Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 56

Mage Days

Harang was able to join the security force because he apprehended Mike Rikton on the spot.

Mike Rikton was such a notorious scammer who targeted tourists that there were even talks about preparing a citizen commendation for him.

“You mean to say you didn’t intentionally target that scammer?”

“Yes, it was just by chance…”

Harang didn’t mention that he had deliberately caught Mike. Claiming to have intentionally apprehended a criminal would only raise unnecessary suspicions about his identity.

Here, Harang was merely ‘Mage Days,’ so it was better to say it happened by coincidence.

“I see… Is that so…”

As Harang sat clutching the crystal bubble tightly in his hand throughout the interrogation, a few investigators looked at him with pity.

“Poor guy… Traveling alone and nearly falling prey to that vile scammer, huh?”

“He’s really lucky.”

“That Mike, once he starts sinking his teeth in, he doesn’t let go until he’s bled you dry. We couldn’t do much since he hadn’t crossed into human trafficking…”

“Just look at that frightened expression.”

As Harang hunched his shoulders, the investigators clicked their tongues in sympathy.

He was actually a little scared.

‘They won’t figure out who I really am, right?’

Since the security force was primarily composed of martial artists, there was a chance they might notice the muscles hidden under Harang’s robe.

If they asked him to take off his robe or discovered the camouflage magic over his eyes, the mission would fail instantly. The primary condition of this mission was not revealing his identity as a Kaladan.

He was simply curling up to avoid any unnecessary attention, but it seemed to have earned him some sympathy. The investigators intended to let him go without any further probing.

“Oh dear, it must’ve been quite the ordeal. Now, just a brief meeting with the captain, and you’ll be free to go!”

“Make sure you don’t run into any more scammers, and have a safe trip!”

Harang was creeped out by the investigators’ patronizing tone, as if they were speaking to a child, but he couldn’t show it.

“Y-Yes…”

After the investigators left, he waited for a while until the door opened, and two men entered.

The man who sat across from Harang had a rugged build and a scarred face, the typical look of a warrior, while the man standing behind him, holding some documents, appeared to be more of a scholar.

‘A security captain, huh? He doesn’t look the part.’

Harang relaxed and straightened his previously hunched shoulders. The man across from him bowed his head slightly and spoke.

“It’s an honor to meet the Little Moon of Kaladan.”

As expected. These men were intelligence agents from the Kaladan side. Since Harang had anticipated this, he wasn’t surprised and clasped his hands together as he responded.

“Nice to meet you. I hope you understand that I can’t share my real name.”

“Of course. I go by the name ‘Gardein,’ so it would be best if you remembered me that way. By the way, your skills are truly impressive, young master.”

The security captain grinned as if he was genuinely pleased.

“I was informed that a Polden Knight would approach discreetly, concealing their identity. However, I never imagined you’d join the security force by deliberately getting involved with a notorious criminal. This way, we can make contact at our leisure. Truly impressive. Could it be that White Night Castle is now teaching such methods?”

“They don’t teach anything like that.”

“Hahaha, as I thought. Anyway… since time is short, let’s get straight to the point. You’re here for information on ‘Honmokhwa,’ right?”

Gardein spoke with a hint of concern, though he seemed relieved that the contact had gone smoothly.

“Actually… our primary mission lies elsewhere, so we don’t have much information on Honmokhwa. If you wish, we can try to gather some, but we’re quite short on manpower at the moment, which makes things difficult.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Harang chuckled softly and then addressed the scholarly man standing behind Gardein.

“Then, what does your ‘captain’ think about this? Do you really have no information?”

“…!”

The scholarly man briefly paused in his note-taking upon hearing Harang’s title.

He then raised his head, adjusted his glasses, and met Harang’s gaze.

“Are you speaking to me?”

“You’re the one in charge here, aren’t you?”

“Ah, well, that is…”

Gardein visibly flinched and began to stammer some excuse, but the man behind him gently patted his shoulder and spoke up.

“Enough. The young master has seen through it… Continuing this charade would be disrespectful.”

As Gardein stood up, the man approached Harang, offering a respectful bow.

“It’s an honor to meet the Little Moon of Kaladan. My name is Maltiren. Due to the nature of my work, I had to conceal my identity to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. I apologize.”

Maltiren spoke calmly, but inwardly, he was greatly surprised.

‘…How did he know?’

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that a 14-year-old boy would see through his disguise.

‘This changes everything.’

To be honest, when Maltiren first heard that a direct descendant of Kaladan would be coming, he felt a mix of annoyance and inconvenience.

He found it unfair that he and his team had to abandon their own mission to support the task of a young Kaladan heir.

In Maltiren’s mind, these young direct descendants often had limited abilities and were simply using Kaladan knights to build up their own reputations.

