Volume 3/ Chapter 3 begins
The night curtain has fallen. And, the tranquil darkness reigns over this world.
The owls call out suspiciously, and the full moon illuminates this dark realm. Tonight is a beautiful full moon night, with not a cloud in sight.
Under such moonlight, a man walks gracefully.
At a glance, his attire is unmistakably noble. He wears a black suit and carries a high-quality leather bag in his right hand.
His short brown hair is neatly styled, with the bangs swept back.
His appearance gives the impression of a capable man.
“Excuse me.”
After bowing respectfully, he passes through the gate. Following the maid, the man continues to walk leisurely. The sound of his shoes clicking echoes through the quiet space.
“This way, please.”
“Thank you.”
He is led to a study. After knocking three times, a deep male voice can be heard from inside.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Once again bowing respectfully, he enters the room. Although it is called a study, the walls are entirely lined with books.
Just a glance reveals that the owner of this room is fond of collecting books.
“Well then, please take a seat.”
“Excuse me.”
The man smiles alluringly and sits down on the sofa, placing his bag on the ground.
The man sitting across from him, Bruno Bradley, also takes his seat.
They face each other across a long table.
“I apologize for meeting at such a late hour.”
“No, I actually prefer this time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I find it easier to be active at night.”
“I see.”
Looking at the clock on the wall, it is currently 2:40. Indeed, it is the late hour they are referring to.
Why are these two meeting in secret at such a late hour?
There is a specific reason for it…
“Well then, may I proceed as per your request? Head of the Bradley family, Lord Bruno Bradley?”
“Yeah.”
“I understand. Then, please sign this pledge.”
The man takes out a document from his bag.
It details the terms of the contract, with a space for signatures and a place for a seal at the bottom.
“…Understood.”
After a few seconds of contemplation, Bruno signs with the fountain pen he has. There is still something for both of them to do from here.
──The Shinvuoleo Contract. [TN: Here “契約” {keiyaku} is the Kanji Meaning ‘Contract or Pact’ and シンヴォレオ (shinvuoreo) the furigana maybe giving a stylized name, so I’ll be using it in combo]
It is a contract of magic. It leaves each other’s blood as proof of the agreement and magically activates the power of absolute compliance. The contract is formed through the individual’s Prima Materia mixed in the blood.
Normally, such a contract would not be made. Even if both parties agree to the terms, the contract is too powerful.
This contract was originally illegal and was used during the time of slavery. Though slavery has been abolished now.
“Well then, let’s proceed with the blood.”
“…Ah.”
Bruno takes out a dagger he has tucked away. He places the sheath on the table, revealing the blade that glimmers as if it were a mirror, indicating its sharpness.
Without hesitation, he lightly cuts his thumb.
Blood drips, plopping onto the paper, seemingly absorbed and disappearing into it. Then, a red emblem appears on the document.
“Well then, I’ll take my turn.”
The man says this as well, lightly cutting his right thumb with a knife to let his blood drip.
In that moment, the document emitted a faint glow… and here, a contract was formed.
“The contract is complete. Now, I will carry out the request.”
“…I appreciate it.”
Bruno bowed his head.
He is one of the heads of the three great noble families. While he has often been the recipient of bows, it is rare for him to bow himself.
Fundamentally, his pride would not allow it. But now, without any hesitation, he simply bows his head.
The young man smiled broadly.
It was by no means a mocking smile. With a kind expression, he said:
“I will proceed with the matter concerning your daughter, Lady Rebecca, as planned.”
“Yes. I have already informed my daughter and the surrounding nobles.”
“…This is a personal concern, but was that really okay?”
“There was no other way…”
Bruno’s face contorted in anguish. He clenched his fists, an anger without an outlet welling up inside him, but he suppressed it. There was no point in shouting now.
This was something Bruno himself understood all too well.
“Well then, I will take my leave… Oh, pardon me.”
“No, it’s fine. I understand your circumstances.”
“Thank you. Then, I will take my leave.”
“Ah.”
As he stood up, the man carefully put the document into his bag. Then, he stood up smoothly, bowed, and left one last remark.
“I will take the liberty of handling this at my discretion. I ask for your understanding once again. Please understand the matter concerning your daughter as well.”
“…Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“I do like those who are understanding.”
With another smile, the man stopped the maid who was seeing him off and left the Bradley family mansion alone.
A venomous grin curls as the writhing intent takes its first step──.
◇
“You’re back. How did it go?”
