5

EP.43 Pathfinder in the Dark (4)

Tit-. Tit-.

The sound of birds chirping is heard in my ears in a slightly hazy mind.

When I frowned at the unwelcome noise and raised my eyelids, the first thing I saw was the sunlight coming from the window.

warm But it is dazzling.

Under such intense morning sunlight, Shinel's thick gray hair was reflecting the light.

"… … Did you come again?"

Have you not woken up yet?

I could see Sinel sleeping with a tickling sound.

Taking off the goggles she always wore, she quietly watched Sinel's face with her eyes closed.

Peach-colored lips gently opened.

A small breath flows through them.

As I looked at Shinel with her eyes closed, I thought that her sleeping appearance was definitely cute.

"...."

At first glance, the appearance of the spinel seen before may seem overlapping.

Although the two have completely opposite personalities, it seems that they are definitely sisters nonetheless.

One is an executive of a secret organization that shakes the city.

And the other one is the outlaw of the bed that shakes me while I sleep.

I can't watch him sleep forever, so I rolled up the blanket to get up.

"Yes… … ."

When the blanket covering his body was slightly removed, Sinel, who was next to him, digs deeper into his arms.

At the same time, the strength of Sinel's hand that was holding me was also strengthened.

As if to regain the heat lost from the blanket, Sinel, who embraced me, began to rub her face against my chest.

Sinel's gray hair began to rustle in front of his eyes.

"Are you sleeping right?"

"Hmm, Nyaam… … ."

The smell of shampoo flows from the messy hair.

The scent that pierced his nose was that of the shampoo he was using.

I told myself to buy the toiletries, but it seemed like they were still carrying my things and using them.

Watching him sleep with his arm wrapped around him, he stretched out his hand blankly and caressed Sinel's hair.

The soft feel of the hair runs through your fingertips.

The feeling of being patted on the hair, which was held abundantly every time I touched it, was quite satisfying.

"Sinel. Get up slowly."

He moved the hand that had been stroking his hair and pressed his cheek against Shinel.

Shinel's lips were pressed in one direction as her soft skin digs into the shape of a finger.

The tightly closed eyelids also twitched unnaturally.

The eyelids, which had blinked small several times, revealed their gray eyes as time passed.

"… … president?"

"okay."

"Are you awake?"

Sinel's eyes, looking at me, turned to the palm of my cheek.

Flash. Flash.

Transparent eyes that had lost their way wandered for a moment.

It felt as if the cheek on the opposite side of her, which had not been touched, seemed to have heated up a little.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I'm a little sleepy."

"It looks like you slept well."

"Can I sleep a little more?"

"no. get up and get ready Swordsmanship will come soon."

If not in the past, the office now has one more employee.

Aside from the work of the swordsman, the time to go to work was slowly approaching in terms of the company.

The time to be late here was only allowed to those who had a leisurely time.

I completely removed the blanket that covered me and got up from my seat.

"Yes."

"And why do you keep getting up on the bed?"

"I'm here to warm the bed."

"… … What?"

"The bed was cold, so I made it warm."

Apparently, they have staff who can communicate with the bed.

If you're buying a new bed, you'd be better off taking Shinel with you.

You can just ask yourself which bed is better.

Again, in many ways, it was a Shinel-like excuse.

"It seems that there is such a magic."

No, maybe the bed could lie.

After all, it seems best to leave the bed to a professional.

"I don't know."

"Let me wash my face."

"Yes, sir."

As she jumped from the bed, she grabbed her toiletries and headed out.

Beyond the fluttering gray hair.

I stared blankly at my toiletries in Sinel's hand.

* * * * * *

Inside the car heading to Lesser Industries.

While I was drinking coffee bought by Sinel, who was on an errand, Nei, who was sitting next to me, looked at me with a dissatisfied face.

In a previous meeting, I ordered Nai to come in cooperation with Lessert Industries.

Was the method a bit unsatisfying?

Nei Terdos opened his mouth with a bloody smile.

"I got permission as promised."

"It seems like things have been going pretty quietly. Who did you ask?"

The successive raids were assisted by Lessert Industries.

Nevertheless, there was no news or newspapers, let alone Brian's information network.

It was proof that Nei had definitely finished the job.

"Bell Viertin. She is the daughter of Vixx Viertin, the chairman of Letert."

"It may be because they are from a prestigious family, but there seems to be a connection."

"I didn't want to be contacted for this purpose either."

"What is the need to choose means and methods? In the end, it's all for the sake of Lesser and the peace of the city."

Bell Byatin.

She is the daughter of the chairman, Vixx Viertin, and also the person who oversees the business of Lesser Industries in the city.

Bell's breath is at work in their overall business activities in the city.

The fact that she promised to cooperate with us meant that, in fact, most of the places inside the Lesert were accessible.

The secret place of Lesser Industries is a controlled area where outsiders are restricted from entering.

It was better to ambush as close as possible to the target in order to catch Euglas to attack secrets.

"Is it really right to come there?"

"Are you suspicious after asking for cooperation first?"

"It's not like that. But even after doing this, if the criminal didn't come... I hate to even imagine it."

"The security forces waiting for a crime, it's quite a sight to behold."

Hearing my joke, Nei sighed and covered her eyes.

Even if she thought it would be a funny story.

Still, Nei had a reason to do it.

Despite Abel Terdos's opposition, the intended purpose of her joining the police force.

Even for that, Nai couldn't let the threats lurking in the city stand still.

"After all, it's hard to deal with people called information merchants."

"Isn't it better than a cross-network clairvoyant?"

"Are you talking about Lee?"

"Leemann Caberant. That's the name."

The pinnacle of information merchants in the cross network, Lehmann Caberant.

When the story about him came out, Nei shook her head.

"Leemann is on the quiet side. Except for needlessly lengthening the story."

"Is it okay if a lot of information comes out of the story that came out like that?"

"Whether it was in a newspaper article or leaking from the mouth of an information merchant. It was originally one of the two. After entering the police force, I became a little calmer."

"It's a lot of trouble when you hear it."

"It must be my fault for having a very good-looking family."

Nei reached out and took her paper cup from the cup holder.

Then he took a sip of the drink through a straw.

Usher, who was sitting in the driver's seat, looked at Nai through the rearview mirror for a moment, then looked forward again.

Usher Hayes is now in charge of driving the vehicle.

He was driving towards Lessor with a rather bored face.

"You seem to have a knack for driving."

"Is this so surprising?"

"Because I thought it would be a closet license even if I had a license."

Nei is responsible for most of the driving in the war city content.

So, driving Usher in this way was a very special sight that he had not seen in his previous work.

Much less Usher is a felony who committed a massacre and received a high sentence.

Even if they had a license, they were likely to have kept their distance from driving for quite some time.

"I acquired it for the purpose of looking after my younger sister."

"is it. It's pretty romantic."

"That's the story."

"Then let's work hard until we arrive."

"Aren't you going to ask about your sister?"

Usher Hayes' gaze was seen through the rearview mirror.

Even without asking, I know about his sister.

It was because it was her sister's fault that Usher caused an incident in the central area and is now working as a hound for the security forces.

So I didn't have to ask about it.

He's also guessing to some extent, though.

