CHAPTER 72
The Dog Keeper, Grolbag Hound, confessed everything.
The man became a walking vending machine, spitting out information even before I asked.
What a lunatic, enjoying his life on a tightrope.
The Dog Keeper had a personal rule he lived by.
It was to investigate his clients’ backgrounds.
He believed it was a rule born from the need to handle any problems with the request smoothly.
Because of this, Grolbag knew far more information than I expected.
First, the Red Flame Lord’s current condition was worse than I could have imagined.
The Sword Lord, Soun, had been chasing her relentlessly.
In the process, the Red Flame Lord had obviously not escaped unscathed.
She had sustained a fatal wound to her heart, the place where her mana gathered.
Although she had somehow managed to escape alive, her ravaged body continued to eat away at her.
Thus, she began to use any means necessary to save herself.
In that process, she got her hands on two things.
An Apostle and a Heart of Nature.
“That vicious bitch.”
To think she’d go to such lengths just to survive was a testament to how vicious she was.
Then again, I knew she was out of her mind the moment she joined hands with Black Dawn. But the problem was that she’d gone even further and joined hands with the Lord of Nox.
“She is allied with the Lord of Nox and is staying in Nox. I… I heard that the two of them made some kind of deal.”
It was obvious what kind of deal they would have made.
The Red Flame Lord had fled to Nox with her body in shambles.
Then, she met the Lord of Nox and struck a bargain.
The Sword Lord was after her, so he would eventually come to Nox.
Therefore, she would become bait for the Lord of Nox, who also held a grudge against him.
The situation was unfolding just as we had predicted.
I pressed my forehead for a moment.
If the Red Flame Lord was after Soun’s life, then Soun must not go to Nox.
Even for someone like Soun, I couldn’t guarantee what would happen if the Red Flame Lord and the Lord of Nox ganged up on him.
So, should I tell Soun about this?
Even if I did, would Soun really just understand and stay put?
No, he would never stay put.
From what I had seen with my own eyes and heard from Aranseol, I knew him.
He would surely declare that he would kill both the Lord of Nox and the Red Flame Lord.
He was the type of man who would charge forward, trusting in his own strength, even if he knew it was a trap.
And with a high probability, he would kill them both.
However, the story would change if Black Dawn were to intervene.
Their forces were also at a dangerous level.
One misstep, and we could lose Soun as well.
If the great wall that was Soun were to fall, it was obvious what kind of chaos would befall the world.
I couldn’t bear to watch the world turn into such a state with my own two eyes.
My mind raced.
What means were there to draw out the Red Flame Lord?
No matter how much the Dog Keeper tried to talk her into it, she would never come out of Nox alone.
A way to lure her out of Nox.
Did such a thing even exist?
After pondering for a long time, something flashed in my mind.
“...Greed.”
The endless greed harbored by the Red Flame Lord.
She was the Whore of Red Flame who had even joined hands with Black Dawn to satisfy her greed.
That greed would surely include her own life.
She would stop at nothing to survive.
“Resurrection magic.”
A situation where her life was threatened by the Sword Lord.
Even now, her lifespan was continuously dwindling.
With her life on the line, she must be feeling anxious.
What would happen if, at such a time, she were to hear about resurrection magic?
The Red Flame Lord would not easily believe in resurrection magic.
After all, it was a holy magic that even the famous Saintess could not use.
No matter what sweet words were used to coax her, she would not believe it.
But what if I were to appear?
The one who had called her a whore at the Star Cluster Association’s hall that day.
And the man she had burned to death with her own hands.
What if someone like me were to appear casually before the Red Flame Lord?
She would have no choice but to believe in the resurrection magic.
And she would stop at nothing to revive her own fading life.
She would surely want to capture me at all costs.
And the Red Flame Lord would never spread the word about resurrection magic to others.
Being the greedy woman she is, she knows the value of resurrection magic better than anyone.
She would definitely want to monopolize it for herself.
My head slowly lifted.
The only way to lure the Red Flame Lord outside while avoiding the eyes of the Lord of Nox.

The method had come to me.

