NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50
Niobe felt a sense of relief from the firm command given by L13.
It had been less than a year since she graduated from the Blasphemia Training Center. Although she had shed some of her rookie status, making decisions in such a large operation still felt overwhelming.
In such a situation, a trustworthy superior appeared.
Whether it was the fight with Nardanit, the branch chief, or taking down the insane Elysion guards in the blink of an eye, the skills of the Secret Inspector were indeed remarkable.
‘As long as I’m next to this person… even if I fail the mission… I won’t die, right?!’
The burden lifted from Niobe’s heart, and she felt at peace.
Orthes felt a serious burden from Niobe’s sparkling gaze directed at him.
‘What to do…’
Having dealt with a doomsday cultist causing trouble in front of the Museion admissions office, Niobe popping out was unexpected.
‘Considering the surveillance cameras spread across Elysion… no, wait. Argyrion and the Ten Towers are still fighting over the broadcast lines. Elysion’s electronic facilities must be half fried by now.’
The easiest way to track down Argyrion agents infiltrating the city would be through CCTV footage.
Elysion is one of the cities with the most extensive surveillance networks in this world.
Even if they used alternative routes to infiltrate rather than the main gate, stepping foot in Elysion means there’s no way to hide their traces on video. Since the core members of Argyrion were former Blasphemia agents, the Ten Towers must have secured all their personal information, including appearances.
Utilizing spirit intelligence to search through the footage would likely yield clues easily.
If Argyrion had been thinking, they should have prepared at least the bare minimum to impede the Ten Towers’ tracking.
And that preparation likely involved a hacker striking the Ether Space. Given they had already seized the broadcast lines for a terror statement, it was clear they had a hacker with them.
‘If my deductions are correct, no video is being recorded in Elysion’s surveillance network right now.’
What to do about the rookie Blasphemia agent, whom I involuntarily crossed paths with twice? Orthes pondered over how to handle it.
*
Considering the risks and returns based on how the kid perceives me as an ally.
‘Elimination must be crossed off the options,’
The risks are too great.
It’s possible the city’s surveillance cameras might not be functioning properly.
However, when the Ten Towers’ agents engage in a collective operation, they typically wear life signal detectors. If one of the agents’ life signals disappears, it means there’s a dangerous presence nearby.
A location where life signals go silent immediately becomes a point for additional troop deployment.
‘I can pass off not having such a detector as an excuse for being a secret inspector, since I can’t reveal my position, but there’s no way to disable the detector Niobe has.’
It’s not just the detectors. There might be a witness in the unseen blind spots.
No matter how inconspicuous my face might be, if I’m seen committing murder in broad daylight, someone will inevitably remember my features and report it. It’s best to avoid actions that draw the Ten Towers’ attention as much as possible.
‘…That’s fine, but how come I’m running into the secret inspector imposter again?’
The doomsday cultist squatting in front of the Museion admissions office is what caused all this hassle. If there had been no one on the street, I could have quietly slipped in and grabbed Kine.
I think of another way.
‘Utilize?’
There’s no boundary reaction directed at me. This means Niobe still believes I’m the secret inspector.
‘If I handle it well, I could probably take Kine out without raising suspicions from others inside the admissions office.’
“Hey.”
Just as I was contemplating what to say to Niobe, she opened her mouth.
“Should I speak formally…? Because you’re a senior?”
“Come on, no need for that. Just call me comfortably. It’s better to be known as a foolish agent who strayed from the others than to wander around announcing I’m a secret inspector and end up in a tight spot.”
That would be really troublesome.
If other Blasphemia agents come along, the situation would get really chaotic.
*
Inside the Museion admissions office, about a dozen kids were gathered under the admissions officer.
‘Is there no support from the professors…?’
The main building and the admissions exam venue of Museion were located apart. This was designed to prevent disruptions to the education of Museion students if the exam venue was too close to the main building.
However, due to this design, there was a lack of manpower to protect the students. Communication came in that it was difficult for even a professor to rashly exit since the main building was fortified.
‘Can I survive the terror with just the admissions officer and myself?’
The admissions officer gradually expressed the rising foreboding imagination. Soon, the Ten Towers would come to suppress the situation.
Knock. Knock.
At that moment, a sound echoed from the barricaded door. The admissions officer felt tension surge through his whole body.
The admissions officer looked around. The children were trembling in anxiety.
