Part II, Chapter 12 — The Tribe of the Mark (흉의 일족)
Swish—!
A dark shadow darted across the ramshackle rooftops of Hueillan’s slums, moving fast enough to splinter the boards beneath his feet.
His mind was a tangled storm.
“This is an emergency! I need to report this to the Director immediately!”
The fleeing shadow was none other than Chens, Deputy Director of the Imperial Inspectorate’s Sixth Bureau.
That a man of his rank was sneaking through Hueillan was no coincidence. Every bureau of the Inspectorate — except the 0th and 1st — had already thrown their support behind Prince Cromhell as heir to the throne.
Some departments kept back channels open with other princes or princesses, but in truth, Cromhell was the strongest candidate. The Sixth Bureau had chosen its side accordingly.
As part of that alliance, they had begun planning the purge of the Tribe of the Mark.
“Damn it! I should’ve known — should’ve brought a team!”
Imperial command had recently demanded proof — the identity of the Tribe’s hidden leader. Then came intelligence suggesting that Trang, the long-time imperial financier, was in fact one of them.
It sounded absurd, even within the Sixth Bureau. But just in case, Chens had come himself to confirm it.
He’d tracked Trang’s secret hideout… and found him meeting none other than Elric Mervingor.
That changed everything. If true, this could shake the entire Empire. He had to get word back — fast.
But before he could escape—
BOOOOM!
A flare of mana cut through the night. Chens dodged instinctively— only to find an icicle the size of a spear embedded inches from his face.
Crack—!
He leapt back, cloak billowing — his concealment shattered. As he scanned the rooftops, a figure landed lightly atop the frozen spike.
Elric Mervingor, arms crossed, smiled down at him.
“Man, you rats are fast, I’ll give you that.”
Chens stiffened. “Release me, Duke of Chanseng. This is official Inspectorate business. The Archduke is presently—”
“—‘In contact with dangerous elements and potential rebels,’ right?” Elric cut him off, mocking. Chens’s face drained of color.
“You—how much do you know…?”
“Not much,” Elric shrugged. “Just that the Inspectorate’s been knocking on doors all over the place, trying to earn favors from Cromhell. That’s you guys, isn’t it?”
Chens’s pupils trembled. It wasn’t the exposure of his bureau that frightened him — it was that Elric knew the details of a classified operation.
He remembered what the First Bureau’s Director, Tritan, had told him:
“Do you know why the Fourth Bureau was wiped out?”
“No, sir.”
“It wasn’t because they backed the wrong prince. It was because of Elric Mervingor.”
Chens swallowed hard. This is beyond me. I have to report this—
But Elric had no intention of letting him leave.
“See, I can’t have news of me being here getting out. So, could you… stay put for a bit?”
Behind him, hundreds of razor-sharp icicles formed in midair, aimed directly at Chens.
“Oh — and that wasn’t a request.”
FWOOOOSH!
Elric unleashed them like a storm. Chens drew his sword in one swift motion, cutting the shards apart one after another. He moved fast — a true Sword Master of the Inspectorate, his status normally a well-kept secret.
Even for a Mervingor, he can’t catch me if I retreat now!
He edged backward, searching for an escape route—
Elric smirked. “Some people really can’t tell poison from honey till they taste it.”
As soon as he spoke, Chens lunged upward, sword gleaming.
“【Rain down!】”
Elric’s spell exploded outward. The icicles multiplied by the dozens, crashing down like an avalanche.
CRASH! CRACK!
Chens countered with his aura blade, but there were too many. Broken ice clung to his skin, freezing him where he stood; frost-laced powder filled his lungs, numbing him from the inside out.
“Kgh—!”
He stopped breathing, but the damage was done. Blood spattered from his mouth as his body trembled. His aura dimmed, flickering weakly.
“【Freeze.】”
Elric’s voice was calm. The ground beneath Chens’s feet turned to solid ice, binding him in place.
“Can’t run now, can you?”
“Damn it… then I’ll—!”
Chens gripped his sword backward, despair in his eyes. “I didn’t think the gap would be this wide.”
He meant to sever his own leg — better maimed than captured.
Elric chuckled. “You really think that’ll work?”
As the blade fell, he snapped his fingers.
“【Grow.】”
The sacred sigil of Shina glowed at his collar. The ground beneath Chens writhed — then split open.
“What the—?!”
Vines burst from the earth, coiling around him. Chens froze in disbelief.
Ice magic before — now earth? Trees?! That’s impossible!
Even a Mervingor shouldn’t be able to shift elements so freely. But Elric simply smirked, tugging on the vines.
“You done?”
The Deputy Director struggled, but the frost and pain were too deep. Moments later—
Thud. Drag. Thud.
Elric hauled him across the ground like a trussed boar, vines binding his limbs tight, a leaf stuffed in his mouth as a gag.
“There. That’s better.”
Chens’s face flushed with humiliation. “Mmph! Mmmph!”
