Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Pure Knight and Envers-4
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The flow of magic reagents led into a remote mountain with scant human presence, where it abruptly cut off in an unnatural manner.
Even after deploying a large contingent of agents to comb through the mountainside inch by inch, no suspicious facilities turned up. Considering that every agent involved was a master searcher, this was downright bizarre.
The Defense Bureau thus concluded it was disguised by advanced Illusion Magic and requested personnel from the Violet Magic Tower. They kept the mission details classified, merely stating that Illusion Magic needed to be dispelled.
And they included a fairly generous fee to sweeten the deal.
With the Violet Magic Tower Master off gallivanting in pursuit of love, leaving only bots behind, the tower held an internal meeting without her to find someone desperate for research funds.
"Let me go... My wallet's in so much pain... Sob sob."
The illusion mage Melverton, who had earned a tidy sum with his "Melverton's Accuracy-Reduction Field" artifact only to blow it all on extravagance and end up broke, stepped up.
"A third-year going out...? Back in my day, we didn't even dream of leaving the tower until our fifth year."
"...Wasn't that just because everyone was an indoor type?"
"A third-year talking back...? Want a taste of short pants discipline?"
He was pushed aside by Luche, the hologram-obsessed illusion mage with six years of tenure who adored shota boys. Seniority and authority tend to go hand in hand, as do desire and power.
After getting blasted by the mad mage's butler legion, she had walked the lonely path of crafting "illusory boyfriends" and was the deepest researcher of "Hologram" magic in the Violet Magic Tower.
She couldn't replicate the mad structure that converted others' faith into power, but...
She succeeded in infusing physical force by packing it with all sorts of mana batteries, reagents, and her own fervent belief. And this was the result.
"My darling... Perception jamming, shell overlay, and one more thing. Hmm, Luche won't notice. What do you think, darling?"
Hologram Darling
[Illusion analysis / trap detection / stealth disassembly]
"My honey, the last one's a trap. It'll trigger an alarm when dispelled."
"As expected, my darling—you're the coolest...! It'll take time, but we can melt it away bit by bit from the outside."
"With the power of our burning love, right?"
The kind that would melt onlookers in a blaze of jealousy. Luche clung tight to her short-pants shota butler hologram and dismantled the mountain's Illusion Magic. Behind her thick glasses, her face beamed with utter bliss.
Two agents watching the scene struck up a chat.
"Ugh, why do we have to watch this lovey-dovey crap all the way out here...? Didn't we just call in one person from the Violet Tower, Senior?"
"We called one. And there's still just one."
"...Huh?"
"One person."
Osaaak—!
The agent shuddered as the horrifying truth dawned.
While the eerie one-woman show pierced the Illusion Magic, Pure Knight and Envers waited in the nearby forest. Once the location was pinpointed, they'd join the Capital Knights for deployment.
The operation had two goals: unrestricted destruction and intelligence gathering.
While the bulldozer-like Capital Knights stirred up chaos and crushed everything in their path, the elite duo of Pure Knight and Envers would slip in ahead to extract vital intel. That was the plan.
Envers Redburn scanned his surroundings with bated breath.
About ten meters away, the Capital Knights checked their gear. They wore their signature power suits.
And among them stood the most striking figure: a giant at least three meters tall, exuding heavy mana even at rest—the Capital Knight Captain, a monster of a man.
It was Envers's first time seeing a transcendent powerhouse. Or maybe his second. He couldn't gauge the Heavenly Demon's realm anyway.
"......"
He felt like the captain was glaring at him, but it had to be his imagination. What reason would the captain have to dislike Envers, whom he'd never met?
Meanwhile, magical girl Pure Knight ran her third mental simulation.
Stay calm. Just calmly clear up the misunderstanding. Back then, the shock of that brutal head-smack had left her speechless...
That night, after falling for the deadly dilemma, she spent three hours under the covers agonizing before Lodrus came up with a breakthrough. It was so elegantly simple, she cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner.
This time, no slip-ups. Time to restore Lodrus's honor. Let's go. Hyein-ah, watch over me...!
Slap slap.
Pure Knight smacked her cheeks to psych herself up, rose from the stump, and walked toward Envers. She spat out the rehearsed words calmly.
"There was a misunderstanding... I'm not lovers with Lodrus, nor seducing him. We're just collaborators."
"......?"
"Right, the truth is your brother... was turning against his family. I noticed and approached him for help. So he's not some lecher, and he didn't fall for a honey trap. Got it?"
"Ah, well, uh, sure."
Clear enough to win a scholarship! Pure Knight inwardly praised herself. Blueberry cake as a reward once this was over.
But reality is cruel. Envers pondered, then launched an unintended counterattack.
"...Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
"I panicked..."
"A solid collaboration shouldn't make you panic. And even if it's collaboration, there were clothes in the wardrobe... and I clearly saw lipstick marks on Brother's neck."
"......"
Envers watched Pure Knight stagger in shock and thought. He'd seen her as the seductress of Brother Lodrus, but her reaction suggested she had feelings for him too?
Her desperate defense of his honor, that embarrassed flush—it screamed 100% mutual affection.
If it was genuine love, not seduction, he had no reason to interfere. He'd cheer them on.
"Haha, if things work out, I might call you Sister-in-Law."
