Wind of the Plague (7)
"Junon could get out by himself? How?"
"I know the guy's amazing, but he can't even use mana right now. Not with this thing on." Noel tapped the bracelet around his wrist in disbelief, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
Yet, much to their dismay, Cain had hit the mark.
"Wait... what...?"
"What's going on?! Hey! Say something!"
"Just as I thought...!"
The mana rising from Junon's fingertips took the unmistakable, distinct shape of Magic Armament—a sight all three of them knew intimately.
"Just like Cain said, I can get out. As long as I use this to tamper with the magical mechanisms inside this cellar."
"That's awesome! Then let's bust through that door right now, grab the others, and—"
We can escape this basement together. That was undoubtedly what John had been about to say. But unlike John and Noel, who were already celebrating, Junon eyed the obvious solution with suspicion.
"Noel, have you stopped to think about why the Sirens saved us in the first place?"
"Well... weren't they in danger too? We took out all those Scourges over there, after all."
"Wrong." The Sirens had already been holding off the vermin using their barrier. Driving the swarm away might have been impossible, but simply enduring was entirely within their capabilities.
John chimed in, tossing out another theory. "Could they be planning to use us as meat shields to buy time if things go south? Maybe that's why they locked us in the cellar."
"Wrong again." If they intended to buy time with human shields, they would have abandoned the students from the start and fled north. The fact that they hadn't proved John's theory was equally baseless.
That left one person.
After turning the gears in his head, Cain finally spoke up.
"...You mean you already have an idea of what's going on, Hyung-nim. If the Sirens hadn't stepped in, we definitely would've been wiped out."
"Right."
That was closest to the truth.
The Sirens had zero reason to welcome humans under any circumstances. Harboring deep-seated resentment toward mankind, they could have easily watched with satisfaction as the students were slaughtered, or lured the beasts' attention onto the humans before slipping away. Yet they had saved them. Not only had they pulled them back from the brink of annihilation, but they had also sheltered them inside a barrier the vermin couldn't breach. Even if it was confinement, they had provided a safe place to rest—and whoever had arranged that clearly had an agenda.
At the center of it all was undoubtedly Senia.
As good as the sole bridge connecting them to the Sirens, she was currently among them. That left only one clue: whatever trick had been pulled, someone had tampered with the bracelets so that exactly one person could act freely.
And if that person is me...
Junon rose to his feet and crushed one of the magic circles maintaining the room's seal with his Magic Armament.
"Junon? What are we supposed to do, then?"
"Are we all breaking out to talk things out? What's the plan? Say something!"
Striding deliberately toward the door, Junon stepped out and immediately pulled it shut behind him.
Click.
"N-No way..."
"He didn't just lock it, did he...?"
Someone rattled the handle in disbelief, only for the heavy, enchanted latch to clunk firmly into place from the outside.
Needless to say, Junon had locked them right back in.
"You guys stay put."
"What?!" they shouted in unison.
"Sit tight and don't cause any trouble. I'm not abandoning you."
"I-It really is locked! Hey! Hey, Junoooon!"
"Why do you always do this to us?!"
"..."
I'll leave John and Noel's wails to you. Hang in there, Cain.
Meanwhile, Senia, Nella, and the Siren Elder were gathered in a separate room.
They had assembled to discuss the rescue of the humans, how to handle them moving forward, and, most importantly, the unexpected behavior of Chir.
The Elder, of course, had not uttered a single word since they sat down. Senia had also caught on to why he remained silent. The only voices filling the room belonged to Chir and Nella.
Chir...
"No, Chir! If you don't stay still this time, I'm really going to scold you!"
"..."
Chir had been squirming as if unable to sit still, but after Nella's stern reprimand, the little creature drooped in dejection.
"Nella, it's fine. You can send him over to me."
"B-But... then Senia-unni will..."
"I'll just feed him a bit. You know how people say that once you taste meat after eating only grass, you can never forget the flavor? Chir's the same way."
Chir!
As if shouting, See, she says it's fine! Chir perked right back up. Hesitating, Nella loosened her grip and let the creature go. The lizard, looking completely rejuvenated, wagged its tail excitedly and scurried straight for Senia's lap. When Senia channeled a wisp of mana for it to feed on, the little beast looked happier than ever.
"Chir, you've had plenty. Come back here now."
Chir!
"What is he saying?"
"He's being stubborn. Saying he wants more."
