My Uncle is the Strongest Dark Mage

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 5

“Grant Association… It’s a name I’ve been seeing quite often lately.”

The document displayed on the brightly glowing monitor before him.

A report submitted by a certain association was written within it.

It detailed the specifics of a national project the country intended to pursue.

A confident appeal asserting their capability to handle the project successfully.

Perhaps it was because they were currently one of the most rapidly rising companies.

Based on the conditions alone, the report was comparable to those of other major corporations.

Its content suggested it had clearly surpassed the level of a mid-sized company.

Of course, it was undeniable that, in practical terms, there were still areas where they fell short compared to other large corporations.

However, the boldness and passion evident in every single word seemed enough to compensate for those shortcomings.

Should it be said that their cleverness in understanding their situation and using their disadvantages to their advantage stood out?

‘They’ve certainly grown.’

Just ten years.

A small trading company that once operated in Emulin County had now grown into a massive corporation aiming to rival the giants.

An extraordinary feat no other company had easily achieved.

And the man knew.

That at the center of this remarkable journey, a certain woman had been directly involved.

‘Cayenne… was it?’

A woman who had suddenly appeared one day and began solidifying her position within the Grant Association.

Stories about her had spread widely, even reaching the royal palace.

To be more precise, the royal family had taken an interest in a certain incident.

‘The Nasara Association’s annihilation incident.’

It was a truly peculiar coincidence.

As if the Grant Association had known in advance that the Nasara Association would disappear.

Or as if someone had tipped them off beforehand about the Nasara Association’s impending downfall.

They had been gradually siphoning off the Nasara Association’s influence in advance.

As a result, before other companies could react, most of the Nasara Association’s influence had already been absorbed by the Grant Association.

Using that as a stepping stone, the Grant Association achieved explosive growth.

Naturally, the royal family questioned the connection and investigated Cayenne, but the culprit was soon revealed, and the investigation was entirely canceled.

‘Because the culprit was none other than the Demon Lord.’

His renown and infamy surpassed even the other absolute powers of the continent.

Yet, his true nature and existence remained enigmatic, leaving people scratching their heads.

Among ordinary people, he was often dismissed as a mere urban legend, a fictional entity.

However, the continent’s leaders, including him, all knew.

The danger posed by someone who had devoured the entire underworld of the continent and begun ruling its shadowy realm.

His existence had only become known relatively recently.

Though he had caused several major incidents, such as battling the Twin Ghosts or devastating the Empress’s domain, his actual period of activity spanned less than ten years.

The first incident that brought him to the forefront and shocked the continent was the Nasara Association’s annihilation.

Therefore, for the Grant Association, a small company that had barely been active in Emulin County, to have known about the incident in advance was absurd.

It was simply luck. Or perhaps Cayenne had an extraordinary sense of foresight.

The Elemental royal family had no choice but to conclude as much, and the man personally leaned toward the latter.

So, he had thought of meeting her in person someday and even offering her a scouting proposal to join the royal family.

‘What a shame.’

As the saying goes, geniuses often meet an early demise.

He could never have imagined she would pass away so suddenly and meaninglessly.

Feeling regretful about the fact, the man let out a bitter smile.

“Should I at least put them on the candidate list?”

With that, he casually moved the mouse and placed the report into a folder.

Once it was on the candidate list, the rest would be up to His Majesty to decide.

Whether to entrust the project to them or to another, more reliable company.

“Ugh.”

The man stretched, loosening his stiff shoulders.

Strange sounds creaked from each of his joints.

Was his dry eye syndrome getting worse?

Every time he closed and opened his eyes, his heavy, dry eyeballs felt burdensome.

“I guess I’m getting old.”

If his secretary had heard him, they would have asked in disbelief what nonsense he was spouting, but he genuinely thought so.

In the past, a single spell could relieve all his fatigue for days.

Now, even with magic, the fatigue seemed to return within a few hours.

If only he had focused on physical activities like the Twin Ghosts instead, his body might have been inconvenient for daily life, but at least it would have been remarkably healthy.

With a small sigh, he carefully stretched each part of his spine before bringing the espresso-dark Americano on his desk to his lips.

“Ack! Cough!”

It was bitter.

Had the secretary forgotten to add sugar?

That thought crossed his mind for a moment as he frowned.

Then, glancing at the calendar, he let out a deep sigh.

“Come to think of it, they said they were taking a day off today.”

It seemed the temporary secretary assisting him today had forgotten something.

There was no way meticulous Nell would have left without mentioning something so important.

Perhaps they had been nervous about making a mistake in front of him.

Or maybe it was because Nell had handed over so much during the transition.

Both were plausible enough that he didn’t feel the need to point out such a trivial mistake.

People make mistakes once or twice in their lives.

There was no point in summoning a subordinate just to scold them over something like this.

‘Still, I can’t drink this anymore.’

Shaking his head, the man stood up, thinking he might as well take a break.

Drawing back the curtains, he was greeted by the bright sunlight and the beautifully maintained royal garden below, tended by the gardener, which he gazed at with a wistful expression.

A mirror hanging beside the window.

Reflected in it was the man’s figure.

Short, golden hair cropped close to a sporty style.

A strikingly handsome middle-aged man with angular features and golden eyes matching his hair.

The Prime Minister and second-in-command of the Elemental Kingdom, yet a figure whose influence rivaled that of King Alex Raymond Elemental himself.

