Chapter 86

Chapter 86

[Sender. Marin. Receiver. Nox. Fifth District Imperial Library B-134].

A light vibration in my robes awaited my return.

The Lunatics had contacted me first. They must have something to tell me before the operation is finalized.

“Zitri, stay here for a moment.”

“Where are you going?”

“Okay. It should take a while. ... maybe.”

Zitri narrowed her eyes.

She put both hands on her hips and glared at me.

“You mean to tell me that the ‘maybe’ at the end of that means you’re going to be late?”

“As expected of my maid. You’re quick-witted.”

“Hah...... you’re just going to leave now that you have a backer? Even if the Princess is behind you, this is a place where cadets come to learn, and if you go out without a pass, there will surely be trouble later.......”

I fluttered a piece of paper in front of a worried-looking Zitri.

It was an outing card. I had torn it out of Lars’ hands not long ago.

When I’d told him I needed a pass to visit the library to research magic, he’d laughed in vain and said:

-Here you go. You can sell my name if you need to.

-I won’t say no, but... selling your name.......

-You were planning to anyway. Don’t say anything you don’t mean.

-.......

I couldn’t lie to myself like that.

For the record, Lars’s excuse slip reads.

[Cadet Excuse Pass

Issued by: Lars von Celestia

Period: Until I say it’s enough.

Reason: My pupil].

.......

Well, it’s a good thing, anyway.

I didn’t expect Lars to give in so easily.

At any rate, now that I have my pass, I can move around a bit more freely at night.

In many ways, it gives me an advantage over others and optimizes my chances of getting the Hidden Piece.

Being able to move around in the evenings, even for lunatic activities, was a huge advantage.

Still, it was important to remain as inconspicuous as possible, so I stepped quietly and made my way to the Imperial Library in District 5.

Although it belongs to Eldain, it is, after all, one of the Imperials’ direct agencies......, so I have to keep a low profile here.

There I found the B-134 mentioned in the cipher.

There was a girl with blue hair sticking out, wearing the same robes as me, waiting for me.

Sensing recognition, Marin carefully removed her hood, revealing a pair of piercing, jewel-encrusted eyes.

They were the color of the abyss, darker than my hair.

Beautiful was not the only word to describe them, but there was something ethereal and mysterious about them. Maybe I should say decadent.

She seemed to have become even more beautiful than when I first met her. Perhaps she’s made herself more ugly to hide her identity from the outside world.

I greeted her anyway.

“Marin Gunner. It’s nice to see you again.”

Marin’s face crumpled for a moment.

Probably the effects of the [Young Brat] trait.

In fact, her expression was like that of a young, rejuvenated thug.......

.

In many ways, she’s a character with a definite personality.

“Nox von Reinhafer. I’ve been expecting you. I called you here to see how much you can help me with this first mission.”

“Check?”

“Yes.”

Marin nodded.N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.

“No matter how much you’ve earned Luna-sama’s approval, you’re still not as good as I am. Besides, you and I might have to fight together, right?”

“Of course. A mission can always take a turn for the worse.”

I was quickly convinced. She was probably making the offer to gauge my skills, but it was just as much about me. I had my own insecurities about Marin’s skills.

If we take this opportunity to see what each other’s abilities are, we’ll be able to handle any surprises later on.

Marin pauses for a moment, as if she didn’t expect me to say yes so easily, but then she regains her composure and offers me another scroll.

This time, it was the same makeshift shelter, this time inscribed with a formula for sending it to a damp place where the iron pipes rolled.

“Can’t we fight somewhere other than this crap?”

A sigh escaped me.

“Don’t complain. It’s the end of the line, and the very bottom of the line doesn’t have a choice.”

Bu-wook.

(buug.)

With that, Marin scowled, ripped up a scroll, and disappeared.

I copied her.

After a brief blur of vision, we arrived at a familiar place.

Marin, who was the first to arrive, quickly begins to unlock her powers. It’s clear that she’s preparing to use her magic first.

Ziying-!

(jiiing-!)

I asked in disbelief.

“You’re preparing for an attack by arriving first. You’re a bit of an asshole.”

“I know, but you know what?”

Marin suddenly remembered the artifact she was carrying on her back. She fired up her bow and let loose a magical arrow with a water element.

Piing!

She quickly released the bow. A steady and quick movement. Perhaps she is a member of Lunatic after all? Everything is as natural as water.

Then she shouts.

“He who strikes first usually wins, and...... in a criminal organization like ours, that’s a virtue!”

She shoots me an arrow with a cheerful tone.

But I simply put my hand on the scabbard, looking dumbfounded.

Then I take a breath and focus. My next move was very light but sure. They flowed together like a picture.

‘Good, I feel much stronger than before.’

I smile faintly.

As is the nature of genius, the sword was quick to my feet. The bow reaches my eyes, and I cut through it with all the energy it contains.

Boom!

(kwaaaang!)

The arrow splits in two, leaving a long gash in the floor below.

My recent fight with Gluttony has helped me reach intermediate proficiency with the Shadowblade. I owe a lot to that puppy.

Maybe I should buy him some chewing gum later?

As I thought this, I looked at Marin’s surprised face and gave her an innocent look. As if it was a given that this would happen.

Then, as if in declaration, she says

“So, is it my turn now?”

Zeeeeeee!

(jiiiing!)

Dozens of strands of dark magic [Dark Sphere] appeared out of thin air.

They follow the movement of my hand and aim at the enemy in unison. Marin stretched her hand forward with a puzzled expression.

It’s a look of disbelief.

I smirked.

Now I knew. Who killed Marin in the original.

