25
Chapter 25
As soon as I called myself Black Fang, the blind girl's face filled with panic.
The girl kept hesitating before finally opening her mouth.
"......What's Black Fang?"
A perfectly natural question.
...Well, now that I thought about it, it would be stranger if she did know about Black Fang.
She had probably been captured as research material for Black Magic until now.
Wouldn't it be weirder for a Black Mage to kindly teach their sacrifice about the Empire's current affairs?
I pondered for a moment before speaking.
"An organization trying to overthrow the rotten Empire and create a world where everyone can live equally and happily...... probably."
I gave her an explanation, but honestly, I wasn't sure if this was correct.
They weren't mentioned in the previous work, nor did they appear in spoiler posts. There was no way I could know their goal.
Seeing how they constantly committed terrorist acts against the Empire, it was obvious they held a grudge against it.
However, they never actually announced any slogans or goals.
Only the Leader of Black Fang would know their true purpose.
And since I'd never build a relationship with a big shot like their Leader, their goal would remain a mystery.
But... it didn't really matter.
At the very least, I was certain they were trying to destroy the Empire and spark a revolution.
Thinking about the plot threads in the previous work, the final Boss was highly likely related to the Empire, so I'd benefit if the revolution succeeded.
I would just root for the people of Black Fang to work hard.
"Anyway, the important thing is that I came to save you."
Saying so, I patted the girl's head.
My eyes naturally drifted down to her neck. It was bound to happen.
1201.
Such a number was etched onto the girl's neck.
My expression naturally scowled.
It wasn't too difficult to deduce the meaning behind that number.
'Just how high is that bastard's lust for research?'
Since he ran a Black Market like this, he was obviously rolling in money. Still, killing a four-digit number of people was crossing the line.
I knew it was pointless to argue morals with a Black Mage, but shouldn't there be a line drawn somewhere?
A sudden sense of justice boiled up inside me.
Professional pride as a Righteous Thief welled up, telling me I should quickly confiscate the wealth of such a Corrupt Official.
But before that....
"Hold out your ankle for a sec."
Saying that, I checked the Mana Chains binding the children.
I wondered why they left the door to the Slave pen wide open. Looks like they were relying on the chains to keep them secure.
It's a pretty elaborate Spell Formula.
Breaking it by force would be impossible.
However, it didn't really matter.
Because this was a magic I knew.
'I ripped off my Master's.'
I have no idea how many times I encountered this during my multiple playthroughs.
A boring minigame.
It took too long and couldn't be skipped, earning the resentment of players, but it was a feature that was never fixed.
They say every cloud has a silver lining, and it's true that you can't predict what life will throw at you.
The Premium Edition I stupidly paid an extra 50,000 won for had become my lifeline now,
And the Dispel technique I mastered through multiple playthroughs would prove useful in the future as well.
I remembered the exact structure of the Spell Formula.
I didn't need to go through a tedious Reverse Calculation process.
It was basically like I had memorized the cheat sheet.
All I had to do was gently inject some Mana... and it was complete.
The chain formed from Mana melted away. Before long, it disappeared without a trace.
"I unlocked it, so try moving now."
At my words, the girl's face filled with confusion.
She rubbed her ankle, seemingly unable to grasp that the chains were actually gone.
Come to think of it, it wasn't surprising.
She must have been bound by those chains this whole time. She probably grew used to her captive life and resigned herself to it.
It was only natural for her to be bewildered by a freedom suddenly gained.
In this current situation.
There was only one thing I needed to do.
I took the girl's hand.
And slowly, I guided her along.
Like that, the girl stepped outside the cage for the first time.
The girl panicked for a moment, seemingly unable to process the situation...
Only to then shed endless tears.
I had absolutely no idea what kind of words of comfort I should offer.
She looked to be no older than eight at first glance.
There was no way I could comprehend the feelings of a little kid who had been locked in there, waiting for nothing but death.
But even so, I couldn't just stand by and leave her be.
I simply held her hand tight.