Although he wasn’t a combat mage, he grasped his staff, driven by the sense of mission to protect the students.
“Is anyone there?”
An oddly chilling voice reached out. The grip on the staff tightened even more.
“Oh dear. You really shouldn’t do that!”
At that moment, a girl’s voice eased the tension.
“We are the emergency rescue team dispatched from the Ten Towers. I’ll give you the code word, so please tell me the passphrase.”
“Oh. Tortoise, Tortoise!”
“Revival. Please open the door!”
The admissions officer let out a sigh of relief. They were safe.
*
As soon as I entered the Museion admissions office, I searched for Kine. Seeing Kine’s expression, utterly puzzled over the situation as I introduced myself as part of the Ten Towers emergency rescue team, snagged my attention.
Niobe mentioned that the emergency rescue team was a disguise for Blasphemia agents dispatched to Elysion. So, it’s not all just a lie when they are ordered to go rescue as long as it’s possible.
It’s hard to convey a story like, “Haha, my friend over here is a Blasphemia agent, and things turned out this way!” to Kine, who looks at me with confusion.
Let’s keep it as concise as possible. Detailed explanations can wait until we return to Etna City. I send a brief message using the communicator embedded in my gauntlet.
‘It’s only for temporary use. We’ll escape soon, so please avoid actions that might raise suspicious feelings.’
“Astraphe──!!”
I heard a voice calling an all-too-familiar name in an oddly familiar tone from behind. I quickly turned around.
Charging toward me was my old friend, Lampades.
‘Wait. Astraphe?’
Could it be that Astraphe? I thought she was out of mind for not being caught at Torres Tower!
From Kine, I caught a glimpse of golden hair from a nearby corner. The name and appearance I thought I’d never hear about again—it was undoubtedly the mage of lightning who would later become the protagonist’s ally.
‘Where on earth did Lampades run into Astraphe?’
At the very least, it’s a relief that she wasn’t sold off as a slave in Etna City, so the Mage King won’t come crashing down on Etna City with talk of slave traders.
*
Having dashed through the flood of silver threads and several insane mages, Lampades felt relieved as he arrived at the Museion admissions office. The front road to the admissions office displayed signs of intense fire, but the building seemed intact.
However, that relief vanished the moment he entered the admissions office, calling out Astraphe.
There stood a man with his back turned.
A back that was all too familiar to Lampades and one he didn’t particularly want to get familiar with.
At the end of that gaze was Astraphe.
Spinning around, the man possessed oddly bright eyes and a smile that didn’t fade even in such a situation.
No, perhaps it was precisely because of this situation that the smile wouldn’t fade. Everything could be going according to that individual’s plans.
Orthes was there.
“Ah, nice to meet you, Lampades. I’m glad you came.”
“Why are you here…?!”
“I came because I was worried about our scholarship student. You, too, came for a similar reason, didn’t you?”
Lampades refrained from asking why he was staring at Astraphe instead of their scholarship student.
Orthes must have known of Astraphe’s overflowing talent. The other transfer applicants, while not on par, were undeniably gifted.
What a favorable position it is to be the adult who saved them in such a dire situation!
‘If I hadn’t come…!’
Astraphe and the kids might have been completely fooled by him. In fact, even now, he hasn’t revealed Orthes’ truth, so the good impression he’s given to the kids might remain intact.
‘What in the world was he planning to do with the kids… I can’t just let that happen…!’
“Orthes. Let’s protect the kids together. We just need to move to the materials inspection office in the Mage Tower to set up a defensive formation.”
Upon hearing that, Orthes gestured to someone. It was a girl looking rather bumbling, still seemingly a rookie mage.
Orthes whispered a few words to her.
“…Yes! Everyone, please pay attention! I am part of the emergency rescue team dispatched from the Ten Towers. From now on, under the guidance of Lord Lampades, we will move to a safe location!”
Is he really using such a seemingly innocent mage as his lackey…?!
Lampades gasped in shock quietly.
*
Phew. Thank goodness.
That friend really has a sense of responsibility. Even in such a dangerous situation, he’s a model adult, trying to protect the kids.
I’ve also briefly explained to Niobe that I’m a mage familiar with the original owner of this face, so there shouldn’t be any issues.
Now, we just have to wait for the Ten Towers to stabilize the chaos, and then we’ll escape Elysion!