episode_0116

Irene explained the full story of the incident, her arms crossed. Her deep red hair, which had been burning intensely, had now returned to an orange hue. Perhaps she had gained experience in the meantime. Despite it being a situation that should have been quite surprising, the girl maintained an unwavering gaze. Her aura suggested that if one were to provoke her wrongly, their throat would be torn out. This is a bit cool. Having waited until the explanation finished, I casually added a remark once the fox concluded her words. It was a murmured thought, subtly mixed with both praise and teasing.

“Unexpected.” “Why? Did you think I’d get kidnapped again?” “Honestly, I expected it. After all, the role of getting kidnapped is Ms. Irene’s specialty, isn’t it?” “……Aren’t you seeing me as too much of a nuisance character?” “It just means I cherish you that much.” “Hmph.”

The girl wore a peculiar expression. I had expected a prickly reaction at this point, but the fox instead held a relaxed smile. Her slightly parted lips spoke.

“It’s a shame, but I won’t get caught anymore.” “Hmm?” “I heard something like that somewhere. They say heroines who are a burden to the protagonist aren’t popular.” “That’s true, but… where did you hear such a thing?” “I read it in a book.” “If it’s a book, I suppose it’s a genre novel. They certainly are interesting.” “At first, I was flustered by the overly explicit descriptions… but later, I guess I got used to it, so it was quite readable.” “……Just what kind of novel did you read?” “Secret.”

The girl with fox ears put her index finger to her lips and whispered meaningfully. It was truly a smile that seemed to captivate people.

‘Another failure, I suppose.’ I clicked my tongue softly. Just a few months ago, there was a definite pleasure in teasing her, but lately, she showed no signs of being ruffled by my pranks, which was a pity. Instead, she was increasingly counterattacking. Her black eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. Was she secretly planning to devour her master? She was truly an ungrateful fox.

“You’ve grown a lot.” “That’s because I’ve learned a lot from someone.” “That’s beside the point, isn’t it?”

I shook off the trivial chatter that had continued. Then, I turned my head to the side. At the end of my gaze, yellow hair shimmered. It was the culprit who had attacked the fox a few hours ago.

“Whimpering…” She was kneeling on the hard floor, hands raised above her head. Were her arms and legs slowly reaching their limit? Her hands were gradually lowering due to gravity, but as soon as her eyes met mine, the girl startled and corrected her posture. She was so surprised that even her whimpers caught in her throat. The fragile creature held its breath, prostrating itself before the predator.

“Hiccup…!” Perhaps sensing my distorted expression, the girl’s complexion turned pale. Was she going to faint again at this rate? Wanting to avoid a troublesome situation, I erased my killing intent and wore a smile, like one would when dealing with children. I asked gently.

“Shall we hear her story first?” “……” “You’ll have to explain the current situation thoroughly so it makes sense. As you know, I tend to be impatient in situations like this.” “Yes, yes, yes…! I, I’m sorr— ah, no! I will answer diligently!” “Good.”

I chuckled softly. In the past, I would have dealt with the situation without further ado, but now the war was over and my mind felt more at ease. Moreover, perhaps because of her youthful appearance, I was reluctant to lay a hand on her. I merely sighed softly. Even then, Unrighteousness was servilely rubbing her hands together. Irene let out an incredulous scoff.

“Even so, when we fought, she felt quite strong… Did I really pull out my flames against someone like her?” “She may look like this, but she’s considered a big shot in the underworld.” “A big shot…?” “Her youthful appearance is likely due to her unique constitution. Sometimes, there are people who experience various side effects because the interaction between their mana and body isn’t stable. In her case, it’s probably a symptom where her physical age temporarily regresses the more accumulated mana she expends.” “No wonder she seemed to get younger and younger during the fight.”

The fox nodded, understanding. She seemed to gaze indifferently at Unrighteousness, then poked her side with her sword sheath. It was the behavior of a predator showing interest in something unfamiliar.

“Anyway… how did you infiltrate the academy? The security didn’t feel lax.” “Because she has the ability to breach it.” “Ability?” “She’s one of the few Spatial Mages on the continent.”

Spatial Mage. She possessed an ability of which there were perhaps a thousand users across the entire continent. The fox asked, as if something had just occurred to her in response to my answer.

“We have one of those on our side too, don’t we?” “That’s right. We have Ms. Lena.” Lena and Unrighteousness. Their abilities were similar in that they were space-related magic. However, there was a clear difference between them. In Lena’s case, it was the concept of a [Portal], tearing open two designated coordinates and creating a passage to connect the gap, whereas Unrighteousness’s was closer to [Blink], leaping to a location she envisioned in her mind. Judging by basic utility alone, her ability was overwhelmingly superior. While a [Portal] could easily transport hundreds of people, [Blink] could only move about a dozen at most. Of course, Blink also had its own strength in its fast casting speed, but… So what? Still, our person is the best.

