Chapter 1244 – Dark Moon
“Wh-What kind of magic did you use?!”
“I didn’t use it. My colleague did.”
It was a third-grade auxiliary magic, Bind. The power of Bind varies depending on how densely the spell is constructed. It’s difficult to use in urgent combat situations, and since the mana tremors are intense before activation, it doesn’t work well unless the opponent is careless. Lake Mack was caught off guard because he was confident of victory. He probably never imagined that No. 212 would intervene at this timing.
‘The duration of Bind is only about 4 seconds at most.’
That’s enough. There’s no way No. 212 would have used Bind without a plan.
Clang!
A window shattered, and an elemental sword flew out. No. 212 had thrown it.
I snatched the elemental sword with telekinesis. At the same time, I changed the sword’s element to wind. The wind increased the sword’s cutting power.
“It’s over.”
“Damn it… Keuk!”
The elemental sword pierced his heart. No matter how much he was covered in aura, he couldn’t simply block a telekinetically controlled elemental sword with just aura.
Bind released, and Lake Mack and I fell to the ground.
[Wind]
Right before hitting the ground, I created a wind cushion to negate the impact.
Thud!
Lake Mack fell a beat later. His body trembled. He was still alive even after his heart was pierced. Of course, he would die on his own if left alone.
“I like things to be certain, you know.”
I flicked my right hand upwards. The elemental sword that had fallen to the ground shot up into the sky. I lowered my right hand. The elemental sword fell to the ground, piercing Lake Mack’s head.
I raised my head. I saw No. 212 sitting by the window. She had put her mask back on.
“How’s the situation?”
-You know No. 31’s skills. The inside is already taken care of. The outside of the mansion is being cleared up too. The battle will be over in three minutes even if we don’t step in.
“So, the mission is complete.”
-If there are no additional attacks, that is. More importantly, aren’t you going to thank me?
“Thanks. I handled it easily thanks to you.”
-No need for thanks between us.
“……”
I was a little taken aback, but I brushed it off. No. 212 sometimes says silly things like that.
***
The original mission was supposed to end before the negotiation. However, Baron Ptelgar requested additional protection.
The mission time was changed to last until the end of the final negotiation.
I moved to the final negotiation site with Baron Ptelgar. I was driving the car, and Baron Ptelgar was in the back seat, constantly muttering something.
“Damn it. Damn it…! Lake Mack, you ungrateful bastard…! How much have I taken care of you all this time, and you dare betray me? Why? What was lacking that made you betray me? I’m going crazy, really….”
Lake Mack’s betrayal seemed to have been quite a shock.
I kept my mouth shut and focused on driving. It was clear that if I opened my mouth, the sparks would fly at me.
The car wheels kept turning, and we arrived at the destination, the plaza.
Guards and laborers who had arrived earlier were facing each other. In the center of them, there was a table and two chairs.
‘There are less than 50 laborers.’
The number of laborers who came to the negotiation site was smaller than expected. But it wasn’t strange. The result of the final negotiation was obvious.
“Baron Ptelgar, we’ve arrived.”
“Keep a close watch to make sure those lowly laborers don’t twitch.”
Baron Ptelgar sat in the prepared chair. Opposite him sat Bill Clarkson, the representative of the laborers, and between them stood a civil servant from the local government as a witness.
A conversation ensued between them.
Bill Clarkson’s face turned bright red. He slammed the table with his fist, venting his anger. Baron Ptelgar chuckled at the sight. As the atmosphere intensified, the civil servant stepped in.
With the civil servant leading, the negotiation proceeded quickly. Bill Clarkson signed the agreement with tears in his eyes.
Baron Ptelgar approached with a pleased expression.
“The negotiation is over. Let’s go back.”
The situation began to settle.
Bill Clarkson sat in his chair with a blank expression until we disappeared. Laborers gathered around him, comforting him. Bill Clarkson’s complexion was unusually bad. He might be considering an extreme choice.
Baron Ptelgar, who had gotten into the car, spoke in a much happier voice than before the negotiation.
“Let’s go back to the mansion. Hehehe.”
“Yes.”
“You know, don’t you really want to work under me? Salary, house, car. I’ll take care of everything.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Tsk. It’ll take time and money to find a useful guy….”
“Baron, if I may be so bold, wouldn’t it be better to change your residence? The laborers might attack.”
“Haha. It’s already over. The negotiation is over, so why would they target me? You seem smart but also stupid.”
“……Are you planning to stay at the mansion?”
“I need to stay for about two weeks. I have a few things to sort out. I’d like you to protect me until then.”
“I’m sorry. Extending the mission is beyond my authority.”
“I know. Instructor Venus said it’s not allowed. Tsk.”
“Your guards are excellent. They will keep you safe.”
“They’ll do as much as they’re paid.”
***
I had some free time before returning to the unit. No. 212 and No. 31 went to the department store for shopping, and I headed to the slums.
I quietly waited for someone in a shabby, empty house.
Before evening, the door opened, and Bill Clarkson came in. I was hiding my presence in the corner of the house. He sat at the table and drank beer from the refrigerator.
