The Returned Magician Prevents the End

Chapter 9

As the crowd of people that had filled the alley disappeared, the alleyway regained its original quiet appearance.

In place of those who vanished like a mirage, what remained was a pile of money sacks filling one side of the alley.

Kain felt a sense of absurdity.

‘It’s almost like I’m dreaming.’

Looking at the sacks of money piled so high, he felt not greed but an overwhelming sense of helplessness first.

Now that the deal was done, someone would have to move all these money sacks.

And that “someone” was very likely to be him.

Kain let out a sigh.

“How did it feel to participate in the sale directly?”

Rough, who seemed to have finished cleaning up, spoke to Kain.

Kain turned to look at Rough.

Having thrown off the conspicuous pure white robe, Rough was now dressed in the extremely ordinary clothes typical of Scrap City’s residents.

His hair, which had shimmered like that of a wizard, had also returned to the dull gray that Kain was familiar with.

Kain felt a strange sense of relief seeing Rough back in his familiar appearance.

“To be honest, it still doesn’t feel real. Is earning Credits really this simple?”

“Collectors always say something similar after a job’s done. ‘I didn’t know making money was this easy,’ or ‘If I’d known, I would’ve started sooner.’”

“But was it really necessary to make the deal in such a troublesome way? If you wanted to sell Artifacts without going through the Black Market, there must’ve been other methods. Like starting a deal with another underground market, for instance.”

“We considered those options too. But no matter how much I thought about it, this method seemed the most effective. Even Junk agreed with it.”

‘Junk agreed with it.’

To Kain, those words were like a magic phrase that resolved all issues.

Giving up on arguing, Kain glanced at the heap of money sacks.

“Didn’t you need to count the money? You didn’t even check the amount.”

“No need for that. Who in the world would dare cheat on a deal with a wizard? That’s just asking for divine punishment.”

“Fair point. But do you have a way to move all this? Like a magic bag that reduces weight or something?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t use any magic right now.”

Rough pointed to the Collar of Domination around his neck as he spoke with a hint of regret.

Clicking his tongue lightly, Kain focused on gathering the scattered money sacks.

“I-I can’t do this anymore. No, I won’t! You don’t get it, Rough, but every time I do this, it feels like half my lifespan is shaved off!”

While the two were talking, Victor, who had been silently listening, suddenly let out a scream.

Rough laughed and patted his back.

“You’ve been doing fine so far, and now you’re whining? You say that, but once you get into the work, you follow my instructions perfectly. What’s the big deal?”

“Of course I have to do it right! A single mistake could get us killed!”

“Oh, come on, that’s an exaggeration. Though, I suppose a mistake could take you right to the brink of death.”

“You call that comforting?!”

While the two boys bantered, Kain, having finally gathered all the money sacks, lifted them with ease.

Rough let out an exclamation as he watched the heavy sacks being lifted with a thudding sound.

“Wow, it’s like you’re using magic. Isn’t it heavy?”

“This is nothing. But I have one question.”

“Go ahead, ask.”

“I realized while we were talking. You said you can’t use any magic, but earlier, it looked like you were casting spells against those guys. How did you pull that off?”

Rough shrugged nonchalantly.

“Oh, that? It’s simple.Just a trick using Artifacts.I used a glowing Artifact to make my hair look silver and a wind-generating Artifact to make my hair float.The red light? You can create that by holding a glowing artifact against a water pouch.”

“Wouldn’t people notice if you manipulated artifacts like that?”

“Oh, I didn’t manipulate the Artifacts. All the well-timed activations were Victor’s handiwork.”

“His handiwork?”

Kain looked at Victor with genuine surprise.

Under Kain’s gaze, Victor puffed up with a smug expression.

“Don’t expect anything just because you’re praising me.”

“That’s impressive. I had no idea Artifacts could be used like that.”

“If you know the principle, it’s easier than you think. See, pretty simple, right?”

As Rough held a glowing pendant against a water pouch, a vivid red light instantly filled the alley.

Kain and Victor stared blankly at the red light emanating from Rough’s hand.

The light was so intense it hurt their eyes, making it seem as if the dark night sky of Scrap City was dyed red.

The light filling the sky was sure to draw the attention of many.

Realizing this belatedly, Victor and Kain widened their eyes simultaneously.

“Rough!”

A startled Victor let out a bizarre yell and charged at Rough.

But Rough easily dodged Victor’s clumsy rush with a simple step.

Having achieved nothing, Victor stomped his feet in frustration.

“Rough! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Calm down. I’m just letting the Iron Jackal guys know our location.”

“That’s exactly what I mean! Why would you do that?!”

“To make sure they know we were here. By the way, I already explained this plan to you, so why are you so surprised?”

“Even so, you could’ve warned me first! I need time to prepare myself!”

Kain couldn’t make sense of the situation.

“What nonsense is this?! You’re not hiding us—you’re deliberately letting them know? Don’t tell me you’re planning to betray us?”

