Chapter 22 — Sub-quest: The Dire Order

1

The barracks.

Or what’s called the knights’ quarters.

Caesar’s knighthood, symbolized by the red eagle, gathered only the continent’s top talents.

It was always mentioned when graduates of Mythos Academy started their professional lives.

Just as they say big companies have good welfare, the same applies to this Rox Continent.

The families spread across the continent are comparable to corporations.

Wanting to join a good company is natural psychology for anyone.

“We greet the second young master!”

“I’m here about Lord Eunseul’s disappearance.”

“We’ve just received the report. I’ll guide you. The volunteers have arrived.”

Manus moved, deeply impressed by the respectful reporting and strict hierarchy.

Is this what it feels like to be a superior?

He barely suppressed his original personality that was rejoicing at the feeling.

The barracks were clean.

Just like how they always nagged about cleaning in the Korean military, it seems no different here.

With a meaningless chuckle, he headed towards a room on the second floor.

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting.”

“Are these them?”

“Yes. Ten knights including the next squad leader.”

Manus nodded.

The mana he sensed was also top-notch.

Perhaps due to his appraising gaze, tension was evident in their expressions.

To them, Manus was no different from the chairman’s rascal son-.

“Raise your hand if you were close to Lord Eunseul.”

The next squad leader raised his hand.

He introduced himself as Regev.

His angular face matched well with his heavy armor.

“Did he ever act alone or show any strange behavior?”

“The night before he disappeared, he was reciting strange prayers. I overheard it by chance.”

“Then he must have acted alone in the forest.”

Regev’s expression hardened terribly.

His eyes seemed to ask how Manus could have guessed this.

It’s a typical method.

The trademark of the Dire Order, as described in the main work.

Manus nodded.

He looked at the map once and decided on the next skill to learn.

‘Skill: Dux search.’

[Search result: 1 item]

[Dux — 6 hours]

‘Acquire.’

The timer started running.

It takes about an hour to walk from here to the forest.

The current time is around 4 PM.

The Dire Order prefers the night.

To catch prey, one must set traps where and when the prey likes.

Manus looked at the knights and spoke.

“We’ll depart for the forest in five hours. Everyone gathered here, assemble on time.”

“…”

“Answer.”

“Y-Yes! Understood!”

After hearing the knights’ response, Manus moved again.

He planned to spend the remaining five hours studying magic books in the library.

The more usable spells, the better.

Time keeps flowing.

How one uses the same amount of time depends entirely on oneself.

Manus thought.

He wouldn’t live the same life as before coming here.

‘This place is fun.’

He wanted novelty over familiarity, magic over science.

This place, where one could do anything with their own power, suited him far better than the modern world where nothing could be done without tools.

With slightly excited steps, he moved to study.

2

The knights’ meeting room looked as if a storm had just passed through.

A quiet and subdued atmosphere lingered, as if the family head had just visited.

Whew-.

Someone’s deep sigh broke the tense atmosphere.

“Is that really the second young master?”

“Yeah… I thought it wasn’t him at first.”

“What on earth happened at the academy?”

The knights’ murmuring voices were full of surprise and shock.

Usually, everyone is respectful in front of a rascal superior.

What can you do even if they’re dirty and petty?

Rather, some people even create connections with such people and cleverly use them.

But this time, he appeared surprisingly sharp and decisive.

It was like seeing a young family head.

“Come on, everyone gather on time. Don’t get on his bad side and get punished.”

“Understood.”

“Even though he looks like that, he’s still that rascal. Let’s not make any mistakes that could lead to bad words going up.”

“Yes, sir!”

Knights are beings who must step up even for the sake of reputation.

Although the young master was somewhat unreliable and suspicious, they were knights who drew their swords for their lord.

They were ready to willingly offer their swords and lives.

The barracks became busy.

The forest was quite a dangerous place.

If the young master got hurt or disappeared similarly, the knighthood could be disbanded that very day.

“There must be no mistakes. Understood?”

“Understood!”

Their resounding voices, loud enough to shake the entire barracks, revealed their spirit and determination.

And so, at the time when the sun had finished its work and gone to bed.

Thump-.

The clock pointed precisely to 8:55 PM.

Manus stood up.

It was time to go to the forest and face the Dire Order.

The ‘Dux’ magic he had acquired acts as a kind of guide.

Only one character could learn it: Pearson.

‘That’s also why we can’t exclude him.’

Following the path of mana always leads to something beneficial for the player.

Stairs to the next floor, the ‘Jester’ Arcana called the golden goblin.

Places where one can rest, and so on.

A magic that can be used effectively to find various elements scattered throughout the Ziggurat.

If his hypothesis is correct, it will be very helpful in finding the destination of the sub-quest.

Thinking about various things, he arrived in front of the barracks to find the knights already prepared and lined up.

“We’ve arrived!”

“Let’s depart.”

Manus glanced at them and confirmed that everyone was present.

The knights exchanged glances as they watched Manus move forward without hesitation.

Yes, rumors had spread.

That the second young master had changed.

In the past, he would have complained about not liking the armor and kicked their shins.

Now, there was none of that, and he went straight to the mission.

‘What on earth happened?’

‘The family head will be pleased. But will the young lady and the first young master like it?’

‘Isn’t this getting unnecessarily complicated?’

They said family is like a company, and in society, there’s always power struggles.

If the balance is precariously maintained, there might be minor checks and balances, but it enters a stable period.

That’s exactly how Caesar was right now.

