Chapter 146. The Game of Cat and Mouse
Bail, true to his nature as a mage, had little tolerance for pain. Under Caron's relentless pressure, he spilled everything he knew—from the locations of hideouts scattered across the capital to the ominous figure known only as the Commander .
The only disappointment was that Caron had failed to extract any information about the organization's higher-ups. He didn't believe Bail had deliberately concealed that knowledge, though. Bail wasn't the kind of man to stay loyal to his comrades; teetering on the brink of death, there was no way he would have held his tongue.
"I'll figure out the details myself," Caron muttered to himself as he lay in wait within the shadows of a narrow alley in the northern district of the capital's slums. Then, his eyes locked onto a crumbling stone building.
According to Bail's confession, this was the heart of the operation. Though many hideouts dotted the city, the actual orders came from here.
"As you instructed, preparations for simultaneous raids on the other locations are complete, Young Master Caron," Hans, a knight of the Oceanwolf Knight Order, reported in a low, steady voice.
Caron nodded slowly and said, "Speed is key, Hans. Once I break into that place, we'll need to sweep through all the others at once."
"You seem excited," Hans observed.
"Do I?" Caron asked.
"Yes."
Caron chuckled and said, "Sharp as ever. Even after lounging in the capital, your instincts haven't dulled."
Hans was right. Beneath the simmering anger that burned in Caron's chest, a spark of exhilaration flickered. This was a rare and precious chance to hunt down the remnants of the Malevolent Emperor. Letting this opportunity slip through his fingers was out of the question.
"I must admit," Luke muttered, his tone as stern as ever, "It's disappointing that you excluded the Imperial Guards from this operation."
Caron glanced at him with a knowing smile, then said, "Please understand, Sir Luke. With an Academy professor involved, I couldn't risk any internal leaks. I need absolute control."
"...I do understand," Luke agreed.
The moment they captured the Commander, the full extent of the Revanchists' reach would become clear. Until then, secrecy and speed were paramount.
The mutated maw worms in the group's possession were the gravest threat. According to Bail, these creatures had been refined to the point of functioning as biological weapons. If they weren't obliterated in one swift strike, the worms would soon be unleashed across the city.
The essence of this "game" lay in speed and precision.
"What do you need us to do from here?" Luke asked.
Caron's grin widened as he answered, "I may miss a few mice. So, make sure none slip past you."
"Going in alone might be too dangerous," Hans said.
"I have a habit of savoring good meals by myself," Caron quipped.
Hans shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips as he said, "You haven't changed one bit either."
Four years ago, during the train raid, Hans had witnessed this very same reckless streak. The youngest of the duke's family didn't seem to know the meaning of fear.
People like that often met early deaths.
But Hans also knew one thing—Caron's audacity was backed by skill. He was, after all, the youngest person to reach 7-Star. Moreover, he had the Oceanwolf Knight Order's finest weapons, including the famous Guillotine. None of this was blind bravado—Caron's confidence had been carefully earned.
Sssrrrr.
Meow.
"Good," Caron said, smiling as he tucked Pluto back into his coat after it completed its reconnaissance. He now had a full grasp of the building's layout.
Three floors above ground and two underground made a total of five floors. The upper floors posed little danger, but on the first basement floor, twenty guards patrolled the corridors. As for the second basement floor, even Pluto couldn't get close. A powerful magical barrier blocked the way, making it impossible to see what lay beyond.
"As soon as this mission is over, the Imperial Guards should thoroughly investigate the Magic Tower," Caron muttered.
They were still in the capital, albeit on its outskirts. A clandestine organization operating under the very noses of the Magic Tower—complete with a high-level barrier—was utterly inexcusable. Regular inspections should have detected something of this magnitude long ago.
Luke frowned as he absorbed Caron's words, nodding gravely as he asked, "Is it that serious?"
"These mice didn't burrow in overnight. Well then, let me go clean house," Caron said.
He then blew Pluto's darkness across the ground. It rippled before taking the shape of a wolf's sigil etched into the floor.
"Escape route secured," Caron whispered.
In an emergency, the sigil would let him slip away in an instant, functioning much like a short-range teleportation spell. Pluto's darkness, spread throughout the building during reconnaissance, created multiple points of exit. In these tight quarters, Pluto's abilities could be fully unleashed.
"I'll be right back," Caron announced.
Whoosh.
Caron sank into the shadow on the floor and disappeared. Afterward, only Hans and Luke remained.
Luke swallowed nervously at the sight of Caron's abilities, which he was witnessing for the first time. He murmured, "...Sir Hans, have you ever seen him use that ability before?"
Hans, still looking bewildered, shook his head. He replied, "Not even once. Even our Commander never mentioned it."
"What was that? Magic? An artifact? I can't make sense of it," Luke said, then exhaled sharply. "Every time I see him, he's a puzzle I can't solve."
"Is that a compliment?" Hans asked.
"Half of one," Luke answered.
"He beheaded a 6-Star knight when he was thirteen years old. I... I wouldn't be surprised if he brought down a dragon someday," Hans said as he gazed at the spot where Caron had vanished, a mixture of admiration and rueful amusement flickering across his face.
Even as a child, Caron had been exceptional. At thirteen, he had taken down a fully trained knight. The train raid four years ago still felt fresh in Hans's memory, but Caron had long since outgrown the limits of his imagination.
"Sir Hans, aren't you worried about him?" Luke asked.
Hans shrugged as he pulled out a communication orb, shaking his head. He said, "I'm not the one who should be worried."
"Then who?" Luke asked.
"The ones who'll have to face him," Hans answered.
Luke couldn't help but agree, nodding slowly and saying, "Hmm... I see."