Kain, furious, spoke in a threatening tone, looking as if he might charge at Rough any moment.

Rough cautiously asked the enraged Kain.

“Uh… just to be sure, you didn’t hear anything about the plan from Junk, did you?”

“I didn’t hear a thing. I’m only here tonight because Big Brother ordered me to help you two.”

At Kain’s words, Rough was the one who looked flustered.

All this time, Rough had assumed Kain was someone trusted enough to approach Junk armed with a weapon.

But he hadn’t been told anything?

After a moment of thought, Rough said with a bewildered tone.

“I see. Maybe Junk wanted you to hear the plan directly from me. One thing’s for sure—I have no intention of betraying the Junk Family.”

“You pull this stunt and claim you’re not betraying the Junk Family? Talk sense…”

Just then, urgent footsteps echoed from various parts of the previously silent alley.

Amid the footsteps, scattered voices mentioned the red light that had filled the sky moments ago.

Looking at Kain, Rough quickly said.

“How about we discuss the details later? It sounds like the Iron Jackal guys are already on the move.”

Kain wanted to demand an explanation for Rough’s actions, but the increasingly close footsteps weighed down his words.

When Kain nodded in agreement, Rough clapped his hands.

“Alright, it’s settled. Victor, can you lead the way? If we dawdle, those guys might tear us apart.”

“Rough, I’m definitely going to punch you later. Don’t think you can apologize and get away with it!”

Victor vented his frustration toward Rough but moved swiftly to guide the group.

As if they had memorized every twist and turn of the alleyways, their movements were seamless.

Kain, carrying the heavy sacks, felt his breath grow heavy just trying to keep up.

The presence of the pursuers trailing them constantly grated on Kain’s nerves.

Even as they navigated the alleys, Kain could hear the urgent voices of what he assumed were Iron Jackal soldiers, separated only by a thin wall.

“Did they go that way?”

“No, it’s that direction—the light came from there!”

“Damn, did they already escape? Spread out and chase them! They can’t have gone far!”

Each time Victor signaled to stop, Kain was so tense he worried his heartbeat might give them away.

In contrast, Rough’s demeanor remained relaxed throughout.

Not tasked with guiding or carrying the load, he tried to talk to Kain whenever he got the chance.

“To clear up any misunderstanding, let me explain. We posed as Artifact peddlers for two reasons. The first is to raise funds for the war—an obvious reason you probably already figured out. But the really important part is the second reason. Once you hear it, I think you’ll understand my actions…”

Finally, Kain snapped.

“Do I have to tell you to shut up while we’re being chased?!”

Kain growled fiercely at Rough, but his voice was so low that Rough didn’t seem to feel any real threat.

Rough laughed brightly.

“Alright. You’d probably doubt anything I say right now anyway. No need to worry about running into the soldiers—I’ve memorized the layout around here. Even if they heard our voices, it’d take them ages to catch up.”

“That doesn’t mean you need to chatter nonstop. I’ll listen to your story once we shake off the pursuit. For now, just shut up and walk!”

Finally, Rough fell silent, but Kain’s anxiety lingered.

In his uneasy mind, Kain recalled the orders Junk had given him.

‘Big Brother told me to absolutely trust and follow this kid. But can I really trust him? What if this brat is planning to betray us…?’

“Stop right there.”

Kain, already on edge, nearly let out a scream.

About to snap at Rough for stopping abruptly, Kain noticed Rough’s gaze was fixed somewhere.

Following Rough’s line of sight, Kain saw Iron Jackal soldiers.

As expected of those who controlled the Tower of Domination, the soldiers were well-equipped.

Their well-maintained armor, pristine helmets without a single dent, and not just the rifles in their hands but the two spare pistols hanging at their waists—all starkly contrasted with the Junk Family’s meager equipment, which amounted to little more than a single rifle.

The soldiers’ path was heading straight toward the group hiding among the ruined buildings.

As he confirmed the approaching soldiers, Kain gritted his teeth.

A clash seemed inevitable.

Kain gripped the sacks he was carrying so tightly his hands turned white.

“We’ll run into them soon. You two stay here. If I ambush them before they notice, we might have a chance…”

“Wait a second. There’s no need to fight. If we stay quiet and watch, they’ll pass right by us.”

“How am I supposed to trust you? You might be betraying us!”

“R-Rough’s right. From their position, they can’t see us. So please, just stay quiet!”

At Victor’s urgent plea, Kain realized their hiding spot was cleverly chosen.

If the soldiers looked up even slightly, they might spot the group, but in the pitch-black darkness where even a step ahead was hard to see, there was no reason for them to look up.

Soon, the soldiers moved away, grumbling about sudden overtime.

When the soldiers were completely out of sight, Rough spoke with confidence.

“Told you. I’ve memorized the layout around here.”

Unconsciously feeling a surge of murderous intent at Rough’s smug voice, Kain sank into a troubled mood.