Chapter 99
Notification
“Become a demon. Fall into corruption and live as my servant.”
Mapheltan had decided not to treat Gawain.
No matter how hard he thought about it, he could not find a way to stop Gawain’s corruption.
He could not sacrifice Shaperia for his sake.
Gawain sneered.
“I would sooner choose death than live as a demon—much less as your servant.”
Mapheltan shook his head.
“Your life does not belong to you. I alone have the right to decide whether you live or die.”
Mapheltan intended to continue making use of Gawain.
After all, strength like Gawain’s was exceedingly rare.
If Mapheltan could bring that power under his control, he would have a much easier time navigating the events that lay ahead.
A provocative smile spread across Gawain’s face.
“A vile creature like you will never possess me.”
He suddenly opened his mouth wide.
He intended to bite off his own tongue.
What an idiotic thing to do!
Mapheltan immediately thrust out his arm.
Crunch—!
The sound of something being crushed rang out.
Black fluid trickled from the corners of Gawain’s mouth.
Mapheltan grimaced deeply.
Urgh.
His black hand was lodged inside Gawain’s mouth.
His hand had been sacrificed in place of Gawain’s tongue.
Excruciating pain swept through Mapheltan.
Damn it. What kind of bite strength is this?
Gawain relentlessly chewed on Mapheltan’s hand.
The thick carapace shattered in real time.
Despite the pain, Mapheltan did not pull his hand from Gawain’s mouth.
Instead, he leaned closer and said,
“Do not dare lay a hand on my property. I will say it again: your life belongs to me.”
Gawain’s face twisted at those shameless words.
He bit down on Mapheltan’s hand even harder.
Black blood gushed out without pause.
Mapheltan ignored the terrible pain.
He stared straight into Gawain’s eyes, engaging him in a battle of wills.
Their gazes clashed in midair.
Neither one backed down.
Ilea, who had been watching, spoke in an icy voice.
“...Open your mouth. Now.”
At the same time, blue mana rippled through the air.
Gawain’s mouth slowly began to open.
Magic was forcing his jaws apart.
Once his mouth opened, the state of Mapheltan’s hand was revealed. It had been completely bent and crushed.
Clicking his tongue, Mapheltan withdrew his hand.
“You made me shed blood for no reason.”
Ilea approached and examined his hand.
Her expression turned somewhat cold.
“It’s completely mangled. Don’t do that again.”
Mapheltan replied calmly,
“It will heal soon. Watch.”
Black mist coiled around Mapheltan’s hand.
It reconstructed the broken bones and pulverized flesh.
The demonic hand returned to its original form in an instant.
The authority of Soul-Shedding Transfiguration had completely healed the wound.
Ilea’s expression darkened further.
“If you ever decide you want to throw away your humanity, please let me know. I’ll help you do it.”
Soul-Shedding Transfiguration was an authority that restored the user’s body by consuming their soul.
If Mapheltan continued relying upon it, he would eventually become nothing but an empty shell.
Having lost his soul, he would fall into becoming a creature that possessed nothing but malice.
That could never be allowed to happen.
Mapheltan cleared his throat.
“This much is fine.”
As he said, restoring a single hand carried no significant risk.
Only a speck of his soul had probably vanished, but even that displeased Ilea.
“If you keep making compromises, your principles will eventually collapse. Someday, something irreversible might happen.”
She had been lecturing him much more often lately.
Of course, most of what she said was reasonable.
Mapheltan nodded.
“I’ll use it cautiously, so don’t worry too much. My humanity will not disappear.”
Ilea’s stiff expression softened slightly.
She spoke in a gentle voice.
“All right. I won’t say anything more.”
Gawain, who had been listening, burst into laughter.
His open mouth kept twitching.
It appeared he had something he wanted to say, but with his jaw immobilized by magic, he could not speak.
Mapheltan looked at Gawain, then turned his gaze back to Ilea.
“Gawain seems to have something to say.”
That did not mean they could simply release the spell.
Gawain might attempt suicide again.
Ilea sighed.
“His Highness the Prince certainly requires a great deal of attention.”
Mana rose from her hand.
The blue light flew straight toward Gawain.
Words began appearing in midair directly above his head.
—Humanity? Did you say humanity? Ha! You truly are an amusing creature! How can that word possibly come from the mouth of something as vile as you?
Through magic, Gawain’s voice was being transcribed into writing.
Mapheltan said,
“You fool, have you forgotten about Johan? I may be a demon, but I am also human.”
The laughter vanished from Gawain’s face.
—You’re a half-demon?
“Something like that. I’m a more human creature than you might think.”
Gawain stared at Mapheltan in utter disbelief.
—If that’s true, then this is truly absurd.
“It is not a lie. I truly am a half-demon. Naturally, I still possess some measure of humanity. You may not believe me, but the fact that I’ve gone out of my way to keep you alive is also a consequence of that humanity.”
Gawain scoffed.
—You mean you feel guilty about taking a human life? You, an Apostle?
Mapheltan shook his head.
“My meaning wasn’t properly conveyed. To be precise, I am keeping you alive because humanity needs your strength. You could call that a manifestation of my humanity.”
Gawain sneered.
—You claim to be acting for humanity, yet you corrupted a holy relic and intend to turn me into a demon? I’ve never heard such a blatant contradiction.
Mapheltan answered calmly,
“Without knowing the circumstances, you have no choice but to think that way. I understand completely.”
