Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock

Chapter 25

And Run Into

“We don’t know…”

“Well, just tell me what you know.”

“We… You know I was a slave, right?”

Kran showed traces of the black ring he wore around his neck.

“Yeah.”

“If I had known who bought us, I would have gone to kill him no matter what he did.” Kran’s voice was filled with deep loath.

They would release you when you pay back the money, but you had to hide your identity so that there would be no repercussions.

‘You’re a pretty meticulous guy.’

Lucion asked, noticing that Kran was telling the truth, “So what instructions did you get?”

“I was told to bring a metal box from Luteon Magic Bank.”

“You don’t know what purpose you’re using it for and exactly what kind of box?”

“Yes, I don’t know. It was just an order to bring all the boxes this size.”

Kran directly informed the size of the box.

Lucion thought of his earrings in his pocket. ‘Why do you need a box?’

He heard from the bank manager that there were over a hundred metal boxes, but he didn’t know what was inside. ‘I think I’m gonna have to ask Tella.’

Lucion bid his farewell to Kran in a moderate tone and left the room.

As if she was in the midst of making a barrier, Stra was diligently drawing unfamiliar characters with a brush-like object.

[Lucion.]

Russell called Lucion with anxious eyes.

[Why did you say there will be trouble?]

When Lucion found the man who sold his information, he decided to solve it himself. He was a little worried about how to tell Russell about it to make him less scolded.

“Well…”

“……!”

Lucion’s voice surprised Stra, and she dropped a brush-like object.

“Y-You scared me.”

As Russell closed his mouth with a strange look on his face, Lucion was forced to point at something that looked like a brush. “Is this an item used by a barrier magician?”

“I’m curious too,” Hume asked, his eyes sparkling.

Stra picked up the fallen object and said, dusting off the dust, “It’s my mana brush.”

“Do all barrier magicians use these things?”

“No. Tools are different, just as mana differs from person to person. This is…” Stra stopped talking on the way. “I don’t trust you.”

“You told me almost everything?” Lucion said, as if he heard something absurd.

“I mean, I was just explaining because Lady Rental was curious!”

Stra blushed and hurried into the room where Kran was.

“… Oh, you call this the first encounter of fate?”

At Hume’s outrageous question, Lucion put up with a rush of anger. “That’s what you call bullshit. Remember.”

“I remembered.”

Hume smiled broadly.

Lucion came out and shot the darkness at the ghost wandering nearby.

It was confirmed in advance that the room that Kran saved was a place where there were no more people outside the city.

[…Ugh!]

The ghost shrieked and staggered under the darkness.

Lucion approached the ghost, grabbed the black wound, and breathed in darkness.

“Submit to me.”

The ghost screamed again and opened his mouth faster than any other ghost.

[I’ll… I’ll obey you! So please stop!]

“You’re number eight. It’s your job to keep an eye on the people of this house, so remember that.”

Ghost No. 8 was only temporary until he found another abode.

[Do I have to…?]

At the ghost’s question, Lucion raised his hand.

[Do it! I will do it! I was just asking!]

“It’s going back.”

Lucion heard the ghost’s answer and headed back to the mansion.

* * *

—Woaa.

Ratta turned around and looked at Lucion, who had dressed up properly.

—Lucion is not Lucion!

[The decoration is better.]

Even Russell nodded.

The maids seemed to have many things to say, but they kept their mouths shut, knowing that Lucion didn’t like the noise.

‘… Tired.’

Lucion openly showed signs of discomfort.

And when the maids saw his exhausted face, they were more agitated. Actually, they were also excited about the incoming event, more than their masters. It was because Novio prepared dozens of new clothes for the banquet.

There was still a day left for the banquet. Why are they doing this already?

‘When did you take your measurements again?’

Lucion suddenly remembered Anthony.

He could measure it with his eyes.

Knock. Knock.

Lucion replied to the knock on the door.

His voice already showed signs of exhaustion. “Come in.”

“Oh, my young master, I think you’re finally showing the light that’s gone. You look dashing enough to grab the hearts of young ladies at once.” Anthony smiled very brightly as soon as he saw Lucion.

If no one would point out that he was Lucion, no one would really recognize him. He was so dazzling that he seemed like a different person.

“That’s empty words,” Lucion replied sourly.

“Never, not empty words, isn’t it?”

Anthony naturally gave the ladies who made the contribution a chance to speak.

“That’s right! You’re more like a jewel than any other young master I’ve ever seen.”

“Not only that, but the combination of gray and sea-like blue that reminds you of wolves is beyond words.”

From then on, Lucion heard the compliments of the babbling maids with stiff faces. ‘I don’t know how I held it in because my mouth was itchy.’

Lucion glanced at Anthony, but he didn’t think about stopping, but rather responded and said yes.

—Hehehe. Ratta feels so good right now!

Even Ratta jumped around in joy.

[What are you stiff about? After you change, how often do your servants talk about you? Of course, that’s for the better.]

Looking closely, Russell was also very excited.

“Anthony, do as you please. You guys, shut up now.” Lucion, who couldn’t stand the situation anymore, stopped them.

[Why are you stopping me?It was good to hear.]

