IMTDIK 32

Chapter 32: Let Me Make You an Offer

In a small, nameless village, a man stood inside a luxurious mansion, smiling with satisfaction.

“By now, the Assassination Squad should have arrived.”

Hellus was in a good mood. He knew exactly what kind of people the Assassination Squad were. They weren’t the kind to be dealt with easily. Instead of driving them away, it was always better to bribe them with money. Having connections like that was a blessing.

“Once I get that girl back… it would be better to join the Empire.”

The only reason he had stayed neutral so far was to avoid the risk of his identity being exposed. If the girl were kidnapped again, it would be a disaster.

‘Does that man, Ferda Baldrova, know what that girl really is?’

There was no way to figure out the girl’s true identity. The girl’s rules were absolute. She would only listen to the words of Hellus Povidas and no one else. To others, she was nothing more than a fool who couldn’t understand anything.

‘Hah, it’ll work out.’

Hellus poured himself some whiskey into a crystal glass.

At that moment, a carriage pulled up outside. He peeked through the curtain. It was someone he was very pleased to see.

‘Sir Karl!’

Hellus quickly rushed out, greeting him enthusiastically.

“Welcome! Sir Karl!”

“…”

“Haha, to think you’d visit so late at night. How did the mission go?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Come in, have a drink! What about the girl?”

“Get in.”

“Get in? Oh, alright.”

Hellus climbed into the carriage. The luxurious, cushioned carriage was empty. Karl got in after him and closed the door.

“…Let’s go.”

The carriage began to move.

Hellus looked confused.

“Sir Karl, where are we going?”

“…”

“Answer me! Is this a kidnapping?!”

Hellus started shouting in panic, but Karl remained silent, sitting still.

“So that’s how it’s going to be? Fine! Do what you want! Just know you’ll never set foot in the Empire again!”

“…Hah.”

Karl sighed deeply. He raised his head and, at the same time, his hand.

Slap!

Karl’s large, calloused palm struck Hellus like a club.

“Argh!”

“Shut up, you pig.”

“W-What are you doing, Sir Karl?!”

“What does it look like?”

Slap!

“Don’t you get it yet? This is all because of that girl you wanted brought back!”

“That kid? But you said she’d be useful—”

“I don’t care!”

Slap!

“I came here because of this mess, damn it!”

Karl’s violence wasn’t rational—it was just him venting frustration. But it was enough to make Hellus stop yelling. Now, Hellus sat silently, his mouth bleeding and his nose dripping blood.

“Anyway, thanks to the description of that girl you gave, you’re stuck in this mess. So just shut up and follow me.”

Karl sighed and leaned back against the seat, muttering under his breath.

“Damn it, why am I doing this?”

Hellus sat quietly, completely subdued. Questions filled his mind, but he chose not to voice them. There was no way out of this situation anyway. He wasn’t some wise man with a plan.

The carriage traveled for what seemed like forever before it finally stopped. Hellus felt himself being lifted like a sack of luggage and carried somewhere.

He was taken to the audience chamber of a large castle. The floor was lined with a red carpet, and banners bearing the emblem of a red dragon hung on the walls.

Standing beneath one of the banners was a young man, no older than 18.

“Do you know who I am?”

Hellus had never seen him before. But the situation and the aura he gave off made Hellus’s lips move on their own.

“F-Ferda Baldrova…”

“That’s informal.”

“My apologies… Lord Regent Baldrova…”

This was supposed to be an 18-year-old regent? But he was nothing like what Hellus had heard about. Standing before him felt like standing in front of a giant.

Hellus, who had dared to argue with Karl, couldn’t even think of challenging Ferda.

Beside Ferda stood a girl Hellus recognized. It was the young maid he had been searching for—the source of all his desired knowledge.

‘Was she always this beautiful?’

When he had left her in the care of that plump woman, he hadn’t noticed. But now, with her hair neatly combed and wearing proper attire, she looked like a noble lady.

“Are you the Water Sage?”

“Water Sage? No… I’m just an old magic worker locked in a dusty room.”

“Hah. I thought you were a fool, but it turns out you’re smarter than I expected.”

Ferda gave a genuine laugh at Hellus’s response.

