Chapter 131

While Jacqueline was protecting the homeless from the cultists,

Shannon and Rita had already made it through the thick fog and arrived at Guildmaster Dawson’s secret warehouse.

“Jacqueline’s late.”

“What should we do? Should we go back and look for her? Maybe she got lost. She’s not very good with directions, you know.”

“Coming here twice would be a waste of time. The fog’s getting worse too. It’s better to check the inside quickly and go back to help Jacqueline before it gets any later.”

“If you say so, Shannon…”

And so, the two decided to enter the warehouse.

But there was a slight obstacle.

The warehouse door was firmly shut.

Specifically, the problem was the metal chains tightly wrapped around the handle and the padlock securing them.

“Hmm, what should we do?”

Of course, both of them were top students at the Academy, and it wasn’t that they couldn’t cut a mere chain.

It’s just that they were too skilled. They wanted to go in and out without leaving a trace.

Rita shrugged and said,

“Guess we’ll have to give up on staying unnoticed?”

“No. Let me try.”

Shannon stared intently at the padlock and said confidently.

And Rita, who had learned from experience that Shannon never failed in situations like this, deliberately stepped away from her.

It was to let Shannon’s mana field spread freely.

Shannon nodded in thanks, then closed her eyes and focused.

Soon, a soft voice flowed from her lips.

“The eyes that are open look outward, and the eyes that are closed see within. I shall peer beyond the sealed wall. Penetrating gaze.”

Then, keeping her eyes completely shut, Shannon began to fidget with the padlock.

What Shannon was doing could be inferred from the sound.

Click, clack. Click.

Whirr. Clunk!

A moment later, the padlock opened as if by magic… no, it was actually opened with real magic and Rita let out a sound of admiration.

“Wow, not just anyone can do that, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Clairvoyance magic was a fifth-class spell, and manipulating telekinesis finely enough to align the pins and cylinder inside a lock required innate talent.

Some people liken telekinetic magic to a “third hand”, but in reality, it’s far harder to control than your actual hands.

That’s because when telekinesis touches something, there’s no sensory feedback. So you can only rely on visual judgment or sheer experience to guide your actions.

It’s like trying to write with your non-dominant hand after using your dominant one your whole life, or trying to use your foot instead of your hand… but worse.

You’re trying to control an external appendage you were never even born with.

Just how hard would it be to move that freely?

So the fact that Shannon had picked the lock without a single mistake was nothing short of a feat.

Of course, other mages could probably do it too if they practiced… but most just don’t see the need.

Meanwhile, Rita who had asked the question seemed to be thinking in a different direction.

“Thank goodness. If anyone could open locks like that, the world would be overrun with thieves.”

Shannon was about to reply with, “What fifth-class mage would waste their time picking locks like a petty thief?”

But then she changed her mind.

“You’re not wrong, actually…”

“Huh?”

“There is someone like that. Someone who uses incredible magic skills just to go around picking locks.”

Shannon recalled a certain mage who was considered both a headache and a disgrace in Karaf.

A 7th-class mage who called themselves a phantom thief, traveling the continent and stealing treasures as their life’s work.

When Shannon’s parents told her about this person as a child, all she could do was sigh.

Clink.

As Shannon removed the padlock about the size of two fists, the metal chain slid down with a clear, ringing sound.

Rita groaned.

“That looked heavy.”

“Wanna help?”

“Of course.”

The heavy-duty ship mooring chain, usually found at docks, was thicker than a finger joint in diameter and so heavy that even a grown man would struggle to lift and move it.

Even with both girls working together, it took them quite a while just to unhook it from the door handle, grunting with effort.

“It would’ve been easier if Jacqueline were here.”

“Couldn’t we have just used magic for this too?”

“….…”

Shannon paused her hands and fell silent with a strange expression.

Clearly, she hadn’t thought of that.

She was no longer the sharp, cold student from the early days at the Academy and perhaps as a side effect, Shannon sometimes showed unexpected blind spots.

Rita didn’t think it was a bad thing at all, but Shannon, sensing Rita’s gaze, hurried to make an excuse.

“I… didn’t expect it to get heavier with each round.”

She had a point.

The more of the tightly coiled chain they unwound, the more weight they had to lift for the next loop.

After finally removing the last of the chain, both girls were panting for breath.

The thick fog made them sweat more than usual, and the effort had taken its toll.

“Shall we open it now?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

They both grabbed the warehouse door handle and pulled with all their strength.

Creeeeak…

The rusted hinges screamed.

And then the dark interior came into view.

The warehouse had high ceilings and stretched deep inside.

