Chapter 83
“Ryu!!”
Elaine shouted as soon as she saw Ryu’s face.
The worry that had weighed on her heart instantly shifted into faint anger the moment she saw his calm expression.
She had been searching everywhere for him, only for him to appear so nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.
The way he casually waved and walked over with a friendly demeanor irritated her even more.
“Where on earth were you?! Do you know how much everyone’s been looking for you?!”
“Huh…? Oh, uh… Really? I was just checking something.”
“What could you possibly need to check in a situation like this?!”
Elaine, without realizing it, had already rushed to stand in front of Ryu, her voice raised in frustration.
Her worry had turned into resentment, and she was letting that emotion out in full force.
“If you’re going to disappear, at least let someone know! I know you’re confident in your abilities, but—”
“Elaine.”
Elaine’s words came to an abrupt halt when Ryu firmly said her name, his voice steady.
Unlike his usual demeanor, he wasn’t smiling. Instead, he was looking at her with a serious expression.
Seeing his serious face, Elaine snapped back to her senses.
“Calm down first.”
“…Ah.”
“Sorry for disappearing like that. Something came up.”
“A-ah.”
Hearing Ryu’s unusually calm tone, the storm of emotions within Elaine subsided in an instant.
It was strange.
How could just a few words make the worry and frustration that had built up inside her disappear so quickly?
Only then did Elaine begin to notice her surroundings beyond Ryu.
Because she had raised her voice at Ryu as soon as she saw him, many of the people around them were now subtly directing their attention toward her.
Realizing this, embarrassment replaced her earlier anger.
Her heightened emotions had made her act rashly.
“Well, at least you all look safe. That’s a relief.”
“Oh… Yeah, nothing much happened to us…”
Elaine took a step back from Ryu and glanced around nervously.
Ryu, still calm, spoke in a soft but reassuring tone.
His words and demeanor were so composed that it only made her feel more self-conscious.
Looking back, she saw Cynthia and Emily behind her, both with awkward expressions, unsure of how to react.
‘Ugh, I overdid it.’
Now, Elaine’s mind was filled not with worry or anger but with embarrassment.
As a knight, she was supposed to maintain her composure, but here she was, losing her cool and making a scene.
“Elaine must have been very worried about you, Ryu,” Yuria said with a voice full of amusement.
“…It seems that way,” Ryu replied.
“Hohoho.”
After a brief moment of silence, Yuria interjected with a lighthearted laugh.
“Ah, no, it’s not that I was that worried…!”
“It’s fine, Elaine. It’s only natural to worry about your companions,” Yuria said with a bright smile.
“Ah…”
For some reason, Elaine felt a mischievous undertone in Yuria’s smile.
It was a little like Ryu’s own smile, which made it even more flustering.
“…I overreacted. I apologize, Mr. Ryu.”
“Huh? No, no. I’m the one who should be sorry.”
“No, it’s my fault for not trusting my companion.”
“…But Elaine?”
“Yes?”
Having regained her usual composure, Elaine forced herself to act as if nothing had happened.
Even though her face felt hot with embarrassment, she firmly believed the darkness would hide her blush.
“Honestly, you sounded much better when you were speaking casually. Have you thought about sticking with that?”
“…What?”
It was then that Elaine realized.
She had been speaking informally to Ryu this whole time.
In her urgency, she hadn’t even noticed.
“A-ah…”
Elaine couldn’t hold back anymore.
As much as she tried to stay composed like a proper knight and act as if nothing was wrong—
Her face burned.
In the end, Elaine could only bury her face in her hands, trying to cool her flaming cheeks.
So embarrassing.
“You know, it’s kind of nice to see you acting like a normal person, Elaine. Usually, you’re like a machine, always so proper and formal.”
“Well, I mean, that’s because…!”
“Doesn’t it feel more friendly when you talk casually? It really makes us seem closer, don’t you think? Anyway, you and Addy—no, never mind. In any case!”
“That was just a momentary mistake!!!”
Elaine, flustered by Ryu’s teasing remarks, tried her best to explain herself.
Unbeknownst to her, not just Ryu, but everyone around was watching her with amused expressions.
“Keep making those ‘mistakes’ from now on, okay? I trust you.”
“Ah, Mr. Ryuuuu!!”
Elaine’s voice grew louder, bordering on a pout.