‘Luna. She was the one who finally killed the runaway Marine.’

Because it was her favorite unit, and she couldn’t let anyone else feel guilty. Luna had chosen to get her hands dirty.

I thought about it for a moment. But I don’t change my mind.

I had no choice but to come up with an answer that would not please Luna.

“I’m not going to kill the...... marksman. Of course, I’m going to fulfill the mission you mentioned. However, how I handle that mission is a matter for me to decide.”

Me, not anyone else.

I added. Luna’s face cracked at my words, and she said in a slightly exasperated voice.

“Have you fallen in love with Marin in the meantime? I’ve seen more than a few people try to save both of them and fail, and that’s just.......”

“I only do what I can afford to do, you don’t have to believe me. If the mission is compromised or fails, kill me with your own hands. Marin... it would be easier for you than killing the marksman.”

I replied, and that was the end of my conversation with Luna.

We seemed to be running parallel lines, but in the end, we were both saying the same thing. I don’t want to kill innocent people.

That’s what she must have been thinking, and that’s what she had to say.

Which only made me more confused.

Luna.

Why in the world would you kill a princess. No, I mean the Empress, Penelope?

* * *

“Eh... As you may know, the Demons are known for being eh... very clever. E... When you first enter a dungeon, or encounter a demon on the field for the first time, you should never attempt to take them on alone.”

It’s obvious advice, but I take it to heart.

This is not a joke, this is reality.

In a fire drill, if you’re laughing and not thinking about what happens when the fire breaks out, you’ll develop a sense of insecurity that will eventually kill you when it does.

That’s why I have to focus on these theories.

...Of course, I wasn’t in a position to give it my full attention.

First and foremost, I had Penelope and Talia on either side of me.

Talia, in particular, was the most dangerous.

She was secretly pleased to see me today and immediately checked my tie to make sure it was straight, and even though it wasn’t, she said something like this.

-Your tie is a little crooked...?

With that, she dared to untie and re-tie my tie in the middle of a crowded hallway.

People looked at the two of us and parted as if a Mosaic miracle had occurred, and we walked closely together to the end of the hallway.

It was like they were looking at something they weren’t supposed to touch.

......It’s kind of weird to talk about this, but it was kind of horrifying.

Anyway. While I was suffering like that.

Penelope snuck up on me and said.

“It’s okay that I don’t love you and it’s okay that you don’t love me...... but please don’t be so publicly affectionate. I have my dignity.”

Penelope’s blunt words left me speechless.

Haha, it’s true that no matter how much the empress may have misbehaved, there’s nothing she can do about it. After all, I am now a candidate for the Princess’s favor.

In other words, I can’t play with other women.

......But have I ever been with another woman?

I’m not even close to people in the first place.......

Shit.

(jenjang.)

I’m done with this story.

‘I’ve been trying to survive and this is what I get back.’

I feel sorry for myself all over again.

“Damn.”

(“jaegal.”)

I say out loud in a nurturing tone, and two sets of eyes turn to me at once.

“What’s wrong?”

The princess asks. I shake my head.

“Nothing.”

“Nox, what’s wrong?”

“......It’s nothing.”

I felt like I was going to lose my mind. Meanwhile, Professor Flitchell’s bewildering explanation continued.

“Eh... I mean... demons are basically limited in intelligence. However, there are beings that are not demons. E... like demons, for example, are different. They’re dangerous. They’re dangerous because they burrow into the minds of humans and slowly break them down... I mean... .......”

An explanation of demons.

It was lighthearted, but I was reminded of their horrors. And I realized how dangerous this mission with Marin was.

I don’t know much about Marin as a character, but she’s going to die in this episode anyway.

By the hand of Luna, the person she respects the most.

‘By now, Marin’s plan must be all set. The ceremony should be complete.’

I followed Marin’s instructions and for a while I only spoke to Professor Lars in the library, which was a professor’s paradise, so to speak.

He chattered excitedly.

-I’m not ‘really’ curious about the book you’ve chosen, but depending on which one it is, I might be able to help you learn it.......

-I’m not going to tell you, so don’t strain yourself, Professor.

-Okay... Anyway, there are certainly some great books available in the library here. I suggest you devour all 412 of them. Only then will you begin to see your way as a wizard, and your understanding of elemental magic and special elemental magic will come into focus....

I don’t even remember the last part.

Even as an Inner Lunatic nerd, understanding everything Professor Lars had to say was a whole other realm.

What a monster.......

Before I knew it, the day’s classes were over.

I noticed Talia and Penelope exchanging strange glances.

I saw Eleanor shake her head in disdain at the front of the class.

I watched as Leon gave me a look of disbelief, and then returned to the Sidious Hall, heartbroken.

But Zitri was just as cold.

“It’s your karma.”

My maid was excessively cold.

So, while it’s nice......

Sometimes I wish she’d take her master’s side a little.

* * *

Finally, the day of reckoning.

The first full-fledged main episode preceded it.

After class, when the nightly self-study was going on as usual.

Suddenly, the floor vibrated and shouting echoed around the room. This is followed by a loud explosion that drowns out the noise.

Of course, it was the last day, so no instructors, no professors.

No one was there to help.

Leon was the first to realize the disconnect.

“It looks like we’re trapped ......someone’s made sure we can’t get out. It’s like... when we first encountered the demon.”

Of course.

That whole Miny Ludwig episode had been building up to this one.

I gritted my teeth and blurted out.

“I guess we can’t count on outside support. For now, we’ll wait for the professor’s support here.”

I dutifully stalled the guys and decided to bide my time.

Of course, within seconds, my plan was shattered.

Damn.

(jegilal.)