"I have no intention of asking."

"My sister was a great wizard. She was a child with a bright future, but she got caught up in a sudden accident and died."

"It's unfortunate."

Usher spoke of the tragedies of the past in a calm tone.

Still, he didn't stop glancing at it.

In the case of Nei, he was listening to the story with a gloomy expression, whether he was familiar with Usher's story.

When the story was over, Usher's gaze was reflected through the mirror again.

"You don't seem surprised at all."

"I was expecting it to some extent… … ."

"You must have known everything. That's why they're called dark merchants."

"Well."

It's not wrong.

Still, there was a thorn in Usher's words.

When our conversation was over, a moment of silence lingered in the car.

But the quiet state did not last long.

It was caused by a slight shaking and the car moving in front came to a stop.

Usher stopped the car, let go of the steering wheel, turned and looked back.

"Arrived. Get off now."

EP.44 Pathfinder in the Dark (5)

"Nice to meet you. This is Wilson Eldair to help with this operation."

In the central wing of Lesser Industries, there is a special laboratory covered with suspicious machines.

Inside, looking through the window and looking at the darkening sky, the door opened and a familiar voice was heard.

Wilson Eldair.

The owner of the voice was a researcher in Lessert who knew his face.

It seems that the person who will help us today and help us hunt Euglas is Wilson.

"See you again."

"Iknow, right. You and Percival-sama have been seeing each other a lot lately."

"Are you two acquaintances?"

Usher, who was watching our conversation, asked.

He was talking casually with the person he had just met for the first time, so it was not unusual for Usher to be curious about it.

I nodded and introduced Wilson.

"okay. I was able to help and build relationships in the past."

"What a wonderful coincidence."

"That's it."

"It's Usher Hayes. Nice to meet you."

Lately, I feel like I've been seeing Wilson a lot more often.

It may not be that there are no people in Lessert Industries, but it seems that Wilson has more activities than his own rank.

As Usher reached out and said, Wilson shook his hand and accepted.

The swordsman also faced him and held out his hand.

"It's called the sword castle."

"Oh, you… … . Are there any problems with the fixed sword?"

"You were the one who repaired my sword. thank you."

"Haha, I can feel the love for my family… It was quite meaningful."

It was a significant thing in many ways.

Gumseong smiled and gently stroked his sword, wondering if he was happy to receive praise for his sword.

It's Wilson, whom I've already met face to face with Sinel.

You were the only one left with a self-introduction.

"My name is Terdos."

"I heard from Miss Bell. Nice to meet you."

After a formal greeting, Wilson approached a large machine lying nearby.

In the upper part of the machine made of complex parts, something unknown was spinning in a complicated way.

Wilson skillfully operated the machine by pushing a few buttons and then told us.

"It is a magic search device. It's still a trial version, but this will help you."

"A magic seeker?"

"When you find a large-scale magic wave inside the Lesser Industry, you find the source."

To use magic, you must inevitably move your magic.

In order for Euglas to penetrate into the building, he must use magic, and the moment he uses it, the device will detect his location.

It was a useful device to know the current location of the opponent.

"It will be useful to get a guide."

"It would be."

Of course, I don't think this magic search device will even be able to distinguish between magical foes.

With a high probability, the magic we use will also be observed by the magic search device.

So, the use of magic had to be done after Euglas infiltrated this place.

It was necessary to find out where he was, and then move as planned after that.

"Dark Merchant. How are you going to proceed?"

Usher was watching the magic search device with an interesting gaze.

It was he who proposed this plan to the security forces.

Apparently, he was intent on handing over the entire detailed command of the operation to me.

Nei didn't look dissatisfied either, so I said, pointing to the blueprint of the building on the wall.

"You can't keep up with the movement speed of one of them. So he goes in the direction of dispersion."

"How do we allocate staff?"

"First of all, the swordsman is in charge of the 4th floor and the roof."

"okay."

He pointed his finger at the upper floor of the building and looked at the sword castle.

The swordsman can control the wind to some extent.

Also, as it is possible to sniper with a windcutter if it is empty, it was better to place it on the top floor where it can be joined at any time on the ground.

If it were her, she wouldn't have to worry about being alone with Euglas.

Geomseong nodded and put on the earphones lying on the desk.

"Next is Usher Hayes. You take the second and third floors."

Next up was Usher Hayes.

It was effective for Usher, who had relatively good mobility, to take over the middle floors of the buildings corresponding to the second and third floors.

Above all, in the middle layer, there are many secrets that the guide Euglas is aiming for.

As there is a high chance that you will encounter Euglas first, it would be better if Usher, who is good at combat, would be deployed.

"Do that."

"Finally, Sinel and I will monitor the first floor and the outside of the building."

"Then what about me?"

When I heard the story about me and Sinel, Nei, who had been quiet, asked me.

Although Neira is in a fairly high position in the security forces, to be honest, her interpersonal combat ability was not reliable.

It's not for nothing that Abel put Usher by Nei's side.

Even within the work, there were many cases where Usher was in trouble because of Nei.

"you… You'd better check the intruder's movement here. Because we need someone."

"You mean to be here? Anyway, okay."

"And Wilson. I have one request."

Finally, I give you a spell just in case.

As I approached Wilson, I put a request to his ear.

Fortunately, Wilson seemed to have understood well, and happily nodded his head to accept it.

"All right. Let's do that."

"It's more than that. When you're ready, let's all go."

After speaking, I put the earphones in my pockets into my ears.

Usher also put on the earphones placed in front of her and looked at Nei who was nearby.

I knew right away what I wanted.

In order for him to go to a proper battle, he needs to be prepared.

Nei asked Usher, picking up one of the remaining earphones.

"Is this stage 4 again?"

"That would be good."

"okay."

short sigh.

Shortly thereafter, Nei reached for Usher's scarf.

It was a place where the suppressor that suppressed Usher's magic was hiding.

"Code E172. In the name of Special Inspector Ney Terdos, I request that the level 4 restrictions be lifted."

- "Check Permissions. Approved. This temporary measure will last for 3 hours."

profit. shudder.

The rustling sound of the familiar metal resounded.

The high-density magic spread out in all directions, and the nearby magic search device flickered.

Perhaps it was because it was not an easy sight to see unleashing the leash of the hunting dog.

Wilson looked at Usher with an amusing expression.

Usher caressed the nape of the neck to see Wilson's awkward gaze, and then threw an unexpected word at me.

"Isn't it better to choose one operation name?"

"Operation name?"

"I think it will help to some extent with fraud."

As for the name of the operation, it was something I had never given much thought to.

From birth, he was a type that was far from a nickname.

It's the name of the operation to catch the guide.

I looked at the window that was located right next to me, contemplating.

Through the window, a dark sky could be seen.

"… … A guide in the dark."

"Is that the name of the operation?"

"okay. I will do this."

* * * * * *

Late night with few people.

The young man who sat down on the roof of the building relaxed his stiff body and kicked the floor.

The name of the young man wearing a light hooded jumper is Euglas.

He was sometimes called a guide, and he was an unparalleled figure when it came to infiltrating within the guild.

Euglas muttered to himself, spewing thick cigarette smoke from his mouth.

