(Miabi POV)
Heimrich's Curse of Shrouding Knowledge.
Or just Heim's Shroud for short.
Named and originated after the man himself, Heimrich sought a revolution unlike any other.
The end of all magic.
Yes, the man wanted nothing more than to remove every source, every trace of magic in this entire magical-driven land.
It was because Heimrich deemed magic as the root of all evil, where mortals would go out of their way to flaunt their magic superiority and use it to heighten the already great amounts of barbarity and violence that had been plaguing this entire land.
And you would think that a sword is not enough. Why not add magic to the mix in destroying other people's lives?
It was due to the fact that around 200 years ago, the Mage Heimrich witnessed a grave transgression of every proportion.
In his hometown of Karlestin in Zetland, he saw firsthand the cruelty of the enemy Nordic Mages from Jutland who came one day to raid and pillage.
Mangled bodies were visible all over the place, with signs of burns, freeze, cuts, and other horrifying means of death caused by the foul play of sorcery. Not to mention, these Mages... monsters donning the flesh of humans rather, sought destruction in every angle. Women and even the children, violated endlessly and their pleas of mercy were never considered. The men... tormented in a sadistic spree by various spells and other magic, all for the sake of these Mages' vile amusement.
While the horrifying scene was enough to cause a great amount of trauma alone, Heimrich's suffering, unfortunately, did not end there.
His wife and daughter were among the casualties as the men took turns and ravished them until they were at their last breath. While his son, his pride and joy, tortured and beaten until the young boy was merely a bloody carcass to be feasted by the wolves.
And to add salt to the wound, all of this was done right in front of Heimrich as he was chained to the wall and forced by the Nords to watch his whole family being treated like a bunch of animals.
That was one of the unfortunate tragedies of the First Great War of the Magus, a war of intense magic violence and mayhem that has spanned for over 20 years between the two alliances of different nations.
While Heimrich was undeniably overcome by the prospect of vengeance and hate, he also saw something at another angle, which led to a single conclusion that would forever reshape the very destiny of this land.
It was at that very moment when Heimrich came to despise magic, even the ones he owns. When the war eventually ended, he secluded himself in an unknown location and conducted various research on how to eradicate or at the very least, limit magic to a great extent.
Thus, Heim's series of many curses was born, with Heim's Shroud being the first and weakest curse of all, resulting from the man's deep hatred as he abducted numerous Mages and attempted to remove their capability to learn magic. Thankfully, the higher-ups from the Magus Council quickly found out about Heimrich's plot before it could get any worse.
They promptly ordered his death before he could find even more ways in his conquest to remove all of the magic in this land.
However, the damage was done already, and many of Heimrich's victims were deprived of their beloved magic thanks to the many different curses that he had created.
Ken and Phil were no doubt sickened by the sorrowful story that I've been telling them so far, their expressions filled with utter disgust and contempt as striking by their conflicted looks. Ken appeared to be in deep rage once more as his draconic blood threatened to take over again while Phil instead was saddened greatly by the tragic story.
"That's really sad. To think that he was forced to witness such cruelty being done to his family."
Phil expressed with utter grief in his heart.
Ken seemed to have calmed down again, but this time, thanks to his sheer will alone thankfully. He also told his opinion as well about the matter.
"I've read something similar in the past now that I think about it. The First Great War of the Magus 200 years ago, and another historical large-scale war following the Demon War with Asmodeus. I can't say I completely blame the man though. Most would turn to the dark side right after being tormented like that. It's kind of cliche, to be honest, and the villain's usual motivation that you can find in most literature. Not everyone is going to be evil without a good reason to drive them unless they were taught how to be one and instilled such terrible values at a very young age."
"Fufu, well said, Ken Bruce."
Without his draconic rage dictating his emotions, Ken Bruce was certainly a man of logic and good sense, a type of individual who I respect and admire.
"While the story was nice, informative, and all of that, what exactly is the reason why you told us this?"
Ken asked while crossing his arms with a serious look.
I smiled and gladly gave him my response.
"While Heim's curses were undeniably a blight among us Mages, the council decided to not throw his secrets away and instead preserve it."
Their eyes widened with shock as they conveyed their contempt about the matter.
"Hold on, the council planned on using the bastard's curses despite its sinister applications?"
I understood Ken's angered reaction as he came up with such a conclusion. But if he would allow me to continue, then that's not actually the case.
In paper at least.
Because if so, then Ken Bruce won't be having Heim's Shroud in the first place if such secrets were strictly well-kept.
I calmly replied to his furious statement.
"Of course, this was all for the purpose to discover ways in eradicating the curse's or other similar magic's effects and not to unleash it yet again on the Mage populace. It was the Ebonhand Order, the international and authorized faction of Warlocks and other Dark Mages, that was sanctioned legally by Wessoria and other nations to keep the curses a secret and find the means to counter them. It just so happens that I too am a member of the Ebonhand, a Junior Warlock of the Order, thus explaining my circumstance as to why I'm knowledgeable in this kind of dark things. It's also kind of my job... the Order's job rather, in handling and curing curses like this, so you don't have anything to worry about since I'm only fulfilling my duties and responsibilities as a member of the Ebonhand."
The boys appeared to have understood my response and their expression loosened up a bit once more, especially when they heard of my affiliation.
The Ebonhand Order is a sect that can be trusted to a significant degree, despite our involvement in the Dark arts. We have assisted in wars, quelled rebellions, and other uprisings during the past, so our goals are aligned with the Kingdom itself, provided that Wessoria allowed us to practice our sinister kind of magic without being treated like criminals.
It's a matter of scratching each other's back.
For example, in practicing Necromancy, the Kingdom would give us the bodies of the most heinous of criminals for us to experiment with and we would use that knowledge to help the Kingdom in the end, like matters relating to the undead.
Arkadia bless King Lubos for having an open mind, him being a staunch supporter of our cause as well.
Of course, said magic must still be within the moral boundaries to a significant extent, and we were always reminded to know our limits hence our Order risk being abolished and persecuted by the entire land.
"Wait, if Ken had the curse in the first place, maybe someone from your Order was responsible for his ailment?"
Phil inquired and Ken this time looked at me with suspicion yet again, anticipating the words that were going to come out of my mouth.
The apprehension was getting quite old honestly. Well, can't say I blame them that much since we Dark Mages carried the stigma of evil ever since the dawn of magic.
"Hmm, perhaps. While I can't deny the possibility of your deduction since not everyone from the Ebonhand are honorable souls and operated their magic inside its moral boundaries. There's also a chance that a Warlock from the outside manage to learn the secrets of the curse and sought to test its effects on their subject, with Ken being his unfortunate guinea pig."
Ken nevertheless retained his skepticism and answered-
"At least I now have a clue on where the culprit who cursed me might be. Fuck, first the shitty demon, and now this?"
Shitty demon? Fufu, I wonder what Ken was talking about?
Anyways, with everything said and done, I suppose I should dally no longer and start the ritual to end Ken's lifelong misery.
"Now that I provide you with a decent explanation of all things, it's time that I finally rid that curse of yours for good."