Chapter19: Operation Crisis (1)
"Who the hell sends an artifact through a parcel?"
What if soone stole it?
It’s beyond absurd, it’s downright ridiculous.
If the delivery person had been curious and noticed the seal, peeling back the packaging, the artifact surely wouldn’t have reached my hands intact.
Common sense dictates that sothing as precious as an artifact should be sent through a person or delivered directly.
"Anyway, good thing it arrived safely. That could’ve been a disaster."
I looked at the object in my hand.
A wooden box the size of my palm.
Carefully opening the lid, I saw a small ring inside.
A gasp of awe slipped through my lips.
"Ooh."
It looked unremarkable.
No, its color had faded so much that the passage of ti was impossible to gauge, but that very worn appearance was proof of its authenticity.
The artifact Star’s Blessing.
It protects the wearer’s mind and body from ntal attacks like illusions, charms, and curses, and its special ability, [Starlight], boosts all of the wearer’s stats by 20% during the day and 50% at night.
This was the power of a Unique-grade artifact.
A relic from ancient tis that even the most advanced modern magitech couldn’t hope to replicate.
Above it lies the Legendary grade, but even Unique-grade artifacts are worlds apart from the mass-produced items commonly called artifacts—a true genuine artifact.
In simple terms, it’s an insanely good item.
"Wow, seriously. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to actually get it. Is this the power of Dean Bell Toro?"
I hurriedly took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto my pinky finger.
The ring slid on effortlessly.
It was a bit loose, not quite fitting, but if it were that shoddy, it wouldn’t be an artifact.
As I infused mana into it, the ring miraculously shrank, adjusting perfectly to the size of my pinky.
The changes didn’t stop there.
The ring continued to shrink, burrowing into the skin of my finger until it completely disappeared inside.
In its place, a black band was etched onto my finger like a tattoo.
I turned my hand this way and that, smiling with satisfaction.
"Fucking aweso."
At this point in ti, there’s no way I could’ve gotten my hands on sothing like this, even if I died and ca back to life.
Sure, I protected the Academy’s honor when it was on the brink, but this feels like an overly generous gift.
"Next up…"
I opened the parcel from Luis that I’d set aside.
Peeling back the wrapping, a transparent glass bottle erged.
It contained paralyzing powder from isha, a carnivorous plant from the Great Forest.
One of the materials needed for this operation.
After completing all preparations, I waited for nightfall.
* * *
There’s a plant called Lumigan Grass.
Burn its leaves, put them in a bag, and inhale—it induces strong sedation and hallucinations.
Once soone tries it, they fall into a deep addiction they can’t escape.
Yes, it’s a drug.
Currently, the Frey Empire has designated Lumigan Grass as a narcotic, punishing its use harshly.
But in truth, hallucinations are only part of its effects.
Unlike the leaves, boiling its roots in water and drinking the decoction sharpens the mind and sensitizes the mana circuit beneath the brain.
Enter ditation in that state, and you can achieve several tis the usual benefits of ntal training.
Yes, it boosts ntal strength.
The sa plant, used differently, transforms from a drug into a beneficial Spirit Herb in an instant.
Because of this, Lumigan Grass later becos a key ingredient in elixirs, but that’s a story for the future.
At this mont, I’m the only one who knows this information.
The problem is that obtaining it isn’t exactly a smooth process.
The place currently handling Lumigan Grass is more dangerous than most dungeons.
The Adventurers’ Guild, Bandarok.
In the ga, as the story expands from Frey Academy to the continent in the mid-ga episodes, these are the first enemies to stand in Ivan’s way.
You might wonder why adventurers are a threat in the mid-ga.
Well, these aren’t your average adventurers.
They’re a hidden subsidiary of the Beltus Cult.
And among their forces, they boast the largest scale.
Is it just about scale?
Appearing in the mid-ga, each adventurer is stronger than the mid-bosses from the early chapters—and, naturally, stronger than .
The executives, especially.
In particular, Narsi, the master of Bandarok, is one of the continent’s few Gold Badge rcenaries and a 5th-circle mage.
