Chapter 19 – Trap

000

When the cloth wrapped around the eyes is gently unwound, light leaks into the cornea that has been accustomed to darkness overnight.

I could see that the place I was in was in a room where sunlight was shining warmly from outside.

The smell of incense escaped by ventilation overnight, and the smell of sour medicine stung my nose.

Surrounding curtains or hygienic room environment.

And looking at the decorations symbolizing healing, it was easy to know that this place was a ‘clinic’ in the city.

“—Ah, you’re awake. Cleon-sama.”

A voice came to Cleon, who was a little blankly thinking about the events of last night.

A dark-skinned girl with gray eyes and black hair pulled back in strands came through the door.

The voice was the same as the one that whispered groans and dirty words in his ear the night before.

In other words. This innocent and young-looking girl is Perdia.

The outfit was yesterday’s black, not the assassin’s outfit, but a white, thin, light nursing uniform.

It seems to be in earnest with the addition of a nursing cap worn on the head.

“Ah, is this the clothes? I usually help out at this clinic.”

If you go to the temple and pay gold coins, you can receive healing magic without pain or suffering. In terms of the continent’s sentiment, ‘clinicians’ are people who are sick or about to give birth.

Or, it was a place for people with physical and mental disabilities.

In addition, the cost is on the high side compared to that of the temple, so it is not a place that adventurers can find by mistake.

In that respect, in the case of ‘Teeth of the Veil’, which does not assassinate ordinary people, the place where only those who seek it, such as ‘Clinician’, was a suitable place to hide.

“—Since the teacher of the councilor passed away. This place will have to close soon, too.”

Ferdia had a slightly forlorn expression.

Cleon pondered for a moment whether he should say something comforting, but soon swallowed the words and decided to turn to another topic.

“Alvein… How did it go?”

“The woman who used the Mystic Eye on you took them. You immediately lost consciousness after that… I wanted to track them down, but first I had to clear the place up first.”

At her words. Cleon nodded and stood up.

“How is your body… How are you?”

“No problem. The eyes and the magical organs inside the body… Are working better than usual. It’s thanks to you.”

“No. I’m just repaying the favor I received.”

Perdia blushed at Cleon’s words and turned her head.

Seeing how he couldn’t let go of his hands, he seemed to be remembering yesterday’s events.

Cleon looks at Ferdia for a while, then packs his equipment next to the bed.

Although they stopped Alvein once, the woman from the “Execution Division” Who controls him is still somewhere in this city.

I needed to move a little faster to reassure Luti.

Her battle with Alvein comes after she tore up her script.

“…Let me help too. That magician… I’m sure she encouraged the hero to attack our hideout.”

Perdia erased the face of the girl she loved from before and spoke with an icy face.

Cleon seemed to be troubled at Perdia’s words, but she nodded her head thinking that her revenge was appropriate.

“Thank you, Mr. Cleon. I won’t disturb you.”

“It’s not that I doubt her skills. That hair, it’s quite a bit smaller than yesterday.”

Cleon recalls her ‘manipulating her hair’ she was using, and she remembers being cut off in half by Albein.

Right now her hair is asymmetrical, so only the back of her right hair comes down to her waist.

“It’s okay. This alone is enough to fight.”

A black light then rises from the tip of her head, causing her hair to move against gravity as if it were alive.

Although the number has decreased, there should be no problem fighting with the ‘assassination’ dragon technique.

“However, the woman’s whereabouts are still unknown. She made those who can move among the children search for her traces—”

“No. It’s probably impossible for us to find her place.”

Cleon could make a statement.

According to Layla’s memories, the humans in her enforcement department excelled at keeping its existence completely in the dark.

The ‘Assassins’ were also pros at such things, but they were even more connected to the deep darkness of the Enforcement Department.

Multiple fake identities. Dozens of hiding places. Hundreds of pseudonyms.

It would be difficult even for the Knights, the kingdom’s best investigative agency, to follow in the footsteps of those who change it every day.

It is difficult to find a snake hidden deep in a burrow.

If you put your hand in the wrong place and get bitten, even if the poison spreads all over the body, you won’t be able to find the result.

If that’s the case… I just had to lure him in from this side.

A temptation that you have no choice but to come out even though you know that it is a trap.

All you need is bait.

As for the ‘enforcement department’, if it’s something that’s worthy of attention…

Cleon looks at Perdia.

