Pathfinder in the Darkness (5)
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Wilson Eldeer, and I'll be assisting with this operation."
Deep within the central wing of Lesert Industries lay a specialized laboratory buried under suspicious machinery. Beyond its windows, the sky was already darkening when the door opened and a familiar voice drifted in.
Wilson Eldeer.
The speaker was a Lesert researcher whose face I already knew well. So Wilson was the one who would be helping us hunt Yuglerus today.
"We meet again."
"Indeed. I seem to be running into you quite often these days, Mr. Percival."
"You two know each other?"
Usher, who had been watching our exchange, asked. It was hardly strange for him to be curious — I was chatting so casually with someone I'd supposedly just met.
I nodded and introduced Wilson.
"Yeah. We crossed paths before when I lent him a hand."
"What a remarkable coincidence."
"Tell me about it."
"Usher Hayes. Good to meet you."
Lately it felt like I was seeing Wilson everywhere. Lesert Industries hardly lacked for staff, so his frequent appearances probably had more to do with his track record than his rank.
Usher extended his hand, and Wilson accepted the handshake. The Sword Saint stepped forward next and offered her own.
"They call me the Sword Saint."
"Ah — so you're the one. I trust the repaired sword is holding up without issue?"
"So you were the one who fixed my blade. Thank you."
"Haha. It was a rather meaningful piece — you could feel the love for family in it."
Meaningful in more ways than one, really. The Sword Saint seemed pleased by the compliment; she smiled and carefully ran her fingers along the sword's length.
Wilson had already met Shinell last time. The only introduction left was Ney's.
"Ney Terdos."
"I've heard about you from Miss Belle. A pleasure."
Once the formal greetings were done, Wilson approached a massive machine nearby. Something unidentifiable spun in complex patterns atop the apparatus of interlocking components. He pressed a few buttons with practiced ease, then turned back to us.
"This is a mana detection device. Still a prototype, but it should be of considerable help to all of you."
"A mana detection device?"
"If it picks up a large-scale mana signature anywhere inside Lesert Industries, it can pinpoint the source."
Using magic inevitably meant moving mana. For Yuglerus to infiltrate the building, he would have to cast spells — and the moment he did, this device would lock onto his position. A useful tool for tracking an enemy's current location.
"Should prove handy for catching the Pathfinder."
"I would think so."
Of course, I didn't expect the device to distinguish friendly mana from hostile. Odds were high that our own magic would register on it as well. That meant we couldn't cast anything until after Yuglerus had already breached the premises. We had to identify his position first, then move according to plan.
"Dark Merchant. How do you intend to run this operation?"
Usher asked, watching the mana detection device with genuine interest. He was the one who had proposed this plan to the security forces in the first place, and it seemed he meant to hand me full tactical command. Ney didn't look particularly put out either, so I pointed to the building schematics mounted on the wall.
"Bunching up in one place won't let us keep pace with his movement speed. We split up."
"How do we divide the personnel?"
"First — Sword Saint takes the fourth floor and the rooftop."
"Got it."
I indicated the upper levels with a finger and looked at her. The Sword Saint could manipulate wind to a degree, and if needed she could snipe with Wind Cutter. Stationing her on the top floor meant she could drop to ground level at any moment. Alone against Yuglerus, she had nothing to fear.
She nodded and fitted an earpiece from the desk into her ear.
"Next — Usher Hayes. You take the second and third floors."
Usher was next. The mid-levels of the building suited his superior mobility, and more importantly, those floors held the bulk of the classified materials the Pathfinder Yuglerus was after. Whoever was stationed there stood the highest chance of encountering him first — better that it be someone skilled in combat.
"Fine by me."
"Lastly, Shinell and I will cover the first floor and the exterior."
"What about me?"
Hearing her name left out, Ney — who had been quiet until now — turned to me. She held a fairly high position in the security forces, but honestly, her close-combat ability wasn't something I could rely on. There was a reason Abel had paired Usher with her in the first place. In the original story, Usher had gotten into no end of trouble because of Ney.
