At Ludger’s words, Ludwig sneered.
“It seems you don’t understand your situation. Do you think just because you're angry, you’re in a position to do anything?”
Ludger didn’t respond.
Losing interest, Ludwig gestured to his subordinates.
It was a signal to end this—there was nothing left to hear.
Schring.
The knights, having received the order, unsheathed their swords and slowly advanced toward Ludger.
Without a word, they raised their swords and prepared to strike.
Yet even as they approached, Ludger’s gaze never once wavered from Ludwig.
‘A last act of defiance before death? At least he’s not begging pathetically to be spared.’
Most people, no matter how strong they pretend to be, crumble pitifully before death.
But Ludger stood his ground with composure.
He didn’t plead.
Nor did he scream threats or insults.
Even the mere fact that he had come all the way here said enough—what a strong man he was.
It felt strangely regretful that such a figure would soon be a lifeless corpse erased from history.
But as the price for ruining his plans, it was only natural retribution.
What mattered now was calculating how long it would take to recover the grand endeavor that Ludger had disrupted.
Just then—
“What, what the hell.”
“What are you doing? Cut him down properly!”
“I did cut him!”
The voices of the knights—who should have already killed Ludger—reached Ludwig’s ears, laced with confusion.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ludwig narrowed his eyes and peered past the barrier.
Ludger, who should have been dead, was still standing there without a scratch.
‘What...?’
There was no doubt his knights had swung their swords, yet Ludger was unscathed.
Even now—
Every time a sword imbued with aura was swung, Ludger’s figure scattered like an illusion, only to reform again.
One thing came to mind when Ludwig saw that.
“...Magic?”
But what kind of magic was that?
He wasn’t defending against the aura-clad swords. He was simply letting them pass.
Then, Ludwig met Ludger’s gaze—still staring unwaveringly at him.
‘What...’
Ludger’s eyes, now glowing red, struck a primal fear into Ludwig that he couldn’t put into words.
“Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas.”
“What?”
Ludger muttered something incomprehensible, and Ludwig reflexively echoed it.
“‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’”
“What the hell are you saying?”
“It’s a Latin word for emptiness. Ecclesiastes chapter 1, verse 2, from the Vulgata.”
“What does that even...”
For the first time, Ludwig’s composed expression twisted.
The fact that he was growing afraid in a situation clearly in his favor irritated him.
“Professor James Moriarty. What the hell kind of dark sorcery did you cast?”
“You thought it was sorcery?”
“You’re telling me it’s not?”
“It’s magic. Yes—my ‘real’ magic, the kind you people would never understand.”
Vanitas.
Just as the word suggested—emptiness—it rendered the user immune to any attack.
Even aura-enhanced blades or magic were useless against it.
Known as a saying passed down from Solomon, this was a magic spell Ludger had created entirely on his own after coming to this world.
“It consumes too much mana, so I don’t like to use it. Turning my body into a phantom... it’s not a pleasant feeling. If I were thinking about the consequences, I would never have used it.”
It felt like his body no longer belonged to him.
As though all his senses had been bleached away and only his mind remained, floating disconnected in the void—it wasn’t something one could endure with a sane mind.
If an ordinary mage had attempted it, their mind might have crumbled and vanished entirely.
That’s why Ludger had avoided using it if he could.
“But hearing what you said made me change my mind.”
Startled, Ludwig’s guards stepped back slightly from Ludger.
At that moment, Ludger canceled the magic, pulled a mana recovery potion from his pocket, and quickly swallowed it.
“From now on, I’m done worrying about the aftermath.”
Crunch.
With the fresh burst of minty coolness breaking in his mouth, the crimson glow in Ludger’s eyes intensified.
“Even if it means I’ll collapse after this.”
“Wh-What are you all doing?! Kill him already!”
Realizing something was amiss, Ludwig screamed in a panic.
The guards, startled, tried to regain their composure and launched another attack.
But it was already too late.
Before they could move—
Ludger’s spell was faster.
“Ars Goetia.”
Goetia.
The name of the first chapter in Clavicula Salomonis Regis, the magical grimoire written by Solomon, known as the ‘King of Wisdom.’
Its power resembled that of Goetia, high demon summoning.
Of course, no actual demons were summoned.