—I don’t want to hear about your circumstances, nor do I care what you have to say. Just remember one thing: I have no intention whatsoever of becoming your servant. Abandon any thought of persuading me.
Mapheltan chuckled.
“Persuade you? You seem to be under a serious misconception. I am not trying to persuade you. I am merely informing you. You will soon succumb to corruption, transform into a demon, and serve me.”
A competitive fire appeared in Gawain’s eyes.
—I swear upon the name of the Great Saint: nothing involving me will ever go according to your plans.
Mapheltan shrugged.
“Interesting. Let us wait and see which of us has the last laugh.”
Gawain closed his eyes.
—If you’re finished talking, get out of my sight. I’ve smelled enough of your stench to give me a headache. I need some rest.
Even in such a hopeless situation, Gawain managed to retain a remarkable degree of composure.
His strength of character was impressive.
Mapheltan smiled in satisfaction.
“I quite like that composure of yours. Very well. I’ll disappear now.”
That attitude was far better than being consumed by frustration and despair.
Mapheltan had a feeling that Gawain would make an unexpectedly capable subordinate.
Gawain frowned.
—Why are you still here?
Mapheltan chuckled and turned away.
“I’ll see you again soon.”
He immediately left the forbidden archive.
“Things have deviated considerably from the plan.”
In the underground library of the lord’s castle, Ilea leaned against a bookshelf and looked at Mapheltan.
Sitting on the edge of the round table, Mapheltan replied,
“Well, it can’t be helped. I’m used to unexpected variables by now. All we can do is respond to them properly from this point onward.”
Mapheltan had recently come to realize something.
Nothing in this world ever goes according to plan.
Unexpected disasters were bound to emerge at any time and place, and dealing with those disasters was more important than making plans in the first place.
Ilea nodded.
“First, we’ll need to cover up the Third Prince’s disappearance.”
Soon, the public would learn that Gawain had vanished.
A search party would quickly be organized.
Even if he was an abandoned prince, he was still a member of the royal family. The royal court would have no choice but to act.
After tracing Gawain’s movements, they would inevitably visit the Myatro territory.
The mere possibility of such a situation was a heavy burden for Mapheltan.
After thinking briefly, he said,
“Ilea, it appears I’ll need your help.”
“I’ve already developed a suitable spell.”
“As expected, you always know exactly what I need. What kind of spell is it?”
“I’ll show you.”
Blue mana surged forth.
Ilea’s figure began to waver indistinctly.
A moment later, Ilea disappeared. In her place stood a man with short purple hair.
It was Gawain.
Mapheltan exclaimed in admiration.
“Perfect.”
Gawain smiled with his eyes in the same manner as Ilea.
“It’s a spell I developed using Belzarak’s illusions. It’s flawless, isn’t it?”
“Even your voice is identical. With that spell, manipulating Gawain’s movements will be easy.”
Using Ilea’s magic, they could expose Gawain’s “appearance” to the public.
If she occasionally disguised herself as Gawain and walked through the streets, the prince’s disappearance would cease to be an issue altogether.
Mapheltan was extremely pleased.
Ilea released the spell and smiled.
“I did well, didn’t I? Then please do what you did last time.”
Mapheltan gave her a puzzled look.
“What are you talking about?”
Ilea stepped closer to him.
“My head. Please pat me.”
She smiled playfully with her eyes.
Mapheltan placed his black hand atop Ilea’s head.
“Yes, you did well. You’ve made things much easier for me. I’m always grateful for your help.”
He lightly tousled her silver hair.
Ilea smiled brightly.
“It’s nothing. You and I are practically one being, after all.”
The two of them shared the same fate.
Mapheltan chuckled.
“You’re not wrong. Though the time for us to live apart is approaching.”
The smile faded from Ilea’s face.
Tilting her head, she asked,
“Live apart? What do you mean?”
Mapheltan removed his hand from her head.
With a slightly serious expression, he said,
“As you may remember, you will be adopted by Count Staviana. You’ll have to stay with the count’s family for a while. That time is not far off.”
Ilea’s expression sank completely.
“I’ll be staying with the count’s family... alone?”
Mapheltan nodded.
“I’ll need to remain in the royal capital for the time being.”
He intended to build connections with the nobles who belonged to the Council.
Ilea’s expression grew gloomy.
“...It will be a boring life. And you won’t be beside me, Mapheltan.”
A witch’s driving force in life was her curiosity toward the unknown.
Mapheltan was the unknown personified, and he was currently the only thing that provided Ilea with any real stimulation.
She did not want to live apart from him.
Mapheltan said,
“Please endure it for a little while. It is necessary.”
Ilea sighed.
“When do you intend to leave?”
Despite her personal feelings, she seemed to understand Mapheltan’s reasoning.
After thinking briefly, Mapheltan replied,
“To tell the truth, I want to leave immediately—as soon as the sun rises.”
Ilea gave him a puzzled look.
“Isn’t that rather sudden?”
Mapheltan shook his head.
“I originally intended to leave much sooner. Gawain was the only reason it was delayed.”
Gawain’s fate had now been decided.
Johan no longer had any reason to remain tied down by him.
Ilea murmured quietly,
“I should have taken a little longer to develop that spell.”
Mapheltan did not hear her.
“What did you say?”
Ilea gave him a gentle smile.
“It was nothing, so don’t worry about it. Let’s begin preparing for your departure.”