MV – Chapter 132: The Thief and the Minor Villain

(Is this luck finally coming my way? Is a brilliant world finally opening up for me as well?)

Yoroizuka Toko grinned as he moved silently down the corridor. Wearing the latest spirit armor and using his family’s heirloom, the Tengu’s Cloak of Invisibility, Toko and the girls accompanying him had infiltrated the botanical garden. 

Their target was the seeds of the monster that had caused the uproar. Recovering even a single original seed would be a huge achievement, giving him a chance to redeem his past failures.

He had confidence in his plan. The ancient artifact “Tengu’s Cloak of Invisibility” had the capability to evade detection by any of the current surveillance devices. Optical detection, heat detection, motion detection, magical detection; none have been able to track it in any experiment. With this, they could advance even among the monsters without being noticed.

Receiving four of these precious cloaks was a clear sign of the high expectations placed on Toko.

The monsters were being cleared away, and a path to the elevator shaft opened up. They reached the storage room he had visited earlier while burning through the roots with his most powerful magic…only to witness an unexpected scene.

There was another door inside the storage room, and soldiers emerged from it, engaged in battle with the monsters.

The weapons they wielded were unlike anything Toko had ever seen, far superior to the ones found in the Surface District.

The soldiers wore black spirit armor that resembled twisted, ominous creatures. Even when the enormous seed, which seemed to be the boss of the monsters, unleashed consecutive spells of immense power, or when its root-like tentacles attacked like a barrage of spears, the soldiers calmly and efficiently dispatched it using overwhelming magic, swords, and guns.

Once the monsters were defeated, the soldiers disassembled the seed and extracted a spirit stone of unprecedented purity before leisurely retracing their steps.

For Toko, the mission had failed with all the seeds destroyed. However, he was ecstatic, as there was a far greater accomplishment in front of him than merely recovering the seeds.

These soldiers were from the Underground District. Moreover, it didn’t seem like they were acting in collaboration with the people from the outside. It had to be some kind of factional conflict, with another military force having invaded. Toko, familiar with the power struggles in the Surface District, made this assumption.

If he played his cards right, Toko could establish connections with the Underground District. He secretly tailed the soldiers, confident that he could outmaneuver someone like Shokou Arata who calls himself Lanpeach Kouza.

“Hey, Toko, are you sure it’s okay to follow them?”

“Yeah, they’re way stronger than us.”

“Yeah yeah, I think we shouldn’t. Don’t you think it’s better to retreat and get some instructions first?”

The girls who had accompanied him whispered anxiously, trying to stop him, but Toko snorted.

“Don’t be stupid. This is an opportunity. Only a handful of Armed Families have ever met people from the Underground District. If you’re lucky, you might meet them a few times a year. But now, we’re witnessing a large group of their soldiers with our own eyes. Do you understand what that means?” (Toko)

Toko was the heir to the Yoroizuka family. He heard rumors about the Underground District. The rumor was that only one specific person could be met, the meetings were brief, and they hardly listened to what was said; a humiliating experience.

It was said that the Underground District was a paradise where dungeons formed naturally, and that they looked down on those who couldn’t live there as inferior beings forced to reside in the dangerous, monster-ridden surface.

But Lanpeach Kouza had somehow managed to contact the Underground District and even borrowed their military, changing the game.

Toko didn’t know what happened in the Underground District, but he knew they now needed the help of people from the surface. Lanpeach was monopolizing that connection now, but Toko was certain he could forge other ties.

And right now, that opportunity was right in front of him. If the negotiations went well, he could seize control of a vast area for himself.

“My circumstances are entirely different from Lanpeach Kouza’s. I’m the heir of the Yoroizuka family. There are countless ways I can be of use to the Underground District. There’s no doubt that the negotiations will succeed. That’s why I’m following them, and once I reach their superior, I’ll make contact. Just imagine the rewards. You’ll bask in the glory of being with me, the one who will stand at the pinnacle of this area!” (Toko)

The girls smiled weakly, reassured by Toko’s confident words.

“Y-Yeah, when you put it that way, this really is a chance.”

“With Toko, everything will work out, right?”

“And with this equipment, we can always escape if it comes to that.”

Toko was the heir to an Armed Family, a capable individual who had a contract with a spirit. They figured that at worst, they could at least escape.

The soldiers ahead of them, unaware that Toko and his group were tailing them, carried the spirit stone they had recovered from the massive seed and proceeded down a narrow passage. The passage was only wide enough for one person and was clearly a hidden corridor.

Toko and his group continued to follow them down a gentle slope without questioning why the soldiers had emerged from a hidden passage until they eventually arrived at a vast space.

“Hey, do you think this…is the Underground District? But something seems off, doesn’t it?”

The space was vast, covered with metal floors and walls, stretching for what seemed like kilometers. Emergency lights flickered dimly like starlight in the darkness, making it difficult to grasp the full scale of the room.

“It almost looks like a ship dock… No, it is a dock, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, this has to be a secret dock in the Underground District. I’ve never heard of anyone from the Surface District seeing an underground dock before. This is a jackpot!” (Toko)

Their eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light, and they gradually saw the layout of the space. The girl said in a whisper and Toko answered in excitement.

