Chapter 184

Ed subjugation war (7)

My feelings are complicated.

This is how Jenica Palover’s thoughts, sitting in the VIP waiting room of Elte Company, can be summed up in one line.

[Yes, Miss Yenika. Well...nothing will happen. ]

As it is a room where VIPs wait, the ceiling is high and the interior is gorgeous.

Since Sylvania Academy was attended by many people of all noble status, the Elte Company, which did business there, had to provide at least a space for such ceremonies.

This is why, unlike the general atmosphere of the business, which exudes the scent of everyday life, this VIP waiting room is old-fashioned and clean.

Jenica, a commoner, wasn’t very used to this kind of atmosphere, but since it wasn’t a place she would stay for a long time, she didn’t pay much attention.

I was sitting quietly on the sofa embroidered with gold thread and taking a sip of the tea served by the store employee.

Because the space was so old-fashioned, I tried to act like a noble lady, but it seemed that a space full of vitality was more suitable for Yenika, who was in charge of the farm work.

I put the teacup down on the teacup stand and look up blankly at the large window.

In the window, which is stretched vertically to match the high ceiling, a beautiful, round moon appears as if asking me to look at it.

Yenika, who was sitting alone on the VIP sofa and staring blankly at the moon, sighed again.

All kinds of spirits were gathered around the girl. Some were manifest, some were not... but in any case, there was no problem talking to Yenika, who was highly sensitive.

[I’m worried that the fiery fox-like female merchant will manipulate me... but she’s still a woman who knows the difference between public life and life, right? Do you really think you’d think about flirting with Master Ed in such an urgent situation? My life is at stake. ]

[ That’s right...! My life as a merchant depends on this night, so why should I have any other useless thoughts?! ]

Charis, a wind spirit in the form of a small sparrow, and Lennon, in the form of a bluish snake, were encouraging Yenika.

Despite the spirits’ desperate persuasion, Yenika, who sat still and sipped tea in her mouth a few times, said nothing.

In fact, the spirits are persuading Yenika in a perplexing manner, but they know full well that the sinister and twisted Lortel Kecheln will not let such an opportunity pass by.

Looking at the situation, Ed pushed his way in and took Lortel, who had been captured by the gangsters. While the situation is created as if they are going on a night-time getaway alone on this moonlit night, Yenika is actually sitting in the VIP room drinking tea alone, acting as a blocker.

Jenica was not very happy with the situation and was puffing out her cheeks while nuzzling the edge of the teacup.

The most grumpy part is the fact that he himself nodded at the current situation.

Two goals: to check the growth of Tayley McLaure and to steal Lortel Kecheln.

Even he had come to terms with the fact that he needed Jenica’s help to create that situation.

It would have been okay if I had been a little more irritable and grumpy, but looking at Ed, who always seemed so serious and surrounded by all kinds of worries... it suddenly occurred to me that I didn’t want to be a burden.

The result is like this now.

In the first place, there is no way that Yenica Failover would be able to use advanced techniques such as emotional conflict or leadership tug-of-war.

When the other person looks serious, she gets depressed, and when the other person looks happy, she feels good too... In a way, isn’t she a girl who is like innocence itself?

Moreover, when the opponent is Ed Rothtaylor, he ends up being a yes man who nods his head.

Tarkan, who was lying face down in a fluid state and watching this, sighed and snorted into the air.

In a relationship between a man and a woman, there must be initiative, and that initiative must be accompanied by tension that goes back and forth... Only then will there be no boredom and it will not seem easy.

When will Yenica Palover be able to take the emotional lead against Ed Rothtaylor even once?

I have such vain thoughts... and all I can do is sigh.

“It’s delicious...”

Meanwhile, the tea is delicious, even if it’s cruel.

Yenika put down her teacup again and looked up at the midnight moon and grumbled.

– Boom!

At that moment, someone kicked in the door.

The trading floor is in turmoil with Tailley’s entry. The staff guarding the VIP room were all rushing out to see what was going on.

Until Taily arrived, I thought it was all Yenika’s time alone.

The person who burst through the door was Lienna’s chief secretary.

Lortel Kecheln’s former secretary and now a member of the working committee taken over by Dune Grex.

It is clear that he always appears lack of confidence and handles tasks in a hesitant tone.

I have also seen Jenica Palover visiting the camp and often organizing documents behind Lortel.

“Oh wow...?!”

Dune’s order to check the locking status of major commercial facilities and take action to prevent damage to other buildings.

Secretary Rienna, who heard those words and came in through the back door of the business and was running around checking the facilities... bumps into Yenika, who was sitting alone in the VIP waiting room.

