Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock Chapter 278 - So…

 

“Mobilize the Magic Tower?”

 

Shaela barely managed to gather her thoughts before asking.

 

“I understand—you must think we’re making too big of a move just to stop one person.”

 

“What are you talking about? Of course, we have to act.”

 

Shaela immediately countered Lucion’s words.

 

“The Magic Tower has a contractual obligation to act in times of crisis for the Empire. This is a good opportunity to prove that magicians are not just bloodsuckers like mosquitoes. More importantly, this isn’t just about a single person.”

 

A grimace crossed Shaela’s face.

 

“Are you really going to move, Lucion?”

 

“Yes. I have to.

 

“Can you tell me why? It’s not that I don’t trust you—I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to hold you back.”

 

“It’s an old grudge. He tried to kill my teacher… and he put a hole in my stomach.”

 

Lucion couldn’t explain further; exhaustion was threatening to take over.

 

“Ah… so it was him?”

 

Shaela clenched her teeth. That was reason enough. She could hear the full details later.

 

“Lucion.”

 

“Yes, sister?”

 

“Rest for at least a few days. You need it if you want to move properly.”

 

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

 

“…”

 

Shaela’s lips trembled.

 

Russell sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration, while Hume let out a deep breath.

 

[…I really hate that guy.]

 

Bethel scowled, unable to stop Lucion, and thought of Veronia.

 

—Ratta doesn’t like him either! Hmph!

 

Ratta turned away, biting her own tail in irritation.

 

“…Hah.”

 

Shaela barely held back her anger. This wasn’t the time to be upset.

 

How desperate must Lucion be to insist on moving so soon?

 

“No. We’ll talk about this tomorrow. For now, you need to rest.”

 

She started to leave but hesitated at the door, glancing back at Lucion with an apologetic expression.

 

“I’m sorry for barging into your room.”

 

“It’s alright, sister. Sweet dreams.”

 

Lucion offered a small smile, and Shaela finally let the tension leave her shoulders.

 

“I hope you won’t keep Lucion up too long. Well then, excuse me.”

 

She nodded slightly at Russell before stepping out.

 

“You heard her. Go to sleep.”

 

Russell cast a disappointed glance, as if he had more to say.

 

* * *

 

The next day.

 

“Why are you here instead of resting?”

 

Kran sighed as he looked at Lucion.

 

‘Seriously. Why does everyone sigh whenever they see me?’

 

Lucion wasn’t particularly fond of that reaction, but he spoke up anyway.

 

“I was the one who originally proposed the barrier that could contain not only darkness but all types of power. Of course, I have to check on it myself.”

 

The Chefran Mansion, initially a temporary headquarters, had become the official base after the branch offices were established.

 

Naturally, the first and most advanced barrier had been set up here by Stra and the other barrier mages, making it superior to those at the other branches.

 

“Hmm…”

 

Kran hesitated.

 

Suggesting that such an important matter be handled over mere communication was absurd.

 

“Did Hume not come with you?”

 

Kran glanced around, looking for Hume, who was usually glued to Lucion’s side.

 

“I snuck out. I just need to check things quickly and get back before anyone notices.”

 

—That’s right! Russell keeps writing something, but Ratta doesn’t understand any of it. And Bethel went to search for that Death Knight, Broson!

 

Ratta chattered, knowing full well she couldn’t be heard.

 

At the mention of Broson, Lucion momentarily bit his lip.

 

‘Speaking of which, where did Broson go?’

 

It had only been two days since he obtained the fifth black orb, but everyone agreed that he needed to acquire the final one soon.

 

Since the King of Darkness had willingly passed his power onto Lucion, there was no longer any fear of losing control of his body. More importantly, if he wanted to completely destroy Veronia, he couldn’t remain incomplete—he had to become the true King of Darkness.

 

Yet, Broson had suddenly disappeared.

 

As if he were running from something.

 

‘He told me to take the black orb, yet…’

 

—Um… So only Ratta came along! Ratta has been assigned the very important mission of keeping an eye on Lucion today! Ahem!

 

Ratta puffed out her chest in pride.

 

“Then I’ll hurry.”

 

Kran didn’t hesitate any longer. The inspection needed to be done quickly so Lucion could return and rest.

 

“What about the mages from the Magic Tower? My sister asked me to let her know if they were causing trouble.”

 

Half of the Magic Tower’s barrier mages had been assigned to headquarters and the branches, while the other half had been stationed beyond the frontier.

 

Though unstable, the Ale Barrier was distinct from the Empire’s existing ones and had even earned Ketlan’s approval. To expand and reinforce it as quickly as possible, the headquarters’ location had to be revealed.

 

“I was worried at first, but they’re adapting better than expected.”

 

Kran let out a breath and stepped forward.

