Chapter 15: The Truth Behind Those Crimson Eyes

There were a total of six magic attributes utilized in the Avelonia Empire.

Fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, and light.

Although the dark attribute originally existed as well, after the Empire’s victory in the ancient war against the devils, dark attribute mages who used the same powers as the devils had long since vanished following prolonged persecution and oppression.

While the lineage of natural-born dark mages had been wiped out in that manner, a method to become a dark mage after birth through a contract with a devil still existed.

However, following their defeat in the war, the devils, afflicted by a curse of light, were prevented from stepping foot into the human realm with their physical bodies due to sunlight and moonlight.

To summon even just a devil’s soul, one required a summoning circle and a special kind of blood; unless one was a high-ranking mage affiliated with the Magic Tower, merely possessing related materials could result in severe punishment, making information on it far more difficult to obtain compared to other magic.

And yet, before my regression, I had successfully contracted with a devil and become a dark mage.

The devil bestowed power upon me whenever needed, in exchange for taking my blood and life force.

Dark magic did not require separate mana.

The only things required to cast dark magic were desire, and the blood and life force to be offered to the devil.

The greater the price paid—especially if it belonged to a stronger human—the more reinforced the power became.

Unlike mana, where the limits of one’s vessel are determined from birth, there was no limit to desire.

Was it because they feared an unknown power unfettered by mana?

Even hundreds of years after the war with the devils ended, dark magic was still deemed a capital offense in the Empire.

***

To think that very magic, a capital offense, still remained with me.

Moreover, I never expected to be caught using it by the Lightning Magic Tower Master.

As anxiety enveloped my entire body, my mind temporarily went blank.

My brain was so dazed that not even an excuse came to mind.

But they say as long as you keep your wits about you, there is always a way to survive.

Steeling my heart, I recalled the words he had just spoken.

He had definitely asked, “Could I have seen wrong?”

That meant, in other words, that the energy was not clearly visible right now.

This was something I could just stubborn my way out of.

In truth, there was no other course of action besides denying it stubbornly.

“I do not know what exactly you saw, Young Lord, but it is true that I receive the blessing of fire magic. Could you have seen wrong?”

To prove my words, I summoned a flame.

A tiny flame flickered pitifully over my hand.

“Indeed. It is red right now.”

“Yes, so—”

“But there is no way I saw wrong. My time is not so idle; why else would I have made the precious journey all the way here?”

The golden eyes embedded beneath his eyelids flashed brilliantly.

I swallowed hard.

“I thought a magic beast had appeared in the Imperial Palace, you see. Because the black energy enveloping you was so ominous.”

“…”

“But my goodness, it wasn’t a magic beast, but a human. Just what is going on here?”

His manner of speaking, which provoked the listener with an exaggerated tone, had a power that raised one’s irritation to its absolute peak.

As displeasure surged, I actually found myself able to calmly regulate my pace in a situation where I should have been anxious.

Thinking about it calmly, Ran Ilay was the only one who could see a person’s energy.

Though it was possible more people with such a unique constitution existed in the Empire, it was certain their numbers were not vast.

If it was something most people couldn’t see—and furthermore, something that wasn’t clearly visible to Ran’s eyes right now—there were plenty of loopholes to escape through.

Finishing my thoughts, I spoke calmly.

“You saw wrong. It seems you were hallucinating.”

“I didn’t think I was of an age to start hallucinating yet, but I hadn’t realized my eyesight had degenerated to such a degree. I must summon my doctor sometime soon.”

“If you’re only going to crack useless jokes, I shall take my leave.”

Not wanting to converse long, I walked past him, but Ran followed behind me with a smile.

“You know, I was actually quite close with your older brothers.”

“…”

Letting it go in one ear and out the other, I stared straight ahead and walked.

As if completely unbothered by being ignored, Ran continued to trail after me.

“So I even attended their funerals.”

“…”

“Well, the atmosphere was quite strange, so I only watched for a bit before leaving, but it was a truly memorable funeral.”

If it were up to me, I wanted to grab him by the collar right this second.

