Chapter 123
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Abduction
A clone that looks exactly like me is calmly strolling down the street. I'm hiding just a few steps away from him, watching his every move.
That didn't mean I was lurking somewhere behind cover to observe.
Using natural mana for stealth turns me into something that exists in this place but can't be seen. It's a method even a Transcendent couldn't detect, so to the passersby on this street, it was as if I didn't exist at all.
Meanwhile, my clone wandered openly through the crowd.
This was a major city on the outskirts of the capital. There were lots of people, and quite a few among them would recognize my face. That was exactly what I'd aimed for—to get my story circulating.
Of course, I didn't actually want to run into any acquaintances.
Since I'd been hiding from the forces of evil all this time, there would be plenty to talk about if we met, and anyone who knew me would have been worrying first and foremost. There were too many things a clone couldn't convey.
And the place I was focusing on wasn't just the street where my clone was wandering.
I was keeping a close eye on Blazing Glory there.
After one major moment of agitation, he'd barely said a word.
I figured it wouldn't be good to prod him further from there, but I couldn't just abandon the Merciful Crown's request either.
Since it was something I had to do in the end anyway, knowing Blazing Glory's exact stance was important.
Then, finally, his response arrived—but it didn't seem like he'd reached a full conclusion.
The task I'm currently handling.
And the task you requested of me.
Which is more important?
I'd been staring at my manaphone nonstop, so I could check his message right away.
The Tower of Wisdom was the type who never let go of his manaphone either, so he'd surely already read the same content.
As '0', I decided I should reply first.
I'd already let go of any expectation that Blazing Glory would move exactly as I wanted.
Now that I knew he was of the Daon tribe, it wouldn't do to just bluntly tell him to "follow my lead"—that didn't fit the image of '0' I'd built up so far.
In that situation, the attitude '0' would take was set in stone.
It's for you to decide.
...Is that so?
But I don't know.
Which is more important.
Right on cue, the Tower of Wisdom chimed in. He'd probably started typing the moment he saw my reply.
I knew '0' would say that.
His tone was matter-of-fact, but I could sense he was pleased with my response somehow.
That Blazing Glory still doesn't know might just be because he hasn't experienced much yet.
What experiences do you mean?
Don't you have any desires of your own?
You've spent your whole life there watching over the prisoners.
Hm.
None.
...I don't know.
Then do you feel a deep sense of duty toward your work?
Or have you never even thought about it?
If something happened to the ones there, what penalty would you face?
Last time, he said he didn't know about that.
Even after a lifetime as a guard, you'd think he'd have seen the administrator at least once.
No.
Not even once.
Not even once...
The administrator the Tower of Wisdom was referring to had to be the great being who created that Avici Prison.
A possible "master" to Blazing Glory.
Yet he'd never seen them even once.
Then where on earth did that lifetime conviction to guard the prison come from?
On top of that, there hadn't been a single new prisoner since Blazing Glory started watching it.
Taking that at face value, the prison was practically shut down.
'Is it completely unmanaged?'
I could see it as them simply abandoning it entirely to Blazing Glory and vanishing.
'Is it really connected to the true Sephiroth?'
If the Avici Prison was one of the things left behind after Sephiroth disappeared...
In the midst of those thoughts, I abruptly jerked my head up.
They're coming.
The moment that brief intuition flashed through me, something snatched my clone right in front of me.
Forces of evil. One of the forces of evil was kidnapping Ivan.
The plan to lure them out using the clone had succeeded far faster than expected.
I'd tried to use a primordial rune for an ice spell through the clone for a split second, but it was too brief even for resistance.
Of course, I had no intention of resisting seriously. It was just a ploy to make the clone seem more authentic.
It vanished into the distance in an instant.
Naturally, it had left the range of my natural mana.
I strained to grasp the situation through the clone.
The shock must have been intense; the connection with the clone flickered wildly.
The clone's view through the feed shook madly as well.
Then, amid the various noises filtering through the screen, one voice rang out.
"...Dead? Hey."
It wasn't a voice I remembered.
Perhaps because the clone's movements had suddenly grown awkwardly jerky, the guy sensed something off for a moment.
"Hey. ......Not dead, huh. Ha, not sure if that's a relief."
His tone mixed irritation, relief, and a touch of annoyance.
"Better than getting tangled up with the wrong crowd."
The wrong crowd—did he mean Maron's group?
Once the shaking view settled back into place, I took stock of the situation.
The clone was slicing through the air. Like an arrow piercing straight through the continent, it was hurtling toward somewhere at breakneck speed.
I could probably tail it directly and do something more, but unlike heading to the prison, the risks here were way too high.
It would be far too optimistic to assume "that one" wouldn't notice my stealth.
The silver lining was that they didn't seem to suspect it was a clone yet.
At the very least, if I kept a level head, I could pinpoint where they were gathering.
Of course, my clone had a location tracker embedded in it.
'Time to play the terrified role.'
No matter how thoroughly they'd investigated me, panicking in a situation like this would be perfectly natural.
And they had no idea whether I had the strength to resist the Ebonyveil minorities.
They only knew that Transcendent had died to Maron.
"I don't plan to kill you. Calm down."
The voice came from overhead. With the clone still staring at the ground, I couldn't see his face, but the tone carried an attempt at reassurance.
Was he trying to ease my mind?
I didn't respond.
Cities, plains, mountains, and forests blurred past in an instant, like fleeting afterimages.
Even at that overwhelming speed, we flew on for quite a while.
And before I knew it, we were plunging deep into some remote wilderness.
At some point, a massive black curtain came into view at the edge of the clone's downward gaze.
It had the presence of darkness sliced from the world itself and spread out.
The clone passed straight through the curtain.
And soon enough, we neared the ground. The one who'd kidnapped my clone gently set it down on the dirt.
The clone dropped to its knees and flopped face-first onto the ground. It cautiously lifted its head for the first time, peering at the face of its kidnapper.
A face I'd never seen before. Not one from the assembly.
Long black hair cascaded over firm, muscular shoulders, and his deeply set eyes held almost no emotion.
He looked human, but somehow... off. Like a sculpted stone statue mimicking a person.
His skin was a dark, matte shade like iron ore.
Did he give off the same vibe as Ard?
If so, he was probably a genuinely powerful Transcendent. Nothing like the Ebonyveil minority ones.
If it had been the real me there, I might have gleaned something from the aura alone, but it was tough with just the clone.
How many like him were there?
The reason they were kidnapping me was that I was useful to them.
They'd made that clear at the assembly too—said my pattern recognition and communication devices would be handy.
So they'd brought me here intending to corrupt me with evil.
No need for me to show any overt goodness. Just force-feed me the evil essence.
Then my life and death would belong to them. That would be their weapon.
...Not that I didn't already know all this.
At that moment, another voice came from outside the clone's field of view.
"This one's the eleventh?"
The eleventh?
What was that supposed to mean?