How to Survive as a Mage Inside a Game-Chapter 85: Provocation (2)

“...Kyaaaargh!!”

A shrieking scream tore through the reception room.

In an instant, Heila’s arms were crushed, her body slumping sideways and collapsing to the floor.

Her concentration broke, and the soundproof barrier vanished. Karl quickly cast a new spell to restore it.

“Aaaagh, AAAAAAAGH...!!”

Leaning back in the chair, Karl calmly looked down at Heila as she writhed in pain.

Blood from her broken arms soaked into the floor.

Barely lifting her head, she glared up ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) at Karl with venomous eyes.

“You! How dare you...!!”

Crack!

This time, one of her legs was crushed.

Trying to draw up her mana to retaliate, she instead let out another scream and passed out again.

“I’m thinking, so shut up for a bit.”

Overwhelmed by mind-breaking agony, she trembled violently, then raised her head again.

Above her loomed Karl’s utterly indifferent eyes.

Only then did fear begin to fill Heila’s face.

Even as her face became a wreck of tears and snot, she screamed desperately for her life.

“C-Can you even handle the consequences of this?!”

“......”

“C-Can you?! Ngh... hkk... If you kill me, do you think the Fourth Prince will just sit still? You... you’re insane. What are you thinking...”

Her voice gradually turned to incoherent mumbling. The surging pain had driven her beyond reason.

Karl silently stared down at her.

It wasn’t out of amusement or to enjoy the pathetic sight—he was simply pondering her earlier words, considering what to do next.

He hadn’t completely mapped out his next steps in that brief moment.

Of course, that didn’t mean he had acted recklessly. If needed, he had the Polymorph spell.

It would be troublesome, but with the right execution, he could transform into Heila and fabricate grounds for her execution.

No need to go that far, probably.

Recalling her words, Karl slowly stood up.

He crouched before the twitching Heila and held out the vial.

“You said you made this yourself, didn’t you?”

“......”

“You wouldn’t have done it outside, so there must be a workshop somewhere in the palace where this poison was created. Like the basement of your residence, for instance.”

“N-No... there’s no such place... I swear...”

Her voice trembled violently.

A smile crept back onto Karl’s lips.

“I didn’t expect you to confess. I’ve never been fond of torture, so I’ve barely tried it.”

“U-Uugh...”

“And there’s no need, either. I can find the place myself.”

Karl stood again.

Heila could no longer lift her head.

Not only did she lack the strength, she was also too terrified to meet his gaze.

The man before her now was no longer the Seion she knew. Neither his personality nor his magic matched. freewēbnoveℓ.com

“You’ll pay the exact price for what you did.”

With those final words, Heila’s consciousness faded into darkness.

A sleep spell.

Karl looked down at her unconscious, sprawled body, then shook his head.

“Guess I’ll just go.”

Naturally, the place where Heila had made the poison was somewhere inside the Fourth Prince’s residence.

He considered transforming into her to infiltrate the prince’s palace but decided against it.

He felt too much discomfort at the idea of switching genders.

Besides, even without Polymorph, Karl had more than enough ability to infiltrate discreetly.

Locking the door behind him, Karl exited the reception room and immediately cast a spell.

【Reading Earth’s Memory】

Instantly, countless tracks in the guest wing’s corridor became vividly visible.

Karl identified Heila’s trail and calmly followed it.

The trail led outside the guest wing, soon passing beyond Gwangmyeong Hall.

Whoooosh.

Karl soared high into the sky, leaving the palace behind and following the trail.

The trail extended to the Taerang Hall—the Fourth Prince’s residence.

As expected, the tracks led straight there. Guards were posted at the palace entrance.

Karl flew even higher, then silently slipped into the inner palace.

A prince’s residence would normally be under heavy guard, making entry nearly impossible, but that wasn’t his destination anyway.

There it is.

A building on the outer edge of the inner quarters.

Karl cast a wide detection spell and landed silently.

It was already dusk, so no one was around.

Inside the building, the trail led to a room at the end of the first-floor hallway.

This was where Heila had last been before heading to the Fifth Prince’s residence.

Karl stopped in front of a bookshelf where the tracks ended.

Creeeak.

He examined it, then pushed it aside—slowly, it slid open.

Revealing a hidden entrance in the floor.

Karl chuckled softly and descended into the underground space concealed inside.

It was a small room filled with assorted instruments and books.

“This must be it.”

And at the center—an identical round flask containing the same liquid as the poison.

After confirming it, Karl left everything untouched and exited the room.

It was time to turn the royal palace upside down.

* * *

“...Did you say poisoning?”

Jurein stared blankly at Karl and the unconscious Heila on the floor beside him.

He was so shocked he forgot to speak formally for a moment.

Summoned to the guest reception room without warning in the evening, the words Karl delivered were nothing short of explosive.

“That... damn bitch...”

Sephiel, who had also been frozen in shock, snapped to and glared at the collapsed Heila, looking moments away from drawing her sword.

Meanwhile, Jurein regained his composure quickly, his expression grave.

