NOVEL FROG Chapter 26
Orthes looked down at the Biotic Fiber Hair he held in his hand. Severed from its main body, the original was already dead.
As the remnants of Magic that had fixed the hair in the shape of a blade faded away, the Biotic Fiber lost its center of gravity and began to scatter, strand by strand.
Niobe glanced at Orthes. The wreck of the Magic Engine Train and the branch director. Orthes stood in front of the director’s corpse.
She steadied her trembling voice and asked, “Why?”
Orthes shrugged. The director’s hair scattered from his hand, resembling ashes sprinkled after a makeup session – a form of mourning.
“It’s just that someone who deserved to die has met their end.”
Yet his words felt out of place. His tone was chilling rather than cold.
Niobe sensed the gap between the awkward “straggler” senior with a warm smile and the current Orthes.
Layered on that sense of disconnect was Orthes’ unique thin smile. Whether at the Vicada Traveling Troupe or now, Orthes maintained an unchanging grin.
“Now, everyone, please come out.”
When Orthes boarded the Charlotte Branch, he sensed that the presence in the passenger compartment was “almost nonexistent.” In other words, there was just a little.
Gradually, Blasphemia agents emerged from the chaotic passenger compartment, each gripping their weapons firmly.
Orthes thought, ‘There are more than I expected.’
He had anticipated about five or six; it was nearly twenty!
However, showing confusion here would be rookie behavior. A master who knows how to repay a debt with just one word never loses their smile.
Orthes’ smile served as a means of intimidation. If you’ve ensnared your opponent in a deadly trap and you’re still smiling after they’ve fallen in, it’s natural for them to think, “Wait, isn’t something wrong?”
That moment of hesitation could determine life or death in the midst of combat. It was Orthes’ survival strategy to induce that “hesitation.”
However, the feelings of the Blasphemia agents facing that smile were different.
There’s a hypothesis that smiles originated from a predator showing its teeth in a threatening posture. Orthes wore an expression just like that.
The madman who killed the director, even using the director’s own magic to stab him to death.
Such fear contributed to the Blasphemia agents’ decision to not immediately attack Orthes.
There was another reason for this.
“I think I should provide an explanation first.”
Orthes slowly scanned the revealed agents. They tried to read his mind from his expression, but his nearly shut eyes were a powerful barrier.
“Blasphemia Charlotte Branch Director Nardanit conspired with traitors.”
It was a calm yet shocking decree. Upon hearing this, Niobe let out a brief exclamation of surprise, feeling bewilderment and betrayal.
But what bewildered her further was the reaction of the seniors.
About half, or 70%, of them bit their lips upon hearing Orthes’ declaration. They were clearly in collusion with Nardanit.
“Oh my. You shouldn’t so easily let your expressions slip now that your plot has been discovered, my juniors. It makes it too easy to pick you out, doesn’t it?”
The absence of people in the Charlotte Branch was precisely due to Nardanit’s intent. After completing their missions, Blasphemia agents were entitled to a period of rest for personal maintenance.
Nardanit had cunningly adjusted the mission assignment cycles using his authority as branch director, overlapping the rest periods of the conspirators bit by bit.
Ultimately, if all the conspirators’ rest periods overlapped, they would join the traitors along with the Charlotte Branch.
Now, 70% of the Blasphemia agents gathered in the Charlotte Branch were bewildered, unsure of their next actions at the sudden assassination of their leader.
Niobe, realizing the situation, asked in awe, “Orthes… who are you?”
*
It’s all done. I almost let out a joyful cheer. With this atmosphere, I can deceive them all.
My eyes, forced open to prevent a Self-destructive Spell, still bore the strain.
At about five to one, I could easily take them all down. But at twenty to one, I’d have to think a bit.
Moreover, if the entire Blasphemia Branch got wiped out, that would pose another problem. The big shots in the Ten Towers would start showing interest in their lower ranks.
It’s too early to clash head-on with the Ten Towers.
If I had to choose a time, I’d want to wait for the protagonist’s arrival. When the revived Mage King appears and draws the attention of the Ten Towers, moving from the shadows would be far more efficient.
“Well, for now, I should apologize.”
I start to unveil the prepared response. Sometimes, deception is more effective than outright murder.
If I throw the traitor issue at the already understaffed Blasphemia, it’ll leave them no capacity to focus on a remote city like Etna City.
“My name isn’t Orthes, and my face isn’t real either.”
*
“The inspector isn’t going to reveal their true name or appearance.”
Niobe stared at Orthes, or rather, Inspector L13, with a dazed expression. Was the code name he provided the real deal?