His original plan had been to just meet the boy, give him a brief face-to-face interaction, and send him away without sharing any real information…

‘Harang Paul Kaladan… I’ve heard rumors about his exceptional talent in swordsmanship, but there were also whispers about his sharp intellect and wisdom. Now that I see him in person, I can confirm it. If he’s this astute, there’s no reason to withhold our information.’

Maltiren pulled out a yellow document envelope from his coat and handed it to Harang.

“I apologize once again for the deception. The claim that we had no information on Honmokhwa was also a lie.”

“Is there a particular reason you felt the need to lie to me?”

Harang asked as he tore open the document envelope, prompting Maltiren to bow his head.

“I suspected that you might be attempting to build your reputation in an unfair and dishonorable way, not befitting a knight. If that upset you in any way…”

“Hmm.”

Harang wasn’t one to get upset over something like that. Instead, he found the notion of building a reputation dishonorably more intriguing.

“So, does that mean that other blood relatives, besides myself, have used their subordinate knights to unfairly amass honor?”

“…”

Maltiren remained silent, but his slightly troubled expression gave him away. It seemed this was a topic he wasn’t supposed to discuss.

“There’s no need to be tense. You’ve probably been warned to keep quiet. I don’t intend to press you for details.”

Harang tapped the document lightly and said, “Rather than that, I’d like to hear the briefing first.”

“Yes, of course…”

Maltiren felt something peculiar.

Having served several Kaladan blood relatives in the field before, he found the young boy in front of him to be quite different from the others.

Typically, when those of the Kaladan bloodline realized something was being kept from them, they would either become visibly angry or, at the very least, display a displeased expression as if they had been insulted.

Most would then do everything in their power to pry the information out, even if it meant forcing the issue—a trait common not only to the Kaladan family but to most of the upper nobility.

However, this boy spoke in a way that seemed almost considerate of his subordinates’ well-being, giving off a strangely calming presence.

Maltiren, who generally wasn’t fond of the aristocracy, found himself unexpectedly warming up to Harang…

“First of all, we’ve tracked the black magic group producing Honmokhwa several times, but as soon as their location is discovered, they burn all evidence and disappear without a trace.”

“They burn the Honmokhwa? That must be a significant loss. I’m surprised they’d do that so easily.”

“Life is more valuable to them. They seem to operate with some level of organization, but since they’ve absorbed even street thugs into their ranks, they’re not entirely systematic. The problem is, they’re incredibly elusive, making them very difficult to track…”

Maltiren stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“I suspect that some powerful force is backing them from the shadows.”

“As I thought.”

“Yes.”

The Kaladan Duchy respected the autonomy of each territory. Some cities were ruled by lords as fiefdoms, while others, like the Harana Canal, were governed by a city council composed of various nobles.

Given that the Harana Canal was the hub of trade, those managing the city council there wielded enormous financial power, which naturally translated into significant political influence.

“Backing a single black magic group wouldn’t be too much trouble… but why would they go to the trouble of doing so?”

Harang’s simple question struck right at the heart of the issue. It was a mystery that Maltiren’s intelligence agents, who had infiltrated this place, had yet to solve.

“If they have enough influence to sway the city council, they wouldn’t need to deal in something as dangerous as Honmokhwa. The money would flow in on its own, so why bother?”

“That’s exactly the question. Whoever it is must be quite powerful to avoid the eyes of the security force… But no matter how thoroughly we investigate the city council, there’s no evidence of Honmokhwa being traded in the black market.”

Judging by Maltiren’s expression, it was clear that this time he wasn’t hiding anything but was genuinely at a loss.

With the Eyes of Truth, Harang could easily discern such subtle changes in emotion, even if he didn’t want to.

“Hmm…”

If the intelligence agents had dedicated all their resources to investigating this matter, they might eventually uncover some information. However, they had their own missions to complete, so they couldn’t afford to focus solely on this issue.

“Well, this is enough. I’ll handle the rest myself.”

“What?”

Once again, Maltiren was taken aback.

As a Polden Knight of Kaladan, it was expected that a blood relative would have a clear understanding of who the enemy was and where they were located in order to complete their mission.

But how could a Kaladan bloodline, who had spent their entire lives training in swordsmanship, go about gathering such information?

Most of the blood relatives Maltiren had encountered so far would sit around and demand the information be brought to them, rather than taking any initiative themselves.

‘What on earth is he planning to do…?’

Harang gathered the documents and stood up, draping his robe over his shoulders.

“Rest assured, I won’t bother you again after today. As for the information you provided… I’ll repay the favor later.”

“R-repay? That’s not necessary.”

“You’re working for Kaladan, not for me, right? I’m already grateful that you’ve shared valuable information for free, but I’d feel more at ease treating it as a debt.”

“….”

Where else in the world would you find a noble who spoke like this? Maltiren felt a strange, almost mystical charm emanating from the young boy. Was it really possible for someone to feel so drawn to someone simply because they treated their subordinates as equals?

