Chapter 81 – Information Guild

I stared at the symbol of Labyrinth for a long time, then sighed and leaned back.

“…Did you find your subordinates’ bodies?”

“No, we couldn’t.”

“The snake ate them?”

Ophelia’s eyes widened.

“…How… did you know?”

“Doesn’t matter. Anyway… What happened after that?”

“We sent twenty of our staff and five mercenaries. But… only one came back.”

Ophelia handed me a new document.

It was a drawing of a massive labyrinth, though incomplete. There were gaps, erased sections, and disconnected pathways.

“After that Black Magician appeared, a massive and complex labyrinth like this appeared underground. Because of that… we weren’t able to recover the bodies of the staff who weren’t killed.”

A labyrinth. However, it lacked the barrier that usually separates the interior and exterior. It’s the type Labyrinth often created.

The scale was also massive.

Space-distortion magic seemed to be in effect as well.

The empty spaces likely indicated teleportation portals, and the disconnected paths… were probably shifting sections of the labyrinth, making them impossible to map accurately.

It was on a whole different level compared to that crude labyrinth in the museum.

This was the same kind of labyrinth I’d seen, experienced, and been trapped in countless times in Gevihenum, Labyrinth’s labyrinth.

Could this be connected to the museum incident?

It’s not impossible. In fact, it’s highly likely.

Then why cause such a conspicuous incident?

To attract attention.

And why did they need to attract attention?

***

• “Hmm. I’ll stay inside Pina’s soul for now. But I can’t always come out like this. Even now… I was only able to sneak out thanks to you capturing that demon.”

• “Pina hasn’t grown enough to conceal spirits yet.”

• “Ronan. Be careful underground.”

***

To establish a barrier that could deceive spirits.

Constructing a barrier strong enough to fool spirits requires a massive amount of Magi. If that much Magi was manipulated, even ordinary citizens would be able to sense its fluctuations.

So, they created a diversion and manipulated the Magi to set up a barrier to deceive the spirits.

And they had also collaborated with the Imperial Family’s lackeys to steal information.

Silina’s assassination wasn’t their primary objective.

Their main target was the Spirit.

Could they open that door if they had a Spirit?

Circumstantially… that seemed highly probable.

Since it was Arisa who had arranged everything, that door would surely open if I went there.

But how exactly would it open?

The presence of a Spirit seemed like the most likely key.

No matter how incredible Arisa is, she isn’t capable of magic or miracles.

So she wouldn’t have been able to place any special enchantment on the entrance to the hidden area.

But she’d still have to conceal it somehow.

There’s just too much important stuff inside.

So how exactly did she do it?

With the power of a Spirit.

As Sparkle had mentioned before, I, in my past life, attracted the attention of countless spirits.

And that hasn’t changed, even now, as Eliaernes.

If I considered why spirits were drawn to me, the answer is the soul. Sparkle had said Ronan and Eliaernes share the same soul.

And Arisa would have known that as well, that even if I were reincarnated, my soul would remain the same.

That’s why she built a door, sealed with spirit magic to conceal the path to the chamber where she hid my preparations. The seal on the door must be connected to a spirit… something she likely received from World Tree Auntie.

So, to open that door, a spirit is needed.

Countless spirits drawn to my soul, or a single powerful spirit of light.

And the prime candidate for that Spirit of Light is Sparkle.

“Haa…”

I couldn’t help but sigh.

Stella, Pina, and Silina.

Not one of them was safe.

Has the Nameless started to move?

Should I tell them about this?

No. There’s no way the Nameless wouldn’t know what this Information Guild, which is operating like this, has gathered.

They probably knew about it long before I did.

In that case… there was no need for me to report it.

Then, just how strong is the Black Magician scheming in the labyrinth? If they could create a labyrinth of this scale, they should be at least a 7th Circle mage.

At most… 8th Circle.

Should I go there before the Nameless do?

But I didn’t have any reliable reinforcements to take with me.

Sighing once again, I tucked the documents Ophelia had given me inside my coat.

“I can take this with me, right?”

“…They’re… copies…”

“Got anything else you can offer?”

Ophelia’s face scrunched up.

“I’ll pay you properly, so bring everything you have.”

“…Just kill me. If… information gets leaked like this, then the Cartel will assassinate me. So just kill me now.”

“Don’t make such a fuss when you’re just a group of petty thieves.
Tch.
”

I placed a wad of cash on the table. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…

Ophelia’s eyes widened as she saw it.

“…Th-this is…?”

“Payment for information. Why, do you want more? Not enough? Don’t tell me you’re expecting me to cover your lackeys’ hospital bills? If you want that, then I’ll give it to you as funeral expenses instead.”

Ophelia swallowed, seeming lost in thought. But it didn’t last long.

She shook her head, suddenly smiling brightly.

“It’s more than enough! No, this is extremely generous! I’ll give you even more information to match the price, my lady!”

From “you” to “my lady,” huh.

Why did she play hard to get before?

Well, whatever…

It’s better to control people with money than fear.

The money I’d just brought out wasn’t even 30% of the cash my father had given me as an allowance.

My card, of course, was separate.

Ophelia, now bustling around, gathered a variety of documents and books in less than thirty seconds, laying them out in front of me.

“Here you go!”