“Is your servant dead?”

“…Yes.”

“I see. When something precious is taken from you, it’s hard to forgive, isn’t it? I suppose it’s hard to forgive me too, isn’t it?”

“There’s nothing to forgive. The fault is mine alone.”

“What is your crime?”

“…”

“If you say you committed a crime but don’t know what it is, aren’t you lying? I hate lies.”

Hellus forced himself to say the words he never wanted to admit.

“My crime… is using that girl to pretend I was a Sage.”

Hellus lowered his head in shame.

“So… please spare my life.” He bowed deeply, showing complete submission.

But Ferda’s expression showed no interest. Whether Hellus lived or died, it was clear Ferda didn’t care.

“You’ve been pretending to be a Sage all this time, but you’re smart enough. So I trust you’ll understand this.”

Ferda leaned in close and whispered into Hellus’s ear.

“Do you think you can survive here?”

“…”

“Those who’ve tasted power can never forget it. That’s why power struggles are the dirtiest and most brutal battles. How much power did you enjoy?”

“…”

“In your village, you were respected. Even the Empire wanted you. Do you think you can just walk away from that?”

“I-I can forget—”

“No. If I let you go, you’ll try to regain that power. Not because you’re stupid, but because you’re human.”

Hellus’s whole body trembled. Though the weather was cold, he was drenched in sweat as if it were pouring rain.

Ah, I’m going to die here.

“So, let me make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

All the fear melted away, replaced by a sliver of hope. Hellus lifted his head.

“Don’t you want to live as a real Sage?”

“What… do you mean?”

Ferda took an item from his pocket and placed it on the floor. It was a ball of crystal.

“This is a communication crystal ball. It’s a high-grade crystal containing the essence of eternal ice from the deepest part of the northern snowy mountains. It’s made from better materials than anything the Empire has. Not even Imperial magicians or amateurs can eavesdrop on or track it.”

Ferda tapped the crystal ball lightly as he continued speaking.

“Inside this crystal is a connection to Mori’s mind.”

“Mori…?”

“That’s the name of the girl you used to have with you.”

Ferda gently patted Mori’s shoulder. The girl reacted to his voice, confirming that she now recognized the name as her own.

“You want this girl’s knowledge, don’t you? Then live as a Sage, as you’ve always dreamed of. Spend your nights enjoying entertainment and your days pretending to be wise. Do as you please.”

The life Ferda offered wasn’t any different from the one Hellus had always desired. It was sweet, tempting.

But Hellus couldn’t accept it so easily. Sweet rewards often came with heavy costs.

“What do I have to give in return?”

“Your soul.”

Everything.

“Become my dog.”

Hellus hated getting involved with people. He knew his true nature would eventually be exposed. But there was something he hated even more. Losing his money. Losing his reputation. What supported all of that was power. To lose power was to lose everything.

Ferda was right—Hellus was already desperate to hold onto the power he had tasted. He was already a slave to power, willing to do anything to keep it. Even if it meant serving a demon or worse.

So, once again, Hellus lowered his head.

“I will become your loyal dog.”

Ferda descended into the castle’s basement. Echidna’s laboratory was located at the very bottom of the castle. When Ferda opened the door, a dark, gloomy aura spilled out like a thick fog.

Unlike a typical witch’s lab, there were no bubbling cauldrons or the smell of herbs. Instead, the air was filled with the scent of ink and stone dust.

“Welcome, Lord Regent!” Echidna greeted him with a silly grin and rushed toward him like an eager puppy greeting its owner. The only difference was the sinister aura she radiated, one that even made Ferda flinch slightly.

“How did the contract go?”

“Oh, of course, it went perfectly! I put the collar on the ‘dog’ you mentioned. Hehe, at first, I thought it was some huge dog in silver armor, but it turned out to be a knight!”

Echidna giggled foolishly. When Ferda had told her to “prepare a collar for a dog in armor,” she had misunderstood and actually brought back a dog collar. From that moment on, Ferda stopped using metaphors when talking to her.

“Where’s the contract?”

“Here it is!” Echidna pulled out the contract she had stored and handed it to Ferda.

Ferda glanced over the contract and asked her,

“Do you even understand what’s written in here?”

