NOVPUBThe anticipation of finally meeting a First Order lasted only a moment.
Seeing that the other party had appeared only as a flame without revealing their actual body, Ludger could only click his tongue inwardly.
‘So they're not showing their real form... this is how we’re doing this.’
It wasn’t as though he hadn’t considered such a situation.
A high-ranking figure like a First Order would, of course, take extreme precautions and conceal their identity during any meeting.
And this one had done just that.
Considering the way the meeting had been signaled in the first place, he had faintly expected it would unfold like this.
Not that it mattered—this wasn’t the important part.
“You’re late.”
He began lightly, just to test the waters.
Regardless of how things had played out, the owner of the flame before him was a First Order.
Even if he didn’t know their true identity, he couldn’t afford to show disappointment.
In this very moment, speaking face to face, if he let down his guard even a little, it might raise suspicion about his own identity.
‘There’s nothing to regret.’
Ludger quickly shook off any extraneous thoughts.
Even without a direct meeting, there were plenty of ways to identify someone.
A single unintentional word could provide a valuable clue.
[Well now, I didn’t expect you to be here this early.]
A slightly lilting voice responded.
The flame wavered as the voice echoed, deep and resonant, but it was clear from the tone alone that the speaker was a woman.
He didn’t believe she was pretending to be female to deceive him.
She must think he truly was the First Order known as Ludger Cherish—she wouldn’t resort to such tiresome tricks otherwise.
“So, what did you call me for?”
Ludger had been about to press harder but shut his mouth.
The [John Doe] he knew was, even within the Black Dawn Society, notorious for being ruthless and utterly devoid of mercy toward subordinates.
He would lash out at the slightest irritation, and if pushed, kill without hesitation.
And yet he maintained his position as a First Order, which spoke to both his competence and his standing with the Zero Order.
‘But that doesn’t guarantee the same dynamic applies with other First Orders.’
Would this character, [John Doe], have acted the same toward other First Orders?
Without confirmation, saying the wrong thing could expose him.
Whatever he said now, he had to speak with caution.
[Hmm?]
Perhaps Ludger’s question was unexpected.
A voice of mild surprise flowed out from the flame.
“...What is it?”
[Nothing. Just surprised you’re not yelling. You used to go at me like a rabid dog.]
“I choose my times and places. What good is losing my temper here, other than handing someone an excuse to grab me by the throat?”
[Ah. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You are a teacher at Seorn now.]
“I’m very busy. I don’t know why you called me, but if you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m leaving.”
So saying, Ludger turned his back.
Of course, walking away without learning who his counterpart truly was wouldn’t be a wise move.
But when he reviewed the situation, things looked different.
This meeting had been requested by the flame in front of him—the First Order.
They were the one who wanted something.
If this meeting fell through, the one left disappointed wouldn’t be him.
It would be the other party.
[Wait.]
As expected.
The flame stopped Ludger from leaving.
He halted in his steps, though he didn’t turn around.
He was willing to listen—for now. But he wouldn’t pretend to be overly invested.
And she wasn’t oblivious to that fact.
[Alright, alright. Sorry for being late. I was the one who set up the meeting, and then I messed around and pissed you off. That’s what this is about, right?]
“Get to the point.”
[Phew. You’re still as stiff and cold as ever. Anyway, I called you here because I need help.]
Only then did Ludger turn around and face the flame directly.
“Help? From you?”
[...It’s not something I’d normally ask, but this is Seorn. Even I can’t run wild here.]
Can’t run wild, she said.
If she was openly admitting that, her past exploits must’ve been... flamboyant, to say the least.
From the way she manipulated fire alone, Ludger had already sensed this First Order was the type to act with explosive flair.
“You seem pretty desperate.”
[One of my Second Orders went missing recently.]
“Because of the Philosopher’s Stone.”
[Yeah. That. When I heard what happened afterward, I was completely speechless. They tried to handle it their own way and screwed it up beyond belief!]
The flame flared up as if the memory alone reignited her rage.
The heat licked at Ludger as well, but he kept his expression composed.
She clearly wasn’t trying to harm him.
The enlarged flames eventually settled back to their original size.
“But they all died.”
[Exactly. Who could’ve imagined that goddamn headmistress would kill them all? And that it was even—]
“A trap.”
[...Wait. You already knew?]
How could he not?
If things had gone even slightly wrong, he’d have been caught in that headmistress’s spell, too.
Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud, so he responded vaguely.
“There’s no way I wouldn’t.”
[As expected of John Doe. That was your role, wasn’t it? Disguise and perfect acting. Infiltrating enemy lines and winning their trust to extract information. Looks like you haven’t lost your edge.]
“Cut the pointless chatter.”
At Ludger’s sharp tone, the flame that had been growing playful dimmed a little.
A chatterbox, perhaps?
[Anyway... I lost a subordinate I thought was useful, and now the whole plan’s in ruins. It was something I’d planned to execute immediately.]
“That’s what you get for employing a scumbag like that.”
Ludger scolded her coolly.
The flame offered no rebuttal.
[...Well. You and I work in different fields. You just handle everything quietly on your own, but I can’t do that.]
“...”
[What’s with the silence? That’s exactly why no one among the First Orders likes you. You don’t get along with anybody.]
“I’ve never «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» seen a reason to.”
[Ha. Funny. Yeah, yeah, you’re so great. Always the one loyal to the Zero Order, huh? The Zero Order’s favorite little lapdog?]
“Enough noise. What kind of help do you want?”
[So you will help?]
“That depends on what you need.”
At Ludger’s reply, the other party’s displeasure was obvious.
The flame’s agitation made it clear enough.
Still, from the conversation just now, Ludger had confirmed that he held the reins in this exchange.
