Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: A Secret Rendezvous
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“What on earth are you doing? This is the spot I was trying to break through.”
Hol Sivas’s expression twisted severely.
He had every right to be displeased.
After all the fuss about it collapsing, here I was, trying the same thing.
But I answered calmly.
“The person doing it is different, isn't it?”
“So... I can't, but you can?”
It was just a simple explanation, but he seemed even more offended.
I quickly waved my hands and added an explanation.
“Don't misunderstand. It's just a difference in method.”
“Hmm...”
He still looked quite disgruntled, but the old bear didn't explode.
It felt like he was holding back for now, since escaping was the more pressing issue.
'I thought he was easygoing, but he's needlessly sensitive about things like this.'
I ignored the cold sweat trickling down my back and examined the debris.
Ermac Fortress was utterly destroyed.
But surprisingly, some spots were still intact.
The hole the Gray Magic Tower mages had bored.
That part, at least, didn't seem to have collapsed much.
The magical power reinforcing the walls must have helped it withstand the collapse.
“Alright, here I go.”
*Swoosh. Grrrind!*
I used telekinesis to start neatly arranging the stone blocks.
Creating a space based on meticulous load calculations.
When it was impossible to proceed, I resorted to force.
Channeling my aura to slice the debris cleanly and insert support pillars.
“Hah...!”
As a high-speed civil engineering project unfolded before his eyes, Hol Sivas let out a hollow laugh.
He'd probably never seen anything like it.
Mages who mastered telekinesis to this depth were rare.
For a 7th-tier spell, its mana efficiency was terrible.
To give an idea, moving a one-cubic-meter boulder consumed as much mana as a 4th-tier spell.
Of course, Hol Sivas had no expertise in magic, so he had no idea what I was doing.
But this was more than enough.
Enough to make the knight hailed as the Empire's finest gape in astonishment.
'Wow, this is ridiculously hard. I'm about to piss myself.'
Even with the Demonic Soul's help, I was reaching my limit.
But I managed to finish the job.
I'd finally found the enemy's infiltration route.
“Hooah! See that? Now it's time to praise my greatness... Gak!”
*Thwack!*
But, just as I was turning around with a triumphant look...
Something rushed at me with incredible speed and snatched me away.
It was Hol Sivas, who had been blankly watching from behind, who had suddenly tackled me.
A wave of intense pain followed, but thanks to the Black Dragon Divine Armor, I didn't lose consciousness.
'This bastard is ambushing me here?'
I struggled, trying to counterattack.
But my movements soon ceased.
Because an immense shockwave swept through the tunnel just then.
*KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KABOOM!*
“Huh?”
“If I hadn't sensed it, we both would've been dead.”
As I flailed about, making dazed noises, Hol Sivas's voice reached me.
'Looks like my calculations were a bit off.'
It was probably because I cast the spell at the last minute while fighting off dizziness.
Well, it's hard to maintain composure in a situation like that.
Still, I don't think I would have failed to dodge it.
There was a bit of time, after all.
Hol Sivas looked me over with a pathetic gaze and said.
“So full of yourself, and look at you now.”
“I could have gotten out just fine without you doing this, you know? You're exaggerating.”
“Hah! Saved your life and you're still complaining.”
“I never asked you to save me.”
“I oughta just...”
The Vice Commander glared, but I just shrugged.
The escape has only just begun, anyway.
Getting out of this chaotic mess without me would be impossible.
The infiltration route was already so twisted and contorted that its original form was unrecognizable.
Hol Sivas, too, noticed that the middle of the tunnel was blocked and slowly lowered his hand.
While still trying to take credit, of course.
“Still, that doesn't change the fact that I saved you.”
“So what are you getting at?”
“Cash in that favor.”
“No.”
“Ah, why!”
“We didn't sign a contract, did we? You should have gotten an agreement before helping.”
“Wow! You really are...”
The Vice Commander looked at me as if he'd never seen anything like me.
This stubborn old knight doesn't know how the world works.
“A savage world. It seems like might makes right, but that's not actually the case. This thing, this thing called justification, is actually very important.”
*Tap, tap.*
I said, lightly tapping my Black Dragon Divine Armor.
It was a gesture indicating the contract tucked inside.
At that, Hol Sivas's gaze turned serious.
“What if I were to snatch the contract, destroy it, and then threaten you to open a path?”
“But you won't do that, will you?”
“What if...”
“Come on, no matter how rotten your personality is, you're still a knight. Does the Emperor's Sawtooth Sword have no honor? Should I spread a rumor like that all over Troven?”
“...”
My retort was swift, and I instantly silenced the Vice Commander.
I did it by bringing up his status and reputation.
This kind of attack on his conscience wouldn't have worked on outlaws like the Seven Evils.
