Though called an organ, the magic crest was actually quite small, containing fixed magical circuits. In another sense, it could be considered a type of Mystic Code. Possessing a magic crest greatly reduced the time required to cast spells—after all, it allowed one to bypass lengthy incantations.
Olga Marie's magic crest had vanished along with her destroyed body, but another Olga Marie existed in this world. If needed, Daniel could easily replicate a magic crest from her. For the magi of the Moonlit World, this would be a task of immense difficulty. But for Daniel, it was barely a challenge.
In fact, if he wanted to, he could create brand-new magic crests altogether. Originally, magic crests had been developed using materials from Phantasmal Species or fragments of Mystic Codes, which were then implanted into the body and cultivated over time. Daniel had no shortage of either.
"So that's how they repaired magic crests. No wonder there were so many torture devices."
From the surviving documents—though incomplete—Daniel was still able to discern the restoration method used by the magus named Geryon. It involved seizing other people's crests and grafting them into damaged ones to patch them up.
"I see."
At that moment, Luvia seemed to discover something and smiled mysteriously. She no longer showed any interest in the chamber's horrific contents and promptly left. Understandably, few would want to remain long in such a gruesome place.
"Something like this shouldn't be allowed to resurface."
After Luvia and Furuka left, Daniel followed suit, casually scrawling a few runes to set the room ablaze. The documents were reduced to ashes.
Given magi's warped sense of morality, should such materials fall into the wrong hands, it was inevitable someone would use them without hesitation. Even if it meant sacrificing ten or twenty other crests to repair one, they would deem it worthwhile—as long as they weren't the ones being sacrificed.
"You're saying Geryon repaired crests by stealing others and grafting them onto damaged ones?"
During lunch, Daniel laid everything out in the open.
"Were there actual methods to restore them in there?" someone asked eagerly.
"No idea. The place was full of torture devices. It was disgusting, so I burned it all."
"You…"
The other magi didn't know whether to scold or praise him. After all, what he did wasn't wrong—but to destroy the only lead they had was still maddening.
"Relax. I've already figured out how to end this farce. Just watch."
Luvia gracefully dabbed her lips with a silk handkerchief, then stood and left the room, her attendant and Furuka quickly following behind.
"You Edelfelt girl—did you say you've found a solution?"
By evening, Luvia summoned all the magi to her room. Even Oroc, who rarely showed himself, attended. He was the first to question her bluntly.
"That's right. I still don't know what the enemy's true plot is, but if we take control of this workshop, whatever they're planning will be ruined."
"Seizing a workshop? You're dreaming, Edelfelt girl."
To a magus, their workshop was everything. This one had been built and refined over hundreds of years. Even if its creator were dead, it wouldn't be so easily seized.
"Don't insult the Edelfelt family's capabilities with your shallow imagination. Since I said it, I naturally have the means."
She held out a top-grade gemstone in her hand.
"You intend to…?" El-Melloi II's eyes lit up as he realized her plan.
"You understand now, Lord El-Melloi? Every room, every magical conduit in this castle—I've already planted gemstones there."
"Hey, I was the one doing all the work," Furuka grumbled.
"All of them? What extravagance. You really are nouveau riche."
Even Oroc was stunned. He knew better than anyone how massive the Separation Castle was. The amount of gemstones needed to accomplish this would bankrupt most magi families.
Rin's eyes widened in shock. As a fellow gem-user, she envied Luvia deeply. She herself was so poor she often had to split a single gem into ten parts. Her mastery of Gandr bullets came precisely from her inability to rely on gems.
Due to poverty, Rin avoided using gems unless absolutely necessary. Luvia's wasteful yet dazzling approach to magic was something Rin dreamed of trying just once.
"With this, once I take over the workshop, whoever is hiding—be it beast or traitor—will have nowhere left to run."
"Wait—" El-Melloi II tried to stop her, but it was too late. Luvia activated the blue gem in her hand.
"Now witness the secret art of the Edelfelt family."
As her lips moved in elegant chant, the gem glowed with a brilliant blue light. All across the room, other gemstones began to glow in resonance.
Everyone quieted, watching as her incantation continued. Taking control of a workshop that had existed for centuries was no easy feat. But if it succeeded, they would surely unearth the mastermind behind this.
RUMBLE.
As her spell intensified, the Separation Castle began to quake violently. The building itself shuddered—stunning everyone present.
"No way… is it really going to work?"
Furuka could hardly believe it. Though he'd helped Luvia plant the gems, he hadn't expected it to work. After all, workshops were the soul of a magus.
"I see," murmured El-Melloi II, as if piecing something together.
"It's coming."
The tremors grew stronger. Paintings fell, walls cracked. Luvia's excitement rose—this meant her spell was succeeding.
"Watch out!"
Daniel steadied a wobbling Rin. Gray supported El-Melloi II. The others held onto whatever they could.
ROAR.
