NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10
#010.
‘It’s been a while since I found such an excellent blade.’
On the way to the airfield.
While running at the front, Ben slightly turned his gaze to look at the boy following behind him.
‘Eugene Lorentz…’
He was just a disposable tool.
If he wasn’t discovered, he would be a good informant, and if he was caught or defected, Ben could just explode his magic circuit using the ‘Mark of Control’.
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[1]
TLN: The first one this appears, the author uses the word “지배의 낙인”. And this time it’s “지배의 각인”.
Either way, he was a throwaway card with nothing to lose.
That’s why Ben had no expectations, but that boy showed surprising results that broke through his predictions.
He played his assigned role and infiltrated the Revolutionary Army.
He attacked Young Master Claude at the right timing.
He predicted Commander Refin Phelps’ escape route and succeeded in eliminating him.
His handling of matters was efficient, as if he knew all of the Revolutionary Army’s behavioral patterns and escape routes.
Even among the active Knifehead members, there weren’t many who had achieved similar results.
‘At just ten years old, to be this capable… I can’t just use him as a disposable tool.’
While thinking this about Eugene, a report came through Ben’s magic imprint from the advance team.
[Reporting current situation.]
[The one who took Young Master Claude is confirmed to be one person. We confirmed they have implanted magic imprint. It’s at least 5 lines or more.]
[Currently, the Knight Order stationed near the airfield is responding, but the situation isn’t good. They’re barely holding on.]
Upon hearing this report, Ben couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
‘If it’s 5 lines or more, that’s equal to the Lord’s magic imprint.’
The imprint manufacturing technology was not only the core of the Empire’s military power but also a top-secret matter under the intense management of the Magic Department.
Even in the enemy nation Westraine, they could only make 4-line imprints at best, yet a Revolutionary Army nobody has 5 lines?
That wasn’t the only strange thing.
Though his qualities were certainly excellent, Young Master Claude was still a novice who hadn’t even had a magic imprint implanted.
To face three knights while carrying such a burden…!
“My Lord. This is Ben, the Knifehead supervisor.”
-Speak.
When Ben spoke into the magic imprint, Lord Lupeon’s voice flowed into his head.
Only three people could communicate directly with the Lord through magical power: Butler Sevian, Knight Order Commander Burken, and himself.
When Lupeon’s voice was heard, Ben opened his mouth with a chilling voice.
“‘Informant M’ has appeared in Belkers territory.”
Informant M.
As soon as that name was mentioned, Lupeon’s response came immediately.
-I’m coming.
With those words, the magical power communication was cut off.
However, the weight carried in that single word Lupeon uttered was beyond imagination.
Lord Lupeon was moving personally.
He had judged that this situation couldn’t be resolved with just the Knight Order or Knifehead.
Without a trace of displeasure or doubt.
Although it was an action that distrusted both the Knight Order and Knifehead, Ben didn’t feel any displeasure.
Because the name ‘Informant M’ carried that much weight.
The Empire’s public enemy who assassinated the First Prince in the middle of an imperial military parade and escaped.
The author of the forbidden book ‘Shackles of Obedience’ which became the spiritual foundation of the Revolutionary Army, and the first proposer of the ‘Kalhyram Republic Declaration of Independence’.
The phantom thief who escaped from the Crystal Palace containing the essence of imperial magic with five magic imprints.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army had now shown himself here in Belkers.
***
Informant M.
The moment that name flowed from Ben’s mouth at the front, the puzzles scattered in my head started fitting together one by one.
‘Ah, now I understand.’
In the original work, the protagonist first meets Claude at the Revolutionary Army headquarters.
In other words, at this moment in the original work, Claude succeeds in breaking through the Knifehead and Knight Order’s encirclement and escaping from Belkers territory.
However, how was that possible?
The Revolutionary Army lurking in Belkers was a ragtag group that barely deserved to be called an army, and Elcidore’s attack was carried out persistently and thoroughly.
Who could rescue Claude in that chaos, break through Elcidore’s encirclement, and reach the airfield?
‘Among the Revolutionary Army, from what I remember… there was only one person capable of that.’
In the original work, he was the one who noticed the 15-year-old protagonist and invited him to join the Revolutionary Army.
The only person the protagonist Eugene Lorentz ever followed, and the master who passed on magic imprint and magic to him, allowing him to grow as a hero of the revolution.
His alias and stage name: Informant M.
The Revolutionary Army’s supreme leader, ‘Maximilien de Lascol’.
Swish-!
At the entrance leading to the airfield.
The moment we entered the building, the Knifehead members, including myself, immediately blocked the retreat route and prepared to rush in with daggers drawn.
“Kuh, kuhuk…!”
“Im-impossible… How could such magical power…!”
Most of the knights were already exhausted, having depleted their magical power, and only Knight Order Commander Burken and a few senior knights were barely maintaining their positions.
However, the man standing in the middle of that encirclement had his arms crossed leisurely as if we weren’t even visible to him.
“Ooh~! After the knights, it’s assassins? Kuhahaha! As expected of trash nobility, secretly raising things like this?”
His frivolous tone and behavior.
Wearing a shabby trench coat, with messy white hair tied up carelessly – a slovenly appearance.
At first glance, he looked no different from any vagrant you might see on the street.
But those eyes.
Those eyes looking around at me and the members were somehow different.
The biting cold harbored in those seemingly lifeless eyes.
The directionless anger hidden beneath.
Like most Revolutionary Army NPCs, they were eyes burning like flames.
“Third squad, charge in with me. The rest provide support from range. We buy time until the Lord arrives.”
As soon as Ben’s order fell, the members formed battle formation and closed in on Maximilien.
