Entrustment (1)
A low growl filled with anger echoed through the deserted alleyway
The first step of this infiltration should be successful, right
"Aima, good news! Quickly bring the preservative agent, the tongue has been obtained." An excited voice emanated from a crystal embedded in the ring
Victor Wood did not see his own face; as long as the plan succeeded, he could kill this formidable mage once again.
Just like the young mage who has already perished, a novice who has just stepped into the field poses no threat at all. It is astonishing that such an important task as assassinating the illegitimate son of a great noble is entrusted to a rookie. The so-called third rank of Talan is nothing more than this. Since Victor Wood is still alive, Frostwolf cannot simply give up; they will certainly return to remedy the situation. As a stage for eliminating the returning hired assassin and revealing the mastermind behind the scenes, a border town like Mivira is more suitable than Crystal Dawn. Since Victor Wood is still alive, Frostwolf cannot simply give up; they will certainly return to remedy the situation. As a stage for eliminating the returning hired assassin and revealing the mastermind behind the scenes, a border town like Mivira is more suitable than Crystal Dawn
At this point, Victor took out the bundle he had brought from Buch Village and began rummaging through it again. Finally, amidst some old clothes and a large pile of alchemical materials, he found a diary. It recorded several significant events from Wood's five-year academic journey, and based on these entries, he became even more convinced of his deductions
Fortunately, there is still an opportunity for remedy
What?!" Fisher was both astonished and furious
Recalling the assassin who killed Victor, the Lich could not help but break into a profound and cold smile.
The assassin responsible for the failed mission lurks in the shadows, receiving reprimands from the leader
Next, let us discuss the half-elf named Feili. Of course, I hope you can tell me something else, such as the identity of the woman you were speaking with. Do not attempt to lie! I do not wish to employ memory extraction techniques that would damage your brain while you are still of use. You understand what I mean, do you not
The severe loss of blood should, in theory, mean that he cannot possibly still be alive given his current condition. It seems... that some kind of spell has been used to barely sustain his life. Emma's response made Fisher's heart tighten. A life-saving spell... Could it be... No, this child wouldn't do such a thing, would she
It is possible for nobles of high status to abandon their luxurious and stable lives, dedicating themselves to such remote towns... It seems that your father is not an ordinary noble, Wood
I entrusted you with such an important task out of trust, yet I did not expect that you would be unable to complete even such a simple task
A killer cannot make mistakes; a slip means death
***
"Drink this." A middle-aged woman named Emma handed over a ceramic cup filled with a milky-white liquid, her face radiating concern: "You can only consume liquids lately, and you must avoid hot food, as it does not benefit the healing of your wound."
Based on Wood's memories, Victor deduced that aside from Fisher, there were other individuals in the town of Mivira who reported Wood's every move to Jingyao, but they belonged to the faction that sought to eliminate Wood
Emma was about to say that Victor Wood had been incapacitated by his own medication, but just as she opened her mouth, a cold finger was placed on her lips, and the words that were on the tip of her tongue got stuck in her throat
The Lich's thoughts quickly shifted from the identity of the possessed individual to its mission of entering the mid-level world
From the brief meeting just now, the Lich could tell that Fisher was not an ordinary alchemist. There was an unmistakable nobility in the old man's demeanor and speech, a quality that could only be cultivated by aristocratic families, exuding a natural grace rather than a contrived facade. While Mivira is indeed a significant northern stronghold, it pales in comparison to the capital, Crystal Dawn.
Mivira, located 60 kilometers away from Bucher Village, was originally a military fortress built in the northern hills. After the end of the civil war, this relatively remote town became one of the important towns in the north due to its association with the War Wolf training base
What? Damn it, Feli also told me that kid is doomed... Where is he?
Upon returning to Miweila Town, it was discovered that the target, who should have already perished in the remote mountains, had actually arrived half a day earlier than herself. She was already prepared to accept the punishment.
