Chapter 166
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Undercover (2)
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‘Haviel?’
Lloyd nearly gouged out his own eyeball with the finger he’d been about to rub his eye with.
It couldn’t be helped.
It was just too absurd.
‘What? You hate digging into someone’s background because it feels shady? You’re getting cold feet because it doesn’t suit your calling?’
He recalled the incident a few days ago, around midnight.
The guy had returned to his lodgings under the faint moonlight.
His face had been clouded with self-loathing and doubt.
He’d rebelled hard against the order to investigate Cannavaro.
Lloyd had coaxed and cajoled him back into it.
And after that, no word for days.
‘……So you were actually enjoying it, huh.’
A simple dress.
Loose, straight silver wig.
And with light makeup, Haviel looked utterly convincing—a sigh and admiration escaped Lloyd at the same time.
It was flawless.
The guy was handsome to begin with.
Refined features, effortlessly stylish.
Just a touch of disguise turned him into a stunning beauty.
‘And he’s so slim. Sure, he’s packed with solid muscle inside, but no excess fat, so he looks incredibly sleek in clothes. His height’s a bit much, but to these folks, he probably comes off like a total supermodel.’
That seemed to be the reason(?).
Haviel’s popularity at the ration station was off the charts.
It felt like being at a top Earth girl group KWAIS concert or fan signing event.
That’s when it happened.
“Hey? Miss.”
Someone tapped his shoulder from behind.
He turned to see a refugee-looking man shooting him a crooked glare.
“Hey, if you’re in line, move it already. Why’re you so damn slow?”
“Huh?”
“Stop spacing out and get going?”
“Wha?”
The man shoved him forward with his whole body.
But it wasn’t just that guy.
Dozens of people behind pushed ahead with their full weight.
It was a strangely familiar sensation.
‘This is totally morning rush hour on subway Line 2.’
Sindorim Station came to mind.
Rush hour Sindorim Station.
It wasn’t just any ordinary subway stop.
It was a furnace where all sorts of people shoved each other—a battlefield.
A mystical space where you could move without even trying, just from the crowd’s pressure, happening daily.
And right now was exactly that.
Lloyd had pushed through the crowd to check on Haviel.
Now he was swept up in the line at the ration station.
He tried to escape, but it was too late.
He ended up in line by accident.
Experienced some forced cozy bumping.
And got shoved right up to the front.
To the goddess(?) of the ration station, Haviel.
“……”
“……”
Haviel blinked at him.
Lloyd flashed a half-rotten smile back.
The silence didn’t last.
Haviel played it cool.
“Hand over your bowl.”
“Oh.”
He grabbed a wooden bowl on impulse.
Held it out to him.
A question slipped out unbidden.
“Pardon me, miss, but may I have your name?”
“Uh…… It’s Ella.”
“Ella?”
“Yes. ‘El’ when you say Ella, and ‘la’ at the end.”
“……”
Seeing the guy give such a ditzy response—uncharacteristic of him—Lloyd figured Haviel was just as thrown off inside as he was.
‘Little punk.’
He’d probably snuck into the ration station to do a more thorough job on the background check Lloyd assigned.
Lloyd backed off to spare Haviel more fluster.
“Thank you, Miss Ella. See you.”
He got his soup.
Downed it in one go and barely wriggled out of line.
He was catching his breath when Namaran Count’s administrator approached.
“Well, well, Young Lord Frontera, didn’t peg you for the type.”
“Yes?”
Lloyd tilted his head.
What’s this guy on about?
And why’s he grinning like that again.
The administrator smirked, wrinkling his nose like Lloyd was pretending not to know.
“I mentioned that beauty earlier, and you didn’t seem interested. Didn’t expect you to get more eager than me once you saw her, huh?”
“……”
“So, how was chatting with her? Her voice? Her speech?”
“Hey, come on. If you’re curious, go check yourself. Let’s get to work. Ahem!”
Lloyd feigned irritation and cleared his throat awkwardly.
His mouth itched to spill.
You’re all being fooled.
That lady Ella or whatever? Turns out she’s a total guy with zero manners. And his sleeping habits are the worst—can’t even doze off without a lullaby, a total insomniac.
He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
Seeing people swoon like lovesick puppies over the guy’s secret made him pity them.
But for the greater good, he zipped his lips.
‘Haviel’s undercover right now, after all.’
Not the type to pull a stunt(?) like this for laughs.
There had to be a reason.
He’d sniffed something solid, enough to go this far undercover.
‘Let’s trust him for now.’
Leave him to it for the time being.
With that thought, Lloyd hurried off.
Haviel was working on Lloyd’s orders, so Lloyd had his own tasks.
He followed the administrator to the blacksmith.
Commissioned anchors.
The smith initially tilted his head.
Anchors were unfamiliar.
But with the pre-drawn blueprint and detailed explanation, he finally nodded in understanding.
‘Good. They said he’s the most reliable smith in the city. Can’t compare to Elder Cogidus’s insane skills, but anchors should be fine.’
One worry down.
Then Lloyd headed out of the castle alone.
Walked the walls, along the cliff face.
Activated Surveying skill.
Triggered the ‘Underground Scanning’ option.
‘Now I need to drive piles and anchors everywhere, so let’s check in detail.’
How to actually drive the piles.