Russell wanted to urge the maids to compliment Lucion more.

—I want to keep listening. Ratta too.

Ratta, who was running excitedly, also stopped walking.

Knock. Knock.

Then, at the sound of knocking on the door, Anthony hurried to look at the clock.

He soon apologized to Lucion with a long sigh. “Oh, my. I lost track of time. I’m sorry, young master.”

“Are you not ready yet?”

Everyone in the room bowed at Carson’s appearance.

As he entered the room, a blue thread appeared connecting Lucion and Carson and something.

Lucion was nervous at the sudden appearance of the blue thread.

“What are you doing, brother?”

When Lucion asked, Carson also asked him with a puzzled look. “Didn’t you hear from your father that I was going to this banquet as a guest and escort?”

[What?]

Russell was surprised.

―For this banquet…  

Lucion thought of Novio’s hesitation a few days ago when he saw the tensed blue thread.

He was worried because it wasn’t like the usual Novio.

Lucion was conscious of the strained blue thread. It was as if the thread was telling Carson that he should follow at this banquet.

However, Carson had no choice but to look after him when he followed.

Lucion opened his mouth and asked, “Is Gerno on a mission now?”

“No.”

“Aren’t you a busy man? I’ll go with Gerno even now.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you these days.”

Carson quietly said, “It has changed a lot more than before while I was away for a few days due to changeover work.”

‘Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?’

Lucion felt uneasy for no reason.

“I heard you were out this morning.”

“It was just a short outing.”

“Yes, that’s why. I’m coming to this banquet because I’ve determined that Gerno can’t control you, who doesn’t know where you’re going.”

“Then, brother. Please make sure that you guarantee my freedom here.”

Since this was something Novio and Carson had done without consulting with him, Lucion simply replied, “I know.” And he had no intention of following it.

“If you don’t have that promise, I will reject it,” Lucion said firmly.

On his way to the banquet venue, he had to stop by the Luteon Magic Bank and get Russell’s mask. Otherwise, if he couldn’t do what he wanted, it was strictly surveillance.

In a tense atmosphere, Anthony and the maids looked at Lucion and Carson. Under these circumstances, no one was in a position to tell them what to do.

At that time, Carson laughed. “I know what you’re worried about. I’ll guarantee your freedom.”

Lucion waited for Carson’s next words.

“But know that your safety comes before your freedom.”

“Yes, I agree with that.”

Freedom was guaranteed under the premise of safety, and the genius knight Carson would follow as an escort, what more could he say?

Lucion also smiled. “I wish you well, brother.”

* * *

The banquet was held in the central part of the capital.

The location of the Cronia family was changed to the west, and the gate was intended to be used to move to the center.

“… There are people who run after you even after seeing the Cronia family crest,” Carson opened his heavy mouth.

He didn’t go far enough to think he was really out of luck, and his wagons were often attacked.

“On the day after the banquet, we should clean up all the bandits who don’t know their place.”

Lucion knew why this strange situation was happening.

The blue thread was connected to himself, Carson, and the bandits who came to raid. The blue thread was not cut off even though the knights who followed the escort defeated the bandits.

A bandit disappeared for a while, and after a while, a bandit that appeared from somewhere  was connected with a new thread.

‘It’s unpleasant.’

Lucion suddenly had a strange thought. Didn’t it create a forced situation as if it was blocking the blue thread from being cut off?

The bandits must have learned the Cronia family’s sentences.

“Don’t go.”

Carson couldn’t hold back and opened the wagon door.

[What’s wrong?]

Russell asked as soon as Carson left.

Lucion had been keeping a stiff face all along for a while. “I wondered if bandits were that stupid.”

[Because they’re stupid, they’ll attack you to kill you. If you were less stupid, would you attack the carriage guarded by the knights?]

It made sense in its own way, but Lucion still thought the situation was strange.

Crisp.

He heard something grinding over the wagon and finally the blue thread that he was sick of was cut off.

Lucion sighed as he stroked Ratta. ‘I’ve never done this before.’

He had never seen such a tough blue thread before, and much more,why it appeared this time.

Why did it only disappear after defeating the bandits? It was hard to know the reason for everything.

“It will no longer appear. It definitely showed the difference in power.”

Carson climbed onto the wagon without a single drop of sweat.

“So, don’t worry about such a bastard, Lucion.”

“Does it happen often?”

“It happened very rarely, if not often. They’re the evils of society anyway, so you don’t have to think too much.”

‘The evil of society…’

Lucion’s eyes shook for a momentarily. He wondered if he was entangled with the villain because he was a villain himself.

‘I’m sure the things I’ve changed will be different because of the butterfly effect.’

T/N : Butterfly effect means a small change that causes a large effect in a certain point of time—like a domino effect or chain reaction. 

Lucion looked out the window with a sour face.

“Lucion,” Carson called Lucion quietly.

“Come to think of it, you just have to sit down.”

“Yes…?”

Carson searched his inner pocket and placed the sandbag next to the chair.

Thud!

When he heard a quite heavy sound, Ratta showed interest with her ears pricked up, and Lucion had to face the chilly feeling that came up from his spine.

“Take it.”

Carson held out a sandbag.