The structure of three siblings perfectly aligned, creating an unspoken competition for the heir position.

Of course, being siblings with good relationships, there was no bloodshed, but that could change in the future.

‘But suddenly, he appeared. And with his talents seemingly fully awakened.’

Regev, the new squad leader walking at the front, pondered.

This could be a problematic issue in its own way.

Especially for the first young master, who was proud and had always disliked Manus.

Just thinking about how he might react sent chills down Regev’s spine.

If the eldest daughter belonged to the group that worried about him, the eldest son despised him-.

He judged that the family might be thrown into chaos.

“The forest is dangerous. From now on, we’ll take the lead.”

“No, I’ll lead.”

“It’s dangerous. If anything were to happen to you, young master, the family head would not forgive us.”

Manus stared at Regev.

At the entrance of the forest.

The light diminished, and darkness that seemed to emanate from a thousand-meter-deep pit appeared.

This forest, rich in mana, various herbs, quality wood, and rare monsters, held quite an important position even in the Caesar principality.

“I’m an academy student here to fulfill a request. Not a young master who needs protection.”

“…Understood.”

The wavering in Regev’s eyes disappeared.

Manus smiled faintly.

He turned his body again and entered the forest.

[Arbor Forest]

‘So this is where it began.’

In the original work, by the time the Dire Order appeared, they had already enormously expanded their influence and even summoned demons from the Ars Goetia.

There must have been a starting point.

This was a chance to confirm if it was here or somewhere else on the continent.

If this was the origin-.

“It’s that way.”

They would have to uproot it today.

He moved his mana.

He used the common magic [Pila-Rox].

Users called it [Light].

It was a commonly known magic that used a sphere of light.

The magical sphere that popped up drove away the darkness.

‘Magic. And at quite a high level.’

‘Without even chanting-. As expected of Caesar blood.’

Even knights who were insensitive to rumors knew.

Manus was a half-wit who couldn’t use magic.

But now, this level of magic?

Faith grew in the knights’ eyes.

As they reached the end of the forest path, good news came to Manus.

The acquisition of [Dux] was complete.

[‘Dux’ acquisition complete.]

[Please select a skill to learn.]

[Current slots — 1]

‘This takes a bit longer, but it needs to be mastered-.’

There is one passive skill that becomes truly overpowered when combined with Cadenza.

The protagonist couldn’t learn it, but the community always talked about it.

What skill is the most overpowered when combined with Cadenza.

Manus had always thought about it.

What skill has good synergy with Cadenza, which is the foundation of this game?

What the man who always wished for the protagonist to become stronger had imagined.

‘Magician’s Mindset search.’

[Search result: 1 item]

[Magician’s Mindset — 100 days]

‘Tsk.’

100 days.

Three months was quite a long time.

He calculated the dates as he walked.

It roughly matched the time before the next boss appeared.

Even if it took a long time, this was a skill he couldn’t give up.

[Magician’s Mindset] was a passive skill that greatly enhanced the magician’s abilities themselves.

[Magician’s Mindset]

[What was the reason for wanting to become a magician?]

[Why did you want to become a magician, and what is your mindset when using magic?]

[A magician is a creature that moves by will.]

He could feel the direction of the fluctuating mana.

‘Dux’ activated, faintly illuminating the path.

Manus continued to walk.

His eyes quickly scanned the skill description.

[Magic power stacks when using magic in succession]

[Multi-magic assist]

[Immunity to mental attacks]

[30% reduction in mana consumption]

‘Learn.’

There was no reason to hesitate.

Until then, he could grow by his own strength.

This skill was originally attached to a character with the concept of being a genius at double casting.

‘Multi-magic assist’ and ‘Magic power stacks when using magic in succession’ have tremendous synergy with Cadenza.

Even a rough calculation shows it’s a passive that exceeds 200% of the original power.

If he masters this, even a Spread composed of 3rd-class magic would be enough to handle things.

It was a skill worth the 100-day period.

The clock started ticking.

Another step towards becoming the strongest began again.

3

The forest at night was deep and quiet.

The chirping insects and beasts brushing against leaves were all asleep, making it silent.

Occasionally, the cries of monsters could be heard.

But they didn’t approach the light.

Manus, who had advanced without hesitation, finally arrived at the scene.

The traces were still there.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Strengthen the vigilance and divide into pairs to search the surroundings. Regev, come with me.”

The knights moved.

Manus instructed them to report if they found any suspicious areas.

The Dire Order likes underground places.

The passage was right at the entrance of the tiger’s den.

[Dux]

Mana flowed out, and a faint light guided Manus.

At the end of that path was a small stone.

No, it was an underground passage disguised as a stone.

He waved his hand, clearing away the stone with mana.

Darkness.

A darkness that seemed to have gathered all the darkness they had just driven away.

“…I’ll call the squad members.”

“No.”

[This sub-quest is for one person.]

[You can enter alone.]

[Reward: Skill slot +1]

He couldn’t help but laugh.

So this is how it goes?

Manus moved without hesitation.

“Young master!”

“Wait there.”

“No-!”

Regev hurriedly moved towards the underground passage, following Manus who seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.

Crack-!

But the darkness didn’t let him in.

Regev shouted loudly, breaking out in a cold sweat.

He swung his sword, but it only hurt his own hand.

“Damn it.”

His empty words echoed in the darkness.

[Sub-quest: The Dire Order’s Hideout]

[Uncover the reality of the Order inside the underground passage.]

–TL Notes–
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