Chapter 4

2:00 AM.

The night had deepened, and the castle had fallen silent.

A lone knight, holding a light, was walking through the castle.

Since the summoning of the hero, which consumed a vast amount of magic, the castle's lights were turned off at night to save on resources. The only light illuminating the dark castle was the one he held in his hand, a magic-infused lantern.

"No abnormalities in the castle... Ugh, what a hassle."

The knight yawned widely and muttered. The patrol duty, which rotated among the guards, was a job everyone disliked. It was nerve-wracking to patrol the dark castle, and most importantly, it cut into their sleep time.

In the past, the castle was lit by magic-infused items even at night. Because of this, the patrols were much easier back then. However, the summoning of the hero had left the castle dark at night.

"If the hero he summoned can't even use magic, what good is he? We should just kill him, take his magic, and summon the next one. I could probably kill that scrawny kid myself."

The hero should be of some use since they were causing so much inconvenience. As the knight muttered these thoughts, viewing the hero as nothing more than a tool, he continued his patrol.

After walking for a while, he passed by the hero's room, where he had been harboring resentment. Suddenly, he heard a thud from behind.

"Huh?"

Reaching for the sword at his waist, the knight spun around. Shining his lantern, he saw no one.

"...A rock?"

While remaining on guard, he approached and saw a single stone on the floor. It was an ordinary stone, the kind found in the castle's garden. As he bent down to pick it up—

"Oof!?"

A dull impact struck the back of his head, and sparks danced in his vision. He didn't lose consciousness because the armor he wore had a protective enchantment. Struggling to keep his wits, the knight quickly drew his sword and swung it behind him.

"!?"

The person standing behind him dodged with a fluid motion. Not only that, but the sword he had just swung was deftly caught and disarmed.

"Wha—"

The moment he opened his mouth to call for help, the hilt of the stolen sword was slammed into his face. As he crumpled in pain, another blow struck the back of his head. Sparks danced in his vision, and his sight began to darken.

"Ah..."

In his fading consciousness, the knight saw the face of his attacker and muttered in shock.

The hero, whom he had just been saying he could kill, the one who couldn't use magic and was useless—Amatsuki Iori—was standing there.

Seeing the cold, chilling gaze of the young boy, the knight lost consciousness completely.

◆

"Phew..."

After dragging the unconscious knight into his room, I let out a small sigh.

"What a blunder..."

The knight's armor, though of a lower grade, had a protective enchantment. I had thought I could take him down in one hit, but it seemed my strength had declined more than I thought. The training wooden sword wasn't enough to knock him out.

"...Alright."

I reflected on my mistake and quickly refocused. I had managed to take the knight's weapon. The first phase was complete.

I swung the stolen sword to test its feel. Though it was a mass-produced item, it was infused with magic and was quite manageable. It was far better than the wooden sword. I decided not to touch the armor, as it might hinder me more than help.

It had been over two weeks since I arrived. I had memorized all the information I could get from the library. I knew the castle's layout, the patrol routes of the knights, and their numbers. By pretending to be a compliant and powerless hero, I had significantly lowered their guard.

With a weapon in hand, the situation was now favorable.

"Finally."

I could finally go to Ryuzas. I had already scouted where he would be at this time of night.

Suppressing a smirk, I left the room. My destination was Ryuzas' magic workshop. He would be there.

"Wait for me, Ryuzas."

◆

"...Tch."

In his magic workshop, Ryuzas Gilbarn clicked his tongue in frustration. The source of his irritation was the summoned hero, Amatsuki Iori.

On the first day of the summoning, he had been beaten unconscious by that man. The injuries from Iori's punches had been healed by magic, but Ryuzas' anger had not subsided.

Being defied by someone he had summoned solely to use was deeply vexing.

Immediately after that, Ryuzas had advised the king. He argued that Amatsuki Iori was dangerous and should be turned into a slave using the "Subjugation Magic."

Subjugation Magic was primarily used on slaves. It restricted the target's actions and made them comply with the user's will. Ryuzas was confident that, with proper preparation, he could subjugate even a hero.

However, the king had not agreed. He said they should observe the situation. Nearly twenty days had passed, but the king still had not given his approval.