He was gently poking at my nerves, deliberately provoking me.

He likely wished for me to show my true colors.

In my past life, I might have lunged at him without a single thought of the consequences, but not now.

Because I kept ignoring whatever nonsense he babbled and went on my way, his pestering voice beside me ceased, as if he had been unable to find any further amusement.

I had hoped he would drop off just like that, but he did not release me easily, like a hyena that had spotted its prey.

“Well then, I shall pay a visit to your mansion sometime soon.”

“Pardon?”

The moment I heard those absurd words, my plan to ignore him shattered to pieces, and an immediate reaction slipped out.

“Because there are so many things I wish to discuss with you, Count. And doing so here is a bit inconvenient.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Young Lord…”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me. I shall see you in the near future.”

Ran Ilay walked away, having said only what he wanted to say.

Just what kind of person was he?

My jaw remained dropped in sheer disbelief, unable to close.

***

The night I returned from my meeting with Raihar de Avelonia, I went to bed early as soon as I got back to the mansion.

Perhaps because of exhaustion, the moment I fell asleep, my body sank deeper and deeper into a dream.

A familiar place and situation welcomed me.

A thick cloud of dust rose before my eyes, and beyond it, Mikeron’s figure holding a sword was faintly visible.

His low, chilly voice abruptly rang out.

“Count, were you a dark mage, of all things?”

“Evil existences deserve to be struck down. I shall take that life of yours.”

Slicing through the dust, the hand and foot wielding the sword lunged forward first.

Mikeron closed the distance in an instant.

I tried to dodge, but before I could even take a single step back, my heart was pierced.

My vision shook violently, and dark red blood splattered in all directions.

My marionette-like body plummeted onto the filthy ground.

I wanted to raise my limply draped body once more, but I couldn’t even wiggle a single finger.

Mikeron Leilight stood over me, murmuring.

His blue eyes, which I had once thought beautiful, were darkly faded.

“Even if it was out of charity, I shouldn’t have associated with a human like you. The time I spent is a waste.”

Staring up at him with trembling eyes, a sneer ill-suited to his steadfast face carved itself into his lips.

“Why are you staring like that? Did you honestly expect me to be different from the others? How naive.”

The contempt embedded in his gaze tore everything within me to shreds, crushing me miserably.

While dying, I lay limply draped, forced to gaze helplessly at Mikeron’s face.

The moment my heart was pierced for the tenth time, I kicked off my blanket and woke up.

As if my breath had caught, not even a scream could escape.

My entire body was damp, drenched in sweat, and the world outside, where morning had not yet arrived, remained dark.

“Hah. Haaah.”

Exhaling ragged breaths, I hurriedly fumbled around my chest.

My heart, which had been pierced multiple times in my dream, was perfectly intact, save for the fact that it was beating much faster than usual.

“Ha. Damn it…”

Wiping away the cold sweat pooling across my forehead, I ruffled my bangs into a mess.

Even though there wasn’t an actual hole in my heart, my chest ached as if being pricked continuously with needles.

Letting out a low growl through my slightly parted lips, I soon sighed.

I felt as if my stifled chest would burst if I didn’t utter something aloud right this second.

It was agonizing.

***

A few days later, Ran shamelessly visited my mansion just as he had warned.

“Hello, I apologize for dropping by so suddenly… actually, no I don’t. Because I told you beforehand back then.”

Staring quietly at the thick-skinned man standing before me, Ran smiled with his eyes as if to show off.

His smiling demeanor was superficial beyond belief.

Though he looked and acted like a fox in many ways, he was merely wearing a fox’s mask; beneath it, his deeper nature resembled a wild beast.

He was an opponent that should not be taken lightly.

“What is it that you wish to discuss that you have come all this way?”

“Shouldn’t you know exactly what topic it is, Count?”

“…”

“Do you intend to keep me standing outside continuously?”

It was a fairly sweet voice, yet it sounded like a threat.

Turning my head, I let out a short sigh.

“Please come in first.”

Though reluctant, I escorted him inside the mansion, knowing he would absolutely never leave quietly.

