Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 010
Chapter Title: The Mole on the Shoulder #5
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Clack, clack—.
Hammer's footsteps were loud.
Clank—.
Felix couldn't muffle his presence easily either, thanks to the sounds from his sword and gauntlets.
What about Hermit?
"Hoo, hoo...."
"Hey, breathing like that will get us all caught."
"...Then what am I supposed to do? I've never tried breathing quietly."
She didn't even know how to silence her breathing in the first place.
In the end, I was the only one who could move through this place quietly and stealthily.
"Yor, you're right that the cultists up ahead have poor eyesight and are sensitive to noise. Someone as quiet as you could probably pull it off without getting caught... but are you really sure you can handle it alone?"
"If it seems impossible, I can just turn back midway. Just tell me where to go after I grab the hat."
"Got it. I'll mark everything on the map."
Hammer pulled out a handkerchief.
He dipped his finger in the octopus monster's blood and circled spots on the map.
"There's only one exit around here, this one. The other one's underground, but that university basement is seriously dangerous, so we never go there. Use it as a last resort if you really think you're done for."
"Got it! Alright, I'm heading out now. It's just a head rolling around, so I should catch up quick if I hurry."
Hoo—.
I steadied my breath lightly and set off.
Only after turning the corner where no one could see me did I whisper softly.
"Ashibar. You there?"
【Kehehe, yes. A quiet place like this is best if you wish to summon an idol.】
Whoosh—.
Ashibar approached me, cloaked in black mist.
He looked like a dwarf clutching his own severed head.
Still as surreal as ever.
"That skill you showed me before, Black Foot. I can buy it now, right?"
【Yes, but I don't recommend it right now.】
"What? Why not?"
【My blessed one. You can easily shake off these dumb seafood hosts. You don't need Black Foot at all.】
"You're not scamming me, are you?"
【Kehehe, I want to do business with you long-term. Would I really make you trip in this tentacle pit? Never! Trust me!】
Talking to Ashibar felt just like dealing with a con artist.
And right when I started getting suspicious, Ashibar let out his kehehe laugh.
【Still such a suspicious kid. Good thing—suspicious ones live longer. Convincing you is my job. Give me your tentacles, and I'll give you Black Eye.】
"Black Eye?"
【Eyes that see better in the dark. Eyes that clearly perceive objects in sunless basements or starless nights. How about it? This is better for now.】
Sounds good just from the description.
But I was puzzled that the trade item was Octopus tentacles.
"These tentacles... are they valuable or something?"
【What would anyone do with those? But I like them. Great chewy texture. Remember, blessed one—idols like me can trade based on personal tastes, not just Ether.】
I offered Ashibar about 100 Octopus tentacles I'd hoarded.
He lifted his severed head and spat right into my eyes—pth!
"Ew, gross!"
He really did scam me after all?
I'd just wiped the spit on my sleeve when—
Fwaaah—.
When I opened my eyes, the world looked much brighter.
With this, I might actually pull it off.
"Even so, couldn't you bless someone in a more gentlemanly way, you jerk?"
So where do I go to find the hat?
As I pondered, my enhanced eyes caught a trail of blood smeared across the floor—drag, drag, drag.
It must be from the one-eyed guy's severed neck.
Finding such a precious clue already—talk about good luck.
Without Ashibar's Black Eye, I might have overlooked it.
Glad I stocked up on those tentacles!
Shhh—.
Ashibar scattered like smoke as he spoke.
【But remember, blessed one. Idols are capricious beings. Those who summon us empty-handed may pay a heavy price....】
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind!"
The blood trail led underground.
Hammer had said not to go underground.
But I'm not one to follow orders like that.
"Naglhatan."
"Waluwalu—."
"Narbalda."
Stairs and corridors leading underground.
Occasionally, monsters muttering incomprehensible languages would pop out.
But if I held my breath and tiptoed stealthily, even right up behind them, they never noticed me chasing them.
Maybe I really didn't need Black Foot after all.
The real threats were the glass shards scattered on the floor and tripwire traps everywhere.
A corridor without a single lit torch.
Without eyes that shone unusually bright in the dark, I'd never dare walk here.
'Ashibar, I was gonna chew you out for not mentioning extra fees for each use of Star Key. I'll let it slide this time.'
I inwardly threatened the invisible Ashibar.
After walking a while, I spotted a pointy-hatted head rolling around the basement—tumble, tumble.
'Found you, you thieving bastard!'
You dare steal our mage's hat?
It's got all her valuables inside.
Because of thieves like you, even an upstanding guy like me gets a bad rep.
