Chapter 78

Method for Breaking Through a Wizard’s Disguise

What appeared from behind the face of the young genius wizard was a person who was once the greatest prodigy of the Magic University, and now a criminal who simultaneously made fools of both the Security Headquarters and the Adventurer Guild.

Ingelram.

“Ugh.”

He sat perched on the corpse of Security Team 2’s Lizard.

“Last time and this time too, there’s something that the kids who came to catch me are misunderstanding.”

He said.

“I’m not running around because I don’t want to die on the 4th floor. It’s because I don’t want to kill.”

He tore off some clothes from the Lizard’s corpse, then wiped the blood from his face.

“I’m a pacifist, you know. Really.”

“……”

At the scene where four security officers had been killed, only three prisoners remained.

Rilwid and his companions, still wearing handcuffs. The canine beastman thief and human female fighter who had remained on Rilwid’s side when the organization split.

“It’s been a while, you guys too. Why did you stick to that side and bring death upon yourselves?”

Ingelram smiled while gazing intently at the canine beastman and the female fighter.

“Please spare us! Boss, we’ll serve you now, please!”

“W-we were also deceived by Rilwid……”

The two people rubbed their handcuffed hands together frantically.

“Please spare us!”

“If you give us one more chance, we’ll dedicate our lives to you, boss!”

“You’re making my heart soften again.”

Ingelram glanced back at his Zoin tribe companion.

“What should we do?”

Ingelram’s party consisted of a Zoin tribe thief, a barbarian fighter, and a halfling druid.

Those who remained on Ingelram’s side when the organization split were all executives of the organization.

“Let’s just kill them all!”

The barbarian said.

“It would have been convenient if that wizard party had killed them earlier. Disappointingly, they called the security officers instead.”

The halfling druid clicked his tongue.

The Zoin tribe’s wide and clear field of vision had begun observing from when Caleb’s party encountered Rilwid. The fact that Rilwid had come here was interesting enough to watch, but suddenly the two began fighting and the wizard party subdued them in an instant.

“Those guys aren’t 4th floor beginners, are they? Their faces were unfamiliar.”

Ingelram grabbed Rilwid’s hair and lifted his face up.

While bringing the tip of his wand under Rilwid’s Adam’s apple.

“Tell me in detail about that party.”

“I-I don’t know much either…… Just that the wizard is a newcomer who’s been gaining quite a reputation at the university lately……”

“University affiliated?”

“That’s what I heard……”

“So he was a junior. There was another decent newcomer among the classes below me besides Clarence?”

Then Rilwid gave a shocking answer.

“He’s……A first-year.”

“……”

The corners of Ingelram’s mouth dropped completely.

“A first-year came to the 4th floor?”

“He’s only been enrolled for a month or two now.”

“Does that make sense? No matter how talented a first-year wizard is, most are limited to the 2nd floor. To come to the 4th floor, whether in experience or magical skill, you’d need to be at least a third-year.”

“It’s true! That’s what I investigated.”

Ingelram stroked his chin and fell deep in thought.

When he confirmed that the wizard party had subdued Rilwid, Ingelram had a quick meeting with his companions.

‘What’s going on now? Is that wizard party plundering Rilwid?’

To the barbarian’s question, the Zoin tribe member shook his head.

‘Probably not. It looked like they were sending a message transmission to the security officers.’

Then the conversation became somewhat serious.

‘They sent a message to the security officers?’

‘The first line said something about Officer Neko. I couldn’t see below that because it was covered by a hand.’

‘Rilwid came loaded with familiar-looking equipment, didn’t he?’

‘They’re trying to get replicas made.’

‘They called security officers for that?’

‘Then are security officers coming here now?’

‘If Rilwid gets captured, our identities will inevitably be exposed. We need to intercept them.’

Until then, Ingelram, who didn’t know his identity had already been revealed, made that decision.

So when should they attack?

‘Now! Let’s kill that wizard party immediately and intercept Rilwid.’

The barbarian fighter suggested that.

‘If security officers arrive during combat, we’ll be too numerically disadvantaged. Let’s attack when the security officers take custody of Rilwid and are escorting him.’

The halfling druid suggested that.

‘I agree. If we attack now, Rilwid and his subordinates might side with that wizard party and fight us. Let’s target the moment when the security officers put handcuffs on them and take them away.’

The Zoin tribe thief suggested that.

Ingelram was someone who fully accepted his executives’ opinions.

By democratic decision-making, they decided 2 to 1 to wait for the security officers!

……Though he said that, in truth Ingelram was bothered by that wizard.

‘It’s magic I’ve never seen before.’

That wizard had summoned a cloud.

There are 3rd tier magics that summon clouds, but the feeling was different from those. Though smaller in size, it was a much denser and higher cloud.

