Chapter 26. The Truth of Magical Beastification Experiments (5)
As soon as dawn broke, the mansion was turned upside down.
The fact that there was a secret underground facility in the mansion's garden that had been secretly prepared a long time ago.
And the fact that a laboratory for black magicians had been built there on a considerable scale.
All of these facts were revealed after all the data Enoch had collected and the children's testimonies.
And the most shocking thing of all was…
"O-Oscar the Administrator? Is that really true!"
The fact that the administrator was the main culprit who kidnapped the children.
The members of the mansion, including the butler who was still staggering in shock, were in considerable confusion.
But they couldn't deny it.
The mansion's underground blueprints.
The adoption forgery contracts and documents.
Even the records containing the details of the experiment.
Each of the evidences presented by Enoch clearly pointed to him as the culprit.
Even one of the Vendetta magicians Enoch arrested was regaining consciousness.
When he wakes up in the future, they will be able to interrogate him about more details.
And above all…
"Young Master Enoch. Is that really true?"
The drawing room of the administrator's mansion.
The teachers of the orphanage who had gathered there after receiving Enoch's call all had surprised expressions.
Whether they had been running around here and there desperately searching for Chloe after hearing the news of her kidnapping, their appearances were not very neat.
"The missing children and the magician have all returned safely? Is that really true?"
"That's right."
However, even at Enoch's words, the orphanage teachers just stared blankly at each other.
The existence of the secret laboratory under the orphanage garden, and the crimes committed by Administrator Oscar.
So many things had happened at once that they didn't seem to be able to grasp the situation properly yet.
Enoch looked at them one by one and licked his lips inwardly.
'Afterwards, I searched the study and the mansion and did additional investigations in many ways. But surprisingly, there was not a single person in the mansion who knew this fact.'
That meant that Vendetta had moved meticulously.
If there had been an accomplice or helper among them, he would have arrested them immediately.
Unfortunately, it was too clearly revealed in the documents that there were no more bonuses to raise Enoch's achievements in this mission.
"But Young Master Enoch, how did you… only come here a day ago."
The teachers of the orphanage, who were still looking at this side with dazed expressions, carefully asked.
Without saying much, Enoch immediately opened the door to the room across from the drawing room.
And when they saw the scenery inside the room.
The teachers' faces were all filled with bright joy.
"Ah!"
Lien was protecting the children inside the room. The little ones who were huddled around her.
When the door opened, the children turned around and looked at this side, and smiled and ran over as if they were happy to see him.
The teachers hugged the children who came running all at once and shed tears of relief.
There was no need to guess how much heartache they had suffered since the children went missing, and how happy they were about this reunion.
But Enoch, who was watching those touching scenes, was busy calculating inwardly.
'Good reaction.'
The greater the emotion, the better the mission's reputation will be, so the more that comes into this side's pocket.
Enoch smiled contentedly. Of course, only inwardly.
"Enoch Elsyde."
In the meantime, one of the teachers approached.
"Thank you so much."
He looked back at the children and teachers in front of him and continued slowly.
"When we first heard that you were dispatched here, we were actually worried that you were overdoing it after hearing the rumors about you. But it was a huge mistake."
Enoch just nodded briefly.
It was a look that was so different from the looks of contempt he had received since he first became Enoch.
"I just did what I had to do as a direct descendant of the Elsyde."
The teacher in front of him widened his eyes at those words, then bowed deeply once again.
"I am deeply grateful for the efforts of the Elsyde family. Enoch Elsyde."
He repeatedly expressed his gratitude and turned back to the children. Enoch leaned back against the wall as he watched his back.
With this, the first stage of the Exemption Mission was successfully completed.
Of course, the 'Second Exemption Mission', which was a wall that had to be overcome to cancel the disownment, still remained, but at least the first button was buttoned well.
The start is pretty good.
'Then, should I take this opportunity to sort things out?'
Enoch calmly sorted out his thoughts behind the people who were caught up in the excitement.
'Even though the mission itself was successful and other people are in a festive mood. This side is only half successful.'
He reiterated the obvious fact.
'As long as Tantalus, the person who made the Magical Beasts, is still alive, I can't completely relax.'
Of course, he had destroyed the laboratory itself and had obtained definite information that he was using the children as experimental materials.
Perhaps it would be quite difficult for him to create Magical Beasts in the same way as before.
But on the other hand, that was it.
'If some time passes, Tantalus will gather experimental subjects again and mass-produce Magical Beasts.'
Judging from the Vendetta data stored in the safe, it seemed that Tantalus had been obsessed with human experiments even before coming to this orphanage.
If the plan here goes wrong, there was a high possibility that he would set up a nest in another place and resume human experiments in the near future.
'Tantalus himself is a magician of Rank 10 or higher, but he is not a combat-type magician. He is a position closer to a scholar or researcher.'
Of course, as a magician who has surpassed the wall of Rank 10, he is stronger than most combat magicians.
