6 – The Magician
An expressionless face. A composed posture. The hat pressed down so it was not clearly visible, but the neat features could be inferred from the officer’s rank alone.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Lieutenant Dorothy Oslo.”
Rémy Pégouri instantly recognized. That human was a genuine officer.
It was different from the other officers who were relaxed.
She said again.
“From now on, all search operations will be conducted under the supervision of the commander. Do you agree?”
There were no objections.
A little later, two infantry platoons emerged from somewhere and lined up. Forty soldiers in total. They were all proper soldiers, each carrying a handgun.
Pégouri had to swallow her saliva. It had started as a personal revenge against the local gangsters, but it seemed like things had gotten too big.
But it was already set in motion.
There was no turning back.
Finally, one officer, forty infantry soldiers, and four local gangsters were all gathered for the search operation. It meant that the hunt for a little rat had officially begun.
Step. Step.
Montage orders were distributed, and immediately after the assignment of responsibilities in the designated areas, the troops set out from the military camp.
“Disperse.”
“Disperse!”
As the command was issued, infantry forces scattered in all directions without hesitation.
Only one remained by the side of the scavenger.
As there was a position as a witness, it seemed that the officer intended to accompany the scavenger directly.
Lemi thought to himself. Even fortune seems to be favoring the military.
Finally, he would catch that Eugene.
Now money was put on hold. He actively began to stir up the streets to personally grab Eugene by the collar.
Unaware that someone was glaring at the back of his head.
*
The forty-strong troops systematically carried out patrols.
Efficient routes without waste. Investigating witness information to narrow down the area and detaining anyone suspicious upon discovery. They had the authority to do so.
The same applied to the scavenger accompanied by the officer, Paggery. Paggery was by no means of low rank. Even those who didn’t flinch in the face of gang threats were uneasy in the presence of an officer.
Every process was flawless.
Except for the outcome.
Lemi thought. This Eugene guy is really a tricky bastard.
“Damn it….”
He spat out a deep string of curses in a voice not meant for others to hear. Veins popped on his forehead.
Walking beside him, a subordinate named James was horrified and said.
“Remi, lower your voice. Can you hear me?”
“It’s okay, kid.”
There was more than one thing that didn’t sit well with him.
Eugene, elusive with words that seemed almost within reach, escaping skillfully.
Still an incompetent subordinate.
Everything was stressful. Moreover.
“Speaking of which, that guy called So-Wee. His movements are a bit messed up.”
“Shh—”
“He’s right there. Can’t you hear?”
James turned his head, trembling. Up ahead, about ten steps in front, he could see the back of Dorothy So-Wee.
Didn’t he hear? It seemed so.
James, calming his breath, muttered, “What’s messed up? Earlier, when he was giving orders to the soldiers, he seemed very firm.”
“It’s a feeling.”
“What?”
“A feeling. I can’t put it into words, but something feels intense. Our goal is to catch the little rat and make him talk. But that guy doesn’t seem to have that goal.”
“…So, what do you think?”
Remi didn’t answer.
There was no way to do anything about it.
The soldiers at the Reman outpost, also doubling as guards, weren’t lenient enough to tolerate even heavy soldiers running amok in front of them.
“Jegiral….”
It was nothing but quietly cursing under his breath.
An hour continued in search like that.
As the shallow drizzle subsided, and the clouds turned red, the long-awaited moment arrived.
It was the discovery of the guy who had been peeking out from an alley.
Ashen hair. Shabby clothes. A face resembling a geisha’s and a small stature that made him unappetizing. Wherever you looked, it was Eugene.
Soviety gave the command.
“Target confirmed. Everyone, pursue.”
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The four thugs simultaneously pounded the ground. There was no need for a stealthy approach. They crossed the street in one go and chased the guy.
By that time, he also realized Remy. He swiftly turned his body and ran away.
“Chase him—!”
Remy shouted. He didn’t care about the curious glances of people.
Fifty pounds are over there!
From the moment they entered the alley, it was no longer pursuit but a strategic fight.
Due to the Empire’s poorly constructed buildings, the alley was practically a maze. Therefore, people from Pravia often got lost.
Not Remy. There was no one who knew the geography of this area better.
“James, block the alley towards the shops. Nora, follow me. Peter and Bray, each take one of the alleys near the riverside.”
