NOVEL FROG Chapter 6
Orthes slumped down beside Taknia, who could only wiggle his remaining left hand.
Ugh…
The cautious flow of Magic Power. He had somehow managed to salvage the control panel’s internal circuits connected to the mic.
…
A sudden wave of despair washed over him. Even if he informed his subordinates outside about the situation, would they be able to subdue the intruder?
As Taknia weighed the abilities of his subordinates against those of the intruder, Orthes spoke up.
“I have a few questions.”
The mic connection was barely holding together.
*
“Have you seen a blond kid around this height recently?”
I raised my right hand to indicate an approximate height. Given that Cretone had no interaction with the Torres Faction’s main tower until now, the chances of Astraphe being delivered were slim, but still worth the final check.
“What… crazy talk is that? There must be thousands of slaves I’ve dealt with; do you think I’d remember each one?”
“Oh? But you personally manage special slaves, don’t you? Like wild mages. You have to handle the procedures before delivering them to the main tower.”
It was a procedure to suppress the Magic Power circuit in mages to prevent them from rampaging during transport.
If Astraphe was delivered while not getting attention from the Torres Faction, there was only one possible scenario.
If Astraphe was among the last batch of slaves Cretone delivered, she would still be in the queue for that procedure.
It sounded absurdly unlikely, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to prevent Carisia’s death.
“Well, you’re a slave hunter after all. You’re saying you went through all this trouble because a previously claimed slave ended up in our Great Temple? Heh, must have been quite the valuable slave!”
“If I see you again, I’ll introduce myself that way. But I’ll ask again. Among the special slaves you’re managing, is there a particularly talented wild mage with electricity magic? She’s probably blond.”
“If we meet again, it’ll be hell for you… No.”
Taknia seemed completely resigned now, not even opening his eyes as he replied.
There was a sort of enlightenment in the words he spat out, as if he realized there was no way to escape death.
In the original story, Taknia burned with the desire to promote by offering slaves to the main tower.
Astraphe’s power as a wild mage was exceptional, and due to the merits of offering her, Taknia advanced to the main tower.
However, Taknia underestimated Astraphe’s potential. As a result, he incorrectly set the suppression level of her Magic Power circuit, which would eventually lead to her regaining her self.
Later, during a battle with the Torres Faction, Astraphe mocked Taknia with this truth, and he couldn’t hide his rage.
From the emotional state described back then, it was clear he would be detectable when lying this far.
“Isn’t it fortunate that you have none? Now, for my final question.”
*
“Where would you like it to be?”
The words thrown at the start of the fight came back. The intruder persistently asked how he wanted to die.
Taknia exhaled a breath tainted with blood and muttered.
“Make it quick. Just slice me.”
Due to the wounds left on his corpse, there could be a war with the other faction, leading to losses for the Torres Faction. But this answer didn’t come from loyalty.
He simply wanted to thwart the intruder’s intentions one last time. Taknia opened his eyes, waiting for the last view he would see.
The intruder, without leaking a single name, wore a smiling face. He slowly brought down the High-Frequency Blade.
Without a sound, smoothly, Taknia’s neck was severed.
After meticulously retrieving the brain chip implanted in his skull, Orthes activated the Magic Engraving Drive.
Fireball, the basic fire spell, was unleashed. Thanks to the damaged control panel, the fire suppression system failed to activate.
Seeing the flames catch onto Taknia’s corpse, Orthes stepped out the door.
It was time to return from the business trip.
*
In the middle of a slave escape. Even with the Magic Engraving Drive in hand, the people captured as slaves weren’t proper mages.
But the number difference was overwhelming. This was why the Torres Faction’s mages had not been able to suppress the escape yet.
If they were a group of incompetent folks that couldn’t use magic, the situation would have likely ended by now, but the Magic Engraving Drive kept pouring out unendingly, aimed at the mages’ throats.
For every one subdued, five came pouring in; for every ten subdued, twenty came flooding in.
