Chapter 103

Eddie stared at the approaching Shainborough through Paolo’s window.

But there was a sight that caught his eye before Shainborough.

It was the crowd that densely packed the area in front of Shainborough’s main gate.

He had expected it, but the crowd was much larger than he had thought.

They were reporters trying to get a scoop, and commoners who had come to see Eddie.

Eddie tilted his head a little more towards the window.

The situation in front of Shainborough’s main gate came into clearer view.

The crowd consisted of commoners of all ages and genders, dressed in simple attire.

The knights of the Kirhausen order were struggling to control them.

A complex emotion flickered in Eddie’s eyes as he watched the scene.

It was a sight similar to a scene from his past life’s memories.

It was a time not long after Edmund had entered his old age.

The entire empire had been abuzz with the story of the ‘Kirhausen Family Wards’ that Edmund had announced.

Anyone who genuinely wished to learn magic, regardless of their specialization, could receive the sponsorship of the Kirhausen family.

The commoners of the entire empire had been ecstatic about the announcement made directly by the head of the Kirhausen family and had flocked to Shainborough.

For days and nights, they had stood in front of the main gate, chanting Edmund’s name and expressing their gratitude.

And the fervor of that crowd had reached the head’s office, making him immensely proud.

The fervor of the scene visible now was just like it was back then.

Countless commoners had gathered in front of Shainborough, chanting Eddie’s name.

However, that fervor was not directed at ‘Eddie the Kirhausen’.

It was directed at ‘Eddie who will stand against Kirhausen’.

Would that fervor still follow him when he tore down Kirhausen and raised it up righteously again?

Eddie let out a small, bitter sigh and turned his head.

It was about time to switch the maintenance of the Tracker.

Eddie slowly withdrew his mana that had been maintaining the Tracker.

As he did, Marcel’s suppressed mana naturally took control of the Tracker.

‘The training for the past few days paid off. The link is stable.’

A faint smile touched Eddie’s lips in satisfaction.

The butler, who was sitting opposite him, tensed up and watched Eddie closely.

He was trying not to show it, but he revealed his tension at even Eddie’s smallest actions.

But Eddie paid him no mind and leaned back against the backrest, closing his eyes.

* * *

As soon as Paolo landed at the landing field, a concealment barrier was activated.

Eddie felt the energy of the barrier and slowly disembarked from Paolo.

‘It’s not just one or two layers of barriers. And the bond between the barriers is also very strong.’

It was a much stricter security posture than expected.

Such an attitude from the Kirhausen family indicated two things.

First, they would hold Eddie captive, even if it meant using rough methods.

Second, they would absolutely not let the outside world know that they had used those rough methods.

Both were expected, so it wasn't particularly surprising.

Eddie followed the butler, looking around.

The exterior of the mansion was as quiet as a mouse.

There were no servants busily moving about with chores, nor were there any knights coming and going with training equipment.

It was the very definition of the calm before the storm.

But thanks to that, Eddie was able to more easily slip the wand out from within his clothes.

Swoosh-

The summoning power of Macloren, residing in the Oath Gem Clode, was activated, and Eddie’s wand moved.

The wand that came out from inside his clothes flew up into the sky in the blink of an eye, scaling the landing field wall.

The already excessively strong concealment barrier failed to properly detect the wand that was moving not with mana, but with incantation power.

And.

“Swooo… Hooooo……”

With Eddie’s small, deep breath, Macloren’s summoning power began to draw a giant summoning circle in the sky.

The butler walking ahead was unaware of this fact.

Eddie followed the butler and entered through the back door of Shainborough.

Since it was a mere tail entering, not Marcel, it was natural to use the back door.

The atmosphere inside the mansion was not much different from the outside.

A silence that felt eerie.

Not a single servant was seen on the way to the lobby.

And upon reaching the lobby, two familiar faces finally appeared.

It was Ronan, and Shane.

Sylvia was nowhere to be seen.

But Eddie didn't mind.

He would be meeting her soon enough anyway.

Eddie bowed his head to Ronan and Shane in greeting.

“Hello, Head Butler, Teacher Fondes. Have you been well?”

“Yes, have you been well too? Is your body alright now?”

“Yes, I’m all better now.”

“That’s a relief. I heard the injury was severe, it seems you received proper treatment at the academy.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to the family’s concern.”

“……”

Ronan fell silent for a moment at Eddie’s unhesitating response.

A taut tension filled the air.

Shane furtively glanced between Eddie and Ronan, secretly wiping his sweaty palms on his clothes.

The butler was just as nervous.

Only when Ronan gestured for him to leave did he turn away, hiding his trembling fingertips.

Eddie stared at Ronan for a moment before opening his mouth with an even more cheerful voice.

“Well then, may I go up to my room now?”

Of course, he asked knowing it wouldn't be allowed.

Eddie knew very well that they would not let him be alone for even a single moment.

At the audacious question, Shane flinched and glanced at Ronan.

But Ronan, without any change in expression, nodded his head.

“You may do so. You seem very tired.”

“Yes, thank you, Head Butler. Then I’ll be on my way up……”

“You should hear me out first. Your room has been changed.”

“…My room has been changed?”

“Yes. You won’t know the location of the new room, so I’ll guide you. Follow them.”

Saying so, Ronan gestured to call the servants.

Thump, thump, thump-

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Eddie turned around.

Two servants entered the lobby.

