Dance with the Nightingale-Chapter 95 - 90: Scheleth’s Peril

[The Same Day, Evening]

[The Slums, Lower City, Western Lueurre]

Just a day had passed since the terrorist attack, it’s scars still digging deep into the population of Lueurre.

Yes, the awakening of the divine tree, Atlas, restored those who had been injured while becoming the pillar of support that many needed, but an attack as fierce as that couldn’t be forgotten in just a nightfall.

Especially for those who lost someone.

Hence, the empty streets all over the city. Of course, a whole city can’t just be ’closed off’ just like that, so there were the bare minimum numbers present to keep it functioning, but the ambiance and crowd from two days prior were nowhere to be seen.

Though, that wasn’t the case for every part of the city.

The slums, for example, were the same as before, its people unaffected, too busy with their own struggles.

As such, finding the people whose names the tree girl had given wasn’t an easy task, especially given the complex layout of the slums.

But with a competent information network, and a mole that didn’t even realize that he was a mole, made the task much easier.

Yes, the mole was Aneles.

Actually, the tree girl herself didn’t know about the actual members of the Church of Light, simply because that wasn’t her task.

She was in the ’attack team’, with her task being limited to transporting the team and placing the bombs a day ago.

The rest wasn’t her business, so she didn’t know. Thankfully though, while placing the bombs, she had gotten acquainted with the goons of the members of the Church of Light, who transported the bombs into the city.

Goons, whose general bases of operations and hideouts were well known by Aneles.

And in one such base, a total of 12 people were working hastily. Ordinary people without any hint of magic were moving fast, filling boxes upon boxes of ’goods’, transporting them, repacking them, checking them, and what not, while two of them remained unmoving.

One of them, sitting on a couch, harshly instructing the workers, while the other was simply sitting beside him, watching the process quietly.

"Hey! You! Pack those neatly, that stuff is expensive! -"

-Knock

-Knock

The first man was saying, when a sudden knock on the wall behind, interrupted his nagging.

Followed by a gruff voice that penetrated the thin walls of the underground complex: "This should be the place."

"Huh?", The man blinked as he turned his head towards the wall - everything looked normal.

Then, he blinked again, and the wall was no more; the normal was no more.

Instead, a man with red hair and stylish red armor was standing in front of a broken wall with a huge ass sword in his hands.

’A magic user!’

The man identified as he blinked again, and suddenly, it became hard for him to breathe.

-Gasp…!

Clutching his throat, which now had a broad hand around it, the man tried to escape as he flailed around with all his might, but he was utterly outmatched.

In the end, he begged with difficulty, "Please…spare me…"

Instead of saying anything, Syrus swung his huge sword, not at the captured man but at his partner, who tried to escape using the chaos.

A single swing was enough to send the escaping man crashing into the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"You can come in now.", Syrus said, after the chaos settled. His call beckoning Cana to enter the base.

As they were ’supposed’ to hurry up, Cana didn’t waste any time and approached the man held by his throat, questioning, "Are you Dorn Mishel?", her eyes swirling with a deep pool of rose colored light.

"Yes! Yes! That’s-", the man started frantically, but as soon as his eyes met the pools of rose, a hint of rose color appeared in their depths, causing his behavior to become more robotic, more monotone, and more obedient.

"No. I am not Dorn Mishel.", the man replied monotonously.

’Hooo! He tried to lie.’, Cana exclaimed inwardly.

Knowing that she found a lead, she asked the obvious, "Are you Dorn Mishel’s subordinate?"

And just as Cana expected, "Yes.", the man replied positively.

"Where is Dorn? Is he in this building?", she asked, pressing for more information while the workers in the base were freaking out at her freaky powers.

Well, anyone would freak out in front of someone who can control them with just a few words, and being that someone, the atmosphere was normal for Cana.

Rather, she had experienced much worse.

Though...

"Shut Up!"

...she liked it better when Syrus shut them up with his killing intent.

After all, ’normal’ doesn’t mean good.

With a few more questions, she had all the information she needed. So, after a final command, "Knock yourself out.", the duo left the complex, calling their leader, who was taking care of some other things.

