Chapter 10: There Are Times When A Man Must Risk His Life
Never go into the basement.
It was a warning impossible to forget.
Because she, who normally stuttered and had clouded eyes, had spoken with a sharp voice and clear eyes at that moment.
Her change in demeanor would have felt ominous to anyone ordinary.
But for those affiliated with the Mage Tower, ignoring such a warning could lead to a terrible fate, one that not even life could repay.
It was only a rumor, but there were tales of people imprisoned in barrels, their brains exposed, subjected to electrical stimulation
AAAAAAAAAAAH!
Then who could it be?
Was it possible that such a dangerous person committed an act grievous enough to make them cry out like that, all in one night without me noticing?
Its its gone.
The basement was not only unlocked but also in disarray.
As if to indicate that something large and heavy had been placed there, the spots where dust had been cleared were faintly visible here and there.
Everything its all gone. Everything Ive achieved, all!
Vivian stood at the center, crying out in despair.
It was a scene unimaginable when she was engrossed in her research and offered me her modest gratitude.
Her tears flowed as if she felt pain, like her heart was being torn out.
Vivian, are are you okay?
Concerned by her state, I unconsciously stepped forward to comfort her but then stopped.
Damn, what was I about to do?
Approaching someone who might be a madwoman in such an emotionally unstable state.
Boom!
Of course, that moment of hesitation was brief, but this damned world seemed to snatch even the chance to flee from me.
Debris from the collapsed ceiling blocked the stairs.
The cause became apparent when the woman sitting and crying in the empty room met my eyes.
It was you.
I had never faced such a thing directly in this world before.
Her eyes, filled with deadly intensity and focused solely on me, made me realize
You youve interfered with me meeting my mother!
No, Vivian. I didnt
Boom!
The excuses that slipped from my mouth were silenced by something pressing down on my body.
Was the ceiling collapsing again, burying me?
No, that wasnt it. It was purely due to magical power.
Her mana, driven by her emotions, pressed down on the entire space around us.
It was an energy drawn not from a direct attack but purely from her anger.
Guh, gasp. Ugh!!
But was such a thing really possible?
From what I knew, mana was an energy that exerted physical force in response to will, and if the power controlling it was not precise, it couldnt exert its proper strength.
A power that could self-destruct if not handled with the correct purpose and method.
For that reason, the opportunity to learn it was only granted to those with high intellectual aptitude. It was nonsensical in the common understanding of this world to exert such power merely by losing ones rationality.
If it was indeed possible, there was only one possibility.
That the individuals capacity existed on a level beyond human.
Speak.
A woman with such unbelievable power
Perhaps a monster in human guise, she took a step toward me and spoke quietly.
Tell me now. Where did you take everything that was here?
In stark contrast to her previously passive demeanor, she now revealed nothing but pure murderous intent and madness.
Tell me right now why you interfered with me seeing my mother!
I couldnt understand what she was saying.
She shouted at me, revealing the desperate reason behind her immersion in research.
Creak, crack.
The closer she got, the heavier the weight I felt on my body became.
My joints ached as if they were being twisted, and my muscles, tensing reflexively in defense, stiffened.
But that was also nothing more than futile resistance.
At this rate, I might just die, overwhelmed and shriveled by the pressure she exuded.
Despite feeling injustice in this situation, I could vividly feel my life fading away.
Just like the people I had seen before
Vivian. Calm down.
But I still had the will to live.
Because I wanted to live, even in this wretched world.
Calm down, I
So, with my mouth, the only part I could move, I struggled to voice my plea to her.
Remember
Begging for my life would not work.
To her, already out of her mind and wanting to tear apart everything she saw, no alibi or logical explanation would make sense.
Remember who I am!
But if it was a name, even the current her would surely remember my name.
You remember me, right? Who I am
Existence Imprint.
An ability that made anyone who faced me, in any situation, unable to forget my existence.
If this power was real, it could even make those who had lost their reason discern who I was.
If her kindness towards me until now had been genuine, relying on this ability might just resolve the situation
Housekeeper?
The question slipped out of her mouth as she looked at me, as if asking for confirmation.
She recognized me belatedly and stiffened her eyes, and the tears flowing from them started to intensify.
Was it you, Housekeeper?
Were those tears due to the confusion of this situation or a sense of betrayal?
Maybe she was behaving this way because she couldnt immediately realize the liberation of having the cause of all these events right in front of her.
Really, it was you, Housekeeper, who interfered with my meeting with my mother
No, it wasnt.
However, such emotional turmoil had weakened the force pressing down on my body.
Finding a way out from there, I opened up to her with sincerity through my gradually easing breath.
I havent caused you any trouble. And I wont in the future either.
In a world where even those who remember me hardly listen to a single word I say, she was one of the few precious people who faced me head-on.
Because she listened to my voice, I had thought of wanting to work under her for as long as possible.
So, please calm down, Vivian.
If you dont harm me, then I wont hate you either.
