Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: 11. First Collaboration (1)
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"Apologize. If you don't... I'll kill him."
Kati murmured calmly as she gripped Brian's throat.
The three of them trembled in terror.
"......"
Archer Dominic's knees slowly buckled, against his will.
Panic-stricken Eileen reflexively tried to chant a spell.
"F-Fire..."
In that instant, Kati lunged forward and shoved a dagger into her mouth.
A basic tactic against great mages.
Seal the mouth to prevent chanting.
It was a technique honed with Sylvia in mind, but how effective it would be against someone who had mastered every Casting Save and Casting Pass was questionable.
"Ah... U-ugh... ugh..."
Eileen groaned pitifully with the dagger tip in her mouth.
She couldn't twitch a single finger.
Kati's blade simply entered her mouth as intended.
It hovered precisely in the space inside, never touching her palate, tongue, teeth, or throat.
More than that controlled skill, Eileen feared the killing intent seeping from behind the eyepatch.
The calmly forged rage pierced her soul.
"S-Sorry... I-I'm sorry... s-so..."
Claudia, collapsed on the ground, apologized through chattering teeth.
Kati turned to her, then back to Eileen.
Your turn?
That was the unspoken question.
Kati slowly withdrew the dagger from Eileen's mouth.
"Hah..."
The moment the blade slipped out, Eileen crumpled to the floor.
It had all happened in a fleeting instant.
No one was actually hurt.
Yet the four of them had just felt the overwhelming gap in power between Kati and themselves.
It wasn't merely a matter of strength.
A chilling aura emanated from the silver-haired maid, one they dared not defy.
"S-Sor... I'm sorry... so sorry..."
Eileen bowed her head alternately to Kati and Vivian.
Vivian was honestly dumbfounded by their sudden change in attitude.
'This is exactly what I expected...'
Brian crawled forward and bowed his head as well.
He had been flung aside the moment Eileen tried to chant.
He slammed his forehead against the ground repeatedly as he apologized.
If he didn't, he felt like he would die.
He could still feel those slender, cold fingers around his throat.
"I was wrong! I'm sorry, truly sorry—!"
Kati's inexplicable killing intent choked them, something no one could easily comprehend.
In their terror-fueled imaginations, their heads rolled several times.
Mercy clicked her tongue at the sight.
"Tch, pathetic humans..."
Kati glanced subtly at Vivian.
Handle the rest yourself.
She had never intended to kill them from the start.
Unless Ian ordered it.
Without him here, Kati's role ended there.
If Vivian wanted punishment on the spot, she could oblige.
But knowing Vivian's temperament, Kati guessed she would let it go.
Ian would sort it out later once he heard.
"Haa..."
Vivian crossed her arms and let out a deep sigh.
She didn't even want to look at their faces anymore.
"Let's go, Kati. Helena. Mercy."
With that, she turned away without acknowledging them.
Even as Vivian walked off, they kept their heads bowed to the ground.
They couldn't move, no matter how the passersby whispered.
It was all because of the fear of death Kati had imprinted in that brief moment.
Hot liquid trickled down from beneath the knees of the four trembling figures.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ On the way back to the training grounds, Vivian spoke up.
"Kati."
"Yes."
"...Thank you. And you too, Helena."
"It was just what I had to do for a comrade!"
"...That's appreciated too. And Mercy, thank you."
"Huh? I didn't do anything, though?"
"Still."
Vivian found the situation a bit strange.
Meeting people who had once been comrades—but whom she didn't want to remember that way—made her appreciate her current comrades even more deeply.
'Hate seeing their faces, but they can be useful sometimes.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Vivian and Helena felt a little uneasy.
No one was hurt, but they'd essentially started a fight in the middle of the street and walked away.
What if Ian found out and scolded them?
Wouldn't it have been better to tell him beforehand?
Hiding it wasn't ideal, but still better than confessing...
Before entering the training grounds, Vivian and Helena exchanged glances.
No words were spoken, but an unspoken agreement passed between them.
'Sorry, Ian...'
Kati, sensing their intent, cut in.
"I'll tell him."
"Huh?"
