Chapter 95
“This is Zone 3, where plant-type monsters are cultivated. We’ve begun mass production of specimen number 23, which has succeeded in trial cultivation.”
The mage escorted Shavia while reporting their progress.
As she entered Zone 3, Shavia stopped in her tracks when she saw a “Lamp Flower” glowing faintly. The Lamp Flower was a plant-type monster that absorbed a person’s life energy to produce light. Even a small, imperceptible amount of absorbed vitality was enough to make it glow, so it was often used for lighting or as an anti-theft measure.
Her sharp eyes swept the area.
“Check who’s been here recently.”
“Why is that one lit?”
The mage muttered defensively and quickly checked the logbook hanging on the wall. Because valuable medicinal herbs were planted behind the Lamp Flowers, anyone entering or leaving the area was required to record their name.
But there were no records for today. No matter how many times he checked, the logbook remained unchanged.
“…There’s no record.”
“Then we’ll have to check the video record.”
Shavia rubbed the ring on her finger and walked toward her office. The mage followed closely, nervous and wary of her expression.
As soon as she entered, she pulled up the recorded footage.
The screen showed no one.
No one had passed through, yet the Lamp Flowers lit up one after another.
“It seems there’s an intruder. Could it be invisibility magic?”
“That’s unlikely. The entrance is fitted with detection wards. I would have been alerted immediately if an unregistered mage entered.”
“What’s the mechanism of the detector?”
“It reacts to the mana circle unique to each person.”
If it wasn’t a mage, then what remained was—
“Could it be an invisibility artifact?”
But again, the mage shook his head.
“There are more than thirty mages inside the lab, three of whom are of the 3rd Circle. It’s impossible for such an artifact to escape detection. Someone would have sensed something.”
Shavia’s crimson lips twisted. “If it’s an artifact made by Kayrun, that would be a different story.”
Her tone darkened. It wasn’t impossible that someone was watching her even now. The mage, sensing the danger in the air, nervously activated a detection spell.
“There’s no one inside, but… it would be best to summon the knights, my lady. Your safety must come first.”
“It’s fine. This will do better than a few knights.”
Shavia’s fingers grazed her ring again. She hesitated briefly.
Someone had definitely infiltrated the facility. Her thoughts sharpened. Coincidentally, this was happening while the Fourth Prince was in the Tuna Territory—and the Emperor had just gifted the Tuna estate villa to Eluana. That connection was too convenient to ignore.
The Marquis Pegimul, her superior, had hurriedly sent Shavia down to the laboratory precisely to monitor the situation up close.
“We’ll proceed according to the operating protocol.”
At those words, the mage froze.
“…Right now?”
His voice trembled.
Shavia lowered her eyes as if he’d asked a foolish question. According to Protocol Rule #1, if there was any chance of an external leak, the lab was to be destroyed immediately.
The only hesitation in her mind was about the Golden Wolf. Transporting the creature using a monster carriage would take half a day. But the risk of keeping the lab intact was too great.
“According to protocol. Take only Maria.”
That meant—collapse the entire mine.
Everyone inside—the soldiers, mages, workers, monsters, and captives—would be buried with the evidence.
The first stage of the disposal procedure would collapse both mine entrances. The second stage would detonate mana bombs installed deep in the central shaft, reducing everything to rubble. The location had been chosen precisely because it was easy to destroy.
Though merciless, the mage bowed deeply.
“Understood. I’ll begin immediately.”
As soon as he left, Shavia picked up a dark brown document box from her desk. Everything important was inside. With this in her hands, all ties between the Pegimul family and the lab would vanish. No matter what the intruder had seen, they wouldn’t have any evidence left.
Clutching the box, Shavia walked lightly through the corridors. As she passed through the mine, she heard voices echoing faintly.
“Why were we called inside all of a sudden?”
“They said there’s a special meal prepared. Not expecting much, though.”
“Meat’s always good. Hope they just roast it instead of messing it up.”
They were soldiers.
Shavia changed direction to avoid them. After circling around and exiting outside, she found the mage waiting near the entrance.
“Maria has gone out.”
“Out?”
“She said she had somewhere to go. Ferry tried to follow, but she insisted on going alone.”
“She hasn’t returned, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“All soldiers are inside?”
“Even those stationed at the lodgings have entered the mine. The knights will handle the ones still on patrol.”
Shavia glanced back at the mine. Today would be its last day.
“You may begin.”
At her command, the mage pressed his ring into a small indentation beside the mine entrance and pulsed mana twice short, three times long.
The red light blinked three times.
“It will explode soon,” the mage reported.
Shavia entered the carriage waiting nearby. Her maid bowed as the mage climbed in after her.
From the magically shielded interior, Shavia gazed out the window and murmured softly,
“Who could it be?”
“Pardon?”
“The intruder.”
“The Lamp Flower lit less than an hour ago. The facility’s too large to explore in such a short time, so they must still be inside. Whoever it is, they’ll die there.”
