Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Primrose Path
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[...]
The guy wasn't talking.
"You're really testing my patience."
I knew the limits of mind-manipulation magic.
Contrary to popular belief, leaving half the consciousness intact was more effective for getting answers than wiping it out completely. Not that I could do that in this situation.
And yet...
'I'm just acting on instinct over and over.'
My fists were itching for it.
Must be the drugs. If I cracked his skull any more here, he might actually die.
"Let's change the question. I've already got a pretty good idea who I'm about to meet anyway. So, are you the one who brought me here?"
He shook his head.
"If not, is there someone inside this pleasure house who's tampered with the Imperial Second Academy? Shake your head if you don't know."
He shook his head again.
I let out a light chuckle and tried to rein in my patience.
'Ah, he might not know.'
I took a deep breath.
He had to know. Why would they drag some clueless bastard into this?
Well, it wouldn't take long to find out.
I'd just look into it myself.
"What do you do here? Do you handle the money or not?"
He didn't understand the expression.
I slammed his head into the table one more time and asked. The splatter of pooled blood hitting the floor echoed amplified in my ears.
"Do you have authority over the money in this place?"
"Uh... uhh...."
He shook his head frantically.
I already knew he was just a powerless thug. So, let's organize what I need to investigate.
I grabbed his hair and thought for a moment.
'First, I can't find out who planted the magic at the Imperial Second Academy. So, I need to track down his superior...'
I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet.
There was a sound like air bursting from his throat. Even so, survival instinct kicked in, and he managed to steady himself.
"Take me to the highest-ranking guy in this building right now."
[...]
"Take me to the one who can fire you."
Only then did his legs start moving slowly.
He really was a bit dim. Or maybe just oblivious.
Even with his brain soaked in drugs and thinking sluggish, he was worse off than me.
'Hmm, the photo...'
No point since I'd be turning back time anyway.
I stomped the artifact to pieces and kicked open the door ahead.
And the moment the door opened, a blast of blue mana rushed at me.
Bang! Kwang—!
The top hinge broke, and the wooden door started to tilt drunkenly.
'Fast.'
Even with the soundproofing spell up.
They must take a door opening as a sign of trouble.
"S-Stay still!"
Someone gripped a wand with both hands and yelled.
Pushing aside the thought that they were total amateurs, I forced my drooping eyes open and scanned his appearance.
'A Newtype as a guard?'
Or an Oldtype who could use magic?
Either way, unfortunate for him. He seemed to know one of him couldn't stop me—his wand-holding hand was trembling.
I shoved the near-corpse manager, who'd taken the brunt of the guard's magic, forward.
"Lead the way."
Kwang—!
"Kuhuk...!"
I threw the mage against the wall, knocking him out, and kept walking.
People who rushed out at the commotion gasped and plastered themselves against the walls.
Aside from the mage I'd just tossed, everyone visible so far was Oldtype girls.
'They minimized surveillance staff because of the investigation.'
I tilted my head as I checked their faces.
That explained the ragtag crew.
They'd only stationed disposable trash here as managers. Even this one would pull out now that the investigation was resuming.
I didn't have much time.
There had to be a real reason they brought me here. One problem: this manager was walking too slow, beaten to a zombie-like crawl.
"Hey. Just tell me where your boss's office is."
The moment I pointed my wand at the manager's throat, someone shouted from the side.
"Fifth floor, next to the elevator!"
"Hey...!"
"......"
I turned toward the voice.
An Oldtype about Luca's age was blinking wildly at me.
She looked a bit regretful after speaking, but it seemed more from fear.
People with some consciousness left were more helpful than those totally wiped out.
'Next one I meet, I'll take half their mind.'
Verification would be iffy, but with the right setup, what couldn't I do?
I smiled and greeted her before speaking.
—Enter through the narrow gate.
I snapped my fingers to release the spell before they collapsed.
Now, no one here would remember her telling me anything.
Even that Oldtype girl looked around in bewilderment.
I shoved the manager toward the elevators.
The lighting grew dimmer with each iron fire door I passed.
No more wooden floors or walls.
I opened the fourth fire door and saw a dead end wall blocking the way.
To the left was a classic iron-cage elevator. I poked my head in and looked up.
'Hmm...'
First, block the escape.
Copper flooring visible way up.
That must be the fifth floor.
I gripped the bars and pushed mana through.
Kwang—clang!
The elevator floor ripped with a screech.
I took care not to fall and fired another burst of mana.
Bang—screech—
Rumble—
The elevator plummeted at terrifying speed.
Kwaaang—!!
[!]
The noise was so loud even the corpse in front of me twitched.
Grateful the sound was muffled for me, I led him to the stairs.
From first to second floor, the air was changing even as we climbed slowly.
"......"
Then I stopped at the third floor.
The moment I raised my hand, something black jolted between the upper railings.
Kwaaang—!
Something needle-like tumbled across the barrier and bounced off.
Breathing held above.
"Isn't a tranquilizer dart overkill for people?"
I muttered and dashed up.
'Four of them.'
Hesitant people came into view.
