvia clapped her hands, trying to shift the atmosphere.

“Let’s put a stop to the small talk. We both don’t have much time, do we?”

“That’s an undeniable fact. Actually, I only have 14 minutes and 20 seconds left. If I surpass that time, the elders of the magic tower will notice that I’m secretly communicating with someone, and that news will immediately reach the Imperial Intelligence Bureau and the Inquisition of the Law Department. Oh dear, my fame truly frightens me anew.”

I spoke with a hint of exasperation.

“…You’re always being monitored?”

“That sounds a bit harsh, so let’s say there are many curious eyes watching. There are so many people interested in what I’m doing that I’ve resorted to inconvenient methods to hide today’s conversation from others.”

Lewelin continued in a cheerful tone.

“Let’s get down to business. I’ve been paying close attention to the ritual conducted by the Undying Legion Commander for a long time. What kind of event could transform an entire kingdom into a land of death? Normally, magic disappears when the caster dies, so what kind of powerful magic was it that the undead have been roaming that land for years even after the caster’s death? Such intellectual curiosity has occupied my mind since the war ended—”

“Have you not said you were short on time? Just get to the conclusion.”

If I left him be, he would ramble on endlessly.

Lewelin paused for a moment, wearing an awkward smile.

“To put it simply, it isn’t magic.”

“Not magic?”

“More accurately, it’s the power of bloodlines. As far as I know, you’ve experienced it already, haven’t you? The power that connects only the direct royal bloodline of Ionia to otherworldly existences.”

I recalled.

The huge evil spirit that Daisy summoned in the skies of the Capital.

Even during wartime, I had never seen a summoner conjure such powerful beings at such speed without any rituals.

At that time, I was too engrossed in taking down the evil spirit before my eyes to think deeply, but upon reflection, that was clearly not a power granted to mere humans.

“Most members of the Ionia dynasty were content to live as moderately skilled summoners. However, exploring ancient texts revealed records that during the age of myths, the Ionia clan often opened doors to other realms… The divine realm, the spirit realm, the dark realm… To new worlds entirely different from this one…!”

Lewelin spoke with an excited voice, unable to hide his interest.

“Isn’t that amazing? Although it’s still unverified, there’s a hypothesis that some centuries ago, a royal from Ionia opened a door to another realm, allowing Philion to come into this world. Of course, the Empire strongly denies this—”

“……”

Lewelin’s mouth moved without ceasing. I was getting bored of merely listening.

Silvia seemed to share my sentiment, as she leaned back in her chair with a bored expression from the moment Lewelin began speaking.

Sensing the audience’s boredom, Lewelin calmed his excitement and spoke again.

“It was a topic that intrigued me greatly, but it seems it’s not the case for the two of you, so let’s leave it at that.”

“Yeah. Please do.”

Despite Silvia’s fed-up tone, I decided to ask the most important question.

“So… is Ella alive?”

I didn’t know much about the bloodline of Ionia or consciousness. I wasn’t an expert on magic, nor was I even interested in it.

What I wanted to know most was whether Ella was alive.

“This is important to me. So please let me know… I beg you.”

My voice contained a desperation I myself found unfamiliar.

A brief silence filled the underground space.

Lewelin responded in an awkward tone.

“I never thought you’d ask me for a favor in your life. It’s unfamiliar, but it feels nice.”

“…….”

“Ahem! Now, what I was going to say. Yes. There’s a young royal of Ionia who was used as a sacrificial offering during the ritual, right?”

Lewelin nodded and spoke in an unusually serious voice.

“Yes. She should be alive.”

Before I knew it, I clenched my fist tightly.

But I forced myself to calm my emotions and asked calmly.

“And the reason for that?”

“The fact that the land of Ionia is still rife with undead is evidence of this. This is my personal speculation, but… the Undying Legion Commander likely used that girl named Ella to open the gates of the Underworld. From there, he would have called forth the legion of undead. It doesn’t make sense for the capital to fall overnight otherwise.”

I had thought of that before.

Even if the Undying Legion Commander summoned the undead from graveyards across the kingdom and massacred people to turn their corpses into new undead, the numbers were just too overwhelming.

Most were not low-level zombies or skeletons created in just a day or two; they were mostly high-level undead like banshees or death knights.

In the end, they had died by my own hands, but I often questioned whether it was feasible for a single person to accomplish such a thing, no matter how skilled the Undying Legion Commander was.

“The land of the old Ionia Kingdom is filled with death energy. That’s why the undead continue to move even after their master has died. Even the Saint’s power can only provide temporary purification. What could be the reason for that?”

Lewelin nodded.

“The door is still open. And to maintain that door, the medium must be alive. The child you’re searching for is most certainly alive. Even at this very moment, she must be supplying power to the otherworldly gate from somewhere.”

“…I see.”

I took a deep breath.

It was difficult to control my emotions, but this was when clarity of mind was crucial.

The complicated and chaotic emotions sank beneath deep waters, leaving only cold rationality dominating my thoughts.

Silvia cautiously spoke up.

“Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry to bring this up, but… the child in the hands of the Undying Legion Commander. No matter how we find her, her state may be very different from what we commonly call ‘alive.'”

“That’s a valid point. She might just have her brain and spinal cord preserved, or her heart might have been taken to be used as a bio-item. Wizards generally prefer such methods—”

“You! Please! Just shut up!”

Silvia pulled out a dagger from her thigh and swung it at Lewelin multiple times, sparks flying in all directions. His fiery form shook violently.

“Don’t you have a heart? You crazy man full of magic in that head!!”

“Ow, ow! I can’t feel pain since I’m not the main body, but… it hurts me here!”

As I watched the farcical scene unfold, I spoke calmly.

“…It’s fine.”

Silvia’s dagger assault stopped.

The two of them quietly looked at me.

“No matter the state… if she’s alive, there must be a way.”

As a child, I was powerless. Because I had no strength, I couldn’t do anything.

But now, I am different. I have grown stronger beyond recognition compared to my childhood.

Back then, I couldn’t save Ella…

But if she’s alive, this time, I will definitely save her.

 

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