Michael watched as the man approached with shaking steps and an unsure expression. He was even shivering, though it was barely noticeable. With an uneasy smile, he repeated himself once he got within five meters of Michael, not taking another step. He stopped waving his white cloth.

“I bring a message from Redglow’s organization.”

Michael narrowed his eyes. He moved his fingers slightly, ready to cast a spell whenever.

“Out with it, then. What’s the message?”

The man fidgeted in place. His lack of confidence was obvious. He let out some muttering.

“I only relay the message. I’m not the one who came up with it, so-”

“Just tell me the message.”

Maybe Michael’s tone had been more aggressive than he had intended, because the man before him seemed to shrink even further. Then, with a resigned expression as if he had given up, he spoke in a low voice.

“The message is that for every single Flag you take from Redglow Village, a Villager will be killed. It does not matter if they’re from Redglow or from Bluestone.”

Michael’s expression changed as the man spoke, making his voice falter. By the time he was done passing on the message, Michael didn’t know what kind of expression he had, but the man in front of him seemed to be terrified. The man started stepping back, stuttering.

“N-Now, the m-message has been delivered, so I-”

Michael raised his hand. A wave of pure, raw mana rushed out of it in a flash, enveloping the messenger’s body like a physical force. It weighed him down, rendering him unable to move without dealing damage. It wasn’t a Skill. If anything, it was just a mass of mana that he could manipulate. He spoke; his voice had gained a dangerous edge.

“Who sent the message?”

His sharp eyes stared into the messenger’s. The man seemed to lose all strength.

“L-Lohann! He’s Derek’s right-hand man and the most powerful Mage we have!”

For the first time in his life, Michael felt genuine killing intent blossom within him. There were no great waves rocking his heart, nor were any grand events happening around him. It was a simple conviction that was reached through the unison of both his feelings and cold logic.

This man needs to die.

Maybe it was because he had already killed others, or maybe it was because of the way the Tutorial functioned. He didn’t look for any alternative means of handling the situation. He didn’t think of imprisoning Lohann and making him pay for his actions. There was no need for those. The man needed merely to be put down like a rabid animal.

Anyone capable of choosing such a plan cannot be left alive.

Michael didn’t try to pretend that it was for the greater good or because of his morality alone. If anything, it was a selfish desire born out of his outrage. He would kill Lohann for having threatened to involve innocent people in their clash. Lohann went against something he believed in, and for that, he would die. Michael didn’t consider himself a particularly good person, but he would never resort to killing senselessly and randomly like this.

Lohann was dangerous not because of his individual prowess, but because of what he was willing to do and how far he was willing to go. This threat had taught Michael that. The world would be better off without such a man. At the same time, his tactic had been effective. Michael wouldn’t seize any Flags while knowing that the lives of others were on the line.

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He looked at the trembling messenger.

“You. What’s the chance that this is a bluff?”

The man tried to get a hold of himself, responding after a few seconds.

“…I haven’t been the organization for long, but I don’t think that it’s a bluff at all. I’ve heard rumors that they have already started picking who’s going to die if you decide to ignore this message.”

With a heavy frown, Michael dismissed the mass of mana keeping the messenger in place. Immediately, the man fell to his knees and raised his hands in a groveling fashion. Michael sighed.

“I’m not going to kill you.”

“…Yes. But there’s no way I’ll be spared if they find out I leaked information beyond only the message. Besides, I can’t stay in that group any longer! The things that they are willing to do… Please, just let me transfer to Bluestone Village.”

Michael gazed at him from above.

There’s no way that they didn’t predict this. They willingly chose to send someone who’s not a loyalist as the messenger, knowing that I wouldn’t kill him and that he would betray them.

Were they unwilling to risk one of the core members with such a task, knowing that Michael might kill them? He was having trouble seeing through the enemy’s machinations, but in the end, it didn’t matter. He just needed to reach Lohann and Derek as soon as possible.

“…Fine. You’ll be welcomed in Bluestone.”

But I will still keep an eye on you.

There was no guarantee that the man wouldn’t act as a spy or inside man for Derek’s organization. Even if Derek had abandoned his desire to go after Bluestone Village, it didn’t seem like Lohann shared the same sentiment. If the man was speaking the truth, he would be welcomed, but Michael would make sure to watch him carefully. The kneeling man in front of him with an expression of absolute relief and happiness didn’t seem to be faking it, though.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I won’t forget this!”

The man stumbled to his feet, waited for Michael to step aside, then ran straight toward Bluestone, entering the Territory with a blue hue. Michael kept part of his focus on him, while the rest thought about the situation he was in. Lohann’s plan was sadistic and cruel, but also very effective. It was capable of stopping him right in his tracks. He could no longer act as an offensive player who took several Flags in a short period of time. The weight of a single life for every Flag he took was too heavy to bear. As such, there was only one thing that he could do.

I’ll need to win this war without conquering any more Flags.

He needed to reach Lohann and Derek by sneaking his way into Redglow’s Territory. After all, if he was noticed close to their home base, they might start killing people left and right to stop him as well. So far, he had never bothered with anything but a frontal assault, but now, he had no other option. No matter how powerful his spells and Skills were, he was unable to bombard Derek’s base from his current position, nor could he stop them from killing someone. His strongest points had been rendered useless.

He remembered the way Rose had disappeared when they first met. An illusion technique like that was what he needed right now. He cast a Whisper spell, staring at the floating mouth for a few seconds. It had been two days since he last spoke with James. Their conversation had ended abruptly in a rather worrisome fashion. A thousand possibilities ran through his head, but none were positive. The fact that James was unable to directly contact him also hindered them; Michael was the only one among them who could use Whisper. It was a one-way street.

If only I had some reassurance that he’s still fine…

He couldn’t help but dearly wish that his friend hadn’t been found out. He didn’t know whether to send a Whisper or to just wait and see. If their connection had been discovered, sending a Whisper wouldn’t matter; if it was still in question, he might doom his friend by trying to contact him at an inopportune moment.

Wait.

Because he had only sent out Whispers and not received them often, he hadn’t taken notice of what it was like to receive one. Did the talking mouth appear in the air next to one’s body? Or was the “call” merely sensed directly through the mind? Without an answer to this question, he couldn’t call James. Michael immediately thought of what he needed to do. He sent a Whisper to Tairy. The old man picked up.

“Hey. It hasn’t been long since we last talked.”

“I need to know something. How does it feel to receive a Whisper?”

“Oh? It feels like an itch in your brain or something.”

“So the spell doesn’t appear until one decides to accept? Also, are there any illusion spells or Skills that can help me with reaching a place undetected?”

“No, it doesn’t and yes, there are. I’m sure you have your reasons to ask about this. Come back to Bluestone Village for a bit. We’ll discuss it when you arrive. See you then.”

Michael nodded and dismissed the spell. In an instant, he cast another one, directed at James. He waited, but there was no sign of a response. This could mean two things: one, James was simply busy. Two, and the most worrying one, was that he couldn’t speak to Michael at the moment, for whatever reason. None of the possible reasons were good.

He tried three more times before giving up. Michael looked at the ceiling and let out a sigh. He started walking toward Bluestone Village.

I hope you’re okay, my friend.