Karl knew what worried him.

“There’s no need to worry. We have plenty of evidence.”

“But with just a vial of poison...”

“Not just that. I found the lab where the poison was made—inside the Fourth Prince’s residence.”

“...!!”

“Prepare to move. We’re heading to the Fourth Prince’s palace now.”

Both Jurein and Sephiel widened their eyes.

“Is that... even possible?”

Even with evidence, the guards at the entrance wouldn’t just let them in.

They would stall for time and alert the Fourth Prince to shut off access entirely.

Karl spoke as if it were no big deal.

“If they don’t allow it, we’ll use force.”

“......”

“Well, it’d be best to avoid a confrontation, but we’ll also need witnesses who won’t let this be denied. So...”

He turned his gaze to Sephiel.

“Go to the Central Hall and summon the Royal Guard Knights. Tell them the Fifth Prince was nearly poisoned and they must go to the Fourth Prince’s palace immediately. Bring just a few—quickly.”

“...Huh? Ah...”

Sephiel exhaled in realization, understanding what Karl meant.

The Royal Guard Knights—a neutral force in the royal palace.

They sided with neither the Fourth nor Fifth Prince, making them the only group that could clarify the situation.

Jurein interjected.

“But just words might not be enough. Even if they are neutral...”

“Add a warning. Tell them if they delay or fail to act until the situation is resolved, I’ll make sure the entire knight order is overturned once the truth comes to light.”

“......”

Protecting the royal family was the Guard Knights’ sacred duty.

If they failed that duty, Jurein had every right to hold them accountable.

Sephiel promptly departed for the Central Hall to bring the knights.

Jurein remained and summoned the palace guards.

When the guards entered the guest room and saw Heila’s miserable state, they gasped.

“Your Highness... this...?”

Jurein nodded.

“She’s the mage who tried to poison me.”

“...!!”

“Take her and follow me. We’re heading to Taerang Hall—right now.”

The guards, though bewildered, were compelled by Jurein’s fierce command and obeyed immediately.

And so, Jurein left for the Fourth Prince’s residence, accompanied by Karl and the guards.

* * *

The sudden movement of the Fifth Prince, Jurein.

Even before the commotion spread through the entire palace, he and Karl had already arrived at the entrance to the Fourth Prince’s residence.

“Fifth Prince... Your Highness?”

The guards at the entrance, caught off-guard by this late-night situation, looked confused.

But when they saw Heila being held by the guards behind them, their expressions turned to horror.

“W-What... Lady Heila?!”

Jurein addressed them coldly.

“Step aside.”

“Your Highness! What on earth is going on...?!”

“She is a traitor who tried to poison me. If you don’t move, I will consider you accomplices.”

The guards flinched but didn’t yield.

“...We must inform the Fourth Prince of the situation first.”

“I already told you—if you don’t step aside, you’ll be considered collaborators.”

“Still, we cannot let you enter. It is our duty to guard Taerang Hall. We obey only the Fourth Prince’s orders.”

Even after hearing the word treason, the guards remained unfazed.

Their reaction made it abundantly clear just how little authority Jurein held within the palace.

Jurein, looking slightly embarrassed, turned to Karl.

Rather than acting with force, Karl tilted his head toward the side.

“Right on time.”

Just as he said, a group was approaching from a distance.

Sephiel—followed by several members of the Royal Guard Knights.

“Your Highness...!”

The appearance of the Royal Guard Knights caused the palace guards to flinch once again.

Even more so than when Jurein had issued his warning.

Such was the authority of the Royal Guard Knights in the royal palace—overwhelming, incomparable to that of ordinary guards.

Only now did the guards realize the situation was far more serious than they had thought.

“Fifth Prince, Your Highness.”

The man leading the Royal Guard Knights, Eric, stepped closer to Jurein.

With a displeased expression, he opened his mouth.

“What on earth is going on here?”

“Haven’t you been informed?”

“...I heard there was an attempt to poison you. But what business do you have in Taerang Hall...”

Because Sephiel had passed on Karl’s warning word for word, the Royal Guard Knights weren’t exactly in a good mood.

To be told they'd be held responsible if they didn’t come immediately?

They couldn’t understand what this weak prince was thinking, pulling something so aggressive.

Karl tilted his head toward Heila, still held by the guards, and answered in Jurein’s stead.

“She’s a mage under the Fourth Prince. She claims the poison was made in a workshop inside Taerang Hall, so we’ve come to verify that ourselves.”

“...!!”

Only then did Eric fully grasp the situation.

Why the Fifth Prince had come to Taerang Hall, and why he’d summoned them all here.

...So he’s planning to wage war against the Fourth Prince rather than quietly keeping to himself?

Of course, that wasn’t what the Royal Guard Knights needed to focus on right now.

The standoff between the palace guards trying to block entry and the Fifth Prince.

As the protectors of the royal family, it was clear whose side they had to take—the Fifth Prince’s.

If the Fourth Prince were here himself, it might be different, but right now, the only blood of the royal family present was Jurein.