Anchor angles and depths.
He scrutinized every construction spot.
‘Hmm, drive piles into the flat roadbed for overall structural stability, install anchors on the slopes to prevent slides. Repeat from the top walls down to the base.’
He meticulously gathered terrain data.
Scanned bedrock info thoroughly.
That’s when it happened.
‘Hm?’
Underground scanning picked up something odd underground.
‘What’s that?’
Depth: about 50 cm from surface.
At first, just a regular rock.
But no.
Top: pure white, round.
Bottom: jagged, bumpy.
It was……
‘A skull? Why’s that there?’
Lloyd frowned.
A human skull, fully buried underground.
But no grave site.
Just the skull alone.
No other bones nearby.
‘Executed guy’s head buried here?’
Lloyd shrugged.
Makes sense around a big city.
Deep history.
All sorts over centuries.
No big deal having one severed head buried nearby.
He passed by the ownerless skull underground.
Kept at his task.
Activated Surveying skill.
Focused on underground scanning.
Moved while assessing sites.
How long had it been?
Another skull pinged on his scan.
‘What the.’
Lloyd’s brow furrowed.
Too similar to before.
Depth: 50 cm from surface.
Just the skull, no body.
He tilted his head and moved past again.
‘Feels off. Or today’s special luck. In Korea, this’d mean lotto jackpot.’
He chuckled involuntarily at the sudden thought.
Shook off the unease.
Dove back into work.
But ten minutes later.
He couldn’t chuckle anymore.
‘What. Another one?’
Another skull.
Same 50 cm depth.
Closer look: upright, facing the city, just like the first two.
“……”
He turned with a hardened gaze.
Checked the distant first and second sites.
Measured distance to his current spot with Surveying.
Incredibly, all three points were exactly spaced.
‘Something’s up.’
Random executed heads?
No way.
All three at same depth and orientation.
Intervals nearly identical.
Error barely 10 cm.
‘This is deliberate, measured out. Not coincidence. There’s meaning here.’
Lloyd rummaged his backpack.
Pulled out a folding trowel.
Dug eagerly at the skull spot.
Soon unearthed it.
Reached to lift from the pit.
Zzzap!
“……Ugh!”
Electric-shock pain hit his fingertips.
Lloyd yanked back, examined the skull.
‘Magic?’
Unfelt when buried.
Now visible, it showed.
Via Asrahan Heart Method.
Dense mana gathered.
Gloomy, dark, evil mana.
From that moment.
‘Wait. No way this is……’
Lloyd’s mind raced.
Skulls at regular intervals.
Gloomy mana condensed in them.
He reasoned it out.
Inference, deduction.
Speculation, prediction.
Facts, opinions.
Reality, illusion.
Sorted, classified, pieced together.
Based on evidence and phenomena.
Puzzle completed; conclusion emerged cautiously.
‘Namaran’s barrier. Made with this.’
Chill at the realization.
Suddenly recalled Iron-Blooded Knight novel’s Namaran barrier episode.
Novel Haviel faced trials and setbacks before the barrier.
Overcame, dramatic growth.
Smashed the barrier, heroic feats.
Story focused there.
Barrier creation details omitted.
‘That’s it. Skulls infused with black magic. Buried around the city.’
He eyed the skull anew.
Thought: Disperse the mana?
Black magic gone?
Could stop Namaran’s barrier.
‘Let’s try.’
Checked mana amount in skull.
Assessed his Asrahan Heart Method.
‘Triple Circle Level 2.’
Full power: dismantle it?
Calculated coldly, objectively.
‘Doable.’
No hesitation.
Whiiiir!
No eyes around.
Activated Asrahan Heart Method, reached out.
Maxed mana absorption.
Fingertip touched skull crown.
‘Absorb.’
Extreme gloomy mana surged in like a tidal wave.
‘Can’t swallow this. Stomachache.’
Spun three circles max.
Routed incoming gloomy mana out opposite hand. Like unspooling thread. Thoroughly. Expelled. Launched. Into air. Like smoke. Steadily. Completely.
How long?
Few minutes later.
“……Hoo!”
Lloyd exhaled deeply.
Face slightly pale.
But satisfied smile.
‘Did it.’
Bomb squad vibes?
Three circles held up absorption, dismantle, expulsion.
Gloomy mana in pit skull gone.
Lifted skull out.
To inspect.
Then.
Clack.
Sound from inside skull.
Small, hard thing rolling.
“Huh?”
Lloyd peered in, eyes widening.
“A gem?”
Obsidian-black gem inside skull.
Size: thumbnail.
Shiny, lustrous at a glance.
Insanely expensive-looking.
‘Wait. So skull was packaging for this gem. Mana condensed in gem. Anyway, dismantling mana normalized the gem……’
Now the gem’s mine.
Heh.
Capitalist greed curled Lloyd’s lip. Heart thumped 16-bit jinjimori rhythm.
From then.
‘Treasure hunt, start.’
Lloyd dashed cliff faces around Namaran, soles sweating.
Panting like a pup chasing bones.
Sneaking meat from curry when mom’s away.
Eyes bloodshot, scanning underground.
Thwarting black mages’ evil plot.
Giving foes the middle finger.
Pocketing pricey gems handsomely.
Filling wallet fat and happy.
Desire’s full throttle, in justice’s name.