Chapter 162

“Cough.”

Upon Reika’s signal, I coughed twice precisely from behind.

This was the signal I sent to Iren.

All of this had been pre-discussed with her and the others.

She would surely catch on without difficulty.

“What is the matter?”

“Incidents of theft have been reported multiple times in this area. One just occurred right in front of this house.”

“I know nothing of it.”

“Based on the testimonies we’ve secured, we believe you need to have a little chat with us.”

“I don’t care what you’ve heard, but I have nothing to say.”

The man waved his hands dismissively, but Iren didn’t back down, stepping firmly into the room.

“It’d be wise to cooperate. Otherwise, we’ll have no choice but to detain you immediately.”

“What?!?”

The man glared at Iren for a moment but, realizing that antagonizing the guards wouldn’t benefit him, reluctantly nodded his head.

“You might regret this later, but don’t come crying to me if your accusations are baseless.”

With that, he turned around to leave—until—

“…!!”

“There’s no need to worry; that won’t happen.”

Iren drew her sword from her waist and pointed it at him.

“What are you doing…?!”

“If you answer my questions honestly, I’ll spare your life.”

It might seem a bit extreme, but these were the individuals suspected of kidnapping. Given the complications, my judgment leaned toward quickly subduing them for safety.

“…What are you?”

“My words must not be clear. If you answer my questions directly, I will spare your life.”

“…”

There was no response. Slowly, Iren asked:

“Where is Jenis?”

After a long silence, upon hearing that name, the man shuddered slightly and let out a short sigh before sneering loudly.

“You’ll hear the answer in the afterlife!”

“…!!”

At that moment, a shadow darted across the corner, rushing straight toward Iren.

It was an ambush!

Simultaneously—

SZZZT!!!

Sharp pillars of ice erupted within the room.

“What, what is this?!”

“HAAAAA!”

CLANG!

The man attempting the ambush stumbled due to the sudden ice pillar, causing the sword he held to fly far away. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed the sword and pressed it against the man’s neck.

“Another move and you’re dead.”

“Wh-what is this?! What’s going on?!”

Of course they’d be shocked by the sudden appearance of ice pillars—it was magic, after all.

The second instruction I subtly gave to Reika was to prepare an ice-based spell beforehand so it could be used instantly near me whenever necessary.

* * *

After sending Ilian Al Caskey back home, just before beginning our search operation, we conducted some tests in an isolated clearing.

This land belonged to Iren, granted by Serpina, and was close to where their future manor would be located.

“HAAAAA!”

First, we tested how well I could control Reika’s magic using my rapier.

We sent Ilian Al Caskey back because having someone who looked exactly like Jenis around could cause problems—but also because we intended to use magic, and testing it with Reika would be easier without her present. Explaining magic to her would take too much time and unnecessarily expose our tactics.

Recalling the moment when I made a hole in the castle wall, I thought perhaps this ability could make the nickname “White-Haired Mage” somewhat true.

Reika mentioned she had been practicing magic during our separation. Apparently, this place was richer in mana than Falaharte Castle, and she diligently followed the routines we had established, even without explicit orders. Whether it helped or not, her magical prowess had improved significantly since the last time I saw her.

“Alright, let’s conduct a few experiments. Understand?”

“Yes, yes!”

First, we tested basic fireball control. Using my rapier, I intercepted the fireball Reika created and hurled it toward a distant rock.

SWOOSH!

With a loud explosion, it disappeared, confirming that releasing the magic quickly allowed for better control.

Back then, the fireball lingered too long on my rapier because it was accidental, resulting in significant force.

Next, we experimented with her recent focus: ice magic. Like the fireball, holding onto it longer amplified its power. Specifically—

CRACK!

By plunging my rapier into the ground, sharp ice spikes erupted like a wall in front of us.

“Woah…!”

‘Indeed, such applications are possible.’

The inspiration came from an in-game spell where a staff-like object was tapped on the ground to produce rising ice. Mimicking that action worked perfectly here.

“This is the power of magic… Truly, if applied on the battlefield, it could drastically change the nature of war.”

Iren genuinely marveled at this revelation.

“Not yet feasible.”

“Huff… Huff…”

Repeated experimentation left Reika kneeling, panting heavily.

“To use it meaningfully in battle, stamina is crucial. At this stage, it’s impractical. While the first strike might be impactful, given that ‘mage’ has already gained some recognition, opponents will eventually adapt, leading to another war of attrition.”