"......!!"
Pure Knight reeled. Did I just get hit with Heartbreak Illusion?
As she agonized over where to start untangling this, far off, Kim Lulu's ears caught "sister-in-law." Sister-in-law?
Thud. Thud.
The heavy power suit crushed the ground as he strode over.
"Ah, Capital Knight Captain. I'm Namgung Cheonghwi..."
"Mine."
"?"
"Odaesu is mine!"
The modulated voice boomed through the forest. Kim Lulu wrapped an arm around Pure Knight's waist and pulled her close. Silence fell over the woods.
The Capital Knights thought: The captain chased "Blue Rose" so hard, and now they've hooked up! Team 3 Chief Ronald's world is crumbling!
Odaesu? Great Tree. A word from memory. Passing that dessert cafe in the capital, a short girl had called the woman across from her that.
Envers thought: So this means...
Pure Knight and the Capital Knight Captain were an item.
Pure Knight and Lodrus were an item.
The woman from the dessert cafe, Odaesu, and that short girl were an item. They'd even kissed.
And he'd realized before: Pure Knight and Odaesu were the same person. The build and movements matched perfectly.
"......!!"
Every mystery clicked. All arrows pointed to one truth. Brother Lodrus wasn't at fault—this vixen "Blue Rose" witch was setting fires everywhere!
Envers spoke carefully, laced with complex emotions.
"...Um, could you stop seeing Brother Lodrus? I'll handle the intel extraction. And recruiting him too."
"...Sure."
Pure Knight promised not to two-time Lodrus with himself.
Fine, whatever—drop the transformation. Eyes shut tight.
Just say she was cursed by a mad mage and turned into a woman. That covers it. Clears all misunderstandings and stops the unfair hate.
More tangles here, and it'd balloon out of control. Severing fate takes resolve, so Lodrus steeled himself.
"Actually—"
Then a Defense Bureau agent dashed up, shouting.
"Illusion Magic pierced!"
"...We'll talk after, Envers Redburn. We need to chat."
"...I-I'm already engaged. This is awkward."
"You little—"
Brat.
Pure Knight nearly smashed the brother's head with her wand. Misunderstandings aside, some words you say, some you don't.
If not for the op kicking off, she'd have revealed "I'm Lodrus" and thrown down. But for the greater cause, he suppressed his rage with iron self-control.
And that bottled fury fueled his strength.
The Illusion Magic cloaking the facility dispersed, revealing stairs plunging deep underground into a ravine. Traces of wagon transport dotted the area.
Descending to Underground Level 1 revealed what looked like living quarters. Spacious enough for a hundred people. Methodically excavated spaces held simple beds, daily necessities, and a food storehouse.
Of course, residents meant enemies: a hooded bunch in pitch-black cloaks. They drew weapons one by one, bracing for combat.
"Wh-who goes there!"
"Enemy raid!"
"Do you even know where you are...!"
"Shut up, you peasant scum—!!"
Pure Knight roared and charged their center. Ribbon Rope lashed out, binding arms and legs, yanking them off-balance.
Crack! Whack!
The wand rapier struck the toppled foes. Swift, clean, ruthless—no wasted motion. Rooted in assassin arts.
Envers found the sight eerily familiar.
The strike team bulldozed ahead. Down the stairs, deeper underground, sweeping enemies aside. A few strong ones popped up sporadically, but nothing beyond Transcendent.
No black mages either.
Pure Knight frowned. Suspicious. An ominous chill crawled up her spine.
They reached Underground Level 4.
A vast cavern centered on a sinister altar. The air reeked of sticky blood, littered with mummified corpses.
Thick mana residue lingered, quivering.
The Violet Tower mage pushed up her thick glasses.
"...I don't know the altar's purpose, but it looks activated a day—or half a day—ago. Darling agrees."
"They already slipped away? By just half a day?"
"Truly unfortunate. If only we'd come sooner..."
"Don't chalk it up to bad luck, Envers. This reeks of leaked intel. They knew we'd raid."
Where did it leak? Defense Bureau? Capital Knights? Or the Violet Tower we requested?
"More importantly, if they knew ahead, why leave people behind?"
"......"
A valid point.
Instead of emptying the place, they left bait. An abandoned site would've made them cautious.
So that's the ominous hunch...!
"...Trap! Battle stations!"
Rumble rumble rumble.
The facility shook violently. Red baleful light surged from the altar.
Despair-Engraving Noose. Duke Maximuss of Redburn gazed intently at the chessboard. The white pieces were trapped in black's snare, in dire straits.
The white queen was mighty, but her weakness clear: no output control. Herd her into tight spaces, and she'd hesitate to unleash power.
Even if she did, allies would suffer. Either way, fine by him.
The duke lifted a black pawn.
Aaaaaaaaah—!!
Souls linked to the pieces screamed in orchestral agony. Ocean-like mana welled up, and myriad infos flashed in his eyes.
He saw as much as he knew, unveiling the unknown with mana. The path to victory emerged.
Today, is my meticulous, delicate plan sufficient to kill "Blue Rose" / wound the Capital Knight Captain?
The info coalesced, tangled, and formed a beautiful, simple number.
98%. Indeed.
The duke dominated this board near-perfectly.
And the Transcendence was named Foreknowledge Lantern.