LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 199 - Dispelling the Curse
In the Azlan Duchy of the Empire.
The street called the Dark Alley, ruled by gangs, was surprisingly lively, contrary to its infamous name.
A middle-aged man, neatly dressed in an elegant suit with graying hair, marveled at the sight of the street.
“I can’t believe this is the notorious Hawkers Street.”
The street, once filled with violence and terror until recently, had somehow transformed into a street of pleasure and entertainment.
This was the result of the boss of the Scar Face Family, which ruled the back alleys of the Azlan Duchy, changing from Malcam to Chepel.
The newly appointed boss Chepel had somehow found the weaknesses of opposing forces and swiftly expanded her power, while also cozying up to those in authority and gradually siphoning aboveground funds into the underworld.
In this ruthless world without loyalty, Chepel, who had gained unmatched wealth compared to before, solidified her power more than any other organization.
Her thoroughly power-friendly yet forceful faction continued to expand its invisible territory beyond the Duchy into neighboring territories’ back alleys.
“Ohohohoh! Indeed! I’ve gathered some kids at the salons. Would you like to enjoy them first?”
Jebel, the Rose Thorn executive of the Scar Face Family, smiled gently as she guided the middle-aged man.
“No, let’s take our time enjoying those. But first, let me deal with some business. It’s not in my nature to postpone work.”
“Oh, then I’m grateful. Please follow me.”
Jebel led him through a narrow alley next to the main street into a shabby pharmacy.
While an old woman with poor eyesight and hearing was minding the counter, Jebel ignored her and headed straight for the basement.
“It smells musty. A drug manufacturing facility?”
To the middle-aged man’s question, Jebel smiled wryly and answered, “It used to be. But after the boss changed, we stopped dealing in dangerous businesses like drugs.”
More precisely, it was on Yuan’s orders, who held their leashes.
Even if not drugs, they continued to manufacture various medicines and low-quality poisons needed for the back alleys.
“A wise decision. The Crown Prince was going to root out the drug dealers soon anyway. If you had continued, your entire organization would have been scattered within a few years.”
“Ah~! So he’s the one famous for his wisdom?”
Jebel’s sarcastic remark caused the middle-aged man to furrow his brow.
“His Highness is not someone to be gossiped about by the likes of you.”
The hint of anger made Jebel flinch.
“Ohohohoh, my apologies. Consider it mere chatter.”
“I see.”
The basement was cluttered with various items. In a corner, an old door led to a spacious room containing sacks of magic stones and a small box filled with Imperial gold coins.
“Hmm, a well-ventilated facility where magic power doesn’t leak. Did you manufacture drugs here?”
“As I said, that’s an old story.”
“A good place to secretly use magic.”
The middle-aged man took out a magic wand, various reagents, and an inkwell filled with crushed magic stones from his spatial expansion bag.
“I’ll start the dispelling ritual now. Take off your clothes.”
The middle-aged man was an Imperial court mage whom Jebel had hired at a hefty bribe to lift the severe curse placed on her by Yuan.
At the mage’s command, Jebel unhesitatingly removed her red dress, revealing her figure.
Despite some blemishes on her back, the middle-aged man examined her bare back as impassively as a doctor examining a patient on the operating table, concentrating on finding any trace of the curse upon her.
After focusing intently for a while, sweating from the excessive concentration, he let out a breath.
“I can’t tell who cast it, but an ordinary mage wouldn’t even be able to detect its traces.”
“Then…”
“I’m no ordinary mage. I know how to proceed.”
At his smile, Jebel trembled slightly in anticipation.
Living with a curse that could kill her at any moment was a constant horror and torment.
“But it seems we’re short on magic stones.”
The middle-aged man looked at the sack of magic stones Jebel had prepared, and she hurriedly said, “If you give me a little time, I’ll somehow…”
“No, I have some with me, so let’s use those first, and you can pay me double the price.”
At the middle-aged man’s words, Jebel nodded vigorously with a bright expression, “I will! Double, no, triple the price!”
“Do so.”
The middle-aged man had Jebel stand in the center and began drawing a magic circle around her with the inkwell of crushed magic stones.
Since it was such a secret and severe curse, expensive magic reagents were also liberally used in the dispelling ritual.
After densely arranging the magic stones on the magic circle and completing all preparations, he wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and raised his magic wand.
“I’ll begin the dispelling ritual now. Endure any pain it may cause.”
“I will.”
Jebel nodded resolutely.
Yuan, who had cast the curse, had told her to try dispelling it and regain her freedom if she could, but attempting to do so might trigger the curse and kill her.
Even so, the fear of not knowing when she might die was greater, so among the five cursed people, Jebel was the most proactive in seeking help.
The other four were also quietly trying to find mages to lift the curse, but they weren’t as proactive as Jebel since Yuan had also assigned them tasks.
“…The mirror of truth shall reflect the soul…”
The middle-aged man, befitting a court mage, delicately controlled his magic power as he chanted the long incantation.
Jebel’s soul-engraved curse began to manifest its form.
Marveling at the intricate and complex curse formula composed of densely packed magic characters floating above Jebel’s head, the middle-aged man was purely astonished as a mage.
“To think such a formula exists! Marvelous!”
His eyes sparkled with the thirst for knowledge as he analyzed the curse.
