Chapter 3: The Fox’s Tail

Rebri could also not explain the origin of this castle. In his view, the so-called lord of this castle was likely just a pretender, with others hidden behind him. The magic array was concealed very well, using obelisks as guides, and all the symbols were in ancient scripts that ordinary people could hardly notice, let alone understand. Without preconceived notions, it would be impossible to uncover the secrets of this magic array.

However, this magic array clearly required a magical artifact to activate and might also have time constraints. Rebri glanced at the sky—unfortunately, it was bright daylight. If it had been night, he could have determined whether this magic array belonged to a powerful ancient star magic array, a type of space-transmission magic that had been lost for ages but was still highly sought after by magicians. It was said to be capable of transporting people or objects across vast distances in an instant. Yet, magicians who practiced such star magic were now extremely rare and required a high level of magical talent. Over time, this kind of magic had become increasingly uncommon.

The puppet’s exploration yielded little of value. It visited almost every room from the first-floor colonnade to the second floor, but no more traps or restrictions were triggered. For the three of them, however, the subsequent searches yielded remarkable results. In a storage room on the east side of the first floor, there were hundreds of barrels of wine that were at least several decades old. The dry and cool environment was ideal for preserving the wine—almost like the inventory of a winery. It was unclear which lord had left this treasure, but it delighted the three of them greatly.

In the living room at the west end of the second floor, furniture made of pearwood, though covered in dust, was instantly identified by the discerning Komer as antiques dating back at least two hundred years. The style of these pieces reflected the rich traditions of the Florenloti region in the southern continent, with exquisite craftsmanship and gorgeous carvings. In particular, the carved benches and chaise lounges, as well as a reclining chair used by nobles for indulgent purposes, featured vivid and lifelike patterns—even the expressions on the faces of men and women were rendered with remarkable detail and accuracy.

The seemingly chaotic bookroom was the focus of the three of them. Filled with books from three large rooms, it was obvious that no one had touched it for many years. Surprisingly, almost none of the books were damaged by insects or moisture. Although many bookshelves had collapsed and books were scattered everywhere, this did not diminish their interest in the place. Though a quick glance revealed nothing of value, Komer believed that a library of this scale would be remarkable even in Jazair. How many unknown secrets lay hidden here? Perhaps only by calming down could he thoroughly investigate it.

After a brief inspection, the three began to search carefully for any other hidden facilities throughout the castle. Rebrí and the Dark Knight’s experience proved invaluable at this point. Perhaps due to years of exploration, they knew well the structure of the castles built for these nobles. Soon, they found a secret compartment in a room in the northeast corner of the first floor. According to Rebrí’s deduction, there should be an entrance to a basement there. Although the secret compartment was easily opened, even Komer could sense a strong magical aura inside. Clearly, a magical barrier had been set up here—a highly dangerous dual magical barrier.

The corrosive aura of darkness and the strong scent of earth element made the three hesitant to act rashly. Especially since this large-scale earth magic was integrated into the castle walls, relying on them for support. While it could be forced to be broken, it was very likely to cause the walls to crack and collapse, even destroying that section of the castle—a scenario none of them, especially Komer, wanted to see. After discussing it, they decided not to break the barrier for now. They would wait until things settled down and they had more time to carefully study ways to break it.

In a large room near the corner in the southwest direction, the three of them discovered another hidden wall once again. Rebrí’s keen eyes amazed Komer; merely by passing through two rooms, he had noticed that the walls were disproportionately thick, leading him to conclude that there must be a hidden wall. Using his specially crafted detection staff, he inferred that there should be a fairly large passage beneath the hidden wall. As for where it led and what secrets lay below, that was impossible to guess. However, as expected, various hidden symbols and patterns on the outer wall of the hidden wall proved that a magic circle had been set up to seal it off. After pondering the wall for a long time, Rebrí could only deduce that it was an ancient dark magic, possibly related to mental magic, with nothing more to conclude. Dark Knight Sorenberg also believed that there must be significant physical traps and attacks behind the magic circle, and carelessness could lead to the destruction of the castle and the deaths of its inhabitants.

Komer naturally didn’t want to take unnecessary risks to break the magic circle, and Rebrí and Sorenberg also refused to engage in reckless actions without certainty. Deciding to study it later became the consensus among the three. During their subsequent searches, they became more enthusiastic, patient, and meticulous. Unfortunately, the later searches yielded few valuable results. Aside from some oil paintings and artworks stored in a secret room—which might have been a great find for Komer—they held no meaning for Rebrí and Sorenberg.

Fortunately, the discovery of these two sealed areas satisfied both the mage and the dark knight, as this was only the first preliminary search. The main goal was still to rule out potential hidden dangers. In Rebrí and Sorenberg’s eyes, the eerie atmosphere that both Rebrí and Komer had felt must have been caused by some kind of foreign entity relying on those dark eyes, and its hiding place was surely in the underground world beneath the castle. Its current behavior of seeming docile might be because it realized that the three who had come to challenge it were no ordinary people, and it needed to observe them to determine its strategy.