It was merely an imitation using magical visualization and miraculous intent.
Even so, its destructive power—
Was more than enough to obliterate every enemy present.
Shuaaaa!!!
Ludger’s shadowy cloak whipped violently, and from it erupted countless black wraiths that swept across the hall.
The fiends closed in on the men, grabbing them with their hands and tearing into them with their mouths.
Neither swordsmen nor mages were spared.
“Uwaaah! What the hell is this?!”
“Our attacks don’t work! Save me!”
In an instant, the drawing room filled with screams and blood.
And for the first time, Ludwig’s proud expression crumbled as he watched the carnage unfold beyond the barrier.
The elite guards of his family—all slain.
By just one man.
“A-A demon...”
Ludwig muttered without realizing it.
This had to be a dream.
A nightmare he was having.
But cruelly, the master of the nightmare slowly began approaching him.
Ludger advanced toward Ludwig and stopped before the barrier that separated them.
Ludwig looked at him and laughed with desperation.
“H-Hahaha! Yes! Even someone like you can’t break a barrier that blocks up to 6th-circle magic!”
“......”
“Soon the full family guard will be here—you're already a dead man!”
Ludger didn’t respond.
Instead, he stretched out both arms and pressed them against the barrier.
“I told you it can’t be breached no matter what—!”
Ludwig’s expression froze mid-shout.
Crackle.
The ghosts that had devoured all their prey drifted inside the room, gathering around Ludger.
They clustered around his arms, cloaking him from fingertips to elbows in dark shadows.
Chaaaak!
Shaped like the claws of a beast—or perhaps a demon—Ludger’s sharpened black hand tore the magical barrier apart completely.
A barrier that even 6th-circle spells couldn’t penetrate—
Now destroyed by a single man.
Ludwig could no longer tell if this was reality or a dream.
That’s how unreal it all felt.
‘Is this... a dream?’
He desperately wanted to believe that.
But Ludger, walking steadily toward him, was all too real.
“Wait—let’s talk—!”
Before Ludwig could finish yelling—
Ludger grabbed him by the throat with brute force and slammed him against the window.
Kwaang!
The force shattered the glass, then blew out the surrounding wall with an explosive sound.
Ludger, not intending to kill Ludwig just yet, kindly enveloped him in protective mana.
“Ghhk!”
Still gripping Ludwig by the neck, Ludger pushed him out past the ruined wall.
Ludwig’s feet flailed in panic.
Even the slightest loosened grip could send him plummeting below.
In that terror, Ludwig stared up at Ludger with desperate eyes.
The arrogance from earlier—gone without a trace.
“Your eyes look more obedient now. Ready for a proper conversation?”
Ludwig frantically nodded.
“But what a shame. I no longer wish to speak.”
Crunch.
Ludger slowly tightened his grip around Ludwig’s neck.
Ludwig kicked and flailed, but he couldn’t escape from Ludger, who was now consumed by rage.
Crash!
At that moment, the door behind them exploded, and a torrent of water surged toward Ludger.
He didn’t even turn to look.
Instead, his cloak moved on its own.
The black wraiths flowing from the cloak gathered and formed a wall.
The water cannon splashed helplessly against the shadowy wall and dispersed.
“James Moriarty!”
Casey Selmore, now dressed in her detective uniform, stormed into the room.
She took in the blood-soaked corpses, the shattered wall, and Ludger gripping Ludwig by the throat.
“Let go of him right now!”
Casey had experienced a similar scene at Ordo University.
Back then, she hadn’t made it in time to stop Ludger from killing Dean Gord.
Determined not to repeat that mistake, she sharpened all her senses and channeled her mana.
Rumble...
The water, which had previously only been used for intimidation, now moved in full accordance with her will.
And the reach of her influence wasn’t limited to just the room.
“...This is...”
Ludger’s gaze shifted to the destroyed outer wall.
The artificial lake in the garden of the Benkanto ducal estate had fully risen into the air and now surrounded the entire mansion.
Hundreds of tons of water mass—immense in volume.
What she’d shown until now had been mere child’s play. Casey Selmore was now using her full strength.
Ludger couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Remarkable.”
At the same time, he realized this might actually be dangerous.
