Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Mission Outside the City (2)
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Arthur discreetly issued orders to Donna and MacBoer through the communication device.
"Donna. You hang back and wait for my signal. Then head to the central crossroads in West and go into a place called Million General Store. Poke around and see what you can find. If we're lucky, it might be a rebel cooperation base. Could come in handy later."
[Got it.]
"MacBoer, send one golem this way. A... no, make it a rat pup. That'll draw less attention. Keep tracking the position and let us know. We'll follow a couple steps behind."
[Understood.]
They didn't seem like bad orders.
In fact, if all four of them chased after him in a group, the risk of getting spotted would be high. Dividing roles like this felt like the smarter play.
'Besides, neither Donna nor MacBoer specialize in close combat.'
Oliver and MacBoer waited discreetly near the general store, staying out of sight.
The communication device crackled with updates—one from Donna, one from MacBoer.
[Boss, I'm nearby.]
[Rat-golem's in position. Signal when he comes out the door. I'll tail him.]
Arthur acknowledged them.
Moments later, a man emerged from the general store carrying a basket of groceries.
He was tall, but otherwise utterly ordinary—no standout features.
"That's him."
"MacBoer. Tail the guy who just left."
MacBoer questioned the order.
[I'll do it, but is that really our guy?]
"Yeah. Why?"
"No mana signature. He's got the levels of a regular civilian."
Arthur shot Oliver a puzzled look, but Oliver replied calmly, as if it were no big deal.
"Kell Freedom... whether he's a rebel or not, I don't know. But his mana reserves are on par with most wizards. He's suppressing it, but I can see it."
"......"
Arthur and MacBoer fell silent, unable to counter Oliver's words.
After a moment's thought, Arthur spoke up.
"I'll take responsibility. Tail him."
[Got it.]
While they talked, the man with the grocery basket moved along the street, a tiny rat pup scurrying after him with a faint rustle.
It was a golem controlled by MacBoer, complete with fur—indistinguishable from a real rat unless you looked closely. Well-crafted.
"We'll follow in one or two minutes. That'll cut the risk of blowing our cover."
"Yes, understood."
Arthur used the brief wait to light a cigarette. Oliver didn't mind.
"......How'd you know?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean, I know you're a rare case who can sense mana. But hidden mana too? That's not easy."
"Hm... I've met someone who hides it even better."
"Oh? Who—"
[-Static! Boss. Come on. He's heading straight down Central Road, then veered right at the fork. Slum district now.]
The conversation cut off abruptly. But the mission came first—Arthur and Oliver moved out immediately.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Oliver asked Arthur as they went.
"Slum district—think he's hiding there?"
"That's the textbook move, but the back alleys are crawling with locals. He'd have been made last time he was here. Something's off."
Oliver and Arthur turned right into the back alley.
Not as bad as Randa's, but the city's slums still carried a desolate, dangerous vibe.
Trash littered the streets, and massive drums overflowed—people burning scraps and broken planks inside dotted the scene.
"If a fire breaks out like this, it'd be a sight."
"That'd be a disaster."
"Not necessarily. Burn it all, bulldoze the ashes, build new. Redevelopers would love it."
The communicator buzzed again.
[Keep going. Turned into the third alley. Now... huh? Sta—crackle!! .... Ah. Ah. Golem comms just cut. He spotted it.]
"Damn it...!"
Arthur bolted forward in a rage.
Oliver followed, but on foot, keeping up with Arthur's bulk was tough.
Despite his size, the man moved with surprising speed.
Only after suiting up in Black Suit could Oliver match his pace.
"Is chasing this frantically okay?"
"He knows he's being tailed now. Caution's pointless. We need to pick up the trail somehow."
Thwack—!
Arthur grabbed the alley corner wall and pivoted.
This was back-alley of back-alleys—deserted. Just a few burning trash drums and the shattered remains of the rat-golem midway.
Nothing else.
No people, no tracks, no side paths.
"Damn... scaled the wall?"
Arthur grew anxious. The communicator rang again.
[Boss. Chatted up the store owner. He hid it well, but that Northland accent slipped out. Could be coincidence, but high chance he's a rebel collaborator.]
"Then we backtrack and squeeze him for cooperation."
Spotting a new lead, Arthur shed his earlier nonchalance, grinding his teeth like a starving dog.
It reminded Oliver of the mine guards watching the kids.
Noting Arthur's dark mood, Oliver asked.
"How do you know if he's a collaborator?"
"Our rebel buys from a Northland-run shop. That's enough. He's in."
"Would that collaborator help us?"
"Nah. But doesn't matter. We convince him."
"Convince?"
"Pliers on the teeth usually does it. Know how many humans have?"
"Twenty-eight, right?"
"Spot on. Never seen one hold out past half."
