The faint blue glow of the Communication Amulet flickered again as a new message from Celia arrived:
"Oh, as long as you've successfully entered prison, I wish you a happy and pleasant stay~"
"......Fine."
Ansu realized their conversation was heading in an increasingly strange direction, so he decided to get back to the point.
"Valger, that potential explosion maniac I mentioned, is right next to me. As long as I keep a close eye on him, I can figure out Barcas's entire plan."
After a brief pause, the amulet glowed again.
"Are you sure that person is really at that level? Capable of designing unprecedented magic weapons? If he's truly such an overlooked talent... we should find a way to pull him into our team. The lab is currently short-handed."
Ansu instinctively glanced at the despondent figure in the corner; he had indeed considered recruiting the man.
He already had a vague concept in mind, not just for Valger, but for the entire Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association. This plan was the key to allowing the Echoes of Truth cult to operate legally.
To put it simply: a back-door listing.
After a few more bits of small talk, Celia suddenly asked:
"By the way, Vera is by your side, right?"
Ansu froze for a moment, realizing he hadn't informed the Miss Witch about this.
But he still had to explain: "It's not Vera. Freya is the one with me."
After sending that message, the Communication Amulet remained quiet for a long time.
Only after a while did the faint blue light flicker again.
"Oh? It's Freya."
"Ansu, if you needed someone to help you, why didn't you ask me first?"
Even though it was just text, Ansu could almost hear the Miss Witch's drawn-out tone and her teasing, half-smiling voice...
And the jealousy wafting over from ten thousand miles away.
Freya, who had been quietly leaning against him, noticed the flash of stiffness and helplessness on Ansu's face and couldn't help but peek at his left hand.
When she realized who he was communicating with and why he was troubled, Freya's fingers twitched. She slowly let go of the hand she had been gripping tightly and lowered her eyes.
"Lord Ansu..." she spoke softly.
"Isn't Celia... busy with magic research? Because progress was slow, she even explicitly said she hated being disturbed..."
Freya instinctively made excuses for Ansu in her heart. "Lord Ansu doesn't want Vera to be in danger, so naturally, the most trustworthy person close to him who can cooperate at any time is only me."
"I think this arrangement is very reasonable?" She blinked. "How about I explain it to Lord Ansu's behalf?"
"Don't..." Ansu shot her a quick look, thinking, Little Holy Maiden, please don't walk into the trap yourself...
Seeing that Ansu hadn't replied, the blue light flickered once more.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Are you afraid I'll disturb the two of you in your 'private time'?"
These words jumped out. Even though Ansu didn't see her in person, he could imagine the faint cold sneer currently hanging on the Miss Witch's face...
"Of course not. I just didn't want to interrupt your research. Also, I didn't want Vera to be in danger, so..."
Ansu 'borrowed' what Freya had just said, modified it slightly, and sent it off.
"Hmph, I see."
"However, remember to call me for dangerous things like this next time! Freya is so weak and her brain isn't that smart. What use can she be by your side?"
"I'm not weak..." Freya pursed her lips, staring at the line of text. A hint of frustration flashed in her pale gold eyes.
She's totally looking down on me...
She was very smart too! She could help, okay?
"Alright, go back to your business. Once this is over..."
On Celia's end, she must have sent this message with a fierce expression.
"I'll punish you later! Punish you severely!!"
Ansu silently thought that whether she meant this 'punishment' or an actual punishment... by the time the simulation ended, he probably wouldn't have to face it anyway.
After finishing the conversation, Ansu looked up and scanned his surroundings.
This time, the chaos was truly nearing its end.
Under the multiple suppressions of magic-suppressing handcuffs, alchemical firearms, and Holy Light divine arts, many corpses were already strewn across the floor.
A pungent smell of blood filled the air. The survivors squatted down in terror or lay flat, no longer daring to resist.
White-robed clergymen walked coldly among them, checking the bodies of the mages. Ansu saw that there was no longer an opportunity to use the Communication Amulet. After a moment of thought, he added one final line:
"Celia, you'd better get ready to return to Norvigel at any time. Tonight, I might really need your help."
"Good. I really want to do something for you right now because I'm fuming. I really, really! Super want to kill someone!!"
Ansu couldn't help but smile. This request could indeed satisfy her.
His gaze swept over the soldiers patrolling the corridor with guns and the expressionless clergymen, his eyes gradually turning cold.
Then, he instinctively turned his body, using his shoulder to block Freya's prying eyes. Freya paused, her eyes showing confusion.
