Chapter 46: Shadow(2)
Chapter 46: Shadow(2)
The man who claimed to be the Chancellor’s right-hand man smirked greasily as we shook hands. What a phony bastard.
I wanted to expose the son of a bitch right then and there and screw him over big time, but this was a time for rational thinking.
First, the man held a high position in the Magic Tower. He was a noble himself and something like the Chancellor’s right-hand man.
Without concrete evidence, it would be difficult to take him down. Why? Because he was a noble.
That’s just how this absurd world worked.
To catch this guy, I had to fabricate some solid evidence and frame him with it. Fortunately, I already had a method in mind.
For now, I’d just play dumb and welcome him.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Kerry. I’ve heard a great deal about you from the Sage. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him welcome someone so warmly, even calling them his brother. Hehehe.”
As I played along, the man chattered on excitedly, then asked us to entrust our security to him and his men. He was certainly eager to get his claws into us.
That’s when something caught my eye.
The staff he was holding. At its tip was an orb that resembled a Magic Storage Orb.
“Ah. Does this interest you? It’s a magitool called a Magic Storage Orb. If you’d like, I can procure one for you. They’re quite rare, but I happen to have some in stock as I collect them.”
“You collect them? Really? I heard they were valuable items…”
“Yes. They are valuable, but I already have about three of them.”
Nice! The guy has a great hobby.
I’ll have to ask the Sage to make sure I get them when we take this guy down along with the Chancellor. A simple request to my brother, the Sage, should be more than enough.
Lina shot me a worried glance. She seemed concerned that I might actually side with this man.
After bowing repeatedly and saying he’d be in our care, the man left the inn. Lina then approached me cautiously.
“Um… Sir Kerry. As I’ve said before, we can’t fully trust the Magic Tower yet. It would be best not to get too friendly with that man…”
“Phew. Playing along with him was exhausting. Why does he talk so much?”
I shook my head as I spoke, and only then did Lina smile in relief.
“Actually, I was just on my way back from hearing something similar from the Sage. That’s why our conversation yesterday went on for so long. The Sage has also noticed the presence of traitors and has been quite troubled by it.”
“What?”
Lina’s eyes widened, surprised by my unexpected words.
Of course, what I said was a lie. A talk with the Sage? Please. I’d just spent the whole time fucking Ellie’s brains out.
Kerry showed the group the documents he had prepared.
“The Sage managed to narrow down the suspects after his own investigation. And these are the guys. Most of them belong to the Chancellor’s faction. For your information, the man who was just here is the Chancellor’s right-hand man.”
Lina examined the documents.
There was no definitive proof yet, but the investigation into their suspicious activities was well-organized.
In particular, the information that the Chancellor visited an abandoned mine at dawn once a month was a critical lead.
It was clear that something was going on in that mine.
“This is incredible, Sir Kerry. I was worried when you didn’t return last night without a word, but you were accomplishing something great.”
“I didn’t really do anything. It’s just what I heard from the Sage.”
“Earning the trust of a man like the Sage is a talent in itself. I heard he even calls you his brother?”
“Husband! You’re amazing! To be honest, I was secretly worried you were cheating on me with another woman yesterday… I’m sorry. I won’t even suspect you in my head anymore!”
A shiver just ran down my spine. A woman’s intuition is a scary thing.
Victoria, who had been listening to the story, chimed in with interest.
“Hmm. I see. With this much information, it would be possible to raid the site when they enter the abandoned mine.”
Kerry’s conscience pricked at the party’s praise, but hey, what’s good is good, right? The information itself was real, after all.
The party spent the rest of the night planning. Planning how to ensnare the Chancellor’s faction.
I’d have to get my story straight with the Sage later.
*
It was a night with a full moon.
According to the schedule, today was the one day of the month the Chancellor personally visited the abandoned mine.
The party stood before a shortcut Lina had discovered earlier. For the record, we’d left the grandmother behind, judging her unfit for infiltration. She was happy about it, saying her knees were aching anyway.
“Everyone has memorized the plan, correct? We avoid combat as much as possible before the operation begins.”
Lina said, emphasizing the point.
“If the enemy is truly the Chancellor of the Magic Tower… his magical skills will be the real deal. We must not let our guard down. And we must not get excited.”
“Don’t worry. Even if I get excited, I have my husband now.”
Victoria snorted, as if to say she was different from Natasha.
“Kerry. I’ll protect you, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“I-I can protect my husband, too!”
“Aren’t you the damage dealer? Leave Kerry to me.”
“…”
Natasha, at a loss for words, just pouted.
“It’s time. Let’s infiltrate. The secret passage is this way.”
Following Lina through the dense thicket, we saw a passage just big enough for one person to crawl through.
This looks like it could get tricky if we’re discovered by the enemy while passing through.
“It’s fine. I’ve already checked it several times. This passage isn’t used very often.”
The party nodded. If Lina said it was fine, it was fine.
One by one, we began to enter the hole, starting with Lina. Natasha went in after her.
Next was Victoria, but just as she was about to enter, she turned around and flashed a grin at me.
I understood the meaning of that smile the moment I entered the tunnel.
Because Victoria’s plump ass was right there to greet me. It was no joke.
It had been quite a while since I’d had the chance to caress Victoria’s bountiful rear.
I’d rejected her lewd signals before, and she’d been uncharacteristically sulky about it.
Was this her revenge?
