Chapter 221 : Chapter 221

Chapter 221 - Seizing the Elixir

Kang ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Yu took out the disguise equipment. There was nothing particularly special about the disguise equipment of a Grade 1 Agent.

That ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was because disguise equipment itself was issued from the time one was a lower-ranking agent. The higher an agent’s rank rose, the less often they used one-dimensional tools like disguises.

Therefore, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍among high-ranking agents, it was difficult even to find someone who carried such equipment around.

However, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Kang Yu, who preferred to move spontaneously rather than follow protocol, had packed disguise equipment in one corner.

It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was a single box. Inside the box were wigs and rows of materials needed to create disposable artificial skin.

“There ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is a lot here. You even have every kind of wig.”

“The only thing I am better at than you is disguise. There was a time when I took it seriously and dug into it.”

“How absurd. You should have practiced Spirit Form instead with that time.”

“Did you tell me to take this out just so you could lecture me?”

Of course not. Mirea went back to the box where the corpses had been hidden and brought back the robes that the corpses no longer needed.

“Put them on.”

“…Why?”

“You know we have no time.”

“Damn it.”

Without even knowing the proper reason, Kang Yu put on the robe.

Should he have pushed forward according to the protocol after all? Should he try to persuade her even now? Such worries filled him.

But it was already too late. The ship had risen, and the operation had been decided as this. The only problem was that he did not know what “this” was.

“Ugh. The stench of an ancient old man is awful. Do these bastards not do laundry?”

“They say the Wisdom Robe is sterilized just by hanging it in sunlight. I do not know about the smell, though.”

“I truly hope that is true. So what is next?”

Mirea moved the disguise equipment box in front of him.

“What else? Disguise yourself as the mage you just killed. Make fake blood as well.”

“…For now, I understand.”

Kang Yu crouched in a corner of the cargo hold, placed a small mirror from the box in front of him, and spread out the tools.

He melted the hardened artificial-skin material little by little while opening the lids of the paints. As he did, he asked.

“Why are you making me dress up as an old mage? There will be some spare time while I do the disguise, so tell me now.”

“You know this too. The two of us cannot kill the Third Son anyway.”

“That is true.”

What two Grade 1 Agents could do was assassinate a high-ranking mage. The mana sensitivity with which a Wisdom bloodline member was born was no joke.

If they used Full Body Spirit Form, they would be able to approach him, but they could not interfere with the real world. Furthermore, if they materialized even slightly, he would notice immediately.

The other option was not to use even a grain of mana, but that was realistically difficult.

“According to the original protocol, one person would draw attention while the other stole the Spatial Artifact containing the Elixir, but there is a reason I hesitated.”

She had realized it while looking down at the Third Son from atop the pillar.

“He was carrying too many Spatial Artifacts.”

“You saw even that from there?”

“Did you not?”

“…About how many were there?”

“Roughly nine.”

Kang Yu, who had been attaching artificial skin to his own skin, opened his mouth.

“Even a first-rate letter carrier would not carry that many.”

“They must have done it even more to make the location of the Elixir confusing. No matter how much attention you draw, and no matter how fast I am, stealing all of them is impossible.”

“There is even a chance that all of them are fakes.”

Mirea nodded.

“That is why this operation is necessary. And the star of the operation is you.”

“Haa… This strangely feels as though I am being scammed.”

“What scam is there in an operation? Do not worry, and just act hurt properly. Copy the voice as much as possible too.”

“That is my specialty, so it does not matter.”

SPLASH—

Mirea, who had been making fake blood beside him, sprayed it on him immediately.

The robe, now soaked in dark red blood, smelled fishy even though he knew it was fake. It was not a very pleasant feeling.

“…At least say something before you spray it.”

“It has to be like this to look natural. How is the makeup?”

“Almost done.”

The disguise, completed by expressing wrinkles and adding a beard, looked exactly like the mage they had just rendered brain-dead.

“It is good. You are much better than I am.”

“I told you so.”

The young voice coming from an old man’s face created a considerable sense of dissonance. His disguise skills were impressive enough to create that dissonance.

