Damn Reincarnation

control and spells that you can’t.
However, all wizards will eventually dream of casting greater feats of magic that they, no, that no individual would actually be able to control.
In those cases, the caster needs to look for other means in order to fulfill their own shortcomings.”

“Those means aren’t necessarily limited to providing sacrifices or making contracts with higher-ranked beings,” Melkith took over the explanation.
“There’s this thing known as the Earth Veins.
The term refers to the circulating flow of the mana within the land itself.
Wherever the mana in the Earth Veins is particularly abundant, those places come to be known as leylines, but such leylines are extremely rare….”

Lovellian resumed speaking, “I believe that most of the lands that the Kochillas have conquered are located over branches of the Earth Veins.
The black wizard behind all this must be planning to use some tricks so that they can make use of the mana flowing through the Earth Veins.”

“That son of a bitch, Balzac,” Eugene spat.

Lovellian blinked in surprise at this sudden curse before hesitantly giving his opinion, “…I personally believe that Balzac isn’t the one behind this—”

“We can’t be sure of that yet.
So for now, let’s assume that Balzac is the one behind all this,” Eugene proposed.

“Um…,” Lovellian couldn’t quite bear to curse Balzac without any justification whatsoever like Eugene had just done.
With a cough, Lovellian changed the subject, “…Of course… this is all just speculation for now.
In my opinion, I would like to leave here immediately and check what is going on at those sites with my own eyes.”

“We’ve finished our preparations for the march ahead,” Ivatar reported.
“As long as I give the order, all assembled warriors will march on the Kochilla Tribe.”

“That’s quite the quick and easy solution.
While pushing them back from the land that they’ve captured, step by step, it will all be over once we strike at the heart of the Kochilla Tribe,” Eugene said optimistically.

“As for the black magic, it might be possible for us to purify it on our own once we’re done,” Lovellian agreed.

As this conversation went on around him, Cyan clenched his fists nervously as he felt the reality of the war dawning on him.

Mer didn’t really have an interest in this talk that had nothing to do with her, so she was engrossed in playing rock-paper-scissors with Raimira in a corner of the room.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

“One moment, please,” Ivatar said, begging everyone’s pardon, as he turned towards the door.

After exiting the room for a few moments, Ivatar returned with a puzzled expression.

Ivatar then declared, “Balzac Ludbeth has turned himself in.”

“What did you just say?” Eugene demanded.

Ivatar repeated himself, “Balzac Ludbeth has turned himself in.”

Everyone assumed the same confused expression that Ivatar already sported.

Even after hearing the news directly, they still couldn’t believe it.
However, once they saw him with their own eyes, they were left with no choice but to accept the truth.

This was one of the Three Mages of Incarceration, Aroth’s Black Tower Master, a black wizard whose intentions were unknown and whose very behavior was suspicious, as well as the prime suspect for being the black wizard behind all of this.

Yet having been tied up, Balzac Ludbeth was led into the room by a few warriors.
Even the robe Balzac had initially been wearing upon his surrender had been taken off, and all his weapons had also been confiscated.

A longsword with a black blade, four daggers, a pocket artifact that was enchanted with spatial magic, and his magic staff.
Even the glasses that Balzac was always wearing had been taken from him, and his shoes were also stripped, leaving him barefoot.
Both hands had been bound so they couldn’t move, and his mouth had also been gagged to prevent him from casting any incantations.

It was quite a pathetic appearance.

Upon being led into the room, Balzac’s first action was to bow his head to everyone.

Thanks to the gag between his lips, he couldn’t say anything to greet them.

Still flustered by this surprise, Eugene pointed at Balzac and demanded, “What the hell are you up to?”

Unable to reply, Balzac could only smile wryly.

After sending the warriors who had led Balzac here back out of the room, Ivatar turned to look back at Eugene and hesitantly asked, “…Do we need to torture him?”

Balzac shook his head at this.

Eugene’s brow furrowed, and he raised a finger.
A sharp blade of wind tore out the gag between Balzac’s lips.

“Long time no see,” Balzac said in greeting as soon as his mouth was freed.

Eugene’s brow furrowed once more.
For a moment, he considered whether he should slice apart the restraints binding Balzac’s hand or if he should just aim for Balzac’s throat.

“Why have you come here?” Lovellian asked after he had recovered from his surprise.

To think that Balzac would suddenly turn himself in.
Since Balzac was someone whose true intentions were difficult to scry, even this action might be part of a scheme leading up to something else.
Melkith had already made preparations to summon one of her Spirit Kings, and Kristina had also grabbed the handle of her flail.

“The one manipulating the Kochilla Tribe is Edmond Codreth,” Balzac confessed.

That didn’t answer why he was here.
Even though Lovellian had been prepared to cast a spell that would incinerate Balzac’s body as soon as he said something that wasn’t an answer to Lovellian’s question, in the end, Lovellian couldn’t cast the spell that he had prepared and was left gaping open-mouthed.

“Edmond has dispatched his elite forces to occupy Samar’s Earth Veins, and the goal of this war is to interfere with the flow of mana below,” Balzac continued to reveal.

“Hold on…,” Lovellian tried to pause for thought.

Balzac hastily continued, “Edmond has already made quite a lot of progress towards his goal.
Once the spell is complete, Edmond will become a Demon King.”

This news left everyone speechless.
Kristina also unconsciously leaped to her feet, and Eugene’s eyes darkened coldly.

