Ch.116Kingdom (3)

“Only after the commotion around us had died down could I hear what had happened to the fox.

Irene explained the whole incident with her arms crossed.

Her hair, which had been burning with a deep red color, had already returned to its orange hue.

Perhaps she had gained experience over time.

Despite being in a situation shocking enough to rattle anyone, the girl maintained her gaze without the slightest tremor.

The atmosphere suggested that one wrong move would get your throat torn out.

This is actually kind of cool.

After waiting for her explanation to finish, I casually added a comment when the fox concluded her story.

It was a half-complimentary, half-teasing mutter to myself.

“That’s unexpected.”

“Why? Did you think I’d get kidnapped again?”

“Honestly, I was hoping for it. Being kidnapped is your specialty, Miss Irene, isn’t it?”

“…Are you seeing me as too much of a troublesome character?”

“It just means I care about you.”

“Hmm.”

The girl made a curious expression.

I expected a prickly response at this point, but instead, the fox wore a relaxed smile.

Her lips parted lightly as she spoke.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I won’t be getting kidnapped anymore.”

“Hmm?”

“I heard something about that. Apparently, heroines who become burdens to the protagonist aren’t popular.”

“That’s true, but… where did you hear that from?”

“I read it in a book.”

“A book? Must have been genre fiction. Those are certainly entertaining.”

“At first I was shocked by the explicit descriptions… but I got used to it and found it quite readable.”

“…What kind of novel were you reading exactly?”

“Secret.”

She placed her index finger to her lips and whispered mysteriously.

It was truly a bewitching smile.

‘Another failure, I see.’

I quietly clicked my tongue.

Just a few months ago, there was a certain satisfaction in teasing her, but recently she showed no signs of being bothered by my jokes, which was disappointing.

Instead, she had been increasingly launching counterattacks of her own.

Those black eyes gleamed with mischief.

Was she secretly plotting to devour her master?

Truly an ungrateful fox.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“That’s because I’ve learned from watching someone.”

“Whatever you say.”

I brushed off our pointless small talk.

Then I turned my head to the side.

At the end of my gaze flickered yellow hair.

The culprit who had attacked the fox hours ago.

“Hng, hiing…”

Kneeling on the hard floor with hands raised above her head.

Was she reaching her limit with her arms and legs?

The girl’s hands were gradually lowering with gravity, but when our eyes met, she startled and immediately corrected her posture.

She was so surprised that even her sobbing caught in her throat.

The fragile creature held her breath like prey submitting to a predator.

“Hik, hiiik…”

The girl’s shoulders trembled like an aspen tree.

Tears fell like dewdrops.

Given the situation, she was clearly the aggressor, but her appearance evoked a strange sense of pity.

The fox standing beside me glanced sideways and asked:

“Why is she trembling like that?”

“I feel kind of sorry for her.”

“Judging by her reaction, she seems afraid of you. Do you know each other?”

“Haha… let’s just say there’s a bit of history.”

I dismissed it with an awkward laugh.

I had no way to deflect the question.

As it happened, the face was indeed familiar.

I looked down at the small girl.

“…It’s been a while.”

I greeted her, not entirely pleased.

The girl kneeling before me was none other than ‘Injustice.’

One of the five Negations serving the Monarch.

We had encountered each other during the [Usurpation War] that shook the Empire’s underworld three years ago.

And we had been on opposing sides.

‘Old faces are always awkward.’

It was a time when my personality was particularly volatile.

Back then, even 30% of the powerful figures controlling the underworld couldn’t meet my eyes, and the remaining 70% who dared to face me had already found their graves.

Days filled with the stench of blood and fierce battles.

There were too many wounds to simply package those memories as “nostalgia.”

My brow furrowed involuntarily as I recalled them.

“Hiccup…!”

Noticing my grimace, the girl’s face turned pale.

I worried she might faint again.

Wanting to avoid troublesome situations, I erased my killing intent and put on a smile like one would use with children.

I asked gently:

“Let’s hear your story first.”

“……”

“You’ll need to explain the situation in a way that makes sense. As you know, I lack patience in places like this.”

“Y-yes, yes…! I’m s-sorry… I mean, I’ll answer diligently!”

“Good.”

I smiled slightly.

In the past, I would have dealt with her without bothering to talk, but the war was over now, and I had developed more patience.

Besides, her childlike appearance made me reluctant to harm her.

I just let out a quiet sigh.

Meanwhile, Injustice was rubbing her hands together submissively.

Irene let out a disbelieving chuckle.

“She seemed quite strong when we fought… Did I really need to unleash my flames against someone like this?”

“Despite appearances, she’s considered a big shot in the underworld.”

“Big shot…?”

“Her youthful appearance is probably due to her unique constitution. Sometimes people with unstable interactions between mana and their physical body experience various side effects. In her case, it seems her body temporarily regresses in age as she consumes accumulated mana.”

“I did notice she kept getting younger during our fight.”

The fox nodded in understanding.

She stared indifferently at Injustice before poking her side with the scabbard.

She looked like a predator showing interest in something unfamiliar.

