The Ten Towers responded swiftly. They isolated the infected area with a barrier wall and quickly began searching for the culprit.
However, what the Ten Towers didn’t expect was the movement of the host harboring silver threads. As one area was successfully isolated, a bomb containing silver threads exploded in the next area that wasn’t isolated.
An attack that precisely targeted the only weaknesses in Elysion’s security, as if mocking it.
In the intricately designed chain reaction, the Ten Towers felt the traces of an insider. The suspect was obvious. A survivor of the Golden Desert Operation. Traitors eroded by the extra-dimensional.
If the person who first reported the traitors had a plan prepared in advance, that would be good.
Blasphemia, the Auditor General, summoned Salmosia to the Ten Towers’ Council of Elders.
Salmosia gazed at the shimmering light flickering before him. The distortion in reality led to the Ether Space.
The high-dimensional Ether Space, Eleusis, where one could enter with a completely physical form.
High-ranking members of the Ten Towers, gathered beyond space, were watching the chaos in Elysion with interest.
“Salmosia.”
“…Yes.”
One of the elders from the Silver Iron Tower spoke up.
“Didn’t L13 warn about the traitor faction formed by the eroders? Didn’t we receive any intel on the Elysion terror plan?”
“I apologize. We anticipated the possibility of a terror attack, but we couldn’t confirm the targets.”
He didn’t call the Auditor General in just to fault-find. The silver threads writhing within Elysion.
That which gave off no magic power was clearly a product of the extra-dimensional. He believed they would have gathered some information on that unique metal.
“How goes the search for the traitor’s stronghold?”
“Since L13’s report, we haven’t found any significant leads. We attempted to track the mobile branches that went dark, but we’ve lost all traces of them since a certain point.”
“The probability is high that they also possess Ether Space leading to Eleusis. We need to increase the personnel for investigating the extra-dimensional adjacent zones.”
It’s limited how well you can conceal large installations like the Magic Engine Train or airships. They must have created an Ether Space to perfectly store a physical object using the power of the extra-dimensional.
“Find the ringleader, Salmosia. The traitors you created must be caught by your own hands.”
With those words, Salmosia found himself back in the Auditor General’s office. He had been expelled from the Ether Space.
Salmosia’s hands moved busily. It was already expected that the traitors, fearing the exposure of their base, would try to divert attention through terror.
The issue was ‘where’ the terror would occur, but Blasphemia had the support of the Ten Towers.
All he needed to do was deploy agents at every anticipated location.
“ To the agents of Blasphemia deployed in Elysion. Identify the traitors hiding in Elysion. ”
*
Things wrapped up quicker than expected. Having received contact from Lampades, he had no reason to stay at the board meeting venue any longer.
I had a few words with Carisia before deciding to go meet Kine. I couldn’t ignore the possibility that those Blasphemia traitors would cause some terror.
“No matter how good the traitors are, they can’t bypass Elysion’s security entirely.”
There was a significant gap between knowing the security information as an insider of the Ten Towers and actually disabling that security.
The Ten Towers, which must already have prepared countermeasures knowing the information was leaked, still had a size disadvantage even if the security structure hadn’t changed.
Even if a terror attack occurred, it wouldn’t take them an hour to suppress it.
…Or at least, that’s how it should have been.
“Khahaha! Hahaha!”
Why the hell am I watching a mad mage dousing the city streets with napalm?
*
K17 and Niobe were catching their breath. Deployed in Elysion, she moved as soon as she received Salmosia’s order.
“But my strength isn’t enough to take down the traitors….”
Having a clear understanding of her abilities, Niobe decided to disrupt the traitors’ plans rather than actively capture the ringleader.
If the plan to increase the infected with silver threads faltered somewhere, she calculated that the ringleader would appear to correct it.
Once the traitor made an appearance, other agents would provide support, and all she needed to do was hold the ringleader back until then.
However, what appeared before Niobe was not a traitor from Blasphemia, but a traitor from the Elysion central security.
“No, no! The right world is finally coming to be!”
“Cough…!”
Under the feet of the madly laughing red-cloaked mage, the corpses of security members who had been his comrades just moments ago lay scattered.
The flame-element mage Lupaldon was a Doomsday Cultist. The Ten Towers were well aware that there were Doomsday Cultists hiding within their organization.