“Ah, come to think of it, the academy’s semester is starting soon. I think there was some work related to that. No time to rest.”

Ern Benedict.

Known to the world as the Demon Lord, one of the continent’s absolute powers, he let out a deep sigh and turned his tired eyes back to the towering pile of work on his desk.

***

As mentioned before, the Elemental Kingdom boasted a highly advanced civilization compared to other nations.

From smartphones to self-driving carriages that moved without horses, airships that soared through the skies, and skyscrapers that reached ever higher.

The development of magic had made people’s lives more convenient, and even rival nations, who constantly kept each other in check, acknowledged this aspect of the Elemental Kingdom.

The most seamlessly integrated application of magic into daily life on the continent.

Among them, the capital, Raymond, stood as the most well-developed hub, befitting the heart of the Elemental Kingdom.

Grant Department Store.

While not as massive or towering as other famous department stores, it exuded a sophistication far beyond that of a neighborhood market.

It was the first department store established by the Grant Association upon entering the capital, serving as their base for penetrating the capital’s commercial sector.

Perhaps that was why the Grant Association regarded this place as a critical facility.

Judging by the bustling crowd, it seemed their efforts had paid off.

“Yawn.”

Cain, who visited the department store not out of any particular affinity for the Grant Association or because his older sister had once worked there, but simply because it was the closest department store to his home, let out a long yawn as he moved through the crowd.

A stretched-out white T-shirt he had slept in and a pair of sweatpants.

Topped off with a lightweight windbreaker, his appearance was utterly unpolished.

Unlike him, Arina, dressed in a flowy dress and heels with a hint of effort in her appearance, clung to his sleeve and looked around with a bright expression.

For once, she seemed like a child her age, showing a youthful innocence.

“But why a department store? I thought we’d just wander around some nearby shops.”

“If we’re going to buy something, it’s better to get something good.”

If they were just going to buy something casually, there was no need to bother leaving the house—they could have just ordered online.

‘These days, kids even discriminate based on whether you own luxury brands or not.’

Perhaps it was because of the memory of being ostracized for not having parents in the past.

He didn’t want to allow even a single excuse for that kind of treatment toward the little one.

Although the academy primarily required uniforms, people didn’t live their entire lives confined to the academy.

There would be times when she’d go out with friends, so having a few nice outfits wouldn’t hurt.

Things like wallets or cosmetics—basic necessities—would also be good to buy for her.

He simply thought it would be better to buy everything at once at the department store rather than searching through individual shops for all those items.

“I… I don’t really plan on dressing up that much…”

Hearing that, Arina lowered her head in embarrassment and protested in a small voice.

Knowing her personality, she’d rather dress modestly than deck herself out in luxury brands.

“Let’s also get you a new smartphone. Maybe even one of those tablets they’ve been talking about. I’m not sure if you’ll need a laptop or a portable gaming console, but it wouldn’t hurt to have them either.”

“Uncle? Are you even listening to me?”

“Well, let’s just buy everything that comes to mind for now. Later, I’ll give you a card, so you can get anything else you need with it.”

“…”

This won’t do.

He’s not listening at all.

‘Uncle is so weird. Normally, he’s not one to spend money freely, but when he decides to, he goes all out.’

Just like his nearly empty room with barely any furniture, he wasn’t the type to spend money often.

To be more precise, he wasn’t interested in buying things.

It felt like he could buy anything he wanted, so he didn’t bother.

The extent of his spending was limited to occasionally buying books or food he wanted to eat.

But because he was so detached from money, when he decided to spend, he did so extravagantly.

The apartment they were living in now was one he had moved into recently, saying, “The place we’re living in now is too far from the academy; it’ll be hard to commute.”

Even though it was only a 30-minute difference on foot for an adult, he had moved closer to the academy just because he found it inconvenient.

It was an incomprehensible spending decision from the perspective of an ordinary person.

‘I told him he could just take public transportation.’

That’s just how stubborn and self-centered her uncle was.

And that likely wouldn’t change today either.

No matter how much she tried to convince him, they’d probably end up returning home with their hands full.

‘What exactly does Uncle do for a living?’

Grant Association.

Arina had lived there as a child, following her father.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had grown up in a fairly affluent household.

But even she could tell that Cain’s spending habits were far from normal.

In terms of sheer extravagance, he was on par with the wealthiest individuals on the continent.

What was strange, though, was that Arina had never once seen Cain working.

Not once in the two years they had lived together.

‘Is it stocks, after all?’

Was he some kind of investment genius?

Was staring at his smartphone all day an extension of his work?

That was the only explanation that made sense.

‘Well, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.’

Her uncle might be blunt, self-centered, and spend most of his days lying around reading books or staring at his smartphone.

But despite that, Arina liked her uncle, who, in his own way, cared for her.

-I’ll take this child with me.

Even in her sleep, a child subconsciously absorbs the words spoken around them.

Deep in her heart, the words Cain had said back then remained warm and comforting.

“Hehe.”

Perhaps because she was in a good mood today, she mustered a bit more courage.

As they walked through the bustling crowd, Arina let go of his sleeve and grabbed his hand instead.

Cain paused for a moment, looking down at the top of her head.

Then, as if it didn’t matter, he held her hand in return and started walking again.

“Hold on tight. Don’t get lost and end up being announced over the department store intercom.”

“Okay!”

Cain and Arina walked hand in hand, their warmth spreading softly around them.

A gentle, heartwarming atmosphere surrounded them as they moved through the crowd.