Fire Mage-Chapter 693: Puzzles

Chapter 693: Puzzles

Charles let the word hang in the air before speaking again.

"Before we talk business... let’s deal with the noise."

He clenched his hand.

The invisible strings sliced through flesh and bone with surgical precision.

Heads flew skyward, blood arcing through the air like a fountain, and splattered across the walls and floor.

When silence finally returned, Charles turned his gaze to Elder Luna.

"Now, about this imprisonment—and the secrets you’ve kept from the world," he said quietly. "I’ve learned quite a bit from my dear grandfather."

Elder Luna’s face paled, her mask of control cracking. "You can’t trust him, Charles. Everything we’ve done... it’s for the Nightwind Family’s rise."

Charles arched an eyebrow. "Really? I know about the Dream Curse. The Code Key. The truth behind the Ringer Demiplane. I even know Diego cursed the entire Raven Family to get that key."

Ekemir’s expression soured. Elder Luna looked as if she’d been struck.

"You’ve been meddling in things that don’t concern you, Charles Nightwind," Ekemir warned.

"Oh, but they do concern me," Charles said with a sharp grin. "Your Family’s dirty secrets are tangled with my own. I’m done playing along."

Elder Luna exhaled slowly. "What do you want, Charles?"

Charles stepped closer until he stood just in front of her.

"I made a vow once," he said, voice distant. "When James came for me, I told him—if Martin ever targeted my Family again, I’d sneak into his bedroom and slit his wife’s throat. Then I’d go after his sons, his daughters... and when I was done, I’d shave his head, cut off his cock, and leave him naked in the street."

He paused, the silence chilling.

"Too bad I can’t do that anymore," he said with a sigh. "I already killed Martin."

A sudden stillness filled the corridor.

Elder Luna’s heart thudded violently in her chest. In that moment, she knew—they had unleashed something monstrous.

And now, it was far too late to stop him.

Charles continued with a smile.

"But after coming here, I realized the true culprits weren’t just Martin—it’s the five elders of the Nightwind Family and the Patriarch himself."

I need to kill this man right now! If I don’t, the entire Nightwind Family will be destroyed!

Elder Luna instantly unleashed her wisdom power, trying to crush him with sheer pressure.

At the same time, Ekemir cast the [Mind Walking] skill, attempting to slip into Charles’s mind.

But within moments, he realized something was wrong—his consciousness couldn’t even get close to Charles.

Luna, too, felt it—a mountainous force standing in her path. Her expression twisted in shock.

Then, Charles slowly released his own wisdom power, letting a sliver of it leak into the room.

"M-My God! Y-You’re a Legend?!"

Panic washed over Luna’s face. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees, her body prostrated against the blood-smeared floor.

Charles didn’t even glance at her. His gaze shifted to Ekemir.

"Now, tell me—whose side are you really on? Why did you infiltrate the Nightwind Household and pretend to be Diego’s son?"

Ekemir opened his mouth to speak, but his mind went blank. He stood frozen, eyes vacant.

"Oh? A loyal servant of the Truelords?" Charles narrowed his eyes. He had found another piece of the puzzle.

So... Ekemir infiltrated this house more than fifty years ago after killing Jasper. He’s been monitoring the Nightwind Family ever since.

Wait... James once told my mother that the Truelords would continue hunting us, even if he died. But the Nightwind Family never showed interest in pursuing her or me. So why did James act on his own?

Could it have been an order from the Red Prince to lure Runeth from hiding?

No... That doesn’t feel right. What if what James said about my inherited skill was true? If the Nightwind Family had known Harry passed his wisdom skill to me, Patriarch Diego would’ve done anything to keep me here.

But there’s another possibility—the Truelords manipulated everything from behind the scenes.

His head throbbed with questions.

Suddenly, Elder Luna lifted her head, speaking in a rush.

"Truelords? Impossible! Wait, Charles—there’s something you should know. Martin Nightwind acted alone two decades ago. He had no connection to the Truelords. We never understood why he targeted your mother. It baffled even us. If the Truelords really wanted you dead, they would’ve sent Rank-5 Mystics like us—not some butler and a handful of thugs."

"Whether or not the Truelords are behind this, I’ll uncover the truth myself," Charles said coldly. "But that doesn’t change one thing—you all killed my father."

"Can’t you spare me?" Luna begged. "I didn’t do anything wrong! I had no part in it!"

Charles shook his head, his tone ice-cold.

