Chapter 17: Yesterday’s Friend, Tomorrow’s Enemy (1)

“Now that I’ve paid the price in full, when can we move?”  

“That depends on the situation, doesn’t it? It’s not like we’re going to stab you in the back, so don’t be so impatient.”  

The man in the black robe smirked, causing the man who had handed over the magic stone to flare up. The gray robe he wore was plain, and his slightly twisted lips were clearly visible.  

“How can I trust people like you? Damn it, this is why I hate dealing with black mages…”  

“Hey, how about sparing a thought for the black mage who has to hear that?”  

It was obvious that there was no trust between them, far from what one would expect in a simple transaction.  

The tense atmosphere, as if an attack could break out at any moment, was being watched with interest by Chloe when Tehis placed a hand on her shoulder.  

“Doesn’t that voice sound familiar to you?”  

The low whisper, close enough to avoid detection, sent chills down her spine. Chloe lightly shuddered and blocked out the sounds from outside before replying.  

“The black mage seems to be one of Lucas’s associates, but I don’t know who the man in the gray robe is. His lower face feels oddly familiar, though…”  

“I feel the same. Judging by his manner of speech, he seems to be a noble, but no specific person comes to mind.”  

Chloe nodded in agreement. The only noble she knew well was Demian Fernand. Other than that, her encounters with nobles were limited to fleeting meetings at the capital’s restaurants or during the founding anniversary banquet, so it was hard to identify someone just by their lower face and voice.  

Meanwhile, the suspicious transaction continued. After a heated exchange of sharp words, the noble shook his head in disapproval, bringing the standoff to a temporary end.  

“Whatever happens, keep your promise.”  

“Geez… I told you not to worry. Whether it’s you or us, we’ve both placed our future in the hands of that prince, haven’t we?”  

For a moment, Chloe and Tehis’s eyes met.  

‘Are they talking about the missing Second Prince?’  

This is getting way too complicated.  

Chloe looked troubled, but it was too late to pretend she hadn’t seen or heard anything.  

If she were alone, it might have been possible. But she was with none other than the Grand Duke of the Empire. If a war were to break out, he would undoubtedly become deeply entangled in it.  

As if confirming her fears, Tehis’s face hardened at the signs of rebellion.  

He didn’t care if someone was targeting the Emperor, but if the prince got involved and a large-scale rebellion broke out, it would be a problem. With so many interests intertwined, he wouldn’t even have time to stabilize the North before being dragged into the war.  

‘I’ll have to uncover the mastermind behind this.’  

The best course of action would be to strike first, before anything happened, and dismantle the faction. Debating whether to ambush the scene, he first requested Chloe to descend.  

“I’ll follow the man in the gray robe. Could you go after the black mage? We need to find out how they plan to use the magic stone.”  

“Are you satisfied with merely finding out its use?”  

Tehis quietly descended to the ground and looked up at Chloe.  

Suspended mid-air, she crossed her arms and tilted her head, meeting his gaze.  

“No, Tehis. You’re asking me to take the magic stone from them so they can’t cause trouble, aren’t you?”  

Tehis was at a loss for words at Chloe’s pointed question. He couldn’t deny that such intentions were indeed part of his plan.  

While he captured the noble to uncover the ringleader, her task would be to thwart the black mage’s schemes. That was the ideal scenario.  

‘But she must maintain her neutrality.’  

Mages from the Mage Tower did not interfere in worldly affairs. That was the promise between the continent and the Mage Tower.  

No matter where a war broke out or how many people a black mage killed, they would never intervene. Unless directly attacked, as was the case during the founding anniversary banquet, they would never take sides.  

This was also why the Mage Tower sent its mages to various nations—to maintain absolute neutrality.  

Thus, it was unreasonable to expect her help.  

‘It’s only natural, considering Lucas is involved.’  

From the beginning, his attempts to win Chloe’s favor during the early stages of their contract had been more about developing his territory than personal matters. It was a realm he never dared hope for, so there was no reason to feel disappointed now.  

He had already known this since the moment she had turned a blind eye to Lucas’s escape at the herb shop.  

And yet, humans are such fickle creatures, and emotions stirred within him. Suppressing his disappointment with reason, Tehis lowered his gaze.  

“…Didn’t I say I would never force anything upon you? Do as you wish, Chloe.”  

That was their contract. That was their relationship.  

Looking down at the bowing Tehis, Chloe bit her lip hard. The red liquid painted on her lips left a bitter taste.  

“Let’s go, Tehis. We’ll lose them.”  

“Yes, Chloe. Let’s meet back here.”  

Tehis discreetly followed the noble and his escort as they turned into an alley.  

Just as the magic holding Chloe aloft began to dissipate, her voice drifted toward him, carried by the wind.  

“…Those black mages’ magic stones are tempting.”  

By the time Tehis turned around, Chloe was already out of sight.  

The hem of her dress disappeared as she pursued the group of black-robed figures heading in the opposite direction.  