It’s a fairly large room, but it’s full of spirits.

A spirit filled the room under the moonlight, and in the middle of it, a girl sat on the VIP sofa and picked up a teacup.

When she slowly turned her head from the window and saw Secretary Rienna, she took a step back and her shoulders trembled.

“Hee hee hee...”

It’s full of spirits buried in the dark, with only their eyes shining.

Among them, you can even see the high-ranking fire spirit fire lizard Tarkan, who is slowly coming out of his corporeal state and becoming manifest.

The VIP waiting room was really spacious, but it was too small for Takan’s size.

It doesn’t fully manifest its full size, and even though it’s in a crouched down form, it fills the ceiling.

A group of spirits that are ready to bite all enemies in front of them when their master commands them.

A girl was sitting in the gap, drinking tea.

*- Kaang!

“Get out of the way unless you want to tell me where Ed Rosstaylor is!”

Tailly’s sword attack was faster than expected. Ziggs had to grit his teeth just to keep pushing Ziggs and blocking Tailley’s incoming greatsword.

A temperament that continues to grow stronger while fighting.

Ziggs, who had fought Tailley in combat practice during his first year, already knew it well.

Ziggs was impressed by the way Tailly grew the more she was pushed into a corner. I applauded the way he never lost his will despite many trials.

If the world is a stage, this boy is probably the one living the life of the protagonist.

He is a man who keeps moving forward without being discouraged despite trials and adversity.

Ziggs, as a man who had overcome difficult trials, also highly evaluated Tailley’s mental strength several times.

– Kaaak!

However, there are many trials in the world that are higher and more severe than we think. There are many trials that hurt the body and break the mind.

As someone who was also involved in Ed’s plan, it is too dualistic to empathize with Tailley’s position and sympathize with her.

Once a man has decided on a path, he must move in that direction like an iron horn.

So, no matter how strong-willed Tailie McLaure is, the current Ziggs will not do anything to him or look after him.

Ziggs gritted his teeth as he bent the direction of the spear and hit Taily’s side.

– Quang!!

Tailly, who was hit by Ziggs’ spear and fell, landed on the inner wall of the hallway, kicking up dust.

A cloud of dust rose up, but before it dispersed and disappeared, Tailly leapt out of it.

Ziggs lifted up the gauntlet that had fallen on the floor and grabbed it.

– Kaang!!

The sound of metal colliding spread through the hallway. Ziggs sharply bent the spear he was holding with one hand and attacked Taily’s side again, but the same move would not work twice.

– Kwagak!

From Ayla’s point of view, she also owes Ed a bit of debt. There have been times when I owed them my life and there have been times when I misunderstood the situation and behaved harshly.

However, even if we assume that the debt is repaid, isn’t it a bit unprofitable? This is beyond harsh to the point of being cruel.

After wading through the grass for a while, Ayla finally caught sight of the camp where Ed Rosstaylor was waiting.

Perhaps this should be the final destination of the rampaging Taily. That last stage.

Ed’s North Forest Cabin Camp.

Yenika and Ed’s cabin standing together in harmony. Lortel Kecheln’s villa is in one corner.

A bonfire placed like a square in the center and various survival equipment filled around it.

Magic engineering supplies and crafting tools scattered here and there on the floor. Wood crafting bench. wooden shelter. Nets and hunting tools tied here and there.

A camp scene that seems to summarize the survival history of a man named Ed Rosstaylor in one scene.

When Ayla saw Ed Rosstaylor sitting in front of the bonfire, she realized that the ominous energy was growing stronger.

“Senior Ed.”

Ayla calls Ed’s name in a low voice.

Ed slowly raised his head and his clear eyes appeared between his face shadowed by his bangs.

Behind every stage, there are people who are called black people.

These are people whose true intentions cannot be guessed and whose intentions are even impossible to figure out.

Those who thought they had completely figured it out, but are holding their breath by digging an even deeper trap... The moment when their true colors are revealed is always the scariest.

“Are you here?”

“I have something to tell you.”

When Ayla began to cry, Ed Rosstaylor was the first to respond as if he had been waiting.

“You can’t go back. Until this is over.”

*You can see the collapsed floor. Over your head.

Ziggs quickly came to his senses and finished assessing the situation.

“Ugh!”

When Ziggs, who was stuck on the floor, looked up at the ceiling, he saw Tailly looking down at Ziggs from above.

His arms were shaking due to the recoil of the Sword Saint Ceremony, and blood was flowing from wounds here and there.

Nevertheless, Taylor McLaure stood upright on her own two feet.

In a situation where the last of the extreme blows were exchanged... Taily cut the floor, not Ziggs.