Hoping that my true feelings were conveyed, I looked up with difficulty and met her eyes straight on. Shaken, she began to step back.
Step.
At that moment, the strong force that had been pressing down on my body started to fade away.
Feeling the tension in my body finally ease and gradually relax, she stepped back from me, collapsed, clutched her face, and burst into sobs.
Im sorry.
Starting with an apology.
Im sorry, Housekeeper. I
Struggling, she expressed her guilt towards me.
Just hearing that, I understood.
She was not just a mad lunatic but someone capable of feeling sorry for others, someone with a lot of affection.
Its okay.
Yes, she is not dangerous right now.
Remembering that, I suppressed my fear, approached her, and, placing my hand on her shoulder, spoke soothingly.
Its okay. Can you first tell me what happened?
She looked up at me with empty eyes, saying nothing.
Then her gaze slowly dropped, and her trembling hands started moving towards her head.
To see my mother
Yes, to see your mother Thats what youve been researching until now, right?
Yes, right. Ive been researching, but when I woke up, all the research materials I had gathered in the basement were gone.
Vivian clutched her head as if she couldnt accept the reality.
She tightly pulled her disheveled hair as if she were about to tear it out with her hands.
Soon, I might have been able to see my mother Ive been researching for that, but now its all gone
If you tell the guards, you might be able to find it soon.
I didnt know the details, but if it was related to her parents, it must be of utmost importance to her.
Having watched her research desperately until now, I truly hoped she would find her research results.
What if the guards are working with them?
But even with such well-intended advice, she couldnt accept it, turning her head away from me
Working with them, what do you mean?
The guards might be working with those who ransacked this place. If they had guarded it properly, this wouldnt have happened.
Her voice trembled.
As she lowered her head, I saw her face through her fingers and saw that the area around her violently shaking eyes was red and bloodshot.
Thats right. I cant trust anyone. The guards, the empire, everything is untrustworthy. The only person I can trust in this world is my mother. So I have to meet her again. I cant trust anyone else in this world.
The corners of her mouth lifted in a smirk.
Even if I have to blow up this entire empire.
The words uttered along with that smirk were certainly not bluffs or exaggerations.
I had guessed as much when I had faced her madness before.
I didnt know if she really could bring down the empire, but her intention to try was not a lie.
If I blow everything up, then I can find it in the emptiness, right? My research, and who stole it
Hehehehe.
A chill ran down my spine at her timidly escaping laughter.
I knew it was wrong, but I couldnt help but hesitate to say more.
Dont do it. Wait. Everything will be alright If saying those words would displease her, her previous murderous intent might rise again and turn towards me.
Moreover, remembering my name would only increase her hatred for me.
That was something I had painfully realized over the two years I had spent in this world, receiving peoples malice.
I think I know who it might be.
If I couldnt choose silence for fear of losing my life, then there was only one option.
It was up to me, the only person she listened to, to find evidence of the perpetrator right here in place of the guards.
You think you know
Because Ive seen the traces here.
Swiftly, I looked around at the things scattered on the floor.
I presumed that the room was used for storing heavy and bulky items. With dust everywhere, I took an item from my possession and activated its function.
A magical tool that was embedded with a light magic spell.
It was quite expensive but also a useful tool for my work as a porter and occasional scout.
As I thought.
The tool illuminated thin threads scattered across the floor.
Shining on their surface, the light reflected, faintly revealing their structure.
Unlike ordinary threads, these were not made from a single strand, but several thin ones ingeniously twisted together, like a spiders web.
Such precise tools were handled by only a limited number of people, even in the underworld, significantly narrowing the scope of suspects. But if they dared to target a member of the Mage Tower, their backing couldnt be insignificant.
If a criminal organization of that scale existed not outside but within the empire, then there was only one suspect I could deduce.
Blood River.
A criminal organization with a nature so cruel it leaves a river of blood in its wake, true to its name.
Their base, where they had settled, was also not too far away.
Without looking elsewhere, their headquarters was brazenly located in the Slums on the empires outskirts.
Do do you know where it is?
Yes, I know the location approximately.
I wasnt certain, but there was a need to go look for it immediately.
Having retrieved the wire I held in my hand just in case, I quietly met Vivians eyes and spoke softly.
So, theres no need to rampage through the entire city. In fact, if you act too rashly, the enemies might notice and escape.
Really?
We must do it this way to fully regain what we lost.
Her hand trembled as it lay on the floor.
That must have meant she couldnt find comfort in my words, but I quietly took her hand, trying to calm her down.
So, please hold on a little longer. Ill be by your side until everything is over.
The contract period hadnt ended yet, and despite some trouble, she hadnt dismissed me.
I thought there might still be a chance
Really, you wont leave?
I wont leave.
Using that trust as a painkiller, I endured the throbbing pain in my body. I smiled the best smile I could muster at the moment and said,
It doesnt suit me to sit by when a woman is crying in front of me.
She was one of the few women I had taken a liking to since I came to this world.
Wasnt that reason enough to risk my life to help her?
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