Then, quietly, he talked about his plans.

001

Bang! And an intense fist slams against the wall of the dark room.

The one who doesn’t get rid of it. He feigned composure and left the spot, throwing the warrior into the temple.

To her, who has countless driven people into fear as her executive branch and controlled her like her puppet.

That of yesterday.

‘Don’t come closer’

“Kuh…!”

Just thinking about it gives goose bumps down your spine and makes your heart beat faster.

Clearly, it was an unknown existence.

Blue-green hair, light brown skin. She is a woman, a woman who is considered beautiful even in her own eyes.

However, at the same time, a feeling of disgust rises from the depths of the heart.

It was barely enough to move from the spot so as not to be weighed down by the killing force that stimulated the peripheral nerves.

“What the hell… That being…”

The Executive Department is the inside and outside of the academy.

It has the right to view all knowledge that exists on both sides.

Returning to the room with her quick feet, she ordered the librarian of the Forbidden Library to investigate the ‘devil of the magic sword’ with her communication magic.

Twelve hours have passed and no satisfactory answer has been returned.

Even the tribes called the darkness of the academy, such as the ‘Execution Department’.

The root is ‘scholars’ who seek knowledge.

After she tasted the bits of knowledge and ideas she did not know, her mind was not easily calmed down.

Curiosity overcoming anger and fear, desire for knowledge.

Of course. Until now, she has been researching many demonic swords and holy swords.

However, she had never met a being like ‘it’ or ‘she’ among them.

Even when she forced the demonic sword to run wild and wiped out a village…

Even when she drove the warrior of the holy sword into the battlefield and made the whole area a wasteland…

Speaking of possibility, only Cleon’s demonic sword contracted with such an existence.

In order to confirm him, it was necessary to contact Cleon again.

Of course. When he meets him, this time he will be sufficiently wary of the evil eye, so nothing one-sided like yesterday will happen.

With that in mind, he needed to somehow coax and control Alvein to neutralize Cleon.

“Chit…”

However. Even the important warrior is fainting from the damage suffered in yesterday’s fight.

He is receiving treatment at the temple, but the healing spell does not restore the mental shock.

After all, it’s all about borrowing magic power to restore your body.

Unless someone is by his side to take care of him, recovery will take a little while.

“…If only I knew this would happen. Even if I could ‘run out of control’ and turn a city into ashes…”

He muttered as he placed his hand on the black scroll in his bosom.

Of course. If he does that, it is tantamount to burning the entire screenplay he has worked so hard for.

Even if she finally reached the same result, her pride was unacceptable.

You need to calm down a bit.

He is the shadow of the academy.

A human who has embraced darkness in order to seek power and knowledge.

The head of the city [Wind of Happiness]… The guild master didn’t have to be vigilant.

He holds her secret, and she cannot go against him.

…Should I use the guys in the back alley? They’re trash guys. There were still [Gangs] And [Cultists] Left.

The one who still has the upper hand is himself.

Compared to myself who knows the location of Cleon’s lair, they will never be able to find themselves.

Okay. Let’s spread the information about the mansion to the village and let all the adventurers head there this time.

I wanted to get my hands on the corpse in as good a state as possible, so I spilled Cleon’s abode only on the teeth of the veil, but now was not the time to argue about that.

They are weak, selfish and ragtag, but they can.

If you deal with that number, there will definitely be a gap.

At that time, finish with your own demonic eyes…

“…Yes?”

At that time, the sound of cheers could be heard from outside.

When the curtains of the black room were removed and looked outside, there were adventurers marching down the street cheering.

Standing in the foremost was something wrapped in black cloth.

Someone walking slowly with the ‘beautiful sword’ in his hand.

“…That’s…”

Are you one of the city’s adventurers?

The adventurers other than Cleon and Albain all looked the same, so she was a person she didn’t remember.

However. That sword. It was clear even from a distance that it was the sword of the demon that terrorized him yesterday.

No way. Is Cleon dead? While you’re terrified and locked in your room?

Are you terrified?

“Haha…”

A dry laugh escaped.

Unconsciously reminded of their true intentions, the ‘Execution Division’ drank from the bottle that was standing next to them.

I poured all the remaining half of the liquid into my stomach and looked up.

I don’t know how it happened.

