The Ishgar Magic Council
A special organization that maintains order in the Magic World of the Ishgar continent, equipped with investigation teams and violent action units to carry out arrest missions. Its branches are deeply rooted in various countries and are not subject to local government supervision.
This behemoth, whose influence spans the entire continent, is jointly governed by a decision-making body consisting of one Chairman and nine Councilors. It controls the Super Destructive Magical Strategic Weapon—Etherion—which can instantly annihilate a country.
Centuries had passed since the Council last deployed Etherion. Due to its extreme destructiveness, the Council's high-ranking officials decided not to activate it easily, but rather to keep it as a trump card for deterrence.
As the upper echelon of power, Councilors only needed to handle important decisions. Implementation and minor incidents were resolved by the Council's mid-level staff.
Lahar was one such busy mid-level leader.
As the Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit responsible for "punishing rogue guilds" and "pursuing Dark Guilds," Lahar slept only four hours a day, spending the rest of his time in busy work.
Just today, the exhausted Lahar received a report from the Rubinas branch:
Joel, a director of the Black Bird Conglomerate, surrendered himself to the Council, stating that he was coerced by the Black Magic Priest, "Puppet Master Kula," into providing large sums of money to the Black Magic Cult and engaging in multiple significant commercial frauds.
A conglomerate was nothing special, but this involved a Black Priest with a bloody past and the notorious Black Magic Cult behind him, making the intelligence worth serious attention.
Lahar had no choice but to forgo his already scarce rest, force himself to stay alert, and travel through the night to Rubinas to personally handle the matter.
The action unit was well-equipped. When the team led by Lahar arrived at the southern outskirts of Rubinas City, it was not yet 11 PM.
The head of the Council branch and the local mayor were already waiting outside the Black Bird headquarters.
"Captain, I didn't expect you to come in person."
The branch head looked at his superior with some surprise, but then quickly understood. Lahar had always had a good reputation among the Council's middle and lower ranks. He was described as diligent, conscientious, and caring towards his subordinates.
There were currently only eight Councilors, and both inside and outside the Council, it was believed that Lahar had a strong chance of filling the last vacant Councilor position this year.
Lahar was not in the mood for pleasantries with his subordinate. He was focused on his work. "Where is the Puppet Master?"
Upon hearing this, the mayor recalled a terrifying scene and immediately ran aside, dry heaving with disgust.
The branch head's face also looked unwell.
This gave Lahar a bad premonition. Whenever a Black Priest appeared, it invariably led to a massacre, a blood sacrifice to the Black Wizard they worshipped.
Thinking of the self-surrender report, that conglomerate director couldn't have...
The branch head immediately saw that Lahar had jumped to conclusions, because he'd had the same thought when he received Joel's surrender call.
"Captain, please don't misunderstand. Puppet Master Kula did leave us with a lot of trouble, but it's not what you're imagining."
With an inexpressible look, the branch head invited Lahar to enter and see for himself.
The action unit quickly navigated the roads between the black buildings and stopped in front of an oval-shaped skyscraper.
On the ground and surfaces of nearby buildings, shattered pieces of flesh mixed with large amounts of blood were splattered everywhere.
Even the action unit, which had long pursued Dark Guilds, had never seen such a bloody scene. Some members with weaker tolerance quickly ran out of the hellish site and vomited in a corner.
The branch head was accustomed to this. If his stomach hadn't already been empty from vomiting, he would've joined them.
"Captain, this mess on the ground... is Puppet Master Kula, one of the Black Magic Priests."
"According to the Mage who defeated him, Kula was struck by his own Magic while transforming into threads to escape. His Puppet Manipulation Threads failed, and Kula's body, which had transformed into threads, shattered into pieces on the spot."
Lahar nodded. After a brief mental analysis, he accepted this explanation.
The Council had naturally issued a warrant for dangerous evil Mages like Kula. In one encirclement, Kula had transformed into threads and easily escaped the tight cordon, causing that most promising capture operation to fail.
He never expected Kula to die by his own life-saving skill.
It was a pity he died like this. There was no way to find out the Black Magic Cult's headquarters from him.
However, it was good that there were no further casualties.
"Take me to see the Mage who defeated Kula."
Hearing Lahar's words, the branch head's expression was a bit strange, but he still complied, leading him to the luxurious office on the top floor of the oval-shaped skyscraper.
There were only two people in the office: a frantic, shifty-looking middle-aged man constantly flipping through documents, and a refined young man reading a book.
"Lord Lahar, I'm the one who wants to surrender! Please arrest me quickly!" Before Lahar could speak, Joel, who was organizing years of evidence of his financial fraud, cried out and hugged Lahar's leg as if he'd seen his savior.
Knowing Lahar was not in the mood, the branch head immediately dragged Joel out of the office and closed the door behind him.
"How noisy. He's such a grown man and still has no shame, wouldn't you agree, Mr. Lahar of the Council?" Noah put down the scandalous photobook he'd found in the office and smiled as he faced Lahar, whose name he'd just learned.
With only two people left in the office, Lahar spoke directly. "Joel's so-called 'coercion' is false. Black Bird was originally a tool for the Black Magic Cult to transfer funds."
"You're the one who told him to say that, aren't you? Why did you do it?"
Given his position, Lahar's experience was quite extensive.
From the moment he first saw Joel, experience and intuition told Lahar that it was not "coercion." Joel's actions in earning money for the Black Magic Cult were absolutely "voluntary."
Noah did not deny it, instead asking how long Joel would be imprisoned for the crimes he confessed to, and what would happen to the newly defrauded money.
Transferring funds to dark forces was a serious crime. Lahar's answer was that Joel would serve twenty years in prison, and if it was later discovered he was a member of the Black Magic Cult, that would change to life imprisonment.
However, judgments for financial fraud crimes were not under the Council's jurisdiction, but Lahar stated he would urge the Kingdom of Fiore. King Toma was a just king, and with the Council's reputation, no one would be so foolish as to reach for the victims' funds.
Looking at Noah, Lahar said, "May I know your name, sir?"
"No problem, today I'm called Nexus."
Noah, of course, wouldn't give his real name. Who knew how tight-lipped the Council was? It wouldn't be good to bring trouble back to the Guild.
"Today, huh..."
Lahar smiled meaningfully, not pressing further.
"Then, on behalf of the Magic Council, I express my gratitude to Mr. Nexus for his contribution in combating dark forces."
Noah waved his hand. He'd directly solved President Roland's problem from the source, and the two million Roland had originally used to help Noah infiltrate Black Bird also belonged to him.
Once he returned and completed the job, he would get another three million. The president of the Commercial Guild was also a hidden rich man.
Casually tossing the scandalous photobook onto the table, Noah bid farewell to Lahar.
Looking at the door that opened and closed again, Lahar murmured, "Nexus... your appearance is somewhat similar to someone. What could be your relationship?"
Turning to look at Joel's organized list of his own crimes, Lahar's gaze was drawn to the photobook Noah had left behind.
He glanced left and right, and seeing no one around, Lahar swiftly rolled it up and tucked it into his embrace.