Bringing Ran to the drawing room and seating him at the table, Mikeron’s figure, who had sat in that very same spot, suddenly came to mind.

I didn’t know why only uninvited guests kept visiting my mansion.

“I was under the impression our conversation had concluded back then, Young Lord Ilay.”

The moment I brought up the topic, he laughed in disbelief.

It was an unpleasant smile no matter when I saw it.

“I have quite a lot of things left that I wish to discuss with you. It is rather troublesome if you jump to conclusions and end the conversation on your own.”

“So, what is it that you wish to say?”

As I raised my eyes to look straight at him, Ran curled his eyes coquettishly.

“You are aware that dark magic can only be cast by a dark-attribute mage or someone who has contracted with a devil, correct Count?”

“I have no idea.”

“Even children would know this much, yet you claim ignorance. You are quite impressive in a way.”

“Could I possibly be as impressive as you, Young Lord?”

A brief war of nerves passed between us.

Ran gave me a side glance, then smoothly regulated his expression as if nothing had happened and continued.

“To summon a devil’s soul, one must draw a complex summoning circle without a single error, and offer a special kind of blood that is currently difficult to obtain.”

This was information that I, a dark mage, could not possibly be ignorant of.

However, I had never managed to find out exactly what the special blood required to summon a devil was.

Yet, the reason I was able to contract with a devil was because I had successfully summoned one using my own blood as a trial.

At the time, my mind had not been intact, and I was so focused solely on the fact that the summoning succeeded that I didn’t feel any strangeness—but thinking about it now, it was indeed bizarre.

“Just what is that special blood anyway?”

When I asked casually, Ran pulled his chair close and rested his chin on his hands over the table.

I reacted indifferently to whatever he did.

I had no desire to show a conspicuous reaction and get caught.

“They say that offering that blood to a devil yields far greater power than offering a commoner’s blood. And the person possessing that blood…”

Ran glanced at me, his smile stretching wide.

In that moment, an strangely ominous premonition washed over me.

“…Is said to be born with crimson eyes, just like a devil.”

I felt as though my heart was plunging vertically from a great height.

Nothing could be heard besides the frantic thumping of my heart.

My vision turned pale and dizziness surged, but I couldn’t let it show.

I focused my eyes with force to keep my sanity by any means.

“What on earth does that mean…”

“Of course, it doesn’t mean everyone with crimson eyes is like that. Some are probably just born with red eyes naturally.”

“…”

“As a side note, this is a fact unknown to anyone unless they are a high-ranking mage of the Tower who has professionally researched dark magic, so do not worry too much.”

Ran spoke casually with a laugh, but the very fact that he had revealed information difficult for most people to know to me made his intentions clear.

He was beating around the bush, but to summarize his main point, he was currently saying this:

‘You are a dark mage, aren’t you? You successfully summoned a devil with that blood of yours, correct?’

The moment he looked into my crimson eyes, my breath nearly caught.

I must not be shaken.

Getting swept up in his pace would be the end of me.

If I couldn’t escape safely now, I might die as soon as tomorrow.

“Why are you telling me such things?”

“Are you truly oblivious, or are you just pretending to be? Your eyes are a creepy crimson color as well, Count.”

The moment he described my eyes as creepy, my mind was flooded with past trauma.

Everyone deemed me dreadful simply by looking at my eyes.

Both of my now-deceased older brothers, and the people I faced for the first time upon stepping out into the world at their funerals.

I felt as if the fragile sandcastle situated inside my heart was crumbling down.

The already tiny sandcastle lost its shape and sank heavily under the weight of his thoughtlessly tossed remark.

Just as I felt suffocated, a familiar voice echoed in my head.

“Those fireworks look like your eye color, Count.”

I knew they weren’t words spoken with true sincerity.

It had likely been mere flattery.

Even so, the moment I recalled Mikeron’s smiling face, my heart fluttered, and a complex sensation like tangled threads washed over me.

Thanks to that, my reason returned.

Ran crossed one leg, staring at me with a relaxed face.

He stopped beating around the bush and finally voiced the main point.