"Whoa. It feels like the weather is getting colder."

This time, Euglas was commissioned by the commander of the ghost corps to move.

Due to the closed structure of the association, the infamous ghost corps was the only executive he knew within the organization.

But for Euglas, the current situation was not too bad.

It was difficult for him to sympathize with the cause of the association from the beginning, and the remuneration paid by the commander was also quite satisfactory.

If you successfully complete your work here, you will be able to receive a greater salary.

The use of the money floating in his head was the only concern he had now.

"Shall we go in soon?"

After completing a simple stretch, Euglas threw the cigarette butt he was holding onto the roof.

Then he pulled out a knife from his pocket.

The moonlight knives twinkled in the dark.

The opponent is Lessert Industries, known as the city's number one military enterprise.

Euglus, who thought that there was no doubt that there was going to be a battle, smiled and used magic.

"[Pass Wall]."

At the same time as the magic was activated, Euglath's body lost its vigilance and dug under the floor.

pass month. It is a magic that allows you to move through walls and obstacles.

In the state in which this magic was activated, Euglas was able to move freely without receiving any resistance from the terrain.

As if diving into the deep sea, he moved and began to sink deep into the interior of the building.

As he passed through several structures and came down to the point where he could see the light, he saw a guard walking around the hallway wearing an armour.

"...."

thump, thump.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in Euglas' ears.

The guards, who did not notice him, passed the hallway without taking any action.

There is no information he is targeting on the fourth floor.

I had to go down one more floor to get to my destination.

Euglas waited for the guards to pass by, and only after the insignia disappeared, he used magic to quietly jump down the stairs.

"It's an intruder! Follow me!"

But the moment Euglas got down the stairs.

The guards passing him started screaming and coming back.

Embarrassed, Euglas energized the hand that was holding the knife.

EP.45 Pathfinder in the Dark (6)

There is no information he is targeting on the fourth floor.

I had to go down one more floor to get to my destination.

Euglas waited for the guards to pass by, and only after the insignia disappeared, he used magic to quietly jump down the stairs.

"It's an intruder! Follow me!"

But the moment Euglas got down the stairs.

The guards passing him started screaming and coming back.

Embarrassed, Euglas energized the hand that was holding the knife.

Something was strange.

If you land with pass wall magic, you can't even hear the landing sound properly.

However, the guards immediately turned and ran as if they had grasped the location of Euglas.

"There, there!"

Euglus hid himself in a nearby wall in a hurry.

The guards who were approaching him stopped their footsteps beyond the wall where Euglas had disappeared.

The person in front of him had suddenly disappeared, so it was only natural for the security guards to panic.

The guards who had lost their target looked around with their weapons in hand.

"What, what… … ?"

"You are a wizard! Open the door and follow me!"

Ignoring the guards and going down is also a way to go.

What to do with the enemies in front of you.

Euglas, who was leaning against the wall and pondering, made a quick decision.

As long as the infiltration is detected, the pursuit will follow wherever you go.

If you don't want to be surrounded, it was a good option to reduce the number even a little when you have time.

"It's over the wall! Open the door quickly!"

"Wait a minute… Whoops... … !"

Chow-!

One of the guards was knocked down by a blow that came out of the wall.

After knocking down one of the guards while hiding inside the room, Euglas lowered his stance and ran into the hallway.

Could it be that the situation has not been fully understood yet?

The security guard who had lost his comrade was looking at his colleague who had collapsed, undecided.

"[Pass Wall]."

Euglas, who renewed the magic on his body once, raised his dagger.

The eyes of the guard with guns and Euglas meet in the air.

The guard tried to aim the gun urgently, but the movement of Euglas sinking to the ground was not easily predictable.

less than 1 second.

A solid red line is drawn around the neck of the guard who allowed Eu-Glas to approach.

"Knock… … !"

The only guard who remained was also grabbed by the neck and fell down.

dump. Looking at the guards exhaling a flurry, Euglas took a deep breath.

His magic brought a topographical advantage, but it was only Euglas himself that moved.

Euglas, who wiped the blood by rubbing the dagger against the wall, looked at the bodies of the fallen guards.

'It's kind of weird.'

It was rare that the intrusion was discovered due to luck.

However, there was something unnatural about the movements of the guards just before.

Perhaps the timing of his invasion was not good.

Euglas, who was worried, immediately shook his head and began to dive downstairs again.

Except for the commander, no one knows his plans.

It was a nonsensical story that Lessert Industries knew in advance of Euglas' invasion.

'People are passing by. It looks like there are no weapons.'

Once again, going down the thick stairs to the third floor, Euglus's eyes saw a person walking down the hallway.

A man with dark hair wearing a coat and a scarf.

The man without any weapon was walking quietly down the hallway, looking out the window.

The man's gaze was looking in the opposite direction of Eu-Glass, and there was no weapon in his hand that could be a threat.

Even if there is a possibility of being a wizard, there must be a limit to an individual's detection ability.

It was the moment when Euglus decided to jump to the floor.

"A rat has come in."

"...!"

Usher's voice echoed softly in the hallway.

Hearing this, Euglas reflexively pointed the dagger and jumped downwards.

The body escaping from the ceiling is accelerated by gravity.

Euglas' sharp dagger aimed at Usher's head and rushed in.

Just before the sudden attack hit Usher.

Facing the flashing dagger, Usher's mouth opened once more.

"[Blink]."

Magic is activated, and Usher's body disappears like an illusion.

Euglus's blow, which had lost its target, pierced the air.

The weapon did not break thanks to the use of magic before it touched the ground, but Euglath stood up with a face full of displeasure.

Even if you attack as quickly as possible, you dodge it.

It was a move enough for Euglus to grasp the opponent's capabilities.

fast. Hearing this, he looked at Usher and spit out swear words.

"Damn it, it was a trap."

The guards noticed the movement of Eu-Glass using the pass wall.

And as if waiting, a seasoned wizard appeared from the third floor.

All of this pointed to one truth.

All of these would have been impossible if we had not foreseen the arrival of Eu-Glass.

"Guide You-Glass. I heard that name. Whose instructions are you moving under?"

Usher asked Euglas, who had already finished judging the situation.

Euglas quietly looked at Usher, then snorted and raised the dagger again.

Whirick. The dagger, which rotated half a turn in mid-air, was held in reverse in Euglath's hand.

"Do you think I can tell you that?"

"I don't have to tell you now. Even if one limb is blown away, the mouth will still be open."

"If you can, try it."

The air between the two of them exchanging provocations became tense.

Both of them moved their legs little by little, thinking about the next move, without taking their eyes off the other.

one step one breath.

Try not to miss the moment your opponent moves.

The moment when the suffocating air loosens for a moment.

Usher disappeared from Euglas's blinking eyes.

It was Usher who made the first move.

* * * * * *

Operation name, guide in the dark.

Although he moved with a plausible name, the gist of the operation was surprisingly simple.

Find out the enemy's location. lead the enemy catch the enemy

That was the whole of the operation.

Wilson's active magic detector allows us to continuously locate Euglas.

In order to prevent the leak of the operation, the guards were not given word in advance, but Nai, who took over the radio from Wilson, was constantly briefing the opponent's location.

