Gunshots tore through the air, accompanied by screams and angry curses that filled the entire prison.
The riot, far from being quelled, was like a bonfire doused in oil, showing signs of intensifying.
Ansu's gaze moved past the chaotic figures, locking onto Valger in the corner.
This bespectacled mage and excellent magitech scholar no longer possessed the aggressive sharpness he had shown when they first met at the tavern; he sat despondently on the ground, seemingly indifferent to everything happening around him.
A young man from the Mutual Aid Association, seeing more and more mage colleagues joining the resistance, hurriedly squeezed through and forcefully shoved Valger's shoulder.
"Valger! Wake up! This is our chance!"
"We're charging out together! Now is the best time to escape!"
Valger's body swayed from the shove, but he remained unresponsive.
"Valger!" The young mage grew frantic, his voice tinged with anger. "Are you still not going to resist? Valger! You are the highest-ranking and most powerful mage here! Weren't you always the most resilient?"
"In the tavern, you were the one who cursed the Church the loudest, saying we had to fight for the 'dignity of mages'! Now that our dignity is being trampled underfoot, are you just going to sit here and wait for death?"
This interrogation seemed to pierce Valger's numb shell. He slowly raised his head, a flash of extremely complex emotion flickering in his eyes behind his lenses.
But a moment later, all emotion gradually dissipated, and he lowered his head in shame. "Allen, it's useless... We can't defeat the Church. We can't escape."
Valger smiled mockingly at himself. "They say we are black mages who bring death and destruction. Do you actually believe that?"
"We are just a group of low-tier mages. In the past, we might have had some status, but look at us now... Do you really think we can stand against an army armed with magitech firearms? Resisting just gives them an excuse to kill us more efficiently. I think you'd be better off..."
"Better off doing what?" The young mage laughed in pure frustration, practically shouting at Valger's lack of spirit: "Do you really think you still have a chance to live? Do you actually believe their lies? That they'll lock you up for a few years of reform, or exile you to the Far North, and after you've atoned and converted to the righteous god, you'll be reborn?"
"That's total bullshit!" The young mage gritted his teeth, cursing loudly. "Those demihumans might have a chance to live, but in their eyes, we mages are heretics that must be purged! The Church hates us to the bone! We're dead either way!"
"Since resisting means death and not resisting also means death, why not go down fighting right now? Besides, there are so many of our colleagues here!"
However, Valger simply lowered his head again, sinking back into a despondent silence.
"Coward!!"
The young mage spat a curse, no longer counting on him. He turned toward the bars, struggling to mobilize the meager mana suppressed by the magic-suppressing handcuffs, and joined the chaotic battle.
Witnessing this brief and intense argument, Ansu and Freya exchanged a glance.
"Lord Ansu..." Freya's eyes were filled with confusion as she whispered to confirm once more. "Are you sure it's really him? The potential 'source of danger' that could destroy all of Norvigel... is this Mr. Valger?"
She truly couldn't connect this despondent, numb middle-aged man—who didn't even have the courage to resist—with the terrifying source of destruction Ansu had described that could level a city.
"Hmm... Based on the known clues, it should be him." Ansu watched the dejected man, frowning slightly. For a moment, he even doubted his own judgment.
"Alright..." Even though Freya was still full of doubt, she nodded. "Since Lord Ansu is so certain, I won't ask any more questions."
Just as the two were about to discuss further, several deafening alchemical bullets exploded in close proximity.
Several rounds whistled past them, blasting fist-sized craters into the stone walls and kicking up debris and blinding sparks.
"Watch out!"
Ansu had the fastest reaction. Seeing the guards firing indiscriminately at potential rebels in the prison, he instinctively shielded Freya behind him, grabbed her slender wrist, and retreated rapidly toward a relatively dark patch of shadow in the rear.
Following a series of muffled thuds, several demihumans near them shuddered and were gunned down.
Startling blood holes were blasted into their bodies as turbulent mana ravaged their insides, sending bits of flesh and dark blood flying everywhere.
Ansu quickly pressed Freya down, and the two crouched low along with the panicked crowd. The whistling alchemical bullets swept over their heads, bringing a faint sensation of heat.
