“So what exactly do we need to watch out for?”
“That its power is extremely strong. And that the users’ mental state is abnormal. Just those two things.”
“What do you mean by abnormal mental state?”
“The Hellfire School is a gathering of black mages who aim to push magic’s destructive power to the absolute maximum. They use ordinary pure mana mixed with specially processed mana.”
If ordinary mana was plain oil, Hellfire mana was synthetic fuel laced with all kinds of additives.
Synthetic oil in its proper form was meant to enhance stability and efficiency, but Hellfire mana was the opposite.
Its sole pursuit was raw destructive power.
That excess force gave birth to severe side effects.
“Precise control is impossible, and since the output is excessive in any circumstance, they can’t even distinguish friend from foe.”
“A walking powder keg, then.”
“The biggest issue is that it causes mana addiction.”
“Mana addiction?”
Casey looked puzzled, then suddenly clapped her hands as if she remembered something she had heard before.
“Right. The more you overuse mana, the more you start to feel a strange kind of pleasure—that’s what I heard.”
Hellfire mana was unlike natural, pure mana.
It stimulated users mentally, carried an addictive pull, and the more it was used, the more it twisted the mind.
Those intoxicated by Hellfire mana craved ever-stronger mana, and in that endless spiral, they quickly fell apart.
“Its power is so high that even a 2nd-circle spell can strike with 3rd-circle force. And since it’s easy to learn, many mages once turned to the Hellfire School.”
But with its addictive nature, its dangers, and its mind-wrecking effects—
That was why they were branded as black mages.
“Their power lets them overwhelm mages of higher circle than themselves. They’re quite dangerous.”
“Hence why they ended up biting everyone around them.”
If a fight broke out here, the entire warehouse district would be torn to pieces.
Not just the spot where the enemies were hiding, but the whole surrounding area would be blown away.
At least this place was secluded, mostly abandoned warehouses or empty lots.
Still, since people occasionally passed through at night, controlling movement was essential.
‘To think I’d be cooperating with the Magical Intelligence Bureau.’
Having mostly dealt with illegal work, now he found himself tasked with eradicating criminals. It felt strange.
He had always fought villains in the shadows, but being part of an official operation was unusual.
“More importantly, you really didn’t talk with my sister about anything?”
At Casey’s question, Ludger’s brow furrowed slightly.
“You’re persistent. I told you several times—nothing of note was discussed.”
“Yet you still blocked out sound to talk?”
“That wasn’t me. That was your sister.”
“And you didn’t refuse, did you?”
“As I said before, she asked me about a location she was searching for. I simply received her answer.”
“So my sister knows where it is?”
“She claimed she did.”
That ambiguous nuance made Casey ask without realizing it:
“She knows, but won’t tell you?”
“...Forget it. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Hold on. Nothing to do with me? Did you forget we’re partners right now?”
“Partners?”
“We’re engaged, aren’t we?”
“A pretend engagement. And being engaged doesn’t mean one has to spill everything.”
“...Oh, is that so?”
As Ludger drew a line, Casey’s expression chilled over.
Unlike their planned coordination, she turned away and strode ahead alone.
Ludger called after her back as she walked farther away.
“Where are you going?”
“None of your business. We’re not even engaged, are we?”
“...”
Her tone made it obvious she was upset, but Ludger couldn’t understand why she was angry.
He considered chasing after her, but time was already up.
The operation’s starting time had arrived.
Perhaps to signal that, one of the agents approached Ludger.
A man in his mid-20s with the insignia of the Magical Intelligence Bureau on his shoulder.
He looked young and striking, tall and handsome.
Being that age and already in the Bureau meant he had significant talent and skill.
Indeed, he carried himself with obvious pride in his position, and his gaze toward Ludger was anything but friendly.
A subtle mix of wariness and irritation colored his expression—
As if questioning why someone like Ludger was even here.
“Are you ready? And where’s the other one you were with? Why are you alone?”
“She seems to be moving separately.”
When Ludger casually covered for her, the man’s face hardened.
“Do you even understand how serious this operation is? Acting separately? Are you making a joke of this?”
