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Should I pretend I didn’t see them and run? Run fast? Run slow? On two legs? On all fours? But would feigning ignorance even work? It seems too late to escape now. Should I just casually greet them? Nod my head? Salute? But what if they see through my act while I’m greeting them? Should I just stay still and do nothing? Pretend to be sick? Sit in meditation? Or should I just reveal my identity and see what happens?

It felt like all these thoughts raced through my mind in less than a second.

See? This is the brainpower of a crazy mage.

But even with this incredible mental agility, I couldn’t find an answer. In times like these, the best course of action is to follow your gut.

Just as I was about to feign unconsciousness and collapse on the ground, the three people approaching me abruptly changed direction.

I peeked at them and saw they were slowly moving towards the lake, following a path to the right.

‘Huh.’

As expected, a way out always appears when you ponder your options.

Watching the three figures walk away in a line sparked my curiosity. If I left them alone, I knew I’d be tossing and turning all night, wondering what they were up to.

Like a spy on the battlefield, I swiftly surveyed my surroundings, assessing the situation.

The three individuals strolled towards the lake, while a few members of the special forces trailed behind them, seemingly acting as escorts.

Scanning the area, my eyes settled on a thicket near the right side of the lake.

I deliberately stood up, acting as if lost in thought, and walked towards the lake. After loitering around and observing the situation, I dashed into the thicket.

Thud—

Fortunately, no one noticed. The problem was…

‘Ugh, the fishy smell.’

An unexpected, overpowering fishy odor emanating from the thicket made it hard to bear. It almost smelled like urine. I suddenly felt a newfound respect for Layla.

Pinching my nose, I skirted around the bushes, moving forward.

After trailing them for a while, I glanced to the left and spotted the special forces’ profiles through the foliage. A little ahead of them walked the three figures.

Elder Parin likely possessed the sharpest senses among them.

He ranked higher than Balkan, and the person from Ardehain probably didn’t have any mana.

I crept closer, step by step, stopping just before I could sense Elder Parin’s presence.

“…”

No voices could be heard, so I focused on their actions.

Elder Parin and the mysterious man walked side by side, while Lord Balkan followed a few steps behind.

‘Is Elder Parin close with the Ardehain guy?’

There seemed to be no awkwardness between them.

Considering Elder Parin’s high standing, it wouldn’t be strange if he was acquainted with someone from a vassal family. He seemed to know a fair bit about the man, even from our brief encounter over the braised carp. However, the seriousness of their expressions bothered me.

‘This is strange.’

I wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation, but getting any closer might alert Elder Parin or Lord Balkan.

Maintaining a thrillingly precarious distance, I slowly followed them.

After a while, the mysterious man turned back, leaving only Lord Balkan and Elder Parin.

As Balkan and Parin walked side by side, the wind over the lake grew stronger. Faint voices drifted towards me, carried by the wind.

“…Are you alright…?”

“That cannot be.”

I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I lay flat on my stomach and began to crawl forward.

Whoosh—

A sharp leaf grazed my cheek.

“…Still…”

“The Red Magic Tower… I’ll leave it to you.”

I completely shut my nose and mouth, focusing all my attention on their conversation.

Sometimes, my intuition flares up sharply.

While I was peering through the thick bushes, Elder Parin’s voice suddenly grew louder.

“Lord Balkan.”

“…”

“Do you even understand what you’re saying right now?”

“But…”

Balkan stopped mid-sentence and abruptly turned his gaze towards me.

Simultaneously, I sensed someone approaching from close range.

Balkan spoke.

“What is it?”

“I sensed a presence, so I’ll investigate, my lord.”

I had been so focused on the two of them that I lost track of the special forces. The presence gradually drew nearer. In that split second, my mind raced frantically. A voice belonging to one of the special forces members came from right behind me.

“It seems to be around here.”

“Check it out.”

Having made up my mind, I rubbed my chest once and placed both hands on the ground.

It was a bit embarrassing, but I believed in the crazy mage.

If I don’t believe in myself, who will?

The best course of action was…

This.

***

“Woof!”

“What’s that?”

The subordinate, who had been searching the area where the presence was felt, looked at his superior with a dumbfounded expression.

“A dog?”

The captain of the special forces let out an empty laugh.

“Looks like Aufen came all the way here to mark his territory.”

One of the subordinates, watching the canine tear through the bushes at incredible speed, replied,

“It’s a fighting dog, so it must have a wide territory.”

“It’s the Lord’s beloved dog. Although, it has a problem with peeing everywhere. It smells strongly here, too.”

Lord Balkan, observing from a distance, asked,

“What’s going on?”

The captain responded,

“It’s nothing, my lord. It was just Aufen.”

“Aufen came all the way here?”

Just then, a loud bark echoed from afar.

“Woof!”

“Indeed.”

The captain turned to walk back towards the Lord, then suddenly tilted his head.

“That bark sounds a bit strange.”

One of the sharp-eared subordinates agreed.

“It almost sounds like a person imitating a dog’s bark.”

Another subordinate chimed in,

“It’s like a person imitating a dog, and then a dog imitating that person.”

“Quiet. Let’s go.”

* * *

Having sprinted back to the main building in one breath, I panted like a dog, gasping for air.

I had just realized a crucial fact.

Humans are faster on all fours than on two legs.

Today, I broke free from my preconceptions. If it weren’t for this urgent situation, I wouldn’t have thought of disguising myself as a dog.

