The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 29

Marianne opened her mouth, her expression more serious than ever.

“I believe you are all aware of the general outline of this incident. After the First Garrison was attacked, our Knights immediately pursued the perpetrators.

However, Drog Grivis and his followers vanished in an instant, leaving behind only the stragglers who hadn’t managed to join them, scattered throughout the forest.

The knights remaining in the forest eliminated the scattered remnants, and I’ve already issued orders to track down the rest who fled outwards.”

“Were you unable to find any further traces of Grivis?”

“He must have been severely injured, but he didn’t leave a single trace. Truly, he’s as elusive as they say… It’s no wonder the Black Knight Commander couldn’t catch him even after pursuing him for half a year.”

At those words, the Black Knight Commander scratched his head. Marianne smiled slightly.

“However, the fact that he revealed his true form this time is significant. For a long time, he’s been hiding in human form, but he revealed his true self in this battle. Although it was a demonic species we’d never seen before…”

“It was a Kailark,” Klaus, who had been sitting silently and listening, said quietly.

The knights, including Marianne, turned to look at him with surprised faces.

“A Kailark? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

“Weren’t they the demonic species that made up the Demon Emperor’s personal guard?”

When the White Knight Commander spoke, Klaus nodded slightly.

“Kailarks are among the highest-ranking demonic species. They received blood and magical power directly from Verkiss, so they’re far stronger and more intelligent than ordinary demonic species.

Before Verkiss was sealed, even a single Kailark could easily annihilate dozens of elite knights.

However, after Verkiss was sealed, they rapidly weakened, presumably due to the loss of their magical power source, and became easy to defeat.”

“Then what happened to Grivis? How did he survive until now?”

“That’s what I’m wondering.”

Klaus pulled his chair closer and sat down.

“The personal guard would have all been gathered at the detached palace when Verkiss was sealed. It wouldn’t have been easy to survive that battle.”

“It’s possible he mutated to survive.”

At the White Knight Commander’s speculation, Klaus shrugged, seemingly lacking conviction.

“If we assume that, then he’s more troublesome than we thought.”

“In any case, we have no choice but to continue pursuing Grivis.

I’ll continue my report. Some of our knights pursued the demonic species all the way to the Thorn Garden mansion. Yes, the mansion that the Black Knight Commander and Sir Klaus were watching.

As expected, the mansion was full of evidence that demonic species had been staying there for a long time.”

That mansion… where I was imprisoned…

I held my breath and listened to Marianne’s voice.

“The presumed bodies of the mansion’s owner, Count Alleiman, his family, and the servants… were discovered. Family members of the Count’s household in Prion testified that they lost contact a few days before the festival.”

“Hmm. There’s a problem with the fact that no one noticed them staying so close to Prion for so long. Surely the demonic species passed through the defense cities.”

“The barriers of the defense cities aren’t as strong as Prion’s. Grivis could have passed through them without any trouble, even with his group.”

“…Is that so?”

The White Knight Commander’s tone was laced with a sigh. Klaus didn’t stop there.

“Furthermore, this time, they also neutralized Prion’s barrier. Even though it was temporarily weakened to transport Ash, it shouldn’t have been that easy to breach.

Or rather, I see. The noticeable decrease in the number of mages maintaining the barrier is the problem.”

“That’s a difficult problem to solve immediately, Master.”

“It will probably be difficult to solve in the future as well.”

When Klaus grumbled, Luwen closed his mouth.

“We’ll have to think of other countermeasures for the barrier. Anyway, Marianne? Continue.”

Under Klaus’s gaze, Marianne straightened up.

“Ah, yes. Our knights eliminated all the remaining demonic species in the mansion and are now recovering the bodies.

Also, a mage dispatched from the Tower discovered a strong magical reaction in the basement of the mansion and is currently investigating it. They speculate that some kind of ritual took place there.”

A ritual in the mansion’s basement.

I felt my heart pounding and shrank back.

The memory of that time is still etched in my mind with terror. Just thinking about it makes me feel suffocated.

Perhaps it showed on my face, as no one asked me any further questions about it.

If I had to tell the truth…

Could I say that I was impaled through the chest and thrown into the magical power of the sealing orb, and that I was revived thanks to that wicked, dark magic?

“…Also, the aftermath of the battle at the garrison and its reconstruction have been delegated to the White Knights. That concludes my report.”

“Good work, Marianne.”

As Marianne nodded and sat down, the White Knight Commander’s gaze turned to Klaus.

“Then this time… Sir Klaus. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Klaus stood up and, without much hesitation, perched on the table.

Luwen frowned.

“Master, that kind of attitude…”

“I’m getting old, and standing for long periods is a strain. Please understand.”

“It’s alright, please make yourself comfortable.”

At the White Knight Commander’s kindness, Klaus gave Luwen a mischievous look.

Luwen shook his head and sighed.

It was a moment that perfectly revealed the Sage’s remarkable personality, and how much hardship his disciple, Luwen, had endured so far.

Klaus looked around at the people and opened his mouth.

“So, Marianne mentioned earlier that some kind of ritual took place in the basement of the mansion. I think I can answer that.

Actually, it would be faster to ask the person sitting right there… but seeing as someone is glaring at me fiercely, I suppose that’s impossible.”

My father’s back straightened. He was definitely having a staring contest with Klaus.

“I apologize, but I cannot allow that.”

