My name was Weiss, a two-hundred-and-eighty-six-year-old elf. I was a refined, handsome fellow who combined the elegance of the elf race with the sophisticated allure of a mature adult. Of course, a man’s worth wasn't measured by his looks alone; to be a first-class man, one had to be capable at his craft.
I wasn’t one to brag, but I was an elite agent of the Kingdom of Sinfonia’s Intelligence Department—a man who supported the nation from the shadows. Some might have mocked us as "dwellers in the darkness," but I took immense pride in my profession. Well, the fact that the pay was excellent certainly helped. In order to provide for "my beloved Maria," who waited for me at home, I made it a point to work jobs that paid well.
It was several hours ago when a mission arrived for me directly from His Majesty the King. Apparently, there had been an accident during this year’s Hero Summoning, resulting in several otherworlders being summoned alongside the official Hero-role. My task was to investigate one of these individuals. Three unintended guests had been summoned in total, and two other agents were monitoring the other targets. Officially, the reason for the surveillance was a simple precaution due to their status as irregular existences.
Honestly, I wanted to point out that His Majesty was probably just overprotective of his sister, but one did not simply talk back to the King. I accepted the mission immediately and moved to watch my target. As luck would have it, the otherworlder assigned to me was a man. Dammit. I’d heard two of the three were girls; if possible, I would have much preferred one of them.
Currently, my target was strolling through the city with a peaceful expression. Beside him was a stunning maid with light-blue hair... Honestly, was this guy already an enemy? I wondered if I could just report him as a hostile. Why was he out on a date with a beautiful woman on his very first day?
Setting aside my personal envy, as far as the target himself went, he looked like a typical brat. His magic power was negligible, and his gait wasn't that of a combat veteran. He didn’t seem to be at a level that required an elite like me to personally monitor him.
I was tailing him from the cover of a display carriage floating in mid-air. I’d thought such elaborate concealment was unnecessary, but just as I let out a weary sigh and relaxed my shoulders to continue the surveillance, I peeked out from the carriage—and immediately recoiled in terror.
What was that? That kid just looked right at me. Had he noticed me? No, that was impossible! At this distance!?
Cold sweat trickled down my spine as I risked another glance. Sure enough, the man was looking directly at my position, and then he smirked.
Impossible! I should have been completely undetected. Wait... Could it be? Was that restless looking around he was doing earlier actually a search for whoever was monitoring him? Was his "harmless brat" routine just a ruse to make me lower my guard?
No, no, I was overthinking it. Surely it was just a coincidence that our eyes met. I was the man who held the top score in the Intelligence Department for the Search for the Lost Dog of Her Highness the Princess. There was no way I could be made so easily.
I steeled my trembling body and peeked out once more, only to find that he was gone. I could see the maid, but the man had vanished like a ghost.
How!? It had only been a few seconds. For only the man to disappear like that was madness. Did he move out of my line of sight in an instant? For what purpose? Could it be...?
"H-He's coming to finish me off..."
The words spilled from my mouth in a dry rasp. Death awaits those who misjudge their enemy’s strength—the phrase echoed vividly in my mind.
What should I do? That grin he gave me... it was the smile of a predator that had finally cornered its prey. No, I was certain of it. It was the smile of a bloodthirsty beast.
What was his method of attack? Magic? Did he intend to blast me and the carriage out of the sky with a sniping spell? Or would he use a wide-range annihilation spell on the whole plaza? He might even use the legendary Space Annihilation Magic! No, it had to be some kind of "Otherworld Special Move"!
I was dead if I stayed there! I had to move! They say thoughts accelerate when a person is on the verge of death, and I was living proof. In a heartbeat, I formulated a plan and abandoned the carriage. But where could I go? Running might be a mistake; the second I turned my back, he could vaporize me.
He was obviously hiding his true power. If he had vanished because he didn't want witnesses to his abilities, then my best bet was a crowded area. I had to gamble on it. He’d already taken the initiative, so if I wanted to survive, I had to charge straight into the heart of the danger. I would do it! If I fled then, I was no man. It was time for a showdown, otherworlder!
I wove through the throng of people, my mind fixed on the center of the plaza. That chilling sensation of my blood turning to ice was a rush I hadn't felt in a long time. A grim smile touched my lips as I reached the center. I ducked behind a nearby stall and scanned the fountain. My heart was pounding like a hammer against my ribs. What a mess of a job I’d accepted. Where was he?
...There! He was standing boldly in front of the fountain as if waiting for me. The sheer arrogance of it.
I reached for the knife at my belt, ready to engage, when despair gripped my heart. Impossible... Was that a Magic Tool? And the magic crystal was jet-black? That was a legendary-grade luxury item I couldn't afford in a hundred lifetimes!
Why did someone who just arrived in this world today have something so terrifying? This was bad. This was very bad. That device was undoubtedly a weapon. A jet-black crystal could hold a magic formula of unimaginable power.
I’d been lured into a trap. He wanted me to follow him there so he could finish me off with that weapon! I didn't have time to chant or deploy a formula. My body shook, and sweat drenched my clothes. Suddenly, the device in his hand flashed, and a beam of light shot toward me.
Dammit! He already knew exactly where I was. That light was a targeting marker. Forgive me, Maria... it looked like I’d failed you. No, I couldn't give up. I couldn't die there. If I died, what would become of Maria? I... I still...
Sometimes, a man had to know when to retreat. The true winner wasn’t the strongest; it was the one who was still breathing at the end.
I wasn't sure if I actually managed to escape or if he simply spared me, but that otherworlder was definitely suppressing his magic. He clearly didn't want to be seen. If he’d been serious, I’d be a corpse by now. I could only imagine how he would have killed me—it likely would have been some kind of terrifying, ultra-technical otherworld science!
I shivered once, relishing the fact that I was still alive, and opened the door to my house.
"I’m home, Maria."
"Naa~"
The one who greeted me was my beloved pet cat, Maria. Ah, I had made it back in one piece.
After doting on Maria for a bit, I sent a Hummingbird to the Royal Palace. I wrote a detailed report explaining exactly how dangerous the otherworlder was and the immense power he likely possessed, addressing it to my esteemed King.
The reply arrived almost immediately: "Do the investigation over, you idiot."
I simply didn't understand.