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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Damn it!”
Slash. Thud.
Hertlocker’s black blade slashed, spraying blood. He cut down attacker after attacker. But they kept coming, pouring into the alleyway from seemingly nowhere.
They all wore identical black hoods, giving the illusion that those he’d killed were resurrecting and rejoining the fray.
“What are these bastards…!”
They charged without fear of death. The Kingdom’s soldiers were known for their ferocity in battle, but these were different.
They threw themselves at him as if their sole purpose was to be stepping stones for the next attacker. And while their fighting skills were abysmal, their raw strength was terrifying.
If they managed to grab him, he’d be dragged down to hell with them.
“There’s no end to them! Any ideas?”
“Why are you asking me? You’re the mage! Use a wide-range spell!”
“It’s no use. I can’t cast anything.”
“What?”
Eric, back-to-back with Hertlocker, tried to cast a basic fire spell. But it dissipated before it could even form.
“These bastards… they’re human weapons.”
He’d heard they were infused with a Majin’s power, but he hadn’t expected this.
They were using their overwhelming numbers and computational abilities to disrupt spellcasting. And their strength was undeniable.
If any of them were skilled fighters…
“I’ll get Emilia out of here.”
“What? Just me? Why?! I can fight, too!”
“You need to get out and call for help, Emilia.”
“Call for help? Who are we going to call?”
“…”
The other agents were unlikely to be of any help. They’d have already fled. And even if they were still in the capital, they’d have been captured by the Crows.
There was only one option left.
“Schlus Hainkel… Ask him for help.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes! We have no other choice!”
“Oh…”
He’d made his decision. Schlus Hainkel had known about the agency’s existence but hadn’t reported them.
He’d used them for his own gain, but he hadn’t tried to destroy them, and he didn’t seem to intend to. He wouldn’t have revealed everything to Emilia otherwise.
He was offering them an alliance.
Thinking rationally, pushing aside his personal feelings, Hertlocker reached the same conclusion.
“Director! Are you sure about this?”
“I don’t like relying on him, but… we have no choice. We need to survive.”
Eric nodded grimly.
If Schlus betrayed them and handed them over to the Imperial Police, they’d be branded traitors. But if this worked, they’d be hailed as strategists who’d secured an alliance with Schlus Hainkel.
It was a gamble.
“Hertlocker. The encirclement is weaker in the back.”
“On my signal. Emilia, get ready. You know what to do.”
“Uh… What?”
Hertlocker crouched low, cupping his hands together. Instinctively, Emilia placed her foot in his hands.
“Haaa!”
Hertlocker thrust his arms upwards, launching Emilia into the air.
She reached for the rooftops, just shy of her target. But her momentum carried her forward, over the heads of the crowd.
As they looked up, startled—
Thud!
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
Eric and Hertlocker charged into the crowd.
“What are you looking at, you vermin?!”
They cut down anyone who turned towards Emilia, slashing throats and plunging blades into skulls. By the time the crowd turned back to them, Emilia had landed safely behind them.
“Run, Emilia! Run!”
A few gave chase, but Emilia was fast. She disappeared down the alleyway.
“Huu…”
Plop.
Eric’s grip loosened, and a crushed skull rolled to the ground. Emilia’s distraction had given them an opening.
They were in a slightly better position now, but—
“Are there more of them?”
The crowd seemed to be growing. They had to hold out. Until Emilia reached Schlus. Whether that bastard would actually help them was uncertain, but he was their only hope.
The Crows wouldn’t interfere, they were only interested in seeing them kill each other.
“Let’s hold them off.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Don’t call me that out here.”
They stood back-to-back, ready. An endless horde of fearless enemies. And they were injured and exhausted.
The situation was deteriorating rapidly. But it wasn’t the worst they’d faced. They’d overcome worse.
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‘This is worse than I thought.’
I ran across the rooftops, surveying the city. A sense of foreboding filled me. The situation was dire.
Crows occasionally tried to intercept me, but they’d step aside respectfully after recognizing my face and decorations.
They were clearly hired by the Imperial family or the Imperial Police.
The Empire was using the Crows to purge the city.
BOOM!
Another explosion in the distance.
Asylum cultists making their last stand. The Imperial Police were raiding all the suspected cult gatherings… That meant the Kingdom’s agency might still be safe.