Unexpectedly, Victor's return to visit the sick led to a fatal disaster. Had I known it would turn out this way, I should have stopped him from going back in the first place
I will just go to the Adventurers' Guild to find a simple task related to books, to test how much ability I still have
Although there were no objects to investigate or trace, Victor deduced the identity of Wood's father based on various clues, such as the prominent noble residing in the capital of Jingyao, the illegitimate son who could not be exposed, and the noble guardian. If he were not a senior figure in the Magic Association, he must be a great noble of the Duchy of Talan
Faced with Victor, who could produce sound without opening his mouth, Emma simply shook her head repeatedly
"Medications with analgesic effects, although not as immediately effective as healing spells, are, in my opinion as a physician, more beneficial to your body than spells when derived from natural herbs"
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The elderly person, filled with both compassion and a hint of regret, sat down beside Victor, grasping his pale hand. The coldness between his fingers was so unlike the warmth of a living being that Fischer was both astonished and perplexed. He turned to the physician standing nearby in search of an explanation
I also have some bad news to tell you. Victor Wood has returned, missing a tongue. Glancing at the young man still lying on the bed, Emma turned around and focused her attention on the hallway
Fisher let out a low sigh and walked out of the ward. The spacious room was left with only the lich lying on the comfortable bed.
Everyone hurriedly carried him into the medical room. When the old director arrived, he saw the scene of his most prized disciple lying on the hospital bed, his originally handsome face devoid of any color.
[ Doctor, I suddenly feel a bit unwell. ] The words written in the diary halted Emma's departure.
To infiltrate the upper echelons of the Magic Association, one must at least hold the rank of a Magus. This is an almost impossible task for a Tongueless. However, the noble lineage that the human Victor despises so deeply is, for the Lich Victor, an indispensable element in accomplishing the task.
When she reached Victor's side, he was already lying on the soft bed, unresponsive to any shaking. Confirming that Victor would not wake up for the time being, Emma gently turned the ring she wore on her little finger
No news has yet been received from Cheng Jingyao. Hurry and eliminate the target. Do not forget, this is your last opportunity. After the final instructions were transmitted, the voice ring and the book flashed briefly before extinguishing, and the alley returned to its previous silence.
The lich turned its head slightly, substituting silence for a response. It cast its gaze upon the decorative painting on the wall, avoiding eye contact with the old man
"I do not oppose your desire to go out, but it is not possible at the moment! You must rest for a day, as this is the advice of a physician. If you insist on going to the Adventurers' Guild today, I will have no choice but to ask Dean Fisher to personally persuade you." Seeing Victor nod in agreement with her suggestion, Emma finally relaxed her furrowed brow.
There is no evasion or justification
Ah, look what I have found, a magic suppression potion
At that moment, Victor, who had been in a coma, opened his eyes. The emerald green in his gaze was devoid of the previous anger and extremism, replaced instead by indifference and tranquility
The old man undoubtedly knew Wood's identity. As a mentor, he neither inquired about the reason for the injury nor pursued the background of the assailant, clearly already aware of what had happened to his disciple. Poor Wood, the fool, was completely unaware that even his becoming a mage was being manipulated by someone else.
What happened? Upon seeing this, Aima immediately approached with concern
"Director," the exclusive physician of the Alchemy Institute, Emma, reported to him with a grave expression: "The tongue has been cut off."
Victor would not choose to go to Crystal Dawn at this time. The smaller the city, the easier it is to control, whether it be the people or the situation. Moreover, during the initial stage of the puppet corpse's fusion, it is not advisable to excessively utilize this newly acquired body.
The wound is no longer serious, I want to go out
Although Fisher appears aged, he is physically robust and cannot be the clumsy person who would break a leg while foraging for herbs. Moreover, as an alchemist who is also a practitioner of magic, he is capable of using some simple spells; a levitation spell would easily resolve such an issue, so how could he be injured and lying in the woods to be rescued back home? The only possibility is that this old man was commissioned by Wood's father to search for the lost offspring.
Because the possessed human shares the same name, the lich uses the surname of the human mage as a distinction
Victor's request caused the female physician to show a look of hesitation
In the diary of the Hehe Bookstore, the Lich has made a decision
What did you give me to drink? My entire facial muscles feel a bit numb? I opened the diary in my hand and wrote a line with the ink pen placed in my backpack. The calm expression on my face caused the female doctor to stop her probing action.
