Based on the intel the man spilled, Roger's mind raced with calculations.
The town was crawling with the trafficking ring's spies. The guy had rushed after them in a panic, terrified that his "merchandise" would be snatched by a rival.
There were definitely others lurking outside the alley, waiting to pick off any easy targets.
Walking out boldly now would only tip them off, making the rest of the group more cautious.
With Erza and me, taking down three C-rank mages would be a piece of cake, but a B-rank mage could still be tricky.
We need to shift the situation to our advantage—make it so they're exposed, and we're in the shadows.
With his thoughts organized, Roger took a deep breath and raised his right hand, aiming it at the cold ground beneath him.
[Illusion Magic: Tangible Illusions]
Countless pale purple threads of light materialized out of thin air, writhing and weaving across the ground like living creatures. In the blink of an eye, they formed an intricate, mystical purple magic circle.
Poof—
A faint purple mist erupted from the circle, drawn by magic as if alive, swiftly gathering toward the center.
The mist grew thicker, churning and coalescing, gradually outlining a blurry human shape.
The figure became clearer—limbs, torso, head… until, as the mist dissipated, a perfect replica of Roger stood motionless in its place.
Its closed eyes slowly opened, locking onto Erza and Kagura ahead. The corners of its mouth curved slightly, forming a faint, somewhat stiff smile.
"A-another Brother Roger!!" Kagura gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes wide with wonder. "Illusion magic is so cool!!"
Roger frowned at the rigid expression on his "double," less than pleased. "My magic power's still too low. This illusion can't think for itself—I have to split my focus to control it."
Erza stepped forward immediately. "I'll help cover for you!"
"Following three kids into an alley and coming out with only one? That'd look suspicious no matter how you spin it," she pointed out.
"And me! Me too!" Kagura piped up, raising her small hand, her face full of determination. "I'm really good at pretending to be scared after being caught!"
Roger thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright, but safety comes first. Covering our tracks is secondary, especially for you, Kagura."
"Got it!" both girls replied in unison.
With everything set, light and shadow flickered across Roger's body. His form and face twisted and shifted, transforming in an instant into the likeness of Casson.
He bent down, scooped up the "fake" boy created by his illusion, and plastered a satisfied grin on his face before striding confidently out of the dark alley.
Behind him, Erza and Kagura followed with slumped shoulders and downcast heads, their faces etched with sorrow and fear, looking every bit like two terrified little quails dragging their feet.
As soon as they stepped out of the alley, Roger felt several greedy gazes latch onto them.
But when those eyes landed on the "boy" in his arms, some of them faded—clearly recognizing this as "Casson's" prey.
Still, a few stubborn, venomous gazes lingered, tracking them like cold serpents.
Following the route from the man's memories, Roger arrived at a shop with tightly shuttered windows and doors.
He stepped forward and knocked three times—tap, tap, tap—not too heavy, not too light, and lowered his voice to ask, "Still got any… candy?"
From behind the door came the approaching click-clack of heels on the floor.
With a soft click, the door cracked open, and a beautiful woman with long blue hair peeked out.
A warm smile spread across her face as her eyes scanned the group. "We've got some left. How much does the customer want?"
Roger tilted the "boy" in his arms just enough to show his face, putting on a helpless yet indulgent expression. "Three bags. The kid's throwing a fit for candy. No choice but to come out this late to get some."
The woman's eyes flicked to the boy's face, a fleeting glint of surprise passing through them, but her smile didn't waver. She even reached out to gently pat the boy's head, her tone soft and kind.
"Kids, huh? They all love their sweets. Come in and pick out some flavors you like." She stepped aside enthusiastically.
As Kagura, the last to enter, crossed the threshold, a sharp snap rang out. The door slammed shut, followed by the clear sound of a lock clicking into place.
The moment the door closed, the woman's warm, friendly smile vanished like smoke. She turned, her eyes scanning Erza and Kagura like she was appraising goods.
"Tch, they're pretty enough, I'll give them that," she said with a dismissive smirk. "But look at those filthy clothes. Runaways from some losing battle, I bet. Orphans, right?"
Seeing the two girls shrink under her scrutinizing gaze, she let out a derisive chuckle before turning to Roger.
"You've got some luck, don't you? This is, what, your fourth batch? All prime catches, too."
Roger grinned, pulling 2,000 jewels from his pocket and handing them over. "Gotta thank you, Frey, for the help. That couple last time wasn't easy to fool."
Frey raised an eyebrow, surprised, as she weighed the money in her hand. "Well, look at you, being all generous today. Sun rising in the west or what?"
Pleased with the unexpected windfall, her smile gained a touch of sincerity.
She walked behind the counter, leaned down, and pressed a hidden button beneath the desk.
Rumble…
A low, mechanical grinding sound echoed from a room at the back of the shop.
Frey propped her chin on one hand, smirking as she nodded toward the back. "Alright, go on. Grab your reward, and you might even make it to the boss's victory feast."
"I heard the boss hooked up with a dark guild," she added, a greedy glint in her eyes. "From now on, not only will pretty kids fetch a high price, but even the less attractive, sturdy ones—'laborers'—will bring in some nice coin."
"Victory feast…" Roger's lips curved into a barely noticeable smirk as he carried the boy toward the back room, marked with a toy double-sword emblem, muttering under his breath, "Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to this 'feast.'"
They passed through the doorway into a storage room cluttered with miscellaneous items and candy jars. A narrow, dark tunnel, just wide enough for one person, gaped in the wall.
They entered one by one, and a few meters in, the light grew dim.
Kagura rubbed her stiff cheeks, grumbling softly, "Pretending to be scared this whole time's making my face sore… No wonder the missing kids were never found. They're hiding them underground!"
Erza scanned the rough dirt walls and dim oil lamps, analyzing, "Hiding the entrance in a candy shop is clever. Even if someone saw them bringing kids in, they could just say they were buying sweets."
"And that woman at the shop has such a friendly vibe," she added, frowning slightly. "Even I probably wouldn't have suspected her the first time I saw her."
"And if someone did manage to find this place, barging in without knowing the enemy's strength would be suicide." She shook her head. "This is one sinister organization."
Roger nodded in agreement, then lowered his voice. "You two will probably be locked up with the other kids soon."
"Listen carefully: if you hear a loud explosion, take the chaos as your chance to escape. If things outside start quieting down, stick to the plan we discussed."
"Got it," Erza replied firmly.
The tunnel soon ended at a heavy iron door.
Roger raised his hand again and knocked three times in a rhythmic pattern.
"Three candies… doesn't seem like quite enough to satisfy."
A muffled voice responded from behind the door: "Then come in and check out the other sweets."