Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Spying (2)
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As soon as he stepped out of the building, Oliver focused his attention on his eyes.
A mounting pressure built up, gradually blurring his normal human vision while sharpening the black mage's sight for detecting emotions.
It felt just like gazing down at the street from the sky, with the surrounding emotions washing over him.
Without pausing, Oliver concentrated even harder and pinpointed Dominic and his men navigating the underground sewers.
Dominic was radiating intense emotions—displeasure, anger, regret, and more—which was excellent news for Oliver.
The stronger the emotions, the easier they were to track.
Oliver shadowed Dominic in that state.
Fortunately, the sewers aligned perfectly with the streets above. After traveling quite a distance, they emerged into an unfamiliar neighborhood.
It was a labyrinth of tangled alleys, stirring a vague sense of déjà vu.
Ah, right, he remembered. It resembled Area X in Randa, the place he'd visited with Joseph.
A rundown slum.
Not quite as bad as Randa's, but still dangerous. At that moment, Dominic came to a halt.
No—he was coming up.
Kiiiek—
Bam!
Dominic emerged from a massive manhole cover in a corner of the slum. Oliver ducked into an alley and muffled his presence with black magic.
Eraser Exit
Stealth magic based on shame
A stealth spell rooted in embarrassment, first encountered in Joseph's study. It was a vague black magic for suppressing one's presence, but surprisingly effective, according to the book.
And indeed, as the description promised, Dominic merely glanced around without detecting Oliver.
"...Huh?"
"What's wrong, Master?"
"No... nothing. It's fine."
"Still, it's a shame. I thought we'd get to do it together."
"Well, can't be helped. It's a bit off track, but things are still going according to plan. Once we deal with that holy knight, we can ride the momentum and take out that brat Oliver too."
According to plan?
One of Dominic's subordinates spoke cautiously.
"But even if it was sudden, after the Anthony Family got hit that hard... do you think it'll be easy with just us?"
"It's a matter of compatibility."
"Pardon?"
"Anthony specializes in manipulation magic... especially necromancy, which is naturally weak against holy knights. Their spells get purified too easily by holy techniques. But not us. We're using living people, not corpses, so we can resist holy magic to some extent... You've prepared the drugs, right?"
"Ah, yes... We've got the drugs, of course, and plenty of thugs ready to fight. Ever since revenue started picking up, we've been recruiting gangs steadily—no issues there."
"Good, but also a shame. I didn't gather them originally for this, but oh well, it doesn't matter."
"Even without the Joseph Family's firepower... are you sure it'll be okay?"
"Having Joseph's guys would be ideal, but we'll manage. We'll make up for the missing muscle with the doped-up gangs... Actually, this works out better. We were planning to capture Oliver anyway—now we can use that as an excuse, and no one will question me."
"Won't the Pharmacist make a move?"
"What right does a guy who just stood by and watched even when a holy knight showed up have? Even if he tries, by the time he figures it out, the board will have flipped. Think about it—no other black mages left to beg for help except us. How's he gonna come at us?"
"Ahh, of course."
"Plus, we're the only ones who can make Filterettes. Once we kill the holy knight and grab Oliver, the Pharmacist will have no choice but to obey. Sharp guy like him."
"Ooh, brilliant, Master. Turning this holy knight crisis into an opportunity."
"I agree. Killing the holy knight to boost the Family's reputation, then capturing Oliver to enslave him."
Dominic tapped his temple smugly.
"This is the true power of a black mage. Oliver's an arrogant punk, but his Filterette skills are the real deal. We'll kill off his minions, break his legs, and drag him in. Then we'll be the only ones producing those high-quality Filterettes."
"Impressive... But, if I may say so now, won't killing a holy knight create even more trouble?"
"Bribe the higher-ups through the Pharmacist. If that fails, we bail from this dump and relocate. With the prestige of slaying a holy knight and the Filterette production know-how, we can set up anywhere. Then build up strength and expand into Randa."
"Ooh...!"
The subordinates erupted in admiration at Dominic's words.
Now privy to the full scheme, Oliver simply nodded silently as he listened.
For some reason, Dominic's words felt as hollow as smoke.
What was it? They just didn't add up logically?
Yet his men were convinced, instantly buoyed with courage.
"Alright, let's move—for our great first step!"
"Yes, Master!"
Dominic and his crew slipped into the alleys.
Oliver followed suit.
But tailing them directly seemed too risky, so he opted for a parallel route.
Carefully extracting emotions, Oliver cast a targeting spell based on obsession toward the rooftop of his hiding spot, then the same on himself.
Targeting
Obsession-based tracking magic
The two spells pulled at each other like magnets, slowly lifting Oliver to the rooftop.
From there, he refocused his eyes to monitor Dominic.
Hopping between buildings, he trailed them until Dominic entered an apartment complex.
Clotheslines crisscrossed the gaps between structures—it was clearly abandoned at a glance. Yet inside the building, about twenty people had gathered.
