"Magnus? You've already mastered teleportation?" Luden asked, though not as a curious friend.
"Well, I didn't actually know for sure," Magnus admitted, picking up the apple on the table beside him. Lazitha hadn't gotten rid of them yet. The moment he held it, he activated [Deletion], and the fruit vanished from his hand. Visually, it looked exactly like teleportation—flawless and instantaneous.
Luden and Nithra both froze.
They'd been practicing learning this spell for weeks, training nonstop while Magnus had been away for reasons even Luden only knew the base details about. And now, in just a few hours of being back, he pulled this off? It didn't make sense.
If anything, he's gotten even better since returning from that assignment…
That was Luden's first thought. Shock, quickly followed by weighing the benefits. As long as their deal held, Magnus' improvement meant more options for him, too. This wasn't the first time he'd seen something like it either—back when they were first learning the Mana Sphere Spell, Magnus had spent most of the class doing what looked like nothing. Then, out of nowhere, he conjured a perfect sphere that showed near-complete mastery over the spell itself.
Eventually, Luden had stopped trying to understand how Magnus did what he did. But Nithra wasn't in on the secret. She didn't know who Magnus really was, or what he was capable of. She hadn't even been there during the Mana Sphere training.
"But how did you..." Nithra frowned, staring directly at him.
"The level of mana control needed to pierce through space that precisely is Master-level, or close to it. That would mean you're a Pseudo-Master, but that shouldn't be possible."
"I'm not sure about all that," Magnus said.
"I still can't teleport anything bigger than a certain size, and I haven't figured out how to send something to a different location. Right now, it just reappears in the same spot."
"Magnus's mana control has always been exceptional," Lazitha cut in.
"Not quite at Master-level complexity, but the number of spells he can control at once speaks for itself. I'd say he's close to reaching that tier, which is impressive on its own for someone so young to accomplish." Magnus blinked and turned toward her. She gave him a calm, reassuring look. He wasn't sure why she was backing him up, but if she was willing to cover for him, he wasn't going to question it.
"Still," she went on, "all of you are still learning. Mastering one piece of teleportation doesn't mean you've grasped the whole thing. Who knows what challenges you'll run into next? Luckily, since you're my only students, I'll have time to help you through it. So, for now, focus on what you can do, and be ready for class tomorrow. Understood?" Nithra's eyes flicked between the two of them. Her expression barely shifted, but it was obvious she still had questions.
Realizing she wouldn't get any answers, she turned away with a mutter.
"Fine. Whatever."
And with that, class was dismissed.
Lazitha left first, mentioning she had something to take care of. Because of that, Luden's private lesson—normally right after class—had to be delayed. It actually worked out perfectly, since he'd planned to ask for a reschedule anyway. He needed time alone with Magnus.
As for Nithra, she left like she always did: silent, slipping into one of the many winding hallways of the fourth floor once they stepped out of the training chamber.
That left just Magnus and Luden. They didn't head downstairs, nor did they linger near the room Lazitha had reserved. Somewhere along the way, Magnus had already put on his mask, his appearance shifting into that of Cain.
Glancing his way, Luden spoke.
"You wanted to talk to me about the mercenaries at the celebration, so I'm guessing you either want an update or you've learned something new."
"Both," Magnus answered, his voice altered by the mask.
Luden raised a brow, their pace slowing.
"Oh?" They stopped in front of another private chamber door. Magnus recognized it from memory—it was the one Luden had reserved for their faction. As expected, when he opened the door, there was no one else present. A perfect place to talk in private. The door shut behind them with a dull echo against the stone walls, and Magnus took in the space. It was still lit by those same warm, glowing lanterns overhead, which made it feel more like a lounge than a training room. But that made sense. It was built for a different purpose than the room Lazitha had picked.
Luden took the first seat at a polished wooden table by the wall near the door. He motioned for Magnus to join him, and he did, sitting across from him.
"Well," Luden started, leaning back a little, "since you've clearly picked up some new information, it's probably better if you go first. My people have been looking into the mercenaries, too, but there's no point in repeating things you may already know."
Magnus gave a nod.
"Honestly, I've learned more than I expected—but also ended up with more questions. I guess I should start by saying my trip back to Arlcliff City wasn't as smooth as I made it sound. That woman who attacked me during the raid? I found out her name. She's called Lady Austra—and apparently, she's working under some Lord."
"Lady Austra, huh?" Luden leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table as he rubbed his chin.