He didn't recognize either of them.

But there was a more significant characteristic than that.

‘Homunculi.’

Was this the reason why not a single servant had been seen in Shainborough since a while ago?

If so, there was a high possibility that the magicians on standby to subdue Eddie were also disguised somewhere.

It wasn't a particularly surprising development, so Eddie nodded his head nonchalantly.

.

.

.

The two Homunculi took Eddie to the third floor.

One walked in front of Eddie, and the other behind him.

As if to block his escape route.

Eddie walked quietly between them, gauging the strength of the two Homunculi.

The power he felt from them was not mana.

They were Homunculi made from mana users of a different specialization, not magicians.

And the aura of Mana Bloodstones he felt as soon as he entered the third-floor hallway turned a certain suspicion into conviction.

“……”

Eddie’s gaze turned to the hallway floor.

A new carpet had been laid.

Beneath it, a great number of Mana Bloodstones were embedded.

The Mana Bloodstones began to absorb Eddie’s mana.

And at the same time, the Homunculi walking beside Eddie slowed their steps.

Eddie let out a slight sneer at the obvious ploy.

A pattern for dealing with magicians.

He could certainly feel that the current Kirhausen family was not at ease in their attempt to subdue him.

They should know full well that they couldn't do anything to him with this level of mana absorption.

This seemed like a preparation for something that would happen in the new, changed room.

Eddie felt his mana being absorbed, but he didn't bother to suppress his mana circle.

Instead, he increased the output of the Oath Gem Clode’s summoning power to accelerate the wand drawing the summoning circle.

Thump, thump, thump-

The slow footsteps of three people stopped in front of a room at the end of the third-floor hallway.

As he entered the room opened by a Homunculus, he saw the people waiting for him.

‘So they changed my room as a pretext to get me in here.’

The Homunculi offered no explanation to Eddie, who looked back at them as if asking what was going on.

Instead, they firmly closed the door and entered the room themselves.

Eddie let out a short laugh at their shamelessness.

Just then, a familiar, gentle voice came from inside the room.

“Come and sit here, Eddie.”

A back with familiar purple hair, just like the voice.

It was Sylvia.

Eddie stared for a moment at Sylvia and the person sitting beside her.

Then, he slowly walked towards the sofa where the two were sitting.

The room was quite spacious, so it was a considerable distance to the sofa.

As he walked, Eddie scanned the entire room.

A room filled with various luxurious objects, as befitting its large space.

The placement of the objects was so natural that to an unknowing eye, it would simply look like a top-class reception room.

But Eddie could feel it.

The aura of surveillance magic items installed throughout the room.

Having reached the sofa, Eddie sat down opposite Sylvia.

He then looked at Sylvia once, and then at the man sitting beside her.

A man with an unfamiliar face, not a Homunculus.

The man looked back at Eddie with an unreadable expression.

By all accounts, he was not a person from Shainborough.

But the way he sat on the reception room sofa was quite natural.

As if he were someone who had been here many times.

Eddie, who had been gazing at the man, averted his eyes and scanned the room again.

Then, Sylvia asked.

“What is it, Eddie? Are you looking for something?”

“No, I’ve found everything I was looking for. There’s more than one or two, so it’s quite bothersome.”

“What do you mean by……”

“Still, since I’ve come this far on my own two feet, I don’t think we need these kinds of deceptions anymore.”

Muttering softly, Eddie slowly extended his left hand to the side.

At the sudden movement, Sylvia, the man, and the two Homunculi all flinched and became wary.

But Eddie paid no mind to their reactions and drew upon his mana, concentrating it in his left hand.

The Homunculi moved to stop Eddie.

But Sylvia stopped them, and the man, along with Sylvia, watched Eddie’s actions.

This was because no murderous intent or will to attack could be felt from the mana-concentrating Eddie.

Just then.

Eddie’s two eyes turned golden, and the concentrated mana on his hand spread throughout the room.

Simultaneously, a spell was cast.

The objects touched by Eddie’s mana flickered and lost their forms.

The disguise magic was being stripped away.

The painting on the wall, the table, the vase, the chandelier, etc.

All the items that had been disguised as objects revealed their true forms.

It was the 6-star non-attribute magic, ‘Aperio,’ which could strip away any disguise and reveal the true form.

“……”

Sylvia and the man’s expressions hardened as they looked at the revealed items.

It was dangerous to let Eddie use any more magic.

But since the fact that they had tried to deceive him by disguising the items had been discovered, the initiative for immediate action was with Eddie.

Eddie scanned the room, which was now filled with items, and spoke softly.

“If the surveillance is too intense, it’s hard to say what I want to say. Since all that matters is that the situation inside here is relayed to the family head in real-time……”

Squeeze-!

Eddie clenched the left hand that had been casting Aperio into a fist.

“I will neutralize everything except for the listening items.”

“……!”

Crackle- Crack-!

Pshhhhhk-

The mana from Eddie that had permeated the items instantly destroyed them.

Sparks flew and smoke rose from all over as the items lost their function.

Sylvia and the man watched the scene with tension.

All the items placed here today were A-grade and S-grade items brought from Pasquier.

Moreover, Eddie should have had a considerable amount of his mana absorbed in the hallway.

Yet, he had neutralized dozens of top-grade items without a single change in his expression.

‘As expected, it’s impossible to subdue him in this place with mana alone.’

The man narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Eddie.

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