Carlyn’s Winds extending through the passage were cautious yet swift.
While he had studied the internal structure through the drawings provided by Ju Rina, reality differed from the illustrations.
Through the information gathered via his Winds, a new map of the Arachne base was being updated in Carlyn’s mind.
There was one approaching individual. Avenne, the Starlight of the fourth Star. However, his companions did not know who she was.
The one detected by the magic barrier would come to check according to their turn.
They knew she was a Starlight.
Since the Stars entered through different entrances, this side’s inspection was solely the Starlight’s responsibility.
There were mana lamps embedded in the passage, but they were not very bright, providing just enough light to make out shapes.
‘The structure is unique.’
The secret base, entered through an underwater cave in a hillside well, had a rather complex structure.There were currently 7 people residing there.
The Stars did not always stay with their subordinates. In any case, it was within the expected range.
Carlyn deemed it not too bad. He had anticipated a maximum of 10 people.
He unsheathed a short sword using Winds.
One Starlight was approaching through the preceding passage.
Carlyn, advancing stealthily, stopped and signaled with his right hand.
-1 approaching. I’ll handle it.
Though he could control sound with Winds, this was practice for communicating with Rina in the future, as they would be moving together, and he needed to become accustomed to such methods.
Carlyn drew two short swords with his left hand. The silent short swords rushed along the floor.
In the blind spot of the dim light.
The short swords aimed for Avenne’s neck as she approached. Her throat and nape were simultaneously pierced.
“…?”
Avenne died without a sound. Carlyn caught her collapsing body with Winds to prevent any noise.
Upon Carlyn’s signal that he had dealt with her, three others swiftly advanced. Soon, the corpse came into view.
The woman in her early twenties wore a thin, revealing slip, her skin flushed slightly red and her hair disheveled, indicating what she had been up to.
Ju Rina let out a small sigh upon seeing the dead Avenne. They had been close friends once, a long time ago.
Denif, on the other hand, had a different thought.
“Well, damn.”
“I told you not to say anything.”
“You would’ve just blocked it with Winds anyway.”
Carlyn shook his head in exasperation.
“Why are you suddenly getting irritated?”
“It’s just so unfair.”
“What is?”
“For some, using Winds to launch short swords counts as assassination, but for others, they have to sneak in and put on a live show.”
When Denif had worked with Carlyn before, his Winds had not been this precise. It was the result of his efforts in honing the skill.
In any case, to Denif, the assassination seemed too easy.
It wasn’t an incorrect observation.
Carlyn’s Winds was a power that any intelligence agent or assassin would desire.
“It’s not that simple, though.”
“Still, it’s better than doing it directly, isn’t it? Can’t you just admit it?”
“……”
“Shouldn’t that strange date of yours be over by now?”
Suddenly, what was he talking about? Carlyn was momentarily perplexed but soon understood.
It was Denif’s burning desire to win.
Before leaving the Chief of Intelligence’s estate, Denif had held the upper hand over Carlyn.
Except for the occasional good days when his condition was peak, Denif would usually emerge victorious.
That’s why their last bout came as quite a shock to him.
It had been partly in jest, and Carlyn hadn’t intended to kill, but they had engaged in earnest swordplay. Yet Carlyn had surpassed him.
Denif could no longer be certain of victory.
It hadn’t been one of those strange days, and he hadn’t been complacent either.
Their talents were considered evenly matched in terms of potential.
Carlyn’s bouts with the Sword Master and real combat experiences had helped him catch up to the gap.
More than an inferiority complex, it was a hunger for victory. That’s why Denif had insisted on challenging Carlyn again.
To spar with Carlyn and further improve himself.
“Huh? Wouldn’t that be fairer, then?”
“What are you saying? But you know I don’t always have good condition.”
This was another point of concern for Denif. Carlyn had been on par with him while exerting only half his strength.
Carlyn turned his gaze towards Ju Rina.
“Anyway, you can speak now. I’ve blocked the sound with Winds.”
“Avenne. She was the fourth Starlight.”
“The fourth means she was a subordinate of that mage?”
Ju Rina nodded solemnly. Avenne’s death wasn’t something she felt entirely good about.
Avenne had been a friend who suffered the same torment.
At some point, her mind had broken. Rina hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell the puppet-like Avenne to escape.
