MADWD 24

Chapter 24

“There’s nothing here!”

“Same here!”

“This side’s completely empty!”

Ludwig felt his earlier disgust rise into full-blown anger again.

“Nothing?”

His voice was dangerous.
The soldiers immediately began moving even faster, practically a blur.

After seeing the overwhelming strength the Demon King had shown earlier, they had no choice but to hurry.

But no matter how hard they searched, the result didn’t change.

They turned the whole mansion upside down like hunting for a hidden mouse—
yet still, they couldn’t find even a trace of one person.

The owner of the mansion.

Ludwig ground his teeth.

“That bastard Bephar… ran off by himself?”

Ariella clicked her tongue.

“Left his own people to die while he escapes? Pathetic.”

Why had the vampires guarded the mansion so stubbornly even after knowing they’d been found out?

They’d been bait from the start—
meant to slow Ludwig and his soldiers down, buying Bephar time to escape.

While they fought and died, Bephar must have slipped away alone.

They had searched down to the last hair—and still, he was gone.

“Damn it!”

Ludwig swore under his breath.

Even if they started chasing now, the chance of catching him was slim.

Bephar was one of the oldest vampires alive.
When it came to magic, he was a master.

Erasing his tracks would be the easiest thing in the world for him.

“…Huh? That leech… I think he went that way.”

Ludwig’s head snapped toward the voice.

“What?”

Ariella was leaning out of a window, pointing firmly in one direction.

“What did you say?”

He came over to her side.

They stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the window, their arms brushing, though neither noticed.

“That way? But…”

Bephar’s mansion was right next to a massive forest.
One wrong step in there and you could get lost forever—it was nearly impossible to tell directions inside.

And from what Ludwig could see, there was no sign a vampire had gone into the woods at all.

There was no clear “entrance” to the forest—its border stretched endlessly, making it impossible to guess where someone might have gone.

But Ariella spoke without hesitation, pointing to one exact spot.

“I’m sure. Past the fountain, over the fence, right there.”

Ludwig frowned.

“How can you be so sure? It’s like you actually saw it.”

Now it was Ariella’s turn to look baffled.

“What do you mean, ‘how’? You don’t feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“This!”

“…?”

“This feeling! Like someone’s stretching your body front to back!”

Ludwig still looked completely lost.

Seeing that they weren’t getting anywhere, Ariella scowled.

Seriously? He can’t feel this? Even I can.

The sensation wrapping around her now was oddly familiar.

It was actually a mix of two feelings she’d experienced before.

A few hours ago, when I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night… it felt just like this.

When the two vampire assassins Bephar had sent crept up to her while she was asleep, Ariella had woken up because of this strange pull—
like someone was tugging at her, or stirring something inside her.

Half-asleep, she hadn’t understood it back then.

But thinking about it now… she realized it must have been magic.

Specifically, the faint wave left behind when someone casts a certain kind of spell—
a magical aftertaste.

And she was sensing it now.

It’s the same feeling. Over there, in that direction.

Just like before, someone had used magic, and the leftover trace had reached her.

She didn’t know exactly what spell it was—
but in truth, it was the telltale pulse of a “concealment spell” used by demons.

The assassins had used concealment magic so no one else would detect them.

And now, Bephar, running from the mansion, had done the same to hide from pursuers.

Ariella was sensing both situations the same way.

But that alone wasn’t enough to be certain it was him—
after all, some other magician could be hiding in the forest.

What made her sure was something else entirely.

A few days ago, in the council chamber, when I first met him… Bephar tried to crush me with his magic.

Just like people have unique fingerprints, magicians left behind their own distinctive “imprint” when casting magic.

She’d only learned this recently.

Before coming to the Demon Realm, she’d never met enough magicians to compare.

Ludwig, Bephar, Gruve—
each time any of them used magic, she felt a different “flavor” in the wave they left behind.

And now, in the direction of the forest…
she could clearly feel Bephar’s unique imprint mixed with the concealment magic.

It was the same as before—two distinct sensations she already knew well.

After she explained all this, Ludwig just stared at her blankly.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ariella shifted uncomfortably.

It was about time for him to say something back, but instead, he just kept staring.

This was no time to waste—if they didn’t hurry, Bephar would get away.

Just before she could urge him, Ludwig muttered under his breath:

“Unbelievable. That’s even possible?”

“What is?”

“What you just described.”

Ludwig looked genuinely shocked.

In his experience, it was unheard of.

If someone is casting a spell right nearby, I can sense it, too.

That was why he’d been able to stop Bephar in the council chamber.

But—

Sensing the magic of someone who already left the area?

Tracking magic did exist, but it was incredibly rare, and few ever learned it.

Yet Ariella hadn’t used any such magic—
she’d just… felt it. Like an instinct.

Unbelievable.

And he knew she wouldn’t be making up something like this.
Her personality so far made that even less likely.

“So you’re saying you know exactly which way Bephar ran?”

“Yes.”

Ludwig nodded.

“Lead the way. We’ll track him now.”

In the forest behind the mansion

“Huff… huff…”

A lone vampire, dressed head to toe in black, ran at full speed.

It was Bephar.

For a vampire, he looked strangely worn—sweat dripping, muscles twitching.

Tension and anger flickered across his face.

Not that the forest beasts or monsters could see him—
he was completely hidden by concealment magic.

The only sign of his passing was a trail of fast, deep footprints pressed into the dirt.

Even his steps made no sound.

Only he could hear the harsh sound of his own breathing.

Running through the silent forest, Bephar clenched his teeth.

Damn it! Damn it! How did I end up like this?

He didn’t even know where it had gone wrong.

The assassins’ mission had been simple—
kill the sleeping Ariella, then head to the dungeon and eliminate the imprisoned goblin.

That way, no one would be left to expose his secrets,
and he could go back to his peaceful life.

But—

They were killed?

He didn’t know how exactly.
Only that the instant their lives ended, he’d felt it through the magical link he’d placed on them.

It seemed they’d tried to attack Ariella and been killed instead.

Bephar’s mind raced.

That human! Did she actually know the assassins were coming today?

She hadn’t.

She must have set a trap in advance and waited!

She hadn’t done that either.

That monster! I fell right into her scheme!

He’d thought she was just an annoying woman with a few flashy tricks who strutted around under the Demon King’s protection.

But now… just remembering her gave him chills.

In his mind, the image he had of Ariella had completely changed.

From a bothersome insect—
to a terrifying monster, far worse than he’d first imagined.