The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years

“Due to my ability to communicate with [the 4th Beast], although inadequate, I am attending here as its proxy.”

Residue paused his speculation about her and focused on her words.

You can communicate with that beast?

Then it would be more accurate to introduce yourself as an interpreter rather than a tamer.

He gazed at her with this doubt in his eyes, but the tamer remained calm. Despite the numerous gazes directed at her, she showed a far more composed demeanor than even [Diablo], including the [Optic Nerve].

It wasn’t even as if she was forcing herself to act confident, so naturally, it led to one conclusion.

This woman is not afraid of the Twelve Void Lords.

*

Golden Eye, Corpse Ghost, and the Beast.

These three sent proxies to attend.

Among them, the one who caught Residue’s attention the most was the Beast’s proxy, the tamer. Using her voice as a clue, Residue tried to infer her identity, but no clear image came to mind.

…He had lived a life far from forgetfulness.

In other words, the reason he couldn’t remember was not because of Residue but because of that woman. She must have used some means that Residue couldn’t currently grasp. She either blurred her own impression… or used a slightly transcendental power to distort the memory herself.

Then another question arose.

Was my encounter with this woman in the ‘Lightning God’s’ memory or in ‘Lukas’s’ memory?

Also, was the slight discomfort he felt towards the tamer a situation she intended, or a mistake born of her carelessness?

It was hard to draw a conclusion immediately. As mentioned earlier, this woman’s presence was not ordinary, so it didn’t seem likely she would easily reveal her true nature in such a public setting.

He had no choice but to turn his attention to the other Void Lords.

Void Lords who did not send proxies but instead sent their avatars or thoughts.

First, there was the entity whose thoughts were contained in a body composed of dozens of worms, Death Worm. He was occupying a corner seat with a somber but peaceful expression. Seeing his stable demeanor, it seemed Pale was not in the King’s Castle.

Next was the Void Lord with the alias ‘The Sinking One’, who had sent only a hazy spiritual form.

Lastly, [Futurix].

If there was the most unique attendee, it would certainly be this entity.

‘The ruler of an extremely advanced scientific civilization, was it.’

The machine made of alloy looked quite simple.

It resembled a snowman made by joining two wooden boxes, with wheels attached to the lower part. At the very top, where a head would normally be, there was a glass junction containing a brain submerged in a transparent liquid. The brain was densely connected with dozens of electrodes.

Overall, it had the appearance of an old-fashioned robot, but was that really all there was to it?

The annoying thing about a weapon based on science is that what can be understood by mere observation is limited.

If the opponent were a living being, one could roughly gauge their level through their unique vitality, aura, and breath.

A weapon is different.

For example, someone who has never seen a gun would rarely anticipate that a small piece of metal could shoot out a projectile that can shatter skin and bones.

That’s how it was for the current Residue.

He couldn’t feel anything from the old-fashioned robot that seemed no different from junk on the surface. Bubbles intermittently rose and disappeared from the brain tank chamber, but no more actions were shown.

…Observation is not an efficient means of understanding a machine. Disassembly would be more suitable to understand its structure.

The most troublesome part is that, due to such elements, this machine being one of the Twelve Void Lords couldn’t be proven, unlike the other Void Lords.

Creak—

As if sensing Residue’s doubts, the robot rattled once. A square hole opened on the upper right side, and from there, a long tray emerged.

On the tray was something that looked like a mechanical part, and upon closer inspection, it was a hexagonal chip.

‘…….’

He glanced down and was genuinely impressed.

On the chip, only as large as a fingertip, the essence of science was engraved.

The technology applied here was decades ahead of the average level of science in most civilizations across the universe.

To put it bluntly, even Residue, who was not lacking in knowledge in the field of science, couldn’t fully grasp certain aspects of it.

But does this prove his status as one of the Twelve Void Lords?

“I’ll acknowledge it.”

He answered, cutting off his own doubts decisively.

It wasn’t an unconsidered acceptance.

Though Residue had lost his original power, his discernment remained intact. Based on that judgment, any being capable of creating such a chip deserved to call themselves a ruler of the Void.

Futurix showed no particular reaction and retracted the tray.

─Now.

With the verification of those who sent avatars complete.

There was no need to verify the remaining attendees since they had all attended in person.

There were two newcomers.

─‘Executor’ and ‘God’s Envoy’.

First, he focused on them.

The Executor had an appearance that was half-angel, half-demon, and was female. Her movements were highly restrained, and she was the only Void Lord who, upon her first appearance, gazed directly at him before quickly lowering her eyes.

Residue had no doubt that she was one of the Twelve Void Lords. The unique aura exuded by those who attended in person was enough proof.

God’s Envoy looked like a barbarian. His dirty appearance, wild mane-like hair, and well-toned muscles set him apart from civilized beings.

His physique was excessively large, and his waist was slightly bent. His claws and nails were as long and sturdy as those of a beast.

