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Chapter 38: Letter
🕑 Added 2023-12-05 16:06:19 +0000 UTC"R666, your mission tonight is to deliver a threatening letter to Baron Kharn. Make sure you remain unseen when infiltrating his house," R25B instructed me.
Another stealth task, I thought wearily. The previous one was dull. Moreover, wasn't Baron Kharn Safira's father? Well, he was a corrupt figure, alright. I wondered what would happen to Safira if Baron Kharn were caught by the Justiciars. His name was mentioned in the previous rebellion.
The task was relatively straightforward, worth only two points. After activating my camouflage, I slipped the letter inside his house through the crack in his windows. There were other tasks in the capital, but reconnaissance and tailing someone were out of my reach. They would disrupt my school time.
"R25B, wouldn't it be simpler if we just killed Baron Kharn…"
"He was corrupt, yes. But the empire wasn't enraged enough to warrant his death. He has been with the empire since forever, after all," R25B answered. "But his recent dealings raised concerns for the Ministry of Defense."
"I see. If something happens to him, please tell me, okay? At least, I want to save Safira," I said. It was a mere premonition, but I didn't believe Baron Kharn would live long enough to see us graduate. Moreover, if he did survive, Safira might be married off to some unsavory characters. It would be ideal if there were an assassination commission for him, and I could take Safira to my county.
"Baron Kharn oversees the distribution of military goods and weapons. He is not the only one there, of course. That's why we assume he is merely following someone's orders. Well, even if something happens to him, Safira will be safe. The kingdom couldn't possibly kill a level 7 water mage. She is more valuable than you, magically speaking. She would probably be sent to an orphanage or adopted by someone else."
A few days later, another commission sprung up. I was tasked, together with R663, to recon the warehouses. R663 couldn't sneak into the warehouse, which is why I was asked to do it. I whined since R25B explicitly ordered me not to harm anyone no matter what. R25B said the management deducted his performance points due to me going wild with the previous baron.
"I am sorry, R666, but the security was tight. They didn't want to employ an outsider like me. And sneaking wasn't my strong suit since my mistake the other day," R663 explained. He then continued with a briefing of what he saw during the recon.
"Well, apologies aside, here is my briefing. Baron Kharn was seen going in and out of that warehouse lately. That, in itself, wasn't strange. However, since his name was mentioned the other day with the rebels, R25B put a mark on him. That's why R25B wanted this mission to be flawlessly stealthy."
"Alright."
"Glory to the empire!" He saluted.
He still said that? Oh well. Might just as well humor him.
"May our empire be safe and prosperous."
I then went on. The warehouse was located in the slums. The location itself raised several alarms, but since over twenty knights were guarding that place in shifts, it was deemed safe by the empire's standard. The warehouse was not a simple armory. It was huge, like those usually placed in ports or harbors. Ever since a hundred years ago, when magic tools became an integral part of wars, armories no longer store just spears or swords but traps, explosives, guns, flamethrowers, etc. The items stored in them increased, and now we even need a dedicated clerk for it. That's why a simple building like those in our county no longer suffices.
There was only one way to enter the warehouse, and it was through the front gate. The fence was climbable, but there were stakes and nails covering it. Hmm… I could probably force myself through the wall. I could force my dark tentacles to withstand those nails and lift me up higher. But I chose to go the usual route. It would be a disaster if there were soldiers on the other side. I couldn't cast illusions on targets I couldn't see.
I cast illusions on the front gate knights and enter as usual. It was a practiced movement at this point. There was a knight with magical glasses that could detect mana, but he was sleeping. Well, wearing magical glasses also cost feystones, might as well put mages as guards, but they didn't because all mages contracted with the empire needed to make feystones for war preparations. These royal knights weren't the most disciplined bunch. Well, dark mages with my proficiency were so rare that they didn't prepare much against invisible magical attacks, perhaps.
As I entered, I tiptoed to the warehouse. Nervousness was getting to me. This warehouse was like an open field. Even with my camouflage, I was worried I would get noticed by wandering knights.
"I am in. What now, R25B?"
"I need you to look at the financial report and goods movement, both outbound and inbound. More specifically, look at the goods that were easily smuggled, such as muskets, bombs, and feystone traps."
"How can I look at the financial report when there was a person staring at it even this late at night?" I complained when I saw a clerk having overtime with a feystone lamp in the corner of the warehouse.
"Well, I don't know then. As long as we find some evidence that Kharn or his superiors were sending weapons to some illegal entities, the commission will be completed," R25B said. I tried to glare through him, but it was impossible unless I visited the virtual room.