The amulet flickered again:
"So, who do you need me to kill?"
"Many, many people."
Ansu thought for a moment and continued sending: "If I said I need you to lead the cult tonight to destroy the Church of Holy Light, take down the City Lord's Mansion, and kill all the city guards and clergymen who stand in the way... to go big in Norvigel! Could you do it?"
The light of the Communication Amulet suddenly froze.
"Ansu, you're not joking, are you?"
"I'm not."
This time, the reply came quickly and briefly. The Miss Witch didn't seem to hesitate at all.
"I can do it."
...
When a clergyman's gaze slowly moved toward Ansu in the corner, Ansu had already quietly put the Communication Amulet back into his warehouse.
The corpses were roughly dragged away, leaving only large patches of dark red, sticky blood on the ground. The soldiers began to return to their posts, and the prison gradually fell into a suffocating silence shared by the survivors.
Only after a long time did terrified whispers and discussions dare to rise again in the cells.
Ansu chatted idly with Valger in a low voice, silently waiting for something. Finally, the 'incident' he had anticipated occurred.
A man with an ordinary face but a mysterious expression suddenly approached. He crouched down on the other side of Valger and tapped him lightly.
"Hey, Valger, how did even you end up in here?"
"I remember when the Mutual Aid Association got into trouble, didn't you guys run away?"
Valger slowly raised his head.
After seeing who it was, a flash of surprise crossed his dejected face. "It's you?"
"As for me... it's complicated. But how did you get caught? What did you do?"
The mysterious man twitched his lips helplessly, his voice very low: "You know, I've always been in that kind of business. I'm too deeply involved with the underground magic black market. Getting caught right when this Magic Prohibition Decree is in full swing is perfectly normal."
Hearing this, Valger only let out a deep sigh.
"Oh? Who are these two...?" The mysterious man's gaze swept over Ansu and Freya, who were sitting close to Valger, his eyes full of inquiry. "I haven't seen them before."
Ansu's face also expressed the same curiosity.
Valger explained to Ansu: "This is a famous middleman in Norvigel. He can handle many illicit deals. By the way, the commission for that Evocation research project on the safe magic crystal you asked about earlier was the one he set up for me."
After the introduction, he said to the mysterious man: "These two are Ansu and his..."
Valger hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Freya, who was quietly leaning against Ansu's side. His tone was hesitant. "His... girlfriend?"
Ansu silently looked at Freya, who had her head lowered and let out a mysterious, silly giggle.
She quietly raised her eyes, her pale gold pupils peeking out from the shadows, curving happily as her fair cheeks turned slightly red.
Ansu reached out and straightened her thick, loose hood for her, tucking it in carefully to ensure her unique pink hair and most of her face were hidden in the shadows.
Although it seemed unlikely for a former Holy Maiden to appear in this prison... it was never wrong to be cautious.
The corners of Freya's mouth rose unnaturally, and her cheeks became even redder.
"Ansu is a new member of our Northern Magic Mutual Aid Association. Of course..." Valger continued the introduction, but as he spoke, his tone became bitter, "he's also the last member..."
Ansu listened quietly to their conversation, his gaze seemingly accidentally brushing over the man's face, his mind deep in thought...
A middleman familiar with the underground black market, and so familiar with the association, especially Valger.
And it just so happened that at this critical juncture, he was locked in the same prison as Valger and 'proactively' recognized him.
The timing was too perfect. This person was highly likely one of Barcas's men.
"Oh... I see." Hearing Valger's explanation, the middleman seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his tone became much lighter.
"Since they're your friends and one of our own from the Mutual Aid Association, then I'm relieved."
He clearly had a specific purpose. After confirming that Ansu and the other were indeed harmless, he leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice even further.
"Valger."
"You're not... at a dead end right now. You still have a choice."
Seeing Valger's confused expression, the middleman continued: "Your investor—I'll respectfully call him 'That Great Lord' for now—greatly admires your talent... He hopes you can work for him."
"Wha... what?" Valger's face was filled with surprise, as if he hadn't expected the conversation to turn this way.
"I won't hide it from you anymore." The middleman's tone was sincere, and his expression seemed to be one of deep confidence. "Actually, it was 'That Great Lord' who specifically sent me to find you. I've been looking through these captured people for a long time before I finally found you."
He stared intently into Valger's eyes. "As long as you're willing to follow 'That Great Lord' and work for him, he can not only get you out... but your daughter's illness can also be cured."
Rate on N.U.