But if things have turned out this way, there is no reason to shut up.

What you want, you need to get your hands on.

002

At the Resting Area of ​​the Adventurer’s Guild, a party-like scene was taking place.

An unknown adventurer put an end to the wounded swordsman.

He returned with the supply and demand and the magic sword.

Some people denigrate adventurers who encounter such luck.

Anyway, in the end, being an adventurer is about winning.

Skills are just to make up for one’s bad luck.

Finding gold and silver treasures. Finding ancient artifacts. Also to find forgotten knowledge.

Fighting against monsters with a huge gap with yourself and accidentally winning.

With ‘luck’, it’s possible.

So they toast the lucky man by calling it high.

Anyway, not everyone was seriously engaged in the hunt for the ‘magical swordsman’.

There were also guys who were swept away by the atmosphere.

It could just be that they were wary of dangerous molecules moving secretly in the city.

Maybe he couldn’t forgive the guy who disgraced the guild’s name.

But that threat is over.

The ‘guy’ was out of luck.

Did someone’s misfortune call someone else’s luck?

This is just such a situation.

The red parchment that occupied the bulletin board fell off.

Guild today.

To commemorate the event, the guild decided to pay for all food and drink expenses.

This was the true identity of the party taking place in the guild.

In such a lively atmosphere.

Guild Master Luti was sitting in front of his desk, inviting a visitor to his office.

A woman in a red coat uniform.

Previously, a person who came to him with Alvein and threatened him with a secret.

He must have heard that Cleon had died and came to him.

Ruti did not take her eyes off her and listened in silence to her sophistry.

“—That’s why. The body of the magic swordsman, Cleon, who is the culprit of this situation, and the ‘magic sword’ he possessed must be retrieved by the academy.”

Ultimately, the conclusion was this.

Only the “Head” Was recovered. The body’s whereabouts are unknown.

Also, the magic sword stopped functioning, but the magic did not completely disappear.

Did the magic sword stop functioning when Cleon died?

The ‘Execution Division’ quietly looked at the magic sword with its eyes and raised its mouth.

If this is the case, the devil won’t come out either.

“Isn’t that a little too greedy? The wanted criminal’s head and the demonic sword. To think you’d take both.”

Ruti answers with formal courtesy, as if resisting the woman’s words, which could be called violence.

However, the executive snorted and twisted her mouth.

“Have you forgotten~? You cannot resist me.”

Okay. He has complete control over this woman.

There is no need for the power of the magic eye.

It’s just that you have to show what you know.

Luti made a grim face, but she said nothing else.

The veins that popped up around the eyes and the pupils that were vertically torn.

A clear anger dominated the space, but to the Enforcement Division, it felt like nothing more than a powerless man’s outburst.

“Ah~ah~. It’s scary. You raised the magic pressure like this~ This is the old empire—”

“Stop!”

As if she didn’t want to hear any more words. Luti disarmed her and closed her eyes.

Some silence. The only one smiling there was the woman in the enforcement department.

“Take it. But. You’ll keep your promise.”

“Yeah~ Of course. Of course. If you didn’t betray me… But.”

Saying so, she uses her magic power to lift her object up.

Cleon’s neck and that demonic sword piled up in a bundle.

It definitely belonged to the ‘Execution Division’.

003

There are two categories of scholars.

One is those who seek knowledge with all their might within the goodwill they have set and return it to the society or group to which they belong-

The other one… There is no such thing as good, but they are honest about what they want to know and learn according to their own desires.

The basic desire for knowledge is the same, but the difference lies in whether you can control yourself.

The woman from the Enforcement Division knew she was clearly the latter.

However, from her point of view, the former humans are just cowards.

They are those who cannot be included in the axis of ‘scholars’ who cannot see what they really need to see because they are bound by morality or ethics.

You must use your own discretion ten-no, twelve-minutes to uncover the secrets of the world.

If you are a scholar who is enrolled in an unknown academy. That’s how she should live, she thought.

That’s why I didn’t hesitate.

What she did as soon as she got back to her own room. On the spot, she was interpreting Cleon’s demonic sword.

Originally, she would have to go back to the academy and report back, then get permission from her superiors, but-

That was not the scholarly path she was pursuing.

After all, even with her permission, it could be someone else taking on the research.

If you don’t solve the devil’s secret yourself.