ⓡ*ⓘ*ⓝ*ⓖ  

‘This is troublesome.’

Chloe swallowed a sigh that kept trying to escape. Although she had deliberately drawn a line with Tehis, why would she have left the carriage if she wasn’t planning to do anything? She knew that eventually, she would end up taking action.

What she hadn’t anticipated was that her plan to merely open the path for him would turn into her directly stepping in.

So, the awkwardness she felt wasn’t just because she had gotten involved. She had already accepted losing her objectivity, but the problem was that she couldn’t measure the extent of it.

Looking back, she had already taken many bold actions for Tehis, so even she couldn’t predict how far she might go. The fact that she had done so without much thought made it even more serious.

‘I really need to keep my distance….’

She thought she couldn’t let things continue this way, but she couldn’t easily take action. 

What was it about him that kept bothering me so much? Wasn’t it because I couldn’t leave Tehis alone that I had ended up in this situation?

If she had to justify it, it was because he had shown her kindness first, and she’d been repaying him out of a sense of obligation. But regardless of the reason, it was equally troublesome.

While she clicked her tongue inwardly, the figures in black robes stopped at a dead end in a desolate alley. They manipulated something on the wall, and a secret passage leading underground appeared.

‘Should I follow them inside?’

Chloe frowned slightly. They weren’t ordinary people; they were mages, which increased the likelihood of her being detected if she got too close.

While she was hesitating, the black-robed figures disappeared into the passage. Just before the door closed, Chloe hurriedly moved and managed to slip inside.

“Well, this is still a decent haul.”

“Exactly. That guy doesn’t even realize he’s being taken advantage of—it’s hilarious to watch him strut around.”

Fortunately, they seemed too absorbed in their conversation to pay attention to their surroundings. Chloe sighed in relief and hid in a corner, waiting for them to move further away before she began to follow them cautiously.

The secret passage seemed hastily built, as it had a rough and crude design. It was a narrow space, barely wide enough for two or three people to pass through, and the uneven walls stretched on.

There were candles placed here and there, but the light was faint, only enough to roughly discern directions. The floor was littered with rubble, and overall, it gave off an impression of poor maintenance.

‘Lucas is usually meticulous….’

It didn’t make sense to her that he would leave such a place in this state when it could easily be tidied up with a simple spell. Perhaps he didn’t use this place much. That assumption was shattered when she reached the end of the passage.

“I’ve brought the payment, Lucas.”

“The amount of mana stones?”

“As promised.”

In the circular space revealed beyond the door, Lucas, who had been reading, stood up. With a flick of his hand, he took the pouch of mana stones and checked its contents.

“Good. Was there any trouble?”

“Not really. There was some interference, but it wasn’t a big deal.”

“I see. However….”

His golden eyes, unobscured by a hood, turned sharply toward Chloe’s direction.

A crooked smile appeared on his lips.

“There’s a rat hiding here.”

“……!”

Realizing her invisibility spell had been detected, Chloe quickly surrounded herself with a barrier as mana surged around her. The aggressive rune words that spilled from Lucas’ mouth transformed into sharp winds and rushed toward her.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even amidst the loud noise, Chloe maintained her invisibility spell, causing Lucas to tilt his head. Seeing her cast several spells simultaneously without incantations, he wondered if she was using the power of an artifact.

“Since you’ve been caught, why not reveal yourself?”

The defenses were tighter than expected, and even an Imperial Mage had been deployed.

Still, knowing that her opponents were merely official mages, she wasn’t too worried. She had the confidence to easily handle three or four official mages on her own.

Naturally, that arrogance was shattered the moment her opponent willingly revealed their identity.

“Chloe?!”

“Hello, Luke.”

Why are you here?

Lucas’ face twisted with a mixture of emotions, and Chloe gave him an awkward smile.

“I was passing by and sensed a large amount of mana stones, so I followed the trail…. Are you planning to use those tonight?”

Lucas’ grip on the mana stone pouch tightened.

Tehis Escalante wasn’t with her—Chloe had come alone. Narrowing his eyes as he assessed the situation, Lucas’ gaze gleamed.

Perhaps this wasn’t a crisis, but an opportunity.

“If you’re here because you think I’m planning a terror attack, don’t worry. These mana stones are for personal use.”

“I’d like to believe you, but you know it’s hard, right? I just want today to pass peacefully….”

“But Chloe.”

Lucas interrupted her. Tossing the mana stone pouch carelessly onto the floor, he took a step forward with a bright expression.

“You look really beautiful today. Did you dress up for the banquet?”

“…Uh, yes, I did.”

What’s with him?

Chloe raised an eyebrow. Normally, this wouldn’t have been strange, but the situation was different now.

Even though it was obvious she was here to stop him, he was acting overly familiar. It was suspicious.

Whether he noticed her wariness or not, Lucas bent slightly at the waist and extended a hand in a playful gesture. His voice was soft as he spoke, clearly inviting her to take his hand.

“My lovely lady, would you grant me the honor of sharing tea with you?”