"Is an intruder really coming here?"

"Perhaps for sure. Of course, this is the story of when Usher failed to catch him."

The direction in which Euglas moved was also calculated to some extent.

After the first observation of Euglas' movement, I was constantly using telepathy.

Creates a hitch in a specific direction across all floors of the building.

Even if it was popular, it was simply the noise of daily life.

From the position of Euglas, who must avoid people as much as possible, he will have no choice but to move to the space I induce.

- Jigsaw. supportive.

While I was talking about the operation with Sinel, I heard a sound from the earphone I was wearing.

The location briefing from Ney just happened.

There was a high possibility that it wasn't Nei's contact.

Usher Hayes. Or the swordsmanship of the upper layers.

Either way, while waiting for a call, someone's voice came over the earphones.

The main character of the voice was Usher.

- "I missed the intruder. It would have gone down."

Usher's message was simple.

I missed the Eu-Glass who reached the middle level.

Euglas escaped Usher and succeeded in escaping.

"You missed him?"

- "That's annoying magic. For me, kicking out was the limit."

The possibility that there would be no final decision in the middle class was also taken into account to some extent.

What Usher mainly uses is the blink magic.

If Eu-Glass hides openly between the walls, the area bind that Usher favors will not be able to inflict effective damage.

It was obvious that this was the place he would come to after he had shunned Usher.

I grabbed the gun I was holding and gave the order to Sinel.

"Sinel. Prepare for battle."

"yes. [Haste]."

If you haven't come to a conclusion in the battles in the past, it's only going to be a messy matchmaking in the future.

If the chase had taken place without preparation, there was a high possibility that Euglas would have been allowed to escape helplessly.

But I prepared several nets to catch him.

No matter how you move, you won't be able to get out of here easily.

"Watch the ceiling. Perhaps from above... … ."

"president."

While I was gazing up at the sky, being wary of Euglas' fall, Sinel kicked me by moving her leg.

I took a few steps back, pushed by her kick.

Immediately after that, the dagger was quickly thrown towards the place where I was.

Shoo-!

A dagger strike that sharply pierces the air.

I raised my muzzle at the surprise attack from beyond the wall.

"It's quick here, too."

It was only then that I was able to check the opponent's face.

A human figure is sandwiched between the thick walls.

As if it were a bug in an unfinished game, there was a young man who created an incomprehensible scene.

"Are you Euglas?"

"After all, this guy and that guy, everyone knows me."

"Yeah, because I told you."

Taang!

The muzzle that was aimed at Eu-Glas blew out fire.

Before I could even pull the trigger, Euglas was already lowering his posture and moving over the wall.

The bullets I've fired can't pierce a thick wall.

As Euglas simply went inside the wall, my shooting aimed at him was completely neutralized.

- Taang!

"...?!"

But I had already anticipated his actions.

Gunshots made from beyond the wall echoed, and Euglas reflexively flinched.

It was necessary to look back to confirm the enemy behind.

As his body moved in the opposite direction to the direction he was hiding, part of Euglas's arm, which turned his head, came out.

Taang!

I pulled the trigger again without missing the brief break.

"Ok!"

A loud noise that rings the eardrums.

With a short scream, the bullet pierced Euglath's arm.

EP.46 Pathfinder in the Dark (7)

Gunshots made from beyond the wall echoed, and Euglas reflexively flinched.

It was necessary to look back to confirm the enemy behind.

As his body moved in the opposite direction to the direction he was hiding, part of Euglas's arm, which turned his head, came out.

Taang!

I pulled the trigger again without missing the brief break.

"Ok!"

A loud noise that rings the eardrums.

With a short scream, the bullet pierced Euglath's arm.

Euglas did not react at all to the surprise fire, allowing him to be wounded by a bullet.

Blood leaking from the wound runs down the wall.

"Sinel!"

"I will move."

Seeing Euglas embracing the arms that had been shot, I immediately gave directions to Sinel.

Euglus is a style that enjoys anomalous close combat using magic.

Even with the help of magic, the attack would have to be moved directly with Euglath's own hands.

A gunshot wound to his arm would have halved his fighting power.

With the dagger pulled out, Sinel quickly accelerated and clinged to Euglas.

"Damn these guys… … !"

With the sound of breaking the wind, Sinel's dagger was swung by Euglas.

A blow that is difficult to even properly capture movement under the effect of Haste.

Euglas, who barely looked back, raised his arms with difficulty.

Chaeeng-!

The dagger clashed in the air, and a clear sound of iron resounded.

With her gray hair fluttering, Sinel moved the dagger once more.

"Ugh… … !"

Is it because he received an attack with an unstable posture?

Euglus, who could not completely drain the aftermath of the attack, began to fall over the wall.

If Euglus goes completely into the wall, we have no means of attacking him.

He had to deal some damage before he disappeared.

Sinel swung the next blow as quickly as possible, but unfortunately, the remaining time was not very long.

"...."

Kaga Gaga!

Sinel's dagger stopped as it scraped the empty wall.

Euglus, who had been moaning in pain, had disappeared through the wall.

The dagger that lost its target only made small scratches on the thick wall.

Seeing the disappearance of Euglas, Sinel looked at me with blank eyes.

"… … president?"

"I'll chase you, so get ready."

"yes."

It is said that he shot Euglas, but unfortunately, it was not enough to subdue him.

After this, it was necessary to pursue a chase with Euglas.

I immediately opened the door and walked out.

You must have already noticed that the entire Lesser Industry is a trap through the battles so far.

The guy who got injured on top of that would choose to run away, so he needed to catch him before he escaped from the Lesser Industries.

"The enemy has fled. Please join us on the first floor."

After checking the following Sinel, I contacted him through the earphone.

Shortly after requesting to come down to the first floor, the voice of the swordsman returned from the earphones.

- "Percival, do you want me to join the first floor now?"

"okay."

- "Can I go down? Okay."

- "You don't do that."

Answers arrived one after another from Sword and Usher.

If Euglas had chosen to run outside, there was no need to climb up the building.

Even if you go upstairs, you cannot get out and you are surrounded.

After checking the answers of my colleagues, I headed to the room where Euglas was.

Beyond the tightly closed door, a faint groan resounded.

"The door is locked."

"I don't know if this is possible."

There is no time to wait for someone to open it.

I pointed the pistol at the door handle.

I was thinking of mimicking the act of opening a door using a weapon, commonly called door breaching.

Taang!

He pulled the trigger of the pistol he was holding.

The handle was crushed by the bullet with the sound of a heavy metal crash.

"… … I think I failed."

"Know. I'd rather judo."

I nodded at Sinel's words as I looked at the door.

As for the door that was shot, the handle was only slightly damaged, but it was still fulfilling its role as a door.

After all, it didn't seem like it would be easy to follow.

If you can't get through the door, it's better to choose another method.

"The intruder is in here. Open the door."

He pretended to be talking to someone and used magic.

You can't open the door and go through, so the answer was to pull Eu-Glas out.

- "Open the door!"

- "Get the keys ready."

- "Take the rest of the crew on the other side."

- "All right!"

Immediately after using the magic, we quickly ran out of the building.

It was to catch Euglas, who would get out before the siege.