I photographed the entire warehouse, evading knights and opening every crate to take pictures of it. Even when the day changed, that person was still there. Moreover, he brought two of his friends with him now to look at the reports.
"Baron Kharn is entering. Tail him and record his conversation," R25B said.
I did as I was told. The rotund man was easy to spot, but he had ten knights behind him. I moaned in despair as I couldn't get close to him.
"What did you write in that letter, R25B? I couldn't get close with all those knights around him." I exclaimed at the absurd number of protection he had.
"Wow. He sure didn't spare the expenses to save his own skin. Even though he was in debt like your father," he took a jab at me with my measly two knights guarding me last season.
"Are the weapons ready? Ship them to the shadowstep. Wait, these ones go to the western front," Baron Kharn was directing the warehouse manager. The manager quickly sent the laborers to put the goods into the cart.
I crept near them; the knights were on full alert, so I was rather nervous, but I could still hear them. To my disappointment, there was nothing suspicious about his activity. He was just directing where the ammunition and military supplies go, and he didn't name any weird places where he could potentially smuggle it. Seeing no further gain, I returned to my dorm before sunrise.
"Sorry, but I will have you scout that warehouse again for a week. Be grateful your points are now 210. We paid you handsomely for simply sneaking around! And it will be up to 220P when the mission ends," R25B tried to cheer me up, but it fell on deaf ears.
Alicia woke me not even two hours later. With a haggard face, I followed her as she led me to the bathroom and washed me. I stole some sleeping time during the professor's lecture today as well. The professor didn't even rebuke me in the slightest, considering my stellar performances. But some of my classmates did comment about me. Alicia was apprehensive about my truancy.
What a different culture we live in. Back on Earth, it was the other way around, with teachers constantly nagging rebellious children even when he was intelligent. Here, the result determines all. I had never been in such a situation, of course. I rarely went to school, after all.
The night went on just like yesterday. However, that overworked clerk stole some sleeping time at his desk. It was my chance to get near and put illusions on him so he could have a better sleep while I rummaged through his documents. Illusions could work on a sleeping man, giving them better dreams. I didn't have time nor the skills to analyze the files on the go. I will ask R25B later, but I didn't find anything suspicious at a glance.
"Lady Eli. Lady Safira, and Nana. Thank you for welcoming me into your group despite being Manaless," Ronya said as she dined with us in the cafeteria. She was apprehensive at first because Safira was a noble mage. But my circle had nothing to do anymore with the discrimination against mages and manaless. Children were easy to sway. Safira used to look down on commoners, too. However, ever since she saw me, a higher-ranked mage, playing together with those knights at the party, she opened up a bit more.
"Lady Eli. I am sorry to intrude, but may I stay in your county during this semestral vacation?" Safira came to me with an outstanding request.
"Yes! Of course! You can—"
"If I may be so bold, Lady Safira. May I know why you made such a request? As you may know, our county is currently embroiled in a war with Elderan Empire." Alicia cut me off before agreeing.
"The truth is, my father received a letter saying that someone was to kill me. So, he asked me to ask for protection from you. You know the reapers, right? I heard you survived an assault from them. So, he asked me to ask you to protect me…"
"What? Kill you!" I shouted. R25B never said anything about that.
"I see. Those bandits dare to even intrude on the capital of our empire. I knew something was wrong the moment they dared to hunt us. Let us join forces together and defeat those reapers!" Alicia held her hands against Safira. Her eyes were full of convictions.
"Wait… reapers?" I stared at Alicia blankly.
"Yes! I knew from a friend that there is this famous international criminal syndicate called Reapers. They do all those bad deeds, including kidnapping mages and killing nobles. In fact, I just learned that those bandits in our county and the assassin who attacked us in rest spots were Reapers, too! We must unite to fight those bad guys!" Alicia pumped her fist.
"Really? You're willing to help me fight against those criminal syndicates?" Safira said with gleaming eyes. Her cheerful attitude hurt me.
"Yes! Of course," Alicia replied. "Let us fight those Reapers together. Together, we shall not let them kidnap our precious mage again!"
"Yes!" Safira said.
"Yes…" I also said, albeit non-enthusiastically.
Everyone, I am sorry for being in the same organization as those guys. But I am on the side of the good guys. I promised.
Comments
laulau20
I have been waiting to write this chapter. I especially like it when Eli's friends were against Reapers without knowing Eli was in it.
