"Ah, Lord Nikolas. It's a pleasure to meet you like this. Honestly, I didn't expect you'd actually come."
The councilman who had spotted Lucas beamed, extending his hand.
Lucas accepted the handshake and replied.
"Could I ignore a councilman's request?"
"Haha, thank you. As your reputation suggests, you are a man of great courtesy."
The councilman's tone lifted slightly, as if touched.
Lucas smiled in response.
"So, there's something you'd like me to investigate?"
"Yes, that's right. First, may I invite you to my residence? This conversation... is difficult to have in a place like this."
"Your residence?"
"No need to feel burdened. It's a place used for work, not my main office, and it's near the capital. If you're uncomfortable, we can stay here..."
After a moment of thought, Lucas readily nodded.
"Let's go. If you give me the coordinates, I'll follow."
"No, I can't have you, whom I'm asking a favor, go to such trouble. Take hold."
The councilman extended his right hand.
Lucas stared into his green eyes, then grasped his wrist.
The councilman counted softly under his breath and deployed a warp spell. Instantly, his residence unfolded before their eyes.
No, to be precise, the first thing visible was the garden. The surfaces of leaves, green as in summer, shimmered and shone in the sunlight. It was a place utterly unbelievable as a garden in the winter of November.
Lucas scanned the surroundings and murmured.
"Impressive."
"Haha, I'm glad you think so. I put in a bit of effort to invite you."
The councilman attempted various small talk as they ascended to the highest floor of the residence. He pointed to a table positioned near the room's window and they sat.
"What tea would you like? Just name it and I'll have it brought."
"It's fine. As you know, I can't remove my mask."
Lucas laughed, tapping the edge of his mask.
The councilman leaned back and laughed heartily.
"Ah! Haha, of course. Lord Nikolas, why exactly do you wear a mask? People talk, I must admit I'm curious."
"I thought people might develop prejudices if they saw my face. I wanted them to focus on my abilities and actions."
"Hmm, well... That's interesting. Judging by your aura, you don't seem like someone who would look that strange. And how ugly can a person really be? It's all a matter of personal interpretation."
It wasn't about looks, but that's how he took it.
Lucas smiled gently and replied.
"Prejudices usually arise from that realm of interpretation."
"I see... I suppose I can't easily speak of the experiences you've had. Anyway, no one finds it strange that Lord Nikolas wears a mask anymore. That's all in the past. Let's return to our original topic."
"Agreed."
"You are well aware, Lord Nikolas, that the situation in Pleroma has been unusual lately. Coincidentally, I've caught wind of Pleroma moving differently than before. Do you see?"
The councilman pulled documents from his bag and handed them to Lucas.
The neatly bound papers contained statistics and photos he had analyzed.
After reviewing the contents, Lucas slowly stroked the chin of his mask and spoke.
"The number of grave robberies has decreased."
"Yes."
"The decrease is rather minor. This seems like a change that could easily occur naturally."
"I thought the same at first. But knowing the circumstances, that's not the case."
Lucas looked up and met his gaze directly. Strauchi shook his head with a serious expression.
"I have an informant. Many politicians in the Empire probably have their own informants, but mine is a bit different. I have someone who was long involved with Pleroma and left about a year ago."
Lucas let out a soft sigh.
"Aren't you worried about keeping someone from Pleroma close, in case they betray you?"
"That can't happen. We've already taken measures on our end."
Lucas paused briefly and smiled.
This part was worth noting. It would likely be connected to the methods he would use from now on.
"What methods?"
"Either altering the mind through divine power, or placing restrictions on a part of the body. For example, magic injected over the heart that will burst it if a sworn condition is broken... You use divine power, Lord Nikolas, so you must be familiar."
The councilman wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.
"I knew of it, but hearing it's actually used is new. A truly primitive and certain method."
"Indeed. There's a reason classics survive and are passed down. I realized that here."
"I suppose. Frankly speaking... I don't know about ethics."
"Does ethics matter to Pleroma? Those who act directly contrary to His will have no right to life."
"So you're saying they are people it's okay to kill."
"They weren't people to begin with."
Understandable, from a councilman's standpoint.
Lucas nodded.
Seeing that reaction, Strauchi grinned and brought up the original topic again.
"According to my informant, Pleroma would only increase, never decrease, the annual target number of corpses to collect. It's been that way for the decades he was involved."
"Why?"
"There are many uses. Commoner corpses can be revived and used for labor like digging graves again, or Vitriol can be extracted from them for their own use. They're also easy to infiltrate into society."
He said extract Vitriol.
Pleroma's magic power is called Vitriol.
Anyway, this part was also worth remembering.
Lucas nodded.
"So my friend speculates that this time, instead of the dead, Pleroma might be targeting the living, pushing for a large-scale reform unlike before."
"I see. That seems a plausible enough hypothesis."
A smile formed on the councilman's face at that answer.
"That's why I'm asking you, Lord Nikolas. You know I'm a federal councilman for Mecklenburg. When Pleroma appears in Mecklenburg's cemeteries, I want you, Lord Nikolas, to capture them. Our side lacks anyone with the power to handle Vitriol."
Vitriol can temporarily exert power dozens or thousands of times that of normal magic, making it difficult to handle.
He's been attaching various plausible stories to recruit me. So far, his logic is at a somewhat convincing level.
"Hmm. What will you do if you capture a Pleroma member?"
