Chapter 20
I let out a sigh of relief after sending the two of them away.
‘That was a close one.’
A cold sweat broke out as I recalled the moment the ceiling had collapsed just a few minutes ago.
Everything had been going so smoothly, only for things to go sideways at the very end.
If an accident had occurred there, all my efforts would have been in vain.
In any case, I had managed to resolve the immediate crisis for now.
I had been as formal and courteous as possible, and the report, which I had meticulously prepared, was perfect. I had poured all my heart and soul into appealing to them with my diligent demeanor, so they couldn't possibly form a negative impression of me unless they were insane. The first impression was sufficient.
“Hmm.”
I leaned back in my chair, lost in thought.
I had overcome the immediate crisis, but it was too early to relax.
Since I had become the administrator of this damned Magical Boundary, I needed to survive for at least five years, no matter what.
“The future is what matters…”
My current top priority was comfortable survival.
This hadn't changed even once since the first day I was possessed.
This was the world inside a novel.
Genre-wise, it was a Romance Fantasy.
It should have been a novel where the characters were too busy falling in love, but there was a simple reason why I, an extra, had to worry about survival. This novel was Dark Fantasy disguised as Ro-pan.
There were always those kinds of stories, regardless of the genre.
Among the flood of bland, mass-produced novels, there were the maverick works that twisted every cliché.
The novel I’d been possessed into was exactly that kind of story.
I didn’t need to worry about the fate of the world. The original protagonist would take care of that.
However, by the time the protagonist appeared, Blackmore would already be in ruins. That was the problem.
And the biggest problem among them was…
‘The Seeds of the End.’
There were seven individuals who carried the Seeds of the End.
They were scattered throughout the continent, and if the original story held true, three of them would gather in Blackmore.
At least I no longer needed to worry about Rudine, the third Seed, but…
‘The other two are the problem.’
I clicked my tongue and frowned.
And once again, I fell into deep thought.
They were none other than the Seeds of the End.
As their name suggested, they perfectly lived up to the title of "end."
The fact that two of these catastrophic individuals were hiding in Blackmore was a serious matter that couldn't be overlooked.
‘I can’t just ignore this.’
Blackmore wasn’t just a simple Magical Boundary.
It was a lair of Demons—a place overflowing with Strange Monsters, rampant death, and the germination of the end.
At the same time, it was an arena where countless vested interests were viciously intertwined.
Although things were calm for now, the Seeds of the End were something that couldn't be contained once they fell. It was something I absolutely had to avoid.
Especially since this was my jurisdiction, the place where I had to survive for the next five years.
Fortunately, I still had time.
Since the protagonist hadn't officially begun their activities yet, this was my only opportunity to act before they fell.
It had effectively become a situation where I was collecting the biggest bombs in the world, but what choice did I have?
It was an unavoidable choice to protect my comfortable bureaucratic life.
‘Then the priority is set.’
Collect the ends.
And rehabilitate them.
“First, their names…”
There were two Seeds hiding here.
The Traitor, Yutinia.
And.
The Fallen Priest, Elfriede Trivia.
‘…Unfortunately, I don’t know Yutinia’s location yet.’
The only one whose location I knew, even vaguely, was Elfriede.
Of course, even that was only approximate information, but Elfriede was relatively low-difficulty compared to others.
Having finished my thoughts, I called out to the man standing by the door.
"Balkan."
"You called, sir?"
Balkan Kast.
The Chief Enforcer of the Arkan Lord Council, he immediately bowed his head and answered.
I gestured for him to come closer.
After a moment of hesitation, Balkan shuffled over and cautiously sat in the chair opposite me.
“I have something to ask you.”
“I’m listening.”
“How deep have you been?”
“…Into Blackmore, sir?”
I nodded.
Due to the nature of the organization, I remembered that the headquarters' enforcers scoured every corner of the Magical Boundary.
“I haven’t been very deep.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, even among the West Side sectors, the areas beyond the Border are strictly controlled.”
By Border, he meant Kalmash.
The area where light doesn't reach, the boundary where Chaos begins.
It was also said to be the line drawn by the Elves in the distant past, and beyond it lurked Strange Monsters on a completely different level compared to ordinary Monstrous Beasts.
