My Uncle is the Strongest Dark Mage

Around the time when the Dark District had devoured the entire underground world of the continent and left all its control to Oman.

Cain, who was 18 years old at the time, decided to retire quickly and settle in the Elemental Kingdom for no particular reason.

As mentioned before, compared to other Absolutes, the Demon Lord’s personality was closer to that of a normal person, so he thought that even if his identity were exposed, it could be resolved relatively peacefully.

The fact that this place was his hometown could also be one of the reasons.

Though his plans were disrupted when his older sister brought home some man saying she was getting married, he also thought he should settle near her since she constantly complained about how hard it was to see him.

More than anything, the reason he jumped into the Dark District at the age of 13 was that it provided the best environment for learning Black Magic and was the fastest and easiest place to make money.

He reached the pinnacle of Black Magic, the position of an Absolute, and earned an absurd amount of money—enough to last a lifetime.

Except for other Absolutes, there was no one who could properly rival him, and he could become even stronger through solitary training.

Cain, who originally had a strong impulsive personality that made him do whatever he wanted.

He wanted to live lavishly, spending the money he had earned so far, and for that, the Elemental Kingdom was the most suitable place, which is why he chose it.

The center of Magical Engineering and Advanced Science.

Quite literally, it was a country where, as long as you had money, you could live a life more abundant and leisurely than in any other nation on the continent.

“……”

Among the countless Magical Engineering Products that enhanced people’s quality of life, the one Cain cherished and loved the most was the “smartphone.”

It wasn’t that he particularly enjoyed games or anything like that.

He could read the latest research papers published by the Magic Tower in e-book form even before they were released as books.

He could also grasp every detail of what was happening in the world while lying on the sofa through the internet.

For instance, the Twin Ghosts that went missing a few months ago had appeared in the border area with the southern wilderness, causing a commotion.

Or that a magician from the Magic Tower had developed a new material.

If not that, then perhaps the goblin horde had escaped from the Monster Park in the Mendelstone Archduchy, creating chaos.

Furthermore, a criminal who killed an elderly couple in the Irum Baron’s territory had fled to another territory.

Regardless of whether it was domestic or foreign, good news or bad news, big events or small ones, everything was fairly announced to the public.

Of course, Cain could also find out everything happening on the continent with just one phone call if he wanted, but he didn’t want to bother the busy Oman unnecessarily.

In other words, it was just the right level for killing time.

It could be said to be Cain’s only hobby apart from reading books or sleeping.

‘Has it already gotten this late?’

Today was no different.

Cain, lying on the sofa watching the news, realized it was already late when he saw his smartphone’s battery had run out after eating the meal Arina had prepared and left for him.

Checking the clock, it was just past 6 o’clock.

Considering he had gotten up to eat after Oman’s call and lay on the sofa at around 1:40, it meant he had been on his smartphone for over 4 hours straight.

If not for the battery running out quickly because he hadn’t charged it the day before, he might have kept staring at his smartphone even after the sun had set.

Cain yawned widely as he looked at the slowly setting sun outside the window.

Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, he spoke.

“The kid’s late.”

Does the Academy usually end this late?

It shouldn’t.

He had heard it ended at around 4 or 5 at the latest.

Did he mishear?

‘Well, knowing the kid’s personality, she’s probably late because she went to the library or something.’

Although she was a 2nd-tier magician, Cain thought her skills were nothing but talent compensating for her lack of ability.

She must have realized her shortcomings while attending classes, and with her diligent personality, she would have immediately resolved to study harder.

Cain accurately guessed Arina’s actions as if he had been watching her from the side.

“……”

But perhaps because he was staring at the ceiling idly without even looking at his smartphone,

random thoughts kept popping into his head.

The first thing that came to mind was the news he had seen earlier.

‘Wasn’t there something about a murderer on the loose?’

The distance between the Irum territory and the capital was enormous.

It was unlikely they could have boarded an airship or a magic train, where passenger identities were strictly verified, and even if they used transportation, the best they could manage would be an automated carriage.

Unless it was a racing model specially made by the Magic Tower, an ordinary automated carriage would take several days to reach the capital.

‘Come to think of it, the incident only happened a few days ago.’

The next thing that came to mind was the Grant Department Store incident.

Of course, such an event happening again was extremely rare.

Cain generally didn’t interfere with the Dark District’s affairs, whether it was selling drugs or slaves, but after establishing a base here, he had given one order: not to get on his nerves.

Oman, who would carry out his words even at the cost of his life, would surely have taken every precaution to avoid repeating a mistake like the Beyond Department Store disaster.

“Tsk.”

At that moment, he felt a pang of hunger from his stomach.

He hadn’t done anything all day, so why was he hungry again?

Normally, the kid would have called him by now to eat,

but as he clicked his tongue and picked up his smartphone to order delivery, he frowned, remembering the dead battery.

‘Should I just eat ramen?’

Charging it felt like too much trouble.

After hesitating for a moment, he got up from the sofa with a look of annoyance.

Still in his sloppy attire, Cain slowly walked toward the front door.

‘Where could the kid be?’

Then, he opened the door and stepped outside.

It was his first outing in a long time since the Grant Department Store disaster.

***

-Uncle, I’m going to have dinner with a friend for a bit.

Fine.

If she sent a message like this, he would probably figure out dinner on his own, whether by cooking ramen or ordering delivery.

Or maybe he had already done so, thinking she’d be late.

Arina sighed deeply as she looked at the message she had sent.

Then, she made a subtle face as she stared at the bowl of tteokbokki in front of her, which was larger than her own face.

‘Tteokbokki, huh…’

Arina had lost track of time while choosing books to borrow and had left the library late.

