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Chapter 202: Blade and Thread (1)
Once the two others had left, Oscar gave Sasha a word of warning.
“You’d better brace yourself for this journey.”
“Huh? Is it really going to be that bad?”
Sasha blinked, visibly puzzled.
“We’ve got three level-7s, and even Master’s abilities can’t be considered ordinary for a level-6, right? With that kind of power, we could probably take on an entire city and win.”
“In terms of sheer force, sure. It’s definitely a powerful party.”
To be honest, the lineup was practically luxurious.
Even if the Imperial family assembled its own army and sent it into the mountains, it was doubtful they could muster a force stronger than this.
The problem was that this group and the others had different goals.
“They’re under the impression that the place marked on the map is filled with treasure.”
“Ah.”
Realizing what he meant, Sasha nodded.
She also knew that Edna had stored all of the White Tower’s records there.
He had told her on the day she revealed her identity.
“Master is worried about how the others might react once they realize there’s no treasure.”
“Exactly. Even with our strong party, the journey itself won’t be easy. And if they go through all that trouble and come back empty-handed, of course they’ll be upset.”
And if the only thing there turns out to be the White Tower’s lost documents?
They’d almost certainly feel like they’d been used.
Which, to be fair, wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
“…Even if they were the ones who made the offer, from their point of view, they’re basically being exploited.”
“Right. But we need to avoid fighting them at all costs.”
The Grey Zone—often referred to as the Demon Realm.
A desolate area where they couldn’t expect any support from allies.
Fighting two level-7s in such a place, and then making it back alive and crossing the Red Mountains in one piece?
As Sasha realized just how difficult that would be, her delicate brow furrowed deeply.
“Yeah… the moment we clash with them, it’d be nearly impossible to make it out in one piece. Do you have any good ideas?”
“Well, what choice do we have? We can’t exactly back out now. Once we get the documents, we’ll have to try and talk them down.”
“…But they’ll be in a foul mood after coming up empty-handed. Will that really work?”
“It’s not like they have many options either.”
Fighting in the Grey Zone wouldn’t just be a loss for their side.
The others would also be stranded without a guide, still needing to cross the mountains. That made things even worse for them.
“The most important thing is making them feel like this journey wasn’t a total loss.”
“Which means we’ll have to offer them some kind of reward that exceeds their expectations. That’ll be expensive.”
“If we can buy back the lost documents of the White Tower with just money, that’s a bargain.”
And it wasn’t an exaggeration.
If the White Tower could recover even their high-level magic, no one would be able to look down on them anymore.
After a moment of thought, Sasha spoke up.
“If we assume the worst-case scenario, what if they still refuse?”
“Then we’ll have to sweeten the deal beyond money.”
“But what could people that strong even want?”
Oscar reached out and gently pressed a finger to Sasha’s deeply furrowed brow.
“Relax. You’ll get wrinkles. I’ve got something in mind for that, so don’t worry.”
At that, Sasha replied with a serene expression, as if she hadn’t been worried at all.
“Alright, if you say so, Master.”
That complete and unconditional trust from his student filled him with pride—but also a hint of concern.
…Hopefully Sasha wasn’t the type to get caught up in weird cults or pyramid schemes.
* * *
That night, as Oscar was packing in his room, he suddenly froze.
“…”
He had sensed a faint trace of mana.
‘This mana pattern… that puppet master guy?’
Oscar walked over to the window and looked out in the direction the magic was coming from.
The vast forest behind the White Tower.
The puppet master was somewhere deep inside, calling to him.
‘I think I already know what he wants…’
After a brief moment of hesitation, Oscar made up his mind and stepped out.
Following the faint trail of mana deep into the woods, he walked for a while—until the strong scent of soil hit his nose.
‘There was a place like this in the forest?’
Staring at a vast, circular clearing, Oscar frowned.
Countless tree stumps—remnants of felled trees—littered the entire area.
“Not bad.”
A voice echoed across the barren space. Oscar slowly looked up.
The puppet master was ‘sitting’ in mid-air, hands planted against nothing but empty space.
He looked down at Oscar with a hint of surprise.
“I called you, but still—impressive. That mana was subtle enough that even most masters wouldn’t have caught it.”
“…”
Oscar stared up at him and asked bluntly:
“Did you cut down these trees?”
“So what if I did?”
“Some of these were centuries old. They’re priceless relics of the White Tower.”
“And? They’re just trees. Plant new ones if it matters that much. Don’t act like you’ve lost some great treasure.”
“….”
Seriously—this is why criminals are the worst.
Their entire way of thinking is just… different.
Letting out a long sigh, Oscar heard the man mutter to himself.
“Hm. As a guide, you pass. Your mana detection is off the charts. No wonder our senior’s so interested in you.”
“…As a guide?”
Oscar picked up on the implication in those words, and the man let out a small laugh.
“Hah. You catch on quick.”
“Just get to the point.”
“…You’re good at pissing people off. Fine, I’ll keep it simple. I’m not going all the way into some dangerous hellhole like the Grey Zone to babysit a brat. I don’t have the time, and I sure as hell don’t have the patience.”
In other words, he was worried he’d be a liability.
“I thought that matter was already settled with Kaya Lockwood?”
“My seniors’s all about long-term investments. But no matter how much potential a kid has, what’s the point if they can’t deliver? On the battlefield, it’s not potential that counts—it’s what you can do right now.”
"...That's true."
He nodded before he even realized it, muttering to himself.
Indeed, what matters on the battlefield isn’t the size of your potential, but the ability to survive the day.
When Oscar agreed with him, the man’s face lit up in amusement.
"You’re more reasonable than I expected. So you get what I’m trying to say?"