***
Jingle-
The last piece of jewelry, a necklace, fell onto the table alongside three other accessories.
Earrings, bracelet, ring, and now the necklace.
All four items were finally gathered in one place.
“Hmm.”
The Founder of the Nameless Organization, who had just placed the necklace on the table, let out a low hum.
His deep voice resonated, almost vibrating.
‘That man…’
The Founder was lost in thought, recalling what he had witnessed earlier.
The satisfaction of finally gathering the four pieces of jewelry was overshadowed by confusion and astonishment.
That man fighting against the Third Elder.
He had used various artifacts to hide his identity, but the Founder had seen through it instantly.
Although the voice coming from the black mask was female, it was undoubtedly a man.
A man with incredibly tricky and powerful abilities.
The Founder had refrained from intervening in the fight between the Third Elder and the masked figure for a simple reason.
It was not yet time for him to reveal himself to the world.
Of course, he could have eliminated all witnesses to prevent issues, but the Founder’s instincts told him otherwise.
Even if he intervened, he could not guarantee the elimination of the masked man fighting the Third Elder.
Despite the Founder’s lifetime of experience with countless forms of magic, the techniques he witnessed were entirely unfamiliar.
He even questioned whether it was magic at all.
When the man used wind magic intermittently, there was a definite flow of mana, but beyond that, there were no such indications.
The masked man moved freely through space without any trace of mana fluctuation.
At first, the Founder thought the man was continuously casting pre-prepared teleportation spells, but upon closer observation, that wasn’t the case.
Whoosh.
Still deep in thought, the Founder picked up the necklace from the table.
If the Third Elder hadn’t misinterpreted his intentions midway, they might not have retrieved this necklace.
‘To think someone like him was hiding in the shadows.’
The Founder frowned and clenched the necklace tightly.
The ability to move freely through space wasn’t the real issue.
Even the Third Elder’s crude and underdeveloped dark magic had managed to put pressure on the masked man.
The problem lay in the masked man’s ability revealed at the very end.
If the Founder’s assumption was correct, the masked man wasn’t merely traversing space.
He controlled space itself.
The Founder saw it clearly, though it likely escaped the Third Elder’s perception.
The barrier surrounding the masked man at the end wasn’t just a simple shield.
Though the Founder couldn’t discern the mechanics, the masked man had opened spatial rifts around himself.
As a result, any attack directed at him simply disappeared into another dimension.
To the untrained eye of the Third Elder, it must have seemed like his attacks were simply being nullified.
This misunderstanding likely led the Third Elder to recklessly force his attacks, to no avail.
“Well, in any case, the objective has been achieved.”
The Founder placed the necklace back onto the table.
When weighing the losses against the gains, it was still a net victory.
Although they lost the Third Elder, and the Empire now had a captive who could expose the organization’s secrets, the four pieces of jewelry were finally assembled.
Besides, the exposure of the organization’s identity was part of the plan.
That was why they had simultaneously instigated chaos across the continent today.
By tomorrow, the world would be in an uproar.
‘Still, that masked man bothers me.’
Even so, the thought of the space-wielding individual lingered in the Founder’s mind.
Now that the four accessories were gathered, the ritual could commence.
The issue was that once the ritual began, the Founder would be unable to act directly for approximately three months.
Although he had made extensive preparations for the three-month absence, this unexpected variable added a layer of concern.
‘A new unforeseen factor, just at the final stage.’
The Founder hadn’t anticipated the appearance of someone he wasn’t confident he could defeat.
Furthermore, losing the Third Elder wasn’t part of the plan.
The Third Elder was meant to be a key figure in drawing public attention during the three months of the Founder’s absence.
“Well, there’s no turning back now.”
Even so, delaying the ritual was not an option.
That would be the worst outcome.
Whoosh.
The Founder moved deliberately.
He put on the necklace and wore the bracelet on his wrist.
One by one, he adorned himself with the four accessories, then quietly closed his eyes.
Flash.
Mana gathered at his fingertips as he began writing something in the air.
<The plan proceeds.>
The Founder sent this message to the remaining two Elders.
He had already informed them of the Third Elder’s failure and capture by the Empire.
It wouldn’t be easy, but the remaining two Elders would ensure the plan’s success.
Boom.
Having completed his thoughts, the Founder, now wearing all four accessories, vanished.
He resolved that everything would be finished three months from now.
—
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