Chapter 180: The Imaginary Master
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 180: The Imaginary Master
The nights in the Military State are dark. It is a time when the day laborers are dead asleep in their residences, preparing for the toil to come, while the night laborers are busy at work somewhere in the shadows.
Dressed in a jet-black robe, I made my way to an abandoned labor camp in District 13. I passed through a building, now just a steel frame, where the water wheels used to press alchemists lay broken and neglected. The moment I took another step into the warehouse inside…
A sharp hostility was directed at me.
“Halt. Mole.”
A password—the most basic and efficient means of distinguishing friend from foe. It seemed they had a proper system in place.
But for me, who possessed the master key of mind-reading, it was no different from being handed their trust for free.
‘The password is “Mole,” the countersign is “Carriage.”’
Thanks for the info.
I read his thoughts and spoke them aloud.
“Carriage.”
“Good. What is it?”
“I’m a messenger. I’ve come to tell you something you need to know.”
‘Something we need to know? Don’t tell me… does he mean the Shadow is ready to make its move?’
Thanks for the explanation. I nodded as if to affirm his thoughts.
“The preparations are complete. Everything we’ve worked on for the past few days has borne fruit.”
“Fruit? What in the world are you talking about?”
‘Why is he being so damn vague? Your job was to assassinate the Market’s manager, Klin! Just say you’ve done it or you’re about to!’
Because if I give a precise answer and you get suspicious, I’ll be in deep shit. It’s better to be vague and read your thoughts as they come.
Just like now.
So you want Klin assassinated. Got it. I’ll play along.
“The warehouse keeper, the manager, the representative of the Market, and a secret smuggler. A cigar aficionado. The preparations to take Klin’s life are complete. His body shall be plunged into darkness.”
“You should have just said so from the start.”
In any case, the thugs occupying the labor camp were overjoyed at the long-awaited news.
“Klin, that pot-bellied bastard. He’s finally getting what he deserves!”
These men, who so desperately wished for Klin’s death, were members of the Transportation Union, a group formed by deliverymen.
There was only one warehouse, but there were many deliverymen. Klin, without ever having studied economics, had naturally mastered its principles and used them to slash the deliverymen’s wages. While Klin enjoyed wealth and power, the deliverymen were always struggling.
Among them, a few who couldn’t stand it any longer had confronted Klin, only to be beaten to within an inch of their lives. They had sworn revenge.
‘The Shadow is a brilliant assassin. That fat pig Klin is no match for him! Once that bastard, who struts around just because he learned a bit of Qi Art, is dead, our Transportation Union will use the chaos to storm the Market! Most of the stuff in that warehouse is stolen or smuggled anyway. If we grab it and run, no one will be able to catch us!’
This was typical of the organization known as the Shadow of the Military State.
They were groups and gatherings dissatisfied with the current system. They were people who wished to break and shatter the existing order, hoping for a world more favorable to them.
From what I’d learned by reading the captain’s mind, the mastermind named Wolfen planned to gather all this gunpowder and detonate it at once.
All to lure the Military State’s firefighters to come and clean up the mess.
Yes. It was like they were slash-and-burn farmers, setting fire to a forest to cultivate the land.
Unaware that their own situation was no different from that of the forest about to be burned, or the dry leaves fallen on the ground, the union members excitedly asked me:
“What’s the signal?”
“When the warehouse keeper is dead, a fire will erupt from the warehouse. Aim for that moment.”
“So, a fire at the warehouse, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Heh, that bastard Klin. I wonder what face he’ll make when his precious warehouse goes up in flames! Ah, but he’ll be dead, so he won’t be able to make a face at all! What a shame. I wanted to see that ugly mug one last time…”
It was then. From the other side of District 13, a loud bang echoed, and a crimson flame shot into the sky. The scattering gunpowder dyed the Military State’s sky red.
The Transportation Union members who had been hiding all over the place jumped out as if their own clothes were on fire. They stared blankly at the warehouse for a moment, then burst into cheers.
“Serves you right, you sons of bitches!”
“Wait. If the warehouse burns down, what about our share?”
“It’s fine! The Market’s warehouse is huge. Even with a fire like that, at least half of it will be left!”
“Hurry up and grab the goods!”
“The timing is perfect!”
Watching the red light spreading in the distance, I muttered.
“Ah, look at that timing.”
Fucking terrible. They could have done it after I left. This just makes things more complicated.
The union leader in front of me also began to move hastily.
“I can’t believe they succeeded with the assassination already! Everyone, get ready! We’re hitting the Market!”
As the union members scrambled, the leader clenched his fist, a smile of pure ecstasy on his face.
“Once you people take control of the back alleys, we will support you with all our hearts!”
“…I’ll remember that. Now, I have other places to be, so I must be going.”
“Leave it to us!”
The union leader’s attention quickly shifted to the Market. I let my black cloak flutter behind me and walked away from them.
In truth, that fire was just a fireworks display the Market had planned to dispose of some explosives. Klin had acquired them to use as weapons in a pinch, but unable to withstand my threats, he had converted them into fireworks.
The romance of turning military-grade explosives into a fireworks display through alchemy. This romance would echo throughout the Military State as a false signal.
Then, the clueless moths, thinking it was their time to shine, would throw themselves into the flames.
I didn’t know when the actual day of the operation was, but I would burn them all out beforehand.
Because what has already been burned cannot burn again.
“Now then. The next place I need to visit is…”
The night was shorter than I thought. I would have to move more diligently. I got into the high-end automaton carriage I had taken from Sephi’s house and started the engine. The expensive model really was better; even the feel of it was different.