To side with the guards and ignore him would be to trample the authority of the Royal Guard Knights themselves.

“Open the way.”

The guards who hadn’t budged at Jurein’s orders now looked shaken, as if struck by an earthquake.

As they hesitated, Eric’s expression turned sharply menacing.

“Didn’t you hear? I said open the way.”

Faced with the intimidating pressure, the guards could no longer stand their ground and stepped aside.

Jurein, feeling a fresh wave of bitterness at his own crumbling authority, passed through the palace gates.

“This way.”

Following Karl’s lead, they moved toward a building located on the outskirts of the palace compound.

Just as they passed through the corridor and were about to enter a room, a commotion broke out behind them.

“...Jurein, you bastard!”

It was the Fourth Prince, Thayns.

He had arrived, flanked by a full squad of palace guards, glaring at Jurein like he meant to devour him.

“You’re here.”

“Have you finally lost your mind?! You dare barge into my palace and pull this kind of stunt?!”

“You’re in no position to be yelling at me right now, brother.”

Jurein coldly gestured toward Heila with his chin.

“I was nearly killed by one of your people just now. She dared to bring poison into Gwangmyeong Hall, and in the guest room no less, she made a bold attempt on my life.”

“...And your evidence?! You think your petty words alone prove anything...?!”

“That’s why we’re here now—to show you the evidence.”

Jurein turned his gaze back toward the door in front of them.

Thayns grit his teeth and glanced behind Jurein, at the group that had come with him.

Damn it, of all people, the Royal Guard Knights...

Eric and the knights were watching with sharp eyes.

With the Royal Guard Knights observing, Thayns couldn’t stop Jurein’s actions.

To block entry when they were standing right at the door of the supposed evidence?

Anyone would see it as an attempt to destroy the proof. The knights weren’t foolish enough to ignore that.

Creeeeak.

In the end, the door opened, and Jurein and the Royal Guard Knights entered.

A plain office-like room greeted them.

Thayns’s expression relaxed slightly as he opened his mouth.

“And what evidence could there possibly be in this place? Don’t feed me this nonsense—”

“Over there, Your Highness.”

Karl interrupted, pointing toward a bookshelf.

Thayns’s expression twisted again.

Grrrrk.

When the bookshelf was pushed aside, a hidden passage beneath the floor was revealed.

Jurein, Sephiel, and the Royal Guard Knights all widened their eyes.

“...Ha.”

A pungent stench spread rapidly through the room.

Descending into the space below, they found a shocking scene.

Miscellaneous ingredients, all manner of alchemical tools, books stacked in the corners, and a flask filled with violet liquid.

Jurein held up the poison he had brought and showed it to Eric, then pointed at the flask.

“Need me to explain more? Or shall we summon other magicians to analyze the substance?”

Karl added to the statement.

“You should check the books too. They probably document the process of making the poison. The handwriting would make it all the more conclusive.”

“......”

Eric’s expression hardened.

This was undeniable, irrefutable evidence.

“Ugh... ugh...!!”

Right on cue, the unconscious Heila stirred and came to her senses.

Lifting her head, she blinked in confusion at the stares fixed on her.

Then, as she realized where she was, her face gradually went pale.

“Do you have anything to say?”

Eric’s cold, unforgiving voice rang through the small room.

“A-Aah...”

Heila, trembling all over, spotted Thayns standing off to the side.

“Y-Your Highness!”

She cried out desperately.

The only one she could possibly beg for her life now was Thayns.

All eyes shifted to him.

His face, contorted with rage and humiliation, was frozen as he closed his eyes tightly.

The evidence was far too clear.

Trying to defend her now would change nothing—only drag him deeper into this filth.

He had completely fallen into the trap set by the Fifth Prince, whom he had always considered nothing more than an insect to be crushed at will.

It was a disgrace that made his blood boil, but the answer he had to give was already set.

“I... had no knowledge of this.”

Despair washed over Heila’s face.

“Of course you didn’t.”

Jurein let out a dry chuckle and turned his head, casting a glance at Karl.

Karl met his eyes, his gaze as detached as ever.

...Was this the opportunity he prepared for me?

Jurein had a faint idea of what Karl was thinking.

This wasn’t just a challenge to the Fourth Prince, but a declaration of war against all the princes and princesses.

The situation was flawless.

Though not without concerns, Jurein had no intention of wasting the opportunity Karl had provided.

“Sir Eric.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“As a prince, I have the authority to punish traitors, correct?”

“...Yes, you do.”

Jurein turned his gaze to Heila.

Her pitiful face, soaked in despair and desperation.

“I-I committed a grave sin... please, please, just spare my life...”

She buried her head to the floor and began to beg.

And above that pathetic, bowed head, Jurein delivered his verdict.

“Execute her on the spot.”

Shhhk!

Without hesitation, Sephiel drew her sword and severed Heila’s neck in a single stroke.

Her head rolled across the floor and stopped at Thayns’s feet.

“......”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Blood poured from the collapsed body, spreading into a growing pool on the floor.

No one spoke for a long while as they stared at the scene before them.