Dungeon, second floor. An empty room located in the exact opposite direction from the Toadman habitat.
Seated among the corpses of monsters, Theodora stared blankly into space.
She looked far too defenseless for someone inside a dungeon where anything could happen.
In fact, a small monster passing by saw her and approached.
Mistaking Theodora for defenseless prey, it drew near.
But the moment it touched her body—
Whoosh.
A pure white flame flared up and annihilated the flying insect in an instant.
“…I thought I had dealt with them all, but it seems I missed one.”
With an empty smile on her lips, Theodora watched the insect’s corpse scatter into ash.
The sight of it burning in the flames of divine power looked just like herself when she had committed wrongs in the past.
‘Pointless thoughts.’
Forcing herself to forget the memories creeping up on her, Theodora recalled what she had seen moments ago.
Before the insect landed on her, Theodora had been watching a certain person from afar.
Ashen, the man the Order had designated as a target of surveillance.
Theodora’s superior had ordered her to watch him no matter what.
However, even if she followed him in person, it was obvious she would not be able to see anything.
That was why she had to use a somewhat special technique.
Stagger.
Her body swayed as though it might collapse at any moment when she tried to stand.
Forcibly ignoring her body’s screaming reaction, Theodora made herself maintain her posture.
‘As expected, astral projection is not easy.’
Astral projection.
A forbidden art that any mage of squire-class or higher could use, yet no one did.
That was because its side effects were far too severe.
The longer it was used, the weaker the connection between body and soul became, and if one was interrupted midway, one could be left a cripple.
Despite such side effects, Theodora used forbidden arts for the Order whenever necessary.
Because she had been taught that this was the Hero’s mission.
After steadying her body for a moment, Theodora slowly sorted through her memories.
‘What was that?’
When she saw Ashen fight, chills ran all over her body.
Surely, he should not have been able to harm her while she was in an astral state.
Yet every time she saw the red tentacles stretching from his spear, the shriveled corpses of the Toadmen, and Ashen’s body with red liquid dripping from it, she wanted to flee at once.
‘I should report this.’
The rules she had carved into her body her entire life whispered so.
A power that absorbed life force. Red tentacles like those of a demon. Thornbushes blooming inside the body.
All of it proved one thing.
This was undoubtedly the power of heresy. Therefore, she had to report it to the Order and have him judged.
That was surely the right thing to do, yet her body would not move as she wished.
Theodora placed a hand over her chest.
As the warm beat of her heart flowed into her hand, what had happened at the herbalist’s shop last time flashed through Theodora’s mind.
The way he had helped her, freely sharing his knowledge for the sake of someone he did not know at all.
It was pure goodwill, something Theodora had not felt in a long time.
‘I don’t want to report it.’
The instant she thought that, a sharp pain tightened around her heart.
It was proof that the restriction the Order had engraved into her as punishment for her recent independent actions had activated.
“Ugh!”
Feeling the pain gradually intensify, Theodora curled in on herself.
She wanted to endure it, but her body could no longer withstand it.
Gasping for breath, Theodora sank to the floor.
“I’ll report it! I’ll report it!”
Trembling like a child, she cried out.
At last, the pain slowly subsided.
Letting out a hollow laugh, Theodora lay down on the floor.
Staring up at the ceiling with empty eyes, Theodora gave a mirthless laugh.
As expected, whether she was called a Hero or the head of the Noble Alliance, she was still the Order’s puppet.
She could do nothing of her own will.
But even so, she wanted to offer at least a small resistance.
‘I will delay the report a little.’
This was only because she intended to gather more information and report it all at once.
It was not rebellion.
If she did not justify it like that, she felt as though she would not be able to endure any longer.
After a while, when the lingering pain faded, she raised herself up.
Her expression, which was usually doll-like, looked especially lonely today.
**
Outside the dungeon, in the academy lounge.
“My, this is a masterpiece.”
Looking at the crystal orb before him, Ramsey kept bursting into laughter.
The crystal orb was currently showing the viewpoint of the Order’s “familiar.”
Watching the familiar attempt a rebellion that was not quite rebellion, as if she could actually do something, Ramsey clapped his hands.
“To think she doesn’t even know how many chains she’s bound by. Truly, our Hero is impressive.”
‘Now, what should I do with this?’
Like a child thinking of how to play with a new toy, Ramsey closed his eyes and smiled happily.
But only for a moment.
