Episode 89

Sierra and Eve quietly followed Ludwig and Roil to the deserted alley outside.

As soon as Ludwig arrived, Roil dropped his facade.

“How dare you cheat against me? You’ll pay for defiling the sacred rules!” Roil bellowed.

‘Sacred rules, my foot,’ thought Sierra, suppressing a sigh. Roil simply couldn’t stomach his first loss.

Roil dropped his concealment spell, revealing his rugged face adorned with grotesque markings that covered half of it.

“You’re as good as dead!” he shouted, trying to intimidate Ludwig. When Ludwig remained calm and unbothered, Roil hesitated, visibly thrown off.

“What’s this? Too scared to speak? Pathetic rookie.”

But he quickly recovered, forcing out a triumphant laugh, though it felt more like a poorly scripted comedy to Sierra.

‘Is this really the dark magician I was so nervous about?’

Sensing her amused gaze, Roil turned to glance at Sierra and Eve, who stood a few steps behind Ludwig.

“Oh, did you bring friends to die with you? Those two frail-looking women?”

His mocking tone quickly gave way to shock as he pointed at Sierra, stammering, “Wait… is that Sierra Drenihan?”

“What’s with calling someone ‘that’?” Sierra retorted, but Roil was too flustered to notice.

“Why is she here? Don’t tell me… she’s here to capture me?”

Panic flickered across Roil’s face as he scanned Ludwig and Eve, piecing together the situation.

“So, you’re all working together? That tall guy playing blackjack, leading me out here—this was all a setup?”

Finally grasping the reality of his predicament, Roil looked equal parts furious and stunned.

“So, you’re guilty after all, given how terrified you look,” Sierra remarked with a smirk.

Eve stepped forward protectively. “He seems foolish, but stay behind me. He could be dangerous.”

“Hah! Foolish, am I? You’re all begging to die,” Roil spat, still oblivious to Ludwig and Eve’s true identities.

“Whatever. Looks like you’ve come for revenge. But I’ll make sure you join your old man in the afterlife,” Roil snarled, his hand enveloped in dark energy.

“Revenge?” Sierra murmured, puzzled. ‘When have I crossed paths with this guy before?’

Her thoughts raced back to that fateful night of the banquet when assassins wielding dark magic nearly ended her life.

‘So those assassins… they were his comrades? All part of this Twilight organization?’

Roil decided Ludwig was the biggest threat and hurled a wave of dark magic at him.

“First, I’ll deal with you, you smug bastard!”

Perhaps he was still bitter about losing the game.

Ludwig deftly parried the attack with a swift motion of his sword and turned to Sierra. “If there’s nothing more to ask, may I finish this?”

The goal was clear: eliminate the caster of the curse plaguing Tergron. Roil, much like Diego, was merely a pawn, unlikely to offer any more valuable information.

“Yes, go ahead,” Sierra agreed.

“Who do you think you are? Talking about finishing me off like I’m nothing!” Roil raged, summoning a violet barrier that enclosed the alley.

The magical barrier amplified his powers and allowed him to unleash attacks freely within its confines. He grinned, confident he now held the upper hand.

“You’re finished!” Roil shouted, sending a concentrated blast of dark magic toward Ludwig.

But the magic dissipated into harmless vapor inches from Ludwig’s face.

“What?!” Roil gasped.

Ludwig sighed, his tone dripping with boredom. “I’m tired of playing along. Let’s end this.”

In the blink of an eye, Ludwig closed the distance between them, his blade slashing through Roil with precision and power.

“This… this is my barrier,” Roil sputtered, his eyes wide with disbelief. Within the barrier, most individuals would struggle to even stand.

As the realization hit him, Roil’s gaze met Ludwig’s. The golden hue of Ludwig’s eyes glowed ominously, no longer concealed by his earlier enchantment.

“You… you’re the Grand Duke of Karsian…”

Roil’s attempt to cast a teleportation spell was futile. A deep slash across his torso sealed his fate.

He collapsed, blood spilling onto the ground, and the oppressive barrier dissolved, returning the alley to daylight.

“Cough, cough…”

The death of a dark magician meant all their magic dissipated with them. Somewhere, Tergron’s curse was unraveling.

Roil’s body disintegrated into black ash, scattering onto the alley floor.

“…….”

Sierra stared in silence. Stories of Ludwig’s prowess had reached her before, but witnessing it firsthand was another matter entirely.

‘Even Desar and Peter couldn’t dispatch enemies this swiftly.’

Ludwig’s efficiency was terrifying, his movements too fast to follow.

He turned to Sierra, his expression now calm and collected, as if the deadly encounter hadn’t happened.

“Sierra.”

“Yes!” she replied, startled out of her thoughts.

Ludwig bent down, retrieving something from the ash and torn clothing left behind.

“This might be a lead,” he said, holding up a golden plaque.

Sierra recognized it immediately. Golden plaques were tokens awarded by noble families to their most loyal retainers. This one, she realized grimly, might link Roil to a much larger conspiracy.

The golden plaque found on Roil bore an unexpected emblem—not that of the Jettrin Baron’s household but of the Avan Marquisate.

This was a critical clue. It strongly suggested that the person who introduced “Twilight” to the Jettrin family was none other than the Avan Marquis himself.

And that wasn’t all.

Among the gold coins Roil had been so protective of, a portion bore the unmistakable insignia of the Avan Marquisate, minted exclusively in their territory.

This unexpected discovery lifted a bit of the weight off Sierra’s shoulders. What had seemed like a murky trail now gleamed with possibilities.

Ludwig, removing his gloves, examined the items and nodded.

“I’ve suspected the Avan Marquisate for some time, but this gives us a direct connection.”

“You’re right. Especially since a golden plaque like this can only be given by the head of the household….”

Without Ludwig, Sierra realized, this encounter might have ended very differently. Roil could have escaped, and this crucial evidence might never have been uncovered.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling as she reached out to hold Ludwig’s hand.

For a moment, Ludwig stiffened at her touch.

“I know you came to help me,” she continued warmly.

It was no secret that nobles usually sent subordinates to resolve matters like this in their jurisdictions. Ludwig’s Karsian knights included renowned swordsmen, any of whom could have easily dispatched someone like Roil.

The fact that Ludwig himself had come was a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Sierra.

“When this is all over, let’s go to a nice restaurant together. My treat,” she offered with a grin.

For a time, she had avoided public outings because of the rumors, and then the busyness of their lives had kept them apart. Sierra realized now how much she had missed his presence.

Once this matter was resolved, she wanted things to go back to how they had been—meeting with Ludwig not because of duty or obligation, but simply because his company brought her comfort and joy. Whether or not it stemmed from romantic feelings, just being with him was enough.

 

 

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