Your reaction is a bit slow. Is someone else nearby?
A chill ran down my spine.
It was true that I hadn't reacted immediately because I was looking at Owen beside me. But it was only for a fleeting moment no more than two or three seconds.
To deduce someone else's presence simply from my delayed reaction?
For a moment, Yuria flashed through my mind. Though her name, voice, and appearance were nothing alike, Elena and Yuria shared one striking similarity: both possessed a genius that defied my comprehension.
Glancing sideways, I saw Owen's face had also stiffened.
"Are you hiding nearby?"
-Surely not. Do I look that bored to you?
"The one next to me is Owen."
"O-Owen! Mirror-nim!"
-Mirror, huh? You... you're not talking about me, are you?
"I only mentioned the codename."
-...Hmph. Even so, I didn't expect you to just blurt it out.
"There was no instruction not to."
-Still, to just say it like that... Despite my insistence on secrecy... You're not the type who needs everything explained from A to Z, are you? ...Are you?
"Enough with the jokes."
-It's not a joke, but... Well, let's discuss this matter thoroughly later.
"What should we do? We don't have enough Space Transfer Scrolls to reach our designated Territory."
"I see. You said your current location is Sector 1,122, right?"
"That's right. Sector 1,122, Hoz's Forest."
Although this territory was near Osten Prison, it didn't belong to Count Osten. But it was by no means a safe place. If we lingered here, Osten's knights could easily track us down.
"Head west to Sector 1,591. We'll meet you there."
"Meet me? You're actually planning to come to Sector 1,591 yourself?"
"I have questions for Owen. We were originally planning to meet in person anyway, so just think of it as a change of location."
Click.
The connection through the conch shell was severed.
I turned to look at Owen. His face was frozen in a rigid expression.
"Why are you so stiff?"
"...It's just hitting me that I'm actually going to meet an Executive... And... why does Executive Mirror want to meet me personally? Now that I think about it, I can't figure out the reason."
"Isn't it because you're an informant? And after working in Hell for thirteen years, wouldn't it be time to meet an Executive? Maybe it's a promotion."
"Promotion... You don't think they'd make me an Executive, do you?!"
"Of course not."
"Ha. Hahaha. Yeah, right. Even if I get promoted, there's no way I'd become an Executive. But maybe I could at least hope for a Department Head position?"
The mention of Department Head reminded me of Pesica. I remembered her being quite high-ranking in Helten.
"...Well, if I get promoted, that's probably the level I'd reach."
I led Owen and his comrades westward.
After walking for two straight hours, we arrived at Sector 1,591, the Giant's Ruins.
The Giant's Ruins was a territory littered with shattered temple pillars. No people or animals were visible nearby.
Even I knew little about this area. It hadn't appeared in the Original Work, and the Setting Book contained no information about it whatsoever.
"You've come," Elena said, her body concealed by a cloak and her face hidden behind a Mirror Mask. She leaned against a broken pillar, waiting for us.
She strode toward us and addressed me directly. "Well done. This is the promised reward."
I accepted the bright pink pill she offered.
Cherry Blossom Spirit's Gratitude
A bead imbued with the power of the Cherry Blossom Spirit.
Upon consumption, it increases Mana Stats by 3.
Only effective upon first use.
Type: Consumable
Rank: A
Despite its somewhat odd name, this was a rare Spirit Medicine that boosted Mana stats. I immediately stored it in my inventory.
"Aren't you going to take it right away? I thought you'd gulp it down without a second thought."
"I'll take it later."
"Hmm."
I planned to enhance the Spirit Medicine using the Bright Ascension Chart before consuming it.
Taking it in the real world wouldn't be bad, but it would only raise my Mana stat by one point at most.
Besides, if I didn't take it in this world, Elena might become suspicious.
I briefly considered giving it to Yuria, but as an Aura Master and Archmage, such a Spirit Medicine wouldn't significantly benefit her. It would be far more efficient for me to consume it myself.
"Are you Owen?"
"Yes, yes. I am Owen Tailond, Mirror-nim," Owen replied, bowing nervously. The four comrades standing near him followed suit, their faces a mix of confusion and apprehension. Originally, Helten's group had planned to leave these men behind, as they had no connection to Helten's affairs. However, Elena insisted on bringing them all.
"Owen Tailond. Do you have any idea why I rescued you?"
"...I'm not sure. I've been imprisoned for over three months. The only reason I can think of for breaking me out of prison would be for a mission... but if it's a task I can handle, surely others could do it just as well."
"Correct. It's not about a mission. I simply have a question for you."
"...What question is it?"
"That's why you deliberately entered the prison. Truth be told, I considered extracting you two months ago, but I figured there must be a reason why an expert like you would enter Osten Prison, so I left you be."
Owen hesitated slightly.
I understood Owen's discomfort. He was uneasy about the Mirror Mask Elena was wearing. It must feel strange to look at someone and see his own reflection staring back through the mask.
"Ah... it's nothing much, really. I publicly work as a fixer."
"I know."
"I received a request from a loan shark. Years ago, debtors who had skipped out on their debts fled to Osten Prison, but the shark bribed the warden to torture them to death."
"That's a common occurrence. People sometimes see prisons as safe havens, especially Exiles."
"The job was to find assets hidden by debtors within the prison. The loan shark was convinced they had converted their wealth into goods and stashed them there. Realizing it was impossible to investigate the prison and escape alone, I called in four comrades who did similar work."