***

[The same time]

[Rayne’s POV]

Walking into [Gabber’s Runesmithing Hub], which could only be described as a mess, I smiled as I felt the rumble of magic power from within the rundown shop.

’He’s still trying to make that artefact?’, I thought as I went deeper into the shop, guided by my perception that led me to the room with the highest mana concentration.

-Click

Opening the door, I spotted the six-handed reptilian working on an artefact with several runes and data floating around his body.

He was so focused that he didn’t even notice me coming in.

Well, his life depended on it, so he ought to be focused.

I waited for a while for him to finish, meanwhile looking around his lab.

And as Claire said, the place was rundown by normal standards. The equipment was two generations older, and there were some things that I couldn’t even recognize.

Initially, I was just looking around for fun, but then, something caught my eye.

It was my prize.

A half-transparent golden leaf that was emitting a soft, soothing, holy light that felt grand and majestic at the same time. It was stored in some kind of array that was apparently keeping it preserved, so I couldn’t take it out and examine it closely, but even then, the leaf was full of mysteries.

I couldn’t even tell something as basic as whether it was a physical object or an energy-based one, even after looking at it!

For a moment, it looked like a normal golden-colored leaf, then the next moment, it became translucent, making it seem like an energy-based object.

Just as I was mulling over its properties, a string of energy emitted by the leaf was transported towards the enchanting array. That, and the hum of mana behind me which became particularly unstable, caused me to turn my head.

There, I saw a lump of metal that was to be made into the artefact, rejecting the enchantments that were being bestowed upon it.

The main reason being the quality of the materials not being able to keep up with the enchantments as soon as the golden string of energy was added to the mix.

The panicked Scheleth was doing his best to keep them stable by using all sorts of runes and techniques, but we both knew, he was just delaying the inevitable.

And then, after a little struggle – Boom!

A small, muffled explosion took place in the lab as the arrays created a barrier around the artefact.

’Oh! So, they do have an automatic protection mechanism.’, I exclaimed inwardly, these old machines didn’t look that bad anymore.

But it wasn’t the time for my inner tech enthusiast, for whenever it came into existence, to start fluttering.

Rather, I had to deal with a distressed reptilian who looked like he was about to cry.

The only silver lining was that he hadn’t noticed me…

Scratch that, this bastard has already noticed me and is acting pitiful on purpose as he muttered, "If only I had a day or two more."

"You failed.", I stated to the crumpled ball of scales mopping on the magical table.

In response, Scheleth remained true to his act, acting shocked as if it was just now that he noticed my presence.

"Since when are you there!?"

To him and his shitty acting, I had no words other than – "Stop that shitty acting of yours or I’ll make you."

And yes, I wouldn’t hesitate to give him a punch or two if needed.

But it seemed like my tone was enough of a wakeup call for him, for he shivered and dropped the act, quite literally.

Dropping down, to do a dogeza as he apologized.

"I’m sorry! I really am sorry! I wasn’t trying to trick you! I really can make this artefact by tomorrow! So please, please give me some time."

The reptilian almost begged, clinging to my knees.

"You can’t do it-"

"Wait! Wait! Please don’t kill me! Please!", he pleaded, interrupting me.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"Listen Scheleth-"

"I’ll listen! I’ll listen! I’ll do whatever you want me to do—just don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!", he begged, interrupting me again.

"This is getting annoying."

A quiet mumble escaped from my mouth as my patience ran out.

Maybe the feeling I was giving out changed too, cause Scheleth finally stopped his begging as he peeked up to look at my face.

And as soon as our eyes met – I summoned my sword.

"Wait!"

There is no waiting now, babe.

-Bang!

-Bang!

-Bang!

…

..

.

A few minutes later, I sat on a beanbag—a scaly beanbag which had three, no, four pairs of legs.

"You can’t make that artefact cause the materials you are using are trash.", I said, and the beanbag croaked in agreement, "Yes, sir!"

"I can give you better materials, but you can’t handle them with your current rank.", I said while touching one of the prominent bumps on the beanbag’s head.

"Argh!", he groaned as soon as I did.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Then bark."

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"Hmm. That’s enough."

"Sir, yes sir!"