The Red Flame Lord. Ignarion.
“Ugh, hnnn.”
She opened her eyes with a pained groan.
Naked, with only a white gown draped over her.
Where her once-perky breasts should have been, a deep sword wound remained.
The day things went awry at the Star Cluster Association.
The fatal wound inflicted by the relentlessly pursuing Sword Lord tormented her still.
"Just my luck."
She traced her chest and frowned.
This wound would not heal no matter what she did.
She had tried hiring renowned holy mages from the underworld to treat it, but they all said there was no remedy.
The reason was simple.
It was an unhealable wound left by Soun himself, imbued with his mana.
Furthermore, the mana the Red Flame Lord had accumulated was continuously leaking out through this wound. He had even severed the mana circuits connected throughout her entire body, making recovery impossible.
A wound akin to a curse.
This wound was constantly eating away at Ignarion, pushing her toward death.
To think he could cut anything, yet deliberately wielded such a sword—he was truly a vicious man. Ignarion ground her teeth and slowly rose.
The mere act of moving sent a sharp pain from her chest that rattled her mind, but she endured it.
Then, she picked up a blood-red bottle from the table and emptied it into her mouth.
The blood, mixed with various drugs, slid down her throat.
It was an elixir of life, made from grinding up a Heart of Nature and various other potent medicines.
After downing it, she felt a little more at ease.
Replenishing her mana also subsided the headache that had been plaguing her.
She needed to find a way to solve this wound as soon as possible, but nothing seemed to work.
‘Soun, if I kill that man, the trace of his mana left on my body will disappear.’
Therefore, she had to kill the Sword Lord.
But taking down a man who was unparalleled in sheer power was not easy.
Even now, she was layering several traps, but it still felt insufficient.
“Haaah.”
A deep sigh escaped Ignarion’s lips.
If only things had gone according to plan, none of this would have happened.
There were too many variables.
‘Back then.’
She shouldn’t have paid any mind to that one disciple who ran his mouth like a viper.
Regretting that day now only brought frustration; it didn’t solve anything.
Ignarion moved her body, wrapped herself in bandages, and changed her clothes.
“My Lord Red Flame.”
As she stepped outside, a subordinate who had been waiting greeted her. He was a man assigned to the Red Flame Lord directly by the Lord of Nox.
In effect, he served as both her guard and her attendant.
“What is it.”
“The Dog Keeper has requested an audience.”
“Hmm?”
The Dog Keeper.
A man with a loose tongue and flippant behavior, perfect to use as bait.
He was also the bait intended to lure the Sword Lord, Soun.
Could it be that Soun had taken the bait?
Ignarion asked with a hint of anticipation.
“What is it about?”
“He said he wished to speak with you directly about the details, but I heard he has found a way to resolve the wound you sustained, my Lord.”
Ignarion’s brow furrowed slightly.
The wound she bore was not something a mere Dog Keeper could solve.
But there was nothing to lose.
She had intended to meet the Dog Keeper anyway for an additional supply of the Heart of Nature.
“Tell him to come.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
The servant vanished like a shadow.
It wasn't long before the servant reappeared.
The Dog Keeper had rushed over as soon as he received the message.
Ignarion waited for him in the guest room.
A short while later, the Dog Keeper appeared with the servant.
He had, of course, already been searched.
“Dog Keeper.”
“M-My Lord Red Flame, it is an honor to see you again after so long!”
The moment the Dog Keeper saw Ignarion, he began to rub his hands together obsequiously.
He was a born sycophant.
His fawning was second nature.
“So, you had something you wanted to tell me.”
“Yes, my Lord! Hearing that you were in a dire situation, my heart was not at ease, so I made some inquiries on my own and discovered something incredible!”

Ignarion was unimpressed.
She thought nothing more than that the Dog Keeper was making a fuss.
But there was no reason not to hear him out.
"Go on, speak."
“W-Well, you see. It’s a rather important matter.”
The Dog Keeper hesitated, glancing toward the servant.

Ignarion let out a long sigh and looked back at the servant.
“Leave us.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
He, too, knew Ignarion’s temperament.
As the servant walked out, she raised her hand.
Snap.
With a snap of her fingers, she cast a spell to prevent any sound from leaking out of the room.
With this, no voices would escape outside.
“There, I’ve gone this far for you. If this turns out to be a useless story, I won’t be so patient.”
As Ignarion warned him, the Dog Keeper gulped.
Then, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Do you know of resurrection magic?”
Immediately, the Red Flame Lord’s face contorted into a deep scowl.
“If you’re talking about the Radiance Faith, don’t even mention them.”
What those fanatics did was not resurrection.
Her nerves were already on edge because of the wound, and the Dog Keeper’s nonsense was starting to piss her off.
At Ignarion’s anger, the Dog Keeper flinched and carefully bowed his head.
“It is n-not the Radiance Faith, my Lord. What I wish to speak of is a certain holy mage.”
Not the Radiance Faith.
Only then did Ignarion’s anger subside a little.
She then gestured with her chin, as if to say, ‘go on.’
“The daughter of the Grace Magic Tower’s master, Rapiel… are you aware that she had a disciple? A disciple who has since been excommunicated, that is.”
Rapiel’s disciple.
At those words, Ignarion’s eyebrows shot up.
Of course, she knew.
There was that country bumpkin of a viper who had showered her with insults, calling her a whore.
And because of that brat, she had been held up and forced to confront the Sword Lord.
“What about him?”
“Ah, that man. They say he possesses resurrection magic.”
“What?”
Ignarion’s eyes narrowed.
Her expression was one of disbelief, as if she couldn’t comprehend what she had just heard.
“Where did you hear such nonsense…”
As Ignarion was about to say that, the Dog Keeper hastily rummaged through his bag.
He then pulled out several photographs.
They were pictures of a pale-skinned man, taken both on the surface and in Nox.
And it was a man familiar to Ignarion’s eyes.
Because he was the man she had personally burned to death.
“This man is a No-Named.”
No-Named.
Upon hearing that, Ignarion’s expression slowly began to change.
No-Named Transferees were those who possessed special Abilities.
It wasn't entirely impossible for resurrection magic to be an Ability.
Furthermore, she recalled his demeanor that day, how he had fearlessly hurled insults at her.
At the time, she had simply thought he was being reckless.
But what if, behind that recklessness, there was resurrection magic?
Ignarion scanned the photos, then paused at the next one.
In one of the pictures.
There was another person she had personally burned: her former disciple, Babiyen Asteria.
“...This photo, is there a chance it’s fabricated?”
“Absolutely not! As it was taken with a magitool, I believe you would know best, my Lord Red Flame.”
As he said, all the photos were real.
They couldn’t deceive the eyes of Ignarion, a master among mages.
“If you wish, I can gather additional information on this man’s movements. He seems to frequent Monghwagol in Nox, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Find out.”
Ignarion clenched the photos, her eyes glinting.
“Everything.”
This man.
She would capture him, no matter what.