“As a mage and you as the security force, let’s both do our best in our respective roles. Now, I’ll be on my way.”

With a refreshing farewell, Harang exited the security office. Watching him leave, Maltiren felt as though something had cleared in his mind.

“Huh… I’ve always wondered if there really were such things as ‘honorable knights,’ but now I think I understand why people say that.”

If that young master grew just a bit more and displayed his true potential as a knight… then he would undoubtedly be called an ‘honorable knight’ worthy of respect.

‘I’m looking forward to it. Let’s see how he accomplishes what we couldn’t…’

* * *

Bang! Mike, half-thrown into his cell, clutched his head as he lifted it.

“Damn it, how did I end up like this…?”

“Serves you right, you scum. I knew you’d get caught eventually.”

The guards sneered as they locked Mike behind the iron bars.

“Enjoyed fleecing all those tourists, didn’t you? Do you even realize how much you’ve tarnished Harana Canal’s reputation?”

“The nobles are already spreading nasty rumors about this place because of you.”

“You’ll be doing hard labor in prison until you pay off all those fines.”

‘Damn it, hard labor!’

Mike couldn’t believe his fate. With just a bit of smooth talking and some sleight of hand, he could earn a fortune. But now, toiling away and earning mere coins through backbreaking work? It was an absolute waste of his talents!

“Today’s a good day! I heard it was some young mage who caught that scumbag!”

“Whoever it was, I’d love to see their face. That brat fulfilled my wish to take down that bastard.”

“Hahaha, let’s go grab a drink!”

As the guards left, laughing, Mike banged his head against the wall.

This prison, under the jurisdiction of the Rondel Cathedral, was known for being inescapable. The Church’s holy knights kept a vigilant watch, ensuring that no one could even think of escaping.

Mike spent a miserable day in his cell, sinking into despair. He had always stayed in luxury hotels, slicing into expensive steaks, so he found it hard to believe that he was now lying on a cold prison floor, eating some slop they called stew.

‘Damn it, just wait until I get out, you little noble brat…’

Grinding his teeth, Mike slammed his fist against the wall, but then suddenly realized something was off.

Now that he thought about it, something was strange.

There were usually guards patrolling outside, keeping an eye on the criminals, but now there was no one in sight.

‘Could this be a chance to escape?’

As the thought crossed his mind, Mike gripped the iron bars with both hands, preparing to peek outside.

…Thwack!

A sudden blow to his face sent him reeling backward, unable to even cry out or catch his breath.

“Cough, ack…!”

Clutching his throat, Mike coughed violently, saliva dribbling from his mouth as he shakily lifted his head.

Creak…

The iron door swung open, and several large men in black robes stepped inside.

‘W-what’s going on? Who are they?!’

Mike couldn’t comprehend the situation. This was a prison overseen by the priests of Rondel Cathedral. How could these men move in and out so freely?

His confusion was quickly pushed aside as the hooded figure at the front lowered his hood, revealing a face that was all too familiar.

“Ga-Galek… brother…”

“Mike. I told you, didn’t I? There’s something important coming up, so don’t make any noise and keep a low profile. But instead, you get yourself caught by the security force?”

“B-brother! I didn’t say anything! I was just caught scamming, that’s all! I didn’t mention anything about you!”

“You never know. What if they drag you to the capital’s interrogation chamber and you decide to sell us out to reduce your sentence?”

As Galek rolled up his sleeve, a tiger tattoo became partially visible. While it held no magical power, its visual impact was undeniable. Mike, terrified out of his wits, lost control and collapsed to the floor, wetting himself.

Vroom…!

A red magic circle began to form on Galek’s forearm. Mike had always found that magic circle unsettling, but today, its vivid, blood-red glow made it even more terrifying.

“Even a useless piece of trash like you might be worth something as a sacrifice.”

“Guards! Guaaaards!!”

Desperate, Mike screamed for the guards who had mocked him earlier, hoping against hope that they would save him, but no response came.

Crack, crackle!!

“Gaaaahhh!”

As his muscles and bones twisted and contorted in excruciating pain, Mike’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, his body drained of all life.

Galek spat on the floor and turned away from Mike’s corpse, now twisted and mummified.

“The life force of a rotten criminal isn’t very satisfying, and without a proper altar, the efficiency is low.”

“Still, brother, with this, you’ve reached five stars, right? And now that you’ve mastered black magic…!” One of his subordinates tried to flatter him, but Galek grabbed his head.

“Black magic? Have you forgotten where we are?”

“B-brother… I-I’m sorry…”

“Good timing. If we leave just Mike’s corpse here, it’ll look suspicious. You can keep him company.”

“B-brother…”

With a quick twist, Galek snapped the subordinate’s neck and tossed his body next to Mike’s.

“Let’s go.”

“…Yes, sir!”

The other subordinates, terrified by Galek’s cold-blooded ruthlessness, followed him in silence, sweating nervously as they trailed behind.