Yes, that was it.

Whether it was Constel or anywhere else, the days I spent training in hiding so as not to reveal all my cards.

The days I spent completing my own image, having other enemies fooled by it and making wrong judgments, and clinging to those slight mistakes and carelessness to somehow survive.

The moment that proved those times weren't meaningless.

"...Haha, this is..."

I laughed, experiencing a strange feeling.

The opponent I fought right before was Renzo. Renzo, who had stopped being careless about me and equipped himself with everything he could.

When Renzo, one of the strongest in this world, judged that he had to pour out all his strength to face me, it was respect and pride in itself for me.

I was worried that the rumors about me might be unnecessarily exaggerated and spread everywhere due to the fight at that time, or when Indus disbanded.

But it was a truly futile worry.

"Facing an enemy who knows nothing about me and hasn't prepared anything..."

Even Kraken had at least some defenses.

I looked at Laurie, who was still hesitating.

"This is quite amusing, Laurie."

"─Th, that arrogant talk...!"

"Menosorpo."

I activated the Rune.

Weaving

Rank - Legendary

Dragon Heart

I swallowed the Dragon Heart and took out Neil Jack's shortsword. And I surrounded my entire body with aura.

Until then, Laurie was staring at me blankly. Was she surprised by the sudden increase in my mana? Her judgment was truly lacking.

"Laurie, you may not remember,"

Thump.

I took a step towards Laurie. A step towards the close combat she desired. But Laurie retreated just as much.

"But your eyes as a fake personality held fear of me."

"...!"

As I said before, Laurie was intriguing to me in many ways.

She was a woman I wanted to test out so many things on.

"If you lose your memory, will you also forget that fear? Or does it affect even the real you, at least emotionally?"

Thump.

Another step. And Laurie retreated again by the same amount.

I spoke in a low voice.

"I'm curious about that, Laurie."

Tat!

As if that was the starting signal, Laurie turned away from me and ran. In other words, she fled.

I didn't think she would already be feeling fear, so... well, it must be something like a strategic retreat.

There was no reason I couldn't chase after an opponent with one leg injured, but rather than that...

Void Weaving

Rank - Unique

Workshop

I built a workshop in front of the fleeing Laurie.

"Wh, what?!"

The sudden appearance of a huge building in front of her. Since it was a forest, there was no easy way to bypass it.

I chased after Laurie,

Puk!

"Ugh?!"

And kicked her into the workshop.

"A guest, even though I didn't invite you."

I said, looking at Laurie who had entered.

Well, since I was the one who put her in there, it didn't make any sense.

Laurie, enraged, quickly got up to come out, but I closed the workshop door.

"I don't usually do things like this."

This was the northern end of Yeranhes. The barrier that my father guarded.

I was here not as a student of Constel, but as the son of Enfer, as the youngest of the Roach family.

So, well, it couldn't be helped.

"Chasing out an uninvited guest without any reason wouldn't be the proper conduct of a noble."

Let's give her all the hospitality I could offer.

While being hospitable, I would think of other ways to be hospitable.

* * *

Kwang!

The door closed before Laurie could leave the workshop. Laurie tried to knock on the door with her fists and kicks, but it wouldn't open. She instinctively grabbed the doorknob, but...

'...What is this?'

The doorknob didn't budge. If it was simply locked, the doorknob should at least move even if it didn't open, but even that wasn't happening.

In other words, this wasn't a handle to open the door. It was just attached here in the shape of one.

'There are no seams or hinges on the door. There are no gaps to see outside.'

Upon confirming that, Laurie realized.

This was a wall. It was a door when she entered, but the moment it closed, the door disappeared and transformed into a wall. It had merely imitated a door.

"Damn it."

Laurie wiped away her cold sweat and gripped her sword. She checked the tools in her pocket.

There were still enough throwing weapons left to kill the enemy. She had planned to use them secretly in close combat situations since ranged attacks didn't seem to work, but Frondier didn't give her the distance to get close.

'Calm down. This kind of ridiculous magic can't last forever.'

Whatever building Frondier had put her in, it definitely popped out of nowhere.

She didn't know the process or principle, but it was definitely magic. It must have used a considerable amount of mana.

'But why is it so dark?'

The workshop, with no light leaking in, was shrouded in darkness. No matter how trained her night vision was, she couldn't see anything if no light came in.

'It can't be helped, so...'

Laurie searched her memory for light magic. She slowly chanted the spell. It was a magic to create a light source.

Proper mages didn't need incantations or trigger words for something like a light source, but since Laurie only used the minimum amount of magic when necessary, she had to go through all the procedures.

"...Will-o'-the-wisp."

The moment she uttered the trigger word, a small flame ignited next to her.

Laurie faced all kinds of weapons with their blades pointed at her, filling the space.

"H, hiiik...!"

She had enough throwing weapons. She was fully equipped with lethal weapons that could easily take down thirty people.

However, all of them were meant for dealing with humans and monsters.

Throwing weapons were useless against weapons simply floating in the air.

She couldn't kill the enemy. She couldn't escape. She couldn't get out. She couldn't defend herself.

"Save, me-"

Before Laurie could even count the number of weapons, the sharp blades rained down all at once.