“It’s quite regrettable to have to use a false identity even when meeting an old colleague, but that’s work for you.”
The inspector, shrugging, added a few more words. To breach the Charlotte Branch, he decided to take advantage of Niobe, who had been dispatched to the Vicada Traveling Troupe, needing a pretext. As it happened, Hydra Corporation was monitoring the troupe, so he disguised as an executive to approach.
I thought it was a bit strange from the start. Blasphemia agents shouldn’t be chasing personal gain, yet here they were, promoted to key positions in the Mage Tower.
Unless they were planning to abandon the organization, someone wanting to return wouldn’t show such an attitude.
But everything from the very first meeting to this point was a guise.
The training Niobe had received as a Blasphemia agent prevented her from shutting down her thoughts. It was the psychological analysis method for agents to deduce the whole from even small clues.
Combining the words and actions of the interrogation target to filter out the information closest to the truth.
The mournful scattering of hair and mention of “old colleagues” was enough to suggest that the director Nardanit had a prior connection with the inspector.
“Nice to meet you, juniors. I am an inspector. I don’t think I need to share my name or code name. It’s best we don’t meet again. Forget my face; it’s someone else’s anyway.”
Amidst that comic tone, Niobe felt a twinge of sadness somewhere.
“Charlotte Branch Director Nardanit was plotting to sacrifice the entire Charlotte Branch to traitors. The above circumstances have been reported to the Blasphemia Auditor Office. The entire Charlotte Branch is under investigation.”
Of course, Orthes felt no sorrow whatsoever.
“The database files will be submitted as evidence after my audit, so from this moment forth, no one is to tamper with anything. Soon, individuals will arrive from HQ to manage the situation.”
Orthes was working to create an excuse to manipulate the database. While video manipulation wasn’t his expertise, Arabella would do a fine job.
“Those who sided with Nardanit’s plan, please wear Magic Sealing Handcuffs and await further instructions. That’s all.”
As he made his way toward the database, Orthes reflected on the reporting structure of the Blasphemia Auditor Office.
It was only natural for secret inspectors to erase their tracks, so it wouldn’t be odd, but the key was how to lead the Auditor Office.
They needed to be summoned without a face-to-face meeting; revealing his false identity before everyone would be catastrophic.
“Typically, such things are transferred reliably. The inspector needs a reason for why they left in a hurry without meeting the follow-up team.”
Without much hesitation, Orthes decided on that “reason.”
“Didn’t they say the survivors of the Golden Desert Operation were swept away by extra-dimensional contaminants? Reporting that I’m leaving the scene to track down leads on the contaminants should work.”
The fake report Orthes prepared was simple.
“Confirmation of Traitorous Activity by Charlotte Branch Director Nardanit. Backing extra-dimensional contaminants. Note: The identities of the contaminants are presumed to be agents deployed during the Golden Desert Operation. Leaving the scene for tracking. Please send proper auditors for a formal investigation as soon as possible.”
Though I gathered quite a bit of intel on the Blasphemia Branch from my professional expertise, I wasn’t familiar with such forms. Rather than strain over adding details, it would be more persuasive to create the impression that I had to keep it concise while chasing down the rebels.
The Mage Tower Core and its surroundings were critical areas of the Magic Engine Train. To prevent revealing the core’s location, a special barrier wall is typically erected to eliminate senses.
However, the magic inscribed in the special barrier seemed to be damaged due to the fight between Orthes and Nardanit. Orthes easily followed the magic power emitted from the core toward the database.
Entering through the database door, Orthes browsed the surroundings.
“Where should this be?”
He was searching for Arabella’s spider.
*
Meanwhile, Arabella had been perplexed for a while after seeing the message Nardanit was about to transmit.
A secret inspector from Blasphemia? What on earth does that mean?
She had heard a hint when she and Divius were called that the boss and Orthes might still be high-ranking officials in the Ten Towers.
But they weren’t in exile; they were active?
A sound from beyond the screen added to Arabella’s confusion. The approaching footsteps of Orthes.
“Director? There’s no one around, so could you step out for a moment?”
Though Arabella was contemplating, she could no longer afford to stall. The spider drone slowly crawled beneath Orthes’ feet.
“I have a request. You know the stored surveillance footage?”
‘Oh.’
Arabella felt a different kind of bewilderment, mixed with anger. It was the embarrassment she’d felt repeatedly over the past few days.
“Please suitably alter or erase the parts where my face appears, and send a message to the database internal BS 52:5 as I dictate.”
Sudden additional work—a common grievance for an office worker.