Movement of the Mastermind

I returned to the Dark Guild "Crow" via Teleportation Magic and headed straight for the inner sanctum.

"Oh, you're back? Well? Did you get the intel we need?"

"I got it," I replied, my voice flat. "But you should walk away from this one."

"……What’s that supposed to mean? Don't tell me Crow's Number Two is getting cold feet?"

"It’s not fear. It’s a fact. Yuri—that guy—knew everything we were doing before we even did it."

"He’s a dropout, but he’s still a child of the Lousouth bloodline, for better or worse. It wouldn't be hard for him to do a little digging, right?"

"Do you honestly think he's a dropout after everything I told you? I’m terrified to think just how many steps ahead of us he’s actually looking."

Totto finally seemed to catch the gravity of the situation. He reached for a bottle on the table and popped the cap.

"……Drink?"

"Yeah……"

The room fell into a heavy silence, save for the sound of liquid hitting glass.

Totto took a slow sip, steadying his nerves. When he spoke again, his voice was an octave lower.

"What did you see?"

"Even in a run-down budget inn, they were living a lifestyle that would make high nobility look like peasants."

"……Huh?"

He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Maintaining a noble lifestyle requires a fortune. Doing it at a budget inn? It defied logic.

"If he knew you were coming, couldn't he have just put on a show to lure you in?"

"No, this wasn't some half-baked performance. Here, look at this."

I held out my arm, showing him the Misanga tied around my wrist.

"Since when did you start wearing trendy accessories?"

"……Don't mock me. This is a Magic Tool."

"Give me a break. There’s no way."

Totto smirked, leaning in to inspect the cord. Then, the color drained from his face.

"……Hey, where the hell did you get this!?"

"Yuri gave it to me. He was the target of the investigation."

"You didn't…… you didn't betray us, did you?"

Totto’s voice went dangerously low. His hand drifted toward the Dagger at his waist.

"That might actually be easier to swallow. But the truth is, he can mass-produce Magic Tools of this caliber whenever he feels like it."

"……Ren, are you being conned?"

"If I wasn't holding the physical proof in my hand, I’d think the same thing."

I stared Totto directly in the eyes. He had to know I wasn't the type to fall for a lie.

"Fine. For the sake of argument, let's say you're right. But he’s just a craftsman. What can he actually do? If we raid them, we’ll overrun them in minutes, right?"

"I wouldn't count on it. There was a Dragon Slayer in town."

"We already have reports on that."

"Then what about the Demon Lord? Even the Demon Lord was acting like a loyal follower."

We had assumed they were just visiting the territory on a whim, but the reality was far more grim. Even Totto couldn't ignore the dissonance anymore.

"There’s something going on behind the scenes here."

"Exactly. That’s why I’m recommending we scrap the contract and observe for now."

"If we drop a job, our reputation takes a hit. Is it really worth that?"

"Absolutely. We shouldn't be anywhere near this."

"—Understood. I’ll trust your gut on this one."

Totto set his empty glass down and stood up.

But a thought nagged at the back of my mind. Was our current client really the type of person to let us walk away from a contract so easily?

My bad premonition was about to be proven right.

◇　◇　◇

I had been waiting at the guild headquarters for a while when Totto stumbled in, clutching a gut wound. Blood was everywhere.

"Tch. I blew it."

"Hey! Are you okay?"

"It’s just a scratch. I’ll throw some spit on it and it'll heal, right?"

It was a fatal wound. He was only forcing that grin to keep me from panicking.

"Don't talk. I’ll find someone who can—"

"Haha…… we're already surrounded. You need to get out of here, Ren."

"Like hell I’m leaving you!"

"It’s fine. Even like this, I can still buy you time. I'll take a chunk out of them and break their Barrier…… guh."

I didn't let him finish. I tapped him on the neck, knocking him unconscious.

I hoisted him over my shoulder and tried to trigger Teleportation Magic.

But Totto was right. Multiple Barriers had been erected around the building. My Magic Power hit rock bottom instantly as the spell was smothered.

"I told you……"

Totto’s voice was a weak rasp. My strike hadn't been enough to keep him under.

