12 Breaking in to the Detaining Area

[Used Orb of Concealment(?)]

[Aura of Concealment activated]

[Time Remaining: 9 minutes 59 seconds]

[Cooldown Timer: 19 minutes 59 seconds]

This Orb has a question mark on its name when recognized by my System. There must be some secret about its true use and even with my Adaptability, I couldn't crack it. I wonder. Usually this just meant that the level of my ability is lower than the minimum so I'll try again when my Adaptability leveled up.

"Do you know the way to the possible detaining area?"

Since we're both concealed by the orb, only both of us can see each other.

Zerina followed behind me as we traversed the corridor leading to the main manor. Because of that Pledge, for the meantime, we'll be working together. I can't help her leave without meeting up with Reinys and company.

"Yes. But this concealment, if we're not careful, it will vanish on its own. It depended on your own World Energy. Since you're weaker than me, your reserves must be smaller than mine."

Ah. I don't think so. I have unlimited World Energy in my arsenal as long as I'm here in this world. But still the max time it showed was 10 minutes. Then 10 minutes cooldown, since it's ticking down even if the aura is currently active.

"Don't worry. I'm someone not from this world. I have my ways. The concealment aura will stay for the next 10 minutes."

"Eh? I can only hold it up to 3 minutes and that's even exhausting my World Energy that I wouldn't be able to fight. Are you a monster?"

Now that we're outside I could finally see how Zerina looked like. And well, do I need to be surprised? I was kind of hoping for this but she's on par with that Princess. She's sporting a long golden hair. It's truly golden, not just blonde. She's taller than me for half an inch but that's because of her heeled sandals.

"How can a monster be as weak as me? I told you I have my own ways. How can I support Yuko if I don't have one?"

"That does make sense."

Turns out Zerina is an Adept Knight. Her father wanted her to be a Wizard but she wanted to be like her mother, a former Great Knight. Her weapon choice were two short swords. One of those touched my neck earlier.

Zerina moved in front of me, leading the way to the main manor. This concealment aura is a bit formidable. She told me that as long as it's not a Master-class, they wouldn't detect the abnormality even if we pass through in front of them.

But considering I'm using it to its maximum output, maybe even a Master-class will fail to detect us.

When we reached the door to the main manor, Zerina made us both stop. It's still 7 minutes before the concealment aura wears off, she told me that it's enough if what I heard about where they were detained was correct. The 3rd Lady is a Great Wizard, we're no match against her but against Reinys or Caila, she'll surely lose.

Because of the commotion made by Yuko who showed up at the City Square more Great-class were sent to stop her.

It looks like Yuko has an item in her possession that can remove the influence of the Priest on people below Great-class and that alerted that false Priest that he himself led 5 Great-class to stop her.

I don't know the authenticity but if it's Yuko, it's possibly true or she's just using that to bait out the big fish. She must have received some teaching from the Principal. That old man can be crafty if need be. With his ability, it's possible to look into her daughter's future and warn her about it. True, that his ability has its flaws but just like how my Adaptability has a high potential, his Clairvoyance couldn't just be a Prophetic ability to sense the impending danger of worlds or the location of the future Heroes.

Ah. My high clarity worked on its own again. But it's possibly true. Well, we really need to hurry. Yuko is using herself as bait, I don't want to make her wait.

We passed through the door and arrived at the left-most side of the main manor. Even without concealment there are only the lowest level of Dark Soldiers patrolling the area.

Zerina, being a resident of this manor, knew her way to the possible detaining room.

"If they are being detained, they're probably at that place."

"Lead the way. There's still 5 minutes."

After passing through corridors and Dark Soldiers, we arrived at a staircase leading downstairs. The time we have left is less than 3 minutes

"Dungeon?"

"No. It's just a detaining place for the children of the House."

Eh? What kind of Noble House is this? They have their own prison for their children.

"I guess you were a regular there."

Zerina turned back and glared at me but she didn't say anything. It's true then.

"Don't be mad. I don't know your circumstances but you being a regular means there won't be a problem for us to leave with your help."

"Please, I don't need that kind of praise."

Zerina started descending the stairs, there were torches on the walls which made the way bright.

"You're surprisingly cute when you're mad."

"Don't flirt with me. I don't have a choice but to trust you."

I'm not flirting with you. But yeah it does sound like that if I suddenly called her cute. Well, Yuko compared to Yuko, I guess she's only a level below.

"Right. I'm currently weaker than you so I guess I will not catch your eye."

"You. I didn't know you're this kind of man. Do you love teasing girls like me?"

Zerina turned her head again, but now she's kind of blushing. Didn't she have experience on this kind of thing? Being a noble daughter and all.

"Not really it's just I haven't seen you smile yet. I wanted to catch a glimpse of that."

