Chapter 176 — The End of the Hunt

1

Four people stood before the corpse of the demon.

Purpur, unfortunately, died without leaving any trace.

They had hoped to capture the members of the cult, but Purpur had devoured them all.

Still, the demon’s body would serve as valuable material, a resource they could take back and be greatly rewarded for.

Manus checked the safety of his group.

Aside from a slight dent in Kenain’s shield, everyone was unharmed.

A flawless victory without even a scratch.

Manus spoke lightly.

“It wasn’t much. Let’s go.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Swoosh-

Wei sliced off the demon’s head and stored it in her subspace.

Manus, meanwhile, picked up the Blue Lion emblem they had found at the ruins’ entrance.

How foolish.

If they wanted to hide their alliance, they should’ve done a better job.

Then again, considering this was based on a game, such sloppiness was forgivable.

After all, the Acre family was just an extra that appeared early in the game.

Nothing about the cult or Eresis had been revealed yet.

“What do you think the cult’s goal is?”

“They probably wanted to exploit the demons for their gain. I don’t know much beyond that.”

“We need to investigate thoroughly. It’s practically certain they’ve established a base here.”

As a secretary, Wei began sketching out the situation in her mind. She had to report on this and assist the head of the family in making decisions.

The Caesar family’s influence would surely grow.

Manus instinctively sensed that the power of the Caesar family was increasing.

Were they content with being a small duchy, or were they aiming to become an unrivaled, indomitable family by strengthening their foundations?

Ultimately, it would all depend on his father, Labeth, the head of the family.

Manus found himself slightly interested in the family’s future direction.

For now, it was only a minor curiosity, but that could change depending on how much the cult stirred things up.

“How do you think the battle went?”

“It’s obvious. Even though Count Acre’s troops are formidable, they can’t defeat the Caesars.”

Wei’s words would soon be confirmed when they left.

Emerging from the dark ruins into the blinding desert sunlight, they left behind the now-ruined site.

Manus glanced back at the ruins that had become nothing but a wasteland.

It would be best to destroy it completely.

Before leaving, Manus used magic to completely bury the ruins.

By ensuring it could never be used again, he could prevent future headaches.

The sight of the collapsing ruins, raising a cloud of dust, seemed like a symbolic representation of the fall of the demons.

“It’s over.”

“They won’t be able to use this place anymore. Well done, Young Master.”

“Now, let’s go finish the war.”

“Yes!”

It was time to check how the family was handling Count Acre.

2

The battlefield was a boiling cauldron of chaos.

Under the scorching sun, shouts and sprays of blood filled the air like fountains.

Men screamed to overcome their fear, to kill their enemies, and to strike terror into those in front of them.

The count, his sword glowing with blue and white aura, was furiously slaughtering enemies.

Each time his sword flashed, another of the Caesar soldiers fell.

But no matter how fiercely he fought, the reach of his blade was limited.

The knight order had long been wiped out by a 6th-class spell.

Isolated, Count Acre was bogged down, his movements restricted as Caesar’s knights closed in on him.

“Duke Caesar! Fight me in an honorable duel! Labethhh!”

“Does he really think His Grace, a Duke, will duel with a Master-class warrior? Is he out of his mind?”

“Just stay where you are. You’re a valuable prisoner, after all.”

“You filthy bastards!”

His aura blade was sharp.

But the Caesar family wasn’t without its own Master-class warriors.

The duchy required an immense force to sustain itself.

Caesar’s sword, and the head of the family’s trusted confidant, Nyx, was such a person.

He had honed his blade for forty years just to earn the name Caesar.

While his skill might fall short of Count Acre’s, the knights under his command were all monsters in their own right.

Even if killing him was impossible, they could stall him as long as needed.

‘Caesar… I didn’t expect them to be this formidable.’

The count, filled with anxiety, awaited reinforcements.

Caesar was far stronger than he had anticipated.

Now he truly understood why they were called one of the Empire’s pillars.

Did it feel like he was repeating himself?

Every second and minute, Count Acre was feeling the full might of Caesar.

He couldn’t emphasize it enough.

He wanted to grab the cult by the throat and scream at them to stop, to turn back time.

But now, his only hope was to cling to the slimmest of chances, waiting for the cult’s reinforcements in utter despair.

“Count Acre. Are you waiting for the cult?”

The voice was familiar.

It chilled his heart.

The cult.

Was that a word he should be hearing here?

The count slowly turned his head, looking up at the figures standing on the ridge.

Three of them.

One of them was someone whose aura and voice were all too familiar.

That impossibly arrogant mage.

He was a direct descendant of the Caesar family, who always made sure his noble status was known.

The subordinate he had once sent out and never heard from again… it must have been because of this man.

“Oh dear. The vermin you were waiting for, that cult, is already gone~.”

“…What?”

With a mocking grin, Wei opened her subspace.

A giant deer’s head tumbled out, rolling down the dune.

