Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Discovery
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*Thud! Thump!*
Hol Shivas was tapping at the fortress debris.
It seemed he was trying to find another space similar to the one I'd secured.
“Hoh? There are a few empty spots here and there. Looks like the ceilings were sturdy enough to hold. Now then…”
*Crack!*
The Vice-Chancellor jabbed his sword breaker deep into a pile of rubble.
In a space this tight, a weapon that small was about the only thing you could use.
*‘Seriously, has this guy lost his mind?’*
I stared at Hol Shivas’s back with a pathetic look before tapping his broad shoulders.
Gently, not hard, since he was a ridiculously strong monster.
*Tap, tap.*
“What?”
“Are you even thinking before you go smashing things?”
“We have to find a way out. If we can connect these spaces, won’t we eventually be able to escape?”
“Oh, give me a break!”
I slapped my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut.
My reaction must have seemed odd, as the Vice-Chancellor tilted his head.
Hol Shivas glanced around and then nodded as if he understood.
“Hmm! Afraid it’ll collapse?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
“Can’t you just support the debris with that strange power of yours, like before?”
“That was just a simple trick. I’m not a proper mage, you know.”
In the process of pushing away the debris and creating light, I'd had no choice but to reveal my magic.
I'd vaguely told the Vice-Chancellor that I'd just picked up some basic magic here and there.
Hol Shivas accepted it without much thought.
He didn't seem the type to care what skills anyone used.
If he'd been from one of the Four Great Families, he would have been glaring at me, thinking, *‘A magic swordsman?’*
“Is that so?”
“But even the most skilled mage couldn’t push away this incredible weight.”
“I thought it could solve just about anything, but I guess magic isn’t all that special.”
“Maybe it’s just that humans aren’t all that special?”
“What nonsense! A hardship like this can be overcome with grit and determination.”
“Then go ahead and try. I’ll just watch from a safe spot.”
“…”
I moved to the sturdiest-looking corner.
After retrieving the light and reinforcing the debris with magic, it felt a little safer.
It would be great if that sawtooth sword guy didn't upset the natural balance of things.
“*Tsk.*”
As if realizing something from my actions, Hol Shivas put away his sword breaker.
It seemed he was finally going to stop mindlessly poking at the rubble.
“Hey, share some of that light. I haven’t gotten any sun lately, and I think my health is suffering for it.”
The Vice-Chancellor's remark left me dumbfounded.
The second-strongest man in the Empire is suddenly worried about his health?
For some reason, I felt like he spouted more nonsense than I did.
If he was serious, he was just insanely ignorant.
“Light magic has nothing to do with sunlight.”
“It’s all light, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not?”
“Are you going to nitpick everything I say? You want to go at it right here?”
“Whoa, whoa? Do that, and you won’t get any food.”
As Hol Shivas’s expression turned menacing, I countered with a threat.
The sandwich that had been scattered on the floor was now neatly arranged on a plate.
It looked surprisingly intact.
For a moment, the Vice-Chancellor’s eyes widened.
“Th-This is…”
“A simple trick even a fake mage can do.”
“Ahem! I’m not hungry right now anyway. Besides, you think I’d put that monstrous-looking food in my mouth?”
“Hoh? Are you sure about that?”
I gave a meaningful smile and twirled my finger.
Just then, coincidentally, a mysterious noise erupted.
*Grumble!*
It was…
The sound of my stomach crying out in hunger.
“Pwahaha!”
Hol Shivas burst out laughing as if he found it ridiculous.
*‘Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten in a while.’*
After tonight, it will have been three days.
I hadn’t noticed while fighting, but now that the excitement of battle had worn off, a terrible hunger set in.
Driven by the will to live, I tore off small pieces of bread and vegetables and slowly chewed and swallowed.
There was enough for three or four people.
Of course, I had no intention of giving any to the big oaf who'd laughed at my food.
*Gurgle!*
But then, a faint rumbling sound came from somewhere.
I raised my head with a triumphant smile.
My eyes met the Vice-Chancellor’s face, which seemed to be flushed red.
“Hehehe! Finally feeling hungry, are we?”
After all, he was only human. There was no way he wouldn't be hungry after moving so intensely.
The time had finally come to tame this ignorant monster.
I would have to channel my inner dog trainer.
“Alright! Bark.”
“…Do you really want to die?”
“J-Just kidding. I’ve given you half the food, so keep your promise.”
“You’re the first person I’ve met who jokes with his life on the line. Truly a subject for research.”
I couldn’t train the beast known as Hol Shivas with food alone.
Especially since he didn’t even like it, calling its appearance monstrous.
Of course, the story changed a bit once he put the sandwich in his mouth.
“It might look like that, but it’s good, isn’t it?”
“Hunger is the best sauce.”
“Setting aside the hunger, it’s pretty decent, isn’t it? The meat is cooked well, too.”
“…”
The Vice-Chancellor said nothing.