Being this tensed when we're about to plunge into the unknown, I wanted her to ease up even for a bit.

"Now's not the time. Please be serious, Mr. Support Character."

Right. I should stop. At least it lightened the mood between us. Since we left that room, we're both covered not only in the aura of concealment but also of seriousness.

"Sorry."

"No. Thank you. I understood what you're getting at. These past few days were hard for me. Thank you for showing up, Daisuke.

This girl. She watched her family die. It's already amazing that she didn't break from it.

"Well, it might be fate but that's unexplainable. Meeting you made it easier for me as well. I even got this orb."

"Take care of that. And your pledge to me."

We reached the bottom of the stairs and there are rows of empty rooms lined up before us. At the end of the corridor were two Dark Soldiers standing guard. Luckily the 3rd Lady isn't here. We have a chance. But the concealment will soon run out. 1 minute.

"These rooms were made with the intention to teach us lessons. World Energy couldn't enter the room and it will slowly drain them of it so even if they're Great-class, they have no way of breaking out. And that Priest or that Lady probably turned them unconscious before detaining them."

"So we have to break them out ourselves?"

Zerina's theory is possible. Otherwise that princess won't take being detained lying down. Yuko was probably brought to a real prison worse than here but she had something that could let her out anytime she wanted. She saw from her Foresight that I would soon contact her so she waited before breaking out. That girl. She's truly experienced.

"Yes. But those two. They're both Adept-class. I can handle one but can you hold off the other one?"

"You're talking with the Ultimate Support Character. If it's just stalling for time, I can do that."

I have many ways to stall. Just one Adept-class, as long as he doesn't hit me, I'll be fine.

"Then, don't die, Daisuke. At least until you completed your pledge."

"Don't worry, I don't plan to die here in this world. I still have things I want to do, maybe seeing you get out of here safely is already included in it. Make sure you don't die as well."

Zerina took in what I said as a single line of tear run down from her left eye. After that, a smile formed from her lips.

"Thank you for your words, Mr. Support Character."

"There. That's good, you smiled. Let's get them out of here."

Right after I said that, the concealment aura enveloping us disappeared.

Without waiting for the two to notice us. I fired an Air Bullet to the right one while Zerina threw one of her short swords towards the left one.

Both hit by surprise attacks, the right one who was hit by me recovered immediately. Pulling out his sword, he jumped and closed the distance between us.

As if I'd let him hit me!

I immediately used Flash Step to move back and dodge him.

Zerina followed up her attack and thrust her other short sword to the still recovering Adept-class Dark Soldier.

Now that I got the focus of this guy, I couldn't watch what will happen next on Zerina's side, I have to get away so she could finish the other guy without any worry.

Only focused on dodging and escaping for a few seconds to buy time, I mostly roll around the ground. Gaining bruises all over. If not for my Adaptability, I would've died 10 times over already.

With a kick on the ground, I once again left the range of my opponent's attack.

But before I landed, a dagger was thrown towards me. Being airborne, I didn't have any way to dodge that so I forced my body to turn sideways.

Enduring the upcoming attack, I let it lodge into my shoulder.

"Huak!"

I couldn't help but drop down to the ground. Seeing that, the Adept-class smiled as he walked towards me.

He was about to finish me off when a blade appeared in the middle of his chest. 

Zerina arrived at my rescue at the right time. Her smiling face when the Dark Soldier dropped to the ground greeted me.

That made me laugh as well as sigh in relief.

It's really hard to be thrust in this kind of situation when I'm still a newbie. I need to become stronger faster. Even stalling for time turned me into this mess.

"Thanks Zerina."

"You did well stalling for time."

She put her hand in front of me to take. I took it and I got pulled up by her. Because of my exhaustion, my body was unstable which made me fall towards her.

"You! Are you taking advantage of this situation!"

Thinking I did it on purpose, Zerina almost pushed me back down to the ground.

"No. I couldn't help it. I'm weak all over."

Clinging to her like this, it really looks like I am taking advantage of her but yeah, I'm telling the truth. When the tension got released, the strains I got from all that dodging on kicked in now.

"Make more excuses, Daisuke. Let's get them out and leave."

"You go, I really can't walk."

Zerina held onto my body and when she determined I really couldn't move a muscle, she finally believed me. After putting me down on the ground, she took something out from her pocket. It looks like a potion, no, it is a potion.

She opened the bottle by herself and since I couldn't move, she helped me drank it. Looking at her somewhat embarrassed face while helping me, I determined that this girl really didn't have any experience with men. With her trembling hands, she held onto the bottle as she poured the potion in my mouth.

She put me down and hit my chest lightly before moving to the room where the three were detained.

This fate of being the Support Character. When will I escape this? Ah. Maybe there's no escaping this.