Chapter 88

As we traveled along the river through the heavy rain, we safely located an intact bridge. We returned to our intended route and arrived at our scheduled town shortly after.

For the record, this area was still under the Sage’s jurisdiction. It was a small-scale town without outer walls, lacking the developed feel of a place like the Arbor City. Simply put, it was a rural backwater. Perhaps due to the rain, the streets were deserted. I only saw the occasional drenched individual who looked like an adventurer.

I slowed down, letting the Golem Car roll through the streets. According to the dummy travel itinerary I’d been given, we were supposed to stay here for two nights. Apparently, the plan was to relax and eat local cuisine. Since we were maintaining the facade of a vacation, we had to visit the sightseeing spots exactly as scheduled. It was a pain, but it couldn’t be helped.

This was an infiltration mission. I needed to investigate the Sorceress’s background without making her suspicious. Depending on how things went, I might even have to carry out an assassination. If I didn’t maintain the stance that this was just a simple trip, I’d be in for a hard time later.

Moving through the town streets, we secured a decent inn for the time being. Mihana took a separate room. She claimed that if she slept in the same room as us, no amount of lives would be enough to keep her safe. I understood her point, so I didn’t try to stop her.

We spent a quiet night at the inn. The next morning arrived without any particular trouble. The sky was clear, making yesterday’s torrential rain feel like a lie. The streets visible outside the window were bustling with life.

“Hm?”

I was lying on the sofa drinking alcohol since morning when the door to the room opened without a knock. Mihana appeared, carrying some luggage.

“I’m going out.”

“Where to?”

“Shopping. I want some time alone, so don’t follow me.”

Mihana spoke in a dismissive tone. She was as blunt as ever. Well, it wasn’t like she wanted to be friends. Despite that, the fact that she came to report her departure showed glimpses of her dutiful personality.

I waved a hand while remaining horizontal. “Is that so? Take care out there.”

“I’ll be back after I finish lunch.”

“—Right. By all means, take your time.”

As Mihana moved to close the door, I flashed her a thin smile. She paused for a second and glared at me, looking somewhat anxious for some reason. I took a sip of my drink and tilted my head.

“Something you want to say?”

“…Nothing.”

Mihana looked away and shut the door. Her footsteps faded into the distance. Once I could no longer hear them, I looked toward my partner sitting nearby.

“Alice.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s do a little experiment. We might discover something new.”

I finished the rest of the bottle and stood up. Setting it on the table, I threw on the coat I’d tossed aside. I lightly rubbed my chin and cheeks. It was a bit scratchy, but I could probably go another day without shaving.

“By a ‘new discovery,’ do you mean her ability?”

“Exactly. I had a bit of an epiphany.”

I had come up with a good plan yesterday. If this worked, I could get closer to the true nature of Mihana’s ability. At the very least, it should provide material to guess the effects of her Skill. It also helped that no matter how the results turned out, it was unlikely to cause us any disadvantage.

Mihana would probably start finding it boring if this dull fake vacation just dragged on. If we presented her with a modest little thrill here, I’m sure she’d be delighted. Since we were traveling together, I figured I’d let her enjoy a special trap of mine.

Thirty minutes later, Alice and I were on the roof of a multi-tenant building. I’d paid the landlord to rent it out temporarily. Beside me lay a sniper rifle—the same one I’d used to ambush Minoru. However, it was currently loaded with non-lethal anesthetic bullets. Even if she took a hit, her life wouldn’t be in danger.

From this position, we had a full view of the inn where we were staying. The distance was roughly seventy yards. The visibility was excellent; I could clearly see the people coming and going below.

I munched on a burger while watching the town. I’d started craving the taste of fast food, so I’d made one myself using whatever ingredients I could find. It hadn’t even reached a passing grade in terms of recreation, but it wasn’t bad in its own way. It was enough to fill my stomach. Alice, sitting beside me, was also eating with her cheeks puffed out.

Now, as for why we were perched up here: we were waiting for Mihana’s return. I had to witness her reaction when she encountered the trap I’d set. By doing so, I intended to expose that unidentified Skill.

‘Just what kind of ability does she have?’

During the heavy rain, there was that moment where Mihana suddenly spoke up. At the time, she’d brushed it off, saying it was nothing. Naturally, I didn’t believe her for a second. My guess was that Mihana had noticed the river flooding at that exact moment. When she’d cried out, we were still quite a distance from the river. It should have been nearly impossible to visually confirm the flood through that downpour.

But if she noticed something ahead in that situation, the only thing that came to mind was the river flooding.

If someone had been lying in wait, either Alice or I would have sensed them. Mihana might have grasped the reality of the flood in advance, even though it should have been impossible to know. Assuming that was due to a Skill, I could work backward to deduce its effect.

What I was about to do now was provide the evidence for that theory. If my hypothesis was correct, this would allow me to narrow down the candidates for Mihana’s ability all at once.