To steal Lumigan Grass, I’d have to risk my life.
Outside the window, darkness had settled over the world.
The desk clock showed exactly [23:05].
The dormitory, post-roll call, was silent, and the streetlights around it had all been lit for curfew.
I opened a Subspace.
From it, I pulled out the thief’s gear I’d hidden inside, one by one.
A neatly folded black suit, a belt.
Five dagger sheaths, a wire shooter, a flare, a skull mask.
And finally, a straight staff.
Swish, swish.
The only sound in my room was the faint rustle of changing clothes.
Once I’d equipped all the gear and stood before the mirror, a man with an entirely different presence stared back at .
He glared at , then put on the skull mask he held in his hand.
After securing the staff to his back, he walked toward the window.
[23:15]
I opened the window and stepped onto the sill.
My heart beat steadily, but my eyes, gazing into the abyss, were calm.
I jumped.
Thud—
In the quiet night, a single shadow slipped out of the Academy.
* * *
Below the hill, a city ca into view.
The capital of the Frey Empire, known as the Golden City, Icata.
Yet, despite its na, the city was shrouded in heavy silence and darkness.
It felt as if the entire city had sunk into the depths of the sea.
And I dove into it without hesitation, swimming freely through the pitch-black streets where even moonlight couldn’t reach.
Moving wasn’t difficult.
The low-grade thievery skill [Night Vision] clearly outlined every building and street.
Its duration was two hours.
Due to my low ntal strength, but for tonight’s operation, it was more than enough ti.
This job was ant to be a quick in-and-out anyway.
I swiftly navigated the capital’s streets, heading toward my destination.
Tap—!
At so point, I flattened myself on a rooftop, peeking out cautiously.
Across from was a five-story building.
The Adventurers’ Guild, Bandarok’s stronghold.
My destination.
If our Shadow is the Academy’s covert operative, Bandarok is the organization scheming beneath the capital’s surface.
Using Lumigan Grass to manipulate nobles and exert influence over the political sphere, their goal is to erode the Empire from its core.
And the Lumigan Grass was in Narsi’s room on the fifth floor.
Given the location, this was an extrely dangerous operation.
Bandarok boasts martial prowess comparable to a decent fiefdom’s knight order.
Narsi, in particular, could crush a Beltus Cult cleric like dough.
If I, in my current state, locked eyes with him, I’d lose a body part at best.
That’d be the lucky outco, giving a chance to escape.
In reality, eting him would an instant death.
Yet, I chose Lumigan Grass and concluded I could pull off this job because I know the inner workings of this place inside and out.
Information is a thief’s greatest strength.
As long as you can read the entire board, there’s no place a thief can’t infiltrate.
Every day at midnight, Narsi leaves for a eting with the cult.
In other words, he’s not there right now.
I pulled a pocket watch from my coat to check the ti.
[00:05]
Of course, every plan has variables, so certainty is dangerous.
Maybe today Narsi left a bit late, or perhaps the eting was canceled for so reason, and he didn’t go out at all.
I don’t know how many adventurers are inside either.
I had to account for all of it.
Click.
I drew the wire shooter from my waist.
The building’s layout was clear in my mind.
The third floor houses guest rooms for adventurers, and the fourth floor is for Bandarok guild mbers’ quarters.
Naturally, entering through the main entrance on the first floor carries too many risks.
That’s the standard route for completing a quest legitimately.
Here, I had only one path to choose.
[Focused Gaze]
My vision zood in.
I aid the shooter at the sky and pulled the trigger.
Ping!
The harpoon shot out, embedding precisely into the rooftop railing.
I tugged, and the wire transmitted a firm, secure sensation to my grip.
Without hesitation, I jumped.
My body lost gravity, gliding through the air.
Whoosh—
Control kicked in almost instantly.
My body swung in a parabolic arc around the pillar.
In the blink of an eye, the building’s red bricks were right in front of .
Just before impact, I cast the thievery skill [Lightweight].
