ETHTKE chapter 15

The Second Prince, Piel, couldn’t use dark magic like Baek Yigang, but he had an exceptional talent for drawing summoning and magic circles, which are the pinnacle of theoretical knowledge.

That’s why his bedroom was secretly filled with inscriptions in the language of the demon realm.

Since childhood, Piel had harbored intense feelings of inferiority and defeat toward his older brother, Baek Yigang.

So, even though it wasn’t the proper way, I could vaguely understand Piel’s childish and foolish desire to gain power comparable to Baek Yigang’s, even if it meant borrowing the power of darkness.

“The form is that of a bird, but to be precise, it’s a demonic beast from the demon realm.”

“…The demon realm?”

Ken’s soft brown eyes wavered as if he’d heard something completely unexpected.

For ordinary people, the demon realm was either an ancient legend or a fictional story from a fairy tale, so his reaction wasn’t surprising.

By now, Ken might have thought I’d lost my mind. Not that I’d deny it, given that I hadn’t been fully sane since the possession…

It’s a bit funny to me personally that people living in a world with wizards don’t believe in the existence of the demon realm. But what can I do? That’s just how this world is.

“I’ve never heard reports that Piel had such power.”

Baek Yigang turned to me with a puzzled look, seemingly finding something odd.

Of course, he wouldn’t have heard of it.

Piel didn’t directly use the power he had, so there were no traces of dark magic or connections to the demon realm.

The demonic beast was someone else’s power, leaving no traces… If used skillfully, it was a highly troublesome power for the victim.

“That bird is a demonic beast summoned by the Second Prince through a summoning circle. He can’t directly use the power of the demon realm, but he knows how to summon and control demonic beasts that possess that power.”

In the original story, Piel used Ken and the demonic beast in a plot to drive Baek Yigang out, but later, the main protagonist, the Third Prince, discovered this and banished Piel to a desolate castle in the far north.

After that, Piel disappears from the story, unlike Baek Yigang, who continues to appear.

In short, Piel was a minor character who shone briefly in the early part of the story before fulfilling his role and vanishing like a falling star.

However, the problem was that Piel’s “sparkle” was of a leading role caliber.

Even though he was a character who exited early, unlike Baek Yigang, who operated within his set limits, Piel had no end to his power.

He could easily manipulate any spell by drawing a summoning circle or magic circle, no matter the location, and mixing a few drops of his blood on it.

As a result, Piel’s power was virtually limitless and, therefore, dangerous.

This was the reason Piel, despite being a character who would soon disappear, was portrayed as a leading character.

Compared to regular wizards who had various restrictions on their magic, Piel could launch an attack anytime, as much as he wanted, and anywhere he desired.

“A summoner, then.”

“Yes, exactly that.”

When Baek Yigang muttered this softly, Ken’s complexion darkened sharply as if a bad memory had resurfaced.

“Then, could it be that back then…?”

Ken, who had been groaning for a moment in deep thought, suddenly looked up as if something clicked and met my gaze.

“Do you remember when Cheong Dowon appeared in the forest, and I mentioned that the surrounding area was completely burned?”

“Hmm, you’re talking about my entrance effect, aren’t you?”

How could I forget your angry outburst when not only did I burn down the forest in the imperial estate, but also the secret poisonous garden that the imperial family managed in utmost secrecy?

…Ah, of course, I’m not one to hold grudges, so I had cleanly forgotten about it until Ken brought it up.

“I’m not sure what an ‘effect’ is, but if the 2nd Prince truly uses such a sinister magic, then the incident that day must have been his doing—unless, of course, Cheong Dowon wasn’t the real arsonist.”

“Of course, I wasn’t! I was just falsely accused! It’s unfair.”

Seeing the suspicious glint in Ken’s eyes, I quickly denied the accusation.

No matter what, it’s not like I’d go around setting forests on fire, right? Where would you find an innocent young man like me? Tsk.

“How can you be so sure it was Piel?”

Baek Yigang, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, lowered his hand from his chin and asked sharply.

“I saw it. When the fire was spreading in the forest and everyone was in a panic, I saw a round mark glowing faintly on the back of the 2nd Prince’s hand. Right after that light appeared, the forest started burning.”