"You… should stay here and track the intruder's movements. Someone has to man the post."
"So I sit here, is that it? Fine, whatever."
"And Wilson — I have a favor to ask."
One last contingency. I stepped close to Wilson and murmured a request against his ear. Fortunately he seemed to grasp it at once, nodding readily.
"Understood. I'll arrange it."
"That's everything. Once you're ready, move out."
I finished speaking and slipped the earpiece from my pocket into my ear. Usher did the same with the one in front of him, then looked toward Ney nearby. What he wanted was easy enough to read. He needed preparation before he could fight properly.
Ney picked up the remaining earpiece and asked him,
"Level Four again this time?"
"That would be best."
"Alright."
A short sigh. Then Ney reached for Usher's muffler — the place where the restraint device suppressing his mana was hidden.
"Code E172. In the name of Special Supervisor Ney Terdos, I request Level Four restriction release."
Authority confirmed. Approved.
This temporary measure will remain in effect for 3 hours.
Hiss. Clack.
The familiar scrape of metal rang out. Dense mana flooded outward in every direction, and the nearby detection device flickered in response. Watching a hunting dog's leash come off wasn't an everyday sight — Wilson regarded Usher with open fascination. Usher, apparently unsettled by the attention, rubbed the back of his neck, then suddenly tossed an unexpected remark my way.
"Shouldn't we give the operation a name?"
"A codename?"
"I figure it would help morale, at least a little."
An operation name. Not something I'd ever put much thought into. Naming things had never been my strong suit. A name for the mission to catch the Pathfinder…
I considered it while looking at the window right beside me. Beyond the glass, darkness had already settled over the sky.
"…Pathfinder in the Darkness."
"That's the operation name?"
"Yeah. That'll do."
A desolate hour deep in the night.
A young man settled onto the building's rooftop, working the stiffness from his limbs with a few kicks against the floor. Dressed in a light hooded jacket, his name was Yuglerus — known to some as the Pathfinder. Within the Cabal, his skill at infiltration was second to none.
Yuglerus exhaled a thick plume of cigarette smoke and muttered to himself.
"Whew. Feels like the weather's turning cold."
This job had come as a commission from the commander of the Ghost Army. Given the Cabal's closed structure, the only ranking officer he actually knew within the organization was that infamous Ghost Army. But for Yuglerus, the arrangement wasn't half bad. He'd never particularly shared the Cabal's grand ideals to begin with, and the pay the commander offered was more than satisfactory. Finish this cleanly and an even larger payout would follow. The only real worry currently occupying his mind was how best to spend the money already glittering behind his eyes.
"Time to head inside."
Finished with a quick stretch, Yuglerus flicked the cigarette butt onto the rooftop. Then he drew a knife from his pocket. The blade caught the moonlight and gleamed faintly in the dark.
His target was Lesert Industries — reputed as the city's foremost military-industrial corporation. Combat was inevitable. Smiling, Yuglerus cast his spell.
Pass Wall
The moment the magic took hold, Yuglerus's body lost its boundaries and sank down through the floor. Pass Wall — a spell that let him move through walls and obstacles. Under its effect, terrain offered him no resistance; he could move freely. Like a diver descending into deep water, he worked his way deeper into the building's interior.
After passing through several structures, light appeared ahead — and with it, armed security guards patrolling the corridor.
"……"
Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed past Yuglerus's ears. Unaware of him, the guards walked by without incident. The fourth floor held none of the information he was after. Reaching his destination meant dropping one more level.
Yuglerus waited until the guards had gone, then used his magic to drop silently onto the stairwell once the corridor was clear.
"Intruder! After him!"
But the instant Yuglerus's feet touched the stairs, the guards he had just passed spun around, shouting as they came back for him. Startled, Yuglerus tightened his grip on the knife.