"Your tone screams ex-kingdom army."
A third voice cut in suddenly. Too late to react.
Someone leaped from a burning trash drum, sword stabbing at Arthur.
"...Kuh!"
The force was immense—huge Arthur slammed against the wall in an instant.
If his reaction had been a hair slower, the golem prosthetic would've failed, and he'd have been skewered pointlessly.
This guy was no ordinary foe.
Arthur raised his other hand to smash down. Then the man's steel blade glowed red, unleashing high-output energy as it swept left to right.
Arthur's new golem prosthetic shattered, stone chunks flying limply aside.
Or so it appeared.
"Hmph!"
Arthur snorted, focusing mana on the broken prosthetic.
Shards hovered, mana linking them mid-air.
Not just that.
They halted, then reassembled via mana, lunging at the enemy.
Bang—! Bang—!!
The foe dodged back swiftly; the two prosthetics crashed like iron boulders, echoing loudly.
"Dave!"
At Arthur's shout, Oliver leaped lightly at the enemy man.
He swung the quarterstaff woven from Black Suit. Even timed with the dodge, the man landed, shifted stance, and countered.
Clang——!!
Despite full Black Suit output, the man didn't budge.
Mana-enhanced or not, his base physicals were elite—and his red-hot blade was scorching the Black Suit on the staff.
Prolonged melee would favor him.
"Hyah!"
Arthur thrust his golem prosthetic from the side.
The enemy deflected Oliver's staff, then Arthur's fist, countering in turn.
A combat master.
Red blade arcing for Arthur's head. Oliver fired a Hate Bullet in sync.
The man recalled his blade to block, then retreated.
He seemed to judge himself at a disadvantage.
"Fighting while holding back firepower is such a hassle. Can't just let you go, though... no choice..."
The man trailed off, channeling mana into his glowing red blade.
Complex spell patterns flashed in Oliver's eyes as flames from nearby drums converged and condensed on the blade.
The vicious red glow evoked molten metal—fierce, devoid of fire's warmth, pure menace.
High-output flame magic to end them in one go.
'How many Black Suit layers to block that...? Hm?'
As the man swung the amassed flames, Oliver raised a hand.
"Hold on. Any comrades nearby?"
The random question furrowed Arthur's brow beside him; the enemy paused too.
He could've ignored it, but something odd in Oliver's demeanor made him halt the incongruous attack and reply.
"...No."
"Not ours, not yours—must be a kingdom army wizard."
"What?"
"One wizard approaching fast. You seem Kell Independence Army. We're fixers from Randa. We're all in hot water if the kingdom spots us. How about we pause the fight and talk later?"
Mad rambling out of nowhere. But the man spread mana to scan, then spoke.
"...Fine."
"What the hell happened?!"
Donna and MacBoer burst into the lodging at Arthur's summons.
Arthur replied while roughly patching his golem prosthetic.
"I'm baffled too. Calm down, shut the door, and sit. This guy's got the story."
At Arthur's words, Donna and MacBoer glanced at Oliver, then sat nearby.
Donna crossed her arms.
"Alright, explain. We were chasing an enemy. Why call us back to base? And how'd he even get here? Timing doesn't add up for the distance."
Oliver held up two sheets of paper as answer—magic circles drawn on them. He channeled mana, forming a small portal.
"!! Space magic...?"
"Unbelievable..."
Donna and MacBoer gaped in shock and awe.
It spoke volumes about his spatial magic prowess.
"Just in case, I prepped these papers for our numbers here. He activated one to escape."
"Escape? Enemy that strong?"
Arthur answered.
"We tailed him, fought him, he was strong—but that's not why we bailed. Complicated... Dave?"
Oliver took the baton.
"Mid-fight, another wizard approached. We stopped and split."
"Kingdom army attaché, he figured."
"Attaché?"
"Yeah. No hard proof, but if not ours or Kell rebels, only kingdom left."
MacBoer nodded at the logic.
"Not the craziest story. They have ears like we do. Search teams shifting here isn't weird."
"You let him slip right under your nose?!"
Arthur calmed the fuming Donna.
"Easy, miss... Shockingly, this guy set up a meet."
"Boss. You're joking."
"Wish I was. No clue how, but mid-fight he talked him down, set a time. Tonight, nine PM, Million General Store on West Central."
Arthur stared at Oliver in disbelief.
The others did too—like gawking at a goblin who'd pulled off witchcraft.
Oliver savored the looks before replying.
"Figured it was best for him too."
"Forget that... what's making him show?"
"His emotions rang true when he agreed. And he cares for his comrade—the store owner. He'll come."
"......"
"......"
"......"
Arthur, Donna, MacBoer shared silent agreement, accepting it.
Oliver wrapped up.
"If he flakes, we convince the store owner and search again. With pliers."