“You… Your attitude change is pretty drastic. Until a moment ago, you seemed at least like a hunting dog if not a wolf. But now you’re more of a mutt.”

“Kyahaha! You say the funniest things!”

“…Whatever, do as you please.”

I shook my head and briefly scanned the information Ophelia had gathered.

The information included the past investigation of the client who had requested the commission, and even a brief description of the battle against the Black Magician underground.

…They seem more capable than I initially thought.

“Not bad.”

“Hahaha! We may not look like it, but we are quite competent! If there’s ever anything we can-”

“Enough. This is a bit too much to carry. Do you have something I can put this in?”

“Of course! A bag is usually 500,000 Sel-”

“Hey, do you still think I’m an idiot?”

“-but it’s a service for our VIPs!”

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Ophelia hastily stood up and brought two bags.

“The one in your left hand.”

I picked the larger duffel bag. It was so big that if I curled up, I might even fit inside.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll pack them for you.”

Even though she didn’t get paid for the bag, Ophelia was grinning as she swiftly put the documents inside and handed it to me.

I took the bag and stood up.

And just as I was about to leave…

I tossed another bundle of cash onto the table.

“Look into the collateral branches of the Eustetia family.”

“Collateral branches…? What exactly…?”

“The forces supporting them.”

“…Supporting them…?”

“Yeah. You have two days. Bring the information to Karela Academy in secret. I’m not allowed to leave campus grounds.”

“…Travel ban…?”

Ophelia looked confused.

I just turned and walked away without a word.

***

After returning to the academy, I took a quick shower and collapsed onto my bed.

It had been a long day.

A terribly long, complicated, and exhausting day.

“Ugh…”

Savoring the feeling of the soft blanket against my bare skin, I hugged a large pillow and carefully picked up something I had placed by my bedside. It was a doll my father had personally made and gifted to me a long time ago.

“…Arisa. Arisa Eustetia.”

What was it that you wanted when you left that illusion?

Was it simply to let me know that you’d left something underground that would help me?

I don’t know. But I don’t think that was all there is to it.

Arisa’s actions were always spontaneous but often carried deeper meaning.

‘Still… As usual, Ronan is still Ronan.’

‘I’m glad… that you’re still the Ronan that I know.’

But no matter how much I thought about it, that was a strange thing to say.

‘Ronan is still Ronan.’ That’s something she always said.

Ronan is Ronan.

Ronan will always be Ronan.

He’s the same, unchanging Ronan.

So at first, it didn’t seem that strange.

But the words that followed.

‘This time too.’

“What the hell does ‘this time too’ mean?”

I stroked my pink hair, the same color as Arisa’s, but somehow different.

“You crazy woman. If you were going to take on a disciple, you should’ve at least taught her proper martial arts. Why did you teach her
my
techniques instead?”

Did she find teaching her own techniques too embarrassing?

No, that’s not it.

She hadn’t erased her techniques entirely.

Take Leona Megenberta, the lion beastkin, for example.

Leona was also using Arisa’s martial arts. It wasn’t a modified or lost version like the Eustetia style, it was exactly the same as Arisa’s.

And that question still hasn’t been resolved.

There was no mention of Leona in any of the records in the Forbidden Library.

But there were no signs of her information being deliberately erased. It was as if she just appeared out of nowhere.

A disciple of Arisa, a descendant not by blood. It was like she popped up out of nowhere, just like the second head of the Eustetia family.

That would mean Arisa had deliberately concealed information about Leona.

Or… no, it’s too soon to say for sure.

Maybe Leona wasn’t a direct disciple of Arisa. There’s a chance that she could be a disciple from generations later.

“…This is complicated.”

Letting out a long sigh, I burrowed under the covers. The soft sheets and plush mattress embraced me in their warmth.

Reaching up, I pressed the button on my bedside table.

The main lights in the room turned off, leaving only a soft, amber glow from the indirect lighting.

In the comforting darkness, I closed my eyes.

I recalled Arisa, building a crude grave underground. I remembered her cold, expressionless face, then her radiant, blooming smile. I remembered her voice. Her speech patterns.

And I remembered the words she had left behind.

‘Ronan. I miss you so much.’

“Miss me my ass.”

My reincarnation. The erased traces of Kaloso.

All the bits of information so far, and what she had prepared.

The demons targeting Stella. The labyrinth under the capital.

The illusion.

All of it revolved around me.

But I was just the center. I wasn’t in control.

Even I was being swept along by its flow.

And that… is really fucking annoying.

“…You think you can manipulate me?”

Fuck that.

Whatever they’ve prepared, whatever they want, whatever they’re hiding,

I’ll do whatever the hell I want.

Still…

I’ll take whatever Arisa has left behind.

“It’d be a waste to just throw it away.”

I chuckled softly and fell asleep.

***

That night, I had a dream.

I don’t remember what kind of dream it was.

But the feeling lingered.

A sense of something familiar, yet unknown.

Something I had never experienced, yet somehow felt I had once before.

A dream that left a lingering unease.

In that dream, a voice spoke to me.

–
“They say a beautiful flower is precious because it wilts. But I never really liked the word ‘precious.’ It feels too… stiff, don’t you think?”

–
“That’s why I like the word ‘cherished’ more. Because ‘cherished’ has emotions in it.”