As the dispelling process dragged on, Jebel trembled, not knowing when the pain would strike, but the curse did not inflict any suffering upon her.
Rather, it gave her a cozy feeling and even vitality, improving her condition, which had been poor from a lack of sleep.
“Ahahahaha! I’m a genius! I’ve figured out the dispelling formula!”
Feeling euphoric, the middle-aged man raised his magic wand and cast the dispelling formula.
The magic-generated dispelling formula met the floating curse formula in midair, fitting perfectly like a key into a lock.
Was she finally going to be freed from the curse?
Jebel watched the middle-aged man and the complicated magic formula floating in the air with hopeful eyes.
Just as it seemed to be proceeding smoothly, the middle-aged man’s expression suddenly distorted.
“Wh…? What?”
As the curse formula and the dispelling formula intertwined, characters appeared in midair:
Oops! Better luck next time.
The moment those words appeared, the curse and the dispelling magic intertwined and struck the mage attempting to dispel it.
“Aaaaaarrghhh!!”
The middle-aged man writhed on the floor in agony, as if being devoured by fire ants.
“Help me! Aaaarrghhh!!”
Jebel froze in terror at the chilling screams.
After a few minutes of thrashing in pain, the middle-aged man gradually felt the agony subside, leaving him drooling and sobbing tears.
Before his eyes, characters floated in midair, forming a letter:
To the foolish mage who attempted to dispel my curse.
Congratulations on becoming my slave. You have been engraved with the same curse you tried to dispel, and if you disobey my desires or orders, you will suffer a painful death like the one you just experienced.
For the details, ask the one who hired you, and from now on, I command you. Maintain absolute secrecy about me. Meet Chepel within a week…
Seeing the letter containing various orders, the middle-aged man closed his eyes to avoid receiving any more commands.
However, even in the darkness where nothing could be seen, he realized the blue letters were engraved in his mind, not floating in the air.
He had been cursed. He had been commanded.
Despairing at this realization, he shouted, “What did you want me to dispel?!”
His anger-filled roar made Jebel feel like crying.
The court mage she had summoned was none other than one of the Crown Prince’s closest aides, a renowned Supreme Mage from a prominent family, who was sure to rise even higher.
Although he had a somewhat excessive desire for ostentation, he was famous as a true master among the court mages.
“I’ll kill you, aaaarrghhh!!”
As he harbored ill intent towards Jebel, the curse was triggered, and he writhed in excruciating pain once more.
It was one of Yuan’s commands:
‘Do not harm each other, slaves.’
Both Jebel and the middle-aged court mage were Yuan’s slaves, leading to this situation.
As the magic stones maintaining the magic circle’s power were depleted, the floating curse formula disappeared, and a single sentence imprinted itself on Jebel’s retina before vanishing:
If you want to dispel the curse, try as much as you like. But don’t be late in carrying out your assigned tasks. Hang in there, Rose Thorn Jebel.
Trembling in terror at the elegant calligraphy, Jebel felt as if an invisible force was strangling her entire body at the realization that there was no way to escape this curse in her lifetime.
“Aaaarrghhh! This can’t be!”
The court mage who had tried to dispel Jebel’s curse wept tears of blood and screamed in despair.
Among the orders he had received, there was one that left him no choice but to despair:
Periodically attempt to dispel the curse. However, do not tamper with the curse yourself.
Time remaining until the next dispelling attempt: 479:58:53
Attempting to dispel the curse while being forbidden from tampering with it himself meant he had to involve others.
And unless they were capable mages, they wouldn’t even be able to attempt the dispelling ritual, meaning he had to drive countless Imperial mages into the abyss of despair.
The multi-level magic slave pyramid had begun.
******
“7mm star wrench.”
“Here it is.”
I took the star-shaped wrench Jade handed me from the toolbox and assembled the components.
Click, click, click.
“Flathead screwdriver #5.”
Click, click, click.
“Tweezers #13. Is this the magic insulator?”
“Yes, it is.”
I was currently assembling a magic device to develop the capillary pathways of the magic circuit.
Once completed, I could finally finish the magic circuit.
And it would be agonizing.
“Phew.”
I let out a sigh, and Abassael, who was engraving magic onto the components beside me, grinned wryly.
“Cheer up, my lord. This is still an innovation in the magical world.”
“I wish this innovation didn’t have to be tested on my body, though.”
Or at least find a way to make it painless.
As I was about to move my hands to resume assembling, a bright light and magic power emanated from my pocket.
“Hm?”
I took out the glowing object from my pocket, and it was a small notebook – the physical embodiment of the curse connected to the leashes I had placed on Malcam’s subordinates who had invaded the Whirlpool Archipelago.
“Isn’t that the leash you made?”
Jade marveled at the magic device he had created himself.
“Haha, it seems the pups are already trying to break free from their leashes.”
Opening the notebook revealed the name of the mage who had tried to dispel the curse – a new slave:
Notrasfel del Moston von Aussosperatu.
“Whew~! Quite a talented one. How did you hire this person?”
If it was Notrasfel of the House of Aussosperatu, he was none other than the younger brother of an Imperial Duke and one of the Crown Prince’s closest aides, a renowned Supreme Mage.
In the novel, he was introduced as the powerful mage boasting the firepower of Jade’s party and later appeared as the general leading the Imperial army in the final battle – a promising mage.
But now, he had become my slave.