A man capable of transcending species and assuming the form of a canine…

This was the true value of “Magnus’ Illusion.” Even the Sword Saint wouldn’t have thought of this.

It was embarrassing, but it didn’t matter.

The important thing was that I wasn’t caught. As a practical man, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

Anyway, I was currently a dog.

Since I was near the main building, there were people around. I couldn’t undo the illusion here. I had to find a deserted place first.

As I was heading towards a secluded spot, just like before, to revert back to my human form, a group of female white dogs appeared from around the corner.

“Woof?”

Following them, a majestic black dog emerged and, upon seeing me, widened its eyes.

As our eyes met, we exchanged a fierce aura.

“Woof!”

“Woof!”

Without hesitation, both the black dog and I barked and lunged at each other.

I opened my circle, circulating mana and channeling it towards my mouth.

A dog must fight like a dog.

With flames gathering around my mouth, I bit down on the black dog’s neck.

Crunch—

Sparks flew, and the black dog, its neck now burned, yelped and ran away.

Victory was mine.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I was about to transform back into Baekun, the captain, when I sensed another presence nearby.

‘Hmm?’

I quickly dashed away on all fours and hid around the opposite corner. A woman appeared, and upon seeing the female white dogs, stopped to observe them.

‘Celestine?’

She even sat down and started playing with the white dogs. Since I was trapped in a dead end, I had no choice but to wait for Celestine to leave.

After watching her for a long time with no sign of her leaving, I felt like I was wasting time.

‘Let’s meditate.’

Regardless of the situation, there was a man who could meditate even as a dog. And that man was me.

Just as I was about to assume the position and close my eyes…

Through my blurring vision, I saw a lotus flower drawn on the scabbard of Celestine’s sword.

As if struck by a thunderbolt, my eyes flew open.

The lotus was red.

‘A direct descendant of Ardehain?’

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

If the old traditions hadn’t changed, this was undoubtedly a symbol proving her direct lineage to the Ardehain clan.

Among the countless swordsmen of Ardehain, it was bestowed only upon the bloodline of the lord.

The red lotus, signifying the talent to lead Ardehain, inherited through the blood of the lord.

Forgetting about meditation, I stared at Celestine. Looking at her now, she did resemble him a bit.

“…”

It was only after a considerable time had passed that Celestine finally left to walk the white dog.

I also returned to my human form and quietly slipped out of the manor.

***

It had been an entertaining and informative time in many ways. As I headed towards the banquet hall, I organized the questions that arose from my little adventure.

First question.

Who was the man from Ardehain?

Ardehain was a family of women.

Their swordsmanship, the Black Swordsmanship, was specifically tailored to women’s bodies, so it was only natural. Men rarely held important positions within the family.

[TL/N: Black Swordsmanship isn’t the final name]

Moreover, he didn’t seem to be acquainted with Balkan, and the fact that he had a conversation with Elder Parin was puzzling.

Second question.

What was the relationship between Elder Parin and Lord Balkan?

What kind of request did Balkan make that caused Parin to become so angry? I vaguely remember hearing something about the Red Magic Tower.

It couldn’t be ignored, as it might be related to Samael.

Furthermore, Balkan was a rather seasoned man.

He wasn’t unaware of Elder Parin’s personality, so it was highly unlikely that he would spout nonsense without reason.

What dirty secret did he reveal to make Elder Parin react that way?

Third question.

This was the most intriguing one.

Did Urgon know Celestine’s true identity?

This was a far more critical issue than the mere fact that someone from Ardehain visited Urgon.

If Urgon had invited someone from Ardehain, and Ardehain responded by sending a direct descendant…

Then I would have to reassess Urgon.

However, that couldn’t be true.

If Urgon knew Celestine’s identity, he would never act this way.

All the servants and executives of the clan would be fawning over her, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

Just as I finished organizing my thoughts, a boisterous noise reached my ears.

The banquet was in full swing, both inside and outside the hall.

“What a spectacle. No, what a farce?”

They said a grand feast would be held, but this was chaos.

I wasn’t sure whether to describe it as a spectacle or a farce.

It felt like the last supper was taking place.

Drunken monkeys were running around with bottles in their hands, and a dance floor had even formed in one corner.

Meanwhile, at a slightly secluded table sat those who had distinguished themselves in the competition. There were young men from Urgon, as well as Taylor, Blair, and Arin.

Taylor and Blair were surrounded by a few people, and Libre was clinging to Arin, who was wearing a veil, and chatting her up. Diagonally across from them, Layla was forcing a smile while glaring at the two.

‘It is indeed a farce.’

I abruptly wedged myself between Libre and Arin.

“What?”

“The eldest son of Samael.”

Libre replied, looking me up and down.

“How rude. I’m in the middle of a conversation.”

Looking closer, I noticed his face was slightly flushed, probably from drinking too much.

“We have urgent matters to discuss amongst our Samael clan, so would you please excuse us?”

Uncharacteristically, Libre’s eyes were blazing with fury.

“Didn’t I say I was talking to her first?”

“Alright.”

I took a few steps back and then clapped my hands.

“Samael, gather!”

Taylor and Blair approached, and Arin immediately rose from her seat and joined them.

I grinned at Libre and mouthed the words,

‘I win.’

At this moment, I felt like…

The black dog who had won the hierarchy struggle.

———-