And around the perimeter, another fifty or so lurked.
They didn't seem like mere locals; their states were off.
They brimmed with pre-battle tension or excitement.
Evidently, facing a holy knight wasn't just talk.
"Hm..."
Oliver pondered.
He'd planned to observe casually at first, but this level of preparation piqued his curiosity.
Half-reclining on the rooftop and keeping low, he extracted emotions to craft a minion.
He made it smaller than usual to avoid detection, then imbued it with 'Eraser Exit' and 'Eavesdropping Ear'.
Its presence blurred, and a pair of ears sprouted.
"Listen in on conversations as you circle around."
With that, Oliver sent the minion skittering down the shadowed wall.
Soon, snippets of chatter from around the building filtered back.
"It's really no big deal, right?"
"You heard 'em—it's just beating up some small-time punks."
"Then why're they paying so much?"
"Why do rich guys do anything? More money for us, right?"
"Still feels shady..."
"Don't overthink it. Word is, these black mages struck it rich lately and wanna expand. It's like a tryout."
"A tryout?"
"Yeah, testing if you'll follow orders and if you've got the grit to fight... They pay, give weapons and potions—what's the problem? Who big's coming to a dump like this? If you're scared, bail now. I'm here to turn my life around."
"That's not it... What's this drug supposed to be?"
"This one's for boosting strength, that one's for killing fear. No side effects if you don't abuse 'em."
"Can we trust it?"
"You forget everyone around here buys their dope from this crew? Shut up and quit whining, or piss off!"
"Fine, fine. I'll stop."
Similar exchanges echoed elsewhere.
The street thugs outside seemed clueless about the details.
A little thought would reveal the oddities, but the promise of cash and stable gang life clouded their judgment.
Fascinating—how such a flimsy ploy could fool people.
Thus, Oliver eavesdropped while waiting atop the building.
And dusk fell.
"......"
"......"
"...Ugh, cold."
"......"
"...You not cold?"
"...Shut it. The black mage said stay quiet as mice."
"Okay, okay."
"......"
As night deepened, the hired thugs exchanged sporadic murmurs while waiting.
They were bored out of their minds; some even snored.
It wasn't incomprehensible—doing nothing but waiting was tougher than it seemed.
The holy knight wasn't showing.
Right then, a suspicious presence prickled the air.
Oliver refocused his half-relaxed eyes.
In the distance, ominous emotions approached.
Twelve in number.
Not casual visitors.
All carried pre-battle tension and hype, laced with confidence in victory and a sense of leisure.
And among them, one emotion stood apart.
A form Oliver had never seen before?
Pure, crystalline conviction and self-assurance—like a blank white canvas.
This pristine emotion instantly hooked Oliver's interest, revitalizing his dulled mind and body.
What is that?
Shade Cloak
Stealth black magic cloaking presence in darkness
Oliver extracted a sliver of emotion to weave a thin, dark cloak, draping it over himself like a blanket.
A hiding spell that concealed body and aura in shadows—limited to night or dark spots, but highly efficient when conditions aligned.
Peeking out, Oliver peered below.
The thugs stirred noisily, having noticed the arrivals too.
"They're here. What the hell?"
"Don't chicken out—look how many we've got."
"Yeah, just do what they say. Hey, there's a woman with 'em."
The apparent gang leader stepped out alone to block the intruders.
"Hey, hold it. Who the hell are you?"
The strangers halted. The gang leader spoke again.
"This ain't a place for randos. Wrong turn? Head back. Got business? Come tomorrow."
The strangers showed no reaction.
"Hey, you deaf?"
Then, the woman with the uniquely pure glow stepped forward.
"Is there a black mage here?"
"...Fuck, who are you people?"
"We know all about it—the black mage here. If you're just hires, I'll offer you God's mercy to repent. Lay down your arms and kneel."
The thugs' tension shifted to anger at her words.
"...This fucking pretty face is totally nuts? Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Holy Knight Joanna of the Pater Church Seland Branch. Once more, by God's mercy: you and all the sinners around here, drop your weapons and surrender. Do so, and receive His grace."
"Oh, for real... Fuck God and all that bullshit, who the hell—"
Bang—!
A gunshot rang out, dropping the talking thug.
The bald man beside Joanna had fired.
"How dare you blaspheme God..."
The area fell deathly silent at the corpse.
But only briefly. Someone yelled.
"Ambush!"
The watching thugs charged with murderous intent.
Yet the intruders remained unflinching, utterly calm.
One shouted.
"Knight!"
Joanna displayed a flicker of sorrow, swiftly overlaying it with resolve.
"Ready Full Battle"
⟨ Holy Armament ⟩
With her incantation, radiant light enveloped everything.
All recoiled from the blinding glare. As it faded, the intruders stood clad in chainmail, plate armor, and heavy arms.
Joanna, shield and mace in hand, declared,
"In God's name, forgive their sins."