“You contracted with a devil, didn’t you? You can use dark magic.”

“Do not corner me when you have never actually witnessed me casting dark magic.”

“Ah, so you’re going to act stubborn because there’s no evidence?”

Ran smiled with a displeased expression.

I added a remark, refusing to back down.

“Frankly speaking, it could be that you are doing this to trap me, Young Lord.”

“You can deny it all you want, but wouldn’t it be wise to think carefully? About how to conduct yourself to your own benefit.”

There seemed to be a hidden meaning in Ran’s words.

Looking at him now, he didn’t seem to be acting like this because he was desperate to corner me as a dark mage.

‘What does he want from me?’

Only belatedly realizing his intent, I asked to test the waters.

“Is there something you want from me?”

If he wanted something, he could have just said so from the beginning; what on earth was the point of the power struggle up until now?

As I scowled in exhaustion, he grinned detestably.

“I do not know why you visited the palace of the Second Prince on the day we met at the Imperial Palace, but keep your nose out of his business.”

“Pardon?”

Hearing such unexpected words left me dazed.

‘Did I hear wrong?’

As I blinked blankly, he drove the point home.

“If you stay out of the Second Prince’s affairs, I will also stay out of yours. I will no longer investigate or corner you. What do you think?”

Just what right did he, as a mere young lord, have to try and regulate Raihar’s personal relationships?

Even if I didn’t know why he made such a proposal, I had no desire to agree.

Because accepting it would be synonymous with sitting idly by and watching Raihar’s death.

In the first place, I had no intention of obeying that arrogant man’s words.

“I refuse.”

When I flatly refused, a crack formed on his face, which had been smiling continuously ever since he stepped foot into the Count’s mansion.

“How regrettable. Can you be sure you won’t regret that choice?”

The sweet voice stiffened in mere seconds.

The abrupt change in his attitude was chilling, but I didn’t let it show and expressed my resolve.

“Because I truly have nothing to hide. I listened well to the story you fabricated, Young Lord. It wouldn’t be remiss if you chose to publish it as a novel.”

“Hah.”

A click of the tongue echoed, as if my reply was utterly ridiculous.

A twisted smile carved itself onto his handsome face.

“You will regret this.”

“There is nothing for me to regret.”

“Is that so? If that is your wish, Count, then very well.”

With those words concluded, Ran rose from his seat.

As I slowly stood up to follow suit, I felt a chilly gaze.

Standing straight and raising my head, the icy look was nowhere to be found, leaving only a pretty smile in his eyes at the end.

“Thanks to you, I believe I shall be entertained for the time being, Count.”

“I am glad to hear that.”

Refusing to lose even a single word, I retorted calmly, causing Ran to slightly curl his lips upward.

His eyes were not smiling at all.

“Well then, I shall take my leave.”

Ran marched out of the drawing room with strides ill-suited to his elegant face.

I did not see him out.

To be precise, I couldn’t.

The strength in my legs had completely vanished.

“Hah…”

Only after Ran vanished from my sight was I able to breathe properly.

Stumbling, I grabbed the chair beside me.

Ran Ilay—his tone had been one of warning me to wait and see.

The thing required to activate dark magic was desire.

As long as I didn’t display desire in front of Ran, I wouldn’t provide any further clues, yet I remained anxious nonetheless.

I grit my teeth, thinking I must conduct myself with utmost caution in the future.

Dragging a body exhausted from dealing with a single person, I returned to my room.

The moment I entered, my reflection was cast in the mirror standing in a corner of the room.

At the sight of my eerily shining crimson eyes, the words Ran Ilay had spoken came back to me.

‘A person possessing special blood is born with crimson eyes, just like a devil.’

My eyes, which had already been an insecurity, looked even more dreadful now.

If what Ran said was true, were crimson eyes truly ones that might bring disaster?

“Damn it.”

Quietly muttering a curse, I collapsed onto the bed.

I didn’t understand why dark magic remained in my body and exhausted me like this when I hadn’t even contracted with a devil in this life.

My mind, complicated in so many ways, was incredibly heavy.

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