Munching on my “pseudo-burger,” I continued my surveillance through the scope. From this rooftop, I had a clear view down the street facing the inn. There was almost no chance I’d miss Mihana’s return.

I had secretly planted bombs in several locations inside the inn. Of course, I hadn’t given them enough destructive power to kill anyone. They would merely scatter tear gas into the surroundings. I’d set them up so that the moment I pressed the switch in my hand, the gas would spread through the inn in an instant. I intended to detonate them the moment Mihana returned.

And so, I waited for several hours.

I spotted Mihana’s back on the street. I suppressed a yawn and smirked.

“She’s finally back.”

She was heading straight for the inn. For some reason, she was walking at a brisk pace, her eyes darting around restlessly as she scanned her surroundings. Perhaps she was afraid of an ambush from us. That intuition was spot on.

Just before leaving, I’d made Mihana feel suspicious with my suggestive behavior. Add to that the fact that this was her first solo outing since the trip began. She was likely doubting the possibility that I’d set something up in town.

A wary Mihana would surely use her ability to protect herself. Based on the fact that she was able to use violence in the Headmaster’s office, it was clear her ability wasn’t a constant passive type. Whether it was voluntary or not, there was an “on-off” toggle.

To get an accurate result, I had to ensure Mihana used her ability. There was no point in making her suffer with tear gas if she was caught off guard without her ability active. I’d have her put her Skill’s activation on display and let me examine the effect.

Mihana walked toward the inn with cautious steps. She hadn’t noticed our presence far behind her. It seemed she couldn’t use detection-type Skills or magic, or perhaps her effective range was just narrow.

‘Good, good… almost there…’

I placed my finger on the switch. In that posture, I kept my eyes glued to Mihana’s movements. Concentrating every nerve in my fingertip, I waited for the moment of detonation.

Finally, Mihana reached the entrance of the inn. Just as I thought she was about to step inside, her shoulders jerked with a start. Then, she abruptly turned back at the entrance and began walking away at a fast clip, returning the way she came.

Her face, zoomed in through the scope, was oozing with impatience and fear. It was obvious she’d noticed the bombs. However, I’d planted them in spots that were absolutely impossible to notice from outside the inn. It was hard to believe she’d discovered them visually. The result was exactly as I’d predicted.

“Ha-ha, what an honest little kitten.”

I let out a cheerful laugh as I swiveled the sniper rifle I was holding. Mihana was fleeing through the streets in a panic. I pursued her, leaping from roof to roof. Conscious of making sure she never noticed me, I kept Mihana in my sight at all times. From behind, I could hear the sound of Alice following. Though she wasn’t on my level, she was still high-leveled by general standards. Her physical abilities had been enhanced by stat corrections, and it seemed she’d become capable of movements bordering on parkour.

“100, 99, 98, 97…”

While tracking Mihana, I began counting down from a hundred. I decided in my heart that I’d fire the moment I hit zero. No matter what happened, I wouldn’t waver from that. The ammunition I was using was anesthetic bullets. Even if I hit her, it wouldn’t be a breach of contract.

After fleeing for a while, Mihana hid in the shadow of an alleyway. she was staying quiet to avoid drawing attention. She leaned against a wall, catching her ragged breath. It looked like she’d run out of stamina from the sprint. That entire series of behaviors was perfectly visible from where I stood. I could snipe her at any time, but I didn’t. I strictly continued the countdown.

In Mihana’s hand, she gripped a small wand. She was probably holding it so she could use magic at any moment. At a glance, it was a trivial resistance—nothing more than a futile struggle. And yet, it was that very trivial resistance that had allowed Mihana to seize victory in our duel. I wouldn’t let my guard down again.

“……”

I dropped to one knee and took aim with the sniper rifle, watching Mihana intently from the cover of the rooftop. The distance was about eighty yards. She probably wouldn’t notice me. I continued the count.

‘Now then, how will you move?’

When the count reached sixty, Mihana’s eyes flew wide open. Then, as if panicking, she ducked into a nearby building. Blocked by the wall, I could no longer observe her through the scope.

I lowered the sniper rifle and returned it to its attache case form. Standing up, I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it. Exhaling a long, thin stream of smoke, I glanced at the building where Mihana had taken refuge.

“—Hmm, about one minute, then.”

I’d tried something fairly bold, but the harvest was massive. I’d narrowed down the true nature of Mihana’s Skill and managed to grasp its outline, however roughly. For a result, it was excellent.

“Just as you predicted, Jack.”

“Yeah, more or less,” I replied to Alice, who had been watching silently beside me, before turning on my heel. “Let’s head back. I have to remove the bombs I set in the inn.”

Carrying the attache case in my hand, I jumped from rooftop to rooftop. I descended to the ground at a suitable spot and followed the path back to the inn.

The experiment was a success. I’d learned a part of Mihana’s ability and gained a foothold for a strategy. From here, I intended to scrutinize it steadily. I’d gradually finalize the plan to kill her.