So that she would at least know she wasn't alone anymore.
*****
I looked at the children I had rescued. Five in total.
However, the blind girl was the only one I could actually converse with. The others nodded when I spoke, but they couldn't open their mouths.
I could more or less guess the reason.
The numbers etched into their necks.
The blind girl had been the last in line.
The children before her must have been broken by whatever happened to them.
'They were probably offered as sacrifices to a Demon.'
There was someone who did similar things in the previous work.
I suspect their very right to speak was stolen. They can't talk, but they seem to understand what I'm saying.
With that, I led the five little ones deeper into the warehouse.
While the previous area was filled with Black Magic research data and experimental Slaves, this place was filled with silver and gold coins.
If the previous area was used as a research space, this part seemed to be the actual storage.
"I'll gather as much as I can... so let's get out of here quickly!"
The blind girl, who had recovered her strength, spoke up.
I hadn't mentioned a word about coming here to steal, but she was quite quick on the uptake.
She had realized that I wouldn't be leaving until I got the item I was after.
It was admirable that she tried to help without me even bringing it up.
"But I didn't come here just to steal gold coins."
There are plenty of ways to make money.
I plan to start a Potion manufacturing business with Ms. Rubia.
Besides, how long would it take to move all this heavy stuff?
In the end, I had to pick and choose only the most valuable items.
Artifacts... and above all, I had to focus on the Holy Sword I saw earlier.
Just as I was about to tell the girl that there was something specific I needed to find..., I suddenly noticed something strange.
"How did you know there were gold coins here?"
Wasn't she blind?
When I asked in bewilderment, the girl pondered for a moment before answering.
"I'm not sure how to put it... but I can feel things even if I can't see."
What a strange kid.
A blind person who can "see" better than a normal person; I never thought I'd see such a person in reality, not just in a novel.
'Is she perhaps an important character from the original story?'
The thought crossed my mind for a second... but it was unlikely.
The odds of the protagonist following the same path as me and saving this child at just the right time were slim.
In the original work, she probably died without even making an appearance.
Having reached that conclusion, I continued walking through the warehouse... when something suddenly occurred to me.
"By any chance, could you help me find something like a broken sword?"
If she was capable of sensing the objects around her, wouldn't she be able to find the location of the Holy Sword as well?
I asked the girl that with such an expectation in mind.
But strangely enough, the pink-haired girl remained completely silent.
...I could feel the hand I was holding trembling violently.
When I turned to look, the girl's face had gone pale. A deep-seated, learned fear was visible in her expression.
My face naturally stiffened.
Because it wasn't too difficult to figure out what was happening right now.
The sound of footsteps grew steadily louder.
A white-haired old man revealed himself before us.
No, to be exact, he wasn't an old man.
The Archmage had been killed by his Disciple during the previous work's story. The Disciple who murdered his Master was simply disguised in his Master's image.
Of course, that didn't mean he was weak.
I could feel an overwhelming amount of Mana.
He must have offered a lot of sacrifices, because the effects were definitely showing.
Compared to how he looked in the previous work, I could only describe this as a massive leap forward.
I figured he'd be busy suppressing the terrorists by now, but it seemed something had gone wrong.
However.......
'Actually, this works out better.'
The man glared at me intently.
An overwhelming pressure washed over me.
But I didn't back down, stepping forward to meet him instead.
It wasn't like I was doing this because I was certain of my victory. Even if I used the plan I had in mind, my odds of winning were probably fifty-fifty at best.
'But it doesn't matter even if I lose.'
It was only natural.
Because the Amulet Ciel gave me was still hanging around my neck.
The moment I sustained even a single injury, those two would immediately rush to my side through the shadows.
A reasonably strong opponent.
Guaranteed safety.
In other words, it was the perfect opportunity to gain some real combat experience.
"Who are you."
The man asked, his eyes gleaming fiercely.
But I didn't particularly need to answer him.
I took a deep breath, steadying the flow of my mana.
This was the beginning of a Death Match where only one side would walk away alive.