This was a source of frustration for Ryuzas.

Another reason for his frustration was that the hero he had summoned had no magic. If he was useless, there was no point in using him up.

Being beaten by the hero he had summoned and then finding out that the hero was useless was damaging to Ryuzas' reputation.

"Even if he's useless, the 'Proof of the Hero' on his arm is real. If I cut off his arm and take the proof, I can obtain a vast amount of magic."

—Just like with that fool.

Taking the Proof of the Hero wouldn't grant the full power of a hero. A hero's power grows rapidly and is fully harnessed only after a long period. However, with a vast amount of magic, there were many things Ryuzas could do without the hero.

Ryuzas was already making preparations to fully extract the magic from the Proof. He hadn't received the king's approval, but he believed that once he achieved his goal, it wouldn't matter.

Using the hero's power, Ryuzas would become a hero himself. Imagining this future, he smiled smugly.

Suddenly, the workshop door opened, and a young boy walked in. Ryuzas' eyes widened in surprise.

Amatsuki Iori, the hero he intended to take the Proof from, was standing there.

"What do you think you're doing, Hero? This is a magic workshop. You shouldn't be here. Leave immediately."

He glared at Iori, trying to intimidate him into leaving. However, instead of being intimidated, Iori laughed mockingly.

"Your use of polite language makes me want to laugh."

"…What did you say?"

Ryuzas' forehead twitched with anger. Not only had Iori entered the workshop without permission, but he was also mocking him. It was unacceptable for a mere hero, who couldn't even use magic, to mock a court magician like himself.

—Should I take the Proof right here?

He had already succeeded in taking the Proof once. His subsequent research had led to more efficient methods. The preparations were almost complete, and he was currently experimenting to improve them.

All that was left was to take the Proof. The workshop was soundproof, so no noise would escape. It was the middle of the night, and there was no risk of interference.

"If you don't leave the workshop, I have other plans."

Ryuzas hid his arm from Iori's view and concentrated his magic. He was going to use a binding spell.

Although his power had declined since fighting with Amatsu, capturing a single, powerless hero should be as easy as snapping a twig.

He would make Iori regret his insolent words. Just as Ryuzas twisted his lips in a sneer—

"That plan of yours..."

Iori crouched down sharply.

"Is to kill me the same way you killed Amatsu?"

"Wh—!?"

Ryuzas felt a shock like being hit by a blunt object. The hero in front of him knew information he shouldn't have. No one knew the secret he had kept hidden, and his spell was delayed.

Immediately after, Iori moved. He kicked off the floor and ran with a speed that resembled a leap. Ryuzas' thoughts returned as he saw the animal-like speed.

"Damn—!?"

As Iori closed the distance at an incredible speed, Ryuzas hastily cast a spell. A paralyzing lightning spell that would immobilize the target. The lightning crackled and approached Iori.

However—

"Wh—!?"

Iori dodged the lightning, which had been slightly off-target due to his shock. Without wasting a moment, Iori continued his charge towards Ryuzas. The seasoned warrior-like movements left Ryuzas with no room for complacency.

The thought of capturing Iori vanished, and as he was about to cast a lethal spell—

"Aah—!?"

Iori's arm wavered, and blood spurted from Ryuzas' arm. Iori was holding a knight's sword, which he had somehow acquired.

"Aaaaah—!?"

The sword was then thrust into Ryuzas' other shoulder. The robe he wore had a protective enchantment, but it couldn't completely nullify the damage. The blade cut into the flesh of his shoulder.

Even if he screamed, the soundproof workshop would prevent anyone from hearing.

Pulling the sword from the wound, Iori pressed the blade to Ryuzas' throat.

"Your tendency to lose focus and miss your target hasn't changed, has it?"

"Y-You, who are you!?"

"Still don't get it?"

Iori's voice was chillingly cold. Ryuzas felt a sense of déjà vu from the piercing gaze.

"Y-You can't be—"

"Yes."

With an expression that reminded him of a former comrade, Iori said:

"—I'm Amatsu, Ryuzas."

Next chapter → 10/3 9:00 PM

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