The middle-aged mage looked around the hall and sighed with a hint of sympathy at the dragon. "Beltrand truly is cursed by misfortune. He was simply preparing to summon two devils for an experiment in his binding chamber, when it just so happened that his youngest apprentice was conducting a special summoning ritual in the sealed room. Otherwise, with a castle he'd spent years setting up, it wouldn't have been difficult to detect the anomaly early and eliminate the monster before it grew."
"Tangpu, I don't think it was a coincidence at all," said the dragon, satisfaction radiating from every word as it dragged a bulging bag out from beneath itself. Eyes gleaming, it counted the freshly refined gold nuggets, each one dazzling, the minted golden coins, and the various magical materials — all beautiful — before answering in a nonchalant tone. "In my experience, the moment that child tried to draw power through *The Fable of Suffering*, the loathsome monster had already formed a projection in his heart, influencing his emotions, judgment, and actions. The special ritual that came after simply strengthened that projection and allowed it to absorb power and take shape."
Its voice was childlike, indistinguishable in gender, which clashed strikingly with the clearly high-level power it radiated.
The middle-aged mage called Tangpu watched the dragon squatting on the floor counting its treasure, a faint smile on his face, and asked with some curiosity, "Your experience, Alfris?"
"Of course. Every time I lay eyes on shiny treasure, a monster called 'Greed' projects itself into my mind and affects my emotions and thoughts. So you see, Tangpu, it's not my fault I raided the treasury — I simply couldn't control myself," Alfris replied with an air of perfect innocence.
Tangpu found this amusing. "And where exactly does this monster project itself from? Alfris, can you control your emotions and thoughts now? Shall you return the treasure?"
"I can control myself now, but Tangpu, you already agreed to let me keep these as payment — how can you take them back? You are the most trustworthy and contract-honoring Tangpu there is!" Alfris brazenly refused to budge. "As for where the monster projects from, I'm not sure either. Probably something to do with the ancient Hells..." it rattled off without a shred of seriousness.
But Tangpu grew thoughtful. "Several Great Archanists have explored the Hells and dealt with certain dukes and counts down there. Combined with records from various ruins and ancient transmissions, they've discovered quite a few things — for instance, legends that in the deepest reaches of
"According to another interpretation, however, they are merely seven abstract symbols distilled from those cunning, evil demons of Hell — each demon possessing at least one of these traits."
"Oh? So that's how it is..." Alfris answered perfunctorily. At the same time, it carefully transferred several small but precious items from the bag onto its person, since some of them belonged to the Parliament.
Tangpu pretended not to notice and continued, "Both *The Fable of Suffering* and this special summoning ritual need to be included in the Parliament's priority research scope. It may concern some secret of the world. The appearance, existence, and rapid strengthening of that monster were all far too bizarre and mysterious. If it weren't for the fact that you, Alfris, are naturally gifted in spirit, soul, and mental magic, I fear it would have escaped..."
Even a high-level mage like himself found that monster deeply unsettling.
Then he retrieved a badge from inside his robes and pinned it on.
……
Inside the treasury, Lucian's sudden attack on the wall had set Charlotte, Sandra, and the others on edge. Their nerves were stretched taut, and Susan in particular didn't dare breathe too loudly, as though terrified that the monster — which could appear from anywhere — might suddenly lunge at them from behind or some other unexpected corner.
*Tap, tap, tap.* The tense, oppressive atmosphere reached its peak as those crisp footsteps echoed down the corridor. Then a middle-aged man in a flame-like magic robe appeared outside the treasury. He had black hair and blue eyes, wore a refined pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and looked handsome and scholarly.
"Hello, I am Tangpu of the Affairs Committee. I happened to be conducting business in Caspa County, so I came to take over this matter." The middle-aged man looked through the magic circle's defensive wall at Lucian and the others, who were on high alert and ready to launch magical attacks at any moment. His smile was warm and amiable.
On his chest he wore three badges: one was an Arcane badge — six silver stars on a black field; the second was a magic badge — eight black rings on a silver field; and the third was a black arcane-flame crest signifying his status as a member of the Affairs Committee.
Lucian waved to stop Susan, who was both surprised and delighted and wanted to step out to greet him. Cautiously, he said, "Mr. Tangpu, for the sake of security, please allow us to inspect your badges. That monster is extremely bizarre and dangerous."
Even though they were facing a member of the Affairs Committee — high-ranking within the Continental Magic Parliament — both Charlotte and Sandra nodded in agreement with Lucian's decision. Monsters transforming and tricking mages to their deaths was far from unheard of.
Tangpu smiled and removed the three badges, letting them float by the treasury door for Lucian and the others to examine.
Once they confirmed everything was genuine, Charlotte lowered the defensive magic circle and reported in straightforward fashion, "Mr. Tangpu, this monster was extremely unusual. There are quite a few mysteries surrounding the incident. Let me give you a brief summary from start to finish so it's easier for you to take over the investigation."
By the team's internal hierarchy, this sort of task should have fallen to Lucian, but he was too weak at the moment — speaking wasn't a problem, but it required significant effort — so he handed it to Charlotte.
Tangpu listened to Charlotte's account with an appearance of keen attention, then nodded. "The difficulty rating of this commission has exceeded the original estimate. What began as a simple task has been classified as a dangerous one, so the final arcane-point compensation will be significantly increased following reassessment. Additionally, any magic items damaged and potions consumed during the mission will be fully replaced once verified by the Parliament. Just compile a list and submit it to the commission district — one week is all that's needed."
"That puts my mind at ease." Sandra, her short hair framing a sharp face, patted her collar with unmistakable delight — the amulet she'd lost was clearly quite valuable, a vital lifeline.
Charlotte's expression remained composed, though his austere features softened somewhat. His magic robe, too, had been a powerful item.
Tangpu sealed the castle with magic and personally escorted the weakened Lucian and the others back to the town of Feireize.
……
In the carriage heading toward the capital of Caspa County, after a long silence, Sandra spoke in a complicated tone, "This mission was riddled with strange occurrences. The only thing that's certain is that a ridiculous, absurd summoning ritual allowed a magic apprentice to call forth a horrifying monster. This is something the current summoning branch of arcane knowledge simply cannot explain. It's left me quite confused about my understanding of the field. Perhaps the actual process wasn't anything like what I imagined."
Among the three of them, Sandra was the only one who specialized in summoning magic, and so she had been shaken the most deeply.