’That’s enough playing around. Let’s get back on track now.’, I thought as I stood up and sat on an actual chair nearby.

"So, what exactly were you making?", I asked.

"You don’t know, sir?", Scheleth, who remained in the same chair position, asked, confused.

"Hm? Talking back to me?"

"No! No, sir, no!"

"So? What is it you were working on?"

"It’s an artefact that can make use of the special energy in this leaf and imbue it into objects, sir!"

’Imbue energy in objects? Like making talismans?’, I guessed, but asked anyways to confirm things, "Elaborate."

"Yes, sir! The goal was to actually create ’Holy Water’. If the artefact succeeded, then after imbuing its power into water would turn it into ’Holy Water’ which is a reduced form of Atlas’s Blessing, or so I was told…"

"Hmm, a potion unique to the Church. That sure sounds like a thing that would take off.", I said more to myself than to him, before asking, "And what about talismans? I’m pretty sure that this energy can be used to make purifying talismans."

"That, sir…I don’t know how to make talismans, actually.", he revealed.

’Oh, right. Talisman makers are rare.’, I remembered. ’So…they improvised, for now atleast. That solves the riddle of why Travis was involved with these guys. Just that ’Holy Water’ smells of money, much less the talismans if they got successful someday.’

’The Goddess really did a good job of tying the loop holes.’, was my final thought before Scheleth interrupted my train of thought.

"Sir…I am not going to die, am I?"

This annoyingly cowardly bastard.

I cursed him in my mind, before I revealed the information that had Scheleth’s life hanging, "No, Scheleth, rather the one who wanted you to die is dead."

"So…I am going to live?", he asked in shock, to which I simply nodded.

After that, his attitude did a total 180, with speed worthy of a C rank, he packed his things, turned around, and was about to leave.

But – "Where are you going?", I asked his sneaky self, as I placed my hand on his shoulder.

And he answered, "I am going back to my lab, sir! As you said, Travis is dead. So, there is no need to make the artefact. I can’t make it, even if I want to, sorry for lying before. I am leaving the leaf, of whatever tree that is, along with its container, to you. I am not asking for any money for all the artefacts I used or to pay for my hard work. Which ultimately means, with all due respect, that there is no reason for me to stay here, sir!", Unlike before, his words were like a flurry of bullets, shooting out non-stop without a pause.

After saying all that, he tried to make his escape again, but a hard tuck on his shoulder kept him still.

"Did I perhaps forget anything, sir?", he asked cautiously after an impasse.

To which, I exclaimed happily, showing him my pearly whites, "I like how you think fast!"

"Y’know, I want something. I really, really want something.", I spoke like a druggist who wanted his drug, "Something that only you can make for me.", sending shivers down Scheleth’s spine, which forced him to reply, "Then…I will help you with that, sir…", if my ever-tightening grip on his shoulder implied otherwise.

…

..

.

Sometime later, Scheleth was working on the artefact I wanted, while I was observing his runesmithing techniques with [Mana Reading].

It was thanks to this skill, that I noticed some people, some skilled people sneaking around the shop.

’Intruders? Travis’s henchmen? Church of Light’s people? Demonic Cult members?’, I thought of all three possibilities, while keeping an eye on them.

’If they try to enter the lab, I will attack them.’, I thought while summoning my sword, my mind slowly switching to ’fight mode’, as I called it, streamlining my thought process.

My amulet beeped at that right moment, giving me a little scare. Cana was calling me.

For a moment, I considered the worst, as I picked up.

"Cana?"

-Yes, Leader. I think we found the location of their main hideout.

Much to my relief, it was Cana, who got straight to the point with her first sentence.

-Should we raid it ourselves, if you are busy?

"Never underestimate your enemies, Cana.", I chided her first before declining her proposal, "And no, you aren’t raiding it alone, even if I am busy. I’ll send Mark over, so let him handle the vanguard."

-We can do it alone-

Cana was saying when, "Thanks for sending backup, Leader.", Syrus, probably, took the amulet from her and replied.

"Counting on you.", I said, disconnecting the call, walking towards the exit of the lab, thinking, ’I’ll just ask what they are here for.’

’Nicely, of course.’