Perhaps he had disliked them from the start, because his voice rose slightly.
“There’s no need to be so worked up. Her skill is real.”
“Ha. What good is skill? She’s someone who’s never even received proper training. And frankly, I already disliked that she was flaunting being Lady Marias’s younger sister.”
Ludger shrugged lightly.
“Well, Casey is indeed a bit willful.”
“I heard she was your fiancée, but if she meddles with half-hearted resolve, she’ll regret it. If you don’t want to end up badly hurt, just follow orders and stay put.”
It seemed this man thought Ludger and Casey had forced themselves into the operation.
Or perhaps even though he had heard they were personally invited by Marias, he simply refused to accept it.
To acknowledge that would wound his pride.
“You people don’t need to do anything. Just stand still, breathe, and stay out of the way. That’ll be easier for everyone.”
He turned abruptly, spotting his comrades in the distance, and walked off toward them.
‘He really dislikes us.’
Ludger and Casey’s role was to handle the lesser black mages trying to flee.
The Bureau was leading the mission, and at best, they were support.
‘To them, Casey and I are outsiders. No way they’d let us shine here. But still—treated like this, huh.’
It wasn’t just that one agent.
Other Bureau members also cast unfriendly looks at Ludger and Casey.
For them, this mission was about uprooting black mages who threatened the Empire.
And in such an important battle, to have a runaway private detective and her fiancée, a schoolteacher, tagging along—
Even if that detective carried a Color title, and that teacher was a Seorn graduate who had created new magic—
That was all “theoretical.”
Actual combat was another matter entirely.
Ludger smirked faintly at their evaluation and quietly fixed his gaze on the warehouses.
Beneath the night sky, the district looked calm and deserted—
‘But it looks different through this.’
He slipped a monocle over his eye.
Through the artifact, faint currents of mana appeared throughout the factory.
‘Judging from the density, they’re defense and alarm spells. The real thing must be deeper below.’
Since nothing was visible at the surface, there had to be underground passages beneath the factory.
‘Which means the fleeing black mages won’t come toward the spot I’m guarding.’
He was stationed openly, blocking the way from outside.
Unless they were fools, the enemy would use hidden escape routes.
But would they really try to run?
These were the ones who had even dared attempt to assassinate the Selmore family.
Given their reckless nature, they must have preserved considerable strength for this fight.
‘They may have laid traps inside as well.’
He thought of warning the Bureau, but dismissed it—they weren’t stupid, they would have prepared.
Which meant his role was simple.
‘I’ll deal with the black mages in my way.’
Standing idle like a statue didn’t suit him.
* * *
The operation began.
The Bureau agents stormed the warehouses in perfect formation.
“Detection spells canceled.”
“Defense spells canceled in 3... 2... 1... canceled.”
“Perimeter clear. No enemies detected.”
They swept the warehouse interior, confirming it was empty.
But no one thought they had wasted their effort.
“As expected—they’re underground.”
“Black mages really do love the dark, don’t they.”
“Stay focused. The real fight starts below.”
They quickly discovered a hidden passage leading underground.
“Check your gear. Reinforce your protective magic. If it gets bad, don’t hesitate to drink recovery potions.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you’re all ready, we’re moving in.”
The agents entered the pitch-black tunnel.
Moments later, rough explosions rumbled in succession from within.
“They’re coming.”
Kaloto set down the teacup he had been sipping from as he felt the distant tremors.
A dark, damp place.
While the other black mages worked busily in those miserable conditions, Kaloto sat in a chair enjoying tea time.
It was his habit.
Though he was a black mage, he refused to abandon the refinement of a noble.
Back when he lived in Isla Machia, he had stayed in a surprisingly elegant mansion for a black mage.
Though now exiled, he imitated the dignity of that old life, unable to forget it.
Kwa-kwagwang!
The explosions drew closer.
So, they really were the Magical Intelligence Bureau.
He had laid traps, launched ambushes, but the intruders countered without panic.
Not one of them had fallen, nor had they been slowed.
So they were, in their own way, elite.
“Prepare to receive our guests.”