“Alright, alright. I’ve already been nagged to death by someone, so there’s no need for more. Then I have no choice but to explain my deductions.”

“Please, Sir Klaus,” the White Knight Commander said with a smile. His attempt to lighten the mood was successful.

Klaus took a sip of tea before he began to speak.

“Last winter, the Abandoned Road’s sealing site was attacked by demonic species. It was very thorough and meticulously planned.

Grivis nearly annihilated the members of the Silver Moon Knights without even revealing his true form. It was my negligence to have been away at the time.”

Klaus clicked his tongue.

The air in the meeting room grew heavy at his words.

I listened nervously.

“When I hurried back to the sealing site, it was already too late. The barrier was broken, and the Red Sealing Orb fragment inside had been stolen.

After that, I started tracking them down with the knights, and after wandering around for a while, I realized they were stationed right under Prion’s nose.

If that Luwen fellow hadn’t suddenly shown up, bothering me about danger and requesting backup, I would have wiped them out long ago.”

“Master…” Luwen sighed deeply.

“Well, it was a dangerous situation to rush into recklessly,” the Black Knight Commander, who had been silent, chimed in.

“There were more of them than we expected, and we were too few in number. It would have been quite dangerous if Luwen hadn’t come.”

With the Black Knight Commander backing him up, Klaus shook his head disapprovingly. Luwen looked relieved.

“I see,” the White Knight Commander said with a laugh, lightening the mood.

“We’re always grateful that you take the lead and shoulder important missions, Sir Klaus. But please consider your safety sometimes. It would be a disaster if we were to lose our Sage.”

“Alright, alright. Don’t you start nagging me too. Anyway, getting back to the main point.

After finding that little one, Liberick, and bringing him back to the garrison, I immediately had him treated by the Priest.

The Priest probably didn’t know, and yes, you probably didn’t know either, Luwen, but I realized that a fragment of the Red Sealing Orb was inside the boy’s body.

After all, I’ve been chasing that terribly wicked magical power since last year.”

Silence fell over the meeting room. No one dared to speak.

I took a small breath.

It felt as if the sound of my heart, which wasn’t mine, beating, could be heard outside.

Erner, who was watching the meeting beside me, quietly took my hand.

It seemed my hand had been trembling without me realizing it.

“To be precise, it’s his heart. A fragment of the Red Sealing Orb is attached to Liberick’s heart. Or rather, it’s fused with it. Even the Chief Priest, Grain, confirmed this, so there’s no mistake.”

“Could you explain how such a thing is possible?” the White Knight Commander asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Klaus paused for a moment. He glanced at me, met my eyes, then looked away.

“…I’m not sure. The Red Sealing Orb is the essence of Trojan Imperial magic. We mages of the Southern Kingdom can’t understand its structure at all.

Moreover, the mages of the Trojan Empire were almost completely annihilated early on in the Demon Emperor’s reign, so they’re nowhere to be found now.”

“Aren’t there any books or artifacts left?”

“In the Trojan Empire, magic was passed down within each mage family. They inherited that magical power, magic, and knowledge through generations via family-specific training methods. It was a secret to outsiders, so there’s no way books or anything like that would be left behind.”

Klaus understood the Empire’s mages well.

The Empire’s mages had built up powerful magical power and magical systems over a long period in that way, and they wielded immense power as nobles of the Empire.

“Anyway, I have no way of knowing how the Red Sealing Orb was created or how it works. I can’t even guess.”

As he said this, Klaus stared intently at me.

As if asking, *you would know, wouldn’t you?*

“Then, a way to separate the fragment of the Sealing Orb from Liberick…” my father asked. His voice was laced with desperation.

Klaus shook his head.

“It’s best to give up on that. The Sealing Orb fragment is completely fused with his heart. Even attempting to separate it is dangerous.”

It sounded like he was saying I could die if they tried.

After a long while, my father said in a subdued voice, “I see.”

The White Knight Commander, who had been lost in thought with a serious expression, opened his mouth.

“Sir Klaus. Grivis’s intention in doing such a thing to Liberick is surely…?”

“Obvious. He’s trying to resurrect Verkiss. He’s stealing fragments of the Red Sealing Orb from sealing sites in various locations and trying to combine them into one through Liberick.”

“Sigh, another hurdle after another,” Marianne sighed.

“If that’s the case, they’ll come after Liberick again. Of course, we won’t just stand by idly.”

“Indeed. We will not allow something like this to happen again,” my father said in a firm voice, following Marianne.

The knights seated around the table carefully exchanged glances, as if solidifying their resolve.

“Then we’ll have a lot to do now,” the White Knight Commander said, looking around at everyone.

“Now that they’ve started to move in earnest, we must prepare ourselves thoroughly.

Red and Black Knight Commanders, continue to operate the Knights outside Prion as you have been, but pay even closer attention to the movements of the demonic species.

The Tower of Altur, please devise measures to strengthen the barrier. We must make Prion’s defenses even more robust.

Blue Knight Commander, you must find ways to increase the efficiency of the Knights’ Academy. We will need more skilled knights.

And Sir Klaus…”

The White Knight Commander’s gaze landed on Klaus. He brazenly shrugged.

“Don’t worry about me; I’ll do what I can. There are things only I can do.”

“Yes. I trust you.”

“Speaking of which, I have something in mind.”

Klaus’s gaze went straight to me.

“I will take Liberick Eldrian as my disciple.”