"Make them confess everything they know. If you assist with divine power for that part as well, Lord Nikolas, I'll offer greater compensation. Of course, all information obtained will be used to thwart Pleroma's new plans."
Lucas listened to his words and nodded slowly.
The councilman's gaze, waiting for consent, was fixed on Lucas.
After some time passed, Lucas slowly opened his mouth.
"As you know, I serve His Highness the Crown Prince of Bavaria."
"Yes, that's right."
"Given that position, I cannot approve this matter alone."
"Then..."
"I also think well of your plan, Councilman, so I will request permission from His Highness."
A smile spread across the councilman's face.
"By His Highness the Crown Prince, you mean Duke Leonard Wittelsbach of Bavaria."
"That's correct."
"That's a bit problematic."
Lucas looked at him without a change in expression.
The councilman slowly rose from his seat.
"I'll have to decline letting the conversation go that far. And... by now, it's more than enough time to be poisoned."
"..."
"Even for a divine power user, can one last this long? I wonder. Ah, the request is done now. You didn't take it seriously, did you?"
"If you want me to understand, speak more clearly. If you want to talk to yourself, I'll leave."
"Do that."
Werner Strauchi tilted his head slightly and twisted his hand, pointing toward the door.
Lucas gave him an indifferent glance, walked to the door, and swiftly turned the handle.
*Click—*
"..."
Lucas looked down quietly at the handle, which had stopped turning midway, and chuckled.
"You're the first person to tell someone to leave through a door that doesn't open."
"Is that so? You're also the first person I've seen unaffected by this air. I should have realized when you could use divine power on such a scale..."
"Warp too..."
Lucas rubbed his fingers together.
*Crackle—*
No matter how many warp formulas he churned, no proper response appeared.
Of course. What fool would only block the door and not block warp against a mage?
"Of course it won't work. Recite all the coordinates you know. I'll wait."
"How did you do this? Impressive."
Despite Werner Strauchi's sneer, Lucas sighed faintly with a calm voice.
The councilman smiled warmly just like him, leaned against the table, and crossed his arms.
"Would you understand if I said the coordinate system itself is different? If the place we were in is World 1, here is a copy of a part of it, World 1*... something like that."
"The world itself is different?"
"More like... You don't know? Anyway..."
The councilman slightly furrowed his brows, then gently lifted the corners of his mouth.
"Just know one thing. Without my help, you cannot return to where you were originally."
"...Originally?"
"Yes. You cannot return as the Bavarian royal mage from the Papal States. Your brilliant rise ends here. You'll have to spend your whole life in this place, where there is nothing but my residence."
"Haha..."
Lucas let out a laugh like a deflating tire.
"I don't know what you mean by 'originally'."
"Don't you want to go back?"
At Lucas's muttering, the councilman tilted his head slightly.
Lucas silently gazed into the air, lost in thought.
After waiting a considerable while, the councilman subtly lifted the corner of his mouth.
"This silence... feels like it means you're okay with not going back. Am I right?"
"Not a chance."
Lucas stared piercingly at Werner Strauchi, who had approached him, and spoke.
"Let's negotiate first."
"..."
"What do you want? Why did you bring me here?"
"It's surprising you can be so composed."
Strauchi let out a laugh mixed with exasperation.
"Answer me."
"You seem to be mistaken about who holds the initiative in this situation..."
*Boom—!*
The floor right next to where Lucas stood blackened and charred.
"I don't need to answer your questions. Right?"
Clearly, the initial activation magic for the warp had deployed. The faint sound heard proved it.
It's just that the coordinates I input were for a place that doesn't exist here, so space couldn't be connected.
Anyway, it means it's not a place where magic is completely unusable.
"Seems like a world where magic can be used. The coordinates are just invalid."
"Hahaha... So, you'll rely on one spell and make a move?"
*KWAANG—!*
Before the words even finished, with a explosive sound, Strauchi's body flew and slammed into the wall.
"Kuh-hack...!"
Sliding down the wall, he slumped forward. He dry-heaved over the floor as if about to vomit any second, then groaned in pain and slowly got up.
Perhaps from the shock, his legs trembled uncontrollably. Yet Strauchi kept chuckling and approached Lucas.
"Acting like this will only put you at a disadvantage."
Lucas placed his hand on the edge of his mask.
With each inhale, a strange smell of blood stabbed at his senses. Soon after, he felt something trickling down from inside his nasal bone.
'As expected.'
I knew from the moment he brought me here without restricting my movement.
Given the circumstances, it was clear a curse was placed here that drains stamina the more magic is used. A curse that appears everywhere from children's fairy tales to high school curriculum, and experiencing it firsthand is surprising.
'So that's the method.'
I understand the Pleroma-style mage confinement method well.
No need to tie someone up or beat them into immobility. Just making them unable to use a single spell is weapon enough.
Then one might think, I'll just overpower the opponent with strength... but considering this body is Luca's, the likelihood of that is extremely low.
Above all, the opponent can use magic freely.
So, it's clear magic using Vitriol isn't restricted.
'Still...'
This much isn't even a strain for me. For this moment, I'm grateful to my brother. Though if he hadn't existed, I wouldn't have needed to hide my identity in the first place, but anyway.
Probably, four or five more times.
That many would mean complete death, but before that, I can survive.
Of course, I have no intention of telling the truth.
"Looks like I can use it one more time."
Lucas kicked his legs out from under him, sending him crashing down again.
—-----------
T/N:
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