Despite it not being her fault, Ju Rina felt a sense of guilt. Carlyn read her expression.
“Were you close?”
“Once, a long time ago.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“…Yeah. I know.”
Before the infiltration stage, Carlyn had asked Ju Rina if there was anyone she wanted to save.
In such organizations, it wouldn’t be strange to have defectors.
However, Rina had shaken her head. All the Starlights had broken minds. Otherwise, they couldn’t endure it.
They were subjected to torment until their minds shattered. Rina had pretended her mind was broken too. Only then could she breathe a little easier.
“Then, we’ll start with the fourth.”
The moment the one who had approached was killed, the next target was decided. Her master would be waiting for her report.
Had the distance been far, they would have had to move swiftly and strike…
But the fourth star was relatively close by. They could proceed carefully.
“Let’s go.”
Carlyn at the front, Denif in the middle, and Rina at the back. The three advanced once more.
Their stealthy footsteps made no sound.
Skilled intelligence agents like Carlyn and Denif, and the talented Rina, ensured their advance was silent.
Winds’ assistance also increased their speed. Carlyn traced their route on the map in his mind.
Now there were six left.
It was best to deal with the stragglers before confronting Arniel.
While the illusion magic itself was formidable, having many opponents would make it even harder to handle.
Still, it didn’t seem like there would be a major problem. Such secret bases had the advantage of being secluded, making outside intrusions difficult.
But that also meant a lack of adequate response in case of an actual outside invasion.
‘They’ve become complacent due to the perceived safety.’
Moreover, if they hadn’t allowed a single intrusion in a long time, it would be even more so.
Furthermore, the Stars here were people who enslaved Starlights.
That arrogance made it difficult for them to even conceive of the worst-case scenario of an enemy invasion.
The group reached the room of the fourth star.
A neatly carved entrance in the cave. Carlyn used Winds to confirm a man lying on the bed.
In the center of his body, an unsavory thing protruded upwards.
A tsk sound indicated the owner’s displeasure.
-Me.
This time, Denif signaled first. Carlyn nodded, blocking the sound.
Denif knocked on the door, holding a sword and dagger.
“Why knock? Just come in already!”
The man spoke in an impatient tone.
“Well, if you say so.”
Denif muttered with a snicker, the sound not carrying inside thanks to Carlyn’s Winds.
Instead, Denif forcefully kicked open the door with his right foot and entered.
“What, what is it!”
Thump! The sound startled the man. Denif immediately threw the dagger in his left hand.
The middle-aged man had been trying to get up from the bed naked.
A hastily conjured magic deflected the dagger. But in that gap, Denif had already rushed up close.
The sword slashed diagonally.
“Guh!”
Following Denif’s sword path, blood splattered on the wallpaper. The bisected naked man collapsed.
Perhaps due to his heightened blood flow, the white bed was quickly stained red.
Denif swiftly wiped the blood that had splashed on his face with his sleeve and shrugged at Carlyn.
“How’s that?”
“Not bad. A bit noisy, though.”
“That’s not my fault. The bastard told me to come in quickly.”
Denif grinned. In any case, there were now five left. The group moved once more through the dim darkness.
Two, two, one.
According to the map Rina had drawn, the lone one was the person who had been Rina’s master. Due to the distance, they would come back to him.
-Me.
This time, Carlyn took the lead. Two naked men were sleeping on the bed.
Carlyn silently opened the door. Then, he walked over and thrust his sword down at the Star.
“Huh?”
At the last moment, the bald man sensed the killing intent and opened his eyes. But Moonlight was already at his neck.
Thunk – Carlyn stabbed again before the other Starlight could wake up. Both died instantly.
Carlyn examined the corpses. The starlight had been quite handsome. All Starlights tended to be good-looking.
The Stars shared each other’s Starlights.
Whether male or female. Arniel herself was a woman from the start. They also favored male Starlights.
While ability was important, appearance mattered a lot.
Essentially, they were consumables.
Ju Rina was the exception. That was the basis for the group’s assessment that she wasn’t a threat.
‘Three left.’
It had gone much easier than expected. Once they dealt with Arniel, her disciple, and Rina’s Star, Comin, they would be done.
Carlyn looked at Rina. There was a promise he had made with her. To let her finish off her Star herself.