However, as described in the work, it was described that Tantalus was inferior to magicians of the same level in direct combat.
So even in the short moment he faced Lien in the basement earlier, he would have been clearly pushed back.
But Tantalus's real scary point was not just such individual combat.
'The point at which Tantalus truly exerts his power is from the moment he creates powerful experimental subjects and creates an army.'
Enoch recalled the endless legion of Magical Beastification experimental subjects that Tantalus had mass-produced in the original work.
Magical Beastification experimental subjects related to Enoch's death.
Of course, if he let him make that, things would obviously get complicated in many ways.
'It's disadvantageous for this side to keep dragging on with that guy.'
Before he gets his act together and cultivates Magical Beastification experimental subjects again, he has to end it somehow.
Enoch briefly recalled what Tantalus had done in the original work.
If his guess was correct, he could roughly predict Tantalus's next move.
Then rather…
“…Um.”
Suddenly, a small voice calling him was heard.
When he raised his head, he saw a familiar face, Chloe.
She didn't go to the teachers like the other children, but came to this side.
Chloe came right in front of him and asked, looking up at him.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah."
Chloe silently stared at this side and cautiously parted her lips.
"Actually, when I was trapped. I saw you fighting those monsters."
"You saw?"
"There was a small hole in the wall opposite the cage I was trapped in, so I could see you fighting. I was scared, so I couldn't make any noise then…"
Enoch's eyes narrowed slightly at the unexpected words.
Then she saw this side using a sword?
Maybe the situation could get annoying.
If she realizes that this side is not an ordinary combat magician, it might be annoying to deal with.
But contrary to his expectations, Chloe said with her eyes shining brightly.
"That's the first time I've seen a magician fight!"
Enoch momentarily exhaled the breath he had been holding back.
Fortunately, she seemed to think this side was a magician.
"Is that so."
"Yes!"
She smiled once. And then she held out the doll in her hand to Enoch.
"And, this."
Unlike the rabbit-shaped doll that she had been claiming was a fox until now, this time it was a doll that clearly had the appearance of a fox.
"It's a present!"
Chloe lowered her head shyly and said in a small voice.
"Even though I manifested magic, to be honest, I didn't know anything until now. What to do, what kind of magic to learn. But now I think I know for sure. This is a reward for that."
Chloe held out her doll to Enoch and said slightly sullenly.
"...It's a real fox now, right?"
"Yeah, good job."
Her face flushed as soon as she received Enoch's praise.
Chloe glanced at the doll with a slightly flushed face and said.
"A-actually. Based on what I realized earlier… I succeeded in casting elemental magic on the doll for the first time."
She covered her doll with her hands.
Whoosh.
Then, the doll began to shine brightly on its own in her hands.
"If you take it out in a dark place, the doll absorbs sunlight and shines brightly on its own."
Chloe continued to speak hesitatingly, as if she was a little embarrassed.
"Enchantment magic isn't my specialty, so it will only last a few hours… But I thought it might be useful in dark places, like when you came to save us…"
Enoch's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the doll Chloe had handed him.
'In other words, she enchanted the doll with a magic that automatically emits light in dark places.'
In the Magic Empire, most of the artifacts are things that can only be used by using magic.
But with an artifact that has such a self-operating function, Enoch, a non-magician, could use it sufficiently.
However, what truly surprised him was not just such a practical reason.
"I know it's a very insignificant thing for a combat magician from the Main House. But… I wanted to say thank you in my own way. Will you accept it?"
Enoch stared blankly at Chloe, who was holding out the doll in front of him.
He was a little confused.
'It can't be.'
Not only did she create a perfect shape as desired with elemental magic, but also the magic to give attributes to make it shine on its own.
In fact, this itself is not that special magic.
But that 'Chloe uses this magic' doesn't make sense.
Because…
'…This is Rank 13 elemental enchantment magic?'
In the original work, Chloe was just a low-tier magician with a Rank of only 14.
Just one of those characters with no distinguishing features.
It must have been like that.
Suddenly, she surpassed the rank she was stuck in in the original work and used Rank 13 magic?
'Could it be.'
Suddenly, the only possibility flashed through Enoch's mind.
'Did Chloe overcome the wall of enlightenment that she couldn't overcome even in the original work?'
The enlightenment of magicians is vague.
Theoretically, you can surpass the stage of magic with something that seems like nothing to others as a trigger.
In other words, the trigger for individuals to gain enlightenment is that no one knows until they gain enlightenment.
Therefore, magicians always had to be accompanied by tremendous effort and fierce self-reflection in order to overcome their innate limitations and raise their rank.
It's like trying to overcome a huge wall with no right answer.
So for magicians, rank is called the 'wall of enlightenment'.
'But Chloe overcame the wall of enlightenment 5 years earlier than the start of the original work. Moreover, the trigger was after seeing the battle this side had?'
