NOVPUB“Is that true?”
Despite the tingling sensation on his skin, Rudger kept a blank expression.
But inwardly, he was quietly satisfied.
He had just reconfirmed how sharp the hunting dog's fangs were.
“Yes. I overheard them talking. I couldn’t determine their exact goal, but I did catch the name of the organization.”
Rudger calmly explained the situation and naturally posed a question.
“Are they familiar to you?”
“...To some extent.”
“In that case, this will be simple. I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
At those words, Casey realized why Rudger had summoned her—and her face paled.
“W-Wait a second! You used my card just to have me handle cleanup?!”
“You’re the one who said I could call you if I needed help.”
“Well, yes, but...”
Casey trailed off at Rudger’s pointed reply.
He wasn’t wrong. She had told him to call if he ever needed help.
The card she gave him was essentially a one-time favor—use it, and she’d come.
But she never imagined he’d use it for something so mundane.
Muttering to herself in protest, Casey said,
“...Most people would save something like that for a much more important moment, you know?”
Anyone else who received the same card would have agonized over when to use it.
“To me, this is important enough.”
But Rudger hadn’t.
He had summoned Casey, the Azure Mage, just to take care of a group of suspicious individuals.
Since she had offered the favor, Casey had no rebuttal.
“Sigh. Fine. But did it really have to be me? If you found suspicious people during the festival, shouldn’t you have called someone from Seorn?”
It was a sharp question, but Rudger had already prepared an answer.
“It’s the festival.”
“...Excuse me?”
“There’s no need to stir up unnecessary panic among the public.”
“Oh. So you called me to handle this quietly?”
“I don’t intend to hide what happened. But there’s also no reason to announce it right now. It’ll be dealt with after the festival ends. So, for now, it needs to be handled quietly.”
Casey looked at Rudger with surprise.
She’d thought of him as a man cold as a northern glacier, but his chosen course was one that prioritized the greater good.
To her, it was completely unexpected.
“The timing just made you the right person. Didn’t you say you were a detective?”
Rudger pointed with his chin to the unconscious Black Dawn members on the ground.
“These people—where they came from, who they are. I figured you’d be the best person to find out.”
‘This man...’
Casey understood now why Rudger had called her.
‘He never intended to use me for his personal gain.’
Even the precious card she had given him as the Azure Mage—
To Rudger, it was just... a tool.
That’s why he could use it so easily.
A card worth more than gold to most, reduced to trash in front of this man.
And on top of that, he was considerate enough to keep the festival’s mood intact.
‘Though clearly, I’m not included in that consideration.’
Most likely, he was doing this for the students.
Even if no one acknowledged it.
Because he believed it was the right thing to do.
‘I knew it. I wasn’t wrong about him.’
To Casey’s eyes, Rudger was a transcendent.
Not a being beyond human limits—but someone who relentlessly pursued what he believed to be right.
Still—
Even so, she couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.
‘It feels like... I’m missing something important.’
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find the answer.
For now, she turned her attention to what to do with the unconscious people.
‘The Black Dawn... If it’s really them, there might be a link to James Moriarty.’
She’d interrogate them briefly, then hand them over to Seorn.
As Casey deliberated her next steps, Rudger quietly let out a breath of relief.
‘Thankfully, she doesn’t seem too suspicious. That takes care of the burden of that card.’
When he first received it, he had seriously considered throwing it away.
Given how important secrecy was to him, the card from Casey Selmore made him uneasy.
But holding on to it—just in case—had turned out to be the right choice.
Because when he received the intel that Joanna Lovett and the lower-rank Black Dawn members were moving covertly—
He immediately knew how to put that card to use.
‘Divert Casey Selmore’s attention to the Black Dawn, and shake her suspicion of me.’
Of course, there was always a risk that Casey might suspect him instead.
After all, everything had flowed so naturally—it could seem suspicious.
‘But I’m a Seorn instructor, officially. No matter what, she won’t be quick to doubt someone under the headmaster’s protection.’
Thank the stars the headmaster was competent.
If she weren’t, he would have attracted much more suspicion.
‘Now Casey Selmore will focus on the Black Dawn—not me.’
