Failing in the Laning Phase

“What is it now, Miss Milala? You’re obstructing my work. If you have a problem, we can discuss it later—”

“Is your secondary s*x characteristic development somewhat… lacking?”

“…………………………Huh?”

“To be more specific… is it because your clothes are too tight? They look a little small.”

The entire hall fell silent.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Even I was stunned, my mouth agape as I stared at them.

“……………………………………………………………………………………You. Say. That. Again?”

Jadette’s expression vanished.

Her beautiful face became an emotionless iron mask.

But Aimira simply tilted her head, like some harmless simpleton, and continued—

“If that’s not the case… why is your chest development so clearly inferior to other women of your race and age?”

“………………………………………………Ha?”

At these words, everyone—brave and timid alike—simultaneously glanced at Jadette’s chest.

It wasn’t that there was nothing, but the curve was indeed gentle.

To put it kindly, one might say “slender,” “slim,” or “a delicate handful.”

To put it less kindly—

“Like a flattened fried egg.”

Aimira uttered the forbidden words in a perfectly relaxed tone.

Pop.

A vein bulged on Jadette’s forehead.

The temperature in the reception hall plummeted from room temperature to freezing.

“…………………………Miss Aimira Milala, I don’t quite understand why you’re saying these things, but… blurting out such words makes you seem rather uncultured.”

“Oh, that reminds me!”

Aimira clapped her hands lightly, as if she had just remembered something—

“Your skin, right around your cheekbones, isn’t it a bit rough?”

“……………………………………………………………………Huh?”

“I’ve heard that alchemists often have poor skin due to constant contact with various reagents. I suggest you apply your skincare products more evenly in the future… I’m quite knowledgeable in this area. Perhaps we could exchange notes?”

As she spoke, she even poked her own dewy cheek as if to show it off.

“…………………………”

Jadette’s expression was that of someone who had just been punched in the face.

I felt my own heartbeat almost stop.

‘Aimira, you’re incredible. Before you, only the Harbinger of Calamity could make my heart stop like this.’

“You… are, in a certain sense, very brave.”

She was silent for several seconds before squeezing the words out through gritted teeth.

“I think there are some things that I need to make very, very clear to you.”

“Ahaha… A girls’ talk? You’re welcome anytime.”

‘Are you trying to start a flame war? Just shut up already! I know how strong Jadette’s pride is. One time, I laughed at her for assembling a Gundam Exia model so badly it looked like a Zaku, and the ever-composed woman completely exploded (literally)! If the consequences of mocking her poor modeling skills were that severe, what would happen with a direct personal attack!?’

However, Aimira gave me another quick wink.

“…!”

‘Oh, right.’

Jadette’s attention was now entirely captivated by Aimira.

This was a golden opportunity.

If I didn’t slip away now, when would I—

“…………”

—’Slip away my ass.’

Looking closely, I could see that while Aimira appeared calm on the surface, her hands and the corners of her mouth were trembling uncontrollably.

She was about to break.

If I ran off and left her to deal with a furious Jadette alone, I wouldn’t deserve to be called human.

‘This is a bloody mess. This is why I’ll never understand you women…’

I had 312 ways to ambush and take down Jadette, 87 of which would leave her unconscious but unharmed.

But I couldn’t just flee after knocking her out, because when she woke up, she would realize Aimira was providing cover for me.

To clear Aimira’s name, I’d have to knock her out too.

But just knocking out Aimira would also make Jadette suspicious, and I needed to escape without a trace.

So, the simplest, most direct solution was…

‘Dominate all living creatures in Sandra City and make them fall asleep for about ten minutes. During that time, I’ll grab a few low-level abyssal beasts to wreck the roads and fake an abyssal invasion, making sure not to hurt anyone. Afterward, I’ll command the beasts to kill themselves and then I’ll escape, using the destruction they caused to cover my tracks. Let’s do it!’

I devised this brilliant plan in about 0.02 seconds.

Goodbye, Sandra City.

Goodbye, Jadette and Aimira.

If worst comes to worst, I’ll just stop using false identities and become a hermit in the mountains.

Time to act—

“Ah, speaking of which…”

Aimira suddenly clapped her hands, as if remembering something.

“Last night, while I was with the team investigating the Abyss as a special investigator, I did in fact discover traces that may have been left by the Ninth Apostle.”

“What did you say!?”

‘What did she say!?’

Jadette was shocked, and so was I.

Her shock was a mix of surprise and excitement; mine was a mix of surprise and fear.

“But didn’t you say earlier that you found nothing of value?”

“I only said I found nothing of value ‘in the city.’ The Abyss is another story… After comparing the samples provided by the investigation committee with the traces found in the Abyss that hadn’t been completely corrupted by the turbid flow, I discovered…”

“Discovered what? Hurry up and tell me!”

“This isn’t the right place to talk, so…”

“…Indeed. Come with me to the City Lord’s Mansion! We can talk at length!”