But Hol Sivas was revered as the Empire's greatest knight.
He was a rough man, but not the type to break a promise.
“See? I was right, wasn't I?”
“Ahem!”
“And one more thing.”
I glared at the coughing Vice Commander with a chilling gaze.
*Flicker—!*
Just then, the Light spell went out, making the glint in my eyes flare up like a will-o'-the-wisp.
“Do you think overpowering me by force would be easy?”
The tunnel was suddenly filled with a tingling killing intent.
A very narrow space.
Swinging a greatsword in a place like this was nearly impossible.
Hol Sivas would probably have to fight with nothing but a single sword breaker.
But me?
'I can unleash my secret techniques with just a dagger.'
This place was far more advantageous for me than the cluttered food pantry.
At last, Hol Sivas shook his head.
He had yielded to logic and withdrawn his argument.
“A smart psycho... I'll never beat you with words.”
* * *
After that, finding the escape route was a breeze.
We navigated through twisted tunnels and collapsed structures, gradually making our way up.
After being buried underground, we finally emerged onto the surface.
*Crumble!*
“Oh!”
It was just as dark outside as it was inside.
The moon was hidden by clouds, casting the world in pitch-black darkness.
But the sense of liberation was immense.
'The air is different. The air!'
I took a deep breath, about to step forward.
But I had to pull my foot back.
Because someone had suddenly approached the wreckage.
*Pat-pat-pat-pat!*
The footsteps were quite soft, but to me and Hol Sivas, they sounded like a thunderclap.
We looked at each other, our faces full of confusion.
We'd been bickering all day, but at this moment, it was as if we were communicating telepathically.
Both of us held our breath, watching the person's clandestine movements.
*Swoosh. Clink!*
The figure glanced around before placing a small green cup on a stone.
Soon, a faint light rose from it, flashing intermittently.
It was like watching a firefly.
“That silhouette... I feel like I've seen it somewhere.”
I muttered in a low, raspy voice, keeping it as quiet as possible.
Hol Sivas, his eyes full of interest, leaned in close and asked a question.
“How can you possibly tell who it is just from a shadow? I knew you were a bluffer, but I didn't realize it was this severe.”
“Ah, you just don't get it. Can't you tell she's a beauty? She has the air of one.”
“She's wearing a baggy robe. What could you possibly see?”
It was true that it was nearly impossible to tell the mysterious figure's gender.
To the point that even Hol Sivas with his sharp senses had trouble.
The distance was considerable, so we had no information other than a fleeting glimpse of a silhouette.
But based on my long experience as a connoisseur, that person was definitely a beauty.
Besides, women were extremely rare on a battlefield this chaotic.
In that case, the list of possibilities would narrow down to just a few people.
Not Adele or Sophia's type.
I think I probably know her...
'Ah? Could it be her?'
A certain face flashed through my mind.
An average build, but a rather voluptuous figure.
Slightly dark, smooth skin and eyes that shone like amethysts.
Distinct features, as if of southern blood.
Recalling that much, I turned to Hol Sivas with a meaningful smile.
“Wanna make a bet?”
“Hmph! Forget it. I'm not betting with a madman.”
“Aw, too bad. It was a golden opportunity to duplicate my favor.”
“You're infuriating.”
“But what are they doing over there?”
“I don't even know who that person is, how would I know?”
“Visiting a deserted ruin at this late hour is highly suspicious, don't you think?”
“Hah! You're not listening at all.”
It's not like I expected any kind of answer from this old bear anyway.
I was silently observing the woman who was intermittently emitting a green light.
What was the reason for mimicking a firefly in this silent place, devoid of even a single insect?
Just as Hol Sivas started to fidget, as if getting antsy...
*Thud!*
Another person suddenly appeared near the ruins of Ermac Fortress.
'Huh? That guy?'
His face was covered, but he couldn't escape my keen eye.
There was a guy in Venderford who went around dressed just like that.
The man who roamed the campus like an agent of an assassination guild, spying for all sorts of information.
His identity was Boris Wilton, whose father was said to have been the head of the Imperial Intelligence Agency.
How did I recognize someone like that?
'He's different from us, but his stealth abilities are excellent.'
National intelligence agents are usually like that.
“But why are they suddenly here?”
Just as I tilted my head, voicing my confusion...
*Shhhk!*
For a moment, it was as if the two figures flickered and vanished.
'What?'
I shot out and brought down a mace of fierce judgment upon them.
I didn't actually swing a mace or anything; it was just a sloppy punch.
Of course, it was powerful enough to subdue the two people before me.
*Thwack!*
“How dare you bastards fraternize with the enemy?”
At that, Hol Sivas, left behind, grabbed the back of his neck and muttered.
“Hey, you crazy son of a... That's not it.”