Chapter 192: Illusion (2)

“Wow.”

Yuria looked around with wide eyes.

After descending the narrow stairs, a spacious facility revealed itself.

The neat and clean atmosphere, different from the Harlem District above, drew spontaneous admiration.

“This is your base?”

“Yeah. Even Laysis hasn’t been here.”

“Even Laysis?”

Yuria’s eyes widened into circles.

Did that mean even Laysis, who stuck to Carl like glue, had never entered this place?

“We tried to scout Laysis into NOX. That’s why I’ve been building rapport and slowly approaching her.”

“Scout Laysis into NOX?!”

Yuria shouted loudly before glancing around and covering her mouth.

It was, after all, the base of a secret organization, where secrecy was paramount—being exposed because of her own shout would be unacceptable.

Carl chuckled and waved his hand.

“You don’t have to worry. Even if you bomb this place with magic, it won’t be exposed.”

“…Really? Anyway, what’s this about Laysis?”

“I’ll explain as we walk.”

When Carl began moving, Yuria cautiously followed him, holding onto his arm.

Despite being a secret organization’s base, the atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant, and there were people walking around here and there.

Most wore matching outfits, but some were dressed more casually or lightly.

“…”

When they saw Carl with Yuria, everyone simply nodded and left the area.

Watching them, Yuria silently looked up at Carl.

‘He really is the head of a secret organization.’

Had it been the beginning of the semester, she wouldn’t have even imagined such a thing.

Who would’ve known that Carl, who was only good at studying and had no other notable traits, was leading such an organization?

“So, what about Laysis?”

“From the moment I prepared to enroll in Bayern Academy, I classified which cadets to recruit. There were many outstanding individuals, after all.”

It was practically the best market to acquire talent.

Even if not in the same year, he had contacted seniors, especially those close to graduating, and although only a few, some had joined NOX and were currently undergoing training.

Those who had started on a different level were being nurtured to become the core of NOX—Black Label.

They were instilled with loyalty to Carl and dedication to the organization, transformed into full-fledged members.

“Laysis was the cadet who met the conditions best. She wanted to escape the kingdom, and her abilities were exceptional.”

“…Right. The reason she wanted to defect to the Empire wasn’t because she liked it, but because she wanted to leave that place.”

“Do you know the reason?”

“Not in detail. Just that it’s a family feud.”

Carl nodded as if it was the same for him.

The royal family of the Kingdom of Alforam was known for being closed off.

That made it difficult to obtain information even with NOX’s capabilities, and the best they could do was grasp the general context.

“For someone as influential as Laysis to defect to the Empire, many procedures are required. From excavating ruins to building academic prestige—it’s all part of the preparation.”

“…Does Laysis know about this?”

“Vaguely.”

“Well, she would’ve guessed. She must’ve wondered why Carl took such good care of her.”

“So, are you going to stop it?”

To Carl’s question, Yuria shrugged her shoulders.

“Stop it? Why would I? You and Laysis made that choice. It’s not forced, and it’s not like she hates it. Your goals align. And also…”

Her voice faltered slightly.

After checking if anyone was around, she quickly whispered in a small voice.

“Laysis probably likes being around you too.”

“Hm.”

Carl nodded.

“I have a sense of Laysis’ feelings. Though I didn’t intend it.”

“You have a sense?!”

Yuria’s eyes popped open.

This was the first time she was hearing this.

No—she hadn’t expected him to speak so directly.

She stared at Carl with a flushed face, but he simply nodded like it was no big deal.

“It’s not strange for feelings to develop between a young man and woman. Especially Laysis—she had no one to rely on in a foreign place. Now that she has someone to lean on, it’s natural she feels that way.”

Someone to lean on in a foreign land.

That statement applied to Yuria herself as well.

And so, Carl turned his gaze to her and asked,

“Yuria, are you the same?”

“…I don’t know. Don’t ask me stuff like that.”

Yuria blushed even deeper and punched Carl in the side.

Then she briskly walked ahead and continued down the base’s hallway.

Whoosh.

Carl quickly caught up and walked beside her, continuing the conversation.

“If you go alone, you’ll get lost. The structure was deliberately made confusing in case of intruders.”

“That makes sense.”

As soon as she spoke, a forked path appeared.

Yuria, unfamiliar with the structure, hesitated, so Carl tapped her shoulder and moved ahead.

“Follow me. There are people I want to introduce.”

“Introduce? Who?”

“The executives of NOX. My trusted subordinates. If we’re going to act together, you should at least know their faces.”

Carl narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

Laysis wasn’t the only one he aimed to recruit.

Yuria, the successor of the Gray Magic Tower and someone with a promising future, was also a top priority for recruitment.

‘Just being brought into NOX doesn’t make one a member.’

If she continued to understand and get involved with NOX’s affairs like this, she’d slowly be absorbed into it without realizing.

That was also the reason he had brought her along to the capital.

While other members of NOX worked in the shadows, if he, Yuria, and Laysis acted openly, it would allow them to expand their influence steadily.

Clack.