“I’m progressing with the Bradley family matter.”
“So, is it true?”
“Yes.”
As he loosened his tie and carelessly draped it over a chair, the man took off his jacket. After getting into a more casual state, he sat down in front of another man.
There was already wine on the table, and without any preamble, the man drank it all in one go.
“When is the engagement announcement for Rebecca Bradley?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I see.”
The man in front of him was muscular, with black hair faded and cut short.
Just by looking at him, one could be overwhelmed by his large physique. He continued to drink the wine he had prepared himself.
“But is it really true?”
“There’s no doubt. Given the signs from Magic Chevalier, Rebecca Bradley is someone who can be a vessel.”
“It’s hard to believe…”
“Well, for this, please trust me. You won’t be at a loss.”
“I don’t like you, but I trust your achievements. Well, I’ll make sure to profit from this.”
“Please do.”
The big man grinned with a mischievous smile.
He calmly observed the situation while drinking more wine.
The unique sensation of alcohol.
He reveled in the warmth that flowed down his throat. He was originally strong against alcohol; he never got drunk.
But he enjoyed it. Just drinking made him intoxicated with the atmosphere.
“However, the problem is the interference from other sorcerers.”
“…Can’t the Eugenics Agency do anything about it?”
“The Eugenics Agency isn’t a single entity. There are always factional disputes there, fighting over a few seats. My current job is part of that. If I can win this and truly obtain Rebecca Bradley, my goal will be achieved in the truest sense.”
“I see… So, do you have a plan?”
“Of course. I have no oversights in my work. However, there are issues.”
“What is it?”
He carelessly scattered the small, folded papers he had stored in his chest pocket across the desk. They contained profiles of three sorcerers.
“The Scorching Heat Sorcerer, the Illusion Sorcerer, and the Ice Blade Sorcerer. In this job, we will likely be facing these three.”
“Oh… from the Seven Great Sorcerers, huh? That’s quite a big deal. It’s well known that the Flame and Illusion Sorcerer are at Arnold Magic Academy, but didn’t the Ice Blade Sorcerer retire?”
He continued speaking, staring blankly into the void with eyes devoid of light.
“Rumor has it that the Ice Blade has been passed down.”
“Passed down? Is the system of the Seven Great Sorcerers hereditary?”
“No. The Seven Great Sorcerers are unique individuals selected for their unparalleled sorcery. Hereditary succession is impossible. There has never been a case, even with their offspring.”
“So what does that mean?”
“We should consider it an exception. However, we don’t have accurate information on it ourselves.”
“Information regulation, huh?”
“Most likely, the kingdom’s intelligence agency is… intentionally doing something. They’re quite skilled.”
“Oh… I’m getting more and more motivated. So, can I kill them?”
“If you can kill them, please do. My target is Rebecca Bradley. However, the Seven Great Sorcerers have not only their [Attributes] but also their [Essence].”
“Attributes? Essence?”
The large man looked puzzled. Seeing this, the other man sighed and began to explain.
“The names of the Seven Great Sorcerers are merely their ‘Attributes.’ In other words, they are symbols. What leaks from their ‘Essence’ is abstracted and established as a name. If you are to face them, don’t get distracted by just their names. The Grim Reaper has been defeated during the Magic Chevalier, after all.”
“That Grim Reaper?”
“Yes. Especially be careful of the combat-specialized ‘Schorching Heat’ and ‘Ice Blade.'”
“Those two are among the top of the Seven Great Sorcerers, huh… Ah, I can’t wait to kill them…”
“The ‘Ice Blade’ is particularly dangerous. You know about their exploits in the Far Eastern War, right?”
“Ah, that’s a famous story. The ‘Ice Blade’ can change the course of a large-scale battle all by themselves. I know they’re the world’s greatest sorcerer.”
“However, the current ‘Ice Blade’ is said to surpass Lydia Ainsworth.”
“Huh? Is that for real?”
“That’s just a rumor, but there’s no doubt that we can’t let our guard down.”
“Hahaha! That’s great! The Seven Great Sorcerers really are something! Ah… I can’t wait to fight and kill…!”
In his excitement, the large man crushed the glass he was holding, shattering it.
The remnants of the glass fell to the ground.
Normally, blood would be dripping from such a man’s hands, but… that was not the case.
The large man’s hands were unscathed. He lightly waved his hand to brush away the debris.
At the same time, the slender man announced:
“──Now then, let the battle for supremacy begins.”
The schemes began to accelerate──.
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