I Became the Servant of the Blind Wicked Woman

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The terror began abruptly. A passing pedestrian's body started to swell. The body, rising like a balloon, couldn't withstand the expansion and burst.

Torn flesh scattered in all directions. Red droplets and flesh-colored scraps covered the surroundings. At first, there was silence. Then came the screams. Chaos erupted among the people covered in flesh and blood.

But there were those who observed the screams calmly: Elysion's security personnel and seasoned mages.

Mages who survive for a long time become accustomed to such magical disasters. Experienced mages grabbed their equipment and began assessing the situation.

For a suicide bombing, the power was low. At this point, it seemed more like a curse targeting a specific grudge.

The mages who first stepped forward were of two kinds: those from the White Light Magic Tower, who specialized in dispelling curses with light magic, and those from the Black Darkness Magic Tower, who were experts in curses themselves.

Just as the mages who had dispersed the people were approaching the scene.

The corpse stood up.

The two legs, which had been lying limply with the upper body missing, suddenly stood. Something white and shining writhed between the torn muscles. Instinctively, the mages cast defensive spells and prepared to attack.

Rays capable of melting human flesh in an instant gathered at the tips of their staffs.

But the silver threads burst out faster than they could fire.

As the upright lower body collapsed, white thread-like things spilled out from the gaps in the muscles. It was like watching a colony of parasites emerge from a host, magnified to human size.

The situation was worse for those who had been covered in flesh when the first person exploded. The silver threads lodged between the flesh pieces spread and burrowed into their bodies.

Those who were quick to assess the situation immediately burned the threads or cut off parts of their own bodies.

However, the unlucky ones who were slow to react or had the threads burrow into places like their eyes, where immediate response was impossible, met a different fate.

The threads that penetrated their bodies proliferated using the mages' mana as a power source. Again, swelling.

Thus began the flood of silver threads.

***

'What the hell is happening?'

Did the mages of Elysion accidentally release some bizarre biological weapon they created?

Screams erupted outside the hall where the upper-level examination was taking place. Several mages, bleeding, fled into the examination hall. The mages taking the test realized something unusual was happening.

The mages banded together to set up a barrier at the entrance of the examination hall to prevent the chaos outside from penetrating inside.

Then, one of those who had come in began to swell.

As the silver threads burst through his skin.

A ray of light shot out from somewhere. The beam, aimed precisely at the infected person, didn't erase him completely…

But the silver threads vanished. The skin, which had been filled with silver threads, sagged hideously. It looked like a deep-sea fish brought to the surface.

People quickly looked around, but they couldn't identify the magic or who had used it to remove the silver threads.

Except for one person, Lampades.

As soon as he heard the ominous sounds from outside, he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

Where was Orthes, who had left a warning and disappeared as if he had foreseen this situation?

Orthes was nowhere to be found. The only one left in the same examination hall was Carisia, the head of Hydra Corporation.

Finally, as the panicked people from outside poured into the hall, Lampades saw Carisia raise her right hand, covered in a black gauntlet.

As the host of the threads was about to burst. From her index finger, a high-level spell that no one present could interpret unfolded.

'Why did she save him?'

If Orthes's goal was chaos, it would have been more advantageous to let it happen. Lampades scrutinized Carisia's demeanor.

Her golden eyes were shining.

'She's different from Orthes… Well, of course, since Orthes is a narrow-eyed man.'

The atmosphere. Unlike the inhuman Orthes, Carisia exuded a sense of humanity.

As Lampades focused on this difference, he realized that the strange noise from outside had stopped.

Beep—

A piercing noise from the loudspeaker filled the air. The sound that comes when checking the audio status before a broadcast.

"Greetings, mages of Elysion. We are here to expose the secrets hidden by the Ten Towers."

Though nothing had been said about the terror yet, everyone who heard that voice knew. The speaker was the mastermind behind the terror.