That’s why he handed her the remnants of the organization.
Let the excellent hound sniff out its next prey.
And in doing so, she’d even serve as an alibi for him.
To Rudger, it was a perfect two-birds-one-stone solution for eliminating troublesome elements.
‘Now I just need to finish the matter with Esmeralda and—’
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive pillar of fire shot up in the distance, incinerating the darkness of night in an instant.
Both Rudger and Casey instinctively turned toward the fiery blast.
It wasn’t the dazzling burst of fireworks—no, it was blood-red flame that looked as if it had surged from the depths of hell.
At the same time, static crackled in Rudger’s earpiece as Hans’s urgent voice rang out.
[Boss! We’ve got a serious problem!]
The moment Rudger heard those words, he realized—
Things were going very wrong.
Something unplanned had occurred.
He turned to Casey.
“I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Eh? Wait, hold on!”
Ignoring Casey’s protest, Rudger dashed away.
He tapped the comm device and signaled Hans.
“Hans. What happened?”
[We followed the original plan. We lured Krolro Febius to the designated location and baited the witch there. That part went off without a hitch.]
That location: the spare materials warehouse.
A place no one would visit—perfect for avoiding attention.
A maze of stacked crates, ideal for Krolro to run and hide in.
[But then the bastard suddenly stopped and started shouting something. I don’t know what got into him.]
“What did he say?”
[No idea. It happened too fast.]
Hans had only been receiving sensory input from the mouse he was controlling.
There was a limit to what he could perceive.
Krolro, who had been following the plan, suddenly froze and said something to Esmeralda.
Then, she lost it.
And flames consumed the warehouse.
[Whatever it was, he definitely did something we didn’t plan for.]
“I see.”
Of all times, Krolro Febius chose now to act on his own.
Rudger had assumed he’d be too terrified to do anything.
But pushed to the brink, perhaps he’d found some courage.
Either way, Esmeralda had now revealed her full power.
“What’s the situation now?”
[...Don’t know. All the mice inside died in the fire. And the ones outside won’t go near it—they’re terrified of the flames.]
“Not good. How bad is the fire?”
[Big enough to be seen from outside. It swept through a third of the massive warehouse in seconds. The interior sprinkler system is still working, but it’s only a matter of time.]
Seorn’s warehouses were equipped with automatic fire suppression systems, just in case.
That’s part of why they’d lured Esmeralda there in the first place.
‘But that won’t be enough against someone who commands a high-grade fire spirit.’
It might slow the spread of flames, but it couldn’t extinguish them.
Esmeralda’s flames weren’t that simple.
“Seridan.”
Rudger opened a line to Seridan.
[What is it, sir?]
“How’s the festival grounds?”
[Fireworks show is just about to begin. Why?]
“Any suspicious signs?”
[Signs? Haven’t seen any.]
“Good.”
[Hmm. From your tone, something definitely happened. Didn’t it?]
“Yes. I’ll need you to buy me some time.”
[Hehe, got it. I was already waiting nearby, just in case.]
Seridan cut the transmission.
POP-POP-POP!
And moments later, brilliant fireworks erupted into the night sky.
* * *
“What the—?! Why are the fireworks starting already?!”
“Who did that?! We still have thirty minutes to go!”
“Someone’s not doing their job!”
Hearing the shouts from afar, Seridan, hidden from view, snickered quietly.
‘Well, there are plenty of fireworks left. But this should be enough for now.’
People’s attention was immediately stolen by the sudden fireworks.
Originally, the show was scheduled to begin in thirty minutes.
Some spectators were puzzled by the early start, but the magical, radiant colors blooming in the sky quickly swept away their doubts.
“Wow! So pretty!”
“Look! Fireworks!”
A dragon made of pure flame soared through the sky, spewing fire from its mouth.
Children’s eyes sparkled with awe as they looked up at the legendary creature.
This was more than enough to capture everyone’s attention.
‘Master, it’s your turn now.’
...Though maybe fireworks weren’t such a bad alternative to bombs?
Seridan made a mental note to try crafting something similar back at their hideout later.
* * *
Relieved by the distant bursts of light, Rudger felt his chest lighten.