Victor was not very certain; a corpse is a corpse, and no matter how much it is disguised, this fact cannot be changed
He obediently accepted it, and just at the moment the liquid entered his mouth, Victor frowned
A prodigy of magic has unexpectedly had his tongue cut out; no matter how talented he may be, he can no longer reach the highest realm of spells. The honor of a sorcerer has now become a mere illusion. What will this child, who has placed everything on magic, do in the future
"You have worked hard, let me take over from here." The young man who appeared beside Emma made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She opened her mouth wide but could not make a sound, her body stiffened to the point of being unable to move.
Do not expect anyone to come to your rescue, the mentor just instructed me to let you rest quietly, and there will be no one else in this medical room besides the two of us. The hand resting on her neck felt like ice, Emma closed her eyes and let out a silent scream within.
Having severed the magical communication, Victor took out a translucent crystal vial from Emma's pocket, which contained the sorcerer's nightmare—a potion capable of temporarily sealing magical power.
In the early morning, a figure suddenly appeared in the courtyard of the Alchemy Institute located in the eastern part of the city, startling several students who were resting there, as it was Victor Wood, covered in blood.
Although Wood was chosen by chance at the beginning, his background turned out to be unexpectedly suitable. Merely infiltrating human society as an ordinary mage does not meet Paglot's requirements. What is needed is someone who can obtain confidential information about the war ten years from now, and an ordinary mage does not possess that qualification
The lich knew that it must "wake up"; otherwise, the mentor of the person it was possessing would notice something amiss. The undead do not have body temperature; no matter how normal its complexion appears, a corpse is ultimately a corpse
The door to the lounge was pushed open, and Victor looked over at the sound, only to see the physician who had left earlier returning, holding a steaming ceramic cup.
Upon receiving the ceramic cup handed back by Victor, Emma once again raised the diary that served as a writing and drawing board.
Victor Wood is currently lying in the medical room. With so many people around, it is inconvenient for me to take action. However, this fellow intends to go to the Adventurers' Guild to accept a task, seemingly wanting to test how much strength he still has after losing his tongue. You can arrange a suitable task for him, and this time he must not return alive. The woman's voice emanated from the male body, causing the already terrified Emma to begin trembling.
Although the puppet corpse can perfectly conceal the unique stench of decay associated with undead creatures, its gaze cannot be disguised. What it did not anticipate was that this caution was interpreted by the old man as sorrow and fear
Although he is an illegitimate child of no repute, Wood's father's identity is certainly not ordinary. There are those who do not wish for him to go to Jingyao and compete for the rights that originally belonged to them, so they have offered a substantial sum to hire the third-ranked assassin organization in the principality
The silence made the atmosphere in the ward somewhat oppressive. Fischer gently patted Victor on the shoulder, attempting to comfort him while also trying to change this oppressive mood: "As long as you put in the effort, you can still become a great mage. My child, do not be discouraged; focus on your recovery."
Unless necessary, it will not relinquish this identity. In another ten years, it will be the cyclical battle of light and darkness that occurs once every hundred years. If it fails again this time, the era of light will accumulate to the seventh age, and even the Lich King, who disregards time, would be extremely displeased. No matter how unconventional the undead may be, they ultimately belong to the realm of darkness
Nobility, illegitimate children, and family heirs can all serve as a smokescreen for rapid ascension.
You fool
The War of Light and Darkness: Following the cataclysm that divided the continent, the two major factions of Light and Darkness engage in relatively minor destructive battles every hundred years to prevent another energy explosion capable of annihilating the world. The victorious side gains the right to dictate the calendar until the next war, while the defeated side is prohibited from expanding their follower base beyond its current size. For deities that draw power from faith, this signifies either an increase or a decrease in strength. Each alternation of the calendars of Light and Darkness marks an era, and due to the recent victories of the Light faction, the Light calendar has accumulated to six hundred years.