The gang moved according to precise instructions.
The place where Eugene hid was the largest block in Remy and a maze-like alley. If he hid here, it would be difficult to find him.
However, the characteristic of this block was that it had few entrances.
If you just stand there, you’ll definitely get caught.
“You’re caught. You bastard.”
With eyes ablaze, wandering through alleys here and there, you could hear the sound of military boots from various places. It seemed like they had mobilized military forces.
He didn’t like losing his players. It was a job where he could take away without giving rewards under the pretext of having done nothing.
Remy moved even faster.
A dead-end street.
Finally, he succeeded in turning Eugene into a mouse trapped in a corner.
Laughter came involuntarily.
“Eugene. It’s been a damn long time. Missed me?”
“No.”
“I missed you though. Ah, laughter comes naturally.”
“Why do you keep chasing someone who clearly doesn’t want to see your face? I thought maybe it was a lover’s quarrel, but seeing soldiers involved, you’re worse than that.”
Eugene said with a mocking tone. Immediately, Remy’s forced laughter disappeared as if washed away.
“This guy… enough, hand over the spellbook right now.”
“I don’t have such a thing.”
“I know everything inside your embrace. If you hand it over now—ugh!”
“[Move].”
A flowerpot fell from the sky. Instinctively, Remy moved backward, and a flowerpot the size of a head passed by.
Crash!
The sound of ceramic dishes shattering. The sight of the ground being deeply dug was stern.
If he hadn’t dodged, his head would not have been unscathed.
However, Remy, far from being afraid, wore an expression filled with joy.
“Hey! Are you really a magician?”
“Tsk.”
The figure pulling out a spellbook and reciting an incantation.
An incomprehensible event where a flowerpot suddenly falls.
He was undoubtedly a skilled magician.
In other words, capturing him would yield a reward of two hundred pounds.
Remy scattered a grin and drew a dagger from his bosom. Shacang—rust had corroded it here and there, but the blade was as sharp as ever.
Pointing it at Eugene, he charged.
“Woohoo!”
Just enough to not kill him outright. Remy aimed for Eugene’s right arm, the one holding the spellbook, with careful calculation.
Perhaps Eugene didn’t know how to wield a dagger because he looked bewildered.
In the next moment, he uttered a different incantation.
“[Rotation]!”
“Huh?!”
The dagger’s handle moved on its own.
As if rotating to cut through the hand.
However.
“Weak!”
The strength was not enough to overcome the formidable force.
Remy grasped the hilt of the dagger tightly with both hands and charged towards Eugene once again.
He reached him. He reached him.
He hit him!
Thunk―
The rusty dagger pierced through Eugene’s shoulder.
At the same time, Eugene’s fist struck Remy’s face.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
The sudden impact caused Remy to lose his grip on the dagger. With a clattering sound, the dagger rolled on the floor.
But it’s okay.
He stabbed Eugene’s shoulder, and this is a dead end. Soon, Norah would call for reinforcements.
Remy picked up the dagger and declared arrogantly.
“You bastard. Scum.”
However.
Something was strange.
Eugene’s lips, distorted in pain, gradually formed a smile.
“Let’s never see each other again.”
Eugene uttered a new trigger word.
“[Levitation].”
Right after. The boy’s new model floated in the air.
*
A few minutes later.
When Nora, the third of the Pegasus, led the army forces into a dead-end street, they came face to face with Remi, who was cursing and waving a blood-soaked dagger in the air.
The soldiers immediately aimed their guns at the weapon holder.
After the incident was settled, Remi Pegasus was detained within the military camp. This was also a significant “achievement” as Remi had committed many atrocities.
Remi, locked behind bars, continued to claim that he saw a magician, but no one believed the words of the shepherd boy.
Meanwhile,
Dorothy, in pursuit of the blood trail, found a boy lying unconscious under a leg.
“….”
The boy with ash-colored hair was breathing heavily.
His shoulders were soaked in red due to the blood that gushed out, and there were bloodstains all around.
The weapon was a rusty dagger. If the wound was left untreated like this without any proper first aid, complications such as tetanus would occur.
The boy groaned.
“Ugh….”
“Stay still. Don’t open your eyes.”
Dorothy held the boy and slowly moved forward.
