150. Code 0
Through empty hallways, Zack headed towards the basent.
Going past aged corridors that stank of rusted iron, he stopped before a large door. He retrieved a key from his breast pocket and turned the lock. Checking behind him to make sure he hadn’t been tailed, Zack entered the room.
I heard the lock click as soon as the door was closed.
I too checked my surroundings and seeing no one there, I revealed myself.
I turned the door handle. Locked, as expected.
I jutted so sli into the keyhole and picked the lock. Lockpicking is sothing I learned in my past life so it was a breeze. What’s a power in the shadows if he can’t open a few closed doors?
Incidentally, I have my slis hidden inside my body so they won’t find anything even with a full pat down.
I checked the presences on the other side and, determining it to be safe, stealthily entered the room.
It was a large, dimly-lit room. A celler of sorts.
At the back of the room, there was a lit lamp with a number of n gathered around it.
I sneaked closer and hid behind a crate. I checked and the crate was empty.
The n were discussing sothing in the dark room. Zack was among them.
“Boss, we’re all here like you ordered.”
“Seems so...”
The man who the others seed to defer to as their boss stepped forward. I’d imagined him to be sothing like a boss grunt, but he turned out to be a lot younger.
In his early 20s, most likely.
He had gray hair extending down to his shoulders and was well featured. He was no grunt. In fact, he even looked sort of intelligent.
From his musculature and posture, I could tell that he was trained in martial arts.
He didn’t have the air of an prisoner at all.
I like it. Breaking the mold and all that.
“Well t, brothers. The Doem Faction is pleased with your various contributions.”
The boss said with a practiced voice, casting his gaze over the surrounding n.
He then proceeded to ask each one of them what he desired.
I see, so the thing about giving it to a guard was a lie.
“Zack, what about you?”
“I want— food. Good food and more of it. Enough for two people at least.”
Nicely done Mr. Zack!
“Gonna put on ‘em pounds, Zack!”
Zack cringed from the surrounding jeers.
“Boss, let’s have another stripper show with the boys!”
“That shit’s great, boss!”
“Again? ...Try to keep it in moderation, n.”
Like that, Mr. handso bossman listened to everyone’s requests one by one.
And once he was done, his face turned serious for the first ti.
“Brothers, we are in difficult tis. Lately, there have been more attempts to cull our numbers. Why only yesterday, a coach carrying officers was assaulted, resulting in 7 dead.”
For a mont, I thought that was talking about , but I didn’t leave the camp yesterday, so it must be soone else.
“He’s skilled. Every ti he’s killed, he’s done so without a sound. We’ve taken to calling him OWL.”
OWL, eh... sounds important.
“And believe it or not, there are signs that this bastard OWL is in this camp.”
That got a slight reaction out of Zack.
“Zack, sothing the matter?”
“N-nothin’, boss...”
Zack lowered his gaze to escape from his boss’s overpowering stare.
“This OWL likely wants to get in contact with Clara Oriana. We must find him before he does. Is that clear?”
All the n nodded.
“Then that is all for now... no, there is one last matter. We have a traitor amongst us.”
The bossman drew a knife and poised it towards Zack.
“—You.”
And with surprising speed, he threw it.
Other than , none of the n gathered could dodge a throw like that.
The knife grazed past Zack’s ears and sunk into the face of the man behind him.
“This is the fool who dared to leak our info to the Royalists.”
The other n simply looked on silently as the traitor bled and died.
“That is all. You all may leave.”
And leave they did without a mont to spare.
“—Zack.”
Zack, however, was the only one told to stay.
“You’re— not hiding sothing, are you?”
The bossman looked at Zack with chilled eyes.
“N-never, boss.” Zack squeaked while seating bullets.
“—All right. I will believe you.” The bossman patted Zack on the shoulder once, and left the celler.
Now left alone, Zack heaved a shuddering sigh and wiped off his sweat.
Which is when I decided to also pat his shoulder.
“Oo, ooooahh!? Wait what!! You!! What the actual fuck!!”
Mr. Zack got extrely freaked, and then seriously angry.
“Oops, didn’t an to do that. Thanks for keeping the secret.”
“Like I have a choice. He’d kill soon as I told.”
“Likely, yes.”
“But damn, so you’re really that OWL...”
“Truthfully, I’m really not.”
“... Wait, you’re not?”
Zack didn’t seem very convinced.
“I never went out yesterday. This OWL is likely soone similar to .”
“Yeah, sure. You think you can pass any info about OWL to ? You saw it right? Bossman’s suspicious of . Mainly ‘cause of you.”
“It shouldn’t take long to find out who OWL is. I can’t guarantee if I can have you know, however. There are few people in my line of business... those of reputable skill often turn out to be acquaintances...”
I said this so he doesn’t ask any more questions. Since I had no clue who OWL is.
“Fuck . You gotta help out, man. Boss is fucking ruthless, you saw him right? You might be fine. You can use your mana. But , I got nothing’.”
“Oh, by the way, your boss’s mana seal coller. It’s a fake.”
“Y-yer kidding !?”
“Nope.”
“Fuuuck... so he’s even stronger than you?”
“—What do you think?”
I did the instant mana release trick causing a small gust.
“Uh, yeah, maybe not...”
“It doesn’t really... oh? What’s this...”
Due to the sudden wind, a small piece of paper landed at my feed.
I picked it up— and got a brilliant idea.
“— Interesting.”
I muttered cryptically.
“What’s going on?”
“A note from one of my agents. I know have a very good idea who this OWL really is.”
“What!? That’s way too fast!”
“Take a look.”
I handed over the blank piece of paper.
“I, can’t see anything!”
“It only responds to very specific mana signatures. Naly mine. It’s also an encrypted ssage.”
“Seriously... looks completely white to ...”
Zack scrutinized the page from all sorts angles.
“Can’t you tell sothing, even a hint?”
“... You’re sure?”
I closed in and whispered to him.
“Code 0.”
“Coat jeer?”
“Zero being the first of numbers, aning—”
“-aning what?”
Zack gulped.
“—All will begin at last.”
I said while simultaneously erasing my presence and moving out of sight super fast.
“— HUH!? He’s gone!? Fuckin hell, the door’s still closed, how...”
Inside the empty crate, I stayed hidden until Zack left.
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