Of course, in the original work, Enoch and Chloe were characters with no connection, but…
'Is this possible?'
However, regardless of whether it was possible or not, there was no need to doubt what had already happened. Enoch briefly put his thoughts aside and slowly opened his mouth.
"Thank you. Sincerely."
Enoch accepted her favor and carefully put the gift away. Chloe, who had been staring at Enoch's appearance like that for a while, carefully called him from the side once again.
"Um."
"What is it now."
Chloe pulled his sleeve and made Enoch bend over slightly, then raised her heels as much as she could and whispered in Enoch's ear.
"Someday, I'm going to work for the Elsyde Main House too."
She looked into Enoch's eyes and said with a bright smile.
"And at that time, I've already decided which Follower Family I'm going to join!"
After saying that, she smiled brightly, and Chloe's appearance as she turned around and ran away could be seen far away.
Enoch stared at her back for a while.
'Chloe… A magician who has surpassed her limitations and reached Rank 13 5 years earlier than in the original work. It feels like an unexpected coin has skyrocketed?'
He had never thought that such a thing could happen.
'By the way, Follower Family.'
Come to think of it, there was something he had forgotten for a while.
'If I think about it, I should also bring in a Follower Family as my position becomes more established.'
If Enoch's disownment is withdrawn, Follower Families will come to him.
But even if such a moment comes, this side has no intention of accepting any mediocre people as Follower Families.
This side already has a plan.
'Unconditionally recruiting performance characters is the answer!'
A strategy to suppress by the performance and combination of recruited party members.
In other words, he had to succeed in the recruitment plan of the Tier 1 characters from the original work.
Since he already knew everything about them, he knew all the exemplary answers for talent discovery.
As soon as he thought of the magicians who boasted crazy performance in the original work, Enoch's heart was already pounding.
“…Ah! Were you here, Young Master Enoch!"
Just as he was finishing his thoughts, a man approached this side with a happy face.
Upon closer inspection, it was the Elsyde magician who was caught in the underground laboratory earlier.
He bowed to Enoch and said.
"To receive the grace of life from Young Master Enoch. It's already been 8 years since I joined the Elsyde family as a combat magician, but I never dreamed that this would happen."
Still a gaunt face. It was a face he hadn't seen in the original work, but he was quite sociable.
"I am Askel, from the Follower Family of 3rd Seat, Lord Rokteas. I will report the Young Master's achievements to the family separately."
He said that and took out a fancy pattern from his pocket.
"And this is my personal reward."
A thin card-shaped pattern made of simple but luxurious metal.
He handed it to Enoch and continued his explanation.
"If you present this badge to the family, you will be able to freely use some of the authority that Lord Rokteas has, once."
Enoch accepted the badge with a rather dumbfounded face.
'He's giving me this?'
Taking this reward was not on the schedule he had set up.
The numbers between each Seat signify the order of succession.
In particular, it is famous for providing various authorities and benefits within the family as the ranking rises by making achievements.
The family resources that direct descendants can mobilize, confidential information, and even the authority to issue operation orders to powerful magicians belonging to the family. Because it is a position that is given all kinds of various privileges.
But it's not just anyone else, it's 3rd Seat!
This badge was a kind of certificate that allowed him to use some of the authority he had.
And as a matter of course, no one would know better than Enoch how to use this.
"I hope it will be helpful in necessary work. Young Master Enoch."
He smiled like that. If he was giving this, he must have been really grateful.
Enoch lightly nodded and took the badge from him with the same calm face as usual.
However, he was smiling inwardly, unable to hold back the laughter that was pouring out.
'It's too sweet.'
How many rewards did he get from this mission?
It's so sweet that his teeth will rot.
Things were going too well beyond what he had expected.
"Ah, come to think of it. Young Master Enoch."
Just as he thought that.
Then Askel added, looking at this side.
"Didn't you say that the Lord Head is coming back to the Fortress soon?"
"Is that so?"
"That's right. If he knows that the Young Master has made achievements in this mission, he will be very happy!"
Enoch slowly nodded at his words.
Come to think of it, the Second Exemption Mission is a mission directly given by the Count.
Then, to receive the next Exemption Mission, he will probably have to meet him directly and talk.
'The Head of Elsyde, called the pinnacle of the Magic Empire… a magician of Rank 1.'
Magician of Rank 1.
Enoch unknowingly smiled for a moment at the thrill that the weight of that word gave him.
There was no need to recall how they were beyond imagination.
It was enough to guess from just one sentence that expressed them in the original work.
「Those who stand on the border between humans and gods.」
That is the modifier attached to magicians of Rank 1.
The realm of those who have approached the goddess who built the world with mana in the beginning of mythology more closely than anyone else with their own power.
Magicians of Rank 1 were beings called with such respect and awe.
'Well, anyway, it's good.'
Should I take a look at Enoch's dad's face this time?