A Demon King.

They had had their suspicions.
However, deep down, they had thought that it was impossible.
Eward was just a special case.
The Remnants of the Demon Kings lingering within the Demonic Spear and the Annihilation Hammer were only able to prepare such a ritual by focusing their attentions on whispering into Eward’s ear and corrupting him.

On that day, the Remnants of the Demon Kings that had appeared at the Black Lion Castle had been completely annihilated.
Even if the spell had been leaked by the now-deceased Hector, it should still be impossible to become a Demon King by casting that spell unless there were still some remaining Remnants of the Demon Kings.

Eugene expressed his doubts, “That should be impossible.”

“It would be impossible for someone like myself,” Balzac corrected.
“It would be impossible even for Amelia Merwin.
However, if it’s Edmond, then it’s very much possible.
Because he possesses the Vladmir and is making use of the many advantages that he has prepared within this forest.”

Lovellian composed himself, “For now, Black Tower Master, please answer the question.
Why have you come here? Why did you surrender yourself?”

“In regards to my surrender, it’s just as you can see.
I gave myself up in order to cooperate with Sir Eugene and the rest of you,” Balzac stopped speaking for a few moments to examine everyone’s expressions.
“…This might offend you all, but I was personally keeping an eye on you as you approached the capital of the Zoran Tribe.
That was due to the fact that I was keeping an eye on the Zorans because of their war with the Kochillas.”

Balzac had familiars assigned to perform surveillance duties hidden all over the Zoran Tribe.
He had also witnessed the commotion that had occurred earlier at the city walls.

“Cooperation?” Eugene repeated as he glared into Balzac’s face with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t think I can trust that offer.
After all, how do I know that anything you’ve said is the truth?”

“If that’s the case, then how about just listening to me for now? Then you can go and check out the truth for yourself once I’m done telling you everything.
If it’s the Red Tower Master and the White Tower Master, they should be able to tell whether I am telling the truth just by examining the Earth Veins that have been occupied by the Kochilla Tribe,” Balzac counter-offered.

Eugene frowned, “What reason would you have for betraying Edmond?”

“Hah… Sir Eugene, that accusation is mistaken,” Balzac shook his head with a sigh.
“Edmond and I aren’t in a relationship close enough for there to be any betrayal.
After all, I have never been all that supportive of Edmond’s goals from the very beginning.
In the first place, Edmond doesn’t even know I’ve come to this forest.”

Balzac stopped speaking for a few moments as he was lost in thought.

He eventually continued, “However, he should have found out by now.
After coming to this forest, I’ve been making sure to move extremely carefully, but I probably exposed my presence when I surrendered to the Zoran Tribe.”

“Are you saying that the Kochillas have eyes within the tribe?” Ivatar growled.

Without showing any signs of shrinking back as Ivatar’s massive frame stomped over to his side and glared down at him, Balzac calmly replied, “It would be strange if there weren’t any.
Please don’t worry too much.
After this conversation is over, I can reveal all of the eyes that Edmond has stationed within your capital.”

“If it’s a problem for you to have been seen by those eyes, you should have approached us secretly.
So why did you choose to surrender yourself publicly?” Eugene questioned.

“I thought that if I tried to approach you secretly, there would be a high probability of getting killed by a blind stroke of Sir Eugene’s sword,” Balzac honestly confessed.
“Also, I believe that it would be much better for me to surrender myself and cooperate with you, Sir Eugene, than it would be for me to stay undercover.”

“Better for who exactly?” Eugene demanded.

“Of course, it’s for all of us.
Once he knows that you are here, Sir Eugene, and he finds out that I’ve joined you as well… then even Edmond, who’s known for always being cool and composed, will start to get nervous.
Especially since that guy… ah… despite how I’m describing him, we really aren’t that close.
It’s just that I don’t really have anything else to say, so I was just speaking as I normally do,” Balzac quickly excused himself.

“That’s enough, so why would Edmond become nervous because of this?” Eugene prompted.

“It’s because the two of us have both signed a contract with the Demon King of Incarceration,” Balzac said in a serious tone.
“Edmond will be sure that I am up to something.
He has to be wary about the possibility that the spell he has worked so hard to prepare might be usurped by me, so he will try to complete the ritual in a hurry even if his preparations don’t quite measure up yet.”

Eugene frowned, “You say that like it would be a misunderstanding on Edmond’s part, but that might just be your true intention.”

“If that was really the case, then why would I have come here?” Balzac pointed out.

Eugene felt that Balzac was telling the truth.
If he truly did intend to usurp control of Edmond’s black magic, there would be no reason for him to come here.
Instead, it would make more sense for him to stay hidden the whole time, only revealing himself at the moment that Eugene clashed with Edmond, stealing control of the spell for himself.

“I can swear on my very being and my soul,” Balzac’s voice resonated with the heavy tones of a magical oath.
“I have no intention of becoming a Demon King.
I would rather remain as the existence known as Balzac Ludbeth, a human being.
I long to live as a human and die as a human.”

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Eugene fell silent.

“As to the reason I’ve come here, it’s for the sake of stopping Edmond from becoming a Demon King,” Balzac said with a smile as he faced Eugene.
“And to do that, I intend to help the Hero, Sir Eugene.”

These didn’t feel like the words that a black wizard should say.

1.
The original Korean text uses an old-fashioned slang term to describe someone that’s very large and muscular, the literal translation of which is a rice-cake stand.
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