I called someone outside just in case, but it was better to keep the variables down.

I didn't forget to check the path of Eu-Glass moving through the earphones.

"How is Euglas moving?"

- "One magic signal started to escape out of the central building."

"Confirmed."

After returning the answer to Nei's communication, I pressed the open button next to the automatic door.

The automatic door of the central building opened, and the cold wind from outside brushed my face.

The site of Lessor Industries, illuminated only by dim lights.

On the empty road, Euglus was running with all his power.

"I got caught."

I stopped walking when I saw something moving in front of Euglas.

There are human traits.

The dim doll visible under the lights was slowly getting closer.

Sinel, who stopped her feet in the same way, tilted her head and asked.

"Is this the one the boss called?"

"There is a possibility that the material might have been obtained, so we brought in a certain person so that he could not escape."

"A definite person… Is it?"

"At least in this résert."

hey hey hey.

With the cold wind, the swordsman also joined the seat next to him.

Looking at the flapping cape, it must have been that he had jumped off the roof.

From the 4th floor to the roof, it must have been that he had jumped and moved, and the swordsman's cheeks were slightly raised.

The swordsman who landed on the floor scatters the wind that flapped his cloak and asked me a question.

"Who is the intruder? Where is the intruder?"

"There it is."

"… … Is there another person?"

The swordsman looked over with his finger and closed his mouth.

She wasn't the only one who suddenly became quiet.

Euglas, who was sprinting with all his power while panting, also stopped in his seat.

There was one cause.

A little further than where Euglas had stopped, an unknown sound had begun to resound.

"What is that?"

"It's armor. No, it would be more accurate to call him a knight in armor."

thud. thud. thud. thud.

The stylishly designed armor spread the sound of heavy footsteps.

A black full-plate armor that walks forward while engulfed in lightning.

In the visor that covers the face, a flash of light like the light of the eye is placed in place of the eyes.

The sight of intermittently splashing sparks around was reminiscent of a legendary knight.

The knight who walked up to Eu-Glass with a leisurely pace opened his mouth.

"I am the Flash Knight, Herio Nightline."

Quarreung! Kwareung!

Several lightning bolts struck Herio's vicinity.

Euglas, who had stopped his legs and caught his breath, flinched and stepped back.

A dark soot spread across the place where he was about to step.

As if it were a line that should not be crossed, a blurry black line was drawn between Herio and Euglas.

"I have come to annihilate the enemies of Lessert."

Tell him in the world, Flash Knight.

A magician of the 5th circle who has mastered the magic of Chain Lightning.

And an officer respected by everyone in the Knights of Nighttail.

That was the identity of the man called a true knight of this era.

"… … Are you a flash knight? An officer of the Knights of Nighttail?"

"Do you know anything about me?"

Herio's voice came out from beyond the armor that was flowing through the fierce mechanical sound.

Upon hearing Herio's identity, Euglas frowned and grabbed his arm.

Blood continued to flow from the arm that had been shot.

He asked Herio with a look of incomprehension.

"Why are the Knights of Nighttail here?"

"Because that is the lady's order."

"Lady from Lessor? I hope someone prepared this trap... … ."

"That is me. Not the master of the knights there."

Euglas heard my voice and turned around.

Euglus's eyes full of anger turned to me.

He grunted and chewed his lips, then raised a dagger and threatened me.

"You took the lead?"

"okay. You have a lot of money hanging around your neck."

"… … That's right. great. You must kill me with my hands. [Pass Wall]!"

A word filled with emotion. Immediately after that, Euglas moved his body.

The new type of Eu-Glass, which had received the magical effect, disappeared from view in an instant.

There are no structures at all near where Euglas disappeared.

Judging from the terrain, it looked like it had sunk down using the 'Pass Wall' magic.

Euglas, who gave a notice of death, completely disappeared.

Sinell raised his dagger and began to watch the floor around him.

"Boss, it's dangerous."

"No, it will be fine."

I didn't pay any attention to Sinell's concerns.

The reason I asked Wilson to sing Herio wasn't just because he was strong.

It was because we did not have the means to inflict damage on Euglas hidden on the ground.

That was the reason why I was so confident even with Euglas' warning.

As soon as I finished speaking, Herio, who was standing in front of us, raised his sword.

The center of the sword was aimed towards the bloodstains shed by the empty black Euglas.

toothpaste. Jijik.

A large spark bounced between the split swords.

"—Maximum power, firing."

A brief stillness in which everything became quiet.

In the stillness, only Herio's voice resounded.

And immediately after that, a blue lightning bolt went out from the sword he had raised.

Kwagwagwagwagwang!

Herio's lightning strike sprinted violently, riding on the red veins that were scattered on the floor.

Sharp lightning and bleeding wizards.

No one in this room would have any disagreement as to what the ending would be like.

EP.47 Great Intelligence (1)

Euglus, who was stunned by Herio's lightning strike, was imprisoned underground with Lesert's special suppression device.

Since it was easy to escape using the pass wall magic, it was essential to put a restraint on him.

Although Ney arrested the criminal, he did not take him to the police station.

Apart from the bounty contract with me, there were several reasons for imprisoning Euglas in Lessert.

The most representative of them was that Nei and his party did not trust the security forces.

He said that an investigation by the police would not yield plausible results, so he would interrogate himself.

The result was a figure of Eu-Glass tied to the device right in front of his eyes.

"Uh-uh, uh… … !"

"I asked for your cooperation, but is it really okay to do this?"

A strange girl, who had seen Euglas struggling, asked.

Her name is Belle Viertin.

He was the leader of the city branch of Lesser Industries and the owner of the Herio Nightline, also known as the Flash Knight.

This operation and Herio's participation in the war were also possible with Bell's approval.

Nei answered Bell's question with a look of concern.

"I need to find out."

"You want to find out?"

"What the security forces were trying to hide, I'll have to find out for myself."

Bell shook his head at Nei's words.

Since she was acquainted with Nei before, she should have guessed what Nai was moving for.

He must have known what was going to happen at the time Nei received the offer.

Most of the equipment that would be in the police force was also owned by Lessert, so if she cooperated, Nei's method was not impossible at all.

"You know, Herio."

"Yes, lady."

"Isn't this illegal?"

It is a city where all kinds of evil deeds are everywhere.

The same was not true of Lesser Industries, which was not clean.

So, Bell is not going to bring up this story simply with a sense of justice.

It was highly probable that he was telling Nei who was next to him to listen.

Herio, who was standing behind Bell, calmly agreed to her words.

"Probably right."

"Then, wouldn't it be better for our knight to dry it?"

"It is also illegal to interfere with the security forces."

"… … Shouldn't you be doing that?"

"I don't want to let the enemy of Lessert stand still. It doesn't seem bad to follow the opinions of the guests."

"okay. If you are, there is nothing you can do."

beep. Bell pressed the button on the remote control he was holding.

The gag that had been blocking Euglath's mouth was released with a rattling mechanical sound.

Euglas took a deep breath and looked around.

There was only one thing he would do first after being released from the stuffy gag.

"[Pass Wall]!"

"It's stupid."

"Why, why not? [Pass Wall]! [Pass Wall]!"

