Chapter 71
「When was it that you said you’d rather die than ever use magic again?」
His lips jutted out as he grumbled with a sulky expression.
…Wait, did I really say something that harsh? It seems like the story got a little twisted somewhere.
“That was about teleportation.”
As I swept him with a suspicious look, he turned his head and avoided my gaze.
「Anyway, what are you going to do when you meet that mutt?」
“What do you mean, what am I going to do?”
「You came all the way here to win him over, didn’t you?」
“That’s right.”
「So how are you going to explain that? Even if you meet him right now, what are you going to say if he asks how you knew where to find him?」
Wrapped in a swirl of violet mana to cast a tracking spell, he stared at me blankly.
“…”
Hmm, wait. I’ve never actually thought that far ahead.
“Well, first, I’ll meet him…”
「And then?」
“I’ll talk about things we couldn’t before.”
「And after that?」
“Then I’ll…”
‘What do I do?’
My face turned pale as I chewed on my dry lips.
From my position, I built my workshop near his store to get close to him, but if I think about it from his perspective, I’m just…
Someone who suddenly pretends to be close after not seeing him for years.
‘That’s just… like a freaking psycho stalker.’
No, no. Even so, back when he was at the academy, we exchanged letters now and then.
‘What if I say I came because I missed the old days?’
After thinking up the most harmless excuse, I clapped my hands.
“I’m just here for nostalgia.”
「Nostalgia?」
He repeated the unfamiliar word with a frown.
‘How do I explain this?’
I paused to think how to explain the meaning to Kim Sword, then exclaimed, “Ah!” and opened my mouth.
“Like this, for example?”
Squatting low, I wrapped my arms tightly around one of his legs and looked up at him.
“Sir Kim Sword.”
「…」
“My legs hurt. Please give me a piggyback ride to over there.”
Pointing toward a side path, I gazed at him with bright, shining eyes.
He stared down at me silently, then froze in place. His ears turned crimson as he fumed.
「C-creepy, Master!」
“…”
「The little master was light enough, but if I carried you now, my neck would snap and I’d never leave the inventory again.」
His face looked genuinely serious as he said that.
Come on. As if it would really break.
‘…And I’m not that heavy, okay?’
What an exaggeration.
With a smiling face, I clenched my fist and shook my head lightly.
“So the great magic sword is that fragile, huh.”
「Well, I get the idea. Anyway… it seems I’ve found where that mutt is.」
“Where?”
Perking up at his words, I shot to my feet—only for my expression to stiffen at what he said next.
Because that place was…
「The illegal auction house.」
A place he shouldn’t be.
Thanks to Kim Sword’s tracking magic, I entered a gloomy alley, scanning the cold path devoid of any human warmth.
All I saw were pitch-black rats scurrying under the sewers and old, broken planks scattered everywhere.
“Are you sure this is the place?”
Leaning against a red brick wall worn with age, I muttered, glancing at Kim Sword, who looked around calmly.
“It doesn’t look like anyone lives here.”
「But I can feel his energy strongly from this direction.」
“…”
「Looks like it’s inside that building.」
Well, Kim Sword isn’t the type to joke about this.
I nodded lightly and looked toward the building he pointed out.
A secluded shop with no signboard, no name.
‘Looks ordinary enough, but they’re running an illegal auction in there?’
Aside from being old and deserted, it looked as plain as any other shop along the street.
‘If it weren’t illegal, it’d be set up right in the middle of the marketplace.’
Why else would they put it in a place where business can’t possibly thrive?
Brushing off the dust with a short grunt, I stood and tilted my head toward Kim Sword behind me.
“Let’s go.”
「You’re really going in there?」
At his doubtful tone, I nodded again.
“I’m curious why Shuden went there… and my gut’s telling me to check it out.”
Telling me to hurry and confirm.
「You’re way too curious for your own good. You won’t live long at this rate.」
Shaking his head like he’d given up, he followed me without further complaints.
Creak—.
The rusty metal latch screeched like nails on a chalkboard, echoing through the cobwebbed ceiling.
‘Looks like nobody’s inside, thank goodness.’
Maybe it was outside business hours, because it was so quiet you could hear a leaf tumble.
Gulping nervously, I took a step—then froze at the sudden creak nearby.
「That’s your own footsteps.」
He snickered behind his hand, looking at me pitifully.
It must’ve been the sound from the old floorboard I stepped on.
Flustered, I swung my arms and quickened my pace.