The Second Order who had died during the Philosopher’s Stone incident had been her subordinate, and now that her direct aide was gone, her future plans were falling apart.
‘And she can’t just bring in another Second Order or a weak Third Order to replace them.’
There was one thing Ludger had learned for certain while handling Sedina:
The Black Dawn Society was composed of seven First Orders.
Each of them commanded their own Second and Third Orders beneath them, and naturally, this created internal “factions.”
‘The Second Order who died trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone was probably her subordinate.’
The name had been Demires, if he recalled correctly.
Even if he had acted on his own, he must have been competent in his own way.
Now that he was dead, her original plan was probably in shambles.
But calling on a different Second Order wasn’t easy—faction boundaries made that risky.
If she used someone from another faction, another First Order might seize the chance to exploit her weakness.
‘That’s it. That’s why she came to me for help.’
Ludger Cherish.
The man called [John Doe] among the Black Dawn Society’s First Orders was unique in that he operated alone without subordinates.
Because of that, he had no “faction.”
No faction meant neutrality.
And neutrality meant you didn’t belong anywhere—
—but also meant you could belong anywhere.
[As you know, my specialty’s fire. But even if I try to go wild here, Seorn’s crawling with mages who’ll just extinguish any fire in a heartbeat. I can’t do a damn thing in this place.]
“Yeah.”
At Seorn, both teachers and students could use magic.
Even the young ones were elite students trained in magic.
If a fire broke out, there were people everywhere who could extinguish it instantly.
More than that, in a place like Seorn where anything could happen with magic, there was no way they wouldn’t have contingency plans for fire.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Especially when it came to fires—which were considered the most dangerous threat—Seorn had contingency plans in place at all times. Arson was, for all intents and purposes, impossible.
And yet, the fact that she hadn’t given up on the idea meant only one thing.
‘It means this woman has the ability to start fires even with that in mind.’
She wouldn’t be a high-ranking officer of the Black Dawn Society for nothing.
[My role is centered around destruction. But the defenses here are solid. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. If the proper setup is in place, I can put on the most spectacular blaze anyone’s ever seen.]
“And you want me to set up that ‘proper setup’ for you?”
[I’d be grateful if you did. And of course, I’m not asking for a favor out of thin air. If you help me, I’ll offer something of equal value in return. Consider it a transaction. A promise.]
“A transaction between who and who?”
[Why, of course. Between John Doe and ‘Esmeralda’.]
Esmeralda.
Ludger had just learned the name of the person controlling the flames in front of him.
Whether that was a codename like John Doe, or her actual name, he couldn’t be certain.
‘In John Doe’s case, the true identity was hidden completely, and the name functioned more like a codename. But Esmeralda probably isn’t the same. Victor Dreadpool didn’t hide his name, either.’
John Doe was the odd one out. There was no reason to assume the rest behaved the same.
[...Hey. Do you really need to confirm everything like this just to feel satisfied?]
“Deals should be made with clarity.”
Ludger answered calmly, not letting any trace of satisfaction slip into his expression.
[I’ve told you the truth just as you wanted. Now it’s your turn to answer. So? Will you accept my offer?]
“I refuse.”
[What?]
“There’s nothing I can do for you in my current situation.”
[Hold on. Are you seriously doing this? After hearing everything?]
The flame burst upward as if expressing her rage.
But Ludger stared at it with a blank face, showing not a hint of fear.
“Are you asking because you truly don’t understand my position? I’m a teacher at Seorn. Even if it’s nominal, that doesn’t mean I can act freely.”
[But with your skills, you can. You can hide your identity anytime you want. Isn’t this just you being lazy and making excuses?]
“Maybe before, that would have been true. But not now.”
[Why not?]
“The Headmaster still suspects me.”
At the mention of the Headmaster, Esmeralda fell silent.
The Headmaster was too formidable a figure to be brushed aside with baseless persistence.
[So you really won’t? Even if it means putting me in your debt?]
“That’s right.”
[Tch. Then I’ll just have to find someone else who’s suitable.]
With Ludger drawing a firm line, Esmeralda seemed unwilling to beg further—her pride wouldn’t allow it—and she took a step back.
[But you should know this. If this plan succeeds, it’ll be a massive benefit to the Black Dawn Society. You just threw away that opportunity.]
“Each of us has our own role. Just because I don’t help you doesn’t mean I’m any less loyal to the organization.”
[...Seriously. You’re so damn good at making things sound noble. Ugh, whatever. Fine. I’ll handle it myself.]
She gave up on the request easily enough, and for Ludger, that was a relief.
Still, Esmeralda continued grumbling, as if she couldn’t stand having been turned down so flatly.
[Yeah. Maybe this is for the best. I must’ve been crazy. I mean, really—me, lowering my head and asking you for help, just because I was desperate?]
“So what are you planning to do next?”
[Hmph. Getting curious now, are we?]
Despite the annoyed tone, she didn’t try to hide anything.
[What else is there for me to do? The same thing I always do. What I do best.]
“I see. Good luck with that.”
There was nothing more to be gained here.
And Ludger had already learned all that he could, so it wasn’t like this had been fruitless.
Just as he was about to take his leave and walk away—
[Come to think of it, I heard an interesting bit of news recently.]
“What kind of news?”
The sudden comment made Ludger uneasy.
Why bring that up now, of all times?
[You. They say you’ve taken on a subordinate.]
A subordinate.
At that word, the image of Sedina Roschen flashed through Ludger’s mind.
[That’s what struck me as odd. The great John Doe, who always insisted he worked better alone—that John Doe, taking on a subordinate? And not just anyone—a lowly Third Order?]
Isn’t that... suspicious?
Esmeralda’s voice seemed to ask the question outright.
