Episode 137
Chapter 45: The Grand Design (Part 2)
Kidad Hall’s residence was secluded deep within a forest, far from the bustling city streets.
The stately brick house looked no different inside from an ordinary home, but beneath it lay a vast underground sanctuary equipped with every imaginable magical research facility—a secret refuge for a grand sorcerer.
This was the first time Kidad had ever allowed a visitor into this place.
Seated at the living room table, Jin watched as Kidad brewed tea leaves.
“What on earth is going on… Hister? And if this child has even inherited magical power, then they must be a true bearer of complete magic…”
Kidad’s hand trembled slightly as he held the teapot, his heart pounding. Meanwhile, Jin sat upright, calm and composed, patiently waiting.
Hister.
A legendary magical family from around the 1400s to 1500s, once a formidable threat to Ziphl through their sorcery.
Yet, as always, they were ultimately defeated by Ziphl and erased from history. No records remain, and their once-glorious magic has vanished without a trace.
But Kidad knew their name and the great magic they had achieved.
“When I was at Ziphl’s advanced magical academy, I once visited a secret archive. The brief history of the Hister family I found there was nothing short of every mage’s dream.”
From that moment, Kidad had spent years researching Hister. He scoured academies and auction houses worldwide, buying up any remnants of Hister that Ziphl hadn’t reclaimed.
Artifacts, magical tomes, even trivial items believed to have belonged to the Hister family.
All of it was worthless junk. The truly valuable relics, those imbued with their spirit, were all sealed away in Ziphl’s classified archives.
Yet, a few years ago, from the small nation of Hupester, he miraculously obtained a single magical book.
That book completed Kidad’s unique magic system, which he called the “Reverse Flow.” It filled in a missing piece of the Reverse Flow magic essence he had been seeking even after reaching the ninth star.
“Kidad, you must be going crazy trying to figure out how to prove you’re Hister, and once proven, how to coax them into becoming your disciple… just like my own master did.”
As Kidad offered the teacup, Jin nodded lightly.
“Thank you, Lord Emer.”
“If I had known you were the last surviving Hister… I wouldn’t have treated you so roughly. At first, I thought you were a bastard of Kelliac or a disciple of another grand sorcerer.”
“To be honest, I didn’t want to reveal my family name. I planned to hide it my whole life. The chances of dying a meaningless death are high. Since you know my family, Lord Emer, I don’t need to explain why…”
“Ah, yes. I know well… The moment Ziphl learns of your existence, you won’t survive.”
“…But you won’t hand me over to Ziphl, will you? If you intended to, you wouldn’t have bothered brewing such fragrant tea. I’m no expert, but even I can tell it’s excellent.”
Kidad smiled gently.
“Ha ha, it seems you only recently learned your secret origin. Do you know how much Ziphl has placed on your head?”
“No.”
“At least a million gold coins. And since you’ve inherited magical power, it’s probably ten times that.”
Pfft!
Jin deliberately spat out the tea he’d been holding in his mouth.
“Ah… I’m sorry. It’s such an unreal amount. Ten million… even if I raided the entire warehouse of the Meltdor Marquis, it wouldn’t be enough.”
It truly was astonishing. That meant the bounty on his previous master had been that high.
“Ten million gold coins. Even this old man couldn’t spend that much before he dies. Not on a brick house like this, but enough to buy an entire island and turn it into a research lab. So there’s no reason for me to sell you out.”
“Hmm.”
“In other words, your fate is completely in my hands. My real name is Kidad Hall. I was already infamous as a ninth star before you were even born.”
“Lord Emer, you mean Kidad Hall of the Reverse Flow?”
Kidad smiled with satisfaction.
“You know my name? You weren’t very active in your time.”
Kidad gathered magical energy in his palm.
A sharp, whirling sound filled the air—the signature beginning form of Reverse Flow magic, symbolizing Kidad at his peak.
“Since becoming a magic student, you’ve been the person I respected most. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread books related to you during my studies.”
“Why?”
“Unlike me, you never hid your abilities or ran from Ziphl.”
“Oh?”
“After realizing my power and potential, I decided to graduate from Meltdor’s magic school and live as an ordinary low-ranking mage. I thought no one there would recognize my talent.”
Fifth-rate, not even third-rate. Kidad’s assessment of Meltdor’s magic school was cold and accurate—the faculty barely reached the fourth or fifth star.
“Surely… the trash at Meltdor didn’t recognize you. You planned to live quietly. I understand. I once feared my talents would be crushed by Ziphl, so I had similar worries. For someone like you, a Hister, it must have been even worse.”
Jin swallowed a bitter laugh.
Before mastering Reverse Flow magic, Kidad had been desperate to cling to Ziphl. Only after establishing Reverse Flow did he begin to distance himself.
