The Dragon Cult's Lair
The atmosphere in Midland's data security room was icy cold.
The six mages had all removed their cyber space access devices and were huddled in the center of the room, staring at the floor like punished students, their expressions sullen.
Dorothy looked at them, unable to hide her disdain, and spoke.
"Fine. We'll sort out the punishments for this incident later. Did you at least figure out which bold mage caused all this chaos?"
The security mages exchanged quick glances and hesitated. Dorothy waited a moment before asking again.
"As far as I know, breaking through a firewall in cyber space always leaves some kind of trace. And that the ability to erase those traces is the measure of a mage's skill. Did you confirm anything at all?"
The mages fidgeted without answering.
"...We can't even start tracking without a suspect pool. Did you have any info to narrow it down? Even something minor?"
Despite her barrage of questions, the six mages kept their mouths shut and hesitated. Finally, Dorothy couldn't hold back and snapped.
"What the hell are you doing? You think keeping quiet makes the server hack disappear? Answer me!"
Startled by her outburst, the staff erupted into a chaotic babble.
"Th-there weren't any clear traces pointing to anyone..."
"The spirit blocking the first firewall was unusual, but..."
"A mage with this level of skill isn't common in Midland, but..."
"Among the mages we know, no one seems capable..."
Dorothy pinched the bridge of her nose at the overlapping chatter.
"...So you're saying the Isumi Chairman hacked the server himself?"
The mages exchanged looks and shook their heads.
"If it was the Isumi Chairman, he wouldn't have done it like this. He'd just... reassemble the data server itself and pluck out whatever he wanted."
"We only realized we'd been hit long after the job was done."
Dorothy felt her headache worsen. It was absurd that the very people tasked with protecting Midland's government data were so brazenly admitting their incompetence.
The mages continued defensively.
"Of course, the Chairman wouldn't need to hack—he could just request any data he wanted..."
"I know. It was just an example."
Dorothy sighed, recalling a pair of eyes that gleamed like molten silver.
"So there really weren't any traces? As I recall, the server's secondary firewall is a powerful spell that exploits the intruder's memories and experiences. The 'Wheel of Memory Regression,' right?"
"Th-that spell just forces the intruder to relive their own memories and recollections, leaving them defenseless. The real killer is the virus injected afterward... There's no way to peek inside from the outside..."
Dorothy closed her eyes and sank into thought as the mages' shoulders slumped. An uncomfortable silence stretched on.
The mages fidgeted with their hands and feet, looking dejected. Then Dorothy's eyes snapped open.
"What about the stolen data? Did you figure out what it was?"
"We checked, but... it's some kind of data we couldn't identify..."
Dorothy furrowed her brow.
"What was it?"
"There seemed to be a short report-style data page sandwiched between urban reconstruction and water supply files. Not much content..."
Dorothy's expression hardened slightly at the explanation.
"Tell me more."
"There's nothing more to say. The intruder took the whole page, leaving just the title..."
"Then tell me the title."
As her expression turned frosty, the mages swallowed hard.
"It was titled... 'D, D-Planning Office'..."
"..."
She fell silent again, deep in thought, and the mages' faces drooped further, as if the room was suffocating them.
Finally, the lead mage among the six ventured cautiously.
"Um, what about our punishment...?"
"Is that really all that was stolen? Nothing else?"
The mages nodded vigorously even at the interrupted question.
"Yes, really. No other data loss..."
"We defended everything else with our lives. The intruder came right up to our throats..."
Dorothy ignored their desperate appeals to their efforts and organized her thoughts. D-Planning Office. And someone who risked Midland government's pursuit to steal it. She had a rough direction now.
She spoke firmly to the still-rambling mages.
"All of you, stay here. The audit team will arrive shortly. Cooperate fully with their investigation."
"Y-yes..."
Their faces soured again—demerits were guaranteed once the auditors showed up. Dorothy left them behind, her coat flapping as she turned. The hilt of her bladeless sword swayed at her belt.
She was Midland government's top enforcer, the mayor's blade. She spent most of her time guarding him, but for matters needing discreet handling like this, she moved personally.
Aura Master Dorothy began tracking the audacious mage who had raided government data.
The unidentified elf who had survived losing an arm to the relic's shockwave now thought death might have been preferable.
After the villa incident, tracking the relic's resonance to pursue them had been unavoidable. Failure on a mission could be forgiven, but losing the relic? Unthinkable.
But getting caught like this before calling reinforcements? That was beyond forgiveness. If his master learned of it, he'd rip out his mind and repurpose it as a cyber space tool.
He felt hollow at being subdued by a single mercenary.
"...?"
He flinched as the vehicle stopped.
For reasons unknown, they'd tossed him in the trunk and driven for ages. The unconscious comrade already inside had unnerved him slightly.
Then the trunk lid creaked open. The elf, battered with one eye drooping, looked up. A black-haired man stared down silently.
The elf spoke in a trembling voice.
"...Torture me all you want. You won't learn anything."
"What the hell's this guy saying."
A silver-haired woman in goggles and sunglasses poked her head in from beside the man. The elf flinched at her face—memories of her blasting him with a shotgun at the villa, and again at the abandoned factory the moment she saw him.
"Urk... If not for the ambush, you'd be..."
"Yeah?"
In that instant, her black-and-white cybernetic arm clamped onto his face. Already wracked with pain from his wounds, the elf's eyes bulged as her grip threatened to crush his jaw.
"What? Keep talking."
"Mmph...!"
She released him just before a sickening crunch. The elf coughed and gasped for air.
Roque looked at him and said,
"Hugo Russell."
The elf's eyes widened. He stared up at Roque with trembling gaze. Roque's black eyes were impassive.
"His mansion's right ahead. And we're going inside."
The elf realized why they were keeping him alive.
"Y-you're insane... Th-think I'll spill anything?"
"You will. If you want to live."
Kayla, beside him, drew her pistol and aimed at his head.
"Spill the mansion's layout. Guards, forces, whatever."
But the elf, trembling at the gun to his head, started giggling maniacally.
"What's so funny?"
"Heh, heheh... N-no guards... Master's mansion has just him alone..."
"For real? Then you're useless. We can just shoot you here."
Kayla racked the slide with a click and pressed the barrel to his forehead. His giggling froze at the cold metal.
"...With me, you can sneak right inside. No guards, but alarms. I can open the gate."
Kayla grinned at his frantic words.
"This guy's a riot."
She glanced at Roque—what now? He nodded after a moment. Quiet entry was preferable.
With his approval, Kayla hauled the elf from the trunk. Despite bullet wounds everywhere, he stood shakily—thanks to his mostly implanted limbs.
Kayla pressed close behind him, like helping him walk, but her barrel dug into his spine. Unlike his implants, that could end him for real.
Out of the trunk, the elf scanned around, his face paling as he confirmed this was Little River.
Midnight shadows cloaked the street, but clean roads lined with trees and mansions were clear. No tall buildings—those were farther north. The estates were dark at this hour.
"What're you waiting for? Walk."
"...Urk."
Kayla prodded him onward from behind. The elf limped forward.
Roque closed the trunk, leaned on the passenger window, and peered in. Elizabeth dozed in the back seat of the Black Knight, Bini clutched in her arms.
"Lije."
"...Yeah."
A delayed, sleepy reply. Her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. Roque kept it short.
"Rest."
"...Mmkay."
Straightening, Roque strode to catch up with Kayla and the elf. She poked the limper's back to make him move properly, whispering,
"This for real?"
Her eyes forward, but for Roque.
"Why."
"A guy that tight with the mayor—if he's connected that deep, just strolling up like this risky, right?"
She'd heard the rundown en route: Dragon cultists centered on this Hugo Russell, scratching the mayor's itches.
"Not the mayor himself. We need to squeeze this Hugo to wrap this up."
"And keep our Lije safe?"
Roque smirked at "our." He added nothing.
The staggering elf, Kayla, and Roque soon reached a mansion gate. Taller and grander than neighbors', it felt isolated.
At the gate, the elf sighed deeply and gripped the handle with his remaining hand. Roque sensed a flow between the hand and iron.
Clank—the gate swung open easily. Kayla whispered uneasily at the wide invitation.
"...Trap much?"
"More to beat down? Fine by me."
"What?"
Ignoring her incredulous look, Roque strode in. Kayla shoved the elf and followed.
Neat flagstone path from gate to entrance, flanked by lush grass and flower gardens—lavish for Midland.
As they approached, the front door slid open smoothly. Kayla muttered a quiet curse; the elf looked half-resigned to death.
Roque, unfazed.
"Host is rolling out the welcome."
"...You joke more than I thought."
Roque entered boldly. Kayla, hesitating, pushed the elf ahead and crossed the threshold.
A short hallway led inward, walls lined with paintings—mostly old oils of dragons in flight.
At the end, large doors creaked open. Inside, a reception room with plush carpet, sofas, a tea table.
A middle-aged man sipping coffee set his cup down upon seeing Roque enter.
He said,
"Welcome."
The elf, gripped by Kayla, wrenched free and rushed to the man.
Kayla instantly aimed at his back, finger on the trigger—then froze. The man eyed her. Meeting his gaze, Kayla's breath caught; her body locked.
"M-Master!"
The elf collapsed at his feet, looking up.
"Th-them! They stole the relic from Dragonland! Merc and Aura Master! They know what it is—"
Bang—a clean gunshot rang out. Blood splattered the man's shoe and pants. His yellow-glowing eyes swept the gore. The elf's headless body slumped forward.
The man looked up. Ahead, a revolver trailed smoke, gripped by the black-haired man.
"Hugo Russell? Came to talk."
Roque's eyes flashed white as they met the man's.