< 80. Night of the Oasis >
*
The night of the oasis was beautiful. Fernandez gazed at the complex network of sewers stretching across the city, lost in admiration for a moment. The pure white moonlight shimmered on the water’s surface.
“Your Excellency, an hour has passed.”
Kirhas’s turquoise eyes sparkled in the darkness. Fernandez unfolded the map. Assuming a smoke screen for thirty minutes, waiting for them to prepare for another thirty. Thus, an hour. The dot on the map had remained in the same spot for an hour.
The classical tracking magic, which utilized the target’s blood and organs, was highly intuitive but also easy to detect if one was under its influence. Fernandez smiled contentedly, feeling the slight increase in the magical energy of the Bronze Throne.
-Thirteen attempts at reverse tracking. Their magical forces are relentless.
‘Even if they try thirty times, the result will be the same.’
All magic leaves a residue. Magic that lasts this long inevitably becomes easier to reverse-track. That is, if the caster is an ordinary mage.
Unfortunately, Fernandez was no ordinary mage. The opponent had already identified the magic and was attempting to reverse-track it. Since all reverse-tracking attempts had failed, the other side must have finished their preparations by now. Fernandez chuckled softly and sheathed his dagger.
Fernandez leaped down towards the vast city area radiating from the oasis.
“Kirhas, let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
*
The city area of Mosat was intricately tangled. As a commercial city that developed around an oasis, and with the constant threat of war nearby, it was no surprise.
The city’s history dates back to the ancient Ashit Empire, but due to haphazard development, the old city area was a chaotic mess.
Fernandez was walking through the red-light district next to the market alley when he suddenly stopped at a sewer entrance. Without the map, finding the way would have been quite difficult.
The residual magic from the tracking spell connected to Vain’s blood was nearby. Fernandez looked at the flickering red blood droplets on the map and folded it.
“Kirhas. Get ready.”
“…Yes, Your Excellency.”
Kirhas gripped her sword hilt with a slightly tense expression, looking ready to charge at any moment. Fernandez shrugged and pushed open the creaky wooden door of a gloomy tavern.
-Squeak.
The rusty hinges made a loud noise as the door opened. Inside the tavern was dark, with a strong smell of tobacco. Fernandez frowned slightly and stepped inside.
-Clank.
Under the dim light of the tavern, the bartender and patrons all stared at them. A palpable sense of hostility filled the air. The bartender slowly lowered the cup he was cleaning and reached under the bar table.
To Diemonica’s sensitive hearing, the faint sound of blades being drawn from their sheaths could be heard from all directions.
“Welcome. A new face, I see…?”
“Let’s skip the small talk.”
“You don’t seem like the type who knows how to enjoy a meal. The most important and fun part, you know.”
Fernandez ignored the bartender’s smile and walked across the tavern. As he moved, the patrons lounging around began to stand up one by one.
“It seems you’ve caused some trouble for one of our friends. I don’t know why an Imperial would come this deep into our territory…”
The bartender slowly raised his hand, holding a long, thin dagger. At the same time, the tavern patrons all drew their swords.
“Your Excellency!!”
Kirhas drew her longsword and took a stance, shouting. They were outnumbered. Even though they had faced larger numbers before, even a great hero would die if a blade pierced their flesh!
“Enough. They’re not your opponents.”
From deep within the bar, behind a curtain, a soft voice spoke. The clear voice dispelled the sticky hostility that filled the tavern. Fernandez looked at the sparkling eyes behind the curtain.
“Bold, mage.”
“Are you Shaksisi?”
“The joy of life lies in such encounters, young mage.”
-Rustle.
The curtain parted, revealing a woman with black hair. She had the dark skin typical of desert tribes and eyes that sparkled like purple gemstones. She wore a thin garment that barely covered her brown skin.
She twirled a dagger on her finger, looking at Fernandez, and flashed a dazzling smile.
“Younger than I thought. Impressive. Given the level of your magic, I expected some old grand magician.”
Follow me. She smiled seductively and stepped into the room. Fernandez and Kirhas followed her.
*
The private room of the tavern was lavishly decorated with purple glass beads and dreamy oil lamps. The woman leaned back on a velvet sofa and lit a water pipe.
-Sizzle.
Soon, the liquid on the pipe began to boil. The woman held the pipe and took a puff. A decadent aroma filled the room. Kirhas, with her sensitive nose, coughed and covered her nose.
The woman chuckled at Kirhas’s reaction.
“A young beastwoman, huh? Which tribe are you from?”
“We’re not here to discuss personal matters.”
“Aren’t we? I invited you here for that very reason. You didn’t come just to track us down and eliminate us, did you?”
A tough one, huh. Fernandez narrowed his eyes and glared at her. The woman smiled seductively.
“Knight of the Round Table, Albert. At least, that’s the name we know you by. Care to share another name?”
“What if I tell you your name?”
“Ah, young mage. People like us have many names.”
The woman smiled like silk brushing against skin. A dizzyingly sweet scent followed her breath. Fernandez quickly inspected the pipe. Her eyes were clear and sharp, so it didn’t seem like there were any narcotics…
“Shaksisi’s Sadia Amal. That’s what you can call me now.”
“Angelo.”
“Oh. An unexpected name. From the Vaitas line, huh? Interesting.”
“The names of the Inquisition Officers, huh?”
The woman, Sadia, exhaled a long puff of cigarette smoke and laughed. Her white teeth glistened under the light.
“You’re not one of those Iron Side bastards, are you? Even if you’re a dog, I prefer the ones from the Temple of the Gods. That changes the conversation.”
“Let’s not beat around the bush. I want a more straightforward story.”
“Don’t live life so blandly. Life is short, and there aren’t many joys to be had.”