The first expedition to Fort Damorlensk ended rather uneventfully. Although the three of them gained something to some extent, Komer was disappointed due to his high expectations—there were hardly any dangers encountered, nor much interesting or novel content. Even the magic arrays and seals seemed impossible to break with their current skills, leaving it uncertain whether they could actually enter Fort Damorlensk. In contrast, Rebril and Sorenberg were eager to move in as soon as possible. With the arrival of some of their friends, they hoped to join the exploration and research of this castle perched atop the Eye of Darkness earlier.

The stir caused by the three men’s expedition caught Komer by surprise. Though they managed to keep their plans secret, Komer’s special status meant his friends and subordinates had to worry about potential problems. They had agreed that if no news came after three days inside the castle, they would organize a group to force their way in for a search. Many opposed Komer’s reckless move, especially the new immigrants who now saw him as a leader—half-orcs and barbarians felt that having a powerful lord as a backer was essential for survival in these lands. They firmly rejected Komer’s knightly-style adventures, though this didn’t deter him from his plans.

The trio’s expedition quickly caused a sensation in Ugru. Almost everyone was talking about it, especially the indigenous people who had lived there for decades or even generations. They told vivid stories about the castle’s legends, filling inns and cafes with eager listeners.

Had Fort Damorlensk, once considered an inaccessible forbidden land, truly been conquered by the lord and his two friends? Although the inhabitants of the Caucasus hadn’t fully accepted this reality yet, Puber and Neptune, among others, used this incident to launch a propaganda campaign that won the admiration of the entire region once again. For years, Fort Damorlensk had been a source of fear for the indigenous people—even the threat of barbarians didn’t evoke as much fear as this castle. Most of the new immigrants were also influenced by this sentiment. Fort Damorlensk had always been one of the main topics of conversation in inns and cafes, but now it seemed to lie at the feet of the lord.

While Komer was still arguing with his friends and subordinates about whether to move to Damansk Fortress, the scruffy magician and the dark knight had already without hesitation moved their few belongings there. For Rebrí and Sorenberg, this fortress was nothing short of a sacred place bestowed by the god of darkness, Hades, for those who practiced dark arts; failing to make use of it properly would invite Hades’ curse. Although Komer did not move to Damansk Fortress right away with Rebrí and Sorenberg, deep down he was eager to explore the mysteries of the fortress with them. There wasn’t much real danger inside the fortress, especially in the buildings above ground—at least that’s what Komer thought. The real threat came from underground. Yet Komer found himself not fearing those undead creatures regarded as ghosts; perhaps his own dark magic had gradually infused his mind and body with darkness, giving him an indescribable sense of familiarity and comfort toward such dark entities. Still, the advice of Puber, Hes, and the others was quite important. After all, the fortress was shrouded in mystery, and according to Komer’s own account, there was a high possibility of undead creatures existing in the underground structures. Though protected by the lord’s two friends, it was best to avoid such risks if possible. They suggested waiting until the lord’s friends had lived there for a while to observe and ensure there were no major dangers before the lord moved in. This advice also gained support from Ilot and Fran, as they had all felt the ominous aura of the fortress from outside. For them, fighting in battle was not daunting, but facing an unimaginable undead creature would fill them with fear. Green sat at a round table by the bar, casually picking up his glass and taking a sip. His handsome face always carried a hint of melancholy, and the usual warm smile seemed to be absent. His elegant and composed demeanor made the other patrons instinctively keep their distance. The flirtatious glances and smiles from the barmaids seemed to have no effect on Green, and his deep gaze still set him apart even in the dimly lit bar.

Jep has not returned yet. It seems that castle is indeed something special. Aside from feeling something odd the first time, he didn’t detect anything valuable in the subsequent attempts—it was as if it had disappeared into thin air. Green regretted not being bolder and sneaking into that castle with Jep to explore it and see what strange things this famous magic castle in the Kingdom of Nicosia had to offer. However, the aura of the Knight of Rema restricted his actions. Now, that lord and his friends had returned from their adventure, seemingly without finding anything particularly valuable. Moreover, the lord’s friends even moved into the castle, which left Green frustrated for a long time.

There must be something wrong with that castle. As a knight of the Light Church, he could sense that, aside from the vanished chilling aura, the location of the castle seemed to be a naturally cold place. But this kind of coldness was completely different from the chilling aura he had detected before—it was a natural coldness, while the other aura seemed to be brought by some extremely powerful exotic undead, filled with evil and stealth.

Living in such a cold place, unless one practiced special internal energy or magic, or was protected by divine objects of light or fire, would inevitably harm an ordinary person’s health over time. Since they dared to live in the castle, it seemed the lord’s friends were quite confident. But Green really wanted to know what they relied on—divine objects or their own abilities?

A faint cold smile appeared on Green’s lips. Foxes always show their tails. Although it was possible that the lord’s two friends had mastered ice magic to live there, Green thought this possibility was quite low. People flock together based on their nature. If these two could be confirmed as practitioners of dark magic, then Green could conclude that this lord was the very target the leader had been searching for. It’s just that this guy was very good at hiding his abilities, managing to act so naturally in front of him.