"In summary, you want to test my abilities. Am I wrong?"
"Correct. And I’ll even be generous with the passing criteria."
The man spread his fingers and pointed toward the entrance to the clearing where he had come in.
"Make it out of this clearing in one piece, and you pass. But if you lose even a single arm or leg before that, you fail. Easy, right?"
"……"
Madman.
Oscar couldn’t help but laugh dryly at his casual attitude toward mutilation.
"What if I refuse?"
"Then I’m out of this operation. And if I’m out, I’m guessing you won’t be going either."
"……"
Two level-7 masters were an irreplaceable asset in any battle.
Realizing he had no choice, Oscar scowled.
The man, delighted like a child at his reaction, shouted energetically:
"Alright, then—let’s begin!"
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
At the signal, Oscar immediately went on alert.
But the man just crossed one leg over the other and grinned lazily, showing no intention to attack.
‘He told me to get out of the clearing, yet he’s not attacking?’
Oscar glanced over his shoulder.
The distance to the edge of the clearing was only about 20 meters.
If he really wanted to, he could use the spell 『Blink』 and be out in under a second.
‘Come to think of it, he doesn’t know I can use spatial magic.’
That must be why he was acting so relaxed.
If so, this contest was as good as won.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Oscar tugged at the threads of space and activated 『Blink』.
The moment his body began shifting through space—
"……!"
A strange and overwhelming sense of wrongness washed over him.
Sweating cold, Oscar instinctively canceled the spell and looked behind him.
‘From here to the entrance… there’s something there. But… I can’t see it.’ 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
It wasn’t detectable by his senses.
Not even enhanced vision imbued with magic revealed anything.
That could only mean the trap was cloaked in an incredibly advanced stealth technique.
After a moment’s thought, Oscar decided to use 『Wind Archive』.
"Show me all the magical particles lingering in this clearing."
The wind dispersed in an instant, and then—
A sight beyond belief unfolded before his eyes.
"……!"
The source of the wrongness was thread.
An enormous web of thread, spread across the clearing like an invisible spider’s web.
If he had used 『Blink』, his body would have been torn to shreds.
Even the man, who appeared to be sitting casually in midair, was actually perched atop a strand of thread.
"Hmm?"
The man tilted his head, noticing Oscar’s change in expression.
"……Don’t tell me… you can see this? That shouldn’t be possible."
Blinking in disbelief, the man snapped his fingers lightly.
Dozens of threads shuddered and surged toward Oscar—
like a towering wave, like the whole world turning hostile.
‘My only escape route… is forward.’
Oscar trusted the path revealed by Wind Archive and boldly stepped forward.
The threads that aimed for his vitals and pressure points narrowly missed him.
For the first time, a flicker of interest passed through the man's eyes.
"Well, well… you really can see them?"
"Isn’t it a bit childish to play with thread at your age?"
"Ha, hahaha!"
Throwing his head back in laughter, the man slapped the thread beneath him in delight.
"You’re something else, huh? Most people don’t even realize these threads are there until they lose a limb."
Thread Without Shadow—Shadowless Thread.
True to its name, the threads cast no shadows even under the bright moonlight, they were so thin.
Still grinning, the man continued:
"But… you fail."
"…What do you mean?"
"Like I said. You have to make it out of this clearing to pass. All you’ve done is dodge the threads. That’s not good enough."
He wagged his extended index finger from side to side.
"Especially since we’re talking about going to that hellhole."
"…You’ve been to the Grey Zone?"
"Of course. Back when I was cocky—just like you. My whole team died. I barely made it out with my life."
His tone was casual, like he was talking about someone else, but there was a trace of self-mockery in it.
Oscar opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to find the right words.
The man exaggerated his laughter as if trying to shake off the mood.
"Haha! But hey, don’t be too disappointed. Once you become a Master, I’ll go to the Grey Zone with you. How’s that?"
He’ll come with me once he reached level 7, huh.
Not a bad offer—Oscar knew how dangerous the Grey Zone was.
‘But…’
He couldn’t be sure when he’d reach level 7.
His path had diverged from his previous life, so the time to his destination would be different too.
‘I can’t just wait around.’
If he was lucky, he could reach enlightenment and level up tomorrow.
If unlucky, it could take months or even years.
But that would be too late.
Even now, there were people in the White Tower stuck training intermediate magic because they lacked suitable high-tier spells.
‘They’re the ones who endured the hardest times of the White Tower for my sake.’
Oscar couldn’t bring himself to demand even more patience and sacrifice from them.
He slowly closed his eyes.
His first master had always said that opportunity was a gift for the prepared.
He had also taught that one should always strive not to be someone who missed their chance and regretted it later.
‘Since the day my master passed, I’ve never once stopped striving.’
Even after dying alongside the Archmage and being reborn in a new body, that hadn’t changed.
Oscar shook his head firmly.
"I have to go this time, no matter what. So let’s resume the test."
"Hmm. Seems like you’re not great at taking hints."
Annoyed by the stubbornness, the man’s gaze turned a bit colder.
"Let me be blunt— You’ve got talent, sure. But you’re not ready yet."
"……"
Oscar stared straight at the man.
The real reason he didn’t want to go to the Grey Zone was that he didn’t trust Oscar’s ability.
Then all Oscar had to do was prove otherwise.
Crack. Crackle.
Oscar rolled his stiff neck a few times after looking up at the man.
"I just need to make it out of the clearing, right?"
On the man’s expressionless face, the faint look of “And?” appeared.
Oscar’s lips moved.
"Jet Booster."
"Hey, wait—!"
Before the man could stop him,
Oscar turned around and BOOM! launched himself at explosive speed straight into the wall of threads.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