Kaloto rose slowly from his seat.
His subordinates bowed and set themselves to welcome the visitors.
Watching them, Kaloto left with several of his direct disciples.
“Lord Kaloto, is this wise?” asked the first disciple.
Kaloto was withdrawing from the hideout, leaving his underlings behind.
“It doesn’t matter. They’re all replaceable.”
Those he left were disposable.
Lacking in talent, but obedient puppets.
Thanks to Hellfire mana’s addictive lure, creating such soldiers in droves had been easy.
Sending them as suicide squads, combined with the Hellfire explosion traps he had planted, would buy him enough time.
“Those kinds can be replenished quickly. What we must focus on is not the Bureau’s rank and file—but their head.”
Thus, he led them through another underground passage that connected to a secondary base.
The Bureau would soon realize this hideout was a decoy and pursue the real one.
That was where Kaloto intended to meet them properly.
So, with five disciples and several senior black mages, he walked the dark corridor.
Drop.
A bead of water fell from the ceiling to the ground.
Kaloto, leading at the front, suddenly raised a hand and stopped.
The black mages behind him halted.
“Didn’t expect a rat to sneak in this early. Faster than I thought.”
“How rude.”
A woman’s voice echoed from the air.
Then a watery veil dissolved, revealing Casey.
“To call a lady a rat.”
“Oh? You heard it that way? I meant it as a compliment of sorts.”
“As expected of a crude black mage—your words reek of ignorance. You’re Kaloto, aren’t you?”
“And you must be Casey Selmore, the Azure of Water.”
“An honor to be recognized.”
“I was curious how much of the rumor was exaggeration.”
Kaloto lifted his golden-ornamented staff.
Casey braced for combat—yet Kaloto lowered the staff again.
“But I’m a busy man right now. I’ll leave you to my disciples.”
“What? Running away?”
At the word “running,” Kaloto’s face twisted, but he quickly regained composure.
He had more important matters.
A pointless fight here wasn’t in his plans.
‘Even in this confined space, my magic would face no hindrance.’
It wasn’t buried so deep; casting here could alter the very surface above.
Yet he refused to let the enemy dictate the flow.
He would be the one to lead the battle, to decide where the advantage lay.
Casey seemed to guess his thoughts and curled her lip.
‘He doesn’t even see me as worth his time. To hold such arrogance, even hostility—it shows his bloated self-importance.’
She had no intention of letting him pass, but was forced to give it up.
His disciples already had their spells aimed at her.
As she prepared to respond, Kaloto slipped away swiftly.
“Tch.”
Casey could not chase him, for green flames came flying at her.
A spell fueled by Hellfire mana.
“Azure mage. We’ll be the ones to kill you here.”
Kaloto’s direct subordinates.
Not mere disciples, but mid-ranking members of the Hellfire School, each at least 4th-circle.
There were five of them.
And since Hellfire spells often surpassed their circle in raw force—these were effectively 5th-circle threats.
Not opponents she could take lightly.
Still, Casey grinned.
“Interesting. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
* * *
With his disciples, Kaloto reached the true hideout he had prepared.
Unlike the decoy, this was real.
His genuine workshop, the essence of a black mage’s lair.
“Ready yourselves. To push Hellfire mana beyond its limit, we can’t spare a single second.”
“Yes, sir!”
The disciples stirred their mana, preparing to activate the formations carved into the lair.
Then—
Something shot out from the darkness, striking the disciples.
“What?”
The first and second, the most skilled, barely reacted.
But the other three could not.
The third, fourth, and fifth fell, spilling blood on the floor before they even realized they were dead.
Kaloto’s expression froze, cold and hard.
“Who goes there!”
His gaze swept the shadows, but no enemy was in sight.
“Don’t hide. Show yourself!”
With eyes blazing, he hurled mana downward at his own feet.
“Here you are!”
Immediately, a shadow skittered across the floor, retreating into the distance.
Then, a man rose suddenly from beneath the ground, emerging from the darkness.
“Quicker to notice than I expected.”
Ludger’s blue eyes gleamed as he fixed his {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} gaze on Kaloto.