"What?!"
"It was my doing, so it's my responsibility."
"Ugh... Kati, still..."
"N-No! I share the blame too! So let me...!"
Bonds tightened in the face of a common enemy.
Helena, who had still been wary of Kati, was now actively taking her side.
But Kati shook her head.
"It's fine."
It wasn't dismissal of Helena.
She was confident she could convince Ian.
"Besides, incidents like this must be reported to the master."
"Ah..."
Only then did Vivian and Helena realize what they had nearly done.
No matter the intent, they had tried to deceive Ian.
"Sorry..."
"I'm sorry..."
Kati shook her head at their apologies.
She was grateful for their genuine remorse.
It came from care for Ian, after all.
Just don't do it again.
Mercy chimed in with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah. No matter how worried you are, you can't keep something like this from Ian. And there's a good way to explain it. Just watch."
"Okay..."
"Yes..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Well done."
"Thank you."
Vivian and Helena were stunned to hear Ian praising them instead.
More than that, they were amazed by Kati and Mercy's eloquence and teamwork in convincing him.
Kati had gone straight to Ian and reported the incident.
But she exaggerated how the group had insulted and threatened Vivian and Helena with vulgar, filthy words.
It was embellished, but not entirely false.
A close examination wouldn't reveal much overstatement.
Brian's group had indeed blocked Vivian and hurled abuse out of the blue.
Ian listened calmly at first, frowning at the part about Vivian and Helena being insulted, then beaming with satisfaction when Kati said she'd dealt with them.
"You made sure they won't mess around again?"
"I believe they got the message."
"Good. As expected of you, Kati. You did great."
"Thank you."
Vivian and Helena found the scene suddenly amusing.
They'd thought Kati only meekly obeyed and followed Ian, but she had this side too.
"You two okay?"
Ian asked.
Having finished persuading him, Kati and Mercy turned to meet Vivian and Helena's eyes.
Kati said nothing, while Mercy flashed a triumphant smile.
Ian knew those two as well as they knew him.
There were plenty of ways to relay the story while pleasing him in such situations.
In truth, it wasn't even the sort of thing Ian would scold.
Kati and Mercy had simply amped it up a bit for Vivian and Helena, who didn't realize that yet.
A wordless bond formed among the four women.
"Yes, we're fine."
"Yes! All good!"
"Glad to hear it. So, who were they?"
"Ah... old comrades? Not quite. Just people I partied with and knew before."
"Jealous of how well you're doing now?"
"Hehe, seems like it."
"What miserable lives... I'd like to have a little chat with them myself. What are their names?"
"Brian, Dominic, Eileen, Claudia. The four of them."
"...?"
Ian stroked his chin upon hearing the names.
Far too familiar.
What were the odds of this coincidence?
Thinking it over, Ian chuckled.
"Perfect."
He was fated to cross paths with them anyway, without seeking them out.
"...Pardon? Perfect how?"
"It's a thing. Oh, right—I scouted the dungeon you're entering today and finished registration."
Helena's eyes sparkled with anticipation, while Vivian looked anxious.
"I-I still can't use magic properly... Is that okay?"
"It'll be fine. There's ways around it."
Vivian eased up a bit at his words.
If Ian said so, it must be true.
"The dungeon this time..."
Ian began explaining the E-rank dungeon they would tackle, step by step.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The morning before their dungeon departure.
*knock knock knock*
*Anyone there?*
An unfamiliar voice.
"Come in."
The woman who entered had black hair in twin braids and wore large glasses.
Her simple yet neat, expensive-looking uniform marked her as no ordinary person.
Ian recognized the small, ornate badge on her collar.
'The Imperial Magic Corps emblem...'
She gave off the vibe of a model student or scholar.
"Hello! You're Ian, right?"
"That's me. And you are?"
"Iris, from the Imperial Magic Corps."
Iris.
The woman Ian had mentioned to the emperor—the one who would later invent the warp portal.
"...What brings a member of the Imperial Magic Corps here?"
Iris pulled a crisp letter from her bosom.
"An order from the captain."
Ian took it and read.
