His reactions were all as expected, causing my eyes to grow colder.
This feeling, it’s been a while.
“If I reveal its true nature to the Empire, I wonder if you’ll still have any use to them.”
“Ri, ridiculous lies. There’s no way you could know about my foresight…”
“You don’t have foresight.”
“The reason you can know others’ abilities in advance is because they themselves…”
I looked at the mirror on the side. Esther was listening to our conversation from the other side.
“…Should I continue? Do I still need to prove it further?”
Hagley’s hands trembled.
The ability Hagley himself boasted about, the power to know the talents of others.
…But in reality, it wasn’t like that.
It was just a psychological trick; the truth was simple.
Hagley was originally skilled in illusion magic. He had cast illusion magic on Frondier in the past. His trick was an application of illusion magic.
‘Hagley made not only Frondier at the time but also an unspecified number of people try to interpret the Ancient Language. Since deciphering the Ancient Language was Manggot’s entire project.’
Hagley didn’t recognize Frondier’s talent in advance and approach him.
He cast illusions on vulnerable children like Frondier, made them try to interpret the Ancient Language, and then selected those who showed glimpses of talent. Frondier was the only one left in the end.
This was a great stroke of luck for Hagley, and even now, it was still material he could use to bluff against the Empire.
Of course, if I hadn’t been here.
‘Hagley uses illusions to erase the target’s memory. So he thought there was no way I could know its true nature.’
But I was a gamer before I was Frondier.
Frondier was a character almost forgotten in the game. This was true not only for gamers but also for Hagley.
Hagley, a central figure in Manggot, often appeared in the game, and Hagley, who could no longer use Frondier, would sometimes boast about his own abilities. At that time, ‘illusion magic’ itself was the skill he used to appeal his abilities.
So, in short, Hagley never had the ability to recognize the talents of others in the first place.
Even after being recognized by the Empire, he would probably try to do the same thing he did to me, secretly. If he tried something using illusions, he would discover a talent or two.
Even if that didn’t work, Hagley needed to do whatever he could to avoid or reduce punishment for now.
Hagley’s eyes darted around, unable to find their focus.
With that brilliant mind of his, he was probably thinking about various things, but it seemed like he didn’t have much material to work with.
“You’ve dedicated your entire life to deciphering the Ancient Language, they say.”
“Why do you do that?”
“Is it that difficult? The Ancient Language. Even with that brilliant mind of yours.”
“Shut up…! Shut up! You!!”
“You want to be recognized by the Empire and continue with the Ancient Language research materials and knowledge you have in your head,”
I clasped my hands together and placed them on the table, leaning towards him.
“But to me, the Ancient Language isn’t that precious.”
“To what extent is it worthless? Just to spoil your mood, I’m even considering revealing to the Empire how to decipher the Ancient Language entirely.”
The Ancient Language materials that Hagley had researched so far, they weren’t just about deciphering.
His research materials would probably have sufficient value beyond that.
As academic materials, they would be suitable for understanding history, and they would be grounds for speculating about the circumstances and environment of the people who lived at that time.
But Hagley himself would know best.
That it was ‘just’ that much, and that ultimately, what the Empire was most interested in was whether the Ancient Language could be read.
That’s why I came here.
Because Hagley’s plan in his head was so pathetic.
“You spouted nonsense to my brother,”
“Made my brother confirm it with me,”
“And made me come here myself. With such a pathetic plan.”
Hagley hung his head, his fists trembling.
Whether that emotion was humiliation or anger, I couldn’t tell just by looking.
Well, it’s none of my business.
“With such a petty thought, you dared to become my enemy.”
Whatever Hagley’s anger was, it didn’t matter to me.
The only thing that mattered to me was my own anger.
“Hagley, this is what you brought upon yourself. To commemorate you becoming my enemy, I’ll tell you in advance what I’m going to do from now on.”
I took back the paper I had handed to Hagley and folded it neatly, putting it in my pocket.
“First, the ability to decipher the Ancient Language that you so desire, the entire Empire will know about it within a week.”
“I told you, it’s a language that has no value to me. It’s just as well since the Empire’s scholars are already obsessed with the Ancient Language written in Manggot.”
Slowly approaching Hagley, I whispered in his ear.
“But you won’t know. You’ll be rotting in this prison for the rest of your life.”
“I’ll inform the warden of this prison and the Imperial Palace to ensure that you, in particular, will never receive any materials, information, or even a single letter related to the Ancient Language.”
“Watch with your own eyes as the thing you’ve devoted your life to becomes worthless. Well, it will still have value to you. You’ll be the only one who doesn’t know the method.”
I looked at Hagley’s frozen expression.
──Still, whatever emotion he felt, it didn’t matter.
“Remember this clearly.”
I was simply conveying a message.
“This is what it means to become my enemy.”