Strife

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Inside the Southern Army's main camp, the four continued their discussion amidst a slightly tense atmosphere.

The middle-aged man was deeply annoyed by the unruly behavior of the mage Scott, but he had no choice but to maintain a calm demeanor on his face.

Eventually, the meeting ended on an unhappy note. Samal and the middle-aged man left the room, leaving behind the young man with the earring and Scott.

They needed to have some internal discussions among the mages.

"Ah... Scott."

The young man sighed, his previously frivolous expression disappearing from his face.

"The higher-ups are already quite dissatisfied with you. They knew from the beginning that it was under your instigation that Samal launched the attack."

"Hmph! Those conservative old fogeys. I couldn't care less about their opinions."

"Then why were you so eager for success earlier? Wasn't it to elevate your position in the eyes of those senior figures?"

"You..."

Scott was frustrated at being hit right at the core of the issue.

"Hmph! Anyway, setting Crystal Glow's granary on fire was already a great achievement. It's easy for you to criticize from the sidelines."

The young man smiled and walked up to Scott, patting him on the shoulder.

"Be patient. True talent will always shine through. Are you doubting your own enchantment magic, something you take so much pride in?"

"How could I? I've always been proud of being an enchanter."

"Yes, that's the attitude. When Giles and the main forces of Aldor Kingdom clash, your enchanters will certainly prove their worth."

"I didn't expect you to take responsibility so willingly earlier."

"I disdain doing things I'm not willing to stand by. I would never let an ordinary person take the blame for me."

...

Encouraged by his companion's words, Scott regained his confidence.

"I'll be more careful in the future. I won't interfere with Samal's military decisions anymore. What progress have we made elsewhere?"

"Progress elsewhere?"

"Such as Angle Bay? Or the Northwest Bay? Lord Bennet laid out plans there months ago, didn't he?"

The young man looked puzzled. "It's strange. Lord Bennet hasn't had any news for several months. Could something have happened to him?"

Scott chuckled. "Don't joke. Who in this world could harm Lord Bennet? Besides, it's not unusual for him to go for a year without any news. He's always been a loner."

Although Bennet always looked down on their enchanters, Scott still acknowledged his strength.

The young man shrugged. "Let's hope so. But there are still many powerful forces in this world that we don't know about. Like the Hellfire you encountered before."

"Continue talking about the Northwest Bay!"

"According to Lord Bennet's instructions before he left, we sent a psychic companion there to cooperate with his development of mortal forces. The lords he has subjugated there have been faithfully executing his pre-set plans. Moreover, the largest lord there, Duke Fraule, has already been brought under control."

"So everything is going smoothly. It seems like the Northwest Bay will sooner or later be under our control."

"Hard to say. There are still a lot of lords there who directly pledge allegiance to the Aldor Kingdom. I reckon a battle or two is unavoidable."

"What about Angle Bay?"

"Conflicts between the upper echelons of various countries and the church have become inevitable. Our people have just lit the fire between them."

"Oh?" Scott became interested. "How did they start the fire?"

"They kidnapped the Duke of Eaton's sister and deliberately handed her over to the church—apparently, that girl has the potential to become a mage."

"Now Duke Eaton must really hate the church, right?"

"Naturally. Initially, the Angle Bay Alliance planned to unite various countries against the church, and now they have the substantial support of the Duchy of Eaton. However... there have been some complications."

"What complications?"

"We originally planned to retrieve the girl and return her to the Duchy of Eaton, to further stoke the hatred between Eaton and the Church. Unexpectedly, Eaton's side managed to rescue her first. During the interception of the Church's troops, several of our comrades went missing, and we don't know which side took them out."

Upon hearing that members of the Secret Magic Society had lost their lives, Scott fell into silence.

The young man asked somewhat strangely, "Hey! Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I was just thinking..."

Scott hesitated, as if carefully considering his words.

"Regarding the 'Witch Hunt' in Angle Bay... it was influenced by members of our Secret Magic Society, right?"

Upon hearing Scott's words, the young man's expression became serious.

"Where did you hear this from?"

"It's been circulating among us privately!"

The young man turned away, silent.

Samal recalled Scott's usual demeanor. "Is that person next to you like that too?"

"Not really. Although he's a bit eccentric, he's still quite easy to get along with. But..."

"But what?"

"I can still vaguely sense his disdain. He doesn't even bother to hide it; he writes 'It's your honor to talk to me' on his face, not just to ordinary people but also to his fellow mages."

"Is that so? Why? Why would the Secret Magic Society persecute its own comrades?"

"Shut up!"

The young man suddenly shouted.

"It's all rumors! All rumors! How could the Secret Magic Society possibly persecute fellow mages!"

Under his roar, Scott, who was several years older, was unexpectedly subdued.

Both fell silent, and the room was filled with a long-lasting silence.

...

In another part of the military camp, Samal was walking with the middle-aged man from earlier.

"These mages are really a bunch of oddballs!"

The middle-aged man complained, still angry at Scott's behavior earlier.

"Mr. Envoy, you must have noticed his arrogance, although he hides it well."

"He wasn't even trying to hide it!"

"But they do wield powerful and mysterious forces! Once during an interrogation of prisoners, I was truly amazed. No matter how perfectly the enemy lied, they could see through it at a glance. And those miraculous enchantments, capable of allowing an ordinary soldier to fight ten, would have had us taking a stroll inside Thorn Fortress if we hadn't encountered the legendary Hellfire."

"Yes, the Grand Duke still relies on them now, so those of us who are their subordinates must be careful. By the way, that Hellfire you mentioned, I've heard related legends."

Samal recalled that scene that day and said with some fear, "That's a powerful weapon comparable to magic. How did Duke Dodge get it? I haven't heard about it before."

The middle-aged man looked hopeful. "General Samal, if you can find out how to produce Hellfire and offer it to the Grand Duke, that would be a great achievement! It's a weapon that even mages fear, and it could also diminish Scott's prestige."

Samal nodded solemnly, "Hmm, I understand."

(End of the Chapter)