I, too, activated the magic imprint issued by Elcidore, but I couldn’t muster the courage to think about defeating that man.
‘This has really gotten complicated.’
Of course it has.
After all, I knew exactly what magic was imbued in that coat, what was sleeping in that old pistol.
So to survive, what I needed to do now wasn’t to fight hard.
Rather, I should try to blend in among the members as much as possible.
Clang-!
Led by Ben, the assault team of four attempted close combat.
Meanwhile, the remaining members fired Ice Spears targeting Maximilien’s blind spots.
Group tactics practiced dozens of times even during trainee days.
However, Maximilien was skillfully avoiding it while exchanging attacks with the four members including Ben.
“Kuhaha! Good coordination, and excellent attention diversion! Much more useful than those knight nobodies who only had lots of magical power!”
“You never stop running your mouth. You parasite…!”
Cutting off Maximilien’s continued evaluation, Ben made hand signals toward the members.
Keep distance and suppress all escape routes.
The members who received the signal immediately changed formation and threw their weapons.
Four daggers and dozens of Ice Spears raining down simultaneously.
But even in such a situation, Maximilien maintained his relaxed expression.
“Hehe, parasite, you say. Still, you shouldn’t use such harsh words against someone who claims to be revolutionary.”
Click-
Then Maximilien fired his revolver toward the ground.
“What right do you parasites have to talk, when you’re just worms sucking the blood of the common people?”
An enormous shockwave instantly overwhelmed all attacks aimed at him.
Kuqwaang—!
“Kwaak?!”
“Wh-what is this…!”
It was a shockwave that would be believable if someone said a bomb had gone off there.
Ice Spear fragments flying everywhere, gusts of wind, and vibrations.
Some members were blown away unable to maintain balance, but thanks to the pre-deployed barrier, we could somehow endure.
However, just because I endured doesn’t mean this situation would improve.
‘The formation has collapsed.’
The encirclement formed to buy time was shattered by a single attack.
Most members were stunned by Maximilien’s magic, and even Ben at the front couldn’t maintain his balance.
This is dangerous.
I didn’t know how long it would take for Lupeon to arrive, but at this rate, that person’s escape was just a matter of time.
It was impossible to stop the Revolutionary Army’s supreme leader with the body of a child who had just turned ten.
However…
‘Butler Sevian was beheaded. If we fail, we’ll be next.’
Recalling Ben’s words, I gritted my teeth.
‘While Ben the supervisor shows his face in the original work, there’s no guarantee that I, a regular member, will survive.’
Tools that have outlived their usefulness get discarded.
In other words, if I can’t buy time here, I die.
“Huu…”
A sigh escaped involuntarily.
Stand alone against the Revolutionary Army’s supreme leader, or become a worthless tool and be discarded.
A hellish dilemma with no way out either way.
But I had to choose one of the given options.
“Sh*ty reincarnation difficulty for real.”
There is no best choice.
What a powerless child can do is just choose the lesser evil.
“Hmm?”
When the small-bodied kid blocked his path, Maximilien’s eyes showed interest.
But that was only for a moment.
Seeing the gas mask I wore, a cold glint returned to his eyes.
“Step aside, kid. I don’t have a hobby of shooting children.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible.”
Shwak-!
I drew the dagger attached to my chest.
I activated the magic imprint engraved on my right hand at maximum output to create five Ice Spears.
“You are an enemy of Elcidore, and a rebel who kidnapped Elcidore’s heir. If I let you escape, I will die.”
“Then do you want to die now?”
Click-!
Maximilien’s gun barrel pointed at me.
A weapon that shattered Knifehead’s encirclement with a single shot.
A tingling sensation ran down my spine, but I clenched my fists and racked my brain.
‘I can’t defeat Maximilien in combat. Forget buying time, I’ll lose my head just for pretending to attack.’
Then there was only one way left to stop him.
Using the knowledge of a game incarnation.
“Now, I’ll say this one last time, kid. If you don’t move…”
“The palace raid plan in a month will fail.”
At those words that came out disorganized, Maximilien’s expression, which had been relaxed all along, hardened.
“What did you just say?”
“There’s a traitor at headquarters. Hans Gunter from the Charles Group. He leaked the raid plan to the Imperial Intelligence Department, and they’re setting up a trap. He sold you out to save his family who were taken hostage…”
Tang-!
Just as I was about to continue, Maximilien’s gun spat fire.
However, the bullet only created a crater in the ground right next to my foot, not through my head.
A chilling threat.
Looking again, Maximilien was glaring at me with a face like a demon.
“How do you know about that?”
It was a natural reaction.
The Revolutionary Army was operated as a cell organization, and information about members’ lists and plans was managed by only a handful of Revolutionary Army leadership.
Of course he’d be surprised that a kid he’d never seen before knew confidential information that couldn’t have leaked anywhere else.
“Answer me! Just who are you…!”
However, unfortunately, Maximilien’s interrogation of me didn’t continue any further.
Kuqwaqwaqwang–!
Dozens of ice pillars striking down from the sky.
As the surrounding air rapidly froze, a chilling voice interrupted his words.
“How lucky today is. To think I’d get to catch the Revolutionary Army’s supreme leader personally.”
“Tch…!”
Appearing alongside the knights lined up on both sides was Lupeon Elcidore.
With a cold smile on his face, his magical power was surging.
“Ha, haha… F*ck…”
The Revolutionary Army’s supreme leader and the Lord of Elcidore.
As the two mages worthy of being called absolute beings met, I let out a sigh of relief.
“I survived.”
Time-buying successful.
Somehow, I managed to survive another day.