The mage said this, trying to soothe her.
“Don’t you wonder who it might be? Though… I have a guess.”
Shavia thought of Eluana and Kazar. If the two visitors vanished here, it would certainly cause trouble—
“But they’d be more troublesome alive.”
She would know soon enough. Shavia gestured to her maid.
“Check Maria’s coordinates. We’ll retrieve her.”
The ground suddenly quaked.
The earth rumbled, and the mine’s entrance caved in completely. The buildings the soldiers used collapsed next. Unfazed, the maid pulled a small map from a velvet pouch. When she pressed the button at its edge, a light flickered on.
But the location was strange.
“…It’s the Imperial Villa.”
“The Imperial Villa? But that’s under the Spes Family, isn’t it?”
“Yes… it is.”
Of all places, it had to be the Spes Duchy—the one place the Pegimul family couldn’t interfere with.
“She must’ve been… distracted, our Maria.”
The lab could always be rebuilt. There were plenty of 1st-circle mages who’d given up reaching the 2nd. Monsters could be replaced. But Maria was irreplaceable.
The maid asked cautiously,
“What shall we do?”
What else?
“We’ll go fetch our lost Maria.”
***
Eluana and Kazar had reached a fork in the path.
Since they’d entered through a different route than Line, and didn’t know the exact layout of the mine, they could only follow a rough direction.
Kazar pointed down one passage.
“This way should be it.”
As soon as they stepped in, a chilling sight unfolded.
Row after row of iron cages, each imprisoning people.
In the first cage, four people lay huddled together, clinging to one another.
Eluana closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again.
In the cages that followed, she saw children barely three or four years old, and young adults who looked only just past their teens. They lay curled on the bare floor, their eyes empty, devoid of life.
The sight of humans treating other humans this way ignited fury in Eluana’s chest.
Kazar’s voice rang with conviction.
“Let’s save them.”
Yes—save them all. Every single one. And then make the Pegimul Marquisate, and everyone involved, pay for their sins.
While she steeled her resolve, Kazar muttered under his breath,
“So it was true.”
Eluana turned to him.
“You found something?”
“They all have magical aptitude.”
The mana density inside the mine was higher than outside—but still, the concentration of mana around the captives was unnaturally strong. Especially around one child, who seemed surrounded by thick currents of magic.
“That woman who recognized you… she must have been the one selecting them.”
“Probably.”
Eluana bit her lip. As they went further, she suddenly froze.
“Hans.”
Seeing him alive brought a moment of relief. And in the next cage—
“Ring’s safe too.”
Kazar touched the orb embedded in his bracelet artifact.
[Line, we’re in front of the cages. Let’s pull out. Request reinforcements from the Spes family—we’ll wipe this place out in one go.]
Almost immediately, Line’s voice echoed in his mind.
[Your Highness, to your right! Go through the open door, now!]
They looked over—
A man in a robe was holding the door open.
Kazar grabbed Eluana’s hand. “This way!”
They rushed in before the door closed—and froze.
Kazar, half a step ahead, pulled Eluana close and covered her eyes.
“Don’t look.”
He could block her sight, but not the stench of blood that filled the air.
Eluana’s voice trembled. “…What is this place?”
Kazar’s gaze hardened.
At the center of the vast chamber stood a massive golden furnace, pulsing like a living heart. Around it were thirty beds, each occupied by people strapped down with iron restraints.
Transparent tubes were inserted into their necks, chests, and arms—drawing out bright red blood that flowed into the furnace.
The web of tubes made the furnace look like a grotesque, beating heart.
“I’m calm now. Let me see.”
Kazar didn’t lower his hand. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve already seen. I won’t scream.”
“You could scream; no one will hear you. But this… sight…”
“I’ll be fine.”
“If it’s too much, look away.”
Slowly, he withdrew his hand.
Eluana’s breath hitched as the horrific scene came into view.
A heavy darkness settled inside her. She shuddered at the cruelty of a world she hadn’t fully known—and fear followed close behind.
Could they really save them all?
Then came guilt.
“…Maybe we shouldn’t have gone to the capital. If we’d come even half a day earlier—though it still wouldn’t have been in time.”
“It’s not too late yet. We’ll save them. All of them.”
Kazar’s words were resolute.
Just then, a mage inspecting the chamber barked an order:
“Extract it.”
His assistant pulled out the glass tubes from the arms of a silver-haired person lying unconscious. Blood trickled down their limp arms.
The mage scolded him sharply.
“People with mana density this high are rare! How many times must I tell you to handle them carefully? This one still has other uses—don’t let them die, got it?”
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
The assistant pressed a round stone against the bleeding wounds. The bleeding stopped instantly.
When he turned around—Eluana froze.
The face was familiar. Her eyes widened.
Without meaning to, she whispered,
“…Cindy?”