"An intriguing tale. But I'm more curious about how much you were paid for this job."
"...I received 30 million Pennies upfront. Another 30 million Pennies would be paid upon successful completion."
"So, did you find the debtors' treasure?"
"No. It was all a misunderstanding by the loan shark."
"That's unfortunate. Does this mean you won't receive the 30 million Penny reward?"
"Yes. Loan sharks are ruthless. But it's alright. 30 million Penny in three months... divided among five people, that's 6 million Penny each a decent profit."
6 million Penny.
That's 60 million Hwanhwa. As Owen said, it's a substantial sum for three months of hard work.
"Mirror-nim, has your question been answered?"
"Yes, sufficiently. But our conversation has sparked another question."
"What is it? I'll answer any question you have to the best of my ability."
"Never mind. No need to trouble yourself. I'll find out myself."
"...Ye?"
Elena removed the black cloak concealing her body, revealing her white uniform. Until that moment, Owen seemed utterly clueless.
Elena then removed her Mirror Mask, revealing her coolly fluttering blue bob and a beautiful face wearing a haughty smile.
Owen's eyes widened to the point of tearing, and his jaw dropped.
"Phantom Duke...!"
A Helten Executive had revealed herself.
What does this mean?
Quick-thinking Owen shouted to his comrades, "Run!!!"
But Owen's comrades couldn't move. From the moment Owen uttered the word "usurer," they had fallen under Elena's illusion, drooling like fools with vacant expressions.
"You crazy bitch! Phantom Duke! What are you lacking that you'd work for Hel...ten's... uh..."
Owen's face transformed, mirroring his comrades'. His pupils dilated, and saliva dripped from his mouth.
By now, they're likely trapped in illusions, witnessing hellish visions. If not that, they're probably reliving old memories.
"Why couldn't you have done this from the start?"
"I gave him a chance. If he had told the truth, none of this would have happened."
"You would have spared him if he told the truth?"
"No. I would have granted him a blissful death."
"...And what does this 'blissful death' entail?"
"A dream where he achieves everything he desires and lives the life he craves. Then, a peaceful death without any suffering. ...Hmm. Now that I say it aloud, isn't this a mercy so beautiful it would move an angel to tears?"
"Are you drunk?"
"I don't drink much. Despite appearances, I have a family history of low alcohol tolerance."
"Then what kind of illusions are they experiencing right now?"
"It's torture. He's endlessly reliving the torture. By now, he's probably died about thirty times."
"Is that even possible?"
"It's an illusion. Manipulating the speed of consciousness to compress one second into a thousand is child's play."
"..."
No, that's absolutely not child's play, Elena thought, swearing to herself.
She turned to Owen, still trapped in the illusion. "Why did you enter Osten Prison?"
"...His Highness the Crown Prince ordered me to verify the truth behind the rumors."
"Hmm. So you were the Crown Prince's spy?"
"...Yes. I infiltrated Helten as the Crown Prince's spy."
"Is that so? You've been a low-ranking informant for thirteen years. Incompetent. Ah, I'm not talking about you. I mean the Crown Prince who used you was incompetent. If it were me, I wouldn't entrust espionage to someone as useless as you."
"..."
"What's the truth behind the rumors you confirmed by entering the prison yourself? Were they true?"
"They were true. A monster lives in Osten Prison..."
"What information do you have about this monster?"
"...Every Friday, it devours prisoners alive..."
"Is that all? Understood."
Pale blue butterflies materialized around Elena, fluttering and circling her. I kept my distance, careful to avoid their touch.
The butterflies brushed past Owen and his comrades.
Immediately, Owen and his comrades reacted strangely. They formed a circle, extended their arms sideways, and gripped the necks of the men beside them. Then, in unison, they strangled each other, collapsing to the ground and dying.
Blue butterflies swarmed around her, circling in the air.
"Heavenly Demon, are you afraid of me?"
In the original work, most people who knew of the Phantom Duke's power feared him. Even the protagonist, Kang Myungjin, had been wary of her.
If I hadn't possessed the Mental Resistance Trait, I might have feared her too.
"No. You're sexy."
"...Sexy? That's a new one. Heh heh."
Elena didn't seem offended by my rude comment, chuckling softly.
"What's this rumor you mentioned?"
"Nothing much. Just the rumor that Count Osten is raising monsters in his prison that feed on humans. It's quite a famous rumor in the Empire's social circles. The Crown Prince ordered an investigation into the truth behind it... probably because Count Osten belongs to the Noble faction, and he wants to be cautious."
Monsters that eat humans?
This world is overflowing with man-eating monsters. In fact, monsters that don't eat humans are probably rarer.
"That was surprisingly easy. I'm feeling a bit peckish. Fancy grabbing a drink?"
"A transparently ulterior motive. Sorry, but I have things to do. I'll be going now."
Elena vanished using a Space Displacement Scroll.
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
How am I going to get Elena into bed?
Elena seemed open-minded, yet she was fiercely conservative. I racked my brain, but no brilliant ideas came to mind.
Should I try using information from the Original Work to seduce her?
I shook my head. Elena was a formidable woman. A clumsy attempt would likely result in me being the one drained dry.
I don't know. I'll get her someday. No, I will get her.
I retrieved a Space Displacement Scroll from my Inventory. As for the corpses here? The beasts nearby would take care of them.