"I don't recall any noble families with a lady of that name. Could just be a title meant to show status, but historically, the terms 'Lord' and 'Lady' come from nobility."
Magnus looked at him.
"So what are you getting at?"
"I'm saying it's possible she and whoever her 'Lord' is used to be nobles and just kept the titles," Luden replied, meeting his eyes.
"There's even a chance they're still active nobles hiding their identities. Though if that's true, I'd have to wonder why they're working with a criminal organization. In any case, the bigger problem is tracking them down. 'Austra' on its own is too common. If they were nobility, I'd need a full name to narrow it down." After all, Arlcliff City was massive, with a population in the hundreds of thousands—maybe more.
With roads between cities and regions cut off, a huge number of nobles who were just visiting had ended up stuck in Arlcliff, unable to safely travel back to their private estates. Luden's own family, powerful as they were, would still have a hard time tracking down a noblewoman with just a single name to go off.
"I see. Well, regardless, she and her Lord wanted me dead. They sent people after me, and while I managed to handle them, I'm sure more will come eventually." Magnus sighed, then went on.
"On top of that, I learned the name of the organization after me, along with a rough outline of their structure. They're called Nightshade—a massive syndicate that now runs most of the criminal activity in Arlcliff City. They're divided into six branches. One of them, the Jackals, oversees nearly all the human trafficking here. Which, as you can guess, means they have close ties to the slave trade and, by extension—"
"—close ties to the nobility," Luden finished.
"At least enough to keep the City Council from doing anything about them." He pieced it together in an instant. As someone who had spent his life in the upper echelons of society, it wasn't hard for him to connect the dots. His family, known for their magical heritage and their monopoly on mana catalysts in the region, didn't rely on slaves, not out of some moral high ground, but because it was more cost-effective to use magic instead. Even so, Luden was all too aware of how the slave trade operated beneath the surface.
It was that very background that had made Magnus wary of working with Luden at first. But in the end, you don't always get to pick your allies—especially when they come to you.
"I didn't learn much about the mercenary guild itself," Magnus said, drawing Luden's attention back.
"But I think I figured out why Zeth created them." Luden leaned forward slightly, intrigued.
"Oh?"
Nodding, Magnus explained, "I looked into it, and Zeth's been stockpiling equipment—heavy gear, the kind mercenaries and soldiers use for fighting monsters and mana beasts. Add that to the fact that the men he sent after me were beyond normal human capability, and I'm pretty confident I know what he's planning. He's somehow figured out a way to mass-produce supersoldiers, likely through magical means. And now, he wants to position his mercenary group as the primary solution to Arlcliff's trade problem—offering the only reliable force to guard escorts between settlements now that monsters and mana beasts are everywhere."
"Hmm," Luden murmured to himself.
"I see. Control the security, and you control the trade routes. And if you're the only one capable of sustaining trade in the region, then..." He didn't need to finish. The implication was obvious. Such a person would become the most influential figure in the region, drawing the majority of the nobility to their side. The protection they have would no longer just be about the slave trade.
"Exactly," Magnus agreed.
"That's what I was thinking, too. The problem is, I have no leads. I don't know where Zeth is, who the executives of Nightshade are, or even where their bases are. Taking out a few branches here and there isn't a real solution—it's temporary, at best. But every day they're active, they dig deeper into the Upper City. I do have one possible source, but I have no idea when—or if—it will actually pay off." At this point, Magnus was stuck reacting to Nightshade's moves rather than striking first.
But then Luden spoke.
"Well, in that case, I may have a lead for you."
"Wait, seriously?" Magnus asked.
Luden nodded.
"Most of my investigations didn't lead anywhere. I sent a letter to the noble family that recommended the mercenaries as our guards for the celebration, but it turned out they'd only hired them because another noble family recommended them. It's like someone started a chain reaction—one family recommended them to another, then another, and so on. My family isn't on good terms with all the city's nobles, so the trail went cold when I tried to have it followed to its source. I also looked into the mercenary guild itself. Officially, it was formed last year, but it only became active in recent months." Magnus nodded slightly as he listened. What Luden described fit the timeline Jerel had given him. Zeth and Nightshade must have been preparing for this for a long time.
It was only recently, just before Magnus first encountered the Titan Soldiers, that they began putting their plan into motion.
"Hm, but how does that help me find a lead?" Magnus asked.
"I'm getting there," Luden replied.