I was just about to leave when someone, wearing a robe similar to mine, came running frantically from ahead.
Suspicious attire, suspicious behavior. I instinctively read his thoughts.
‘Damn it! I have to warn them…! Some crazy bastard is impersonating one of us from the Shadow! I have to stop the Transportation Union guys from acting rashly…!’
It was a real messenger from the Shadow. He must have sensed something was wrong and was on his way to rein in his people.
Rein in… rein in… Ah, wait. Bad memories.
Trauma washed over me, and my foot slammed on the accelerator. The messenger’s body closed in instantly.
My trauma made me do it.
CRASH!
The messenger, hit by the suddenly accelerating automaton carriage, went tumbling to the ground. Immediately after the collision, I jumped out of the carriage and yelled.
“Ah, shit! Watch where you’re going!”
He must have been well-trained. Despite being hit by a car, the messenger reflexively did a breakfall and got back on his feet. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, but other than a few broken ribs, he didn’t seem seriously injured.
What a shame. I should’ve hit him harder.
“Ugh…! You’re the one who was driving…!”
Caught in an unexpected accident, the messenger answered recklessly, his thoughts a jumble.
“Look at this! The front of my car is all dented! What are you going to do about it?!”
“I’m the one who got hit by the car…!”
“You’re right. And your face is even more messed up than my car. My apologies. That wasn’t my intention.”
“You crazy bastard…!”
Perhaps my taunt worked. The messenger pulled a shortsword from his robes. Seeing the jet-black blade, I shrieked in mock terror.
“Aah! A knife! This person is carrying a dangerous weapon!”
“Says the guy who just ran someone over…!”
‘I don’t know who you are, but I’ll kill you…!’
His pain turned into aggression. Without another word, the messenger lunged with his blade.
In response, I calmly read his thoughts and drew a card.
The 4 of Diamonds, a card with four rhombuses arranged to the north, south, east, and west. Using alchemy, I revealed the card’s hidden form. It greedily sucked in mana, its body swelling.
What emerged from the alchemical transformation was a short spear, slightly shorter and lighter than standard. It was a straight, ordinary spear with a rhombus-shaped tip and a long shaft.
The messenger, who carried a shortsword for easy concealment, cried out in frustration upon seeing my short spear.
“A spear, you lunatic…!”
“You pulled a knife first, so this is self-defense!”
Both justification and the first move were mine. I pictured the Sunderspear and his disciple in my mind and struck a grand pose.
The messenger gritted his teeth.
‘That stance is no joke! This man must be a master!’
Not quite. What I did was merely mimic the form.
Every person’s personality and body are different, so the optimal form for them wouldn’t suit me. In short, my stance was nothing more than an empty bluff, puffed up with bravado.
However.
‘I have to dodge with everything I’ve got! One wrong move and a single strike could kill me!’
If the opponent doesn’t know it’s a bluff, a fake stance becomes real.
If he holds back, fearing the spearhead that is tearing him apart in his imagination, I gain that much more freedom of movement.
‘I just need to get close once! I’ll use my secret technique, Shadow Hide, and sink into the ground to dodge! It’ll break my stance, but if I can just pull it off…!’
Good. The plan is laid out.
I wiped all expression from my face. Shedding my playful demeanor, I adopted a chillingly blank look for a moment, tensed my shoulders and legs, and moved forward.
‘…That expression…! He’s a pro! He knew who I was from the start and hit me with the car on purpose!’
The tip of my spear wavered. Seeing this, the messenger, despite his injuries, unleashed his Qi with all his might.
‘Secret technique, Shadow Hide!’
It was a technique too shabby to even be called a secret. It was a crude trick that used Gon Qi Art to pull the ground, allowing him to stick close to the surface and circle behind his opponent.
It was said that at a master’s level, it looked as if one was hiding within the shadows, but a mere messenger who hadn’t even earned the title of ‘Shadow’ was not at that level.
Still, it would be enough to catch someone off guard.
‘I dodged it…!’
I hadn’t even thrust. I spun the spear and held it vertically. With the blunt end pointing down, I brought it straight down.
Aiming for the abdomen of the messenger, who was sliding across the ground.
The messenger’s eyes widened.
‘Gah! To see through… this…!’
It was a move specialized in catching an opponent by surprise, but… sorry, I’ve never lost a battle of wits.
The messenger’s body folded in half. Already half-dead from being hit by the car, his consciousness finally gave out after my attack.
“Thank you for settling this amicably.”
Phew, that was close. He wasn’t even a Penumbra, just a mere errand boy, yet he was this persistent. An automaton carriage might be weaker than a horse, but he still took a hit from a chunk of iron this big and kept going?
If a mere messenger is this strong, how powerful are the Penumbras, or their boss, Wolfen?
Hmph. I wasn’t planning on getting my hands dirty anyway.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll just have to be even more proactive about avoiding combat.”
One victory is enough. From now on, I decided to pursue only psychological victories.
The one I caught was just a grunt from the Shadow, but it was still a good haul. I mulled over the memories I extracted from the messenger, then unceremoniously dumped his unconscious body in a dark alley.
It was at that moment. A jet-black shape flickered in the darkness. I felt a chill run down my neck and turned around.
The alley was filled with darkness. I couldn’t sense any thoughts other than the groans of the unconscious messenger.
I tilted my head.
“…? That’s strange. Wasn’t there something there?”
A ghost? Or a phantom?
No, it looked something like the dirt pawns I saw in the Abyss…
“I must have imagined it. Why would that be here?”
What is there to see in a back alley like this?
Normally, I might have investigated a little, but I was busy. I left, heading for the next contact point.