To clear away the Ziggs blocking the path.

Ziggs quickly gathered himself and stood up, but Taily paid him no mind and headed upstairs.

“Taylor! Stop! Going any further won’t do you any good!”

There is a sense of loyalty to Ed. There is no way that Ziggs Eiffelstein, who knows how to maintain the minimum level of loyalty, would reveal Ed’s entire plan or all of his intentions.

But at least I don’t want to create a situation where Tailly gets hurt even more. The best course of action would have been to subdue Tailley here.

Although I am stuck in the middle, I do everything I can. A man named Ziggs has always lived that way.

But Tailly didn’t care.

“I know full well what’s in front of me! Stop! Stop first and listen to me, Taily!”

What’s in front of it? Ziggs knows, Tailly doesn’t.

But Tailley at least knows what’s at the ‘end’ of the road. This is Ayla Tris, who was immediately captured.

That fact alone... Tailie keeps going. No matter what Siggs Eiffelstein shouts, he doesn’t listen.

So, Sword Saint Taily McLore left Ziggs Eiffelstein behind... and went upstairs.

Ziggs frowned as he looked at Taily who had left. Although it was already out of his hands, he continued to raise his voice and call out for Taily.

Eventually, Taylor McLaure reaches the third floor of the Elte Commercial Building.

In search of traces of Ed Rosstaylor, I cross the hallway while keeping my eyes peeled for his battered body.

I took a deep breath, grabbed my hazy mind, and wandered around looking for Ayla.

The straight hallway was long and long.

There are rooms full of rooms used by departments that manage various documents within the chamber, and there are also reception rooms to serve guests... but there is no sign of popularity anywhere.

– Boom!

But soon, a huge and luxurious door opens on the other side of the hallway.

“Heeeeeeeek!”

-Kwadangtang!

Secretary Rienna opens the door and runs out, rolling on the floor. Secretary Rienna, who had fallen quite hard, got up and ran down the hallway with tears in her eyes.

“S-sorry! I’m sorry!”

I closed my eyes tightly, tapped Tailly on the shoulder, and ran toward the other side of the hallway.

Tailly frowned for a moment as he watched Secretary Rienna run away.

Tailley, with great difficulty, headed towards the direction where Secretary Rienna had run out. There... a sight that Tailley could never have imagined unfolded.

It was only then that Tailly opened his eyes and confirmed what sight Secretary Rienna had seen.

A grand VIP waiting room. A girl with light pink hair is sitting alone in that huge space, drinking tea on the hospitality sofa.

Tailley McLaure knows that girl well. For Taily... that girl is an object of fear that she cannot overcome.

Running wild in the Nail Hall with the power of Glaskan, blocking the path of Ed, who was completely injured, in the Ofilis Hall, and advancing on the road while commanding high-ranking spirits in Glast’s underground laboratory.

Taylee McLaure has never seen the immature girl that Jenica Palover usually shows.

To him, the human being Yenica Palover is like a human weapon that treats numerous high-ranking spirits like limbs. It is like an object of fear.

Next to the girl sitting with her back to the moonlight lies a cane that looks exactly like the one used by Ed Ross-Taylor.

There were various magical engineering supplies that Ed received, such as a shock-enhancing wave device, a claw hand magic phase shifter, and even... a Delheim hourglass.

Even if it were a fight in which they fought against each other with all their might on a fair battlefield, Tailley had almost no chance of winning. Moreover, if you say that he is wearing numerous magic engineering supplies with Ed’s touch... the situation becomes even more desperate.

Yenica Palover is holding a teacup and looking at Taily McLaure with sad eyes. The army of spirits that unfolded behind them was an opponent of a level that could not be ignored one by one.

Will he be able to reach Ed Rothtaylor, or will he be able to defeat Yenika Palover, his most famous aide and closest colleague?

It is said that trials are always exalted and difficult, but they always have their degrees.

It seems that Ziggs’ cries that tried to stop Taily are still spreading.

“You’re here.”

In the darkness of a moonlit night.

The girl sitting on the hospitality sofa slowly stood up.

An ordeal that cannot be overcome rises up.

“Let’s finish quickly.”

I don’t even have the heart to touch it. The object of fear doesn’t even seem to care about Taily.

Magical power begins to emanate from the spirits’ bodies.

Tailly held the sword with difficulty, but couldn’t stop his legs from shaking.

Elementalist Yenica Palover.

A girl sitting guarding the VIP waiting room on the 3rd floor.

An opponent that must be overcome in order to reach Ed Rosstaylor.

However, there was nothing in sight that could be considered a way out of that enormous ordeal.