Like that, she looked into the demonic sword with the fire in her demonic eye for 10 extra.

If you bring the analysis tool close, the barrier that spreads with the remaining magic will deflect it.

Even though it had stopped functioning, it was protecting itself like a caterpillar’s cocoon.

No- maybe This barrier may have been created by squeezing all of the magic swordsman’s magic before he died.

Before a person dies. He says that the magic created by burning the soul is the most powerful.

Naturally, I turned my eyes to the bundle lying next to me.

Ruti’s office has already checked the contents.

She must have been the head of the ‘Cleon’ she knew.

Information remains in the brains of the dead.

Perhaps the knowledge he left behind right before his death would be helpful in dissolving this barrier.

Because she didn’t care about the ‘morality’ of desecration of lions.

She pierced Cleon’s head with a ‘long needle’ for interpretation.

If the tip is strengthened with magical power, it can easily pierce the head of a dead human.

Inject magic power through it, pass through the brain, and pull out the information that gets stuck with another needle.

Because of the heat generated in the process, the brain cannot stand it and melts or burns.

What. Such a sacrifice.

When interpretation begins, the knowledge flowing from the heated needle is skimmed.

Still early. It’s too early to be disappointed.

The information that came out was mostly useless.

Like that. Five minutes passed.

Despite burning limescale and protein, it didn’t smell too bad.

No, it is rather a scent that makes the body feel comfortable.

My mind went hazy and I couldn’t quite remember what I was trying to do.

At some point, the Enforcement Department lost strength in their arms. She leaned back against her chair and stared at the ceiling.

‘Eh—why… I… Like this…’

Thoughts shift in disarray.

The light of intelligence disappeared from the eyes full of malice and intelligence, and the fragrance that filled the lungs with every breath-

Fragrance… There is something, something that catches on.

Something you missed.

“Hanging from a ball, your judgment is clouded. Or is that not even Cleon-sama’s calculation…”

A girl’s voice in the dark.

Naturally, the eyes of the execution department turned to the shadows.

There, he saw a dark-haired girl wearing a skull mask.

Veiled Teeth. The new head of the group he used as a throwaway card to kill Cleon.

“Why…”

The girl looked at it, which had the shape of Cleon’s head quietly burning up –

It moves its own hair and pierces it with a spear.

Then, what was visible inside was neither Cleon’s brain nor his skull.

Dried grass, something of lime added for weight.

“It’s ‘Silver Thread Spider’. You can understand it. Its efficacy. Of course. It has not been neutralized for treatment. Its original effect is the same.”

“Magic…Organs…Runaway…Abnormal…Body…Activation…Sensations…In the brain…Accelerate…”

Slow. Slow. The answer that came out of my mouth like a spell.

Her brain, completely saved by the effects of her incense, wanders away from the reality that passes more slowly than she feels.

She was constantly feeling a moment like eternity.

And another one. A man walking behind the girl.

Although she was wearing a mask to block the effect of the incense on her mouth. Its characteristic appearance could not be hidden.

Magic Swordsman Cleon.

The ‘Execution Division’ that met her eyes her with him sends magic power to her eyes her as if it were a last resort.

Blood flows from the eyes, where more than necessary mana has been concentrated by the runaway organ—

Another imprint appeared in Cleon’s eyes in her.

Hunter’s mark.

It was the most effective way to protect himself from the evil eye.

Cleon ignored her. He takes something out of the bag lying next to him.

Then, she tore up a piece and passed it to Perdia, who was standing next to her.

“The guys here. They’re the humans hiding in the city who cooperate with this woman. …I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes. Cleon-sama.”

At the same time as he said that, Perdia once again crept into the shadows, and she disappeared on the spot.

Looking at her split head her, Cleon quietly reached out to Galatea, who was lying next to him.

Then, the magic sword that had stopped functioning by itself opened its eyes to her.

[It was unpleasant.]

“I’m sorry. I made you suffer.”

Cleon answers the partner’s low voice.

The tip of the sword was shining with hideous magic.

[Then. Let me eat.]

“──This one?”

[Okay. It looks pretty delicious.]

Cleon instinctively knew what Galatea was referring to.

His eyes his turn to the magician from the Enforcement Division, who is drooling and winning.

Even if he came to his senses, he would kill himself to keep the secret.

Plus, they’ve done too many things to keep alive.

