A Peek into the Abyssal Plan

EPSILON

“Hey, Epsilon. Long time no see.”

I looked up at my master, my mouth hanging open like a total idiot.

“I’ll fix you up,” he said.

I felt his warm Magic Power wash over me, stitching the wound on my chest back together.

“Thank you so much...”

The pain vanished instantly. It was a masterpiece of healing—perfectly efficient, without a single drop of mana wasted. Every time I watch him work, it’s enough to move me to tears.

I’d still need time to recover my stamina and the blood I’d lost, but looking down at my fully restored chest, I let out a massive sigh of relief.

And that’s when I realized.

“—Ah.”

The volume was wrong. My Breast Slime was missing.

A chunk of it had been sliced off when I was wounded, and I hadn't had a chance to replenish the padding. Since my master had just finished a hands-on repair of the area, there was absolutely no way he hadn't noticed the... structural deficit.

A cold sweat broke out across my cheeks.

“Ah, ugh... I, uh, well...”

Think, Epsilon! Think! What do I do?! My brain was a total white-out of panic.

“Ah, I see,” my master said, looking down at me. “You were in the middle of an undercover investigation.”

Wait. That’s it!

“Y-yes! Exactly! I was using a disguise! For the investigation!”

“Right, right. And you cut your hair short too.”

“Ah!”

Right, Mordred’s blade had ‘conveniently’ given me a trim.

“Precisely! That was also for the disguise!”

“Man, Epsilon, you really are something else. I'm impressed.”

“No, no, no! It was nothing, really!!”

Safe! I’m safe! Not only did I dodge that bullet, but he actually thinks I’m a pro! Talk about turning a disaster into a total win.

I stood up, plastering on my usual self-confident smile and giving him a graceful bow.

“Thank you very much, Master Shadow. You sensed I was in peril and rushed to my side. I am deeply moved by your profound insight and your dazzling skill.”

“Hm? Yeah, sure. Sounds like you’ve had a rough time, Epsilon.”

“It was a rigorous mission, sir. I owe my life to you. I’ll head back to the Main Unit now and report to Alpha-sama—”

“—Wait.”

“Eh?”

“You’re going to report to Alpha?”

“I mean... yes?”

“No. No reporting. Not until the heat dies down. Let’s see... Epsilon, I’m going to have you stick with me for a while.”

“W-w-w-with Master Shadow?!”

My face turned bright red.

He had sensed I was in danger, saved me, and now he was specifically requesting me as his partner? He usually preferred acting as a lone wolf; lately, even Alpha barely got any quality time with him on the battlefield.

My heart trembled with pure, unadulterated joy.

“I-I-I would be honored! I’ll give you everything I’ve got, even if it costs me my life!!”

“Glad to hear it.”

“S-so, how should I proceed? What are my orders?”

“Maintain a High Level of Flexibility and Respond to Circumstances as They Arise.”

“Yes, sir!”

Translation: ‘My plan is far too complex to explain to you right now.’ Classic Master Shadow. He’s always looking so far into the future that he’s practically in another dimension. The sheer amount of information he processes is vast—he operates on a level of logic that ordinary people can’t even begin to comprehend.

Forbidding the report, making me his partner, showing up at this exact moment... every single move he makes has a deep, hidden meaning.

I gazed at him with nothing but pure reverence.

“Um, Master Shadow. I detected a massive surge of Magic Power outside earlier. Do you know what that was?”

I figured it had to be a major part of his plan. He went silent for a moment, staring at me as if weighing whether I was ready to handle the truth.

“I suppose... I’ll tell you.”

I swallowed hard. This is it. I’m finally touching a fragment of the grand design. This was his way of acknowledging that my question had merit.

“That Magic Power was mine.”

“I suspected as much... but why?”

“I imitated the Black Rose.”

“—What?!”

The Black Rose was the very heart of this Civil War.

It clicked instantly. I had definitely just touched a piece of his terrifyingly vast plan. I still couldn’t see the whole picture, but if my hunch was even remotely correct... just how far ahead was he looking?

A thrill ran through me, so intense it made my soul tingle.

“In short, that’s the gist of it,” he said.

“I will support you with everything I have!”

I squeezed my trembling hands into fists, my eyes filled with a passionate heat as I looked at him.

Author's Note: Thanks to all of you, the release date for Volume 2 has been set for March 5th!!

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