"Has he ever nagged you for something? It's brutal. It makes your blood run cold. So I'll follow orders to avoid hearing that again," Hans said.
Whoosh.
Hans imbued the orb with mana and began issuing commands to knights stationed throughout the capital.
"The operation begins now. Young Master Caron is in command. You all know what happens if you make a mistake and mess this up, so leave no room for error. Crush these terrorists without hesitation," Hans instructed.
When the orders were done, Hans turned back to the building Caron had entered. He said, "Sir Luke."
"Yes?" Luke responded.
"If even one of them gets out of there alive, you'll face consequences, too. I trust you'll take care of it well," Hans told him.
Luke wondered how terrifying a reprimand could be, for it to make such a courageous knight this cautious. However, he briefly recalled Caron's stern expression and shuddered, then gave a firm nod.
"I'll be counting on you as well," Luke said.
"Let's do our best together," Hans replied.
Caron's infamy was enough to unite even long-time rivals, the Imperial Guards and the Oceanwolf Knight Order.
It had been just thirty minutes since a terror plot was discovered at the academy, and Hans already had no doubt about the impending downfall of the terrorists.
***
Using Pluto's power, Caron slipped silently into the building. It wasn't long before he encountered his first opponents.
Men clad in well-maintained leather armor stood in the dim corridor. The mana they exuded made it clear—these were no mere mercenaries.
Knights, Caron thought.
They weren't elites, but they were still far from weak. All three standing before him were 5-Star knights, a level that commanded respect anywhere. For members of a mere terrorist cell, their involvement seemed excessive.
"At least our time in this miserable basement is almost over," one grumbled.
"Who knew I'd be wasting my precious vacation leave on this nonsense," another muttered.
"What choice do we have? Orders are orders. Think of it as sacrificing for a greater goal," the third replied.
None of them sensed Caron lurking in the shadows. Pluto's power rendered his presence undetectable even to those trained in magic.
How should I handle this? Caron thought to himself.
He observed the knights and swiftly assessed the situation. He assumed that the leader of the operation—likely their "Commander"—would be waiting on the second basement floor. So to reach him, Caron would have to pass through a massive iron door guarded by seven knights. There was no sneaking past them.
"Why are you hesitant? Do what you do best," Guillotine whispered in his mind.
Guillotine was right. This was a problem that required no deliberation.There was only one answer.
Sssrrrr.
Caron rose from the shadows and launched himself at the unsuspecting knights. The dim lighting barely caught the deadly gleam of Guillotine's blade.
Slash!
The head of the knight on the far right hit the floor before he even registered the attack. In a blur, Caron spun, severing the head of the knight next to him.
Two were down in seconds, and there was no time for screams.
"...Uh?" The remaining knight, who had been talking about his vacation, turned his head. His comrades' faces were gone, replaced by headless corpses.
His gaze met Caron's. A striking man with blond hair and piercing blue eyes stood before him.
"What is—" the knight began, but before he could finish his sentence...
Slash!
His head tumbled to the floor as well.
In mere moments, three knights lay dead. The attack had been so swift and precise that no trace of a scream had escaped.
Caron wasted no time clearing the rest of the first basement floor. Using Pluto's short-range teleportation, he moved like a shadow, dispatching enemies with lethal efficiency. Within ten minutes, most of the knights were down.
At that point, the remaining knights finally began to sense that something was wrong.
Tsk tsk, Caron thought as he moved toward the massive iron door after finishing off the patrols. The guards in front of the door were already in a defensive stance.
"We've lost contact with the patrol team."
"Where is the Commander right now?"
"He's conducting the ritual. And you know what will happen if we interrupt him during the ritual..."
Every knight in front of the iron door stood with swords drawn, eyes sharp and wary. Losing contact with the patrol had them on high alert.
"Well, I guess there's no easy kills now, huh?" Guillotine's voice echoed in his mind, amused.
The element of surprise was gone. There were two 6-Star knights and six 5-Star knights—far too many to put down quietly. And the corridor was brightly lit, making Pluto's shadows hard to use properly.
But Caron didn't care much. Remaining undetected would have been ideal, but breaking through that iron door was bound to expose him anyway. It was almost certainly rigged with complex security magic. So his intent had been to cut through with sheer force from the beginning.
"Well, I guess there's no helping it," Caron said as he walked forward, calm and deliberate.
The knights, who had been on a defensive stance, soon spotted Caron.
"Captain! There's an intruder!" one of the knights cried out.
Their leader, called "Captain" by the others, clenched his fist. Without hesitation, he barked an order. "Everyone! ...Overcharge your mana cores!"
"Good call," Caron remarked with a smirk, impressed. They were quick on their feet.
He let out a light exclamation of admiration and walked forward, asking, "What are you fully grown adults doing, gathering in such a gloomy place? People are meant to live under the sunlight."
The captain narrowed his eyes and asked, "...Caron Leston, why are you here?"
"I guess I did become famous. There are people who recognize my face," Caron said with a grin. He'd never even considered hiding his identity from the start.
"Since you asked about my purpose for visiting, I'll politely answer you. I'm here to kill you all, of course. But just killing you normally seemed a bit boring, so I've been pretending to be an assassin. So, I'll assassinate you too," Caron said as his grin widened mischievously.
The captain immediately pushed his core to its limit, drawing out his mana. He exclaimed, "Assassination? Don't be ridiculous. What kind of assassin reveals their own identity?"
At the captain's incredulous question, Caron smirked and replied, "If there are no witnesses, it's an assassination."
"...What?" the captain exclaimed.
"If I kill every last one of you," Caron said, eyes gleaming, "That makes it an assassination. Understand?"
Without waiting for an answer, he lunged forward, a blur of deadly intent as he charged straight at the knights.