When they reached the deepest heart of NOX, the first thing Yuria saw was a towering mountain of documents.

Unlike the image of a secret organization’s base, it felt like she had entered the office of some administrative agency.

“Oh, Master.”

A woman buried in the document stacks, scribbling with a pen, smiled brightly and stood up at Carl’s appearance.

The moment she saw the woman’s face, Yuria couldn’t help but flinch her shoulder.

“Oh? From the Madeira Trading House, that…”

“Let me introduce you.”

Carl turned to Yuria and pointed to Queen.

“This is Queen. Aside from me, she holds the highest rank in NOX. She handles the organization’s overall operations on my behalf while I’m active as a cadet.”

“Nice to meet you. We’ve met before, right?”

“…Ah.”

Yuria was genuinely surprised.

She had already known that those from the Madeira Trading House weren’t ordinary individuals.

But she hadn’t expected her to be the second-in-command of the organization.

‘Now that I look closely, the atmosphere around her really is different.’

She had thought Queen was beautiful back then too, but now that she had returned to her original state, there was an inexplicable aura of mystique.

Even setting herself aside, Queen wasn’t inferior to Laysis—in fact, considering her maturity, she might even be overwhelmingly more attractive.

“…”

Yuria glanced at Carl and thought.

‘Being around a woman like that, it’s no wonder he didn’t feel anything when looking at us.’

It was a moment when her spirits dropped slightly.

“…Now that I think about it, is it really okay to expose the base of the organization and the identities of important people like this? What if I leak it somewhere?”

“I’m showing you because I know you won’t. And even if you did, it wouldn’t matter.”

Carl shrugged.

So long as she was bound by the constraints of being a Player, Yuria could never betray him.

Even if the information were leaked not by her will but through someone else’s doing, it wouldn’t be a problem.

NOX wasn’t so weak that such trivialities could cause real damage.

“What about the others?”

“They should arrive soon.”

Just as Queen finished answering, someone else appeared.

It was a healthy-looking woman with a strikingly tied ponytail.

“Master!”

With a bright face, Second rushed over in small steps, stopping before Carl and then looking at Yuria behind him.

“Oh, this must be her.”

“This is Yuria. And this is Second.”

“My name is Yuria.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Second smiled broadly and extended her hand, which Yuria shook with a somewhat reluctant expression.

‘…She’s strong.’

From that handshake alone, Yuria could feel a formidable strength.

Even aside from that, the power emanating from the woman named Second was unmistakable—even Yuria could sense it easily.

“Master, you’re back?”

“Hm.”

“I heard you gained something from Althausen.”

The ones who entered next were Gallon For, who had the cheerful vibe of an uncle, the still taciturn Five, and the enigmatic Six.

Eight, who oversaw the Madeira Trading House, was currently out, and Nine had silently appeared in front of a wall, making Yuria flinch.

“Seven seems to have fainted again. I’ll go wake him.”

After counting the members, Second shook her head and left her seat.

Seven, a wizard and alchemist known for conducting extremely dangerous experiments, frequently lost consciousness due to the aftermath of those experiments.

The fact that he hadn’t shown up despite the summons meant he had likely fainted again.

Except for Ten, who was guarding Leipzig, and King, who was away on a distant business trip, most had responded to the summons and arrived.

“…”

Yuria swallowed nervously while clutching Carl’s arm.

Not a single person here seemed weaker than her.

She hadn’t expected NOX to be this strong—it was impossible not to be tense.

‘But then, why did they call me?’

Yuria found it puzzling.

With Carl’s strength, and with everyone else here, they could likely accomplish whatever they wanted.

So why specifically bring her into this?

“Everyone, attention.”

The once-busy room calmed immediately at Carl’s words.

Though some were still out, Carl didn’t mind and placed his hand on Yuria’s shoulder.

“This is Yuria of the Gray Magic Tower. She’s currently enrolled at Bayern Academy as a cadet with me. I believe everyone already knows of her.”

“…”

The executives of NOX each nodded in response.

Some wondered why she had been brought here, or why their identities had been revealed.

But Carl’s command and judgment were absolute.

So they voiced no questions and quietly listened to their Master.

“She will become an important key to NOX. And we…”

An important key?

It was the first time she had heard this, and Yuria quickly looked up, but Carl continued without concern.

“Before the next semester at Bayern begins, we will clean up the Western Commercial District.”

“…!”

“Finally.”

“We’re moving in earnest.”

The moment Carl’s words dropped, everyone’s faces lit up.

They had spent what felt like forever just preparing and waiting.

Just as they were starting to itch for action, hearing they’d be cleaning up the Western Commercial District was something to welcome.

“We will not tolerate any noise. Execute the plan perfectly, without a single crack, and handle it swiftly.”

“…”

As if responding to Carl’s command, the members of Black Label released an intense surge of fighting spirit.

Yuria, standing in front of them, felt as though she might suffocate under the pressure.

Why had she been brought into a secret organization’s moment of resolution…?

“On top of that, your role is critical. Yuria.”

“…Yes?”

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