Ch.168168. Golden Mane Squadron Commander Leila

Gilbert, having entrusted Leila’s group with identifying the traitor, sought out Wild Rose to locate the New Resistance’s headquarters.

Wild Rose’s information quality was exceptional—Gilbert often used their services when stuck while playing Tactical Combat.

Above all, since Wild Rose strictly concealed client information, there was no better place for Gilbert, who had recently gained notoriety.

Of course, Seraphina’s direct intelligence department was already searching for the New Resistance’s headquarters, but when it came to information, more was always better.

Especially considering that they had quietly amassed hundreds of giant war machines while remaining hidden, it was best to use every available option.

Gilbert sought out the Wild Rose branch in Obitus, which he had been relying on since his possession. He judged them more trustworthy due to their strong financial relationship.

Everything had gone smoothly according to Gilbert’s plan so far. The only problem was an unexpected companion.

“I’m glad I found you, Gilbert! Where is this place?”

“Camilla, stop making a fuss. You’re drawing attention.”

Gilbert sighed deeply at Camilla, who was chattering while pressed against his side.

The incident began when Camilla, who had been intensifying her training before the Resistance subjugation, came looking for Gilbert to spar with him.

Camilla appeared just as Gilbert was about to depart for Obitus, and with her interest piqued, she eagerly asked to come along.

Gilbert refused, not wanting to draw attention to himself, but he couldn’t break Camilla’s persistence.

Although Camilla had recently shown signs of reform from her interest-driven lifestyle, her fundamental behavior patterns hadn’t completely changed. She had adopted her current lifestyle primarily to stand proudly beside Gilbert, whose company she enjoyed.

For that purpose, she had been enduring mail training, but when Gilbert showed signs of going somewhere, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

Camilla immediately stuck to Gilbert’s side and insisted on going with him, and Gilbert reluctantly agreed.

I expected this, but still…

Gilbert pulled down the hood attached to Camilla’s robe, which had nearly come off as she fluttered around looking at the back alley scenery.

Camilla boasted objectively remarkable beauty. Especially when she smiled with her vibrant expression, she often set the hearts of male academy students ablaze.

Since Camilla herself wasn’t interested in romance, few dared to confess to her, though some did. Of course, those brave enough to confess met with firm rejection.

Gilbert himself had gone through Camilla’s romance route countless times while playing Tactical Combat to achieve the romance achievement.

The usually confident Camilla would become romantically awkward once the romance route began, often letting the player take the lead—something players found very appealing.

However, having to care for the capricious, interest-chasing Camilla before unlocking the romance route was a drawback. In fact, many players who found Camilla annoying never unlocked her romance route even once.

“Gilbert, is something wrong?”

Camilla, who had been walking ahead like a dog on a walk, turned to look at Gilbert. It seemed his pace had slowed as he was lost in thought.

Gilbert collected his scattered thoughts and shook his head slightly.

“Nothing’s wrong. But don’t go too far ahead. This is the back alley of Obitus. There are quite a few criminals hiding in the shadows, so you could get into trouble.”

“In that case… I should stay right by your side, right?”

Camilla’s voice was uncharacteristically timid. Because Gilbert had pulled her hood down deeply earlier, he couldn’t see her face and didn’t notice her change.

“Yes. Try not to stray from my side.”

“Mmm. Then I’ll stay close.”

Camilla slowed her pace to walk beside Gilbert and carefully took hold of the hem of his robe. It was a much more cautious movement than before.

Gilbert glanced at Camilla with a puzzled expression, wondering why she was suddenly acting this way, then set course for Wild Rose’s location.

Meanwhile, Camilla, holding Gilbert’s robe hem and walking close beside him, tried to suppress her laughter under her hood. She had instinctively moved closer after hearing Gilbert’s words, but it didn’t feel bad.

No, it actually felt enjoyable. It was just the ordinary act of walking side by side, yet somehow her heart was racing, and she felt excited as if discovering something interesting.

Is it because I’m in a new place with a close friend?

Camilla couldn’t understand why she felt this way, but she fervently wished for one thing:

That such exciting things would always be plentiful.

While Camilla was sorting out her fluttering feelings, Gilbert pushed open the door of a building marked with a black rose. The atmosphere was austere with minimal decoration, though not lacking in basic interior furnishings.

The interior design, reflecting the Obitus branch manager’s preferences, also suited Gilbert’s taste for the understated rather than the flashy. Perhaps that was why Gilbert frequently used the Obitus branch.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Have you brought your girlfriend this time?”

“That’s not—”

“Do we look like that?”

Though Camilla still wore her hood pulled down, her voice overflowed with delight. Her tone was so pleasant that it naturally made the branch manager smile in return.

“Gilbert, you’ve always visited alone until now. But today you brought someone along, so it’s natural to think that way.”

“So this is the first time?”

“Yes, it is. The first time.”

Is that so?

Camilla felt even happier than before. Again, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but she guessed it was because she was pleased to be the only person her closest friend had ever brought here.

“Manager, you’ve become more talkative. Did you lose at Swat again somewhere?”

Displeased with the manager’s idle chatter, Gilbert touched on his most sensitive point. Having lost several Swat matches to Gilbert despite his confidence, this was a painful reminder for the manager.

“Although I’ve lost to you before, there’s no guarantee it will always be that way.”