Thanks to Seridan buying time, the crowd was still unaware of the fire that had broken out here.
[Boss, how long until you arrive?]
“I need to make one quick stop. What’s the status?”
[It hasn’t changed much from earlier, but time’s ticking.]
“Any witnesses nearby?”
[None yet. But if we don’t wrap it up soon, that’ll change.]
“Then I’ll have to move fast.”
Rudger ended the call and came to a halt.
He was standing in an open outdoor exhibition area, now deserted.
At its center stood a large structure covered with a heavy cloth.
Fwoosh!
He pulled the cloth away in one sweep.
In his right hand, a faint blue glow emanated from a magical stone.
* * *
There’s something about festivals that ignites the air.
Even people who wouldn’t normally be stirred by much found their hearts racing and spirits lifted.
It was also the time when feelings between couples burned most brightly.
That’s why, after the Magic Festival, the number of couples always spiked.
Naturally, some were unable to contain those burning emotions and snuck off to share their love in secluded spots.
“Seriously? What are we doing here?”
“Just wait a little. The fireworks show is gonna start soon!”
The couple sat close together on the grassy field.
The boy had been waiting for this moment—he’d even gone back to the dorms to brush his teeth three times in preparation.
‘It’s my first time, but I have to act natural...’
Awkwardly, he moved his stiff right hand and carefully placed it on the girl’s shoulder.
She flinched but didn’t push him away.
That was a sign of approval.
‘This is it!’
Trying to contain his nervous breathing, he prepared to take things a step further. 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
POP! POP! POP!
Suddenly, colorful fireworks exploded across the sky.
The show had started thirty minutes early.
“Wow... so pretty.”
‘Wait, what the hell? The timing was perfect! Why now?!’
While the girl was purely delighted, the boy was thrown into a panic.
He had just resolved to move in deeper when—
Squeak! Squeak!
Large sewer rats rustled out from the dark underbrush.
Had they been normal rats, they would’ve fled at the sight of humans—but these were different.
Baring their vicious front teeth, the rats advanced menacingly toward the couple.
“Kyaaa! What are rats doing out here?!”
“Gah! Gross! I hate rats!”
“Wha—?! Hey! Where are you going?! You jerk! You’re just gonna leave me here?!”
Screaming, the girl chased after the boy, who had bolted in terror.
Once the two had disappeared, Hans stepped /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ out from the darkness.
“Students these days, huh? They should be studying, not out here canoodling.”
The rats gathered around him and raised their tiny paws—as if asking for praise.
“Yeah, yeah. Good work, everyone.”
Having driven off all the people lingering in the area, Hans turned back toward the warehouse.
The raging flames showed no signs of stopping.
For now, there were no witnesses, but it was only a matter of time.
‘When’s the boss getting here...?’
Just then—
Clack-clack-clack!
The sound of hooves rang out from beyond the deep darkness.
“What the—?”
The noise didn’t fit the current situation at all. Hans instinctively looked toward its source.
Something was approaching at tremendous speed.
“A horse?”
Not just any horse—this one gleamed like burnished brass.
It exhaled a plume of white steam from its back, and its glowing blue eyes cut through the dark with a chilling aura.
Atop the metallic steed—
Was one man holding the reins.
“Boss?”
Riding the beast was Rudger Cherish.
Neighhh!
The steam golem, DT-3000, picked up speed.
Its glowing eyes left trails of blue light in the night as it charged forward.
And yet, Rudger remained perfectly steady atop the galloping metal steed.
Man and machine as one—flawless harmony.
He was heading straight for the warehouse, now engulfed in flames.
Just then, a massive burst of fire shot from the entrance.
It surged forth as if to swallow Rudger whole.
“Boss! It’s dangerous!”
Hans cried out, heart pounding as he watched.
But Rudger gave the reins a sharp pull.
Fwoosh!
Blue mana flared at the golem’s hind legs.
With a powerful kick, the massive body soared into the air.
The red inferno whooshed just beneath its hooves.
And in one clean leap, Rudger and the steam golem vaulted over the blaze—straight into the heart of the burning warehouse.
“...Whoa.”
Hans stood frozen, stunned as if under a spell, unable to take his eyes off the scene.