“Stay still, old man. If you keep wriggling, I’ll leash you like a dog and make you crawl.”
“Mmphhh!”
[You have… interesting tastes, Elric,] Mephisto muttered.
[What’s that supposed to mean?]
[Gags, knots, and now a leash? You’re every bit the pervert people warn about.]
[Who’s a pervert?!]
[Don’t play dumb. Don’t tell me you’ve—]
Elric lifted his chin proudly. “[Hey, I’ve had my moments.]”
[You?! The guy who’s never even held a girl’s hand?]
[Quiet. Even quiet cats jump on the stove first.]
Mephisto groaned. “[Unbelievable…]”
Elric was still grinning when he noticed something off.
“Hm? Why’d he go quiet—”
CRACK!
Chens’s entire body flushed red, muscles swelling like an inflating balloon. Veins bulged across his skin.
“…Don’t tell me—that’s the Reversed Blood Technique?”
Chens’s grin was feral. “Heh… you know it? Then you know how deadly it is!”
The Reversed Blood Technique — a forbidden art taught only to Deputy Directors and above. It burned one’s life force to multiply strength severalfold.
Chens charged, eyes wild. “I won’t die alone!”
“I really was trying to take you alive,” Elric sighed. “Fine. Your funeral. 【Bind!】”
Ice and vines shot up again — but this time, Chens plowed through them, his body now as hard as steel. The ground trembled under his feet.
“Apologies, Duke. You’ll have to come with me!”
He thrust his aura-imbued palm forward. Close range… he can’t react in time—
Then he froze. Elric wasn’t dodging. He was smiling.
“You thought I can’t fight up close?”
That was his mistake.
[Nahatram.]
「Heh, finally!」
Elric invoked the spirit’s power. He sidestepped the thrust, palm gliding along Chens’s sword arm — then slammed his other hand into the man’s chest.
THOOM!
Chens coughed blood, flung backward. Before he could hit the ground, vines surged up again, wrapping him tight — bark thickening into a solid cocoon.
Elric’s spell didn’t just restrain him. It sealed his mana entirely, leaving him unable to draw power ever again.
[Harsh, aren’t you?] Mephisto said.
[It works, doesn’t it?] Elric replied, dusting off his hands.
Outside, a single leaf shimmered in the night breeze.
“Delivery for you.”
Elric dumped the bound, unconscious Chens at Trang’s feet.
“Already?” Trang blinked. Mord stood beside him, equally stunned.
Capturing an Inspectorate agent — and a Deputy Director, no less — so quickly was beyond belief.
“Impressive,” Trang murmured. “To think the one sent to watch me held such rank…”
“Deputy Director,” Elric said casually. “Apparently.”
Trang almost laughed. The way Elric said it — as if talking about a lost puppy — reminded him faintly of Usden.
“Still warm,” Elric added, picking up his cup of tea. Steam still curled from it. He took a sip. “You weren’t kidding about this blend.”
Mord chuckled. “Reminds me of that old story about a general who swore to return before his tea cooled.”
Elric set the cup down and exhaled softly. “All right. Before we start interrogating—”
His tone turned serious. “Someone leaked information. Any idea where from?”
Trang shook his head. “We’ve been cautious, but… no. I can’t say.”
“None of your attendants? Quartermasters?”
“I… I can’t be sure.”
Mord suddenly cut in. “There’s one suspect.”
“Mord!” Trang barked, startled. “Not now—”
“Why not? If we’re trusting Lord Elric, we should be honest!”
Elric folded his arms, watching the exchange. The air between them was tense, raw. Before he could press further, a boy’s voice shouted:
“My dad’s not a bad guy! You’re all just traitors pretending he is!”
Elric turned — it was Zen. He sighed. “So the kid’s your son, huh?”
“I’m not a kid!”
“Short equals kid. That’s basic math.”
“I’m not short!”
“Sure thing, little guy~”
[Unbelievable,] Mephisto groaned. [I can’t tell which one’s the child.]
Trang exhaled, then straightened. “If you’ve come this far, Lord Elric, you deserve to know the truth of our situation.”
He stood and guided Elric to a wall lined with bookshelves. With a soft click, he pulled one volume — and the entire shelf rotated, revealing a hidden passage.
“What in the world…”
Elric peered inside — and froze.
The architecture, the design — he knew it.
“This… looks exactly like the winter palace I saw in the Camellia God’s memory.”
The same cold elegance, the same frost-tinged air. It was identical.
Trang bowed deeply. “Allow me to reintroduce myself properly. I am one of the Sixteen Imams who lead our tribe — Trang, Priest of the present Pharos. As you may know, our people do not bear surnames.”
“Imam? Pharos?” Elric echoed, puzzled.
Trang smiled faintly. “Ah, forgive me. ‘Imam’ means great teacher. And the term Pharos… once referred to the people of ice and frost — those who served the Camellia God long ago.”
Elric’s eyes widened.
“…!”
The Magician Who Devoured Talent.