"My Black Mist didn't work...? But that's not its only use!"
Ren took a deep breath.
Then, she exhaled sharply, aiming at a single point on the Sky Canopy surrounding her.
A sizzling, scorching sound rang out as the wall of air began to dissolve. I watched with interest; she was concentrating her poison on a single point to melt her way through.
Impressive. Even if its defensive properties are low, she actually managed to breach my barrier. Since her poison is likely manifested from mana, it stands to reason that it would be effective against other mana-based constructs.
"Hah!"
Ren kicked through the weakened wall of air and leaped out of the barrier. A massive shroud of black fog erupted from her body, almost completely obscuring her form.
"See you."
From within the mist, I heard the heavy thud of Ren kicking off the ground. By the time the fog cleared, she had vanished.
"Oh, what a masterful disappearance."
It seemed she wasn't entirely unable to control the toxins her body produced. She clearly had various ways to apply them. Between that and her agile movements, it was no wonder Sylpha had found them difficult to handle.
However, if I searched for the void of presence she left behind, her location was obvious. She was currently making a break for it underground.
"Let’s give chase, Master Lloyd-ssu!"
"Oh, Grimo. You were awake?"
"With all that ruckus, of course I’d wake up-ssu! More importantly, if we don’t hurry, she’ll get away-ssu!"
Despite Grimo's impatient urging, I simply rested my chin in my hand and nodded.
"...There’s no need to rush. Let’s leave her be for a bit."
"But..."
"It’s more efficient to deal with them all at once rather than just one person, don't you think?"
"?"
A metaphorical question mark floated over Grimo's head at my words.
The presence of the fleeing Ren was beginning to settle. She was in the center of the city, roughly a hundred meters below the surface. That was undoubtedly the location of the Assassin's Guild headquarters.
I had let her escape on purpose, knowing she would return to her hideout. According to what I'd heard, there were others like her, and I figured I could gather far more information from the whole group than from Ren alone. Everything was going according to plan.
"Ah, I see... 'All at once,' huh-ssu."
"If even one of them can use such amazing techniques, I'm sure her comrades have some fascinating tricks of their own!"
Heh heh... I was starting to get excited.
Suppressing my anticipation, I flew toward the heart of the city. I arrived directly above the presence in the middle of a pitch-black street, and the mouths on my palms opened wide.
"■■■, ■■■."
Utilizing a Spell Bundle for Double Casting, I activated Synthesis Magic, a fusion of the Earth System Magic spells Rock Piercing and Mudification.
Immediately, the ground beneath my feet softened, and I began to sink into the earth. By combining the magic that crushed rocks to create a path with the magic that made the ground as soft as mud, I made the terrain pliable enough to sink through under my own weight.
This method ensured minimal destruction to the city above, and the assassins below wouldn't notice my approach. I had a barrier deployed around me as well, so my clothes stayed clean and I could breathe without issue.
As I sank deeper, the void of presence drew closer.
"You failed!?"
The sound of shattering glass echoed—crash!
Whoa, that startled me. For a second, I thought I’d been spotted, but that wasn't it. I used Levitation to stop my descent and stayed there, peeking out through the ceiling with only my face exposed.
Looking down, I saw five men and women gathered in a large, stone-paved hall.
One was a woman sharpening her nails on a sofa—a mysterious beauty with white hair and a white robe. Her bare skin, visible through gaps in her clothing, was covered in countless scars.
Another was a squinty-eyed young man skillfully stacking small wood carvings into a tower, wearing an eerie, mocking grin.
Then there was a man wearing a mask with a protruding beak like a crow's. I couldn't help but wonder if that beak got in his way.
The one shouting in a beet-red rage was a massive bald man with a spider tattoo on his back and a terrifying face. Standing across from him, separated by the shards of a broken glass, was Ren. She was looking up at him coldly.
"Be quiet. You’re loud. You’ll burst my eardrums."
"As if I can stay quiet! Ren, not only did you let him see your face, you failed the kill! This is exactly why I told you to stay away from the royal castle!"
So, those were the other assassins. I see; I could sense the same peculiar mana from them that I felt from Ren.
"But it was worth it. They're mass-producing Magic Swords and gathering Magical Beasts... I'm certain they're preparing for war. It’s our time to shine."
"I told you... we don’t need to do that stuff anymore!"
The man pressed his temples as if trying to keep his anger in check.
"We don't need to do 'War Crushing' anymore! How long do you intend to keep following his orders like a loyal dog? Give it a rest already—Jade is gone!"
At his words, Ren’s expression, which had been calm until then, underwent a sudden, sharp change.
"Jade hasn't disappeared!"
The man actually flinched at her sheer intensity. Ren glared at him, her next words sounding like they were being wrenched out of her soul.
"Jade was the one who showed us a new path—reforming the world through assassination. This Assassin's Guild exists for that purpose! Our duty right now is to protect the place Jade will return to!"
"That guy isn't coming back!"
"He will! He'll definitely return! Jade promised us!"
The argument between the two grew increasingly heated. Even so, Jade... that was a name I’d heard somewhere before.
"He’s the leader who united the assassins-ssu," Grimo whispered.
"Oh, right."
Regardless of that, I really wanted to see these people's techniques. Based on the way those two were acting, they might actually start a fight if left to their own devices. If the others tried to intervene, I might even get to see a five-way free-for-all. It was the perfect chance for observation.
I decided to watch and see how things played out.
"Hey, both of you, that’s enough."
The woman in the white robe finally spoke up. Then, she looked directly at the ceiling, meeting my eyes.
"We’re being watched."
At her words, every head in the room snapped upward toward me.
"...Oh. You caught me?"
I’d really hoped to see them go at it, but oh well. I let out a small sigh, deactivated Levitation, and floated down to the floor.