Ch.108Chapter 108. Smoothly (2)

“Will you come here to pick me up every morning from now on? Which unit did you say you’re from?”

“… I’m from the 2nd unit.”

“Hehe, I’ll put in a word there, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

‘Good.’

Erika inwardly rejoiced.

When she first encountered Princess Arte, she had been anxious, but the situation had unexpectedly turned out quite well.

As soon as Princess Arte realized Erika was a woman, she immediately made Erika her personal “soldier.”

She said it worked out well since she’d been uncomfortable with only men on the battlefield.

Saying she didn’t like male soldiers coming in and out of her tent, Arte immediately took Erika to her own quarters.

The princess’s tent was indeed luxurious.

Erika glanced around the tent from inside her helmet, instinctively looking for anything suspicious.

On the surface, nothing seemed out of place.

‘That’s it.’

Something caught Erika’s sharp senses.

A small box sitting on what appeared to be a vanity table.

Erika could feel a suspicious energy trapped inside the box, desperate to escape.

‘Definitely suspicious.’

Earlier she had been wary of the suddenly changing atmosphere, and now there was this suspicious box inside the tent.

Erika’s suspicions about Princess Arte were growing stronger.

Along with that came the hopeful expectation that she might be able to uncover the mastermind behind this war and the black magic relatively easily.

“Have you memorized the way here?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Then could you start by cleaning up here? There are clothes in that box over there—please organize those first.”

“Yes.”

Erika looked at the large box Princess Arte was pointing to.

She had wondered what might be inside—apparently it contained clothes.

“Fold the underwear neatly and put them in the drawer under that desk.”

“Understood.”

“Hehe. Go ahead and get started. I’ll be back shortly—I have a meeting to attend. I need to talk about you too.”

*Nod*

Erika bowed exaggeratedly to Princess Arte, just as she had done earlier.

‘This is my chance.’

Erika thought as she watched Princess Arte’s back as she left the tent.

She never imagined she’d get such a perfect opportunity right after infiltrating the Flora Kingdom’s military camp.

‘Is she gone?’

Erika closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could to detect Princess Arte’s presence.

Princess Arte, who had left the tent, was slowly moving toward the center of the camp.

Since she said she had a meeting, she probably wouldn’t return for at least several minutes.

*Swish*

First, Erika opened the large box as Princess Arte had instructed.

As the princess had said, the box was filled with unorganized clothing piled high.

“She’s not very good at organizing, I see.”

Erika muttered as she took off her stifling helmet.

Her shimmering silver hair, which had been pressed down inside the helmet, cascaded freely as it was released.

At the same time, Erika instinctively moved toward the vanity table with silent footsteps.

The box that had given off such a suspicious energy earlier.

“Haaah.”

Before opening the box, Erika took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings once more.

There was no one in the tent or nearby.

Only after confirming this, and preparing for any possible situation, did Erika carefully open the box.

Despite the suspicious energy, the box opened surprisingly easily.

*Click*

The box opened with the sound of the lock releasing.

Erika had prepared for the possibility of a trap spell activating, but fortunately, it wasn’t a trap.

Inside the box were papers.

Papers rolled up and tied with string.

‘What is this?’

Erika couldn’t contain her curiosity.

Without hesitation, she took out the papers and immediately untied the string.

*Rustle*

Erika furrowed her brow and concentrated.

The unfolded paper was densely covered with writing.

“This is…?”

Erika’s expression grew increasingly serious as she read from the first sentence.

The contents of the paper were shocking in many ways.

‘Method for creating Test Subject No. 67… Three sacrifices?’

Erika continued reading, holding her breath.

She quickly and thoroughly read the document from the first sentence to the last.

To summarize the contents of the paper:

It was the manufacturing method for the Black Sheep creatures that were causing such controversy on the battlefield.

“Why is this here…?”

*Rustle* *Rustle*

Erika unconsciously muttered as she read through all the papers that followed.

They all contained similar content.

Manufacturing methods for crows, black golems.

And production methods for other creatures as well.

‘Why are these here?’

Thinking she had caught a bigger fish than expected, Erika’s gaze suddenly stopped as she turned the page.

Because of a specific phrase written at the bottom of the manufacturing method.

‘Research Director and Developer: Arte Flora’

“Huh…?”

*Rustle* *Rustle*

Erika hadn’t seen wrong.

At the bottom of each creature manufacturing method, the same phrase was written like a signature.