It was Maril who had dragged her to the tteokbokki shop without warning.

“I figured since you helped me a lot today, you could indulge me this one last time.”

Ever since her time at the royal palace, she had always harbored romantic notions about the Academy.

Like chatting with friends on the way to school.

Or eating lunch on a rooftop during break, something impossible due to safety concerns.

Or spending time snacking on the way home.

“It’s fine. I actually wanted tteokbokki too.”

“You’re bad at lying. You were clearly flustered just a moment ago.”

“……”

“Don’t make that face. Instead, I’ll pay for all the food today.”

Saying that, Maril stabbed a piece of rice cake with a fork and brought it to her mouth.

She shivered slightly and smiled.

“It’s delicious. Spicy, salty, stimulating—just the kind of junky flavor I was expecting.”

The current royal chef tended to cater to Father the King’s palate, which leaned toward clean and mild flavors.

Maril lamented that such bold flavors were hard to come by.

“Ah, but that’s not to say the chef’s skills are bad. He was chosen through a rigorous selection process, after all.”

Honestly, being a chef for the Elemental royal family meant he was among the best cooks in the kingdom.

Maril’s comment wasn’t about the lack of skill but rather a preference for a different flavor profile.

“……”

Is it good?

Well, it’s a franchise, so the basic taste should be decent.

Watching Maril eat so enthusiastically, Arina also picked up a piece of rice cake from the red sauce with some anticipation.

While she had made tteokbokki herself before, this was her first time buying it.

To be honest, she doubted there would be much difference from homemade and wondered why anyone would pay over 10,000 won for tteokbokki, but she popped the piece into her mouth with mixed feelings.

“I was worried because this place is famous for being extremely spicy, but maybe it’s because it’s the basic flavor. It’s not as spicy as I thought, thankfully.”

“…….”

“Hm?”

Arina’s face turned bright red.

Arina froze in place, chewing on a piece of rice cake.

Her eyes darted around the table, spinning wildly.

Grab.

She hastily picked up a glass of water and tilted her head back, gulping it down in one go.

It was an uncharacteristically bold move for someone with her usual calm and reserved demeanor, but even so, the spiciness didn’t subside easily. She refilled the empty glass and downed another round of water.

“Ugh.”

Could it be that she can’t handle spicy food?

Watching Arina struggle to regain her composure, Maril scratched her cheek apologetically.

Just as Maril raised her hand to order a drink—

“What kind of confidence brought you here to eat when you complain every morning that my food is too spicy and insist on adding chili to my miso soup?”

Before Maril could act, someone placed a drink firmly in front of Arina.

Without even checking who it was, Arina grabbed the drink and started drinking it immediately.

A man, who had suddenly appeared, watched her with a look of disdain before plopping down next to her.

‘Who is that?’

His messy, unkempt hair.

Thick horn-rimmed glasses that nearly obscured his eyes.

A plain T-shirt and black sweatpants. Black hair and black eyes.

His face, which seemed to scream how bothersome this all was, stared at Arina, piquing Maril’s curiosity.

‘Does she know him?’

Judging by his words, it seemed like he knew Arina.

Then, is he family?

He doesn’t look old enough to be her father…

So, is he her older brother?

Maril tried to piece it together, but the answer soon came naturally from Arina’s lips.

“Uncle?”

Arina, her eyes brimming with tears as if the spiciness hadn’t completely faded, looked at him.

Cain, propping his chin on his hand, turned his head sharply, staring at her with an exasperated expression.

“What brings you here, Uncle…?”

“You didn’t come back, so I came to find you.”

“Uncle?”

“…Why is that the part you’re questioning?”

Wait, so he really is her uncle?

For a moment, she almost shouted, “Who are you?” at the absurdity of him coming to find her.

Thinking to herself that her uncle wasn’t the type to care enough to come looking for her.

“Didn’t I text you?”

But worried she might hurt his feelings, she quickly changed the subject.

At her words, Cain silently placed a dead smartphone on the table.

Ah, so that’s it.

His phone was dead, so he couldn’t receive her messages.

‘Couldn’t he just plug it in and call instead?’

Why did he really come here?

Arina furrowed her brow, tilting her head in disbelief, unable to accept that Cain had come out of genuine concern for her.

Ignoring her entirely, Cain nonchalantly reached for the tteokbokki in front of him with a fork, without asking for permission.

“So, is that kid Maril or whatever, the new friend you made?”

“Well, even if she’s a princess, your attitude is a bit…”

“What does it matter? She’s your friend, right? Surely, that kid wouldn’t expect your uncle to use honorifics with her.”

Well, that’s true, but still.

Shouldn’t he at least ask for permission first?

What if Maril felt offended or something?

Worried, Arina glanced at her, but surprisingly, Maril was just looking at Cain with amusement, as if she had discovered an interesting person.

“You said you’re Arina’s uncle? Nice to meet you. I’m Maril Raymond.”

“Cain.”

As expected of a princess from the Elemental royal family.

She was a surprisingly well-mannered kid.

If it had been someone from the Hwan Empire’s royal family, they would’ve demanded to know why he was speaking informally and might’ve even tried to have him punished.

“So, since I’m paying for this, can I order more food? I’m starving because the kid didn’t come back, and I missed dinner.”

“By all means. I was just thinking I wanted to eat more as well.”

“As expected of a princess. Unlike some stingy kid who complains even when I’m spending my own money.”

“I happen to be quite generous.”

Huh? That’s strange.

Why are those two getting along so well all of a sudden?

They were chatting as if they’d known each other for years.

Watching them exchange phone numbers, Arina silently sipped her drink.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of alienation from not being able to eat the spicy tteokbokki.