“…”

Cleon nodded his head.

Then, the magic sword revealed its true face.

Alluring and dangerous as always, she brought her mouth to the nape of her woman’s neck with her smile.

The wide open mouth the next moment.

Through her throat her-

Slowly. Slowly.

The woman’s body becomes magical power and disperses.

Everything was absorbed inside Galatea.

What she felt at the end of her life. Fear too. Anger too. It wasn’t even despair.

“To die feeling something”

She was a luxury to her.

And. Even the soul falling into hell.

004

Cleon quietly set fire to the items in the room.

This is because he checked all the contents of the concubine and judged that their ‘physical existence’ itself could be a threat to many people.

Acrid smoke rose from a small, inconspicuous building in the city.

There was no atmosphere in which people were already living in this building.

From a few years ago, all along. It was an empty house where no one lived.

It was probably a building prepared by the academy for monitoring the city.

After exiting the building, Cleon quietly heads to his back alley.

Then, as if they had been waiting there, ‘Louty Sions’ greets Cleon.

“… Luti.”

“Thank you. Cleon. But isn’t the method too vicious? I was surprised. Even though it was a strategy.”

A pink-haired girl who puffs up her cheeks cutely.

When Cleon’s head was found and coloneled in front of him.

Luti did not change the color of her face, and it felt like she was going through all the suffering she had done in her ten years in a matter of minutes.

However, after directly checking the supply and demand.

The next moment she figured out that it wasn’t real, she was able to cooperate with the operation, keeping her cool.

“Because I trusted you.”

“…Shit. Really. Sounds irresponsible.”

At Cleon’s words, Luti brought her finger her to his mouth her.

His lips his felt on the mask.

Slowly, his fingers rise and remove Cleon’s mask from her.

And hide in the shadows of the moonlit night.

Quietly, as if revealing her own heart her.

Close your face to his face her —

“Cleon-nim. Tidying up… Ah.”

However. By a sudden voice. Luti hurried away from Cleon, blushing.

“…I’m sorry. Did I interrupt you?”

Hearing the voice of her perdia’s sincere apology her, Luti shook her head and looked at her.

“The Veil’s Teeth. In this case, I will praise you for your contributions, and I will disregard the attack on the members of the guild.”

Her voice had returned to that of the guild master of all time—Luti Sions, Winds of Happiness.

Perdia answered, placing her hand on her chest her.

“No… It was to pay off Master’s grudge. Also, to repay the favor I received from Cleon.”

“…What will you do with the Veil Tooth?”

Perdia quietly unmasked her skull.

Ash’s eyes were immersed in her melancholy her, even in the moonlight.

“…With Master passing away, only me and the children remained in the organization. The hideout was also in ruins. It was Master’s will that they grow up and walk on the light. I intend to follow it as well.”

After talking there. Ferdia clasped her hand on her chest and looked at her Cleon her.

“And, I want to be Cleon-sama’s strength.”

“…I see. It’s good, Cleon. Another girl has increased.”

“…Don’t make fun of her.”

Ferdia, who blushes at Luti’s words her. Let her her Cleon her rebuke her in her low voice her. Luti let out a sigh and shook her head.

“I’m kidding. …Okay. I think there’s something I can help with. Please visit me later.”

“…Are you okay? We”

“The Veil’s Tooth is an ‘assassination group’. However, I heard that from the previous generation, they had not received any requests other than to assassinate the ‘evil man’. This time’s request… Well, Cleon is a bad guy .”

At Luti’s words, Cleon crosses her arms and turns her head.

“In addition, the sins of the predecessors have already been paid for a long time.”

At Luti’s last words, Perdia nodded vigorously.

A glimmer of hope appeared on her face.

And, talk to Cleon.

“Cleon-nim. If you need my strength, please tell me anytime. I’m sure it will help.”

“…Ah. That’s how it is.”

Perdia, who heard Cleon’s answer to her, jumped into the darkness of her back alley and disappeared as if melting into the moonlight.

Luti looks at her back for a moment and then turns to Cleon.

“Is this the fourth?”

“No five… ──What are you asking?”

“Five!? There’s a lot of one! Who else!?”

Cleon, who seems to be bothered by Luti, who asks her about the existence of a woman she doesn’t know about.

In his pocket her as he walks in the twilight shadow—

A black scroll containing a hideous curse was clutched.