The escape plan with Nicker, the black magic user, was progressing smoothly. He seemed desperate, not knowing how long he would remain alive.
‘That’s understandable.’
In reality, if not for the strategy I had proposed, he would have been dead long ago.
Dietrich and Luke had been torturing him for days, saying that comfort would only make him suspicious.
During that time, I focused on preparing for infiltration.
“This bracelet will substitute for a communication stone.”
Lynen fastened a thin bracelet around my wrist.
“Is it a magical tool?”
“Not strictly speaking. If they don’t want information leaking out, they’ll likely restrict external communications.”
Indeed, for security reasons, there was a high possibility that magic or magical tools capable of connecting to the outside were already restricted.
“Then how does this communicate?”
“This bracelet doesn’t operate on magical power. It uses echo ore.”
Echo ore was a mineral with unique properties.
If you split echo ore and share the pieces, one side can hear what the other says. It works across distances as far as communication stones.
However, its drawback is that there’s a time delay in transmission, like an echo.
Lynen was explaining this aspect just then.
“This ore will transmit sounds near you to me. But unlike communication stones, it’s not real-time and has about an hour delay. It could be longer depending on distance.”
“Does it transmit sound all day?”
“No. It only works for about 30 minutes after resonating with its matching echo ore.”
Lynen held the match to mine.
If both pieces of echo ore vibrate at similar times, sound transmission begins for a brief period.
Though somewhat inconvenient, its major advantage was that it wouldn’t be detected by magical power sensors like magical tools would.
Lynen said:
“We’ll set the resonance time for ten o’clock in the evening. Use the bracelet at that time even if nothing unusual happens.”
“Got it.”
“If there’s no contact, we’ll take it as a danger signal and immediately abort your infiltration mission.”
“I said I understand, you nag. What are you so worried about?”
“…”
At my question, Lynen swallowed a sigh, seemingly unable to express his concerns.
“Never mind. I’ll change the future anyway.”
“Huh?”
“Just remember one thing.”
He leaned slightly toward me. Then, brushing his thumb over the wound on his lip, he said:
“This is a wound you inflicted yourself.”
“…!”
He brings that up suddenly?!
Thanks to him, my face burned hot remembering our physical struggle of a kiss from a few days ago.
‘I did bite him pretty hard, didn’t I?’
But it was Lynen who refused the medicine Luke offered to apply.
If we hadn’t needed to act, his lip wouldn’t have just one wound.
When I stared blankly at his lips, Lynen whispered teasingly:
“Are you hoping for more?”
“…Who would!”
Thwack, I kicked his shin and quickly moved away. While I was huffing, he said irritatingly:
“It’s about time you honestly admitted it.”
“Hmph, how shameless when you made the first move. You’re the one who seems desperate.”
“That’s right.”
What?
When I looked up in surprise, I saw Lynen with a serious expression. If his ears hadn’t been burning red, I would have thought he was reading a textbook.
“Even I find it absurd how desperate I am for you.”
“…”
“Sometimes… no, increasingly often, I find it hard to control myself.”
“…”
To me, who was dumbfounded, Lynen asked with some tension:
“What about you?”
“…I, I…”
He took a step closer.
“I hope I’m not mistaken.”
Once again, I felt trapped in a strange atmosphere, but I maintained cool rationality befitting a direct descendant of a prestigious magic family.
I broke the flow of conversation and stepped back.
“Ask something that makes sense. Of course that’s—”
Wait, why did my feet move forward? Wasn’t I stepping back?
‘My body and mind are working separately!’
Lynen observed me intently as I stumbled over my words. Then he closed the final distance between us in one swift movement.
Or rather, he tried to.
“Lady Calliphe…”
When Noah suddenly opened the door and entered, both of us jumped like startled cats.
Crash!
Lynen suddenly became someone casually leaning against the wall by the window, while I became someone sitting cross-legged in a chair, looking toward the door.
“W-what is it?”
“I’ve packed all my things…”
Fortunately, Noah seemed too downhearted to notice anything unusual.
Dietrich was about to take Noah to the annex soon. He was gloomy because he had to return alone.
But we couldn’t keep a child here any longer.
‘To be honest, I think Luke may have figured out that our organization member act is fake.’
Either way, he doesn’t seem to mind much since our abilities are real.
I stroked Noah’s head. Lynen also patted the child’s shoulder.
“Go and wait quietly. Remember, it’s a secret that we’re here.”
“You’ll come back soon, right?”
“Of course.”
I’m the one who wants to leave this underground city quickly.
Shortly after, Noah left the Black Hand with Dietrich.
Good. Noah has returned and our preparations are complete…
‘Time to meet Yulid.’
※※※
As night deepened, I secretly slipped out the back door with Nicker, who was sprawled out after t*rture, avoiding the resistance fighters.
Of course, this was all arranged with the resistance fighters.
Once we were beyond their patrol range, Nicker relaxed and said:
“We really made it out… You’re definitely useful. My judgment wasn’t wrong. The leader will be pleased that you rescued me.”
Hmm. You wouldn’t say that if you knew that spy you revealed would soon be beaten by the resistance fighters.
Over the past few days, I had made contact with the traitor within the resistance that Nicker had told me about.
I needed to receive my reward from Yulid through him.
Once Lynen dealt with the traitor, the resistance would be able to gather forces quickly without someone hindering their unity.
“Instead of thanking me, use your teleportation magic.”
“Cough, right.”
Nicker used black magic once more. As a consequence, his body instantly aged about five years.
‘Aging so rapidly… Now I understand how remarkable those fragments of Lumen’s Heart are, eliminating such penalties.’
With an uneasy feeling, I stepped onto the magic circle he drew with blood. With a floating sensation, the surroundings changed instantly.
Suddenly, Nicker and I were standing in front of a cold stone fortress.
‘Is this Sharen’s occupied residence?’
An organization member who spotted Nicker guided us to what seemed like an audience chamber.
There, other members were gathered, seemingly in the middle of another meeting, including Yulid.
Nicker immediately knelt down.
“New master of the Black Hand! Please forgive me for returning to your side despite my shame. But I have brought new talent for you, leader.”
At those words, the man sitting on the high-backed seat slowly rose.
As he descended several steps and approached us with steady footsteps, his appearance became clearer.
Ashen hair that looked like it had rolled through dark alleys for a long time. A black tattoo occupying one cheek, and dark skin specialized for hiding in shadows.
His fine features were as elegant as an elf’s, but his cold silver eyes were like gleaming blades.
‘He’s somehow chilling.’
Yet this man wore a ring on his ring finger. Conspicuously displayed over his leather gloves, no less.
…So even someone like him has a family?
Translator
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midori
Thanks! I realised…that i did not clarify what specifically i wanted to see from yulid and calliphe meeting. What i want to see is the moment yulid realises calliphe is his daughter!