Balton, Loftaz borough

Carriages pulled by horses sprinted through the city streets. Each carriage bore a dual-wing-and-sword symbol representing the Empire’s Constabulary.

Inside the center carriage.

“Sir, we’ll soon be arriving at Balton’s main Constable establishment.”

A man in his thirties slowly closed his book and raised his head, looking out through the carriage window. His cold, authoritative expression was framed by short, shriveled black hair and brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. He donned the uniform of a Constable officer.

Citizens dared not interfere and quickly cleared the way for the carriages to pass. Many pedestrians stood along the sidewalks, watching the scene unfold. Among them were two off-duty city guards carefully surveying the convoy.

“They’re definitely carrying explosives. No doubt about it.”

Geldard used Transparent Vision with his newfound mana capacity and informed Varis of the situation. Varis was still keeping his eyes on the officer inside one of the carriages.

“That path is likely headed to our headquarters,” Varis deduced.

“Let’s go. We’ll take a carriage.”

The two entered a small carriage parked at the side of the road and told the driver to head toward the Constable headquarters. The driver was suspicious at first, but he didn’t question them. After being handed the carriage fare, he did exactly as they asked.

The carriage quickly caught up with the Constables, and the two soon arrived at the Constable headquarters of Balton. The front gates were immediately opened, allowing the Constable carriages to enter before closing again.

“There’s no way of getting in with those guards at the gate,” Geldard said disappointedly.

“I know a way. Follow me.”

Geldard was stunned to hear this. The headquarters only allowed top-ranking officers and important officials to enter, so how did his partner know anything about getting into such a heavily guarded establishment?

The two hopped out of the carriage and sprinted toward a red building near the side wall of the headquarters.

Inside, Varis searched for room number 108. He fished a key out of his pocket, inserted it into the keyhole, twisted it, and opened the door.

When Geldard saw this, he was flabbergasted.

“Varis rented a room next to the Constable headquarters!?” Geldard exclaimed in surprise.

After walking inside, Geldard found Varis forcefully pushing a couch.

“Quick, Geldard! Give me a hand!”

Geldard was utterly confused about what Varis was trying to accomplish.

“Uh… oh, sure. Coming!”

The two exerted their full strength and managed to move the couch to one side of the room.

What was revealed beneath the couch was a hatch.

Varis lifted the hatch and climbed down the ladder.

“C’mon, Geldard. We don’t have much time. Get down here and follow me.”

Geldard stood there frozen for a moment before doing as his partner instructed.

The duo walked down a dark passage that seemed as though it hadn’t been used in a long time. Varis condensed a ball of light in his hand to illuminate the path ahead.

They soon reached a dead end with a ladder leading downward.

“Geldard, listen closely. After we go down there, we must be absolutely silent. If they find us, we’re as good as dead.”

Geldard covered his mouth with one hand.

The two climbed down the ladder and opened the hatch.

Varis checked the area below and found no guards.

“Quietly jump down. Do not make a noise.”

Geldard nodded, his hand still covering his mouth.

The duo quietly hopped down from the hatch and landed on the hard concrete floor of the basement. After composing themselves, they surveyed their surroundings.

“What is this place…?”

Geldard was more horrified than stunned by the sight before him.

Rows upon rows of human corpses were chained to the ceiling.

Pools of dried blood and severed limbs were scattered across the floor.

“It wasn’t like this…” Varis commented inwardly, his eyes closed.

“I think I’m gonna puke…”

Geldard tightly covered his mouth with both hands, his knees on the ground as he looked away from the horrifying scene.

“We have to hurry, Geldard. Get up. We need to find out where they’re taking those explosive supplies.”

“You’re right. That was our assigned task.”

The duo rushed out of the bloody room and used their surveillance abilities to scan the vicinity. They quickly spotted their target’s location on the other side of the basement.

“Let’s see what they’re up to.”

The two sprinted in the direction of their target and soon arrived at a corner.

“They’re storing the explosives in that room…”

Varis and Geldard scanned the surrounding area and found only four guards.

Just after the convoy had emptied the explosives from the carriages and left the vicinity, Varis signaled Geldard to quietly take out the guards before the vault door closed.

Varis and Geldard cloaked themselves in transparency. Silently, they sneaked up behind each guard and knocked them unconscious.

After every guard had been taken down, they removed their invisibility.

“All right. Let’s see what they’re hiding inside.”

After entering the vault, the duo saw shelves stocked with explosives—enough to destroy an entire borough.

“What does the Constabulary need so many explosives for?”

Geldard was genuinely stunned and a little terrified. This was abnormal, even for government officials.

“It’s to kill as many people as we possibly can.”

Suddenly, a man in his thirties appeared behind the duo. He had short, shriveled black hair, brown eyes behind a pair of glasses, and wore the uniform of a Constable officer.

Beside him stood another man with long blonde hair who appeared to be the officer’s assistant.

“Why are you doing this?” Varis questioned the officer.

“I have no obligation to answer you. But it’s a shame you will never get to know.”

“What do you mean!? Do you know how many people you have—”

Before Geldard could finish his sentence, Varis yanked him away.

Where Geldard had been standing moments before was now a pile of ashes.

“Your reaction speed is worth praising,” the blond-haired secretary complimented.

“Yours wasn’t bad either.”

When the secretary launched an attack at Geldard, Varis had secretly shot a magic needle toward him as well. However, the secretary successfully deflected it.

“It’s a waste of your talent.”

Just after the secretary finished speaking, he formed a magic circle that radiated immense firepower, seemingly capable of turning his opponents into burnt corpses.

“Run to the explosive crates, Geldard! He won’t dare to waste their supplies!”

The duo desperately ran toward the nearby crates of dynamite.

But their efforts were in vain.

Mysterious purple chains suddenly wrapped around their feet, locking them in place and preventing them from moving.

Seeing that his prey had been caught, the secretary launched a bombardment of explosive spells.

The entire vault shook violently.

The area where Geldard and Varis had been standing was soon covered in thick smoke.

However, after the smoke finally cleared, Geldard and Varis were nowhere to be seen.

“Escaped? Impossible…”

The secretary was stunned.

His spells weren’t powerful enough to turn his opponents into dust, so not seeing the two meant that they had escaped, but to where?

The officer standing at the vault door adjusted his glasses and turned to leave the room. 

…

Standing high above the cosmos, Mr. Falkon sat in a seat that seemed to be constructed from illusory twisted fates of every living creature across the universe, overlooking the cosmos.