Curse User

After defeating Ignat, I continued deeper into the basement.

As expected, no bodyguards stronger than Ignat remained, and I encountered only sporadic resistance on the way to the deepest level.

Then I reached a door.

I could sense magic from the door, but I opened it without hesitation. A bolt of lightning shot toward me.

However, it was blocked by a barrier.

"As expected of a wielder of ancient magic. You certainly deserve to be called the Empire's strongest mage. That's quite a barrier."

The one applauding as he said that was a blond young man with his hair slicked straight back.

His eyes were purple and green—a case of heterochromia. That alone indicated a powerful aptitude for magic.

He was lounging arrogantly in a chair, staring straight at me.

This room was different from the others I'd seen so far.

The room was filled with books, making it something like a study. It was probably the private space of the man in front of me. Somehow, it reminded me of the old man's room.

In that we were both fascinated by magic and devoted ourselves to researching it, we could be called kindred spirits. Fundamentally, though, we were worlds apart.

"Are you one of the executives?"

"Indeed. My name is Ian. I am the keeper of the winged grimoire, the symbol of the Grimoire."

Saying that, Ian showed me the mark on his left hand.

A book with demonic wings. It was probably proof of an executive's status, just as Mia had mentioned.

Those with heterochromia are born with powerful magical energy. Possessing it alone is enough to make someone a talented mage.

"The Grimoire, a criminal organization formed by magic researchers. What have you been secretly doing beneath the Imperial Capital?"

"You came here without knowing?"

"I heard that maggots were breeding underground. I didn't know what they were doing."

My provocation made Ian's eyebrow twitch.

Then he formed a faint smile.

"That's a harsh way to put it. We're maggots, are we? In that case, are the people aboveground pebbles or something?"

"I suppose so. Compared to you, they're worth as much as jewels."

"As expected of the SS-Class adventurer who reigns over the Empire. You certainly play favorites."

"Who knows? I think any SS-Class adventurer would give you the same answer. Even among the SS-Class adventurers, I'm one of the kinder ones. Did you dislike the way I put it?"

"I do possess ordinary human sensibilities, you know. Being treated as no better than maggots hurts a little."

"I see. My apologies. Let me rephrase that. You magic-obsessed scum, what were you doing in this Empire?"

Ian didn't react this time.

However, his magic power was slowly building.

The composed expression on his face still hadn't disappeared.

He must have some kind of plan.

"I believe where I conduct my magic research is my own business."

"Magic research? If you have nothing to hide, why hole up in a basement?"

"I'm shy."

"I see. So this is legitimate magic research?"

"Of course."

"...As a mage, I'm asking purely out of curiosity. I might as well hear the answer. What were you researching?"

"With the cooperation of a certain person, I intend to attempt a grand spell. It's magic that no one has ever used before."

"Cooperation..."

There was no way they'd infiltrated the Imperial Capital at this time merely to research ordinary magic.

To cooperate with these people would mean becoming a test subject. There probably wasn't anyone who would willingly agree to that.

In other words.

"Not a collaborator, but a test subject—isn't that what you mean?"

"You could put it that way."

"I see. One more thing, just out of curiosity: is it the Saintess?"

"As expected of Silver. You're quick to pick up on things. Yes. I intend to have her cooperate with me."

Ian smiled.

There was no malice in it. It was the smile of someone who didn't believe he was doing anything wrong.

Perhaps he viewed everyone but himself as nothing more than experimental subjects.

He reminded me of Zandra. To people like them, nothing mattered except their own objectives.

"I see... I've finished gathering information. You must have finished your preparations as well, haven't you?"

"You're awfully relaxed. Did you deliberately wait for me to finish preparing?"

"As a mage, I'm curious just how boring magic developed through illegal means and the continued exploitation of others can be."

"Hmph... You will be defeated by that boring magic!"

With that, Ian snapped his fingers.

At that instant, countless barriers woven throughout the room activated, and the spot where I stood was surrounded by magic circles.

The magic circles had patterns resembling eyes, and those eyes stared at me, pinning me in place.

"My specialty is curses. I gathered and studied curse barriers from throughout history and across the world, and the curse barrier I created completely incapacitates its target! That is my new magic—the Evil Eye Barrier! Your defeat was decided the moment you entered this room!"

"You've certainly combined a wide variety of barriers."

There were more than twenty barriers spread throughout the room. By layering that many barriers, he had probably concentrated their powerful effects into the eye-shaped magic circle beneath me.

It was certainly powerful. But it was merely a hodgepodge of barriers.

"I am the strongest curse user! You chose the wrong opponent, Silver!"

"Yes, you certainly did. You chose the wrong opponent."

Saying that, I lightly raised my right foot and kicked the eye-shaped magic circle.

That alone caused the magic circle beneath me to collapse, and the barriers spread throughout the room began falling apart with sounds like shattering glass.

"I-it can't be..."

"To be honest, I think it's quite impressive. You skillfully combined barriers that should have repelled one another, fitting them into a single barrier with exquisite balance. But disrupt that balance, and the whole thing collapses immediately. It's useless in actual combat."

"I know that... That's why I used it like a trap... Why can you move within the barrier...?"

"Because my barrier is stronger than your cursecraft, I suppose."

Ian apparently thought he would win as soon as he trapped me inside the barrier, but that was an overly naive assumption.

I'm the Empire's strongest mage, after all. Even if it were Orihime's barrier—the work of the continent's greatest barrier mage—I could escape given enough time. Against a curse barrier of Ian's caliber, I can move normally.

And if I could move normally, it was easy to pour magic power into the magic circle and disrupt its balance.

"No matter how many different kinds of magic you study and combine, you can't call that new magic. It's no different from making a few tweaks to the existing specifications. New magic is created only by breaking through one of the limits of what already exists. Don't treat the development of magic so lightly."

"Heh... Heh heh heh... As expected... As expected of Silver... I've been fortunate. I thought taking charge of the plan in the Imperial Capital would be an unlucky assignment, but I get to test my skills against the strongest mage in the Empire!"

With that, Ian launched a giant fireball from his right arm.

Impressive. He activated, instantly and without an incantation, a spell that would normally require one.

But.

"A test of skills? What does a curse user intend to compete in after abandoning curses?"

"Tch! Then...!"

Ian pulled a stone from inside his coat.

It was a gem packed with magic power. Ian threw it at me.

The moment my barrier caught it, the gem shattered, and smoke poured out of it.

"Ha ha ha! It's over, Silver! That gem is my own special creation! If you inhale the smoke, you'll remain asleep for three days!"

"I see."

Saying that, I sealed the smoke inside a spherical barrier.

Ian's eyes widened when he saw the smoke isolated in an instant, but I ignored it and told him,

"Thanks for explaining. I was just thinking that incapacitating you without killing you would be troublesome."

"W-wait!"

"I won't."

I threw the barrier containing the smoke at Ian.

The moment it reached Ian's side, the barrier broke and the smoke escaped.

The smoke washed over Ian, and he immediately lost consciousness and fell asleep.

"Well then, all that's left is to investigate."

After muttering that, I began examining the documents on Ian's desk.

Then I saw what was in them and couldn't help clicking my tongue.

"Tch... This is more troublesome than I expected."

Saying that, I began gathering the documents I needed.