Suddenly, a furious roar shook the room. Windows shattered, and a beast burst through, slashing Oroc—who stood nearest the window—into pieces before anyone could react.
The mighty magus hadn't even resisted. Daniel was surprised.
In the same moment, a shadow burst forth behind Luvia and swallowed her whole. El-Melloi II reached for her, but was consumed by the darkness as well. Gray followed—then the blackness vanished.
"My lady!" her attendant cried, but then collapsed to the ground.
"Back off!"
As the beast lunged toward Rin, Daniel scrawled a rune in the air, conjuring a wave of flames that struck the beast. It howled in pain but didn't stop.
"Fine—then die."
He conjured three more runes. But just as he prepared to unleash them, he suddenly sidestepped with Rin—dodging a sneak attack from behind.
"You?"
To his surprise, the attacker was Shijin Jirōbō Seigen. He had used his flying alms bowl to ambush them, aiming not just at Daniel, but Rin too.
"Just as I said—there's a traitor. Capturing you will unravel everything."
Daniel raised his hand—but Seigen attacked again, this time aiming at Heine and Rosalind. From the look of it, Heine couldn't move.
Left with no choice, Daniel prioritized saving the siblings. Seigen and the beast used the moment to escape.
"It's the magic crest…"
Only now did Rin manage to speak. Daniel realized why she hadn't reacted earlier—her magic crest had been compromised by the beast's roar.
"An attack targeting magic crests, huh? Typical of a 'repairman'—going straight for a magus's biggest weakness."
Daniel now understood why even someone like Oroc hadn't reacted. The same applied to Heine. It wasn't that they lacked the ability—it was that their crest had been sabotaged.
"Him? Really?"
Even after recovering, Heine was still in disbelief. He had never suspected Seigen. He'd even considered asking him to protect his sister during the investigation. Thankfully, that had never happened.
"Thank you," Heine said sincerely. "If you hadn't intervened…"
"Man, that was close. I really should've stayed home."
Furuka looked like he'd narrowly escaped death. An attack against the crest was dangerous for any magus. Unless one didn't have a crest, they were all vulnerable.
"What now?"
They glanced at Luvia's unconscious servant, and Oroc's torn corpse. The young assistant still stood silently behind the wheelchair, showing no emotion.
"We wait. I'm sure El-Melloi II and the others are fine. Let's clean up here first."
Daniel wasn't worried. He trusted El-Melloi II—and more importantly, Gray was with him.
"I didn't think even magic crests could be targeted. We'll need countermeasures going forward."
For magi, now that they knew their crests could be disabled, new precautions were necessary. Otherwise, the same thing could happen again.
"They're back."
Just as Daniel finished speaking, Gray, El-Melloi II, and Luvia returned.
"What happened?" El-Melloi II asked urgently. Heine quickly explained.
"Oroc Zepht Zamud…" El-Melloi II murmured, nodding slightly. Then he turned to the wheelchair and said something unexpected.
"Teacher…"
Gray gave him a puzzled look. Oroc was dead. Why call out to him now?
Heine and the others also looked confused.
"No, not that corpse. You're the real Oroc Zepht Zamud, aren't you?"
He was speaking to the boy behind the wheelchair.
"Well, well. You figured it out. Though to be precise, I've only transferred memory and personality. Not the entire magic crest."
The boy finally lifted his head and smiled. Though young in appearance, his voice was old and raspy—perhaps the reason he hadn't spoken before.
"What…?"
Everyone turned in shock from the corpse to the boy.
"This body is an artificial lifeform, cultivated from my own blood. I was gradually transferring myself over. But the sudden attack forced my hand. This is my butterfly magic."
"Not bad. Still not as impressive as Aozaki Touko, though."
The others were dumbfounded by Oroc's resurrection technique. Daniel, however, wasn't surprised. In the world of the Moonlit World, those who sought immortality were many—but only Aozaki Touko had pulled it off without obvious drawbacks.
Zouken Matou, once a righteous man, had turned into a monster obsessed with living, his soul eroded in the process.
Oroc, too, had paid a price. Only Aozaki's resurrection still seemed flawless.
"I'd like to discuss something with you."
El-Melloi II had long suspected the truth. He didn't look shocked at all.
"Oh? What is it?"
"I want to learn everything about this place."
"…Enough games. Shijin Jirōbō Seigen—or should I say, Geryon Ashbourne's son, Granid Ashbourne."
The figure in the dark, just about to strike, froze at El-Melloi II's words. The concealment field vanished.
What El-Melloi II and Oroc had discussed earlier was simple—they'd use Oroc as bait to lure Seigen out.
"What?"
Everyone was stunned. The entire point of the inheritance battle was that Geryon had no heir. If he'd had one, the estate would've gone to them directly. Magi valued bloodlines even more than normal people.
"Lord El-Melloi… what are you talking about? I don't understand a word you're saying."
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