“Hehe… If I just state the results, our side is far more capable. The achievable travel distance is also overwhelmingly longer.” “You’re talking like a doting parent.” “Well, that’s because I’m the one who uses her.”

There’s nothing wrong with having pride, is there? I shrugged lightly. Shaking off the tangential chatter, I now began the full interrogation of Unrighteousness. Perhaps because she was terrified, the girl spilled everything freely.

“This is… all, everything I know…!” Unrighteousness declared, pressing her forehead to the ground. Listening to her quietly, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha… So, to put it simply, this is it.” She received an order from her master to bring me back. However, she wasn’t confident in persuading me, and even less confident in subduing me by force, so she tried to lure me by kidnapping someone close to me. But that plan failed due to the fox’s power, which was stronger than expected. After that, she was caught dead to rights.

“And here we are now.” “Th-that’s right…!” “I don’t understand.”

I frowned. “Why would your master be looking for me?” “I-I don’t know that either… Beyond saying there was something he wanted to tell you directly, he didn’t give any other instructions…” “Something to tell me directly, huh.” There wasn’t anything specific I could think of. After all, I hadn’t interfered with them much since the war. Except for that one unclear incident during the last school trip.

‘Or perhaps.’ Had he finally gone senile? Otherwise, there was no explanation for a situation where he was acting so defiantly towards someone who held his life in their hands. Was it because he was so old that he was just going to act recklessly? For now, it seemed I would only know the full story by meeting him directly.

“……I suppose I’ll have to go over there.” It felt sudden, but. Still, if it concerned the Monarch, it was better to handle it quickly. It shouldn’t reach the ears of the Vice-Commander at headquarters.

‘They’d just make things complicated for no reason.’ It seemed I needed to deal with it quickly. With a faint sigh, I turned to the fox behind me.

“Ms. Irene?” “Hm?” “I think I need to be away for a bit.” “……Can’t I come with you?”

The fox grabbed my sleeve. Perhaps because a similar thing had happened last time, this time, a feeling of disappointment seemed to take precedence. Only the golden-haired boy was fully reflected in her black eyes.

“I’ve also gotten a lot stronger… Am I still not enough for you to rely on?” “Oh dear.” The girl’s gaze was wavering. The anxiety of not being able to help. And simultaneously, the disappointment of not having proven her usefulness to me. I couldn’t easily open my mouth.

‘This is problematic.’ It wasn’t that I was underestimating Irene. It was just that this destination, how should I put it… was a place filled with memories, and I felt like my old personality would resurface in many ways, so I didn’t particularly want to show such a rough side to those I cherished. After all, it’s the way of people to live carrying at least one unerasable flaw or shame. I stroked the fox’s head.

“I’ll ask for your understanding just this once.” “……” “Instead, let’s do this. When I return, I’ll tell you one story about myself. About my past, which I’ve always avoided discussing.” “Weren’t you reluctant to talk about it…?” “There’s no particular need to hide it between us anymore. You can consider it a sign of trust.” “That’s playing dirty.”

A breath escaped her lips. The girl, who had been silent, then held out her finger as if asking for a promise.

“……It’s a promise.” “It won’t take as long as last time.” “Make sure you keep that promise.” “Hehe, of course.”

I quietly took a step. As I approached Unrighteousness, who was huddled in the corner, a faint voice suddenly grazed my ear. It was a worried remark.

“Don’t get hurt.” “I’ll do my best.”

I replied with a brief smile. Afterward. I spoke to the girl kneeling at my feet. My voice was a shade colder and deeper.

“Lead the way.” “Y-yes, yes…?” “Didn’t you say your master called me? This time, I’ll play along appropriately.” “Ah… Yes! I’ll guide you right away!”

Lest I change my mind. She quickly stood up and unfolded mana around her. She cautiously extended a hand towards me. When I took her hand, which was trembling with nervousness, a yellow mana then enveloped both of us. Within the surging rays of light, the girl’s lips parted.

“Blink.” – Crack! With a light popping sound, my vision flickered. And the next moment.

“W-we’ve arrived…!” When I opened my eyes again. I stood in a city shrouded in profound darkness. I muttered, memories surfacing for no particular reason.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here, too.” The Kingdom. The largest underground city within the Empire. A place that had long claimed to be the heart of the underworld, a den of evil where countless criminal organizations were entrenched. We had set foot on the Monarch’s land.