“I said this long ago too, but you would have done well if you had joined a theater troupe.”

“Do you know that being a Grade 1 Agent of the Intelligence Department also means living a successful life? Besides, if I had joined a theater troupe, I would not have met you.”

“What utter nonsense.”

“Your true feelings slipped out.”

“I mean it. And excuse me for a moment.”

POW―!!

“Guh.”

His waist bent automatically from the rough blow to his abdomen.

Kang Yu collapsed to the floor like a well-cooked shrimp.

“Stay still there.”

After putting away the disguise tools, the Head Maid opened her Spatial Artifact and took out the undead. Then she broke them apart with her own hands.

As large and small fragments scattered around the cargo hold, the atmosphere became rather convincing. It was an atmosphere the mages of the West would hate very much.

“From now on, you are a mage who was injured by the self-destruction of a Millesdusk intruder while trying to eliminate him after he crawled into the ship.”

“Wh-What?”

Even if he was good at memorizing faces, the words that struck his ears in rapid succession hit his brain and bounced off.

“We begin.”

Mirea fiercely wrapped mana around her fist. As an Intelligence Department agent, she had never used such obvious mana operation, but that was precisely why it felt liberating.

BOOOOM―!!

“This is not bad either.”

A hole large enough to suck in one person appeared in a corner of the cargo hold.

WHOOOOOOOOOSH―

Like one enormous mouth, the hole began sucking in everything around it. The two agents endured it, but the boxes did not.

Those that had been tied down shook here and there, looking as though they might break free at any moment.

“Now people will come.”

Sure enough, the outside of the door was already noisy. In addition, the owner of the ship was coming too.

“Act well.”

“Damn it… I should never have agreed to this.”

With a faint smile, Mirea hid behind the cargo.

Before the Third Son, she could not use even the slightest bit of mana. From now on, she had to endure with pure physical ability alone.

CLANG―!

The door opened violently, and the Wisdom Delegation entered.

“…What happened here?”

Ryan, the Third Son of Wisdom, frowned and stretched his hand toward the damaged hole.

GRRRRRIND—

Translucent membranes were layered one by one and overlapped, until the hole was no longer a hole.

Luther, who had been beside the Third Son, hurriedly approached the sorcerer acting as the fallen mage.

“Look here, Gelum. What happened? Where is Max, who went down with you?”

“…They, they…”

The actor first seized the emotion. He hid the awkwardness of the altered voice with a voice overcome by emotion. He conveyed the situation through sobs instead.

Startled by the sobbing and the moisture mixed into the voice, Luther asked again.

“M-Millesdusk had infiltrated this place…!”

“That is… correct. Max and I happened to encounter them, and we engaged them in battle, but because those things chose to self-destruct, Max…”

His words were again explained by the tears of a survivor. Luther patted his shoulder as though that was enough.

The old man’s shoulder was strangely solid, but that was not important right now.

“…Young Master. It seems those bastards had hidden themselves here. The traces of these undead are also ominous.”

“Yes. I can see that too.”

Ryan, the Third Son, glanced at the undead remains Mirea had scattered. At a glance, the foul stench that made one cover one’s nose was only natural.

Now that the hole through which the outside had been clearly visible was gone, the smell directly struck their noses. They were clearly the undead of the eastern sorcerers.

“There may be more of them. Everyone else will search outside the cargo hold, and Luther, move Gelum to the treatment room.”

Yes, sir!

The Delegation answered all at once and moved.

“Now, put your arm around my neck.”

“Thank you. Cough, cough…”

Kang Yu, pretending to be Gelum, left the cargo hold while being supported by Luther. To be honest, he did not know whether this was all right.

That was because she had only told him to act and had not told him what came next.

So for now, he leaned on Luther and walked as slowly and painfully as possible. Even then, there was no particular signal or response.

I suppose it is all right to leave for now…?

Kang Yu swallowed his unease and left the cargo hold. Continuing to be supported by Luther, he limped all the way to the treatment room.

“How many of them were there?”