Victoria’s ass suddenly started backing up. Her pussy pressed right against my face.
Startled, I tried to remain calm. But the sexually frustrated Victoria went so far as to grind her pussy against my face.
This sex-addicted woman!
“Hnngh!”
She even let out a sound.
I could hear worried voices from up ahead.
“Is something wrong, Lady Victoria?”
“…It’s nothing. A sh-sharp rock just poked my knee. Don’t worry about it.”
The party, which had paused, started moving forward again. I thought Victoria would stop her prank and move on as well.
But Victoria didn’t budge, her pussy still pressed against my nose.
It was then that I realized.
She had no intention of moving until I appeased her to her satisfaction.
This lecherous woman!
My pride as a man wouldn’t let me just take this.
You’ll regret blocking my path. I began to infuse mana into the Arachne’s Ring on my finger.
Simultaneously, dozens of thin, invisible mana threads shot out from the ring.
If you thought I couldn’t do anything in here, you were sorely mistaken!
I had been training with the Arachne’s Ring so I could use it at a moment’s notice.
The mana threads began to wrap around Victoria’s body.
The thin threads easily slipped through the tiny gaps in her armor.
Then they sought out her bare skin and began to delve deeper.
Victoria could feel the threads against her skin.
‘Strange threads are suddenly… on my body… N-not there! That spot’s sensitive!’
The threads found Victoria’s pussy and entered.
And not just her pussy. They slipped into her top and began to fondle her breasts at will, just as if I were kneading them myself.
‘Hnngh! This sensation is similar to when Kerry touches me…!’
Victoria glanced back. She saw me smiling with a wicked grin.
It was clear I was up to something.
“Haah…”
The mysterious threads had already begun to penetrate her pussy.
A mana thread rubbed her clitoris before delving inside her, where it suddenly expanded in volume. Just like a dildo.
Victoria spoke in a small voice, careful not to be heard by the others who had crawled ahead.
“Ke-Kerry. What are you doing? Hnngh… St-stop it. I apologize for the prank…”
“Just hurry up and move forward. The others might look back at this rate.”
“You… you’re being too cruel… We have a battle ahead of us…”
“Who started the prank? This is your punishment. I won’t let you go until we’re out of this tunnel.”
“How could you!”
Just then, Lina called back worriedly.
“Is there a problem back there?”
“N-nothing at all. We’ll catch up shortly.”
In the end, Victoria could do nothing but crawl forward.
All the while, the invisible threads continued to tease her body.
I was amazed by the effect of the Arachne’s Ring.
Whoa. It feels like I’m touching her myself.
My exceptional talent even allowed me to feel a direct sense of touch through the mana threads.
Victoria’s large ass wiggled right in front of my eyes.
I didn’t stop with just the mana threads. Just as Victoria wanted, I gently caressed her pussy with my own hand.
Victoria’s body flinched.
By now, her panties were soaked with her juices. I could even feel it through the mana threads.
This is getting dangerous. I should stop here.
If I got her panties any wetter, the party might fall into chaos before the battle even began.
Besides, the tunnel, which had felt so long, was finally coming to an end. I could hear Victoria sigh in relief.
With a heavily flushed face, Victoria finally crawled out of the passage.
At the same time, I withdrew the mana threads.
Then, I had to fervently sing the national anthem to calm my little buddy down. Go down, little guy!
“Everyone’s out.”
Lina said, helping me to my feet.
“This is where it gets important. I’ve already scouted the path. Just follow me.”
The inside of the abandoned mine was filled with a musty, unpleasant smell. The party endured the foul air and ran forward.
We couldn’t even use a light.
We could only follow Lina with our eyes adjusted to the darkness, one hand on the wall.
And where the dark, massive passage ended, a faint light shone through.
We could also hear something terrible.
Things like human screams and the heavy clang of metal on metal.
Lina looked back at the party and spoke cautiously.
“They’re just ahead. Once we confirm the faces of the Chancellor and Barikmeteo, we’ll request backup from the Magic Tower immediately.”
The plan was this:
To apprehend someone of the Chancellor’s stature, raiding the scene was the only option.
Once our party infiltrated and confirmed the Chancellor was present, we would request support from the mages of the Magic Tower who were on standby.
Of course, all of this was only possible because the Sage trusted me as his brother.
Lina moved stealthily, avoiding the faint light from the mine.
Her movements were so incredible that even though I was watching her, I couldn’t hear a single sound. That was Lina for you.
She peered into the area where the light was leaking from, then bit her lip hard. It was obvious without looking.
Something inhumane was definitely happening in there.
Lina scanned the surroundings, her gaze fixing on one spot. Then she gave me a signal. The Chancellor was there.
From my hiding spot, I sent a signal using the magitool I had received from the Sage.
Lina slowly returned to her position, her expression dark. She must have seen something truly awful.
“I’ve contacted the Sage. The Magic Tower’s mages should be storming the place soon.”
“Right. Good work, Sir Kerry. Now, what we have to do is…”
Natasha finished Lina’s sentence.
“Make sure those bastards don’t escape.”
Victoria nodded. Of course, I nodded too.
I had no intention of dedicating my life to defending justice like them, but what those bastards were doing was too cruel to ignore.
“…What was in there, Lady Lina?”
I would see it anyway once the fight began, but I asked Lina to at least prepare myself mentally.
Lina began to speak with a heavy expression. As expected, the story was so brutal that hearing it beforehand would do nothing to prepare me.