Chapter 90

◈ Chapter 90: First Order Esmeralda (2)

Rudger pondered inwardly.

Could Esmeralda have asked him such a question without any thought?

No.

This was clearly a probing statement, questioning him.

If he wasn't mistaken, he felt the temperature around him rise a few degrees.

No, it was actually rising.

A surge of intense heat began to take shape.

Flames.

What started as a fist-sized flame soon grew, forming tendrils of fire that began to engulf him.

His skin tingled with the searing heat.

An ordinary person would have panicked, stammered, or felt the danger to their life and instinctively retaliated.

After all, staying alive was more important than dying.

That would be a natural reaction and choice.

'But I can't do that.'

Rudger suppressed his body's automatic response.

Even in a situation where the other side could suddenly twist his neck at any moment.

Even as the rising heat tormented him.

He stared at the flames without losing his composure.

"You seem to know a lot about me."

[Huh?]

In this situation, provoking the other party in return would be considered insane.

If someone had witnessed this scene, they would have tried to stop him, asking why he was doing this.

But Rudger didn't hesitate.

There was no need to.

"First, you asked for my help and then drew your own conclusions. Did you think I was just sitting around in Seorin, so you could look down on me?"

Esmeralda, who had been overtly irritated, took a step back.

[What? You're the one who doesn't usually do things like this.]

"I always give my best in my new role. And now, I am Rudger Chellis, a new teacher at Seorin. How would it look if such a teacher didn't have an assistant?"

[...So you put a Third Order under you?]

"I just thought it was better than having someone who knows nothing. No, forget it. I don't even know why I'm trying to convince you of this."

Rudger bluntly stated that there was no need to explain, openly showing his irritation.

If he had tried to persuade her in such a situation, it could have aroused her suspicions.

The First Orders he had judged all possessed remarkable skills, but they were also somewhat deranged.

From John Doe and Victor Dreadful, whom he had only indirectly encountered, to Esmeralda standing before him.

'Such people react poorly to rational and calm approaches.'

They are more likely to back down when you show irritation.

The way to dispel her suspicions is not through detailed explanations.

The best approach is to openly show anger.

Indeed, this action was correct.

The flame tendrils vanished as if melting into the air.

[Just kidding, kidding. I was just messing around; you didn't have to react so strongly, right?]

"Esmeralda, even you have crossed the line by questioning my loyalty."

[I get it. I'm sorry, okay? Besides, you didn't really get along with anyone except Zero Order, so calm down. In return, I have some good news for you.]

"What is it?"

[Zero Order will soon visit to check on our status. Really.]

The mention of Zero Order's name made the killing intent emanating from Rudger subside.

"…I'll let this slide this time. But remember, if you do something like this again—"

Rudger narrowed his eyes and glared at the flames.

No, at 'Esmeralda' hidden within them.

"One of us will definitely die."

[Yes, yes. I understand.]

Though she seemed to be brushing it off, if Esmeralda was willing to say this much, his threat had clearly been effective.

[Well, anyway, I've said what I needed to say, so I'll be going now. I'm annoyed that our plans have been disrupted, but what can you do?]

"…."

Rudger left without responding to her muttering.

Esmeralda watched his retreating back for a while.

But soon, she seemed to lose interest and withdrew her power.

The flames disappeared.

Darkness once again settled over the entrance to the Forest of Illusions.

* * *

'Close call.'

After leaving the Forest of Illusions, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.

I was still tense from the desperate acting I had to do to get out of the situation.

'Fortunately, I played it tough, and she backed down.'

That's how people in the secret organization of the underworld usually react.

If you appear weak or try to resolve things through words, they look down on you.

Especially if you've risen to a leadership position.

In such situations, it's more effective to show that you're not intimidated.

Indeed, Esmeralda had backed down.

'But it was still dangerous. If I had shown even the slightest unusual reaction, she would have tried to kill me.'

At least until I showed my anger, Esmeralda's reactions were genuine.

The killing intent she displayed when things went wrong was real.

If we had fought, it would have been extremely dangerous.

Especially since the headmaster is actively looking for suspicious people, a fight at the entrance of the Forest of Illusions in the middle of the night?

Especially considering Esmeralda's abilities, it wouldn't have been a minor issue.

The flames she controlled could have burned this entire forest in an instant.

'Fortunately, I managed to get away without being exposed.'

It was lucky that I knew what kind of character John Doe was.

His personality is despicable, and he doesn't back down even to other First Orders, but he swears loyalty to Zero Order, the leader of the Black Dawn.

Even if he kills lower Orders of the Black Dawn, he maintains his position, perhaps because he wants to impress Zero Order.

'It's fortunate that I managed to get away without being exposed. And I also got a clue about the First Order Esmeralda.'

First Order Esmeralda.

Gender: Female. Age is hard to guess, but she is definitely young.

But the most important thing is her ability.

The flames she used earlier and the intense heat that spread in an instant.