Euglas used magic to break free from restraint.

However, it was impossible from the beginning for him to activate his magic, tied to the restraint device.

Bell's sarcasm was the only thing that returned to him who failed to escape.

Euglus cried out his magic over and over again, probably because he couldn't believe that he couldn't use magic.

"Where do you think Resert's mithril processing technology is used?"

"no way… … ."

"right. It's expensive, so it's difficult to take it out, but there's no problem as long as it's used here."

Hearing Bell's story, Euglas bit his lip.

The magic he had been using his whole life like a limb was blocked.

The sense of helplessness he must feel will be greater than he imagined.

"So, I have a few questions for you."

Nei, watching their conversation, raised a stun gun and said:

Perhaps he was going to torture him using a stun gun, and electricity was going out from the stun gun he activated.

However, Euglus opened his mouth faster than Nei moved.

What came out of his mouth was a heinous threat.

"Even if you do this, the result will not change. Sooner or later all of you will be turned into minced meat."

"...."

"Do you think you will be able to live against the will of the association?"

"combination… … ?"

Usher questioned the words that came out of Euglus's mouth.

From my point of view, it could be said that it was the worst choice.

There is someone behind yourself. Talking like that wasn't a bad thing in itself.

If it's worth it to Euglas himself.

"In this city, there are countless monsters that you can't even imagine."

"for a moment. What the hell is a breakup?"

"No matter how hard you try, in the end everything… Whoops... … !"

But he couldn't keep up with his words.

Euglas, who had been swearing at him, vomited blood and stopped talking.

A bare arm stretched out of Euglath's chest was strangling his neck.

"Ouch, uh… … ."

squeaky. profit.

The arm of the fleshless dead man made a reluctant friction sound and pressed Euglath's neck.

The successor of the association has crafted something.

Euglas struggled as he looked at us with a pale face.

It was hard to see the face of the guy who had been cursing us before.

"Sa, live… give me... … ."

One arm protruding from the heart.

And Euglas, whose neck is caught by such an arm.

Nei, bewildered by the sudden change of circumstances, looked at Usher and asked.

"Usher, how do I do this… … ."

"It's already too late, yes."

"What… … ?"

"At the time that came out, he was dead."

Nei's gaze turned to Euglus again.

Euglas, who had struggled with strangulation, was silent with his head bowed.

He, who believed in the association and slandered, was ultimately judged by the hand of the association.

In a way, it's a very sad sight.

These were the words of a loser devoured by the flow of the city.

"this… Is this what the association did?"

"Perhaps it will. It must be the organization he was in."

Nei looked at the dead Euglas with empty eyes, wondering if the aftertaste was not refreshing.

From their point of view, this is the first criminal organization I have ever heard of.

Nevertheless, he must have felt the signs of an incident that was different from the previous ones in scale.

combination. and a member of the executed order.

This was the starting point of a great torrent centered on Usher Hayes in the War City.

"Stop it. It's the first time I've heard that name. Does Herio know?"

Bell, who was watching all this, asked Herio.

Herio, who received the question from Bell, shook his head without any hesitation.

He looked at Euglas, soaked in blood and tattered.

"It's a name I've never even heard of."

"Is that so?"

"But that doesn't change the fact that they are our enemies."

A member of the syndicate sought information from Lessert.

That was all Herio had reached.

He was that kind of person from the beginning.

Herio in the original work also showed a fighting spirit until the second half of the work.

That's why Usher in the second half was one of the few people who could be trusted.

"Then no one knows."

"… … No, before that, there is someone I want to ask you."

"Who do you want to ask?"

Just as Bell was about to draw a conclusion about his opponent.

Usher turned to me and said.

Tub. Tub.

He took a step and came straight towards me.

Usher's footsteps echoed through the silent basement.

"Dark Merchant. There is one thing I want to ask you."

"What are you curious about?"

"Do you have any information about a place called the Society?"

about the union.

There is, of course, information you know.

I am probably the person who knows the association better than anyone in the city.

But this was also the question I wanted to avoid the most.

It is also the reason why I did not try to get involved in this case in the first place.

"Well. I don't know."

"is it."

Association is the most important keyword that penetrates all contents of the War City.

He could not give such information to Usher without hesitation.

Every story has an order.

Just because Usher now runs to the Heir and fights it, as if we had no chance of winning.

"If you want to find out, why don't you go to Lehmann, a clairvoyant?"

Of course, there will come a time when you have to deal with the members of the organization one by one.

The members of the association are all powerful magicians.

It was necessary to clear them up before going head-to-head with the Heirs.

But it was never now.

"If the Dark Merchant didn't know, it wouldn't be easy information."

Usher smiled bitterly and pulled out a cigarette and put it into her mouth.

I'm suspicious. Still, I didn't ask directly.

Instead, Bell moved towards Usher.

Bell took the cigarette from Usher's mouth and threw it to the floor.

"No smoking here."

"...."

EP.48 Great Intelligence (2)

The case ended with the bounty hunters succeeding in subjugating Euglas.

For a while, Nei would suffer from the police, but there was no reason for me to worry about that.

After the operation in Lessert was over, I returned to the office with Sinel and Sword Castle.

The tumultuous battle was over.

Now it was time for our own party in the office.

"Then, let's make a toast."

"Everyone worked hard!"

"Everyone must be delicious."

profit. Steam leaked out when the beer can was opened.

Three cans of different drinks collided in the air.

Having mixed a glass with my colleagues, I drank a can of beer and set it down in front of me.

As the tension of battle subsided and beer began to enter his body, he felt his body tired.

Standing at the crossroads of life and death by one's own will was considerably more tiring than I thought.

"I asked what he liked on the menu, and he ordered a lot more than I thought."

Geomseong, who drank a cocktail drink from the other side, said.

As Geomseong said, the table was filled with various kinds of delivery food.

They were all ordered according to the taste of Sinel and the sword castle.

Of course, it seems like a lot for three people to eat.

In a way, it was natural for the swordsman to feel that way.

But there was a good reason for ordering a lot of food.

"This should be enough."

"Is Percival eating a lot?"

"Look to your right."

Swordsman turned his head and looked at Sinel, who was sitting next to him.

The right seat of the sword.

Sinel laid the boneless chicken leg in front of him.

It seems that Heist also activated and started eating, after a while, some bone fragments were rolling in front of Sinel.

"Isn't everyone eating?"

Sinell made eye contact and picked up the fries with a questioning expression on his face.

It wouldn't be strange if a question mark appeared on his head right away.

Gumseong looked at Shinel in a bewildered look, and then sighed and reached out towards the food.

"… … I think I know a little bit."

"That's why."

"I tend to eat less at lunch."

"Well, he's a person who eats sets for two by himself."

In the past month, calculate in your head how much you spent on food.

Starting with ramen, I bought many kinds of food, such as cola, coffee, and hamburgers.

Some of them were quite expensive.

No matter how much I thought about it, it wasn't a small amount.

However, looking back on the past meals, I realized that enough time had passed to calculate the cost of food for a month with Sinel.

Slowly, the time had come to give Sinel a paycheck.

"By the way, Sinel."

"Yes, sir."

"Tomorrow is payday."

"...!"