Luther did not keep his mouth still even as they walked.

“The ones we saw were two. Cough… Both of them self-destructed. Cough…”

He kept coughing to mean, please shut up, but this collateral bloodline bastard did not know that silence was golden.

Furthermore, in any play, the talkative ones tended to die early.

“Were they the ghosts belonging to that Intelligence Department?”

“Correct.”

The moment the assassin and the victim were alone in one room, the treatment room became a locked chamber.

He understood that this was a collateral bloodline mage who could even use Polymorph. But so what?

STAB―

“…!!”

Just as they made no mistakes in mana operation, their daggers made no mistakes either. That was how it was at a distance close enough to hear each other’s breathing.

Even with a blade lodged from beneath his chin all the way to his brain, the eyes of the collateral bloodline member turned toward him.

Those eyes, utterly unable to believe what had happened, were one of the few amusements of wearing a disguise.

“The only Wisdom bloodline member who will leave this ship alive will be your Young Master.”

SLIDE—

When he pulled out the blade, the corpse collapsed to the floor. Blood gushed out and dirtied the floor, but that was the cleaner’s work.

He now hid the dagger inside his sleeve and turned around.

“Mirea. What comes next?”

He ran to the cargo hold where she would be and opened the door.

“You came earlier than I expected.”

Then he saw Mirea standing over the fallen Third Son. Kang Yu stammered for a moment as he asked.

“Wh-What is this? Did you just defeat a direct-line bloodline member of Wisdom?”

“No. He has fainted. The mana of a direct-line bloodline member is currently fighting hard against the poison I received from the Young Master.”

“…What kind of poison did the Young Master give you?”

“The Elixir they gave us was actually a deadly poison. The Young Master knew that in advance, created a dokdan, and absorbed it.”

It had been compressed into a few words, but Kang Yu immediately understood that it was not something easy.

“Even without Wisdom or his siblings, he frequently crosses the line between life and death.”

“He does tend to. More importantly, what did you do with the collateral bloodline member who supported you earlier?”

“I killed him.”

“The blood?”

“Here.”

He handed her the dagger hidden in his sleeve as it was. With an indifferent expression, she accepted the dagger and wiped the flat of the blade with her palm.

Her blood-soaked hand moved toward the Spatial Artifacts whose locations she had identified.

“There is anti-theft magic cast on them, so they cannot even be touched without their biological material.”

Thus, she used the blood of the collateral bloodline member, which had at least faint traces of the same blood mixed in, and removed all of the Spatial Artifacts. However, another important problem remained.

“What should we do with this one? We obviously have to take him with us, right?”

“Then we cannot use Full Body Spirit Form. Even unconscious, his mana defense is so tremendous that we cannot put him into a Spatial Artifact either.”

“Then we have to kill him.”

Taking out another dagger, Kang Yu approached the fallen man. But his feet went rigid and refused to move.

CRACKLE— CRACKLE—

An electric current surged around the fallen Wisdom bloodline member. The closer the knife came, the worse it became.

The Grade 1 Agent, who naturally moved away, swallowed a groan.

“…A Lightning Spirit.”

“It seems the Wisdom Family Head planted it in him.”

“He had a very annoying guard attached to him. It seems stealing things is allowed, but stealing his life is not.”

“It is a spirit, after all. It looks at killing intent rather than actions. That is why I could not inject enough poison to kill him.”

In other words, this was as far as they could go. They had to be satisfied with the achievement of killing another collateral bloodline member and obtaining the Elixir.

Furthermore, the Elixir was inside one of the Spatial Artifacts they had seized. When they opened one Spatial Artifact, rainbow light and a brilliant glow poured out.

It was proof that they had obtained the Elixir.

“As expected. I thought he would keep it by his side even when sleeping or washing.”

“Now it is time to leave.”

“Yes. Let us go.”

As he answered, he tore off the fake pieces of skin attached to his face and took off the robe. Now they had to return, hand over the Elixir they had seized, and report at the same time.

It was urgent news that a large-scale teleportation magic circle was being built right before Millesdusk’s nose.