“By the way… how did she infiltrate the academy? The security didn’t seem lax.”

“She has the ability to break through.”

“Ability?”

“She’s one of the few spatial mages on the continent.”

Spatial mage.

A talent possessed by perhaps fewer than a thousand people across the entire continent.

The fox asked upon hearing my answer, as if remembering something:

“We have one of those too, don’t we?”

“That’s right. We have Miss Lena.”

Lena and Injustice.

Their abilities were similar in that they both used spatial magic.

But there were clear differences between them.

In Lena’s case, she created [Portals] by tearing between two designated coordinates and connecting the gap, whereas Injustice’s ability was closer to [Blink], jumping to a location she visualized in her mind.

In terms of basic utility, Lena’s ability was vastly superior.

[Portals] could easily transport hundreds of people, while [Blink] could move at most a dozen or so.

Of course, Blink had its own advantages, such as faster casting speed, but…

So what?

Our person is still better.

“Hehe… To put it simply, ours is much more capable. The possible travel distance is significantly longer too.”

“You sound like a doting parent.”

“Well, I am the one who employs her.”

There’s nothing wrong with having pride, is there?

I shrugged my shoulders lightly.

Setting aside our digressing conversation, I now began interrogating Injustice in earnest.

The girl, being terrified, spilled everything readily.

“This is everything I know, I-I swear…!”

Injustice pressed her forehead to the ground as she confessed.

After listening quietly to her story, I couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh.

“Ha… So that’s the conclusion.”

She had received orders from her master to bring me.

But she had no confidence in persuading me to come, and even less confidence in subduing me by force, so she planned to lure me by kidnapping someone close to me.

However, her plan failed due to the fox’s unexpected strength.

Afterward, she was captured without a chance to escape.

“And now we’re here.”

“Y-yes, that’s right…!”

“I don’t understand.”

I frowned.

“Why is your master looking for me?”

“I-I don’t really know either… All I know is that there’s something to tell you in person, without any additional instructions…”

“Something to tell me in person.”

Nothing particularly came to mind.

That made sense, as I hadn’t interfered with their side since the war.

Except for that incident with Unknown during the last school trip.

‘Or perhaps.’

Had the Monarch finally gone senile?

Otherwise, there was no explanation for provoking someone who held their lifeline in such a manner.

Was this recklessness due to advanced age?

It seemed I would need to meet in person to understand the details.

“…I suppose I’ll have to go see.”

It was sudden, but matters related to the Monarch were best handled quickly.

This couldn’t reach the ears of the Deputy Director at headquarters.

‘That would just complicate things unnecessarily.’

I needed to deal with this promptly.

I turned around to look at the fox behind me.

“Miss Irene?”

“Yes?”

“I’m afraid I’ll need to step away for a while.”

“…Can’t I come with you?”

The fox grabbed my sleeve.

Since something similar had happened before, she seemed to feel disappointed this time.

Only the blonde boy was fully reflected in her black eyes.

“I’ve gotten much stronger too… Am I still not reliable enough for you to depend on?”

“Oh dear.”

The girl’s eyes were wavering.

Anxiety about not being helpful.

Simultaneously, disappointment at not proving her usefulness to the other person.

I couldn’t easily speak.

‘This is troublesome.’

It wasn’t that I underestimated Irene.

It was just that this destination was a place filled with memories… In many ways, my old personality might emerge, and I didn’t want to show that unsightly side to people I cared about.

After all, everyone carries some flaws they can’t erase.

I patted the fox’s head.

“Just this once, please.”

“……”

“Instead, let’s make a deal. When I return, I’ll tell you one story about myself. About the past I’ve always avoided discussing.”

“Didn’t you hate talking about it…?”

“We’re not exactly strangers anymore. Consider it a token of trust.”

“That’s playing dirty.”

A breath slipped past.

After a moment of silence, the girl extended her finger as if making a promise.

“…It’s a promise.”

“It won’t take as long as last time.”

“You better keep your word.”

“Hehe, of course.”

I gently stepped away.

As I approached Injustice huddled in the corner, a faint voice brushed past my ear.

Words of concern.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“I’ll try my best.”

I answered with a brief smile.

Afterward.

I spoke to the girl kneeling at my feet.

My voice was cooler and more subdued.

“Lead the way.”

“Y-yes…?”

“Didn’t you say your master called for me? I’ll play along this time.”

“Ah… Yes! I’ll guide you right away!”

As if afraid I might change my mind,

She hurriedly stood up and deployed mana around us.

She cautiously extended her hand toward me.

When I took her trembling hand, yellow mana enveloped the two of us.

In the midst of the rushing light, the girl’s lips moved.

“Blink.”

-Crack!

With a light bursting sound, my vision flashed.

And the next moment.

“W-we’ve arrived…!”

When I opened my eyes again.

I was standing in a city shrouded in terrible darkness.

I muttered, involuntarily reminded of memories.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here too.”

The Kingdom.

The largest underground city in the Empire.

A space that had always claimed to be the center of the underworld, and a den of evil where numerous criminal organizations were based.

We were standing on the Monarch’s territory.”