His pride wouldn’t allow him to admit my food was delicious.
Seemingly embarrassed, Hol Shivas quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve been wondering. What’s your plan to get out of here? You must have something in mind, right?”
“Of course.”
*Tap, tap.*
I gobbled up the last piece of meat, then looked at the Vice-Chancellor, who was licking his lips in regret.
“However.”
“Hm?”
“I never said I was taking you with me, Vice-Chancellor.”
“…Are you really going to be like that with me?”
“What do you mean, ‘with you’? Weren’t we just trying to kill each other moments ago?”
“*Grk!*”
Hol Shivas scowled and let out a suppressed groan.
From the look in his narrowed eyes, he seemed to doubt whether I really had a way out.
I delivered the final blow to the Vice-Chancellor.
“Believe it or not, I don’t care. I’ll just leave by myself, then.”
“Fine. Fine! I’ll grant you whatever you want. Within reason, of course.”
At Hol Shivas’s declaration of surrender, I gave a meaningful smile.
*‘Oho! A favor… This is quite valuable. But what should I ask for?’*
The Empire’s greatest warrior wouldn’t go back on his word.
But I had no intention of settling this with a mere verbal agreement.
I don’t even trust myself, so how could I trust someone else and end it with words that vanish into thin air?
I had to leave proof.
“Excellent. Then let’s start with a contract.”
“What, you don’t trust me? Besides, where are you going to get paper all of a sudden…”
The Vice-Chancellor started to argue with an angry expression.
But when I suddenly pulled out a white envelope, his words trailed off.
“Why so surprised? Doesn’t everyone carry a letter of resignation… I mean, a contract, in their pocket?”
Shaking his head, Hol Shivas eventually stamped his seal on the contract.
With a bewildered look still on his face, of course.
“Good grief. Is that everything?”
“Hehe! I’ll put this contract to good use.”
Having legally obtained my favor, I stood up boldly.
As if he’d been waiting, the Vice-Chancellor shot a question at me.
“Now that we have a contract, give me an answer. I feel like I’m dying of curiosity.”
“Well, I have to start looking for it now.”
“…”
The anticipation in Hol Shivas’s eyes instantly turned to killing intent.
I’d better stop joking around before this gets any more dangerous.
I politely pointed in one direction and spoke.
“The way out is this way, customer.”
* * *
Outside Ermac Fortress.
The 3rd Prince’s army had completely relocated to a pre-arranged position.
By now, the enemy soldiers who had dug the tunnels would have met their end, crushed under the immense weight of the stones.
However, a direct assault was impossible.
The debris from the collapsed fortress completely blocked the path.
“If we are to attack, our only option is to use the cliffside road Sir Mac created.”
Adel surveyed the surrounding terrain with a grim expression.
It didn't seem like she was lamenting the fact that they couldn't secure victory despite inflicting massive damage on the enemy.
As if sensing her mood, Ellington offered some comfort.
“His death hasn’t been confirmed, has it? He might have already evacuated.”
“But…”
Adel Richter cut herself off and looked around their temporary camp.
Not a single person had seen Ray Carter.
The most likely possibility was that he had met with disaster while wandering inside the fortress.
Ellington thought so too, but he didn’t say it out loud.
He felt that if he did, the fragile-looking woman might break down completely.
“By the way, it seems their relationship has deepened considerably.”
The 3rd Prince muttered to himself, taking a slight step back.
Come to think of it, at some point, Adel had started subtly looking out for Ray Carter.
No, it was more like she was always seen wherever he was.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was openly showing her affection.
But it was a bit ambiguous to say they were seriously dating.
The distance between them didn’t seem that close.
“Still in the budding stage, I see.”
Ellington smiled faintly before his expression hardened again.
If Ray really had died…
The thought suddenly dominated his mind, but the 3rd Prince quickly shook it away.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem likely that such a bizarre person would die so simply.
“Wouldn’t he go out with style?”
For example, by smacking the Emperor on the back of the head.
While doing some crazy stunt like that.
As Ellington was muttering in a corner, Sophia, who had been monitoring the situation, hurried over.
It seemed something had been caught in the perimeter wards.
“There’s movement.”
“…Is the spy’s identity finally being revealed?”
The three of them cautiously followed the person heading out of the camp.
It had been impossible to track the spy’s movements before the collapse.
The operation had been carried out too hastily.
But now was the perfect opportunity.
If they could just catch the person moving stealthily at dawn?
“Huh?”
But, at that very moment.
Ellington, Adel, and Sophia looked at each other with bewildered expressions.
The person who had secretly left the camp had jumped into the rubble of Ermac Fortress.
This was a completely unexpected situation, and the three of them couldn’t help but feel a sense of urgency.
“Let’s hurry and follow!”
“Yes!”
*Tat-tat-tat! Sskk.*
However, the three who had followed the spy into the collapsed fortress had to stop in their tracks.
A rather absurd scene unfolded before their eyes.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”