Rather than fighting a wizard with unknown magic, it would be better to target the moment when the security officer party escorts Rilwid.

Anyway, the security officers probably came to catch sleep thieves, not Rilwid, so he was thinking of proposing to those beggars that they kill Rilwid and split the magical equipment among themselves. Saying he’d help them catch the sleep thieves.

If the security officers were persuaded and killed Rilwid’s party, it would save time without any combat.

“We’re already quite late.”

The Zoin tribe member poked Ingelram’s shoulder.

“By usual standards, we should have already arrived at the steel mill.”

Ingelram’s party always aimed to rush to the steel mill first, snatch the Concentration Core, and return.

However, today they had been delayed significantly due to two unexpected battles.

“Let’s quickly deal with these guys and go.”

“Should I kill them?”

The barbarian raised his axe high.

“Wait.”

Ingelram was still bothered by that wizard.

“That first-year’s name is Caleb? That’s what the security officer called him.”

“……Right.”

While other regular parties on the 4th floor posed no problem, that wizard party was new, so there were many unknown variables.

Since they might clash, he needed to know as much as possible.

Wizard-to-wizard combat was like that.

The spells in the Memory Book were similar to poker, and when wizards fought each other, reading the opponent’s hand was essential.

“What magic does he have?”

“M-magic, I don’t know much about that either…… Just cloud creation and superconductivity.”

“Then there’s no choice.”

Ingelram sent a signal to the barbarian. The axe shot up high.

“Wait!”

Shocked Rilwid screamed.

“Th-there’s one more! I know one more thing!”

He shouted desperately.

“He’s a chantless ultra-high-speed caster!”

“What……”

Even for Ingelram, who was called the greatest prodigy in Magic University history, this was shocking.

Could such a wizard really exist?

***

“I don’t see anything.”

The steel mill that the Wizard’s Eye was scouting seemed to have no particular dangerous elements.

No monsters, just machinery.

These facilities were probably used by some ancient entity that had been devoured by the labyrinth.

Though their owner had disappeared, the steel mill still operated noisily.

Shiiick!

Gas cylinders spewing steam.

Chaaaak!

Magic stone molten sludge boiling in the furnace.

That went through dust collection equipment and traveled through pipes to casting molds.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Massive hydraulic presses stamped out molds. Hot smoke rose up, and when the Concentration Core illuminated the center like surgical lighting……

Piiing!

Light entered the eyes and one golem arose.

Thump, thump, thump.

The golem slowly exited the rolling mill and went to the field. There it would gather with its kind and move in squad units.

Therefore, steel mills usually had almost no ordinary field monsters.

‘I don’t see special bosses either.’

Instead of field monsters, special monsters could appear in steel mills.

Golden Golem or Blacksmith.

Either was quite powerful, so if there was such a thing, it would be better to aim for the next opportunity.

‘No sleep thieves either.’

Of course, even if there were sleep thieves, they wouldn’t be walking around with the face Yernil knew, but there were simply no adventurer parties inside the steel mill at all.

If someone had been there, he would have wondered if they were disguised.

“Let’s go in.”

He sent an entry signal to everyone.

To Aimus, Backstab, and Yernil.

And to the feline beastman crouching behind them.

“Let’s go in.”

Neko conveyed the signal to the security officer team.

***

We encountered Neko’s team in front of the steel mill.

Neko, the female lizard crossbow user, a human male priest, and an orc male fighter.

We exchanged message transmissions and promised a certain level of cooperation.

That level was a safety line.

“I’ll say it again, but I’ll assess the sleep thief party’s combat power in advance, and if I think their level is too high, I’ll avoid them. Neko should do the same.”

I emphasized again as we entered the steel mill.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Attacking recklessly isn’t brave, it’s stupid. Since the enemies’ goal is also the Concentration Core, if we don’t attack first, they probably won’t chase us unreasonably.”

“……”

“So I’ll dispel those people’s disguises from afar, and pretend to ambush them while observing their response. What magic and skills they use.”

“I understand.”

Unlike the exit boss Backstab from before, if it’s a 5th floor level wizard, the possible tech trees they could have taken are infinite.

Wizard-to-wizard combat requires information warfare first.

If you can’t assess them sufficiently in advance, your chances of victory will inevitably drop.

“Those guys will probably try to check us before entering the steel mill too.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Do you have noise suppression type magic?”

“Soundproof barrier.”

“Please use that.”

It was fortunate there were two wizards.

Soundproof barrier magic activated from Neko’s wand. Magic that suppresses noise within a 10-meter radius.

Though it’s a lower tier than Owl’s Hunt or Silent Night.

“What if we’re tracked by smell?”

The human priest asked.

“We won’t be caught by smell.”