"Just shut up! Wait…… that’s it. This is exactly what this Magic Tool is for—"

I didn't know the specifics of the effect, but Yuri had told me to use it when I was in trouble. If this wasn't trouble, I didn't know what was.

I gripped the Misanga and willed it to activate.

The cord snapped instantly.

"Huh?"

For a split second, I thought it was a dud. Then, a tidal wave of Magic Power flooded my system.

It was an impossible amount of energy—enough to shatter through layers of high-level Barriers without resistance. A Teleportation Door materialized in the center of the room.

"Ha…… haha……"

I stared at the portal, unable to believe my eyes. Totto looked just as stunned.

"S-so this is the power you believed in……"

Totto was at his limit. It was only a matter of seconds before the attackers breached the room.

Hoping against hope that someone at Yuri's territory could fix a hole in a man's stomach, I stepped through the door.

◇　◇　◇

We emerged, for some reason, in the middle of the inn’s bathing area.

Between the haste of the cast and the interference from the Barriers, my coordinates must have drifted. To make matters worse, Totto and I tumbled straight into the water.

"Guh……"

"Sorry. You still with me?"

"A-ah…… I’m fine……"

"Stay there. I’ll find a Healer—"

"Wait!"

Totto’s shout stopped me in my tracks.

"What now? If I don't get you help, you’re going to die—"

"It’s healed……"

"Eh?"

I blinked, certain I’d misheard him.

Totto pulled his hand away from his stomach. The wound was gone. The skin was knit tight, and the deathly pallor had left his face.

"I see. This is that bath…… the one that restores Magic Power. It doesn't just replenish energy; it mends flesh……"

Relief washed over me so hard my knees gave out. Totto was safe.

However, in my relief, I had overlooked a fatal detail.

This was a communal bath.

The question of whether we were in the Men's Bath or the Women's Bath was answered immediately by a scream.

"KYAHHHHHHHH!!"

A high-pitched shriek echoed through the tile room. A split second later, a fist connected with my face with the force of a falling star. As I spiraled into unconsciousness, I felt a strange sense of pride. At least I’d finished the job.

◇　◆　◇

"……I see. So Yuri has headed for the Sage's Tower."

In the Lousouth Mansion within the Royal Capital, I, Balan, allowed a thin smile to cross my lips.

"That tower is a death trap, a dungeon crawling with high-rank Monsters. Even if Yuri is capable of clearing it, it will take him months."

Despite having discarded him for his inferior Aptitude, I found my estimation of the boy rising. He had, after all, easily repelled the Crow's Number Two—the very man I had sent to deal with him.

Furthermore, Totto, the master of that Dark Guild, had the audacity to show up earlier and try to scrap our contract.

Those rats know too much. If they intend to betray me, I have no choice but to erase them.

I had stabbed him in the gut then and there. He had managed to escape even with a hole in his stomach—as expected of a man running one of the top guilds in the Kingdom—but it was a moot point. My knife had been coated in a lethal toxin. He was a dead man walking.

That left only his subordinates.

Most were scattered, but a certain troublesome teleportation user was currently in the Royal Capital. Dealing with a teleporter is simple if you know where they are.

Teleportation Magic requires an exponential increase in Magic Power based on distance and the presence of Barriers. By layering enough interference, the spell becomes impossible to cast, and the user drains their own mana reserves in a futile attempt.

I had already briefed the Kingdom Knights on this strategy. I expected a report of their total suppression momentarily.

"B-Balan-sama! I have a report!"

"Is the Crow annihilated?"

"N-no, sir. It's……"

The knight stammered, unable to find the words. I slammed my hand onto my desk.

"Speak!"

"The truth is…… the members of the Crow have vanished!"

"Explain yourself! You maintained the Barriers as I ordered, didn't you!?"

"Yes, sir! There is no doubt! But they simply…… disappeared into thin air!"

It made no sense. However, I knew exactly who was behind this. I had been completely outplayed.

"Heh…… heh heh. Fine. If that’s how you want to play, Yuri, I won't hold back either."

I summoned my butler, my mind already racing with a counter-move.

I remained entirely unaware that Yuri had absolutely nothing to do with this, and in truth, hadn't given me a single thought.