“Are you ready?”
“…Yeah.”
However, it wouldn’t be a one-on-one confrontation. Ju Rina had objectively stated she couldn’t win.
Carlyn had agreed to let her have the last one.
After four had been killed, the group walked once more through the passage that now seemed a bit more somber.
Thus, when they reached Comin’s room, Carlyn didn’t hesitate to open the door.
Comin, a man in his late forties, was awake. Creeak – his wrinkled eyes saw Carlyn as the door opened.
“Who are you?”
The man then frowned.
“I was certain it would be a woman…”
As he spoke, Comin fell silent upon noticing the bloodied sword in Carlyn’s hand.
The tension thickened.
Carlyn rushed forth like lightning. The man tried to move, but Winds restrained his body.
Although spacious for a private room, it was a distance Carlyn could cover in the blink of an eye.
He technically struck the man’s right jaw with his sword-gripping fist.
The force was controlled, not enough to break the jawbone. Comin merely lost consciousness momentarily.
When the man opened his eyes again, he realized he was bound to a chair, his limbs restrained.
And in front of him stood Ju Rina, holding a dagger.
“You! You bitch! After how much I adored you!”
Either unable to grasp the situation or arrogance solidified by time, the man raised his voice first.
Rina silently gazed at him, fury smoldering in her bloodshot eyes.
“Adored?”
“Yes!”
“You call treating me like a slave adoring me?”
“That was unavoidable for obedience training! Things were different after that, weren’t they!”
His self-justification knew no bounds.
“Unavoidable?”
“Yes!”
“Then you experience it too.”
Rina stabbed the man’s fingertips with the dagger. One finger joint was severed.
“Aaaaargh!”
The man screamed, but under Winds’ control, not a sound escaped.
Rina’s revenge had begun.
Finger joints, toe joints disappeared one by one. She pulled out his teeth and pressed his eyeballs with her thumbs.
“How’s that? Feel like obeying now?”
“Ugh……”
Comin drooled incessantly. It was a rather cruel sight, but not unfamiliar to Carlyn and Denif.
Their eyes met.
-Not bad. Quite strong-willed.
Denif mouthed the words. Carlyn nodded, satisfied.
His subordinates were all cute and obedient.
Carlyn knew he couldn’t always do the right thing.
He could educate the kids, but there were things only people like Ju Rina could do.
“Feel like obeying now?”
Rina gently stroked the man’s jaw. Even in his deranged state, he nodded vigorously.
“But I’m not into fifty-year-olds.”
Rina drew the dagger. Blood gushed from the slit in the man’s neck.
Rina stood there for a moment before turning to Carlyn.
Her face was spattered with droplets of blood. A clear teardrop rolled from her bloodshot eyes.
Mingling with the blood, a pinkish tear trickled down her cheek.
“Huh……”
A foolish sound escaped Ju Rina’s lips. She seemed drained, or intoxicated by something.
People who witness the end of revenge react differently.
“…Thank you.”
But Carlyn wasn’t worried. Her next words carried a firm sincerity.
A positive signal.
“Really. Thank you. Sincerely.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re satisfied.”
“…Yeah.”
Suddenly, Carlyn’s senses detected another individual, someone who hadn’t registered before.
That meant a returner. Not the entrance they had come through.
He could discern another entrance the Stars used. The problem was an unexpected addition.
He didn’t know who it was.
But they were rapidly heading towards the fourth star’s room, their pace quite hurried.
‘Oh no.’
Even if they moved now, the distance meant they would be too late. This entrance was much closer to that room than Comin’s.
There was no choice. The stealthy infiltration ended here.
Still, three was a manageable number. Quietly taking out five was satisfactory.
“Hold on. One Star has returned. Heading straight for the body.”
The group’s mood shifted. Tension rising once more. Carlyn turned towards the exit.
“Prepare for combat.”
Simultaneously, the returning star’s mana field spread roughly throughout the base, a signal of the intrusion.
The others grimly gripped their weapons.
“Rina, stay as safe as possible. Remember?”
“…Yeah. I know.”
Carlyn sensed Arniel and her disciple stirring.
Not in a hurry. Walking calmly.
Were they that confident?
In any case, it was time for the final battle. Carlyn didn’t think it would be an easy fight.
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