“That’s true. Stamina is key… Still, assuming proper usage, this ability could indeed sway the fate of the continent. Even a regular commander like myself can imagine various applications.”

Though technically, Iren seemed far from ordinary—more like an exceptional commander—but that’s beside the point.

“How about it, Reika?”

“I think I can manage a few more uses…”

“Good. Let’s stop the test here.”

To overpower our enemies, this ‘magic’ capability was essential, so we couldn’t exhaust Reika completely. Moreover, as she suggested, using magic drained both her mana and seemingly my rapier’s energy.

‘Ideally, we should resolve things cleanly without needing this kind of trickery…’

Still, conducting the test was prudent. Ideally, everything would go smoothly, but—

* * *

Life rarely goes as planned.

As soon as I sensed the man lunging, I swiftly activated the pre-prepared magic using my rapier and struck the ground.

Just as I had tested, sharp ice pillars shot up, effectively blocking his attack.

As Reika predicted, Jenis wasn’t alone but surrounded by men during their conversation. Thus, my prediction proved correct.

‘Great. If we keep coordinating like this, we might freely use magic as needed.’

Using my rapier amplified Reika’s spells. Essentially, with her by my side, I could wield magic too. This newfound capability felt incredibly reassuring, especially since I lacked any means to defend myself otherwise. Once Reika fully masters her abilities, I may even fight alongside Iren on the battlefield. After all, I’m already known for summoning meteors from the sky; no one would doubt my powers.

“Bi… Bitch!”

“So, what now?”

Iren lowered her voice and pressed her blade closer to the man’s neck.

“…What… do you want?”

Though I wanted to kill these bastards on the spot, we needed information from them.

“You must know something about Jenis Al Caskey. Don’t pretend ignorance.”

“…”

“Just tell us where he is now.”

Silence.

I didn’t want to resort to this, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

“Hey, wait…”

Using the stolen sword, I lightly grazed the fallen man’s neck, causing a drop of blood to fall.

“I’ll… I’ll talk! I’ll talk, so please…!!”

Gathering intel proved surprisingly easy.

*

Bound tightly with ropes and seated in chairs, the two men recounted the general details of the incident.

“So, you’re just errand boys, huh?”

“Yes! We were only asked to bring Jenis Al Caskey for persuasion purposes…!”

“And who commissioned you?”

“…”

“Why did they want to persuade Jenis Al Caskey? What exactly did they aim to persuade him about?”

“…”

They refused to speak.

Sighing, I approached the man I had taken down earlier.

“Listen.”

“Wha… what?”

“You saw the ice pillars rise from the floor, right?”

I placed my hand on his chest and spoke coldly.

“What do you think would happen if those ice pillars erupted through your body instead?”

“HIIEEEEK!!!”

While I preferred not to threaten, their reluctance suggested they were under duress themselves. When dealing with people fearing for their lives, we had no choice but to counter with similar threats. Since they knew nothing of magic mechanics, they’d likely believe my words, especially after witnessing such phenomena firsthand.

“I… I can’t talk… If I do, we’re really dead…”

“Do you want to die now, or live a little longer by talking?”

“Bitch…!!”

Behind me, Iren chimed in solemnly.

“We already know most of the story, so just tell us the truth. In return, I’ll personally ensure your survival.”

“You… what can a mere guard like you do?!”

“…”

Iren silently removed her hood, revealing armor emblazoned with the royal crest.

“!!!”

“I am one of the commanders serving our lord. If you confess fully, I swear by my honor to spare your lives. You may face imprisonment as punishment, but I promise you won’t die. Honestly, you didn’t have many choices either, did you?”

To get someone fearing death to talk, sometimes you need to offer them their life back.

A classic ‘good cop, bad cop’ strategy crossed my mind, making me smirk involuntarily.

Before arriving here, I explained my rough assumptions to Iren and Reika.

“The events seem linked to rebellion, and it appears Jenis Al Caskey got entangled in it.”

Though it sounded far-fetched, both trusted me immensely. While I appreciated Iren’s trust, involving Reika—a civilian—in such perilous matters weighed heavily on my conscience.

“Alright, speak frankly.”

“Will… Will you definitely spare our lives…?”

“Of course, naturally.”

I smiled as kindly as possible while maintaining eye contact, pondering how accurate my guesses were.

“Open the door behind you.”

When the man indicated the door, we opened it to find—

“…!!”

Jenis, bound and imprisoned inside a small wardrobe.