So far, he had only used nerve-disconnection magic to preserve the product’s value, but just as he was about to unleash actual destructive magic…
Suddenly, a crackling broadcast sound rang out. An unstable sound mixed with static fell right in the middle of the uprising.
“Have you seen a child with hair around this length…? ”
The mages froze at the voice coming from the broadcast. The broadcast was transmitted from the command office, where a strange voice emerged.
What could that mean?
No sounds of battle came through the broadcast. Only dry exchanges continued.
The mages hurriedly contacted their superiors. There was no response.
In the confusion, the slaves saw a glimmer of Hope.
And finally, when Taknia’s order of “Just kill me already” burst out, the mages began to retreat.
Among the rejoicing slaves, there was a child with golden hair.
Zzap!
Electricity flickered at his fingertips before disappearing.
The child echoed the words heard from the broadcast, murmuring that it was a good thing he hadn’t been captured here, resembling the tone of that unknown man who had given out the Magic Engraving Drives.
Could it be?
Just perhaps, in a twist of fate…
“Did he come to rescue me?”
Astraphe gazed at the open exit, recalling her faraway hometown.
Etna City. A decaying city of corruption.
*
What awaited me upon returning from my business trip was a meeting with the executives.
How can they expect me to attend a meeting immediately after returning from a trip? I was taken aback by Carisia’s flawed work ethic.
After thanking the driver who brought me here, I casually straightened my clothes.
I had gotten blood on them one way or another, but changing clothes here would make me a rookie.
Considering Carisia’s temperament, she might get more annoyed at me being late for changing clothes than at the blood smell.
If I had known this would happen, I should have prepared a change of clothes from the start!
After tidying up to a decent level, I headed straight to the meeting room.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Carisia’s cold voice. I worried about what whim she would exhibit next as I quietly opened the door.
*
When Orthes stepped inside, Cretone flinched, trembling. The vivid scent of blood.
It was clear whose blood it was without needing to be told. The Torres faction he had dealt with until now.
‘I’d guessed everything when he asked to leave one seat next to the driver’s seat empty, but…’
Did he really come back having wiped out the faction single-handedly?
Moving without a sound, Orthes went to stand behind Carisia, just as he had at the founding ceremony. Cretone noticed Carisia’s lips twitching slightly.
Was it satisfaction or discomfort?
Orthes’s attire might be annoying due to the remnants of battle.
On the other hand, she might be pleased that her loyal subordinate had carried out the mission well.
Before Cretone could analyze that expression, Carisia’s face darkened.
“Orthes.”
“Yes?”
“You told me not to plan for death, yet you didn’t heed that advice.”
A rebuke? I could not read her expression.
With a smile devoid of a ripple, Orthes naturally started to reply as if he had been prepared.
“The duties of a servant and those of a master are different. My methods may not suit you, and the reverse is also true.”
Carisia nodded coolly.
“Did you hear that, Geryon?”
*
Wow, what a workplace beyond imagination.
The very first remark in a meeting I attended immediately after returning from a trip without even changing my clothes was an accusation against me.
Ah, boss. You didn’t have to go that far.
What I meant was just to have some attachment to life, but it seems my message was lost due to the moment.
I need to explain it properly the next time we’re alone.
My boss is so high up that employees get tense when they go to the field, but since I’m middle management, it’s my duty to check if things are going on when there are issues out on the field. Then suddenly, I heard an unexpected word.
“Did you hear that, Geryon?”
Geryon?
It was undoubtedly the name of the Tower Master of one of the three towers that ruled Etna City before the White Void came to power.
A combat mage with six arms through body modification. Each arm embedded with different Magic Power cores, allowing him to unleash up to seven attributes simultaneously.
Now that I think about it, the people in the meeting room weren’t nine.
I looked over at the shadowy figure in the corner.
Two on the right. One on the left. The remaining three arms had vanished, leaving only mechanical devices around the shoulder area.
Carisia’s icy gaze pierced through Geryon. Addressing the bowed Geryon, Carisia spoke as if reading a verdict.
“You are alive because of this.”