"You might not know this, but mercenary guild client lists are confidential. Even I couldn't get my hands on one, so I don't know which noble families they've been working with. But I did find something unusual. Other than direct recommendations from nobles, there has been no open advertisement or public discussion about this mercenary group. Yet somehow, I've seen more and more of them showing up at events and working for various noble families—some friendly to mine, others... not so much. That means someone's spreading information about them in secret. For a while, I had no idea who, but now that you've mentioned what their plan likely is... I think I've got an idea." As he spoke, Luden's voice grew sharper, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Who is it?"
"Have you ever heard of Lord Vostus?" Luden asked.
Magnus searched his memory in the blink of an eye before he shook his head.
"No, I don't think so."
"I'm not surprised," Luden replied.
"Some time ago, Lord Vostus sent my family a letter about the trade and caravan issues plaguing Arlcliff City—not exactly a well-kept secret these days, even to the public. On his own, Lord Vostus isn't significant; his family's fairly average. But because of that, he was made the central representative for the nobility at City Council meetings. That means his interests reflect the interests of many noble families in Arlcliff—some of them close to my own family's standing. During our last encounter, though, he tried to leverage that influence to force us into giving him and his allies access to our warehouses and transportation spells."
Magnus caught the change in Luden's tone and asked, "I'm guessing that didn't go well?"
Luden chuckled and shook his head.
"No, it didn't. I had him leave. Their contracts, if they had any with our family, were nullified, and he and his allies were banned from our services until they made the appropriate reparations. I figured he'd try to find a way around it. I imagined he'd have a tough time explaining to his backers how his deal with my family had failed so badly. But I never expected he'd go so far as to work with criminals." That last remark made Magnus shift in his seat. This might actually be the lead he'd been searching for.
"Wait, are you saying Zeth might be working with this Lord Vostus guy?"
Luden gave a partial nod.
"If not directly, then at least with whoever's running the mercenary guild." Magnus thought about it for a moment, and it certainly made sense.
"You said someone was spreading news about the mercenary guild's services, quietly, yet to a large group of nobility. If anyone could do that, I suppose it would be the central representative of the nobility," Magnus said.
"Correct," Luden agreed.
"Not to mention, if this Zeth of yours has even a basic sense of strategy, Vostus is an ideal target. As the City Council's representative, he can shield Nightshade from punishment if it ever comes to that. Everyone knows the state of Arlcliff City's trade, and the strain it's putting on noble businesses. Reaching out to Vostus first makes perfect sense. Plus, it explains why my family wasn't included in this secret network of information. Refusing Vostus's blatant threats, no matter how unsubtle, offended plenty of the nobles behind him. Naturally, they'd keep us out of any lucrative opportunities." As Magnus listened, the image of the puzzle was finally starting to show itself and form something he could outline.
But that left him with one lingering question.
"What exactly can I do?" He muttered.
Luden leaned back in his chair, taking a thoughtful breath.
"Well, legally? Nothing. On the surface, Vostus, his family, and the mercenary guild are all clean. However, if proof could be found linking the guild to a criminal syndicate as large as Nightshade—if that connection came to light, through an anonymous tip, for example—then everything changes. The guild would be shut down immediately, its assets and members seized. The Order of Guilds has zero tolerance for criminal activity, those kinds of connections, though profiting at times, are hard to manage and bad for widespread business. As for Vostus, solid evidence would see him stripped of his title and family status, then punished by the Royal Court."
Magnus tilted his head slightly, skeptical.
"Are you saying I should break into Vostus's estate to find that evidence?"
Luden laughed and shook his head.
"What? No. That would be both illegal and inefficient. No one keeps something that incriminating lying around their estate or office. It'd make more sense to hire a spy—someone to watch Vostus and his estate and report any unusual visitors or figures he goes to see. That way, if someone important shows up, they can track them and obtain undeniable proof. Of course, if a criminal did do something like that, they'd need a proper disguise—something no one could recognize or see through." As he spoke, Luden raised his hand. The ring on his finger began to glow, and a mask formed from shimmering light just above his palm.
It was about the same size as Magnus's current mask, but stark white and more theatrical, reminiscent of something a stage performer might wear. A grinning mouth was carved into its surface, paired with hollow, empty eyes.
"So, as I see it. For now, it seems there's nothing more you can do. But if you wish... I can let you know when something new comes up," Luden added, smiling that familiar smile as he placed the mask down and slid it across the table.