The Return of the Talented Monopolist is Special

“I will check if there are any more suspicious people around, so you guard this poor girl.”

“Understood.”

As dawn broke, the Black Tortoise Knights and the advanced class set out to find the dark wizard identified as the mastermind behind the recent serial murders, while Eugene and Julia stayed at the campsite.

Clark is also in the process of exploring the surroundings.

The suspect, the dark wizard, has escaped, so this mission won’t be over until he comes back dead.

Yujin replayed yesterday’s fight.

‘Even if the opponent is of a lower level than me, it doesn’t matter how many there are, I have no problem dealing with them.’ Even if they have the same 4-star rank, there’s no need to worry because I have Muk-gwang.

Eugene’s outward aura level was at the 4-star rank, but in actual combat, it was much higher than that.

However.

I felt it while using symbolic swordsmanship. The concentration of the aura is strong, but the quantity is lacking. The bowl is small.

I thought that with the efficient use of aura through the silent light, there would be no shortage of it, but I was wrong.

Symbolic swordsmanship was a technique that required a tremendous amount of aura.

Even though it was still at the early level of symbolic swordsmanship, if it felt lacking to this extent, the problem would only become more serious as the level of symbolic swordsmanship increased.

Right now, I thought it would be better to focus on increasing the quantity of my training rather than the level of my aura.

“On top of that, the casting speed of the Symbolic Swordsmanship is also quite lacking.”

When facing knight-level zombies, I thought I was casting spells relatively quickly, but looking back, it was a close call.

‘Just before his knife reached my head, I managed to cast the spell….’

In simple terms, I almost died. Clark’s words weren’t wrong.

Thanks to this incident, I learned a lot in many ways.

And.

Yujin looked at Julia, who was sleeping inside the tent over there.

Yujin told her to pretend to be someone else and talk if Clark asked her something.

He pretended to be a wizard and mercenary who came to find the mysterious artifact of the ancient ruins.

At that time, Clark gave Eugene a skeptical look and asked, “Does this sound true to you?” Instead, Eugene questioned Julia as if interrogating her.

-You were using magic, weren’t you? You’re not from the Magic Tower, are you?

Julia, whether she had practiced acting often in the past, denied the fact with her full-hearted performance.

-If you see my state, you would know that’s not the case. The Magic Tower only exists in the Black Zone, so how could a person from the Magic Tower come all the way here from the Black Zone… alone, no less, to go through this hardship? They would have brought at least one or two attendants with them.

Clark, still with a look of disbelief, tried to determine the truth of the words, but Eugene quickly stepped in first.

“I will interrogate whether this year’s words are blatant lies or not, so please leave it to me.”

Additionally, they even added that if the lie is revealed, they would torture him to death.

Clark clicked his tongue and nodded at Eugene’s harsh words mixed with curses, and Eugene was able to hide the fact that Julia was from the Magic Tower.

“Seriously, I was sweating bullets… phew.”

To avoid Clark’s suspicion, Eugene had to think so much that he was completely worn out.

It’s no exaggeration to say that I poured all the acting skills I had built up until I turned 13 into this.

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‘That’s a relief.’

Well, since Julia had only lived in the dorm, it would have been difficult for her to find anything suspicious.

In the meantime, Julia, who had briefly woken up, quietly approached Eugene.

“Hey… you know.” I have something to say.

To Yujin, Julia originally seemed to have a bright personality, but strangely, that aspect didn’t come through in front of Yujin.

“Just say it.” Don’t hesitate.

“Why did you save me?”

Eugene answered nonchalantly.

“That’s just how the Pensel Order is. Saving those in danger is a natural duty and obligation for a knight-in-training.”

“But what if, as you said, I were from the Mage Tower?”

Eugene smirked.

“You are from the Mage Tower.”

“…!”

Julia instinctively took a step back, but Eugene, wearing an exasperated expression, commented dryly.

“Stop being so paranoid. If I wanted to harm you, I’d have done it already… Ugh, forget it. You’re starting to annoy me.”

“I-I’m from the Mage Tower…”

“How did I know? Your magic usage is unique. As for why I attacked the dark wizard, what does it matter who he was? He looked like a bad guy, so I dealt with him.”

“Then…”

“Then why haven’t I asked why you were hiding here or which faction you belong to? Right now, we’re in the middle of a mission. We’ve located the suspected dark wizard, so as far as I’m concerned, the mission’s over. What more is there to do?”

“But still…”

“Still, why did I save someone from the Darklands and the Mage Tower? Like I said, that’s what Pensel is. If we’re going to fight, we’ll face each other head-on and kill with honor. We’re not petty enough to murder kids like you who are barely out of childhood. Or… should we nip the problem in the bud?”

When Eugene suddenly gave her a sharp look, Julia flinched, shivering slightly, then nodded with a shy expression.

“Got it. I won’t doubt you anymore. So don’t make that scary face.”

“…What’s with that reaction? Anyway, just repay the favor someday. I have questions for you.”

Eugene began questioning Julia.

“Do you know this? This symbol—it was engraved right above the spot where you were hiding. It’s also on my ring. See?”

Eugene held out his ring, and Julia examined it carefully, thinking hard before shaking her head.

“No, I don’t. I stumbled into that place by chance, so I didn’t notice anything like that. That’s where I ran into you.”