Wiping away his smile, Ramsey recalled with a cold expression what Theodora had “watched.”
‘Ashen is a far more dangerous existence than I expected.’
He had already suspected that Ashen was no ordinary being.
However, that had only been to the extent of “a student with a special talent.” He had never imagined it would be to this degree.
‘In terms of firepower alone, he is on par with knight-class. But his endurance and defense are at the level of squire-class.’
For now, if Knight Commander Joshua or the paladins under him stepped forward, they could hunt him down without much difficulty.
The problem was the future.
‘I do not know the true nature of that power, so I cannot even estimate how quickly he will grow.’
If it could grow far faster than divine power or mana, and if he reached a realm beyond his current level—
Would the Order’s strength truly be enough to deal with him with ease?
“Hmm.”
Lost in thought, Ramsey tapped the desk with his finger.
It seemed like a relaxed motion, but inside his head, dozens of calculations were proceeding simultaneously.
After quite some time had passed, Ramsey stopped thinking and opened his eyes.
He smiled toward the darkness where nothing stood before him and extended a hand.
“I did not realize a guest had arrived. Would you like some tea?”
“Not bad.”
The darkness split apart, and a man emerged from within.
Unkempt hair and a beard, neither properly groomed. And eyes that shone blue.
Professor Victor bared his teeth at Ramsey and gave him a sardonic smile.
“How did you know I was here? It shouldn’t be something someone of your level could perceive.”
“It is merely thanks to the grace bestowed by the Order.”
“A relic, is it? Relying on nothing more than an object. What a fine sight indeed.”
Victor slowly approached and plopped himself down on Ramsey’s desk.
His posture was full of openings, but that was not how it looked in Ramsey’s eyes.
It was like facing a starving beast poised to pounce at any moment.
At the sensation that blades were being pointed at his entire body, Ramsey broke out in a cold sweat.
Forcing a smile, he looked at Victor.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I had business with the Order’s dog.”
At some point, Victor’s hand had moved and now rested on the crystal orb Ramsey had been watching.
Sweeping his blue, beast-like gaze over Ramsey’s face and throat, Victor slowly opened his mouth.
“How did it feel, seeing it for yourself?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Stop playing the fool. I hate repeating myself.”
In that instant, killing intent deepened, and pressure bore down on his body.
It was a warning, so it vanished quickly, but for that brief moment, Ramsey saw the scene of his own head falling.
The vision was so vivid that Ramsey rubbed his neck, then bowed his head to Victor.
“My apologies. I will ensure this does not happen again.”
“More importantly, answer me properly.”
“Understood. My impression, you ask… Honestly, it exceeded my expectations. If the Order saw it, it was provocative enough that they would immediately convene an inquisition.”
“Yes, I suppose so. Whatever else may be true, those old bastards at the top would never let something like that pass.”
With a sardonic smile, Victor shook the crystal orb in front of Ramsey’s face.
“So I have a proposal. It would be best not to report this.”
“…A proposal?”
“A proposal. After all, there isn’t a single wound on your body yet.”
“I’m sorry, but that crystal orb is set to be reviewed by the higher-ups. I do not think there is anything I can do.”
At Ramsey’s words, Victor tapped the crystal orb he was holding with one finger.
At the same moment, the crystal orb crumbled into dust.
At a loss for words, Ramsey stared at the sight with a hollow expression.
“There. Now the evidence is gone. Or should I get rid of some other ‘evidence’ as well?”
“No, not at all. I accept your proposal.”
As he answered, Ramsey turned his gaze toward Victor, but Victor was nowhere to be seen.
‘It feels as though I’ve been caught in an illusion spell.’
With a bitter smile, Ramsey opened the drawer of his desk and took out another crystal orb.
When he touched it, the exact same footage as the previous crystal orb began to play.
‘Hmm.’
Ramsey quietly watched it.
His finger slowly tapped the desk for a long while, until, in the end, Ramsey let out a sigh and erased the contents of the footage.
At the same time, a voice brushed past his ear.
“Yes, that’s how you become a good boy.”
Though his body trembled slightly at Victor’s sudden whisper, Ramsey let out a chuckle.
‘This worked out well. I needed a pretext not to report it.’
After confirming that Victor had truly disappeared this time, Ramsey leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
‘Now then, which side would be more profitable to bet on?’
As he thought that, Ramsey’s expression looked more excited than usual.