Zeke took a step, then paused. The signal had grown weaker, like a candle on the verge of flickering out. He took another step, and the signal dimmed to an almost imperceptible level, making his feet stop completely.
What was this? Had the commander changed his mind? No, that did not make any sense. But then what?
...Could it be?
Zeke slowly turned, looking at the massive tide of Blood following in his wake. He finally understood. The commander was willing to face him, but not if he brought the tide with him. If he wanted to accept this invitation, he would have to teleport there directly. Otherwise, the commander would hide his traces and disappear again.
This was risky.
By teleporting, Zeke could not prepare any tricks or traps. His opponent, on the other hand, would have the chance to prepare to their heart's content. For all he knew, there might even be an Archmage waiting on the other side.
The commander had given him a chance to face him, but not for free. To seize the opportunity, Zeke would have to bet his life.
A smile slowly crept onto his face. Without delaying any further, he locked onto the source of the signal and began to weave his spell. The origin lay at the very edge of his perception range, deep underground.
Without the commander’s guidance, Zeke would never have found the place. It was almost as if it had been chosen precisely with his capabilities in mind.
A moment later, the world blurred, and Zeke found himself in a dimly lit chamber. The smell of wet stone and musty earth immediately told him that this was deep underground. It had clearly not been created with comfort in mind. Despite that, the sparsely furnished surroundings made it clear that someone lived here.
There was a desk, a bed, a bookshelf, and a single door.
"I didn't think you would come," the only other person in the room said.
Finally, Zeke turned to face them. Their face was hidden behind a mask, and the rest of their body was equally obscured by a dark robe and a hood drawn low. However, the voice that had spoken to him was distinctly feminine.
"...Is it confidence, or arrogance?" she asked.
Zeke shrugged. "The difference between the two can only be determined once the outcome is revealed. If I kill you, I will have been confident. If you kill me, I was arrogant."
The hooded woman slowly shook her head. "I am a little disappointed. They said you were clever and cautious, a true Mind Mage who always weighs risks and benefits properly."
"...And what makes you think I didn't?"
"The fact that this was an unequal trade from the beginning," the woman replied immediately. "Even if you had a ninety-nine percent chance of killing me and only a one percent chance of dying, it would not have been worth it. I am merely a pawn, instantly replaceable, but without you, your faction will collapse. What you have done just now is gamble a king to take a pawn. Tell me, can that ever be worth it?"
Zeke's brows rose slightly. That was a rather interesting way of looking at things. In a sense, it was logical, but Zeke still had to disagree with her conclusion.
"That is exactly why Mind Mages are no good," he said. "You lot are so preoccupied with calculations that you often overlook the most crucial parts."
"Which is?" the woman prompted, a hint of interest in her voice.
"The human element," Zeke said.
"...The... human element?"
Zeke nodded. "Did you think that a human could rise to the very top without ever taking risks? Did you think you could grow stronger while remaining completely safe? Is that how humans work? Or is it, in truth, pressure, danger, and risk that propel us to ever greater heights?"
"...Illogical," she said after a moment. "Illogical and foolish."
Zeke shrugged again. "If I am so foolish, then why is it that in your own analogy I am the king and you are the pawn?"
The woman paused, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. "A dead king is worth even less than a living pawn," she said after a while.
Zeke grinned at that. "Then do your best, Miss Pawn. But from what I have seen from you Geistreichs so far, your magic is not exactly strong in this kind of fight."
The woman stared at him, the blue eyes behind her mask glinting. "Is that where your confidence comes from? The drones you have slaughtered?"
"Drones?"
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"It is what we call the lowest members of the network. Their only job is to serve as a relay."
Zeke frowned. "Isn't that a bit cold? They are your blood relatives, aren't they?"
"And what do I care about blood?" the woman countered. "I judge people by their worth, nothing more and nothing less."
"Logical," Zeke said. "So logical that it becomes foolish."
The woman stared at him, seemingly trying to parse the meaning of his words. It only took her a moment. "Because of the human element?"
Zeke nodded.
The woman sighed deeply. "Talking to you is more tiring than I had expected. You seem to have the brains of a Mind Mage, yet you somehow end up reaching all the wrong conclusions. I fear that the danger rating assigned to you is a vast overestimation."
"Ohh?" Zeke grinned. "What's my danger rating?"
"Very high."
Zeke's brows furrowed. Not because of what she had said, but because she was answering his questions at all. Earlier, she had exposed the existence of drones, and now she had even leaked internal information. That was clearly not normal behavior for a Mind Mage. Everything they did had a purpose, and Zeke could not rest easy until he understood what that purpose was.
He decided to test the waters.
"If the ones I've faced so far were all drones, then what are you?"
"A hub," she said. "I command several drones."