I realized from the moment I sensed her presence in the Forest of Illusions that she was an elemental mage.

A powerful one, capable of controlling at least a high-level fire elemental.

'If she can send an elemental and transmit her voice, she must be a skilled elemental mage.'

This significantly narrows down the suspects.

Instead of suspecting everyone in Seorin, I only need to focus on those specialized in elemental magic.

'The first suspects should be the elemental magic teachers.'

From first year to fifth year, there are five teachers in total.

However, they are all top-notch, leaving no room for doubt.

And as a First Order, there's a high possibility that she might have infiltrated as another teacher.

'But I can't rule out the students either.'

In fact, hiding among the students would be less likely to be exposed.

There are quite a few female students who have learned elemental magic.

But if I focus on those who specialize in fire elementals, the list narrows down to a handful.

'And since she approached me when I came to observe the test in the Forest of Illusions, she must have been free or present at that time.'

The list narrows even further.

For the teachers, I need to focus on those who didn't administer the test or were absent that day.

But I can't directly ask each of them where they were and what they were doing that day.

It would be like openly declaring, 'I'm a suspicious person.'

'But there is a way.'

The first test is over.

Although there are four tests per semester, the first one is always significant.

Seorin gives a small gift to those who take their first test as a token of appreciation.

Students are given a three-day break.

The same applies to teachers. The welcome party for new teachers, which should have been held during the opening ceremony, is now scheduled after the first test.

'They say that only after setting and grading the test, and completing the entire process, can a teacher be considered to have taken their first step.'

The welcome party, held annually at the beginning of the year, is attended by all Seorin teachers and also by external figures who donate large sums to Seorin.

It's a kind of banquet.

The banquet is held in a large city near Seorin.

There is only one city near Seorin.

'The banquet in Leathervark.'

I plan to attend and find the First Order there.

'And the last thing Esmeralda said.'

Zero Order, the founder of the Black Dawn.

The news that he will soon visit.

It can't be a lie just to defuse the situation.

If Zero Order really comes and wants to meet me directly—

Can I deceive Zero Order?

* * *

Sigh.

In the dark room.

A small shadow let out a sigh.

It was Esmeralda, who had just finished her brief encounter with John Doe.

"Good job."

A small spark appeared beside her.

It was so small it could have been mistaken for a candle flame, but if you knew the power it contained and its true identity, you wouldn't find it cute.

Swish.

The spark flickered and then disappeared as if it had been extinguished.

Esmeralda stood up and looked out the window.

She was in a small, rarely visited research building.

Beyond the window, one of the three great forests of Seorin, the Forest of Illusions, was visible.

The forest was so vast it couldn't be seen in its entirety, and its contents were not fully known even within Seorin.

As she carefully observed the forest's entrance, she saw someone slowly walking out.

Esmeralda narrowed her eyes.

Even with her vision enhanced by magic, she could only vaguely make out his form.

'John Doe.'

The man walked leisurely into the darkness.

He seemed to be walking normally, but he blended into the surroundings, making it hard to see him clearly.

Indeed, he deserved to be called a First Order.

'He came here and did nothing but teach, which made me wonder what had changed.'

There was a moment when she felt he might have betrayed the organization, but she quickly shook off that thought.

John Doe's loyalty to the organization is the highest.

He is the one who would die before Zero Order more than anyone else.

Still, she had deliberately provoked him because his recent actions had been unusually attention-grabbing.

'I thought he would handle things quietly as a teacher, but it was completely unexpected.'

Esmeralda doesn't know exactly how John Doe handles his tasks.

She knows he is specialized in disguise and infiltration, but everything else is shrouded in secrecy.

However, given that he has never failed in his assigned tasks, his skills are undoubtedly verified.

She provoked him to gauge his abilities.

John Doe is a controversial figure even among the First Orders.

'That look in his eyes. He didn't show any fear even with my flames right in front of him.'

He could have been bewildered, but instead, John Doe strongly confronted her.

In a situation where even the slightest mistake could result in being burned to death by her fire elemental.

He didn't harbor any fear.

It wasn't just bravado.

He had the power to adequately respond to her attack.

His attitude in the Forest of Illusions and his demonstration of a new form of magic as Rudger Chellis.

'John Doe is a highly skilled mage. He might even be stronger than I initially suspected.'

He claims to be wary of the headmaster, but it's unclear if it's because he is weaker or if he is simply aiming for perfection.

She thought it was the latter.

Indeed, she understood why Zero Order held this man in such high regard.

He doesn't form factions, is highly loyal, and possesses outstanding skills.

It makes sense that he was assigned to such a critical infiltration role.

'Tsk. I provoked him and got nothing in return.'

Before worrying about John Doe, she needed to take care of her own affairs.

'By the way, there's a banquet coming up, right?'

The thought of attending it annoyed her.

Esmeralda didn't like formal gatherings.

'Still, I have to go.'

Anyway, the main role will be played by someone else.