Chir did eat meat, but never in large amounts. When it came to greens or meat, he merely pecked at his food without ever increasing his intake, which had caused quite a headache when they first found him. Then, after meeting Senia, the truth came to light: Chir was a rare creature that nourished himself on mana. The tiny hatchling they had discovered back when they first settled near the lake had grown until he was the length of a person's thigh.
Yet this entire spectacle was something the Sirens who raised him had never once witnessed themselves. Chir only ever reacted this way toward Senia. No matter who approached him, he never displayed such affection unless it was toward a very specific individual.
After observing him for a long time, the Sirens had reached a single conclusion: the only beings Chir responded to were Calyxes.
That is why we must observe.
There was no guarantee that Calyxes would inherently aid other races. In other words, this quiet vigil was a test.
"Hey, how long until the next meal?"
"Hm? Still got a while to wait. You barely touch your food anyway—did you suddenly work up an appetite?"
"Nah, not that. One of the humans down there has been screaming his head off, that's all."
Was that the Siren who spoke with John earlier? He had certainly seemed guarded, but considering the circumstances, his vigilance was oddly ambivalent.
If there was one glaring discrepancy, it was the loose guard rotation around the cellar. This area was essentially a settlement nestled inside the Sirens' protective barrier. If they were truly holding prisoners, the perimeter from the cellar entrance outward ought to have been locked down tight. Why were the same people who sprang into action so sharply against the demonic beasts being so careless around the humans they supposedly viewed as enemies?
It had been the same from the very beginning. Everyone else's bracelets functioned perfectly. Confined to a space where physical strength was useless and their mana was suppressed, the students should have been utterly helpless. Yet, for some reason, mine hadn't worked at all.
Was this negligence, or mere luck?
There were plenty of options on the table. I could slip away from the Sirens entirely and head back to the Principality to report what happened, or, as John and Noel suggested, attempt a jailbreak with everyone in the cellar. But could any of this truly be chalked up to sheer incompetence or a stroke of good fortune?
I... didn't think that was the answer.
"Well, I'll head back, then."
"Come on, you're on your own down there. Have a drink with me and chat a bit. The others won't be back for another half hour at least."
"I've got duties to attend to. No drinks. Keep up the good work."
The conversation wrapped up, and the guard's footsteps began to fade into the distance. Time was running short. The moment that man returned to his post, he would notice my absence, and the settlement would be thrown into chaos. But this was more than enough time.
...Now I know for sure.
The guard presence around the cellar had been lax, yes, but was the area entirely unmonitored? Far from it. That meant the person I needed to meet wasn't among these guards—it was whoever orchestrated this situation. I needed to see the Sirens' leader, not Senia.
The walk wasn't far, and with the sloppy perimeter, slipping through unnoticed proved child's play. Yes. This had been a test aimed directly at me all along.
I stood right before the entrance. Beyond this door was the architect of this test—the leader of the Sirens. Resolved to hear their exact motives with my own ears, I turned the handle and pushed the door open.
And the very next second—
Chir!
"Whoa—whoa?!"
...I was immediately ambushed by an oversized lizard leaping straight for my face.
What in the world was going on here?
"Ugh... will you stop licking me and get off?"
Chir! Chirrr!
Chir had been basking in high spirits after feeding on Senia's mana. But out of nowhere, his ears had perked up, and he had darted straight toward the entrance. By the time the door swung open, the lizard was already on top of Junon.
Senia gave the Elder a triumphant shrug. "Well, Elder? Wasn't I right?"
"...Indeed. It appears you were."
There had been no commotion outside, no shouting or alarms. In utter silence, without causing the slightest disturbance, the young man had slipped out completely on his own and walked straight into this room. Just as Senia had predicted, he hadn't attempted to harm the Sirens, nor had he tried to flee back toward the Principality. Had he attempted either, the sentries stationed throughout the grounds would have intercepted him immediately and thrown him into an actual dungeon.
Still... I have never seen that beast pounce on anyone like that besides Senia.
Could it be that this man shared the same unique nature as Senia? It seemed very likely. The odds of him being a Calyx were exceedingly high.
"Nella. We have matters to discuss. Would you mind taking Chir off him?"
"That person is..."
"Is something the matter?"
"N-No, it's nothing! Chir! I told you not to pounce on people like that!"
Did she cross paths with him before? In more ways than one, this young man brought plenty of questions to answer.