All the windows were shut, and it was nighttime which made it pitch-black.

But Shannon who was quietly staring into the darkness suddenly called out.

“Who’s there?”

Rita turned to her in surprise.

“What is it? I don’t see anything.”

Shannon didn’t respond. She just tapped her ear.

Realizing what that meant, Rita perked up and focused her hearing.

And then she noticed it.

They could faintly hear someone groaning. It was a sickly, labored breath.

A chill ran down their spines.

Rita’s voice quickened.

“I don’t usually believe in ghosts or anything, but…”

“They’re not ghosts. They’re people.”

Shannon raised her right hand.

A gesture like picking a fruit from a tree.

Only, the order was reversed. A bright orb of light bloomed above her hand like a glowing fruit.

It was a simple illumination spell, easy enough that Shannon didn’t even need a chant.

Fwoosh!

Bright light swept away the darkness inside the warehouse.

And as the light revealed the interior, both Shannon and Rita were left speechless.

People bound with ropes were stacked like cargo.

Blindfolds and gags bound to their faces made it clear they hadn’t come here by choice.

As Shannon stepped deeper inside, she wrinkled her nose slightly at the stench of feces.

These people hadn’t just been here for a day or two.

That would explain why not a single one of them was fully conscious.

They only let out weak groans now and then, as if trapped in a nightmare.

“Uh, um… So this is…”

Even calm, composed Rita couldn’t finish her sentence.

Shannon gestured.

“Rita, look at this.”

Their clothes were all slightly torn.

Specifically, the left sleeve consistently ripped, exposing the upper arms where a symbol was drawn in blood.

Rita frowned and tried to recall something.

I’m sure I’ve seen that in class before… A higher-year class. Maybe in magical symbology?

Shannon gave her the answer.

“It’s an ancient script. It means abundance, livestock, the dining table, or…”

“A sacrifice?”

“Yeah. A sacrifice.”

Even though she got the answer right, Rita wasn’t pleased.

The meaning stirred a grim imagination.

People locked up in a warehouse, and a symbol representing a sacrifice.

“What should we do about these people? Should we try waking them up?”

“No. They won’t wake up by normal means. They’re under a magical sleep.”

“Sleep magic? I heard that’s impossible.”

The three components of a human being—

That is, the body, the mind, and the soul.

They possess strong resistance to magic, assuming they are in a healthy state.

You might be able to burn their skin with flames conjured by magic, or draw blood by hitting them with a magically forged stone,

But using magic directly on their body, mind, or soul is extremely difficult.

That’s not to say it’s entirely impossible.

If their body or mind had been broken through torture or drugs, then magic could sometimes take hold.

Or…

“With dark magic, it’s entirely possible.”

“Dark magic!”

Dark magic, which extracts life force from the three components of a human and uses it as magical fuel, has properties that make it far easier to manipulate the body and mind than regular magic.

Still, no mage freely uses dark magic, because Karaf, the leading nation in magic, had officially denounced its use.

Following that, the Laurencia Kingdom’s laws also declared that even the study of dark magic constituted a crime.

Gulp.

Rita swallowed dryly.

“We… should tell Professor Winslet about this, right?”

“Yeah. There’s no way we can get these people out of here ourselves. It’d be better to report to the professor and figure out another way.”

“Let’s get out of here. But what about the locks and chains we undid?”

“There’s no time to put the chains and locks back. If Guildmaster Dawson catches us…”

“You’ve already prepared yourself for what’ll happen if you do get caught, haven’t you? Heeheehee.”

The last voice came from a completely different direction.

Rita turned toward the sound.

And flinched in shock.

“Guildmaster Dawson?”

A gaunt man with protruding cheekbones stood at the entrance of the warehouse.

He let out a cheerful laugh as he looked at the two of them.

“Kehaha! I was wondering who was lurking around this warehouse. Turns out it’s a pair of cute students from the academy!”

While Rita froze in place, Shannon spoke up.

“How did you know we were here?”

“Because I knew you’d come here.”

“You knew?”

“That’s right! I was heading back after checking on this warehouse earlier today. I noticed something lying on the access path. It definitely wasn’t there when I went in.”

As he spoke, Guildmaster Dawson pulled a coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air.

Ping… clink.

It landed at their feet. It was an old, filthy coin.

It was the same coin Jacqueline had received while helping the old woman.

It must have fallen out. Maybe her pocket had a hole in it.

“Thanks to that, I realized someone was spying on me. And I knew it was only a matter of time before they tried to investigate this place!”

Rita let out a groan.

“Damn it… Jacqueline…”