"So your network is built like a root system? One core spreads outward into larger roots, and those divide again and again into finer strands?"
"More or less."
"Is Augustus at the core?"
"I wouldn't know."
Zeke's frown deepened. "Why are you answering me?"
He was certain that she would not respond this time, or that it would only be a deflection. But to his surprise, the woman answered even this question without hesitation.
"Because I gain more from this than you."
Zeke paused, the next question frozen on his lips. Gain? What could she possibly gain from answering his questions while he revealed nothing? It was as if she...
"Are you analyzing my thought patterns?"
"Yes," she answered. "By observing what conclusions you reach when presented with new information, I can construct a model of your mental framework. This will allow us to predict your actions with greater accuracy in the future."
Zeke exhaled, the earlier tension draining away. "And you are telling me this because you think I will not stop asking despite knowing that it is a trap?"
"Yes."
He grinned. "So how many questions can I ask?"
"As many as you like. I will answer until I have an accurate grasp of your mental framework."
Zeke did not hesitate. This was a golden opportunity, and he didn't mind wasting a few more minutes for the chance to pick an enemy commander's brain. "What is your purpose in attacking Rukia?"
"To weaken the Alliance."
"That's not the only reason, is it?"
"No."
"What are the other reasons?"
"I can't say."
Can't say, not didn't know. It meant the information was too valuable to reveal to probe him. So there was a limit to how much she would divulge. No matter. He could work with this.
"What is the true purpose of the prison camps?"
"Re-education of the population. It makes it easier for us to remain here with the natives on our side."
"Is the queen still alive?"
For the first time, the woman hesitated. The question seemed to sit at the very edge of what she was willing to share. However, the struggle lasted only an instant.
"Yes."
"Did you capture her?"
"In a sense."
Zeke's expression turned thoughtful. She had not answered directly, which could only mean the situation was not as simple as it appeared. The queen of Rukia, after all, was an Exarch, a being on the same level of power as Sheol and the Emperor. A true powerhouse. No matter how dominant the Legion was, they likely could not easily subdue someone like that.
Food for thought.
He continued to ask questions. Everything and anything that came to mind. He didn't even try to hide his thoughts or obscure his sentiments, revealing his thought patterns exactly as they appeared.
He couldn't have made it easier for her to analyse his mental framework even if he tried.
After a while of answering, the woman seemed to catch on that something was off. She suddenly paused and stared at him in silence. "Why are you cooperating with me?"
"Didn't you think that I would?"
She shook her head. "Not like this. You are too unguarded."
"Ahh," Zeke said, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Things are going so well that it makes you suspicious?"
The woman didn't respond, but the glint in her eyes told him that he had hit the nail on the head.
"Let's make a deal," Zeke said after a moment. "Take off your mask and tell me your name, and I will tell you why I have been so cooperative."
The woman remained silent for a while. When she spoke again, her voice sounded more serious than before. It was a stark contrast to Zeke, who had grown more relaxed as the conversation continued.
"How can I know that you will actually tell me?"
Zeke grinned and extended his little finger. "...Pinky promise?"
"Are you mocking me?"
Zeke shrugged. "Even if I don't follow through, you would lose nothing. Instead, you would gain a much deeper insight into my personality. Is your name and face really so important that you will not take that chance?"
The woman nodded slowly, seemingly convinced by his logic.
Zeke didn't care either way. He wouldn't mind answering her question anyway and had only demanded to see her face on a whim. The reason was simple. He had already given up hope of killing her.
Naturally, he would still try his best, but he was convinced that he would fail. That was what his gut was telling him. It was what his mind was telling him as well.
This woman, despite all her talk of being a disposable pawn, clearly had no intention of dying here. Zeke was certain of it. While she had been probing him, he had been probing her as well. This woman was not the hollow puppet she pretended to be. She clearly possessed an ego hidden behind that facade of cold logic, a strong will of her own.
That was why Zeke had demanded to see her face. Because if he could not kill her, then this would be his only chance to learn her identity.
He watched as her hands slowly pulled at her hood, revealing golden hair. That was not surprising. All Geistreichs had blonde hair. But the intricate braids were more decorative than necessary. It only strengthened his belief that this woman was not the mindless tool she pretended to be.
Next, she slowly lifted the mask from her face. There did not seem to be any straps holding it in place. It almost looked as if the mask had been glued on, but when she pulled it lightly, it came off with almost no resistance.
Fascinating. The Emperor really did not spare any—
Zeke's thoughts froze. His mind came to a complete halt as he looked at the woman now standing before him.
Blue eyes. A perfectly straight nose and high cheekbones. The woman was the very picture of aristocracy. But that was not why Zeke froze. No. The reason was that he recognized that face. Recognized it all too well.
"...Sophia?"