“Let me correct you. You haven’t just lost—you’ve never won once.”

“That’s a provocation I can’t ignore. We’ve received a one-time healing artifact recently. How about a game of Swat?”

“I’ll use the manager’s deck again, as usual.”

“By now, you could make your own deck.”

“I don’t need one yet.”

It was a fierce verbal duel. Neither would back down, creating an intense atmosphere between them.

Camilla, who had been quietly watching, brightened at the sudden Swat match. Swat was a card game she often enjoyed herself.

For Camilla, who couldn’t resist interesting things, Swat was an irresistible plaything. Having a talent for it, she became engrossed in the game and even invited a Swat champion to teach her.

With talent, effort, and good instruction combined, Camilla’s Swat skills improved dramatically. Now she was skilled enough to easily win a set against a Swat champion.

That’s how serious she was about Swat, and she was excited to see a Swat match unfold in this back alley.

“Then I’ll be the match referee!”

“That would be perfect.”

The manager was fired up at the thought of having both a referee and an audience.

The healing artifact that had just arrived was a one-time use, high-value item that could be called a spare life. Betting such an item showed his determination and confidence that he absolutely wouldn’t lose.

Although he had lost to Gilbert several times before, he had since honed his Swat skills with bitter resolve. Setting aside his title as a Swat champion, he had researched extensively to defeat Gilbert. This was the moment to showcase the culmination of his research.

This time, I will definitely win.

That was the manager’s determination.

“I’ll gratefully accept the artifact.”

“Damn it…”

Some things just weren’t meant to be.

***

The moon rose, and night fell. Leila’s group set out at midnight. Quietly leaving their lodgings, they headed toward the devastated academy without a word.

Their destination was the office of Professor Horizon, known as the Great Sage. Having investigated his office yesterday at dawn without finding anything significant, they naturally decided to search again today.

Reaching the half-collapsed office while avoiding the guards, they began their investigation with practiced skill. They examined the magical patterns in the office and looked for potential clues.

After about an hour of focused searching, they unfortunately found nothing problematic. The magical distribution in the office was no different from elsewhere, and they discovered nothing suspicious. Like other professors’ offices, there was nothing unusual.

“It’s just an ordinary office. Captain, could we be on the wrong track?”

Johnson asked, scratching his buzz cut. Leila couldn’t easily answer. From her perspective too, Horizon’s office seemed normal.

“I don’t know. But not many people have the skill to create such a magical barrier. Even at Demeia Academy, no professor has such magical proficiency—except perhaps the Great Sage Horizon.”

“Couldn’t it be a professor hiding their skills? Maybe we’ve been too fixated on Professor Horizon.”

Leila nodded at Roel’s words. His opinion was valid.

They might be experiencing a hasty generalization fallacy. It seemed like they were trying to fit the process to a predetermined conclusion rather than examining the process objectively.

First, they assumed that not just anyone could cast a perfect magical barrier. Second, they assumed such a person must be found at the academy. Third, they concluded that only Horizon fit the profile.

As a result, the three Golden Mane Rangers had marked Horizon as the traitor and were looking for evidence.

“You might be right, Roel. But we’ve only investigated the offices so far. Besides, someone called the Great Sage has become a suspect. Such a person wouldn’t handle things carelessly. So let’s not jump to conclusions. Consider all possibilities.”

Leila viewed the case from multiple angles. While professors spent most of their time in their offices outside of lectures, they weren’t confined there. This meant that while evidence of betrayal might exist, it wasn’t guaranteed to be there.

Moreover, their suspect was a man called the Great Sage. Having accumulated knowledge over many years, he wouldn’t have left obvious evidence. Though they might feel pressed for time, this was a moment that required patience.

“I think my mind has become rigid from the pressure to find answers quickly. Let’s stop searching the office and look elsewhere.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.”

Leila abandoned her fixation on the office and led Johnson and Roel through the academy again. With several hours left until dawn, she planned to continue the search.

She carefully examined her surroundings, checking multiple times for anything she might have missed. Then she discovered something strange.

“Johnson, Roel. Look here.”

“This is…”

What Leila pointed to was seemingly bare ground. Of course, that was only at first glance—to the eyes of senior Rangers like them, it wasn’t just ordinary ground.

This spot, located about halfway along the path from the hangar to the main academy building, had a magical pattern different from elsewhere.

More specifically, it resembled the flow they had seen in the magical barrier yesterday. Even they might not have noticed it if they hadn’t been puzzled by the magical barrier the day before.

Therefore, the three believed they had found the clue they had been searching for. It meant that a magical barrier similar to the one they had seen yesterday existed here as well.

“We’ve finally found it.”

“Then let’s go in.”

Normally, even they couldn’t break through such a barrier, but it had been significantly damaged during the giant war machine battle, making it relatively easy to disable. After disabling the barrier, they projected mana into the ground and received no returning magical waves, suggesting an empty space below.

Seeing no returning waves, Leila immediately had Johnson and Roel dig. She had a hunch that a cavity was hidden underneath.

Before long, they uncovered a large stone floor, which they cut through using aura. As Leila had suspected, there was a hollow space beneath the stone floor.

“Should something like this even exist under the academy?”

“Is having a traitor any more acceptable? Let’s go in.”

Johnson and Roel, who had been bickering, followed Leila as she jumped first into the dark space.