At the words of payday, Sinel's eyes widened.

Am I too accustomed to living without money?

It's like he's just realized something he'd forgotten for a long time.

Now it was time for Sinel to end his poverty-stricken life.

I asked Sinel what his plans were after getting paid.

"What do you plan to do first when you get paid?"

This is Sinel, who had no home and lived in an office.

or pay off debt. or looking for a house.

I thought for sure that such an answer would come back.

But the answer from Sinel was unexpected.

"I have to go buy cat food first."

"...."

"I will go out for a while tomorrow."

You're thinking of going to buy cat food when you get paid.

There would still be enough food left to feed the blackbirds.

One day, a picture of Sinel passing out food to stray cats in a back alley flashed through my mind.

I feel like I know the reason for buying the feed, but nevertheless, I chose to ask Sinel one more time.

"I wonder where you plan to go."

"I'm going to share food with the cats."

"… … okay."

Should I still say it's a Sinel-like answer?

Without realizing it, a sad smile appeared on my lips.

Maybe even after receiving this paycheck, Shinel is still stuck in the office.

It was a situation where I even thought about it.

If it was the Sinel I knew, it might not be that difficult.

"You know, Percival."

"I am listening."

"Am I not getting paid?"

This time, Geomseong, who had been watching our conversation, pointed a finger at himself and asked.

Hearing her question, I silently looked at the sword.

Salary. it's a salary

Most businesses will pay their employees at once in line with the payday.

The gist of the swordsman's question was understandable.

However, he did not feel the desire to pay a salary to Geomseong yet.

"You haven't even been in for a week."

"ah… … ."

"Let's start with it."

"okay. I was expecting a little bit, but it doesn't come off as expected."

It was not long ago that the broken sword of the sword castle was fixed.

He hadn't even paid the cost of repairing the sword yet, but he was already very cocky about his salary.

The swordsman exhaled a sigh and showed a sullen look.

I raised one leg of a chicken that was on the table and faced such a swordsman.

Then, he voluntarily put it into the slightly opened mouth of the swordsman.

"This time, I will give you a bridge instead of a salary."

"Uh, uh… … !"

"Let's eat deliciously."

well, well.

With a burning face, the swordsman protested while biting a chicken leg.

Because of the size of the chicken, the cheeks of the swordsman swelled up.

But sadly for her, there was no way the story of a swordsman whose mouth was blocked by chicken could reach me.

* * * * * *

An alley in District 7, where there are few people.

It is home to countless bustling cats.

Why are there so many cats here?

Even the locals around him did not know the reason clearly.

However, since when did it only become famous for having a lot of cats?

"This is a sanctuary for cats."

"is it."

A corps of various cats embroidered the streets.

In it, Sinel, with a blackbird on her head, was hugging a bag of feed.

Perhaps fascinated by the cats all around him, Sinel looked at the cats with twinkling eyes.

Considering Sinell's passion for blackbirds, there's no other place she's more than happy with.

"Then why did the boss follow you?"

"Because I was worried."

yesterday evening. I promised Sinel a short vacation.

Even if I didn't mean to, Synel has been my bodyguard for close to 24 hours so far.

when eating. Or when you go out.

Even when I slept, Sinel was firmly attached to me.

So, for today, I was going to let Shinel move as he wanted.

"… … is that so. Then there is nothing I can do."

Then why did I follow Sinel?

That's because I was worried about falling with Sinel.

Of course, it wasn't about worrying about Sinel's safety.

Naturally, I was worried that my life, which had fallen from Sinel, would be in jeopardy.

Whether or not she knew how I felt, she opened the bag of food with a small smile on her lips.

"By the way, Sinel, what are you going to do if you lose your blackbird here?"

"I believe in blackbirds."

"Well. Blackbird doesn't seem to trust you."

As if he was going to prove something, Sinel raised a finger to the top of his head.

Then the blackbird swung its front paw and struck the approaching Sinel's hand.

It was a gesture of refusal by anyone.

However, Sinell's interpretation seemed to be the opposite of mine.

"Blackbird… I high-fived it."

"...."

"After all, blackbirds don't run away leaving me."

"okay. yes."

What do you do when you run away?

I'm sure he'll be caught by Sinel who used Haste anyway.

Rather, I was worried that there would be no confusion with the surrounding black cats.

Fortunately, perhaps even a little bit of affection for the past, the blackbird did not easily escape from Sinel's head.

The peculiar thing was that not only the black cat, but also the cats around us were not afraid of us.

Sinell opened the bag of food wide and started stroking the cats with his gloved hands.

"The cats here are docile."

"Surely it is. It's kind of strange."

It seemed that I wasn't the only one who felt uncomfortable.

I felt so confused, and just as I was about to observe the cats around me, I heard footsteps coming from the corner of the alley.

Tub-. Tub-. Tub-.

Slow, regular footsteps.

From over the corner, I saw an old woman walking slowly, leaning against a cane.

Although the old woman closed her eyes and stepped forward, she approached straight ahead without bumping into anything.

"Someone kept wanting to touch my eyes, but there must have been a rumor somewhere."

The old woman who was approaching us opened her mouth.

The words that came out of the old woman's mouth were unusual from the very first word.

touch your own eyes No matter who she heard, I couldn't help but ask her at the strange old woman's words.

"Did you say snow now?"

"Anyone can borrow the eyes of an animal when they get close to the mysteries of the world."

"Are you using any magic? There is no magic that I can guess."

"Even if it's fake, a human whose name is a wizard… Isn't your vision too narrow?"

It's a tone that sounds like you're out of the world.

From the outside, it seemed that he was of such age.

But what was more shocking were the words of the old woman who followed immediately.

"by the way… You are a bit of an odd person."

"… … What's special about it?"

"The gap between body and soul is so great… It's as if the two of them are at odds with each other."

After hearing the old woman's answer, I shut my mouth.

EP.49 Great Intelligence (3)

"by the way… You are a bit of an odd person."

"… … What's special about it?"

"The gap between body and soul is so great… It's as if the two of them are at odds with each other."

After hearing the old woman's answer, I shut my mouth.

So far, only one person has known who he is.

agent of mystery. He was the oldest magician and only the primordial sorcerer.

However, there is no possibility that the old woman in front of you is the agent of the mystery.

It is impossible for him to exist as a physical entity.

It's not like there's a cat or someone watching in a place like this.

"Do you see that?"

Sinel, who was petting the cat, looked at the old woman and said.

Then the old woman nodded her head and answered.

"There are things that you can only see when you get older."

"Because the boss is a special person."

"Chuckle. It might be right to say that it is special. Perhaps they don't know who the fake wizards have been looking for for a long time."

What is the true nature of the old woman?

The only clue I could guess was her tone of voice.

fake wizard. Anonymity for instant mages.

In this city full of instant mages, there weren't many people who viewed everything negatively.

"The wizards are looking for… Are you a character?"

"There is only one magic awakened by fake wizards per soul. But if there is a case where the soul is displaced in that way... You never know."

Watching the conversation between Sinel and the old woman, there was only one identity of the old woman that could be predicted.

Great intellect, Serena Edelbit.

She was the owner of a huge skyscraper called Mato.