In summary, Iris was a special research envoy from the Imperial Magic Corps, authorized to request cooperation from city facilities or hero parties.
The emperor's seal at the bottom confirmed her authority.
"Quite important, then. It's an honor, but wouldn't a higher-ranked party suit you better?"
"Well... The captain recommended you, Ian."
Iris handed over another letter.
Addressed directly to him.
As Ian read the formal, cautious note, he let out a hollow laugh.
'Hayden, you bastard...'
In short, it asked him to take good care of her.
"Truth is, I'm clueless about this stuff... Haha. I've lived my whole life buried in research..."
It wasn't entirely baseless.
Iris was talented enough for the Imperial Magic Corps but young and inexperienced.
Hayden worried she might slip up or leak research secrets.
Knowing Ian's true nature, he figured handing her off to him was safest.
"Still, I needed to check the research site personally. Oh, and the details are confidential, so I can't share..."
Ian already knew, so no disappointment.
Sudden, but he was glad it was him.
'I know a bit about portals anyway. Dropping hints could speed her research.'
Keeping her close might even help Vivian's magic training indirectly.
Advice from a lifelong researcher in the corps would be invaluable.
"Alright, got it. I'll cooperate as much as possible."
"Thank you!"
"Perfect timing. Tomorrow's our dungeon run."
That day, he simply introduced Iris to the team.
She took a large room on the first floor of Training Wing C and said to call her anytime she could help.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ian's party arrived at the dungeon entrance, a bit outside Superbia.
A guide and guards stood watch.
Vivian still hadn't mastered the coordinate-point magic Ian taught her.
Time had been too short for Iris's help, so Ian had no choice.
Anxious, but they couldn't wait forever.
Vivian understood.
'I need to do better...'
As they waited, four members of another party approached to enter together.
Vivian spotted them and gasped.
"Brian, Eileen..."
Unaware of Vivian, they startled and glanced at each other.
Their manager looked confused.
Remembering their last encounter, the four averted their eyes and stood at a distance beside Ian's party.
Seeing them firmed Vivian's resolve.
'I'll win no matter what...!'
She had planned to do well anyway, but now she had to excel.
Helena burned with the same fire.
She vividly recalled their insults to Vivian.
On the way, she'd vowed to play it safe since it was their first time.
Ian had told them not to overdo it.
But now, competitive spirit blazed—she had to win, even if it meant pushing hard.
After Ian's comfort, her barriers and healing miracles had surged.
She could recover minor overexertion instantly.
The two women met eyes, nodding solemnly.
The guide spoke up.
"Commencing dungeon entry. This E-rank dungeon was assembled before guild surveyors arrived, so information is limited. Heroes, please take extra care."
Vivian and Helena blinked in confusion.
'Ian knew this place inside out, down to the monsters, layout, and traps?'
He did.
He'd detailed it all when announcing the trip.
They assumed it was Managers' Guild intel.
Mysterious, but if it was Ian, believable.
"Both parties ready?"
"Yes."
"W-Wait a moment..."
Ian affirmed immediately; the other party consulted.
In the interim, Iris showed her orders to the guide for entry approval.
Ian whispered to Vivian.
"Vivian, magic still not working right?"
She whispered back softly.
"Yeah..."
"Then, not sure how much it'll help, but try recalling that memory from before..."
He suggested channeling a past memory to cast—a temporary fix, but a solid tip.
"...!"
Vivian nodded eagerly, enlightened.
"I-I'll try...!"
No guarantees, but it rang true.
"We're good now."
"Entering."
"Have a safe trip!"
Mercy and Kati, who had to stay outside, waved them off.
Vivian and Helena waved vigorously; Iris followed suit awkwardly.
Ian just raised a hand briefly.
Watching the warm farewell, Brian's group eyed them warily.
Entering first or last felt awkward.
Just before Ian's party stepped into the entrance...
Vivian and Helena quickly scanned Brian's group.
The four flinched under their firm, sharp gazes.
"What the hell happened...!"
Their clueless manager demanded answers, but none came easily.
Leaving the groveling quartet, Ian's four descended into the dungeon first.