Tap…!
My lightened body landed softly on the wall.
I didn’t cast the skill before falling to ensure I landed at the exact spot.
Fortunately, the timing was perfect, and I settled precisely between the third and fourth floors.
I hung there, suspended in midair, for a mont.
Holding my breath, I focused all my senses beyond the wall.
Even the slightest contact could produce sound.
I heightened my perception to check the situation inside, preparing for any surprises.
"…"
It was silent.
No vibrations, not even the faintest noise.
If sothing suspicious had been detected, a window below would’ve opened by now.
A sigh of relief escaped, but I couldn’t let my guard down.
Maintaining tension, I carefully climbed the wall using the secured wire.
Until the fifth-floor balcony was just above my head.
Then, I used a summoning art.
"…Sylph."
A faint breeze brushed my ear.
A tiny waterbird perched on my shoulder, staring at intently.
"Go up to the railing, check if anyone’s in the room, and let know."
It tilted its walnut-sized head curiously.
Strange.
With our bond, it should be able to handle a simple command like this.
"If soone’s there, co back to . If no one’s there, stay up there. Okay?"
Chirp!
Finally, it flapped its tiny wings and flew upward.
Exactly ten seconds later, I climbed onto the balcony.
"Good job, Sylph."
I looked ahead.
The empty interior of Narsi’s room filled my vision.
A surge of exhilaration welled up in my chest.
I’m finally here.
Now, I just need to enter, secure the Lumigan Grass hidden sowhere, and get out.
Then this job is done.
But it’s too early to celebrate.
An excited mind can jeopardize an operation.
Moreover, a job isn’t complete with just securing the target—it’s only over when my personal safety is ensured.
I can celebrate after that.
I approached the sliding door blocking the room.
Creak, the handle turned with a faint tallic sound, but it didn’t open.
It was locked from the inside.
As expected. I’d anticipated this and prepared accordingly.
I channeled the energy of [Telekinesis] into my hand.
Gripping the handle again, my mana flowed through it, extending deep into the lock.
I closed my eyes and focused.
The internal structure of the lock ford in my mind.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a complex chanical device—just a simple latch on the inside.
I seized control and pushed it outward.
Click!
The door opened.
Creak—
I stepped inside.
Checking my pocket watch, the minute hand pointed to 13.
"…Gotta hurry."
Sweat beaded in my palm.
One variable in this operation: the ti it takes for Narsi to finish his business and return.
I don’t know exactly when that’ll be.
I only know the eting spot is a tavern in Icata’s slums, so I estimate about 30 minutes of leeway.
Based on that, I have roughly 14 minutes left.
And that’s just my guess.
If he makes a quick report and returns imdiately, it could be even less.
It’d be nice if he got stuck in a long eting, but that’s up to luck.
And the mont you rely on the uncertainty of luck for an operation’s success, it’s already a failed job.
You always assu the worst and do your best.
My movents naturally quickened.
Step.
Entering the room, the first thing that caught my eye was the ss of scattered docunts
Guild-related papers, maps of dungeons or ancient ruins.
There’s probably a safe under the desk with records of dealings with the Beltus Cult, but I ignored it.
I don’t have ti to crack a safe.
Instead, I used the thievery skill [Detection].
Zing—
Mana radiated from my body, sweeping through the room.
That’s when I felt an unusual presence.
It ca from behind the bookshelf straight ahead.
There was definitely a hidden space there.
But where’s the entrance?
Scanning the room, I approached a statue of a goddess beside the bookshelf.
Lumir, the goddess of abundance, fertility, and maidens.
But she was being treated rather harshly here, her beautifully carved form covered in dusty gri.
Except for the goblet she held.
Narsi wouldn’t be chugging drinks from that goblet, so I examined it closely.
When I turned the goblet to the right—
…Rumble.
The bookshelf shifted, revealing a hidden door.
At that mont, I dove to the side.
It was a sudden, almost reckless move.
But that swift action and judgnt saved my one and only life.
Reviews
All reviews (0)