“Hehe, there’s so much written here, but honestly, I have no idea what it means!” Echidna scratched her head awkwardly.

When it came to creating tricky magical contracts, demons and witches were the experts. But every rule has exceptions. Echidna, for example, was terrible at creating clever, foolproof clauses or unbreakable conditions. That’s why she had never been able to get a boyfriend.

‘She struggled with simple things and instead created a groundbreaking learning-type golem… How ridiculous.’

She had chosen the hardest path because she found the simpler one too difficult. And yet, her method had somehow worked.

Still, while Echidna had handled the magical aspects of the contract, it was actually Mori who wrote its contents. Inside Mori’s mind was the Infinite Library, which contained copies of contracts written by demons themselves.

Ferda had instructed Mori to use those references to draft the terms, and she had completed the task in just three hours.

‘Now the true dog collar is complete.’

With that, Ferda had secured two “dogs.” One infiltrating the Empire, and another who was smarter than expected but still foolish.

Satisfied, Ferda placed the contract on Echidna’s desk.

“How is the golem’s progress?”

“Well… it’s still going to take some time…”

The golem assisting Echidna was still at the stage where it could barely serve tea. The only noticeable improvement was its face, which was evolving from a crude sketch into a more refined shape.

Ferda silently observed it and asked,

“You’re not just spending time shaping faces, are you?”

“Whaaat? Of course not! I only tweak its appearance when I can’t think of anything else to do!”

Her panicked response was suspicious, but Ferda chose not to press her for now.

‘Compressing spells into runes is a difficult process. And yet, she’s a witch who can handle it.’

Since the work itself was slow and challenging, Ferda didn’t feel the need to criticize her progress.

“I’ll leave it to you. Do your best.”

“Yes, sir! Oh, by the way, Lord Regent…”

Just as Ferda was about to leave, Echidna stopped him.

“What is it?”

“Well… you’ve reached the Third Circle, right? Judging by the aura you’re giving off, it’s much stronger than the last time I saw you.”

“Yes, I have.”

“In that case, would you like to try a compatibility test?”

Echidna held up a crystal stone from her desk as she made the suggestion.

A compatibility test. It had been a while since he’d heard about it.

“A compatibility test… You mean figuring out what qualities I am most sensitive to?”

“Exactly! Now that you’ve reached the Third Circle, it’s a good time to explore your magical path. Most mages do it at least once, right?”

The Third Circle, or Magic Worker, was when magic truly began to shine. It was the stage where mages could start transforming and controlling elements. This was also when most mages identified their innate affinities.

A compatibility test was usually seen as a fun experiment. For those with the Blue Circle—neutral mana—the results were often minor, as their mana was uniform. But for Red Circle mages, whose mana was fueled by emotion, their affinity was crucial.

“Alright, let’s try it.”

“Great! I’ll set it up for you!”

Echidna waved her fingers in the air, chanting a spell. Mana flowed from her fingertips, drawing a magic circle in midair. The magic circle shrank, glowed brightly, and transformed into a specific form. It was a rune.

Creating even a simple rune like this would take a month for most mages, but Echidna did it instantly. As expected of a true Rune Maker.

Echidna embedded the rune into the crystal stone.

“Here you go!”

“Thanks.” Ferda took the crystal stone. He knew how it worked. When his mana reacted with the rune, the crystal would display colors and shapes representing his affinity.

‘Back then, my affinities were darkness and lightning.’ Darkness, which had high destructive power. Lightning, which was fast and piercing. Combining the two, Ferda created a magic no one could defend against.

‘But things are different now.’ His heart had changed since then. As proof, Ferda’s magic was now strong enough to suppress Baldrova. Surely, his affinities would have changed as well.

Ferda watched as his mana interacted with the rune. Inside the crystal, a reaction began. For fire, flames would appear. For water, blue droplets would form. But what Ferda saw was none of these.

The crystal turned pitch black, as if swallowing everything around it. It was a color he knew all too well.

‘Darkness…’

And within the darkness, faint blue sparks flickered.

“Oh, you also have lightning?”

Nothing had changed. No, perhaps one thing had.

‘Was it always… this dark?’

The darkness inside the crystal was deeper than what he had seen before.