The one who looked like a gangster in green, decked out in gold necklaces and gaudy jewelry, was obviously the boss. Plain-robed mages around him aimed wands at me in panic.
Kwaaang! Rumble—bang!
I held the barrier until their magic stopped, then hurled it at them.
"Uh, uh!"
"Aaak!"
Spending more time on them was a luxury. I grabbed the boss Oldtype by the collar.
"W-Wait. Just five more minutes and...!"
—Yahweh will not guard the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
He fell asleep instantly.
They'd laced the air before I arrived—too late to control it now.
A strange scent started entering through my nose.
It smelled like the first air I'd breathed here, but it hit different now. No mystery why.
'The addictiveness is no joke.'
Earlier, it was just pain since it was new. Newtype bodies adapted too damn fast.
'Well, this much is whatever.'
Pleroma was yawn-worthy compared to this.
Anyway, I hadn't come to beat him to death—just to ask a few questions. Those few would be the most crucial gains.
I sat beside him with a gentle smile and grabbed his collar.
—Enter through the narrow gate.
Infusing divine power, his eyes slowly opened. The boss's eyes widened as he realized who held his collar.
"Five minutes, right?"
[...]
"You'll have to wait five hours for your backup to arrive. You know that? You can't call them right now."
[...]
Even obvious bullshit filled his eyes with fear.
The brainwashing had taken hold.
"Let's play truth or dare. Do you know how warp magic ended up in my room?"
"N-No, I don't know. Th-That's not my department...."
No time.
I cut him off.
"Fine. So, did your side decide to grab me first? Not your backup requesting it?"
"W-Well... I know it's ambiguous...."
He rolled his eyes and nodded.
I drew mana into my hand. Red mana splashed around.
"What do you want to go through for five hours? Got some guts."
"Aaak! I'll talk!"
"Spit it out fast."
He caught his breath and blurted it out.
"Th-The talk about wanting to meet you came from them first, about a month ago... as far as I know. We just heard Lord Nikolaus visited the palace, and among Duke Elias's people, there happened to be the one they wanted...."
Rambling, but I got the point.
"So, who are 'we'? Who exactly ordered this?"
"Probably the Chairman..."
"Chairman? Name?"
"We don't know either."
I eased the pressure in my eyes, and his face went white.
"I really don't know. Honest...! I've worked this district a long time but never met him once!"
"......"
Wrap this up and move on.
One thing nagging me. Maybe the most important question.
The drugs kept trying to fog my mind, but I pinned it down and fully stripped his consciousness.
"Hey. You got notified and proceeded with the job, right? Did you meet the notifier in person for orders this time?"
He shook his head.
"Written correspondence then?"
"......"
"Artifact transmission?"
"......"
"Or through some intermediary, person or animal?"
He still shook his head.
Only one possibility left.
"Ah.... No way?"
I couldn't hold back the snickering laughter.
Perfect timing—the clock struck the hour.
I pulled his collar close for the last question, whispering my deduction.
"......"
He nodded.
I stood up immediately.
"Thanks for the good info."
Now to prepare.
Even if I could flip everything, I had to wait. Even if my temper flared, hold it.
I could turn back time, so I could endure anything. No—I had to.
When would I get another chance like this?
Let's see who wanted me here bad enough to drag me.
Drip—
Then, footsteps from behind. Someone had warped in.
"This. We asked you to come prepared...."
—Blessed are those who hope to find peace amid the sea of temptation!
Not scripture.
The Faust quote after so long made me chuckle lightly.
'Yeah.'
Doesn't suck to bail.
A group that could operate without a care for Ascanien or Hohenzollern.
Yet not fully dominating politics, so they couldn't dodge seizures or investigations.
Pointed to one group perfectly.
Primrose Path's backers were Pleroma.
I felt my eyes close as their magic hit and collapsed.
* * *
'...more.'
[Must be properly hooked.]
Wait, more what?
Someone was flipping my eyelids.
[We'll have to tone down the effect for Primrose Path supply. Even so, didn't expect a Newtype—Ascanien no less—to lose his mind this bad....]
[No. Leave it like this. With addictive stuff, hit 'em hard from the start for the win.]
Pleroma.
Wearing full Roman Catholic bishop robes, but Pleroma insignia on his necklace.
He muttered after saying that.
[Who knows what'll happen. The ones selling opium in the East chose wrong too. They had mages but damn British are just arrogant....]
[They pulled out in the end, so you're right. So, what's his quality?]
[You know too.]
Something jabbed into my arm.
Felt like drawing blood. I seized the moment to snap awake. The blood scent cleared my head a bit.
Now the thought I should've had earlier hit me.
'Pupil reflex should've kicked in?'
They missed it—must look like I still hadn't come to.
Perfect. Time to observe.
The Pleroma smeared blood on his finger and muttered.
[This one's a lock. Our diocese has to take him.]
"......"
He'd been in bishop robes earlier.
Meeting a Pleroma bishop again.
But these weren't Osnabrück diocese faces.
Another diocese, and not the bishop—likely auxiliary or assistant. Coming personally to this dump suggested as much.
More than that...
'Take him?'