“Have you been near it?”
“Yes, just once.”
“Do you remember the way?”
“…I roughly remember it.”
His answer wasn’t reassuring, but knowing the way was enough.
“How far is it?”
“It will take about a week.”
A week?
That took much longer than I expected.
“Is there a faster way to get there?”
“…There is a way, but…”
“What is it?”
He looked at me for a moment before continuing.
“We can go through Headquarters.”
“Then how many days would it take?”
“One day.”
That’s it.
Only after hearing his confirmation did I rise.
And I immediately brought up the main topic.
“I need a guide.”
I could at least pretend to find my way around Westmarch, but Kalmash was a different story. Located at the furthest reaches of Blackmore's depths, it was uncharted territory, requiring a guide without question. Meeting Elfriede wasn't life-threatening, but without a proper guide, who knew how many days it would take to reach my destination?
“Surely, you don’t intend to cross the Border?”
“Well, a little?”
“…”
His eyes widened.
It was the look one might give a madman.
****
Meanwhile.
“Derek Baldwin?”
A woman, facing a man, flashed a sultry smile.
The woman’s identity was Selena Lugrite.
Headmistress of the Academy, the Empire’s premier educational institution, and Vice-Tower Master of the Red Magic Tower.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from our esteemed Special Forces Commander?”
She spoke with a wicked smile.
Just as the Academy and the Special Task Force had a strong bond, the two of them knew each other well.
Quite well, in fact, in a rather favorable way.
“It’s been a while.”
“Indeed, it has. You must be quite desperate to come all the way here.”
Her words hit the mark.
He needed information about Luke Richter. But strangely, his past was clean.
As if someone had meticulously scrubbed it clean.
The only record remaining was his five-year attendance at the Academy.
Yet even that was so unremarkable it was suspicious.
It evoked a strange sense of déjà vu.
That's why he came in person.
He intended to dig into anything and everything about Luke Richter from her, the Headmistress.
“How brazen. Ignoring all my attempts at contact.”
“I was busy.”
“Oh, really? Well, I’m busy too, so please leave.”
“…There’s a bite to your words.”
“At least you noticed.”
At her reply, Derek clicked his tongue internally and stared at her.
As always, a difficult woman.
Thinking so, he opened his mouth.
“I have a question.”
“Oh? Ask away. Of course, I won’t answer, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“Enough with the games.”
“Ha.”
At his words, Selena let out an incredulous laugh.
“Games? Do my words sound like games to you?”
She let out a dry, exasperated chuckle.
“Do I owe you something? Do I have to answer just because you barge in and demand it?”
“Then let’s make a deal.”
“…A deal?”
Intrigue flickered in Selena’s eyes at those words.
“Tell me more.”
“I’ll give you a Guimaseok.”
“What?”
Guimaseok.
A rare ore found in the corpses of Calamity-class Monstrous Beasts.
The only ore capable of conducting Mana, it was one of the most valuable research materials in the Magic Tower.
“…You’ll give me a Guimaseok?”
“Let’s hear your answer first.”
“You seem serious. Alright. That’s more than enough to make this worth my while. Ask anything. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.”
Selena’s eyes sparkled.
Seeing that, Derek sighed and brought up the main point.
“I need information about a student.”
“A current student?”
“No, he graduated last year.”
“Is that so? What’s his name?”
She asked, sipping her tea.
Derek parted his lips.
“Luke Richter.”
…What?
Selena’s thoughts screeched to a halt.
Lost in happy fantasies of acquiring a Guimaseok, a stupid expression spread across her face.
“…Who?”
“Luke Richter.”
Derek repeated.
At this, Selena abruptly slammed her teacup onto the desk and, with a pale face, unleashed her Mana.
*Woooosh*
It wasn’t magic.
She simply released Mana into the air.
A random, impulsive release of residual power.
Yet, with just that, immense pressure began to crush the space.
As if an earthquake had struck, the floor, desk, and objects trembled.
Selena’s face contorted horribly. Her lips trembled strangely, a reaction one might expect from someone who’d heard something they shouldn’t have.
And then.
“Get out.”
She said in a trembling voice.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Get out.”
“…What?”
“Get out. Now.”
It was a clear order of dismissal.