I quietly walked behind him. I grabbed his head with my gloved hand.
“Huh! Wh-Who are you?!”
“You don’t need to know.”
My mask distorted my voice.
Bill Clarkson bit his lip. He trembled with an emotion that was hard to tell whether it was fear or anger, then sighed and calmed down. It was a sigh of resignation.
“…Did the Baron send you? To kill me? He’s a fucking bastard after all….”
“I am a black mage of the Resistance Echoes.”
“A black mage of the Echoes? Why did you come to me instead of the Baron?”
“I will give you a chance for revenge.”
“…….”
Bill Clarkson brought the beer glass to his mouth. And he drank the beer in one go.
“Revenge…. I never thought that word would sound so sweet…. Alright. Tell me.”
“I can turn you into a living bomb. I’ll give you the authority to detonate it.”
“…You want me to blow myself up with Baron Ptelgar? That’s… terrorism.”
“Do you know why terrorism is done? Because there is no other way. Do you have another way?”
Bill Clarkson clenched his fist tightly.
“…Even if I decide to do it, there’s still a problem. How will I approach the Baron?”
“I’ll tell you the secret passage of Baron Ptelgar’s mansion.”
“So, you want me to go to the Baron through the secret passage and blow myself up. I understand.”
“No, the entrance to the secret passage will be guarded by guards. You’ll be caught by the guards.”
“…Then I can’t even do the suicide bombing, can I?”
“Think about the Baron’s personality. He’ll come out himself to mock you when you’re caught.”
“That bastard would do that. But what if he doesn’t come out? What if he doesn’t come out?”
“It doesn’t matter. The explosive power of the living bomb is enough to blow up the entire mansion.”
“Heh, heh. You’re not a good person either.”
“So. You don’t want to do it?”
“I will. I was going to die soon anyway. Why would I refuse when I can take the Baron with me? I’m already prepared. …What do I do now?”
“Just stay still.”
I put my left hand in my pocket. I took out the Dark Hole I had prepared.
I opened the astral. The black mana flowing from the Dark Hole moved as I willed and seeped into Bill Clarkson’s body.
I engraved a magic circle on Bill Clarkson’s skin with black mana. Even if the skin was not visible because of his clothes, the magic circle engraved on his body was clearly felt.
‘Just following the black mage’s method won’t increase the power. I’ll change some of the spell. I need to engrave the explosion spell at least five times.’
Magic circles are sensitive.
If you make even a slight mistake in the spell, the magic circle becomes a simple scribble. It has to be calculated perfectly.
‘That black mage failed in the calculation, but I can do it.’
The calculation was finished before I arrived here. All I had to do was engrave the magic circle on Bill Clarkson’s body without making a mistake.
Swoosh.
All the black mana stored in the Dark Hole seeped into Bill Clarkson’s body. I reviewed three times to make sure the magic circle was properly engraved. There were no problems.
“It’s over.”
“……Tell me how to explode.”
“Just want it intensely. Then it will explode.”
I told him the location of the secret passage.
“I won’t thank you.”
“I don’t expect it.”
Bill Clarkson closed his eyes and pondered.
I quietly left Bill Clarkson’s house.
***
I met No. 212 and No. 31 at the meeting place. They were carrying bags in both hands. Looking at them, they were filled with cosmetics, snacks, and underwear. Items that the unit allowed to be brought in.
I threw the Dark Hole into the sewer. It was clear that it would be confiscated during a possession check if I took it. It would be a lie to say I didn’t regret it, but there might be another chance to get a Dark Hole someday.
“No. 211. Look at this.”
“……!!”
I was flustered. No. 212 was holding up a see-through red mesh panty.
“It’s No. 31’s panty.”
“What?”
My gaze naturally turned to No. 31. No. 31, whose face was slightly flushed, snatched the mesh panty from No. 212’s hand. And she said as if making an excuse.
“I only bought it because No. 212 asked me to. No. 212’s is black.”
“Oh. No. 31. Why did you say that?”
“You started it.”
No. 31 and No. 212 bickered over the underwear. It was a bit unexpected that No. 31 was also interested in such things. I realized that what I knew was not all of No. 31.
I stood awkwardly between them. Cosmetics and underwear were not topics I should be involved in.
‘…They’re having a conversation on such topics with me between them. Have they lived together for so long that they don’t see me as a man?’
Considering No. 212 who sucked my dick, that didn’t seem to be the case. Maybe it’s just that we’ve become comfortable with each other after living together for so long.
When it was time, the unit’s return bus arrived. Their conversation also stopped. We quietly boarded the bus. Every time I take this return bus, I feel strange. I hate to admit it, but it also feels like going home after work.
KABOOM!
The bus was just about to leave the city. A huge explosion rang out.
No. 31 and No. 212 looked out the bus window.
“…It’s not an attack on us.”
“It seems to be over there… Isn’t that the direction of Baron Ptelgar’s mansion?”
I closed my eyes without even looking at the window.
“Don’t worry about it. Our mission is already over.”