What stood out most were his teeth. His teeth were so sharply honed that they far surpassed those of any predator or shark.

“Grrr…”

God’s Envoy seemed displeased with Residue. As their eyes met briefly, he bared his teeth and growled.

Dealing with an ignorant bastard like him often required a firm hand, but Residue chose to endure for now and turned his gaze to the last three.

These were the ones he was somewhat familiar with among the Void Lords.

One of them.

“……”

Had sharp, wary eyes, and above all, an intense gaze of observation. Her eyes conveyed a strong curiosity about the face behind the mask.

She had probably never taken her eyes off Residue since he appeared at the meeting.

Sedi Trowman’s eyes were fixed on Residue’s mask. …She must be itching to confirm whether the new Beginning Wizard was truly ‘Lukas’.

Speaking of which, he was curious about her current situation.

Lukas had sent the Blue Knight, Pale, to Sedi to expel the thought of the ruler ‘Black Horned Demon God’ that was controlling her.

Whether that plan succeeded or failed, he didn’t know at this point.

One thing was certain.

‘She’s someone I should avoid for now.’

Sedi was one of the people Lukas had a deep connection with, and naturally, she knew him thoroughly.

If she discovered that the new Beginning Wizard was not Lukas, but Residue in disguise, who knows what chaos she might cause.

He couldn’t hide his face behind the mask forever, but he wanted to delay that moment as much as possible.

“Alright. Formally, everyone is present. Even those who came as proxies seem to hold enough authority to take responsibility for their statements. Then, shall we officially start the meeting?”

At that moment, a low laugh erupted.

[Ha… Haha… Hah…….]

The unpleasant, disdainful laughter came from the Exile.

“What is so funny?”

He wasn’t particularly offended.

Residue asked, purely curious about the intention behind the laughter.

[It feels… unfair…]

“Unfair?”

[Yes… As you said… we have all… proven our qualifications… But you… have not…]

“……”

He wasn’t going to let it slide easily, was he?

Residue had hoped to muddle through by pretending to lead the meeting, but it seemed the Exile would not let it pass so easily.

And this made the faint premonition Residue had felt since the beginning of the meeting more concrete.

‘The Exile harbors malice towards me.’

Not only that.

Although there wasn’t enough evidence compared to his earlier conviction, many of the Twelve Void Lords seemed to view him unfavorably.

Aside from beings like God’s Envoy who displayed straightforward and instinctive murderous intent, he couldn’t tell how many others felt the same way.

Just as Residue had hidden himself, they too knew how to conceal their true intentions.

“Do you want me to prove it? That I am also one of the Twelve Void Lords?”

[It’s more… fundamental than that… new Beginning Wizard…]

Hmm. This time he almost admired it.

One of the secrets Residue wanted to keep hidden for as long as possible had already been exposed.

[Did you really think… you could hide it…? You fall short… in every way compared to your predecessor…]

Residue chuckled.

That mocking laughter escaped his mask and reached the ears of everyone at the meeting.

“You know well what happened inside the Magic Planet. Were you spying?”

[No… I just… anticipated it…]

Those words might be true.

The Exile had warned Lukas when they met. If he went to the Magic Planet, ‘Lukas Trowman’ would die. Was this anticipation also based on the assumption that the title of the Beginning Wizard would be passed on?

…It’s a strange thing.

The Exile should be currently consider him as ‘Lukas Trowman’. However, when he first met Lukas, the Exile didn’t show any particularly hostile attitude. There is a clear difference from his current behavior.

Does he harbor hatred towards the position of the Beginning Wizard itself?

Or, although unlikely… does he know that Residue is not Lukas but a third party?

Residue glanced around the meeting.

Most of the Void Lords didn’t seem agitated by the Exile’s words. Right. Even ‘Death Worm’ seemed aware of the succession of the Beginning Wizard.

Now he understood. It was the Exile who spread that information.

“Everything you said is correct. I’m a novice who has just inherited the position of the Beginning Wizard.”

Residue nodded as he spoke.

This statement had considerable impact. He could feel the ripple of agitation spreading among the Void Lords. Indeed, hearing it directly was different from just knowing it as information.

“Then how should I prove my qualifications?”

“Take off your mask.”

Sedi Trowman said shortly.

Residue glanced at her and responded.

“That has nothing to do with proving I’m a Void Lord, does it?”

“……”

Sedi tried to say something but closed her mouth, remaining silent with a displeased expression.

[No… It’s not unrelated… If you remove the mask… and reveal your authority… isn’t that enough…]

“……”

[Because of that mask… we can’t discern… anything about you…]

The majesty of the ‘Old Man’s Mask’ was indeed formidable. It not only hid his face but also perfectly concealed the true extent of Residue’s power.

Made from a mysterious material that existed only ‘outside’, even those with observational skills surpassing Residue’s wouldn’t gain any clues from it.

It was a reasonable request, with little justification for refusal.

But.

“That won’t do.”

Residue refused.