They were experts at operating discreetly, unlike the attention-seeking cultists. Even if some of their agents were deemed suspicious, they wouldn’t be a high priority for the Crows.
There was still time. Time to find and protect the spies who hadn’t escaped.
Hertlocker’s capture would be a disaster.
‘How do I find them?’
Communication spells were unreliable, the airwaves jammed with interference.
There had to be another way… Ah.
‘Emilia’s scent!’
That sounded creepy, but I was simply tracking the remnants of her mana. She always carried a handkerchief imbued with her mana.
‘Selection and Concentration. One second on Mana Sensitivity.’
The influx of magical wavelengths intensified. I searched for Emilia’s unique signature.
A faint, almost addictive scent…
“Found her.”
West.
I leaped across the rooftops, following the scent. Once I’d locked onto it, I could track it even without my ability active.
The scent was growing stronger. I was close. If I was right, she was directly below. I slid down the roof and landed in the alleyway.
“Emilia! Get down!”
“Huh?”
I saw Emilia, surrounded by black-hooded figures. I channeled magical energy into my right hand.
As I landed, I drew Vafe, overloading it, and swung horizontally.
Crackle…!
A flash of blue light. Black cracks appeared on the wall. I hadn’t fully formed the blade before swinging, so the power wasn’t enough to pierce the wall. But it was more than enough to cut through anything weaker than stone.
“You bastard! Where did you—”
“Since when do corpses talk?”
“Ugh?!”
Like human necks, for instance. The heads of the charging figures tilted, then dropped to the ground. I stood amidst a pile of headless corpses.
I glanced back and saw Emilia, unharmed, crouching on the ground. I sighed in relief.
“S-Schlus… oppa…”
“You should learn to listen, Emilia.”
“Ow!”
I flicked her hard on the forehead. She looked up at me, trembling, a slightly indignant expression on her face.
That was better than fear.
“Why did you come? I’m a spy! I was watching you, waiting for a chance to stab you! I’m dangerous! Disgusting! Why would you save me—?”
“You’re interrupting me again. Actions speak louder than words, but you all act too quickly. Sometimes, you need to listen.”
“Ugh… Okay… I’ll listen. I will…”
I flicked her forehead again.
“I need the agency’s help, Emilia.”
“…”
Emilia’s jaw dropped.
That wasn’t an act. She was genuinely surprised. She looked adorable, her lips moving soundlessly.
“W-Wait… R-Really…?”
“Did you think I was going to threaten you?”
“No… I didn’t even think… My body just reacted and ran away…”
She was incredibly honest. Actions truly did speak louder than words for her. It made sense.
A spy who hesitated wouldn’t survive long.
“Listen. Those explosions you’re hearing? That’s the enemy we have to fight. And the Empire can’t do it alone. Especially not while fighting the Kingdom. I need your help.”
“Are you serious…?”
“Would I joke about this right after receiving a confession?”
“Oh…”
Emilia looked up at me, her expression dazed. I took her trembling hand and pulled her up. She still hesitated to speak.
“Emilia. Do you still not trust me?”
“I trust you… I do… But… I want to ask for your help, but I can’t. I’m too ashamed… after trying to deceive and kill you…”
“Forget about shame, Emilia. Is this really the time? Don’t you have more pressing matters to attend to?”
I was annoyed.
Ashamed? What did she have to be ashamed of?
I was the one who’d deceived her, knowing everything from the start. I gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet my gaze.
The fear in her eyes faded, replaced by a steely resolve. That was the look of a calm, ruthless spy.
“Fine. Let’s make a deal. I’ll lend you the agency’s power. But you have to do something for me.”
“Tell me.”
“Save my brother… He’s a fool, and he’s reckless, but he’s a good man. I think you can recruit him if you can convince him.”
“…”
Could I convince him?
I doubted it.
I could threaten him, but that tactic was useless now that he knew about the fake spell on Emilia’s heart. But Hertlocker was the protagonist.
I couldn’t remove him from the story, no matter what I did. And I needed his strength.
“Don’t worry. I’ll save him.”
I squeezed Emilia’s hand reassuringly. Her trembling subsided.
Let’s go.
Time to find the protagonist.
Damn it.
What was this now?
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[Your Text Here]
Aish, it’s good that they met faster than I expected but…. Sigh
Tftc!