He had already consumed a significant amount of mana and mental stamina from the earlier spells.
In his current state, facing Casey Selmore going all out would be a tall order.
But it seemed Casey was also straining herself to manipulate the lake—he caught a glimpse of her expression faltering.
“You’re pushing yourself, Casey Selmore. Aren’t you straining too much?”
“This time, I won’t let you get away.”
“......”
“Let him go. Now.”
Ludger hesitated.
If he killed Ludwig here, Casey would chase him down with everything she had.
And since he had come this far, escaping easily was unlikely.
But if what Ludwig said was true...
Then the ‘cleaners’ he had dispatched might have already reached the secret facility where Arte was located.
He hadn’t been lying.
Hans and Seridan are there, but... it might be too much for just the two of them.
Ludger had to make a decision.
He yanked Ludwig close and whispered into his ear.
“Don’t be relieved. I’ll be back for you soon.”
Stab.
With that, Ludger drew a dagger with his left hand and plunged it into Ludwig’s side.
“Ah!”
Casey, caught off guard, could only watch as Ludger hurled Ludwig toward her.
She quickly wrapped him in a veil of water to safely catch him.
But when she saw the blood gushing from his abdomen, her eyes widened in fury at Ludger.
“You...!”
“If you don’t stop the bleeding now, he’ll be dead in three minutes. But if you stay and tend to him, you can save his life.”
Will you let someone die to pursue a criminal?
Or will you abandon the chase to save a life?
“The choice is yours.”
And with that, Ludger leapt out through the shattered wall.
Casey ground her teeth.
She wanted to chase him, but Ludwig was badly injured—she couldn’t just leave him.
“Ggh... The drawer...”
Then, Ludwig, barely conscious, pointed to a drawer.
Realizing something, Casey quickly opened it and pulled out the object inside.
A potion.
She didn’t know why something like this was kept in the drawing room, but she immediately poured the potion over Ludwig’s wound.
The injury began to heal slowly, though he still couldn’t move properly.
Still, the immediate danger had passed.
“Please... catch him...”
There was something desperate in Ludwig’s eyes—not just the desire to see a criminal punished, but something ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) more.
Casey recognized that but didn’t press him for answers.
What mattered now was catching James Moriarty before he disappeared.
But how was she supposed to know where he went?
No—there was one person.
Casey turned her gaze back to Ludwig.
“You. You know where he’s gone, don’t you?”
* * *
The “cleaners” sent by Ludwig had arrived at the secret lab where the Steel Choir Project was underway.
The original entrance through the abandoned mine had been sealed, but there were plenty of other passages leading inside.
The cleaners, anticipating potential threats, split into squads and advanced cautiously.
But within the facility, there were no noticeable signs of life.
“Is it... empty?”
The only movement came from rats scurrying along the floors.
Despite the name, these “cleaners” were closer to problem-solvers hired to take care of the nobility’s dirty work.
They were armed with firearms, and among them were even quasi-knights and freelance mages.
They were confident—regardless of how many were inside, they wouldn’t lose.
So the fact that no one seemed to be present... took the thrill out of it.
“Whatever. The sooner we finish, the better for us.”
At the leader’s words, the team nodded and picked up the pace.
“Wait. Hold up.”
Suddenly, the leader raised his right hand and clenched his fist. Everyone behind him stopped.
Ignoring the questioning stares, the leader drew a dagger from his waist and gently tapped a thin metal wire stretched in front of them.
Ting.
“So we’re not alone after all. Someone laid traps. But they’re crude.”
The wire trailed up the wall and across the ceiling.
Had they triggered it, a bomb hidden above would have collapsed the tunnel.
“Looks like they’re trying to buy time, not kill us outright.”
If that was their goal, then they couldn’t afford to play into their hands.
“Pick up the pace. Watch out for more traps.”
“Yes, sir.”
The cleaners began moving even faster.
Meanwhile, Hans grimaced after receiving a report from the rats.
“Damn it. They’re speeding up? I was hoping they’d get spooked and take their time.”
“What do we do?”
Seridan, who had set up the traps, was just as rattled—it hadn’t gone as she’d planned either.
Hans looked over at the glass tube where Arte was contained.
“...We’ll just have to hold out. Until the boss gets here.”