He was also the only orthodox wizard remaining in this city.

Serena did not stop and continued the story.

The content was about false rumors that proved impossible in the content of the War City.

"Did you say double circuit? There must be one thing that scholars of the Empire have been studying for a long time."

"Double circuit… It's an unfamiliar name."

"I don't know how far the research has progressed, but for that to be possible, it probably needs someone like that young man. drag."

Why is this famous and great intellect here?

It was something that even I didn't know.

However, considering what she had said, it was clear that it had something to do with the cats here.

Serina is probably the reason why the cats here are weird.

Fortunately, the blackbird doesn't appear to have been influenced by Serena.

It was terrifying to imagine living under someone's surveillance all day long.

"Top Lord!"

As soon as Serina finished speaking, she saw the bodyguards running behind her.

They were running towards Serina, breathing heavily.

Serena Edelbit. She is the head of a magic research institute called Magic Tower.

Even though it is a horse tower, it is different from the typical horse tower reflected in hero stories.

The horse tower located in District 3 was nothing more than a beautiful high-rise building covered with glass.

However, the authority that the old woman in front of me had in magic was by no means an illusion.

"What's going on?"

"I've been looking for it for a long time! Where have you been?"

All the bodyguards who were running stopped in front of Serena.

Serena saw their appearance and asked the bodyguard who was gasping for breath in front of her.

It must have been that she left the bodyguards alone and came here alone.

If it is a factor equivalent to a great intelligence, the law is strict to protect him.

It was only natural that her bodyguards were in dire straits.

"I just came to check because there was something wrong with the eyes I had planted."

"Even so, it would be difficult if you disappeared without a word… … !"

"Ttttttt, does it make me look like a person in a big trouble just because I'm moving alone?"

"If anything goes wrong with the tower lord, the entire tower will be overturned. In the worst case, please consider that the results of the past will be in vain."

The bodyguard persuaded Serena, sweating profusely.

Nominally, even if Serina is the head of the tower, the breath of the members within it will not be small.

It was his role to move so that possible misfortunes did not occur.

Serena could not help but nodded her head as soon as possible because of the bodyguard's persistent persuasion.

"Okay, stop it. Let's just go back."

"Bring the top lord."

"It would be better to spread the rumors in moderation. Then you might be punished."

The bodyguards started moving along with Serena.

They disappeared as quickly as when they came.

As the noisy people quickly left their seats, only the awkwardness of the quiet alleyway revolved around them.

"Nya-."

"Who was it after all?"

Sinel, who was petting the cats in the silence, asked.

Some cats seemed to have already filled their stomachs, so they were sitting in a corner and dozing off.

As I watched Sinel squat down, I answered her words.

"Great intelligence. Serena Edelbit."

"Great intellect… … . That's a cool nickname."

"Have you never heard of it?"

momentary silence.

Sinel's reply was simple and clear after that.

"But I've heard of the Dark Merchant."

* * * * * *

Zone 3. The roof of the building with a view of the tower.

Spinel Cloverblum, one of the members of the Society, was leaning against the railing and looking up at the tower.

high. and advise

That was Spinel's impression of looking at the building in front of him.

A cold wind brushed Spinel's cheeks and ruffled her gray hair.

"It's been a while, Spinel."

As Spinel was looking at the tower in contemplation, a masked man appeared next to her.

Even though a person suddenly jumped out of the air, Spinel continued to look at the tower without changing his expression.

She spoke to the masked man without turning her head.

"You are the commander."

"Now you don't even show any signs of surprise."

"No matter how much you think about it, you're the only one driving that number of people."

"Do you feel it?"

The commander leaned his back against the railing.

As he left the tower behind, the entire rooftop's scenery caught his eye.

He looked behind the men hiding, but at least he didn't see anything in his eyes.

tock. Spinel's finger knocked on the railing it was holding.

A clear metallic sound echoed in their ears.

"It will vary from person to person. It's closer to feeling than seeing."

"There is no point in hiding it. I must be careful not to fight you."

"Of course you have to be careful. I'm different from the coward hiding over there."

"Don't do that too much. Because everyone has a role to play."

As Spinel snorted, a tongue-knuckle resounded.

It wasn't the sound of the commander next to her.

Someone hiding somewhere on the roof was blatantly poking his tongue so that Spinel could hear it.

Thinking about the distorted expression on the invisible guy, the corners of Spinel's lips naturally rose.

"Is this stupid research going well?"

"It is sad to deny people's efforts in that way."

"It's stupid, right? You're a wizard who uses two magic at the same time, so if you want to be that kind of thing, you've got to be an orthodox wizard."

It was an impossible story even though Spinel himself had brought it out.

It was nothing more than saying anything to provoke the opponent.

However, the commander did not fall for her provocation.

Rather, he calmly replied with a nonchalant look.

"If possible, I don't think that would be too bad."

"In the end, I will die by that guy who is the emperor."

"Aren't there exceptions like the great intellect?"

"Then what do you do? In the end, we are destined to die."

A request that Spinel recently received from his Heir.

It was to get rid of Serena Edelbit in the tower.

The Heir doesn't care about that method.

It was enough just to somehow fulfill the request of the successor.

The reason she was here today was to conduct a preliminary investigation into the attack on the tower.

"Come to think of it, I heard an interesting story a while ago."

"An interesting story?"

Spinel looked at him at the commander's story, who immediately changed the subject of the conversation.

It's a thick mask that looks stuffy whenever you look at it.

A playful voice came from behind the mask whose expression was unknown.

"One of the subordinates who had infiltrated the Lesser suffered."

"Well, because the other party is Lessor Industries. It must be natural."

"But it was because of the bounty hunter."

"… … Why is the bounty hunter out there?"

Resert Industries is famous for its tight security.

So, it is understandable that he was attacked by the guards of Lessert Industries.

However, the fact that he was attacked by a bounty hunter was a strange situation.

"I looked behind me and there was a man called the Dark Merchant. While handling sensitive information, it appears that you are also a bounty hunter."

"The Dark Merchant… … ."

Hearing the familiar tinnitus, strength entered Spinel's hands.

The Dark Merchant, Percival Smith.

Her younger brother is an information merchant.

I thought it would be more useful than I thought, so I erased the debt without killing it.

However, it was a spinel that he could not have imagined that he would ever hear that name from the mouth of a commander.

"I'm sure he'll get in his way someday. I'm thinking of cleaning it."

"...."

"Do you know anyone?"

"any."

"I'm glad I told you in advance. I would have been scolded by you if I had dealt with it without saying anything."

Clearly Percival was a capable man, she thought.

That being said, that doesn't make it an excuse for all actions.

Will I have to save him? Or should he be left alone?

Spinel, who had been thinking carefully, said to the commander.

"Wait for disposition. I will prove it."

"What proof are you talking about?"

"I will mobilize the Dark Merchant for this operation."

"The Dark Merchant in operation… … ?"

"okay. We are using the information of the dark merchant to attack that."

Spinel's gaze returned to the tower again.

The building in the moonlight was shining brilliantly.

Among the city's densely packed skyscrapers, the skyscraper's wizard muttered to himself.

"It's still okay. If it's useless, you can just kill it then."

EP.50 Parallax (1)