The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World-Chapter 16: The Victim (1)

Vible’s eyes flicked toward the man who had barked at her, then back to Ruvian. Whatever warmth had lingered in her expression cooled into something resigned, though still polite.

She closed her wooden case with a soft click and offered him a final bow.

"...It seems I have to go now."

She gently shook her head.

"This world rarely has room for kindness. Hardly anyone chooses to trust a stranger anymore. Oh, how sad."

Her gaze softened just a fraction as it returned to Ruvian.

"But not you."

She reached out, placing the amulet gently in front of him.

"Since you showed that small kindness, I’ll give you this for free. Take it. I hope its light serves you better."

’Huh? For free?’

Ruvian couldn’t help but question it. He doesn’t like receiving free things for no reason. There must be a hidden motive behind those... always.

She turned toward the exit.

"May Althea watch your steps, traveler."

Without waiting for another word, she pushed the café door open and stepped out into the cold.

The man who had shouted settled back into his chair, huffing as though the entire exchange had been a personal inconvenience.

"Just throw it away, kid," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Those things ain’t worth the thread they’re wrapped in."

Ruvian turned around to watch across the room. Then, he found out that the dark-haired woman, who was sitting alone, was staring at him.

The instant she realized he had caught her, she jerked her gaze away and pretended to be deeply interested in the table.

Ruvian looked back down at the amulet resting in his hand. The warmth of it lingered against his palm.

This time, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling, just a little.

’Ah.’

Finally, he realised what was going on. While he was playing along, he was forgetting something more important.

Ruvian’s original plan was to follow their target and catch them off guard. But now, things took an unexpected direction.

He was the one who ended up as their target...

[You have received +100 Plot Points!]

’...’

’Why me though?’

But again... why would she want to rob a young man who couldn’t even buy a cup of coffee?

’....’

However, it was not entirely bad.

In truth, Ruvian felt as though this might be even better.

And throughout that entire merchant act, beneath all the polite words and staged sincerity, he had learned what he needed.

He now understood how they drugged their victims!

And it was through the amulet in his hands.

Yet, as the [Identify] result had shown, it was not enchantment at all. The magic was genuine, harmless even. But the danger came from another matter.

And that he believed that it would come from this thin layer he had felt around the surface.

Ruvian recalled that alchemy existed in this world.

There must be a compound designed to respond to mana circulation. With the right ingredients, channeling mana into the amulet could trigger a reaction.

A blend that dulled the nerves and fogged the mind. Something that weakened the body and left the victim unsteady, compliant, and almost intoxicated.

’It must be that.’

’A mana-reactive alchemical coat. Once activated, it seeps in through the skin.’

His grip tightened around the amulet as he stood from his seat.

’Since I have been marked by them, there is no point in staying here any longer.’

Ruvian made his decision. He would continue playing along as their chosen target. He would pretend to be affected, to look as though the amulet had already begun to weaken him.

And when the ambush finally fell upon him...

Silvena would appear.

That was how he would ’coincidentally’ meet her.

’She will definitely come to save me, right?’

The thought suddenly came. He let it linger for a while before brushing it aside with a faint smile.

’Well, knowing her... she definitely will.’

’There’s no need to overthink. All I need to do is to play my parts well... this time for sure. Then, once she beats them in the alleyway, I will show her the way to their base to catch the rest of them there.’

’Surely, that would be a great start to build our relationship.’

With that, Ruvian pushed the café door open and stepped into the cold, leaving the warmth of Café Delaciel behind him.

*****

The alley beside Café Delaciel crouched between two stone walls, narrow and starved of light, as though the shadows themselves were waiting for someone to wander in.

Four figures waited beneath the lantern’s dim halo, just beyond casual sight. They kept to that perfect distance of close enough to observe, but shy of being noticed.

Those four were just simply watching from there, their eyes anchored to the café entrance.

The merchant woman, Vible, stood with her wooden case cradled beneath her arm, eyes fixed on the entrance like a hunter waiting for the rabbit to step out of the bush.

The two big men—broad-shouldered, thick with muscle and impatience, watched restlessly, while a skinny man with hollow cheeks gnawed on his lower lip as though the cold alone could snap him in half.

"By the Void, Vible," grumbled the skinny man, Lenwick, voice rough as gravel. "You certain about today’s pick? We can’t waste time if he’s some nobody."

Vible hummed, pleased with herself. "Oh, I didn’t choose a nobody today. Quite the opposite."

She tapped lightly on the lid of her case, pride curling into her smile.

"I found a very fine product!"

"Product?" muttered the broad man, Garrun, rubbing his hands against the cold. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You’ll see."

Vible’s voice dripped with triumph.

"He looks frail, barely past his youth. But not witless. He can use magic, low-tier spells at least."

Both large men stiffened as if she had slapped them.

The second brute, Brask, spat a curse.

"Magic? Are you daft? Y-you... We’re not equipped to snatch a mage. Is he an adventurer? A guild brat?"

Lenwick leaned forward, lowering his voice.

"Listen, Vible. If Droiger were with us today... maybe, just maybe, we’d stand a chance. I very much dislike him, but without him? We’re no better than ordinary thugs!"

Vible waved a hand, dismissing their panic.

"You exaggerate. There’s no need for worry. I already gauged him. The mana flow around him is thin. He’s weak."

She smiled as though she had appraised a piece of jewelry.

Lenwick frowned.

"And that makes him a good ’product’? You didn’t make any sense."

"Oh, more than just good."

She leaned in closer, voice lowering with greed.

"You didn’t see him properly. His face, his build, his eyes... he has everything the kind nobles would drool over. Young, well-shaped, soft hands, and no scars. Haven’t you realized what that means?"

Lenwick blinked. "By the Void. So you’re planning to sell him? Not just rob the brat?"

She nodded, satisfaction gleaming cold as steel.

"Why not? Just robbing would be a waste. A body like that fetches a higher price."

Brask stared, stunned. "So you plan to kidnap a young mage this time? Ugh. Spirits preserve us..."

"Oh shut it. I believe Droiger will approve it, as well."

Vible straightened her coat, already imagining silver coins clattering.

"Any noble with peculiar tastes will pay handsomely for a young man whose body is lovely but whose spine is soft~"

Garrun and Brask stared at her with disgusted expressions.

’Pervert old hag.’

’Crazy lunatic.’

Compared to the two of them, only Lenwick reacted differently.

"You’re certain?" he asked.

"Positive. Now, hush."

Her smile sharpened as her gaze tightened towards the café.

"Look. There he is."

The café door creaked open. Ruvian stepped out into the cold. His steps faltered slightly, swaying as if he were fighting dizziness.

Vible let out a soft, victorious breath.

"What a good boy," she murmured, delighted.

"He heeded my advice immediately, already channeling his mana into the amulet."

She tapped both Brask and Garrun’s shoulders.

"He’s weakened now. Get ready, both of you. It’s time for us to claim our merchandise."

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[Chapter 16: The Victim (1)]