Kirzat Shaksisi. The Sultan’s elite operatives. Assassinations, elimination of rivals, sabotage, manipulation of public opinion, intelligence gathering… They are the symbol of terror, handling all the Sultan’s dirty work so he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty publicly.
Known as one of the two swords wielded by the current Sultan of Kirzat, Isa Musk Yahya Al’Hashir, the Kirzat Shaksisi is one of the most infamous organizations, alongside the Immortal Battalion of Kirzat.
Fernandez felt a deep interest as he watched Sadia’s sly expression. Exchanging mental probes was a basic skill for a Dark Mage. And what he sensed through this thick aroma…
This woman was also a Dark Mage. And a fairly high-ranking one at that.
“You’ve learned magic, Sadia.”
“The reason I’m not killing you right now is because of that, young knight. How can one person be a great Knight of the Round Table blessed by Shield, an Inquisition Officer of Vaitas, and a more skilled mage than me? Which one of these is a lie? Which one is your true identity?”
“All three are true. Let’s get to the point.”
“The point, the point…”
Sadia twirled a dagger on her slender fingertips as she spoke.
“What do you want? Why did you come looking for me after harassing our informant?”
“What lies beneath this city. At least, I want a passage to its entrance.”
“What’s the deal?”
“Make me an offer.”
At that, Sadia chuckled. Impressive. She was genuinely intrigued by this young man. The information she had gathered suggested that this young man, active on the Iron Side, was a newly appointed Knight of the Round Table from the Dane Kingdom.
But to cast a spell on her informant and evade all her tracking magic? Even knowing that his magic had been detected, he still walked into her den?
Such boldness, such sharpness. He was exactly her type. If he were one of Iron Side’s dogs, she would have dealt with him immediately… But Angelo, a figure from the Inquisition Office, was a different story. At least, he wasn’t from a faction hostile to the Shaksisi.
As a member of the Sultan’s Shaksisi, Sadia quickly calculated. She licked her lips and looked at Fernandez.
“I’m curious what Iron Side wants in this city.”
“To capture and interrogate the Shaksisi?”
“No, if you knew what lies beneath this city, it wouldn’t be for such a trivial reason.”
“It’s the third seal of the Necropolis Conclave. An ancient seal so sturdy that no one has ever broken it.”
“And you’ve come… A knight blessed by Shield, and a skilled Dark Mage… Huh, I have to admit, Iron Side knows how to recruit talent.”
The Shaksisi’s eyes turned cold. She spoke threateningly.
“Breaking the seal of the Necropolis is taboo. Inquisition Officer Angelo. You must be busy enough hunting demons in your homeland, why come all the way to this desert? The reason we tolerate the Great Seal is that we don’t want to relive the tragedy of the Ancient Ashit Empire.”
“It’s not tolerance, it’s outright worship. Your informant hired mercenaries from Mumto’s faction, didn’t they?”
“Corruption is a useful tool when used correctly. We follow the Sultan, not religion.”
Fernandez pulled out a dagger from his robe. A crude dagger with a dark green blade and intricate brass engravings. It was the Dagger of the Necropolis. Sadia’s face hardened as she saw it.
“The seal has already started to break, Sadia. It’s too late. If you don’t want to relive the fall of the Ancient Ashit Empire, it would be better to cooperate.”
“…Let me see.”
Sadia carefully lifted the Dagger of the Necropolis and examined it closely. Cold sweat dripped from her hands. It was the ancient Ashit Empire’s engraving style. It was genuine.
“Where did you get this?”
“I caught an escaped wraith. It had drifted all the way to the Dane Kingdom. If they break the seal in this city, well, what do you think will happen?”
“…There are fifty thousand innocent citizens living in Mosat City.”
“They’ll soon be innocent citizens no more.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m advising you. If you don’t want to create a legion of fifty thousand wraiths, then assist me.”
Sadia swallowed and slowly put the dagger down. As if handling a bomb about to explode, she was meticulous. She quickly made the sign of the cross and fell into silence.
There are five pillars guarding the Great Seal of the Necropolis, and one of them is buried beneath Mosat City. The legend that the Ancient Ashit Empire fell simultaneously with the rise of the Necropolis, and that place became the Great Desert, flashed through her mind.
If one of those seals were to open on its own? If the wraiths and demons sleeping within were to flood over Mosat City? The fate of this city would end that day.
The seal had held its place for at least two thousand years. Very few knew about the Great Seal of the Necropolis, but none of them feared that the seal would break in their lifetime. It was an ancient spell so sturdy that even deliberate attempts to break it failed.
If such a seal were to break now…
“You plan to reinforce the seal?”
“No, I plan to break it completely.”
“…You’re insane!”
As Sadia shouted, the sound of men moving behind the curtains could be heard. Fernandez drew his sword, sensing the approaching men, and laughed.
“And I plan to tear apart and kill the Conclave sleeping within.”
“You speak as if you’ve done it before?”
“Of course.”
Fernandez looked into Sadia’s eyes. Her purple eyes sparkled like gemstones. He could see fear and anxiety in them.
Why did Iron Side give him this dagger? Why did they hand him a joker card to use against the Shaksisi? Why did Iron Side urge him to break the seal of the Necropolis?
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Whether he succeeded or failed, it would bring chaos and burden to Kirzat. From Iron Side’s perspective, it was a gamble with no loss. Foolish. Fernandez chuckled. It was a shallow move.
He had never made a losing deal, even when bargaining with a Great Demon.
“I’ll open the way. But I’m coming with you.”
“Fine.”
Fernandez smiled as he tucked the dagger away. If Iron Side’s plan was to cause chaos in the Kirzat Empire, then…
From his perspective, it was just an easy trick to exploit.
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