"The Ten Towers have long preached the dangers of the extra-dimension. They declared the evil writhing beyond the extra-dimension as the bane of this world. They denounced the grace as a curse! But isn't it strange?"

Damn. Lampades muttered under his breath. He could guess the identity of the speaker just from the opening statement.

"If the extra-dimension is truly dangerous, why do all mages dream of ascension? They talk of transcending beyond this world while fearing the outer world. Look at the contradiction. As we see from the ascendants leaving this world, the truth lies in the extra-dimension."

That bizarre cognitive distortion. Believing that because one has the ability to transcend the ruin of the extra-dimension, the truth lies within that ruin. Eroder, or apocalyptic fanatic.

In truth, there wasn't much difference between the two. It was just a matter of whether they were driven mad by the extra-dimension or were mad without it.

"To hide this evident truth, the Ten Towers have spread lies. Research on the extra-dimension has been monopolized by them. Comrades! Join us, the Argyrion (ἀργύριον)! Gain new eyes and ears to witness true wisdom!"

Lampades took a deep breath. Could this group be where Orthes truly belonged?

Or maybe. While the Ten Towers' attention is focused on Argyrion, Hydra Corporation can carry out its evil plans without any interference.

'Then, is Argyrion a decoy to hide Hydra Corporation? Or…?'

"Many comrades have sympathized with our cause and offered their bodies and mana. Now we shall conduct a ritual to liberate this sacred Elysion from the Ten Towers' rule—"

The Argyrion mage couldn't finish his sentence. The loudspeaker's power was abruptly cut off. It seemed the management of Elysion had regained control of the hijacked broadcast line.

"Master, what should we do?"

"Wait here. This isn't the first time Elysion has been attacked. Soon, the Ten Towers will—"

Suddenly, Lampades thought of Astraphe, who had gone to submit the examination papers. She was alone now.

A foreboding possibility flashed through his mind. He checked his equipment and mana.

Remaining mana was less than half. The mana cartridges for recharging were still ample. Thanks to his habits from his active solver days.

"Form a defensive line here and wait. If…"

Orthes's last message. If you can't handle it, find Hydra Corporation.

Would Orthes really save Lampades Tower? Lampades thought so. Orthes likely saw value in Lampades Tower and sought to form an alliance.

But it was unclear whether living as a pawn of apocalyptic fanatics or dying was the happier fate.

Lampades's gaze turned to Carisia. She was now using healing magic on the host who had been wrapped in silver threads moments ago.

Organs and blood vessels crushed by the mass of threads. The skin stretched to its limits was restored to its original state.

Looking at Carisia, who was healing a person she had never met before, Lampades came up with a hypothesis.

'Perhaps.'

Carisia might be different from Orthes.

'At first, she seemed unaware of Orthes's truth. I revised my assessment after hearing her speak in such an Orthes-like manner…'

In fact, she might not have been influenced by Orthes's nature. That's why she could heal the victims.

'It's possible Orthes hasn't revealed his true nature yet. Using clever rhetoric to hide his identity, making her believe he's an ally.'

Lampades concluded.

"If an unforeseen situation arises that even the gathered mages here can't handle, approach the head of Hydra Corporation over there, reveal that you are from Lampades Tower, and ask for help. But if the narrow-eyed man approaches, do not engage in any conversation. I will go find Astraphe."

He decided to trust in the compassion and kindness still within Carisia.

'After rescuing Astraphe… I must tell her that Orthes is not trustworthy.'

My life might be at risk. But that pure mage should not be used by Orthes without knowing anything.

Lampades made up his mind.

***

Carisia examined the host infected with the silver threads.

'Hmm. It seems the silver threads are a type of summoned creature. Whether they are truly non-living or living is secondary, as the forced unsummoning spell works. Healing magic is effective as long as they haven't reached the host's brain.'

She stroked her gauntlet.

'Argyrion, was it? They won't be hard to deal with. I should inform Orthes when he arrives.'

To read over 200 fully translated episodes, patreon.com/Denji02