I crept up to it stealthily, even more stealthily, holding my breath quietly....
"......"
Snatch!
I grabbed the pointy hat off its head.
"Waluwalu waluwalu waluwalu waluwalu—."
But.
Unlike what I'd expected—a huge racket—it just kept babbling nonsense.
A quick glance showed its already ugly face melting into something inhuman, like sloppy seafood.
Ugh, fuck. Does staying long in this university turn you into this?
No wonder street thieves and universities don't mix.
Whatever. Hat acquired.
'Now just head to the exit.'
Flutter—.
I unfolded the map.
Problem.
'What the hell is this?'
Maybe from the damp, humid air?
The handkerchief map was smeared everywhere—the exit mark was unrecognizable.
Shit. We're screwed.
A chill ran down my spine.
Just moments ago, this basement felt hot.
Now the temperature plummeted in an instant.
'Get it together. The exit's gotta be around here somewhere.'
Luckily, the basement wasn't that big.
Packed with thick iron doors—probably old prison cells—but whether misfortune or fortune, my familiarity with prisons let me sneak through the underground facilities discreetly.
'Basement prisons usually have ventilation shafts like this. Just big enough to crawl through.'
Crawling through one, I spotted a closed iron door.
Unlike the empty, open cells, this was the only shut one.
A street creed I'd heard suddenly came to mind.
—Closed things have a reason.
Valuables are usually beyond them.
So I cautiously approached the bars and shoved a lockpick into the keyhole.
「Unlock the lock?」
「Consumes 1,000 Ether」
「Success rate: under 1%」
Click—.
The lock disengaged.
Under 1% success rate, yet it worked on the first try—twice now.
'Lucky me.'
Soon, my eyes beheld a room surrounded by pitch-black stone walls.
And on the floor, a circular pattern glowing with a strange hum—uuung.
'Where have I seen that before?'
I pulled a book from my bag.
It was the one Hermit had shown me: The Key to Magic and Prayer.
As I flipped through the book I'd seen last night—
"Well, what do you know. A stylish guy with all his limbs intact has come to see me."
Flinch—!
Only then did I notice someone in the room's corner.
An octopus monster!?
I hastily went for my dagger but froze at the clank clank—chains binding her hands and legs.
A person shackled to the wall by arms and legs.
Her face was wrapped in bandages, but compared to her gaunt frame, her chest was ample.
'A woman.'
Damn it. How pathetic are men?
Even in a situation like this, my eyes go to her chest.
All because I've got no experience with women.
Maybe it'll get better once I'm used to them.
In the pitch darkness.
I felt like she was staring right at me.
She scanned me from head to toe, then eyed the book.
"Ohhh. That's my book. Are you here seeking my teachings?"
"...Your book?"
"Yes. I am Estelle, author of The Key to Magic and Prayer."
What? Real or fake?
Then my Black Eye caught her shoulder peeking from her ragged clothes.
A white star-shaped mole.
"O, oooh?"
I flipped the book around, checking the diagram of a nude woman with arms outstretched in a shape.
White star-shaped mole on the left shoulder.
"Ooooh?"
"So, what teaching do you seek, venturing into this sinister building's basement? I hope it's not some ordinary question. You're the first hero in ages to reach here by toppling that golem—."
"Golem?"
"Yes, the monster guarding the upper floors. The university's watchman. Boss monster."
"Oh, that!"
"Hmm??"
Her eyes gleamed oddly in the dark.
Damn!
That's when I realized my fatal flaw.
I have a hard time lying in front of pretty women.
The bigger their chest, the more honest I get!
"Looks like you slipped in here without even beating the golem. Not a hero—a thief. How amusing~."
Thieves are cockroaches.
Women see a thief lurking in the shadows and scream like they've spotted a roach, grabbing slippers to beat him senseless.
What if this woman Estelle screamed too? Things could get messy, so I gripped my dagger hilt tight—
"Could it be you read my hidden book Shadow Step somewhere in this university?"
"The one that quiets footsteps?"
"Yes."
I'd wondered why a magic university had a thief skillbook.
She'd hidden it.
"There's a gem I want somewhere in this university. But the Pope's guards are so vicious, I needed to sneak around. That's why I got that book with such difficulty."
"Aren't mage skills useless for thieves?"
"True. Utterly useless. That's how I ended up locked up like this~. It was so boring I felt like dying. Then you show up—how entertaining."
I've been jailed plenty, so I get it.
Sometimes, rotting alone in a dark solitary cell hurts worse than getting beaten.
"Well then, my disciple. Any more questions?"
Hold up.
What? Disciple?
"...When did I become your disciple, Estelle?"