My destination was the door at the end of the hallway. Painted over in brown multiple times, it was slightly ajar, leaking a faint light into the darkness.
Shuden must be in there.
The closer I got to the door, the slower my steps became. Now, it was close enough to touch with an outstretched hand.
Holding my breath, I tiptoed forward and stopped at the door, pressing an ear to it.
My fingers on the wall trembled.
My heart pounded wildly, my breathing ragged like I’d been running.
I didn’t even know why I was shaking so much.
Maybe because this was my first time tailing someone?
‘…Hurry.’
Pressing my ear closer, I caught faint whispers.
‘…Cough!’
And a raspy cough mixed in occasionally.
The voices were too muffled to make out clearly, so I tugged lightly on Kim Sword’s sleeve, signaling him to cast an eavesdropping spell.
He gave me a long look, sighed softly, and flicked his fingers in the air.
「Three minutes.」
That must be the duration of the spell.
I nodded quickly, not wanting to waste a precious second.
Three minutes was plenty to overhear Shuden’s conversation.
When I listened again, the voices were now clear and crisp, even breaths and swallowing sounds audible.
It felt like he was speaking right next to me.
“Why did you try to kill them?”
“…”
“You clearly targeted women who resembled her. The number of blondes I saw in that cave alone…”
There was no mistaking it—this voice belonged to Shuden.
It had been a long time since I last heard it, but I could never forget his voice from the charity auction.
‘Then who is he talking to now?’
Curiosity made me peek through the gap. A faint silhouette appeared.
It was Noah.
My heart plummeted at the sight of Noah after so many years.
He was draped in nothing more than tattered rags barely worth calling clothes.
Covered in bruises, it was clear he’d been dragged here against his will.
“So you’re the fiend behind the notorious kidnappings.”
“Kidnapping…?”
“I thought our ties ended at the hunting festival.”
“What on earth are you—”
“But sadly, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about.”
‘Isn’t that right, noble Elf?’
Pulling out a glass vial of transparent liquid, Shuden crouched toward Noah.
“I gave you a memory-erasing drug. Of course, erasing everything causes side effects, so I only wiped parts.”
“Erased… my memory?”
“That’s right. Every memory you had of that blonde woman you tried to kill—all gone.”
Grabbing Noah’s chin, Shuden tilted it slowly like he was admiring art.
Noah’s limp face swung weakly.
“Funny, isn’t it? If I hadn’t gone into that forest that day—or rather, if I hadn’t been lured in by the stench of blood—you wouldn’t be lying here like this.”
“…”
“If that were the case, maybe you would’ve killed the lady like you wanted.”
I gasped at that last line, my eyes flying wide as I stared at Kim Sword.
Even he seemed shaken, his lips trembling uncharacteristically.
“But that won’t happen now. Because I’m going to sell you at the charity auction.”
“…Auction?”
“To become some noble’s plaything. Oh, if I feel generous, maybe I’ll rescue you later.”
His pale fingers traced Noah’s jaw, sliding up to tug his pointed ear.
Noah stared back emptily as his ear was pulled.
“Your ears tempt me. I’ve always wondered if they really grant eternal life.”
In that moment, an old memory flashed back.
[Master didn’t kill me.]
[But he did take my ear as the price.]
Then the person who ordered Noah’s ear cut off wasn’t another noble, or some accomplice, but…
“Shuden?”
Even saying it myself shocked me, and I slapped both hands over my mouth, frozen.
‘Oh no.’
Because my voice echoed through the empty hallway—and Shuden noticed.
“A rat’s snuck in.”
The sharp crack of splintering wood and his footsteps grew nearer and nearer.
I needed to move, to run, but my legs were useless, heavy as stone.
「What the hell are you doing, Master?!」
Kim Sword, watching me like a fool, grunted and yanked my stiff body sideways.
“A visitor at this hour? Not many people come looking for me.”
“…”
“And I doubt you came for me. Perhaps the elf’s guest?”
The longer I hesitated, the closer his steps came.
“I’m curious what an uninvited guest looks like.”
His hand touched the doorknob.
“Hope you came prepared.”
And then—
「This is why an idiot like you needs me.」
The moment the door opened, blinding white light wrapped around me.
It all happened so fast I couldn’t even react.
Shuden stared into the empty space and let out a short laugh.
“…Ha.”
No matter how hard he looked, there was nothing in front of him but dust floating in the hallway.
“So it really was a rat.”
He murmured vacantly, like a man possessed.