Because inside the steel mill, combustion gases and cooling catalyst odors were vibrating.

I didn’t know if there were canine beastmen among the enemies, but even if there were, they couldn’t track us by smell inside here.

Then what about the ‘sight’ aspect?

“Dense fog.”

The wizard’s exclusive hooded cape contained utility magic that summoned fog.

The reason it’s utility magic is because the fog has no attack power whatsoever.

Instead, that fog has considerable range and high density, making it difficult to see through from the outside.

“But then we can’t find the enemy either, right?”

Yernil asked.

“That’s right.”

Not only with the naked eye, but it’s also difficult to observe with the Wizard’s Eye. The Wizard’s Eye is a precious and excellent wizard tool, but it doesn’t have abilities like seeing through fog.

“To confirm disguises, we need to see the cards on their shoulders.”

About that method……

“Neko.”

I don’t think using remaining party check cards for friend-or-foe identification is strategically optimal.

“Cards on shoulders and such can be discovered.”

“Right. Then they could create similar-looking cards with illusion magic. But security officers brought additional methods to see through that.”

Neko said confidently.

“What method?”

“In cases like Dreta Security Team 2, they carry fake cards. And I……”

Neko took something out of her pocket.

[Current 4th floor adventurer parties: 16]

[Current 4th floor adventurer parties: 16]

[Current 4th floor adventurer parties: 16]

[Current 4th floor adventurer parties: 16]

[Current 4th floor adventurer parties: 16]

“What is this?”

There are five cards.

“When I meet suspicious opponents, I’ll tear one at a time. If the number doesn’t drop, the opponent’s shoulder card is an illusion.”

I see.

You did use your head, but Neko. Can this really solve the problem?

The fundamental issue is separate.

“The problem isn’t illusions, but sleep thieves could kill adventurer parties and steal their cards.”

“That part we’ll have to leave to fate. Everyone will try not to give them to the sleep thieves, and if the situation gets bad, they’ll tear them up themselves.”

“Neko.”

“Yes.”

“If you want to become Security Chief and change this city, you can’t rely on things like fate.”

“……B-but.”

Neko’s ears perked up in confusion.

“How else can we break through disguise magic besides this? This was our best plan.”

“If I were Neko, I would have brought a Watcher.”

The one from Black Dog’s gambling den. Didn’t Chrome say that? They placed a Watcher on the 1st floor to see through White Lion’s disguise.

“That’s ridiculous!”

Neko was horrified.

“Watchers are not only extremely expensive, but the item itself is very rare and not something you can easily obtain anywhere.”

“You could get it from Chrome.”

“How?”

“Black Dog also finds it unpleasant that sleep thieves are pestering Soren. Anyway, the gambling den is currently closed, and the Watcher would be idle in storage. If you had requested cooperation saying you’d catch the sleep thieves, they would have lent it to you. Though you’d need to negotiate.”

“……”

I don’t think Neko failed to think of this. It’s obvious just from looking at his expression now.

However, the reason he didn’t do that was……

“You were hurt in your pride because it would seem like asking Black Dog for help?”

“Th……That’s……”

Probably so.

Wouldn’t it be like admitting that the Security Headquarters alone couldn’t handle the sleep thieves?

From the perspective of an orthodox security officer like Neko, it would have felt like ‘I absolutely can’t ask Black Dog for help even if a knife comes to my throat!’

“This time I’ll help you. With a Watcher.”

“Caleb has a Watcher?”

“Not yet.”

“……?”

Neko’s eyes became thin slits.

Then does that mean he doesn’t have one yet but will soon?

That’s right.

He will soon.

Click.

I pulled out one brick from the golden wall of the steelmaking process room where Golden Golems are created.

Kugugugu-ung!

The wall moved.

“Wait a moment.”

I calmed the adventurers who were entering alert stance in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking out the magic hammer.”

Rilwid had somehow heard and rambled on about being able to bring magical equipment here to enhance it.

That story was wrong.

What can be enhanced with Gobniu’s Hammer are only items with evolution options.

‘For example, like the Wizard’s Eye.’

I stuck my hand into the hole that went into the wall and took out the magic hammer.

White light sparkled and glowed.

In my left hand, I held a glass bottle containing the Wizard’s Eye.

A Watcher is an upgraded version of the Wizard’s Eye for securing vision.

Tang.

Just lightly tap the glass bottle with the hammer tip and it’s done.

“What……”

Neko’s security officer party was frozen in shock.

“How did you do that?”

Yernil, Aimus, and Backstab were the same.

The glass bottle transformed like a rolled-up scroll.

Chaaak.

When unfolded fully, what emerged from inside was.

[Watcher]

Able to see through fog, detect invisible entities, and forcibly dispel disguised states.

A wizard tool of the highest grade in terms of detection abilities.