Rebirth of the Noble Mage Behind the Scenes

At this moment, in a dark basement near the Elf and the kitten, the previously vanished figure clad in a blue robe is sitting face to face with two other figures dressed differently.

If an outsider were present, they would notice that all three individuals exude a Sixth Rank aura!

A crude Black Iron oil lamp is set on a small round table in front of them. Under the dim light of the oil lamp, an ancient parchment map is spread out, with another wooden box opened at one corner of the map.

"Is this it? The key that is said to reveal the location of the Sword of King Selection?"

Staring at the opened wooden box in front of him, a seemingly ordinary scorched black stone is being examined by a red-haired, brawny man clad in mercenary armor who picks it up with his thick fingers, asking with a tone of skepticism.

"And I also can't feel any magical fluctuations, does it need blood to recognize its owner, or should it be crushed and sprinkled on the map?"

Another, a green-haired, purple-eyed Elf youth dressed as a traveler, takes the stone from his companion, gives it a lazy glance, then tosses it back into the box, casually guessing.

"Because that's not how it's intended to be used! What's this about blood recognition, have you been watching too many of those Federation hero biographies?"

Looking at his two companions bursting with rustic accents, the figure in the blue robe speaks with a tone somewhat helpless.

"This isn't some legacy deliberately left behind by others, how could there be any treasure map with a secret key.

It comes from the core area of that secret laboratory, being the melted residue of some special device. By using it as a medium with this map, we can locate the possible position of the Sword of King Selection using a special Tracking magic.

Even if we can't directly locate the actual Sword of King Selection itself, at least we can find other secret laboratories taken by the powerful individual who took the Sword of King Selection thousands of years ago."

"So that's what it is——"

The two nod their heads in sudden realization, their faces looking as if they truly understood.

"Then let's get started as swiftly as possible, it's all on you, Oben!"

"..."

Oben, the Blue Robed Mage, sighs resignedly and begins setting up a simple Ritual Array, ready to quickly ascertain the exact location to avoid further complications.

The source of their information was a fortunate expedition team with an average Level around Fourth Rank.

While exploring the wild, they accidentally stumbled into a crack, deep underground they discovered traces of a hidden, abandoned laboratory.

The reason they were able to find this place was entirely due to some mishaps encountering by the laboratory owner, causing severe damage to the entire secret laboratory.

The crack they initially entered was actually caused by the aftermath of the laboratory disaster.

With a hidden room at the core of the relic site, broken, melted remains were visible everywhere, and traces of rampant and fearful magic lingered everywhere.

Moreover, it seemed the laboratory owner left in great haste; except for the areas destroyed by the powerful magic, other areas including experimental records, various materials remained almost completely untouched.

Consequently, several special analysis reports and the famous and slightly mysterious term 'Sword of King Selection' were exposed before everyone's eyes.

Upon seeing the records related to the Sword of King Selection, the captain of the expedition team realized they might have discovered something incredible.

This relic could very well be the remains left by the mysterious Ninth Rank who initially took away the [Sword of King Selection]!

Picking up their courage, they scoured the entire relic site and acquired many items.

However, it seemed due to uneven sharing or some other reasons, after they returned, the entire team disbanded, and news also leaked on a small scale.

"...But, is it really alright for us to seek the [Sword of King Selection]?"

At this moment, watching the movements of the blue-robed figure, the muscular mercenary scratched his head, suddenly hesitating to speak.

"Lately, those targeting us are becoming more numerous and more powerful. Continuing to hold onto them is just too dangerous. Perhaps it would be wiser to sell them at a high price."

Upon hearing his words, the other two were visibly surprised.

"That's the Sword of King Selection! The divine sword from Gloria folklore, said to have cut down the stars! Chide, you're from the Empire too, don't you feel any eagerness for it?"

The green-haired elf even stood up, speaking with pronounced interest,

"...In truth, I am indeed eager, even just to have a glimpse from afar would be satisfying."

The muscular mercenary sighed, his thick fingers running along the smooth edge of the wooden table, as if in his imagination he were caressing the sword's hilt.

"But, our strength is simply insufficient to meddle with treasures of this level. It would be more suitable for us not to wait until someone kills us midway, but to sell it now."

"That doesn't sound like something you'd say, Chide."

Taking a moment to glance at the red-haired muscular man, the blue-robed mage continued to set up his array, with the basic framework already formed, only the details of the inscriptions left to be filled.

"Perfect, if that's how you think too, then we don't need to bother persuading you anymore."

"Persuade me? So you guys were thinking the same thing? Hahaha, isn't that just perfect."

As if awakening from a dream, the muscular man chuckled heartily.

"Accurate intelligence can fetch the highest price. We indeed cannot keep a treasure like the Sword of King Selection, but we at least need to confirm its true whereabouts."

The elf also changed from his previously lazy posture, beginning to explain carefully.

"Besides that, we need to find a good buyer, one who needs the Sword of King Selection and who won't turn on us immediately after the deal. Of course, the most important aspect is that the buyer must be wealthy."

"What about the wealthy Chairmen of the big Chambers of Commerce? I heard they pay a fortune for collecting various extremely rare items."

The muscular mercenary Chide thought for a moment, then voiced his opinion.

"No, regarding information about the Sword of King Selection, we might have some better buyers now."

The elf smiled mysteriously, raising a finger.

"For example, one of the Four Great Families of the Empire!"

"Are you insane, Ali? With their Identity, how would they agree to deal with us? What if they just capture us and perform a Soul Search?"

Chide was massively shocked but, fearing interfering with Oben's setup of the Ritual Array, he had to forcefully lower his voice as he spoke.

"Naturally, we'll need some special insurance measures, but once everything is arranged properly, the amount we could get would be much more than from those collectors.

You don't understand, Chide. The Sword of King Selection holds a very special significance for them. As long as our asking price isn't too exorbitant, there's no need for them to risk attacking us directly.

For powers at the level of the Four Great Families, if money can solve the problem... wait, the Warning Magic I set up outside is indicating that someone is approaching."

With that, the elf's expression suddenly became stern.

"Two Fourth Ranks, one Elf Mage, one Beastman Assassin. Their direction is clear; this place might have been compromised."