 

“And have we received all the light-imbued items from the Great Light Temple?”

 

At Lucion’s question, Kran nodded and reached for the door handle.

 

“Yes. Not just the Empire’s priests, but even the priests of Nevast have joined in. The process… is unbelievably fast.”

 

‘Looks like the priests of Nevast are being put to good use.’

 

Lucion felt quite satisfied.

 

“However, Hamel-nim.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Why are you so certain he will come directly to the Empire? Since he can use people as bargaining chips, wouldn’t it be more efficient for him to take Neubra first and then Myronist?”

 

“That’s true. If I weren’t here, that’s exactly what he would do.”

 

“Really…?”

 

“What he fears most is me regaining my original power.”

 

Otherwise, Veronia wouldn’t have designed this world in a way that ensures the ‘vessel’ is repeatedly killed. He must be terrified that he’ll meet the same fate as the King of Darkness he once killed.

 

“Besides, he needs to take control of the Sea of Death. Imagine how anxious he must be right now—the mere thought that it might have been purified would be unbearable for him.”

 

For Veronia, destroying the kingdoms of Neubra and Myronist was nothing more than a trivial task.

 

After all, the result he obtained after repeating the world dozens of times was the Sea of Death.

 

How precious it must be to him.

 

“But what if he changes direction after realizing that you purified the Sea of Death, Hamel-nim?”

 

Kran’s voice carried deep concern.

 

“That’s exactly why the area beyond the frontier is so chaotic, and why the priests have split up—to prevent that from happening.”

 

Lucion gestured toward the door with a nod.

 

By dividing the priests of Nevast, great results will come out.

 

* * *

 

Two days later.

 

Heint had refused Lucion’s summons multiple times. But after receiving a message from Hume—”If you refuse again, I will personally come to get you.”—he had no choice but to show up.

 

Squeak!

 

Roar!

 

Hearing the playful sounds of Ratta rolling a ball around, Heint smiled nervously. However, his unease quickly returned as he anticipated what was about to happen.

 

Lucion, unable to hold back, let out a short laugh.

 

“Why that face? Do you think I’m going to eat you, Brother?”

 

“No, it’s just… I feel uneasy. Either you’re going to ask me to do something again, or you’re about to say something outrageous, or you’ll ask for help sneaking out. Either way, it’s going to be troublesome.”

 

Heint sighed, recalling all the trouble Lucion had put him through. A deep frown settled on his forehead.

 

—Oh! Ratta knows! Heint always looks troubled!

 

Ratta trotted over and gently patted Heint’s leg with her front paw.

 

For some reason, Heint suddenly felt emotional—whether because of Ratta’s small act of comfort or his own pent-up frustration. His voice rose in protest.

 

“Now that I think about it, this is really unfair! Do you even know how much Carson has been pushing me lately? Just today, he almost cut my head off under the excuse of sparring!”

 

“Brother Carson would never do that. He was just pretending to.”

 

“Hah. I don’t think you’re in a position to say that, Lucion.”

 

At that moment, Russell, who had been quietly jotting down records from his time as a ghost, finally spoke up.

 

For once, Heint was relieved to have someone on his side.

 

“Well said, Teacher!”

 

“Who the hell is your teacher?”

 

“Then what should I call you?”

 

“Just call me Brother Russell.”

 

“Understood, Brother Russell!”

 

Heint’s flattery made Russell chuckle in satisfaction.

 

“Anyway, the walls built at the frontier and beyond are quite impressive.”

 

Dragged along by Carson, Heint had gotten a good look at the massive fortress wall—a symbol of the frontier—as well as the lands beyond, now exposed after the retreat of Neubra Kingdom’s soldiers.

 

“As for the current situation—”

 

“I know. Here, take this.”

 

—Ratta saw it too! Something suddenly appeared in the sky! It was huge and really beautiful!

 

Ratta turned her head while running again with the ball in her mouth.

 

Just as Ratta said, a progress report had already been received.

 

The operation had started urgently, and the pace was astonishingly fast. The level of meticulousness in execution was remarkable.

 

Lucion couldn’t hide his satisfaction as he noticed the impact of Ketlan’s decisive command and the disappearance of those who had defected to the Neubra Kingdom.

 

Even after that, updates on the situation continued to pour in—somewhat bothersome but necessary—through Kran and Heroan.

 

“You already knew? Did you… see it with your invisible eyes?”

 

“No. I snuck out.”

 

Lucion replied bluntly.

 

“I’m not a doctor, but even I know you shouldn’t be wandering around. I’ve been stabbed by a sword before—it hurts like hell.”

 

Heint fidgeted, unable to bring himself to ask why Lucion had been moving around in his condition.

 

It wasn’t as if Lucion had a particularly sturdy body to begin with.

 

“Anyway, take this.”