And just like that, the two women who had been on the verge of a vicious catfight left the Mercenary Guild, flanked by an audience of mercenaries and soldiers.

As she left, Aimira even gave me a discreet thumbs-up and a faint smile.

‘…Right.’

As soon as she mentioned something related to the Ninth Apostle, an excited Jadette would certainly not bother with a petty squabble.

She was an efficiency fanatic who would absolutely focus her energy on what mattered.

As the investigator who found the Ninth Apostle’s traces, Aimira was in no danger.

In fact, she might even be handsomely rewarded.

And with Jadette led away, I was naturally safe as well.

Killing several birds with one stone, peacefully resolving the crisis.

It was so much simpler than my violent plan.

‘Aimira, you’re amazing!’

An hour later, in the City Lord’s Mansion—

“…I see. This is indeed a very important piece of intelligence.”

After reviewing the dense wall of arguments Aimira had written on the whiteboard, Jadette showed a rare, satisfied smile.

She had to admit, the Ninth Apostle Investigation Committee truly lived up to its name.

They knew more about Corvus’s past battles, big and small, than even she did.

According to the data Aimira presented, Corvus had frequently used a brutish technique of amassing a large amount of energy and unleashing it all at once during his battles with the King of the Mountains and when seeking guidance from the demon monks.

The resulting traces of destruction were very similar to the corpses left in the Abyss.

Although many methods could cause similar damage, considering the dense energy in the Abyss and the news of the Ninth Apostle’s whereabouts… it basically confirmed the theory that Corvus had entered the Sandra Abyss last night.

“Thank you for your help, Aimira Milala. In light of this, I will not pursue the matter of your earlier comments.”

“My earlier comments…?”

“What you said in the guild hall… Tsk! I don’t want to bring it up again. You really are an outspoken person!”

“Ahaha… I’m sorry. I’ve never been very good with words.”

Aimira scratched her head shyly. Her innocent act left Jadette with no room to stay angry.

“Forget it. Let’s leave it at that. Your mission is complete. I will take over the investigation from here.”

“Then I’ll…”

“You may return to report, or you can stay. I believe there will be many opportunities for you to help in the future—and of course, I, Jadette Dochido, will never mistreat someone who has helped me.”

Jadette gracefully extended her hand, displaying the merchant’s acumen she inherited from her father.

Her earlier arrogance had vanished, replaced by sincerity and warmth—

“Alright, I’m heading back to report, then. Bye.”

Aimira just waved and walked away with a cheerful spring in her step.

…

…

…

…

“…………………………WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT WOMAN!?!?!?!”

Jadette’s roar echoed through the empty lounge.

She took out a small vial of liquid nitrogen and took a large gulp, barely managing to suppress her fury.

Fortunately, no one was there to witness her meltdown.

Except for one person.

‘What a startling revelation…’

Just outside, separated by a single wall, a man clung to the exterior of the City Lord’s Mansion, thirty meters above the ground.

The demon, Justin, blended perfectly with the color of the wall, invisible to any observer.

He was undetectable even by sound or heat sensors.

‘The First Apostle’s daughter really is in this city. And to think she came without any guards, all alone…’

With this, he had found the “powerful soul” needed to nurture the seed.

‘And the legendary Ninth Apostle may have been here as well. This is a major discovery…’

This intelligence was crucial.

Just like the humans, the demons had been searching for the Ninth Apostle.

After all, in just one year, the man had fought both the Sixth Sovereign, Rimli Muli, and the extra-numerary Sovereign, Gorma, and had come out on top both times.

He was a rising star, attracting the attention of powerful figures.

‘What’s more, he’s the one who killed Paris’s brother. This will certainly motivate him… Jadette Dochido and Aimira Milala, was it? I’ll remember those names…’

Justin drew a needle and thread made of demonic power from his sleeve.

He stitched the air and wind elements together, draping the result over himself and vanishing into a breeze.

“Tsk… No, I should have tried to keep her here longer.”

Inside the room, Jadette was still vexed. Even if she couldn’t keep her, she should have at least silenced her to prevent her from spreading rumors.

Just then, Jadette noticed a square piece of white cloth on the chair Aimira had been sitting in.

“Did her handkerchief fall out of her pocket? Who even uses handkerchiefs these days…”

She muttered to herself as she picked up the girlish-looking fabric—

“!?”

In that instant, she caught a familiar scent.

A small stain marred the handkerchief, apparently from some kind of sauce.

Relying on her professional instincts as a master alchemist and a sense of smell sharper than a brown bear’s, Jadette identified a mixture within the stain… water, mucin, mucopolysaccharides, amylase, lysozyme—in other words, human saliva.

This handkerchief had likely been used to wipe someone’s mouth.

And the faint scent it emitted was strangely familiar.

“…………………………!”

Dun dun dunnn.