"I was planning to raze the Nightwind Family—kill everyone. But after some thought, I realized only a handful are truly guilty. I’m merciful by nature... so I’ll let you live."

A flicker of hope lit up in Luna’s eyes—then he continued.

"Instead, I’ll kill your husband, your two daughters, your three sons, and your parents."

Luna gasped, her face turning ashen. She lunged forward, grabbing his leg.

"No! Please! Don’t hurt them!" she cried, her voice cracking. "Kill me if you must—but not my family!"

Meanwhile, Ekemir felt his disguise unravel.

His youthful skin hardened. Golden hair dulled to grey. The crimson in his eyes faded to pitch black. His smooth, oval face began to twist, reshaping into a square jawline.

In mere seconds, he returned to his original form.

Elder Luna’s eyes widened in horror.

"W-Who are you?" she stammered. She’d worked with this man for years, believing him to be Diego’s son.

"He’s a [Deceiver] Class Mystic," Charles answered.

Then, he cast the [Curse of the Overlord] on Ekemir and asked the question burning in his mind.

"Tell me everything you know about the Truelords."

Ekemir’s mouth moved of its own accord.

The Truelords are a business organization owned by a single family—also called the Truelords. The true owner remains unknown. The manager is Raymond Truelords. All thirteen Council Elders belong to the same bloodline. The family owns many companies and has deep ties to the Amber Church. In the Ember Kingdom, they’re the ones who decide who rules, who gets promoted... all through the five Guardian Families.

"The Nightwind Family’s connection?"

Partners? No. All five families are nothing more than servants of the Truelords.

Charles pressed on, seeking more information about their assets.

The Truelords own the three largest companies in the world and are shareholders in many smaller ones. Their main sources of income come from the Ember Liqueur Company, the Shade Alchemy Tower, and the Amber Bank.

Amber Bank...? Charles’s eyes narrowed.

"And their relationship with the Amber Church?"

The Truelords and the Amber Church have been allies for centuries. Pontiff Vermillion, the Church’s pillar, is closely connected with the Truelords, as well as the Pentagon and Holmes families. Together, they control political decisions, economic ventures, and even manipulate smaller kingdoms like Ember.

Charles continued his interrogation—asking about the Truelords’ Patriarch, the Council Elders, and the Ember Kingdom’s Royal Family. Piece by piece, he unraveled the kingdom’s political web.

Aside from the Truelords’ true leader, I’ve got everything I need.

He raised his hand and pointed his finger at Ekemir’s forehead.

With a whisper, he cast the [Ember Needle] spell.

A glowing ember needle emerged from his fingertip, plunged into Ekemir’s skull, and exploded inside.

Blood, bone, and brain matter splattered across the room.

Ekemir never even saw it coming.

A moment later, he found himself in the Astral Realm—watching his headless body collapse in a grotesque dance across the blood-soaked floor.

Charles turned to Elder Luna, his tone razor-sharp.

"Now, tell me how to undo the Dream Curse."

"It’s a unique formation spell created by Eddie Nightwind," she answered quickly. "As long as he’s alive, the spell can’t be undone. But... it’s more than that."

She hesitated, then continued.

"The spell pulls the consciousness of every Raven family member into the Nightmare Realm and seals them there. Even if we undo it... there’s a chance their minds have already perished. Their bodies will remain in comas. They’ll only awaken if their souls create new consciousnesses. Otherwise... it could take decades."

A hoarse voice echoed from the corner.

"You demons!"

Oswald’s fists trembled. He punched the stone wall beside him, his eyes filled with rage.

"The death of the mind is death itself! Even if they wake... they’ll have no memories. They’ll suffer endlessly."

"I’m sorry," Luna whispered, unable to meet his gaze.

"Why haven’t you killed her, lad?" Oswald asked as he stepped closer to Charles.

Charles didn’t look at him.

"I want to," he said coldly. "But death is too kind."

"I want her to suffer... to feel what me, you, and Raven’s family endured. Death would free her. I won’t grant that mercy."

Oswald nodded. He understood.

"What will you do with her?" he asked.

Charles took a moment, then answered in a chillingly calm voice.

"I’ll take everything—her family, her status, her power. She’ll know the hollowness of true loss. Compared to that... death would be a blessing."

Elder Luna trembled where she knelt, tears streaming down her face.

"Please, Charles. I beg you. Have mercy!"

Charles’s gaze remained cold.

"Mercy?" he said quietly. "That’s a luxury you stole from my family."

Then, the light around her dimmed.

Darkness swallowed her world.