"Ah, Sir Nicolaus. It's a pleasure to meet you. To be honest, I didn't expect you would actually come."
The councilman smiled broadly, extending his hand as he saw Lucas.
Lucas shook his hand and replied, "How could I ignore a request from you, Councilman?"
"Ha ha, thank you. As expected, you are as kind-hearted as they say."
The councilman spoke with a hint of admiration in his voice.
Lucas smiled.
"So, you mentioned you had something you wanted me to investigate."
"Yes, that's correct. First, may I invite you to my estate? This isn't something I can discuss in a place like this."
"Your estate?"
"Please, don't feel burdened. It's a place I use for business purposes, and it's near the capital. If you're uncomfortable, we can talk here…."
After a moment's hesitation, Lucas nodded.
"Alright. Give me the coordinates, and I'll follow."
"No, I wouldn't trouble you like that. Please, take my hand."
The councilman extended his right hand.
Lucas locked eyes with his green ones and grasped his wrist.
The councilman counted quietly, then activated the warp spell. In an instant, they arrived at his estate.
Or more precisely, the first thing Lucas saw was the garden. It was full of green leaves shimmering in the sunlight, reminiscent of summer. It didn't look like a garden in the middle of November.
Lucas glanced around and muttered, "Impressive."
"Ha ha, I'm glad you think so. I put in a lot of effort to prepare for your visit."
The councilman led Lucas to the highest floor of the mansion, engaging in various conversations along the way. He pointed to a table near the window and invited Lucas to sit.
"What kind of tea would you like? I'll have them bring whatever you prefer."
"No need, thank you. As you know, I can't remove my mask."
Lucas smiled and tapped the edge of his mask.
The councilman leaned back and laughed heartily.
"Ah! Ha ha, that's right. Why do you wear the mask, Sir Nicolaus? There are many rumors, and I admit I'm curious."
"I wear it to avoid people forming prejudices when they see my face. I want them to focus on my abilities and actions."
"Hmm, I see. From the atmosphere, I wouldn't think you look strange. And honestly, no matter how someone looks, it's all subjective."
I wasn't talking about my appearance, but that's how he took it.
Lucas smiled gently and replied, "Prejudices often form within that subjective space."
"True…. I shouldn't speak lightly of what you've experienced. In any case, no one finds it odd that you wear a mask now. That was all from the early days. Let's return to our main topic."
"Of course."
"As you may know, the Pleroma's activities have not been the same lately. I've observed a significant change in their behavior. Do you see this?"
The councilman took some documents from his bag and handed them to Lucas.
The neatly bound papers contained statistics and photos he had analyzed.
Lucas reviewed the content and stroked his mask's chin slowly.
"The number of grave robberies has decreased."
"Yes."
"The decrease is minimal. This could easily be a normal fluctuation."
"I thought the same initially. But after understanding the situation, it's clear that's not the case."
Lucas looked up, meeting the councilman's eyes directly. Strauch shook his head solemnly.
"I have a source of information. Many politicians in the Empire have their own sources, but mine is different. I have someone who was deeply involved with the Pleroma and left a year ago."
Lucas exhaled softly.
"A Pleroma defector… aren't you worried about betrayal?"
"That won't happen. We've taken measures."
Lucas paused and smiled.
This part needed to be addressed, as it was likely related to the method he would use.
"Measures?"
"By using Divine Power to alter their mind, or placing restrictions on their body. For instance, if they break a vow, the magic implanted in their heart will cause it to burst. Sir Nicolaus, you should understand this well, given your use of Divine Power."
The councilman raised his eyebrows and grinned.
"I knew it, but hearing it said is something else. It's a primal and effective method."
"Indeed. There's a reason why ancient methods endure. I've come to understand that here."
"Yes, although ethically speaking…."
"Does ethics matter to the Pleroma? Those who act against His will have no right to life."
"So, they're not even human to you."
"Precisely."
Lucas nodded, understanding the councilman's stance.
Strauch smiled again and returned to the main topic.
"My source told me that the Pleroma never reduces the number of bodies they aim to collect annually. They might increase it, but never decrease it. That's been the trend for the years he was involved."
"Why?"
"There are many uses for the bodies. If they're commoners, they can be revived and used for labor like grave digging, or their Vitriol can be extracted. It's easy to infiltrate society with them as well."
Extracting Vitriol.
The Pleroma's magic power is referred to as Vitriol.
This part is worth remembering.
Lucas nodded.
"My source speculates that the Pleroma might be targeting the living this time, pushing for a radical change unlike before."
"That sounds plausible."
The councilman smiled at Lucas's response.
"So, I'm requesting your help, Sir Nicolaus. You know I'm a federal council member of Mecklenburg. When the Pleroma appears in a Mecklenburg cemetery, I'd like you to capture them. We don't have anyone capable of handling Vitriol on our side."
Vitriol can temporarily amplify power tens or thousands of times, making it hard to deal with.
He's spun a convincing story to recruit me. His logic still holds up.