It came to a stop at the count’s feet.

It was Purpur’s head.

The count’s face turned ashen.

Manus stared at him, lost in thought.

What had driven the count to such desperation that he made such reckless decisions?

What had caused such a famous noble family, with nothing to envy, to fall into such ruin?

“Count, why did you abandon your duty?”

“…”

The count was silent, the question hitting him like a dagger.

Regret washed over him.

Regret, once it took root, drowned out all other thoughts.

People who moved forward rarely had time to dwell on regret, after all.

Manus continued speaking, trying to preserve his own forces.

They still needed to conserve their strength for the battles ahead.

“Drop your sword. The cards you’ve prepared are spent.”

“It’s too late, Young Master.”

A blue-white aura surged from the count’s sword.

He had only one target in mind.

Manus, standing just barely within his range.

The aura blade flew at him with incredible speed, too fast for anyone to react.

[Young Master!]

‘Stand down.’

The writhing shadows receded.

Aden, who had been hiding in Manus’s shadow, stopped her movements.

If they had faced him head-on, Aden wouldn’t have stood a chance against the count.

In that fleeting moment, they somehow communicated without words.

But Manus’s intent was clear.

At the same time, the count’s beloved sword, Emilia, pierced Manus’s chest.

Someone gasped as blood spurted from their mouth.

“…Urgh.”

“You truly make foolish decisions, Count.”

[Counter: Exigo]

A skill that reflects a fatal attack just once.

The blow that could have ended Manus’s life rebounded onto the count.

And the count, already on his last legs, was unable to withstand it.

Count Acre had just delivered the finest strike of his life.

Neither Nyx, the Master of the Caesar family, nor Aden could fully block the attack.

Manus’s frail body shouldn’t have been able to survive it.

The skill was extraordinary, able to defy the very laws of this world.

“…How?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare for something like this?”

“…I see. I was… already…”

The light faded from the count’s eyes.

In that single moment, the shock had killed him.

Silence blanketed the battlefield.

With the count dead, the war was essentially over.

Manus spoke.

“Collect the head and announce the end of the war.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

Manus began walking toward his father, Labeth, who stood in the distance.

Soon, the booming cry announcing the end of the war echoed across the battlefield.

The war had ended much more quickly than anticipated.

It was a complete victory for Caesar.

3

“Can’t believe you took down the Count. I don’t even know what to say.”

“To be precise, he self-destructed.”

“He was a Master. For you to break through that power and push him to self-destruction, there must be something I’m unaware of.”

Labeth spoke, looking at Manus.

He had no intention of blaming his son.

He then turned his gaze to Wei and Kenain.

Both of them were beaming with overwhelming pride.

It was rare to see these two, who were known for their strictness within the Caesar family, displaying such bright expressions.

Sixteen years old.

Manus was soaring like a butterfly freshly emerged from its cocoon, fluttering freely in the sky.

As a father, he couldn’t be happier, but as the head of the family, his son’s accomplishments were becoming a source of concern.

He never imagined that Manus would outshine his other two children with such overwhelming achievements.

What was he supposed to do about this?

Manus would undoubtedly choose freedom over the principality.

Labeth quietly watched his son for a moment before turning away.

“You’ve done well. I’ll handle the clean-up, so take a rest.”

“Understood.”

Manus bowed to his father and turned to leave.

It had been a week and a half since he arrived here.

Now that the work was done, it was time to hurry back and prepare for midterms.

But before that, he couldn’t forget to claim his reward.

[Sub-Quest Cleared]

[Calculating score…]

[Disrupted demonic ritual / Victory in war / Confirmed involvement of the Abrel Family / Assassinated Count Acre / Defeated Demon Purpur / Cleared with No Damage]

[Overall Rating: SSS]

[Reward: +1 Skill Slot / 10 XXL Mana Stones / 1 Ticket to Learn a ‘Mindset’ Skill within 150 Years]

“Oh.”

The other rewards aside, a Mindset skill? That was an incredibly tempting prize.

At this rate, he might really end up mastering every passive skill out there.

And with one more skill slot now available, he had to choose wisely.

He already had something in mind.

After learning 6th-Class magic, he had briefly glimpsed into the knowledge of the 6th-Class.

If he learned [Square Casting] now?

With an extra skill slot to spare, he thought he could quickly fill it with something useful.

‘Search, Square Casting.’

[Search Result: 1 Entry]

[Square Casting: 1 Year]

“Learn it. Assign to Skill Slot 4.”

[Skill acquisition in progress.]

Square Casting.

It would be an incredible weapon.

And more importantly, it would expand his magical knowledge.

Now, all that was left was the true reward.

It was a moment filled with excitement.

‘Search, Mindset within 150 years.’

With anticipation, he began the search.

What unfolded before his eyes was a vast array of options.

So many Mindset skills appeared that Manus found himself seriously pondering which to choose.

Among them, a few stood out and caught his eye.

–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading

Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt