A Trap in the Trash Can
After a full day of carriage travel, Simon had developed a habit of resting his chin on his hand and gazing out at the scenery passing by the window.
As time went on, even the desolate, endlessly wide brown land began to change. Patches of green appeared here and there, growing more frequent, and trees and underbrush thickened along the way.
"When people hear 'Neutral Zone,' they all picture barren wastelands and deserts, you know!"
Seywir swept his bangs back with the back of his hand, explaining with all the smugness he could muster.
"That's a common misconception. In truth, vast regions have yet to undergo desertification at all!"
The closer you got to the center of the continent, the more desert dominated; the farther toward the outskirts, the more forest spread out — so Seywir explained. Which meant that Group 7 was heading toward the outer regions.
And so, over the course of a full day's carriage ride, Simon was forced to listen until his ears ached to the several hundred achievements Seywir had accumulated over his career.
Dick fell head over heels for these tales of heroism and became an enthusiastic fan, while Meilin — if only to secure a good grade — did her dutiful best to play along, nodding and egging him on. Camibarez simply smiled and kept nodding along.
Thus a considerable stretch of time passed.
"We've arrived."
They reached their destination. The village of Kelso was a place that seemed like a city and a jungle blended half and half.
Its architecture was clearly well developed — proper buildings of skilled stonemasonry stood in rows. But the plants here were so tenacious that sprouts pushed up through the gaps between roof tiles and from between bricks. Enormous vines coiled around entire buildings.
The villagers, it seemed, had long since given up on clearing away the endlessly regrowing vegetation.
"Uuugh, I think my butt's gone flat."
Dick climbed out of the carriage with a theatrical groan, and the other group members followed, stretching their stiff limbs.
Being folded up in a cramped space for so long had left their whole bodies aching.
"Now then, agents. Your attention, please!"
Once Seywir had gathered everyone's eyes on him, he spoke in a grave voice.
"In this very city, there is a Saintess Candidate."
At those words, a wave of tension swept through the group. The four of them straightened, their faces turning serious as they nodded.
"If we had arrived even a step later, the Priests might already have fortified this city. But do not worry yourselves."
Seywir swept his bangs back once more and flashed a brilliant white smile.
"This Seywir shall block any white magic they throw at us!"
"Truly reassuring, Agent Seywir!"
"You are all to devote yourselves to scouting and focus solely on locating the target. No matter what happens, you must never charge the Priests or attack first."
"Yes, sir!"
"Then let the mission begin."
Seywir took the lead and thrust his thumb into the air.
"The future of our Dark Alliance depends on this mission!"
"Yeah!!"
Dick thrust both arms up, hyping the moment.
"...Our future, huh."
Meilin muttered under her breath.
In any case, the operation was underway. Seywir pressed himself flat against a building wall and crept forward, silencing his footsteps.
Hiding himself in the shadow of a building, he peeked his head out to survey the surroundings, then waved them forward as if to say it was safe. The four followed swiftly at his heels.
Again he slipped into an alley, hugged the wall, and — with the utmost gravity — lifted the lid of a trash can.
"Stay alert. The Priests may have laid traps anywhere."
Meilin made a face of utter disbelief.
"It's a trash can."
Seywir moved restlessly from spot to spot, picking up fallen trash, abandoned clothes, and anything else on the ground, opening every single lid that could be opened. Dick, self-proclaimed devoted assistant, trailed behind him and copied his every move.
"I'm starting to have a minor existential crisis here."
Squatting with her knees drawn together, Meilin lifted a piece of garbage with her fingertips as she spoke.
"Securing the Saintess Candidate is our top priority, right? Instead of wasting time on this nonsense, we should head straight for the target's—"
"Found one."
Seywir tipped the trash can's lid toward them — and there, painted inside, was a pristine white divine magic circle.
"Huh? I-it's real? In a trash can?"
As Meilin crept closer with a stunned expression, Seywir shouted.
"Watch out!"
With a sudden thwump!, a holy shell fired from the magic circle inside the trash can.
"Whoa—!"
The instant she shrieked and stumbled backward with flailing feet, Seywir leapt into the space before her like a figure out of a painting, throwing up a defensive circle that blocked the blast.
"Stay alert."
He said.
The holy shell struck the barrier but refused to dissipate, writhing like a living creature against its surface.
"It seems to be a white magic with a will of its own. There may be a high-ranking Priest among the enemy."
Seywir spread his palm open.
"We shall seal it away."
Ssssshh—!
A jet-black arm burst from his magic circle, seized the holy light, dragged it back inside the circle, and — with a sharp clank! — vanished entirely.
"Are you all right, Agent Meilin?"
He extended a hand toward her where she'd fallen.
She nodded and took his hand, rising to her feet.
"I-I'm sorry."
"Not at all. Anyone can make a mistake. However, I do ask that from now on, you follow my instructions more thoroughly."
As Seywir and Dick pressed ahead once more, Camibarez and Simon came up beside her.
"Are you okay, Meilin?"
"Ah, yeah."
She gave an embarrassed laugh.
"H-he really is amazing... isn't he?"
"Well, Kizen chose him as a mentor, so he must be!"
While the two girls chatted, Simon was wearing a grave expression.
'I didn't react at all.'
To be precise, he hadn't even sensed the holy light flying at them until it was already before his eyes.
'...And I thought my detection of divinity had improved after Professor Farahan's lessons.'
Simon walked on, troubled by doubt.
Seywir was taking them on an enormous roundabout route. He'd duck into another alley claiming traces of Priests had been found, point at a passerby saying that person might be a Priest, and circle all the way back around from a great distance.
Then at last, they discovered their destination — the single house where the girl, the Saintess Candidate, lived.
"From this point on, we must break through head-on."
Seywir spoke with the heavy voice of a commander on the eve of battle.
"The Priests will certainly attack. I alone shall handle both offense and defense, so all of you keep your eyes forward and move to the target. Ready?"
"Yes!"
"Powerful white magic may come flying. Stay as low as possible, shield your heads, and run. Go!"
Tadat!
Seywir dashed out of the alley.
"Run!"
With Dick in the lead, then Meilin, Camibarez, and Simon, they sprinted out one after another.
The street was deserted and utterly empty, and the girl's house lay in a straight line ahead.
"Huh? What, this is a piece of cake?"
The moment those words left Dick's mouth—
BOOOOOM!
The attack truly began. A blinding flash strobed across the sky, and holy projectiles began indiscriminately bombarding the ground.
"Kyaaaaaa!"
"Gahk!"
The group members ran with their heads covered. The holy projectiles raining down in rows looked like countless shooting stars pouring from the heavens.
"Not on my watch!"
And so began Seywir's hour of glory. He appeared, long sleeves billowing.
"I shall not let you lay a finger on my juniors!"
Seywir's movements were nothing short of spectacular.
He materialized beside the students as they ran crouched low, throwing up defensive circles to intercept the holy shells, or with a single casual gesture sent Priests charging from the alleyways flying through the air.
"Keep running, straight on!"
When he swept his arm, the very ground rose up like a wall and blocked the holy bombardment. Magic circles packed with Exorcism unfolded overhead in rustling layers, but at one flick of his hand they were dismantled and scattered into the empty air.
"Whoa, whoa! This is insane! Agent Seywir is definitely at least Kizen-professor-tier!"
Dick's grin was about to split his face in two with delight. Meilin and Camibarez were too busy sprinting with their heads down to spare a glance.
Simon, running at the very rear to watch over his group members, blinked with a face utterly devoid of tension.
'This is supposedly an incredibly dangerous situation. So why am I not tense at all?'
So composed was Simon's contemplation of the whole affair that he wondered if his mind had broken. It felt, if anything, less like a battlefield and more like a stroll through the neighborhood.
"We're here!"
Dick sprinted up and grabbed the door handle.
"It's locked from the inside!"
"Move, peasant!"
Meilin spun a magic circle on her palm, froze part of the door solid, and then shattered it with a kick.
The four burst straight into the house.
"Th-there doesn't seem to be anyone here?"
It was a desperately old and run-down home. The four split up and searched the place, but it was already empty.
Just then, Seywir's voice carried in from beyond the window.
"Hahaha! Fled with your tail between your legs, have you! Behold the greatness of Seywir, mightiest necromancer of Vengeance!"
Shouting his theatrical lines, he strolled leisurely into the house.
"The target?"
"Doesn't seem to be here."
The instant he heard the report, Simon saw Seywir's face falter — the first genuine crack of panic he'd shown all day.
"G-gone? That can't be..."
Dick hastened to speak up.
"The Priests must have already abducted her! It's obvious! There were so many of them they launched that whole attack earlier!"
"......."
But Seywir seemed too lost in his own head to even spare an answer.
"Agent Seywir?"
"Ah — hmm! It's nothing."
Seywir jerked his head up and spoke.
"I shall pursue the fleeing Priests myself. Agents, use investigative legwork to find out where the girl has gone."
Meilin stepped forward.
"Agent? Given the circumstances, she was obviously taken by the Priests. Wouldn't it be better if we all pursued them together?"
"Absolutely not...! Ahem, ahem. Chasing Priests is more than enough for me alone, so kindly follow my instructions here."
With only those words, Seywir dashed back outside.
The four were left standing there, abandoned.
'Hmm.'
Simon stole a glance outside. Despite the divine bombardment and all the chaos, the village scene was strangely, impossibly peaceful.
"Haaah, I don't buy it, but the mentor's word is absolute."
Meilin folded her arms.
"Let's spread out and investigate, like the Agent said."
"Okay! What was that girl's name again?"
"Sasha."
The three scattered to gather information.
"Simon?"
Camibarez, on her way out the door, looked back. Simon waved with a smile.
"I'll search the house a little longer."
"Oh, okay!"
Once Camibarez had gone, Simon began examining the house at his leisure.
[Kheheheh! The sheer gall of it!]
[Even you sensed something was off about that Seywir fellow, didn't you, boy? He's a clown through and through.]
'I sensed it, but I don't have solid proof yet.'
What was nagging at Simon right now was something else entirely.
He kept replaying the image of Seywir's face — the raw, unguarded fluster that had broken through the moment he'd heard the girl was gone.
'Whatever the case, this mission we were given seems to be real. For now, let's focus on the task at hand.'
[Kheheheh! Nothing wrong with saving the luxurious cake for dessert!]
Finding the girl — the Saintess Candidate — was the most pressing matter. Hoping for some kind of clue, Simon combed the house from top to bottom.
'Leaves?'
The house was strewn not only with hair, but with leaves and twigs as well — even indoors.
And worn-out clothes. A teddy bear with one eye missing. An old house where the wind whistled freely through the walls.
Piece by piece, the information assembled itself.
The girl who had lived here was poor. She lived alone, without her parents. And yet there were traces of someone else — someone besides her — coming and going.
As he looked around, Simon's path led him toward the storage shed at the back of the house. The shed door was locked.
"Overlord. If you would."
KRAKAAM!
A tentacle blade bursting from thin air blew the door to splinters. Simon stepped inside.
"...!"
Simon's expression froze over, cold and hard.
[What is it, boy?]
Simon opened a burlap sack, discarded in the corner as if forgotten. Inside were syringes of every kind and strange bottles of medicine.
'What on earth happened in this house?'
"Simon!"
Just then, Camibarez's voice rang out.
As Simon came back out to the living room, she was pressed up against the window.
"Come quick! Meilin found an important clue!"