There was a list of suspected Doomsday Cultists to keep them under close surveillance and purge them when necessary. Originally, Blasphemia dealt with external enemies. Other organizations handled these internal threats.
However, the upper management of Argyrion once housed top-level agents from Blasphemia. Doomsday Cultists wouldn’t hesitate to use any means, sometimes even allying with the followers of superstition. That’s why high-security agents had the chance to view that covert list.
What was initially intended to be used for the safety of the Ten Towers became a list for Argyrion to recruit influential figures. Lupaldon was a Doomsday Cultist who willingly joined hands with Argyrion.
Argyrion proposed to use Lupaldon as an internal informant for Elysion before joining the “grand plan.”
The thought of using Elysion as a door for the descent of the end from the extra-dimensional as the first step of the plan.
Upon hearing Argyrion’s plan, Lupaldon resolved to cooperate actively.
And now, here we are.
“This plan can’t fall apart here! Hah! If Blasphemia were involved, surely they’ve prepared agents in advance. And it looks just like that!”
Lupaldon’s weapon belched fire. The sticky liquid adhering to the flames wouldn’t extinguish even if submerged in water.
To extinguish the fire on his skin, he had to scrape the sticky liquid off with a knife. While shooting liquid flames that automatically targeted, Lupaldon began to chant a spell.
A line of flames formed at the tip of his staff. When he twisted his wrist, it became a whip that swept around him, measuring about three meters in length.
“I was hoping to meet a more experienced agent rather than some naive rookie!”
Niobe hastily activated the magical imprint cartridge given to agents. A circular barrier unfolded around her. The water-filled protective barrier would give her a moment’s pause amidst the heat of the flames.
“This is! Not—gonna—work!”
The color of the flame whip changed. The white-hot fire struck the water’s protective barrier, creating a deafening noise as the water vaporized almost instantly.
Instead of taking out more cartridges or infusing mana to strengthen the barrier, Niobe rolled to the side.
“Fire wins against water? Overwhelming firepower beats water, huh.”
The spot where Niobe stood just moments ago was charred black. There was no trace of the spilled water.
“I need. More silver.”
Lupaldon looked toward the admissions office of Musaeon on the other side. Although still immature and weak in battle ability, the potential of the sacrifices, directly recommended by the Mage Tower, was high.
If the silver threads spread to the students inside, the arrival of the extra-dimensional would be expedited dramatically.
Putting in hard work to ensure his patrol route align with this was proving worthwhile.
“Too bad, Blasphemia. It looks like all your comrades are busy!”
As Lupaldon approached Niobe, who was holding magic imprint cartridges in both hands.
‘Hasn’t even got the mana to chant a spell herself. Aim to finish quickly and use the silver threads at Musaeon—’
“May I ask a question?”
Lupaldon turned around. How could someone approach so close, bypassing the detection magic he had set up?
The flamethrower that reflexively spewed fire was an automatic targeting system based on audio sensors.
But there was no one where the flames were raging.
“Is this the admissions office of Musaeon?”
The last thing Lupaldon saw was a chilling smile.
The blade that pierced his heart was cold. As he felt the wound gradually growing hot, Lupaldon closed his eyes.
*
Niobe stared blankly into the raging flames.
Questions took precedence over relief for survival.
That pale skin, that nondescript face. The subtle smile was undeniably that of the person who borrowed the identity of the Secret Inspector.
Yet, strangely, a familiar atmosphere lingered. The vibe of that senior who had successfully deceived her.
“Ah, it’s nice to see you. I have some business at Musaeon.”
“Th-that face. Didn’t they say it was fake?”
“Of course. I’ve come as an ally this time. Normally, I’d need to appear with an unrecognizable face, but if I show up in a different face saying, ‘Hi, it’s me from before, I’m an ally this time,’ that disguise would blow up again, wouldn’t it? It’s hard enough to create such disguises. You have to save them for later.”
‘Is that so?’
Niobe, meeting the Secret Inspector for the second time, found herself having to accept the explanation.
“I’ve received special orders to move potential students to temporary shelters, as they might target the Musaeon admissions office. You should withdraw from the site for now.”
*
This is insane.
Why the heck is that little Blasphemia brat I met last time here again?
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