“Wait, what did you say? There was a mark on his hand?”

At Ken’s reply, a wave of discomfort and eerie tension washed over me. The worst possible scenario flashed through my mind, one I didn’t even want to consider.

When I asked back with surprised eyes, Ken nodded lightly and spoke again.

“I’m sure of it. At the time, I thought I was mistaken, but now, looking back, I think I wasn’t.”

“Ken, I’ll try to draw it, so tell me if it looks similar.”

I picked up a piece of paper from the desk and began drawing the form of a magic circle. Since it was my first time drawing one, it was a bit clumsy… but as long as it was recognizable, it would do.

“Yes, that’s it…! There was some distance, and it disappeared quickly, so I don’t remember the exact shape, but it definitely looked something like this.”

Ken, who had been watching my hand as I scribbled on the paper, saw the completed round magic circle and repeatedly confirmed it with a firm tone.

Though I hoped it wasn’t true, Ken’s brown eyes, filled with determination, answered decisively, making the expectations I had placed on a different outcome seem pointless.

“That’s strange…”

But I couldn’t easily accept Ken’s words.

Summoners couldn’t inscribe magic circles on their own bodies. If a summoning circle was engraved on a human body, the ordinary flesh couldn’t withstand its power and would break apart.

“A summoner… causing such a troublesome situation.”

A sigh filled with annoyance escaped Baek Yigang’s mouth as he spoke. I agreed with him, rubbing my forehead.

Summoners were different from typical wizards.

Since they mainly relied on borrowing the power of monsters as if it were their own, they often failed to recognize their own limits, making it highly probable for them to cause dangerous incidents.

“As far as I know, summoners can’t engrave magic circles on their bodies. But if what Ken saw is true…”

“Could it have been drawn by another summoner?”

Ken tilted his head and proposed a different idea. Another summoner… It was a plausible theory.

“That’s highly unlikely. Summoners are even rarer than wizards. Most people don’t even know the Demon Realm exists, so the chances of there being two summoners in one country… are practically zero.”

Moreover, in the original story, the only summoner that appeared was Piel. So Ken’s theory was dismissed.

“It might not just be a simple connection with a beast.”

Baek Yigang, with sharp eyes and a furrowed brow, voiced an unwelcome thought.

It was a possibility I didn’t even want to consider, but Piel might have summoned a real demon, not just some minor monster.

“As much as I hate to think about it… the 2nd Prince might have summoned a high-level demon and made a contract with it. Demons usually leave a mark on their contractors.”

In the original story, the only things Piel summoned were a ravenous beast and a few minor minions. He wasn’t capable of summoning a high-level monster; that was his limit.

But now, the original story was changing, even if just slightly. I might be the cause of that.

So it was hard to definitively say there wouldn’t be any changes for Piel either. With so many differences already from the original, especially with Baek Yigang, I couldn’t be sure of anything.

“Is there no other possibility?”

At Baek Yigang’s question, I paused for a moment.

There couldn’t be none. Unfortunately, there was still the worst-case scenario.

But this… I couldn’t say it yet. Not in front of others, at least.

“That’s… for later. For now, let’s hear what else Ken has to say.”

Ken then proceeded to share all the information he had gathered while staying close to Piel.

Despite Piel threatening his life with talks of ‘fun,’ Baek Yigang listened to Ken’s words without any change in his expression.

But whether Baek Yigang believed Ken or not, it was impossible to tell since his face remained unreadable.

“The 2nd Prince will definitely not stay idle. The long-awaited Founding Festival is about to begin, after all. Especially… he’ll likely try to approach Cheong Dowon.”

“Well, of course. I don’t mind.”

I responded lightly, smiling brightly at Ken’s worried words.

Given that Piel existed to turn Baek Yigang into the mastermind, it was obvious he wouldn’t just quietly watch me, the only person Baek Yigang had been keeping close lately.

“You don’t seem worried, even though Piel is targeting you. Do you have something to rely on?”

“Well… I have you, don’t I? You wouldn’t let anything happen to your little fairy, would you?”

When I responded boldly to Baek Yigang’s words, his lips curved into a smile.

“You’re saying all sorts of sweet things today.”