“Not much help, then. Did you see anything special inside?”

Julia snapped her fingers as if she remembered something.

“There was a door. A black door inside.”

“Now that’s helpful.”

Eugene instinctively felt that the secret of his ring lay behind that door.

Julia, for no particular reason, gazed at Eugene with a wistful expression as he fell deep in thought. Shaking her head, she stood up.

“If you don’t have more questions, I’m going to get some more sleep.”

“Go ahead.”

Eugene’s mind was spinning with countless plans.

‘So far, there haven’t been any assassination attempts from Red Scorpion. Clark and the Black Tortoise Knights must have been a deterrent to them. This is probably the best opportunity.’

Now, how could he deal with the looming threat of assassination?

Sitting idly and waiting for them to strike wasn’t in Eugene’s nature.

‘Red Scorpion is after me. Pensel’s traitor is after Julia. Neither knows the other’s plans. Yeah, that method is the best choice.’

A sharp gleam flickered in Eugene’s eyes.

***

At that moment…

One of the Black Tortoise knights who had gone to kill the dark wizard stood in the shadowy thicket, holding a bloodstained sword.

“Why… would you… do this to me…”

The dark wizard collapsed on the ground, land ooked up at him with a vacant expression.

The dark wizard had heard that someone from Pensel had joined the knights to assist in Julia’s assassination. This secret meeting was arranged through exchanged signals, but now, the dark wizard found himself on the verge of dying instead.

“You sure talk a lot for someone who’s already failed their mission. If you get captured and expose me, it’d be a problem for both of us.”

The man, whose face bore a prominent scar near his mouth, drove his sword into the dark wizard’s heart, silencing him.

The traitor in Pensel rummaged through the dark wizard’s pockets and grinned wickedly as his hands grasped a hefty amount of gold.

“Mage Tower folks sure are rich. This is a nice bonus.”

Pensel’s culture placed a heavy emphasis on combat and honor, paying little attention to monetary wealth. Even as the foremost noble family in the north, the compensation given to knights was minimal at best.

This mentality extended to the order’s knights, sparking discontent among a few, including one who ultimately betrayed Pensel to act as a spy.

‘What’s more important, money or honor? These fools only know how to fight.’

The man’s face, so seemingly loyal before Clark, now twisted into a sinister grin.

Swish.

With a single stroke, he severed the dark wizard’s head, chuckling to himself.

‘I’ll take the credit for killing the dark wizard. This’ll be fun for a while.’

With that, he began making his way back toward the campsite.

***

The news of the dark wizard’s demise soon spread, and the Black Tortoise knights, Clark, and Julia regrouped at the campsite.

“This man attacked you, correct?”

“…Yes.”

Julia nodded, her voice subdued, as Clark began to explain.

“The wounds on the victims’ bodies had baffled us until now. Judging by the injuries—slashes and stabs at the throat and vital points—it was hard to believe a human was responsible. But…”

Clark clicked his tongue lightly.

“If magic was involved, it’s possible. We re-examined the victims’ bodies for traces of magic and confirmed it was a mage’s doing. Here’s the report I received via messenger bird earlier today.”

Clark showed the knights a report comparing the traces of magic found on the dark wizard’s severed head to those on the victims’ bodies.

Eugene pretended to skim the report, then stole a glance at the knight with the scar on his face.

‘So he’s even tying up loose ends. He’s more ruthless than I expected.’

Eugene’s heightened senses picked up on the knight’s nervous glances darting around before abruptly halting as if under forced control—a classic sign of someone hiding a lie.

‘It’s him. Without a doubt.’

As Eugene solidified his suspicions, he noticed an odd gaze directed at him.

“…What is it?”

“Nothing, just…”

Julia seemed to be watching Eugene cautiously, likely recalling the request he had made when they were alone at the campsite. When Eugene nodded reassuringly, she offered a faint smile.

“The case is closed. We’ve successfully resolved the chain of murders in Glamphustan. After confirming there are no additional victims, we’ll return tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood.”

Eugene decided he would put his plan into action that very night.

***

Late at night.

Eugene gathered the poison and antidote he had received from the Ghost Turtle and headed to Julia’s tent.

“Julia.”

“I’m ready.”

Julia was already prepared. The two carefully stepped out of the tent.

“What if we get caught?” she whispered.

“Caught?”

Clark and the Black Tortoise knights had exceptional perception, so Eugene had to act cautiously.

Without hesitation, he scooped Julia into his arms.

“Apologies in advance.”

“Huh…?!”

Julia was cradled in Eugene’s arms as he stepped onto the Ghost Cloth, concealing their presence.

Not a single sound was made, almost eerily silent.

At the same time, Eugene pushed away all unnecessary distractions, sharpening his senses to their peak.

Thoughts of what to do if Clark noticed them.
Questions about how to open that door when they reached it.
Even an idle realization—she’s lighter than I expected.

And then—

Hwaaah…

As his mind naturally settled into a state of perfect calm, like a still mirror, his sensory perception expanded even further.

The sensation of “seeing without seeing,” whenever he used the Still Water Mirror, was a marvel he couldn’t get used to.

And then—

Two figures appeared within the range of Eugene’s detection.

“Should I take down two birds with one stone?”

The talent monopolizer’s regression truly stood apart.