The phrase stating that Arte Flora was the research director.

“Hehehehe.”

*Whoosh*

Hearing the chilling laughter behind her, Erika reflexively turned around and threw the papers.

*Flutter*

The papers Erika threw fluttered through the air before scattering like dust.

The person standing behind her was the name written at the bottom of the manufacturing methods.

Arte Flora.

The second princess of the Flora Kingdom.

“Was it interesting?”

*Shing*

“Oh no…!”

Erika stepped back and immediately drew two swords.

Arte was staring directly at Erika with the same beautiful yet terrifying smile she had shown earlier.

“Quick reflexes and good instincts? Going straight for the box.”

“It was you.”

“Hehehehe.”

Erika felt uneasy looking at Arte, who seemed far too relaxed.

Arte’s own abilities were concerning enough, but Erika was also in the heart of enemy territory.

It was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.

“You know what?”

“…”

Arte sat on the bed with an expression of complete confidence, like looking at a fish already caught.

Erika took an even sharper stance while sensing the presence of others around her.

Still, she couldn’t detect anyone outside the tent.

“There are no women in our kingdom’s army.”

“…!”

“Puhuhuhuhuh.”

‘I was screwed from the beginning.’

Arte couldn’t control her laughter and kept hitting the bed with her hand, finding something incredibly amusing.

“And you didn’t even know that, puhahaha!”

“I never expected a princess would be so directly involved.”

“Huhuhuhuh.”

Arte didn’t show any sign of being disturbed by Erika’s words and continued laughing.

Even in this situation, Erika thought calmly.

‘Open combat here is too disadvantageous for me. I need to escape.’

She had planned many escape routes before infiltrating the Flora Kingdom’s camp.

However, those routes hadn’t considered being so blatantly exposed.

They were escape routes that assumed she would have a chance to hide, even if discovered.

“Who sent you? Ah, I guess you won’t tell me.”

Arte continued talking to herself even though Erika hadn’t been responding at all.

She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation itself.

“I’ll give you credit though. You’re the first to actually infiltrate our army. Until now, countless spies have died pathetically outside.”

Arte clicked her tongue as if in regret.

Erika made up her mind to escape this place first and think later.

The mastermind behind the black magic was a kingdom’s princess.

She needed to inform someone of this information.

*Thud*

“Huh.”

“Hehe. Where do you think you’re going?”

‘Damn it.’

Erika had anticipated creating a distraction and tried to jump upward to escape, but she failed.

She put strength into her ankles and jumped with all her might, but her body wouldn’t move as she wanted.

It wasn’t that her body wouldn’t move—it was being blocked.

As if there were an invisible ceiling, Erika couldn’t jump beyond a certain height.

“When did you…?”

“Hmm? I wonder when?”

‘I’ve been had.’

Erika instinctively realized.

Of course, she had been exposed as a spy from the moment Arte discovered she was a woman.

There had been countless opportunities between then and arriving at this tent.

For a black mage capable of creating creatures, setting a trap during those moments would have been trivial.

“So are you really not going to tell me who sent you?”

*Clang*

‘It’s not just the top that’s blocked.’

Before Arte could finish speaking, Erika swung her sword toward her.

She had expected it wouldn’t reach, but it was more thoroughly blocked than she’d anticipated.

Erika realized that transparent barriers were surrounding her on all sides.

And they were quite solid walls.

“Hehe. You can’t get out of there anyway. Why don’t you just tell me everything before things get worse for you?”

“As if I would.”

“Hehehehe. Right, of course you wouldn’t.”

Arte finally rose from the bed, laughing as if enjoying herself.

Erika took a stance as she watched Arte stand up.

Erika, who specialized in stealth and tracking, had rarely been caught so openly by anyone.

‘To get out of here…’

No matter how much she thought about it, no solution came to mind.

No way to overcome this situation and escape using her skills and abilities.

“Let’s see, it’s been a while since I’ve had a woman…”

*Clatter*

“Wh-what…!”

As Arte looked Erika up and down, the swords fell from Erika’s hands.

Erika looked down at her hands in disbelief.

Her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

*Grin*

“Let’s put down those sharp things first and talk.”

Arte smiled as she watched Erika trembling and dropping her swords.

Hundreds of methods to torture Erika were flashing through Arte’s mind.

‘Damn it.’

Meanwhile, Erika’s mind was gradually going blank.

She couldn’t put any strength into her hands at all.

Erika’s expression darkened more than ever before.