"Let's say I capture a Pleroma. What will you do then?"
"I'll make them confess everything. If you could use your Divine Power, I'd offer a higher reward. All the information obtained would be used to thwart the Pleroma's new plans."
Lucas listened and nodded slowly.
The councilman's expectant gaze was fixed on Lucas.
After some time, Lucas finally spoke.
"As you know, I serve the Crown Prince of Bavaria."
"Yes, that's right."
"In that capacity, I can't approve this on my own."
"Then…."
"I'm also in favor of your plan, Councilman, so I will request approval from His Highness."
A smile spread across the councilman's face.
"You mean His Highness Leonard Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria."
"That's correct."
"That might be a bit problematic."
Lucas maintained a neutral expression as he looked at him.
The councilman slowly stood up from his seat.
"I'll have to decline taking it that far. And... by now, you should be feeling the effects of the poison."
"..."
"No matter how much Divine Power you use, I can't imagine anyone lasting this long. Ah, the request is canceled. Surely, you didn't take it seriously, did you?"
"If you want me to understand, speak more clearly. If you prefer talking to yourself, I'll leave."
"Please do."
Werner Strauch tilted his head slightly and gestured toward the door.
Lucas gave him a disinterested look, walked over to the door, and turned the handle.
Click—
"..."
Lucas watched as the handle stopped turning halfway and let out a quiet laugh.
"It's the first time someone has told me to leave through a door that won't open."
"Isn't it? It's also the first time I've seen someone unaffected by this atmosphere. I should have known when you used Divine Power to such an extent…."
"Warp too…."
Lucas rubbed his fingers together.
Crackle—
No matter how many warp spells he tried, there was no proper response.
Of course. Who would block only the door when dealing with a mage?
"Naturally, it won't work. Recite all the coordinates you know. I'll wait."
"How did you do it? It's impressive."
Despite Werner Strauch's sneer, Lucas responded with a calm, faintly exasperated voice.
The councilman mirrored Lucas's gentle smile, crossing his arms as he leaned against the table.
"Would you understand if I said the coordinate system itself is different? If where we were was World 1, this is a replicated segment of World 1*... something like that."
"A different world?"
"More like… you don't understand? In any case…."
The councilman squinted slightly before raising the corners of his mouth.
"You only need to know one thing. Without my help, you can't return to your original place."
"…Original?"
"Yes. You can't go back to being a royal mage of the Papal State in Bavaria. Your glorious rise is over. You'll have to spend your life here, with nothing but my estate."
"Haha…."
Lucas let out a deflated laugh.
"Not sure where you mean by 'original.'"
"Do you have no desire to return?"
Werner tilted his head slightly at Lucas's muttering.
Lucas stared into space, lost in thought.
The councilman waited a while before faintly smirking.
"This silence… it seems you don't mind staying, is that correct?"
"Of course not."
Lucas's gaze bore into Werner Strauch as he stepped closer.
"Let's negotiate."
"..."
"What do you want? Why did you bring me here?"
"It's impressive how calm you are."
Strauch laughed, sounding almost defeated.
"Answer me."
"It seems you're mistaken about who holds the upper hand…."
Boom—!
The ground next to where Lucas stood blackened and burned.
"I don't need to answer your questions. Right?"
Earlier, the warp spell initiation had been deployed. The faint sound confirmed it.
However, the coordinates I entered didn't connect to any existing location here, so space couldn't be bridged.
In any case, it's not a place where magic can't be used at all.
"It seems magic can be used here. The coordinates just aren't valid."
"Hahaha… so, you plan to fight with just one spell?"
Boom—!
Before he could finish his sentence, Strauch's body flew against the wall with a loud crash.
"Ugh…!"
He slid down the wall, collapsing forward. He retched as if about to vomit, then slowly stood up, groaning in pain.
His legs trembled uncontrollably from the shock, yet he continued to approach Lucas, smirking all the while.
"This will not end well for you."
Lucas placed a hand on the edge of his mask.
With each breath, a foreign scent of blood filled his senses. Soon, he felt something trickling down inside his nasal cavity.
'As expected.'
I knew it from the moment they brought me here without restraining my movement.
Given the circumstances, it's clear there's a curse in place that depletes stamina with each use of magic. It's an old, widely-known curse, from fairy tales to high school textbooks, yet experiencing it firsthand is astonishing.
'This is how they do it.'
I see how the Pleroma restrains mages.
There's no need to tie someone up or beat them into submission. Preventing them from using magic is a powerful weapon.
You'd think I could just overpower him physically, but considering this body is Luca's, that's highly unlikely.
Moreover, my opponent can use magic freely.
Therefore, it's clear that using magic powered by Vitriol isn't restricted.
'Still….'
This isn't too much for me. I'm momentarily grateful to my brother. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't need to hide my identity, but still.
I estimate four or five more uses.
I'll be dead by then, but I can survive until that point.
Of course, I don't plan to reveal the truth.
"I can use magic once more."
Lucas kicked Strauch's leg, knocking him down again.