A girl pointed ahead, where dozens of soldiers were walking around a facility resembling a pier, and moored at the center was a ship with a grotesque silhouette resembling a giant Zazamushi bug. The soldiers they had been following approached a man standing near the ship. He was clearly a high-ranking officer, wearing a black uniform and a military cap. The soldiers saluted him.

“Captain, we’ve secured the spirit crystal. Its purity is as expected.”

“Good, good. Then there’s no problem. Begin loading it up. Start the engines, and everyone, check your weapons again.”

The soldiers moved briskly, clearly well-trained, understanding what to do without needing further instructions.

Once the sound of a whistle echoed like wind passing through a cavern, lights flickered on aboard the grotesque ship, and its hull began to vibrate.

Toko assumed the ship was being prepared to launch, but then he noticed something odd. The soldiers were loading cargo, and the scene felt unusually hectic.

(Isn’t this supposed to be a secret dock in the Underground District? It feels like they are going to launch from here.) (Toko)

It felt like they were preparing for a sudden escape. Looking more closely, Toko noticed that, although there were lights on the walls, they were using emergency lighting. They were conserving energy for some strange reason.

(Are they planning on abandoning this place? Was this secret dock built to avoid detection from a rival faction?) (Toko)

A hidden passage connecting the botanical garden to a secret dock. The connection made sense, but Toko couldn’t figure out why they would abandon the place now.

(They must be evacuating to avoid detection by the people from the Surface District. They don’t want to share their technology, so they don’t lose their superiority.) (Toko)

It was a far-fetched assumption, but Toko deliberately chose to ignore the inconsistencies, blinded by the prospects of success before him.

He stepped forward toward the captain, ready to make his move, and called out to surprise him.

“Excuse me, I apologize for interrupting. Could I have a moment of your time?” (Toko)

A voice suddenly emerged from an otherwise empty space. It must have been a shock for the others. Toko’s intention was to surprise them, demonstrating that the magical technology of the Surface District, including its concealment abilities, was on par with that of the Underground District.

━–He had anticipated one of two reactions: either they would widen their eyes in shock and panic, or they would try to maintain a composed facade.

Toko turned off the Tengu’s Cloak of Invisibility, and revealed himself with a confident smile…and then his face froze.

That’s because the captain and his men were neither shocked nor panicked. They simply looked at him with bored expressions.

“What’s this? I was wondering how long you were going to hide. What’s the meaning of this?”

Hearing the captain’s remark that they had already been aware of his presence, it was now Toko who felt rattled, his lips twitching. But he quickly regained his composure, placing his arm across his chest in a graceful bow.

“My apologies. My name is Toko. Yoroizuka Toko. I sincerely apologize for the sudden contact.” (Toko)

Appearing suddenly in the midst of a military force and offering a refined bow, Toko’s appearance was akin to that of a skilled fixer. You could say this is totally a mastermind kind of move judging by the situation —if only he wasn’t already exposed.

Toko suppressed his inner turmoil and continued speaking to the captain with a cheerful smile.

“I am the heir of the Yoroizuka family, the top house in the Surface District. I apologize for hiding, but I came here thinking there might be something I could assist with. I should clarify that my hiding was not out of ill intent, but rather because there are monsters everywhere.” (Toko)

“…Yoroizuka?”

“Yes, it’s a house that holds absolute power in the Surface District. Of course, I assume you’ve heard of it…?” (Toko)

Toko felt a bit uneasy, wondering what he would do if the captain said he didn’t know. But the captain glanced around at his subordinates with a bewildered expression, then suddenly broke into a smile.

“The heir of the Yoroizuka family, huh? Sorry. I’m Chefei, Major Chefei of Harkein. I serve as both the captain and warrior aboard this ship. Have you heard of Harkein?” 

Chefei threw an arm casually around Toko’s shoulders, smiling in a friendly manner, but Toko couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more like a thug shaking him down. He returned the smile with a forced one of his own.

“My apologies. I’m not very familiar with the families of the Underground District. But I can tell that this ship is quite impressive.” (Toko)

“I see, I see. So, you said you’re willing to help us?” (Chefei)

Chefei’s eyes narrowed, revealing a sharp gaze.

“Yes, please don’t hesitate to ask. I can arrange anything, from personnel to supplies.” (Toko)

(I did it! Now I’ll be the top person in the Surface District. There’s no doubt I’ll become the head of the Yoroizuka family!) (Toko)

Toko was overjoyed at his apparent good fortune and nodded enthusiastically, unaware of the suspicious look in Chefei’s eyes.

Chefei patted Toko on the shoulder lightly and made his request.

“In that case, could you ask the warship in the sky to evacuate?” (Chefei)

“Huh? The one in the sky?” (Toko)

“Yes. Oh, and here it is.” (Chefei)

Chefei shrugged his shoulders, and then a warning siren blared through the dock, followed by a cute voice.

[This is Captain Tete of the Hunter Guild. I order you to disarm immediately and shut down the engines of the ship you’re operating-usa! That ship is illegal! I repeat, it’s illegal-usa!]

“See? It’s a hassle, really. They’re even picking fights with a little ship like ours. But for someone from the Yoroizuka family, this should be easy, right? Don’t you think, Toko-kun?” (Chefei)

Chefei’s smile grew unsettling and sinister, sending a shiver down Toko’s spine as he felt a terrible premonition tighten his mouth in a grimace.

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