He quickly looked toward Valger.
Because that fellow had been curled up in the corner the whole time, he had never been viewed as a potential rebel; not a single bullet had been fired in his direction.
Seeing that the key focal point was temporarily safe, Ansu felt slightly relieved. He led Freya, carefully moving toward Valger.
Amidst the chaos and danger, Freya, shielded behind Ansu, felt the warmth transmitted from his palm and his instinctive desire to protect her. Her heart gradually softened.
Lord Ansu is so kind.
Subconsciously, she gripped his hand tighter, her slender fingers wrapping around his wrist.
In the chaotic, corpse-strewn prison, the two held onto each other tightly, moving step by step to the corner of the wall.
"Valger."
Ansu called out in a low voice. The man in the corner slowly raised his head, his lifeless gaze sweeping over the young man and woman before him.
"Ansu..." Valger's gaze moved past Ansu's shoulder to the bars. The young mage who had just been arguing with him was now a corpse. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It seems you and I are the only members of the Mutual Aid Association left..."
"The president is dead, everyone is dead..." He clutched his hair, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying. "If you've also come to ask me what to do... I don't know, I really don't know! I have a daughter, and elderly parents... The Church is already watching my home. I can't... I absolutely cannot involve them..."
"I'm not here to ask you what to do." Ansu looked at the man on the verge of collapse and sighed silently.
I am only here to observe you, to witness how you transform into a demon...
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, punctuated only by the intermittent sound of gunshots.
Just then, Ansu suddenly felt an extremely weak mana fluctuation. Something on his person was flickering slightly—not in his pocket, but in his system warehouse.
To prevent the leakage of magic aura, Ansu usually stored his magic items in the warehouse.
This included the Communication Amulet Celia had given him.
Ansu surveyed the still-unsettled situation, reached into his pocket, and quietly retrieved the Communication Amulet. As expected, a message from the Miss Witch was flickering on it.
「I'm so angry, Ansu! I really want to kill someone!!」
The first line gave Ansu a start. He instinctively looked at his and Freya's still-intertwined hands.
Freya was pressing close to him with slightly flushed cheeks, her head nearly resting on his shoulder. The atmosphere was quiet and held a hint of intimacy.
Sensing Ansu's sudden stiffness and the shock on his face, she looked up and blinked in confusion, but showed no intention of letting go of his fingers.
Immediately after, new writing appeared on the amulet:
「I've managed to work out the basic runes, but connecting the magic formula it forms to other magic structures has become a new problem.」
「It's so annoying! The structure is way too bloated. It doesn't achieve that effect we originally envisioned of not adding extra burden at all! Ansu, I think I celebrated too early, sigh...」
Ansu suddenly remembered that the Communication Amulet functioned similarly to a "message + locator." As long as Celia didn't use it as coordinates to teleport directly over, she couldn't actually see what he was doing...
He silently breathed a sigh of relief.
So she wasn't calling me out...
"What's wrong, Lord Ansu? Is it something from the cult?"
A gentle breath carrying a hint of shyness brushed past his ear as Freya's voice spoke softly.
"It's nothing..." Ansu instinctively turned his head, meeting the pale gold eyes inches away. His fingers twitched slightly as he tried to let go inconspicuously.
Unexpectedly, in the next second, Freya's fingers gripped back even harder, her slender knuckles turning slightly white as if she were terrified Ansu would abandon her...
「Ansu, why aren't you replying? Are you busy?」
Ansu could only hold the amulet with one hand, using a tiny bit of mana to send a comforting message to the other side:
「Streamlining a magic formula is indeed a difficult problem in the industry, but don't be too anxious. Once our magic lab is restored, we can have Elder Barnes and Professor Duncan brainstorm together. Both of them are masters of rune design, especially Professor Duncan, who has a lot of insight into the miniaturization of magic structures.」
The amulet's faint blue light continued to flow, and Celia's reply came quickly.
「Why did it take you so long to reply? You must be very busy over there. Oh, right, how is the case investigation going? I heard you've successfully entered prison?」
「Don't worry, I've successfully entered prison!」
Ansu couldn't help but feel that his reply sounded a bit strange...
Rate on N.U.