 

Lucion reached into his magic pocket, finally revealing the real reason he had called Heint over.

 

What he pulled out was a pure white sword.

 

“…?”

 

Heint’s eyes widened instantly.

 

The moment he laid eyes on the sword, his own light surged uncontrollably, forcing him to step back.

 

“How does it look to you?” Lucion asked.

 

“Aside from the fact that it’s pure white… it’s unbelievably, overwhelmingly holy. To the point where I’m worried about you just holding it,” Heint said, wiping the uneasiness off his face.

 

“This is… an object imbued with light, isn’t it?”

 

“No.”

 

“No?”

 

“It’s a holy relic.”

 

Lucion grinned.

 

“To be precise, it’s the real holy relic. Everything we’ve known as relics until now? They’re just fragments of this one.”

 

“…”

 

Heint was speechless.

 

“Take it.”

 

“W-why are you giving this to me?”

 

“Just return it to me at the right moment. Until then, use it. You’ll probably find it more useful than I would.”

 

Heint gulped, cautiously stepping forward.

 

“I’m not a priest, so… uh, this feels a little unsettling.”

 

“What’s there to be unsettled about? It’s meant to be used.”

 

Lucion held back from mentioning that, to those blessed by the light, a holy relic was practically the embodiment of divinity and life itself. He didn’t want to overwhelm Heint any further.

 

Meanwhile, Russell, who had been quietly observing the exchange, suddenly burst into laughter.

 

“Why… are you laughing?”

 

Already feeling uneasy, Heint couldn’t help but ask.

 

“It’s just… this whole situation is kind of funny. Ah, don’t mind me. Just take it. It’s a great honor, isn’t it?”

 

Suspicious of Russell’s smirk, Heint turned back to Lucion.

 

“There’s something you’re not telling me, right…? Wait, what’s wrong?”

 

Heint stopped mid-sentence.

 

Lucion’s expression had turned gravely serious.

 

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling dizzy?”

 

Russell stopped writing and looked at Lucion, while Ratta hurriedly climbed onto the bed.

 

—What’s wrong, Lucion? Are you in pain? Should Ratta call Hume?

 

“In the barrier that trapped him…”

 

Just now, the holy sword had shown Lucion a single image—like a frozen snapshot in time.

 

“…It has cracked.”

 

“…”

 

Heint sucked in a sharp breath before cursing under his breath.

 

“Damn it! Just wait a moment. I’ll report this to His Majesty immediately.”

 

Without wasting another second, he rushed out, his urgency matching his words.

 

“How long do you think the barrier will hold?”

 

Russell asked, his face tight with concern.

 

“Today… maybe tomorrow. There’s not much time left.”

 

The tension Lucion had managed to suppress for a while now struck his heart like a hammer.

 

“Where on earth has Broson gone? Even the darkness doesn’t know.”

 

Lucion gripped the blanket tightly.

 

Not even Bethel or the ghosts under his control had been able to track Broson down.

 

* * *

 

“Hamel-nim?”

 

Kran, who had been anxiously tugging at his hair, suddenly froze and stared at Lucion in disbelief.

 

The dark circles under his eyes were painfully obvious.

 

“You’re here again?”

 

“What do you mean, ‘again’? This week, I—”

 

“Yes. Three days have passed since the start of this week, and you’ve shown up all three days.”

 

Kran grumbled.

 

—Um… Ratta thinks Kran is going through puberty! They say you start acting all rebellious when that happens!

 

Ratta’s words nearly made Lucion laugh, while Hume looked taken aback.

 

“Ratta, that’s not the right way to use that phrase. If anything, I’d say the young master is the one going through puberty.”

 

Hume crouched down and gently explained to Ratta.

 

Just as Kran’s expression started to turn awkward, Lucion finally spoke.

 

“Kran, I know you’re upset, but… I figured it was best to tell you this in person.”

 

“…Why do you say that?”

 

Kran tensed immediately.

 

It felt like a final farewell was looming.

 

“The barrier the divine beasts used to seal him… has cracked. If not today, then tomorrow—it could collapse.”

 

“You must not go back! Don’t even think about it!”

 

Kran shouted, his worry overflowing.

 

“The same goes for you, Kran. I hope I… won’t have to see you off.”

 

Lucion removed his mask and smiled.

 

“It was an honor meeting you. Thank you for everything so far, and… let’s keep working hard together.”

 

“You say such terrifying things so casually.”

 

Kran forced a strained smile, but at last, he seemed at peace.

 

“It has been my honor. I would like to continue serving you, Hamel-nim.”

 

“No need to see me out, Kran. Whatever happens, I’m glad I spoke to you face-to-face.”

 

With those final words, Lucion turned and left the room.

 

Now, it was time to say goodbye.

 

One by one.

 

While everyone was still alive.