“But you, Kidad, ultimately achieved the great feat of reaching the ninth star—without Ziphl’s support. Compared to that… I’m just babbling nonsense. I should be hiding my identity, not revealing it. Honestly, I’m a bit moved right now.”
“What moves you?”
“Think about it. I was running from Ziphl, hiding, when by pure chance I met you. And you’re showing me kindness.”
“Kindness? Why do you think that? I could knock you out in three seconds and sell you to Ziphl. Ten million gold coins, remember.”
“If you were greedy for money, you’d already have a position in Ziphl or Biment. You’d be enjoying wealth and glory, respected by all mages as their servant.”
Jin chose his words carefully before continuing.
“But you didn’t. You always kept your distance from them, even when the easy path was right there. The Kidad Hall I read about in books was a steadfast man who clung to his passion and beliefs in magic without any powerful backing.”
From start to finish, there was nothing about him Jin disliked. The more they talked, the more Kidad found himself captivated by Jin.
Not because Jin flattered him, but because of the confidence that didn’t waver even before someone holding his life in their hands, and the dignified gaze in those eyes.
Those were what captured Kidad’s heart. More precisely, they stirred his desire for an heir.
“Meltdor’s magic school? Such a fifth-rate place can’t be allowed to rot a prodigy like you! And that proud look in your eyes, that strong, unyielding spirit—you’re exactly the boy I dreamed of in my youth…”
A long silence followed.
Kidad needed time to suppress his emotions.
“I never dreamed of founding a magical lineage myself. But how many years have I wasted searching for a worthy successor?”
If this was chance, then the heavens had fallen for Kidad and gifted him a blessing.
If fate, then this was a bond that would never come again.
With that thought, Kidad was already certain Jin was the last inheritor of Hister—but certainty never hurt.
Kiiing…!
Kidad intensified the magic swirling in his palm and looked Jin straight in the eye.
“From now on, you must prove to me that you are truly Hister. Then you will have to make a choice.”
“…What choice?”
“I’ll tell you after you prove it. Show me your proof—an artifact, your power, anything.”
Jin pulled a worn leather bag and took out a book.
“This is a magic tome given to me by the mercenary captain who raised me, revealing my birth secret. The author is Suziel Hister, one of my ancestors. But exactly who, I do not know.”
“Let me see it!”
Kidad reached out reflexively, but Jin shook his head.
“I can show it to you, but you cannot touch it.”
“What?”
“I swore an oath myself. Even if I die, I will not allow anyone else to touch this book without my permission. You may look from afar—unless you intend to kill me.”
The prepared words struck a chord deep in Kidad’s chest. He couldn’t even think to call Jin arrogant. The conversation’s momentum had already shifted to Jin.
“Very well… then open it yourself and show me.”
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh… As Jin turned each page, Kidad’s mouth slowly opened in awe.
“This cipher system… this is truly a Hister magic tome!”
When Jin closed the book, Kidad smacked his lips.
“I am sixteen years old, and as you know, I possess seventh-star magic. This power I inherited from the transmission site can only belong to a pureblood Hister with complete magic.”
“You say you were raised by a mercenary captain, yet you know what complete magic is? That term has been lost even in historical records.”
“I found out when I entered the inheritance site. The moment I stepped in, all kinds of record magic unfolded, revealing exactly what a perfect magical being is. Then it confirmed that I met the qualifications and transferred the power to me. There’s no way to prove this otherwise.”
“R-Record magic! You actually experienced that too…!?”
Zipl had wiped out the Histerga clan not only because their potential threatened him, but primarily because of their unique ‘record magic.’ As someone skilled in manipulating history to his will, Zipl saw Histerga’s record magic as a thorn in his side.
It was a marvel beyond even the genius magicians of Zipl’s ranks—less like magic and more like a dazzling civilization in itself.
“Is that proof enough, Kidad?”
“Who was the mercenary captain who raised you?”
“Okli Ben, a mercenary from the southern region of the Shcheron Kingdom. He ran a small mercenary group called the Gray Owls, and they were all… killed by Zipl. They died trying to save me. That’s why I came to Meltador—to make sure their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”
Jin lowered his gaze, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
Every lie he told was actually what his master had endured. Now fourteen years old, his master was probably shedding tears every night, missing the Gray Owls.
‘I’m using your pain for my revenge. I’m sorry, Master. When we meet again, I’ll repay this debt in my heart until the day I die.’
Kidad let out a heavy sigh.
“…Very well. It’s proven that you are Histerga. Now, you must make a choice.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Do you want to live a meaningless life as an ordinary mage in Meltador, or do you want to carry on the name of the Reflux and leave your mark on history?”
As Jin whispered his answer, Kidad’s tightly clenched fist trembled.