”Don’t be stupid.”

The bandit leader asked, squinting his eyes and speaking with hesitation, but his assumption got him scolded by the annoyed nobleman.

”After you will acquire the device in question, you will then place it in Espine’s castle. Duke Espine is known for favoring commoners, going as far as hiring commoner-born knights and some servants, which should make it easier to infiltrate his estate. Hide the artifact there, but don’t do it too well – that thing needs to be found by the investigators when the time comes.”

The fire magician declared and turned away dismissively, making it seem as if his sightseeing trip was ruined and he wouldn’t waste any more of his time on the idle chat with some commoners.

”My lord – about the payment…”

”The payment will be twice the normal amount because of the particular dangers of the job – and it will be paid AFTER its completion, as always. If you manage to do it, met me three weeks from now in this spot to get it.”

The bandit leader called out after him but got interrupted by the annoyed fire magician who would not allow any unnecessary chatter, answered the question, and left immediately after.

”Derow, Par, get up. The three of us will go to our backup hideout and start preparing – the rest of you will stay here for the night and go to the main hideout in the morning, you will join us in the backup one two two days before the job.”

After waiting enough time for the fire magician to leave the area, the bandits’ leader turned to his men and started giving orders without hesitation.

”Those who stay, you can take out the drinks and have some fun – you heard our dearest lord – we are the inconvenience that messed up his trip. Make lots of noise and be obnoxious – but not enough to get you all in a cell or coffin. If we will have a change of plans, you know what happens and what to do. With that, good night gentlemen.”

With the two men he called out by name before by his side, the bandit leader nodded at the others and left, disappearing into the night as the atmosphere around the campfire became a lot more jolly when the alcohol started flowing.

”Sentinel.”

Meanwhile, Zoemi hidden in the bushes, while still using the enchantments that left him invisible for the heat-vision spell, muttered an incantation and had a black orb appear above his shoulder.

”Attach yourself to them. Only observe and contact me the moment something suspicious or noteworthy happens.”

Zoemi reached his hand and patted the black sphere, instructing it as if it was a fully sentient being.

”~!”

The orb fidgeted happily under his touch and shot out after the three men that left immediately after the black-haired boy took back his hand.

”Now then…”

”That haughty guy, why was he so bothered about us leaving evidence of connection with Derizno? What, did he expect us to wait to be sentenced and hanged for getting rid of some lowe nobles?”

Zoemi was about to conjure another sentinel – this one to keep an eye on the main group when an unexpected conversation started.

”Rega, you are an idiot. Don’t you remember that the ones we ended up killing were the Galamrozes? What, now you will tell me that you haven’t heard about a murderer who hunts down nobles? That’s the head of the Galamroze family – Ludier or whatever – we offed his family.”

”And did a great job pushing the blame onto others – I’ve heard the man had gone crazy and turned half of a city into an iceblock, but never pursued any of us.”

”…oh, **…”

The bandits were laughing amongst themselves, but Zoemi wasn’t in the mood for laughter – his murky shadow – visible thanks to the light provided by the illumination of the shining mana crystals at the bottom of the lake – extended on its own as the ice shadow puppet broke through his shackles and materialized into the physical world using the black-haired boy’s mana.

The only good part about it was that for some reason this time, it didn’t take nearly as much mana as when Luider’s shadow showed up and almost finished off Vianee.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that the shadowy figure had crawled out of the murky darkness and immediately started creating ice spears out of the surrounding moisture.

”…ah…!”

Only when the black-haired boy noticed that some of the magic stones in the lake flickered and become dim did he realize that it wasn’t like the shadow puppet suddenly became more mana efficient – instead, it was using the same ability that Zoemi had and leeching mana off of the nearest mana source.

But that also must have meant that it wasn’t a mindless murder machine…

”Sir Ludier…?”

”…”

Zoemi asked, glancing over towards the bandits campfire to see whether his summon was spotted already or not, while the shadow puppet flinched and slowly turned to look back at him.

”…kid… do… not… stop… me…”

”!!!”

The strained voice, so full of rage and grief that it was almost too painful to listen to came out of the murky figure, causing Zoemi to hold his breath in disbelief.

Still, not for long.

”I only ask you to spare or rather not immediately kill two of them – I want to learn about their main hideout and I am not sure whether I will be able to bring them back as I did for you…”

”…”

The black-haired boy whispered, knowing that he would be understood even if he only murmured or mouthed the words anyway.

”…we can… catch the three… that already left…”

Ludier’s shadow proposed a different solution.

”Sir Ludier – you should be the single person most interested in getting to the bottom of things. We don’t want to kill off the connection those people have with that person from the Vanterl family. In the first place – I didn’t recall anyone from the Vanterl family being a fire

magician powerful enough to cast fire armor, or that swallow spell. I will not stop you from avenging your family – but if you want the culprits dead, you should be interested in getting to the ones at the very top too. You knew about that when you were alive.”

”…”

Zoemi stood up from his hiding spot – which funnily enough didn’t cause any reaction from the bandits gathered by the campfire as they were busy enjoying food and drinks they have brought with them – and spoke to the shadow puppet of his.

”…wouldn’t one be enough….?”

Ludier’s shadow was able to speak more and more clear as the seconds passed as if sucking out mana from the crystals in the lake was turning him into the person he was before his death – he even started bargaining.

”Two, just to be sure – and like I said, you will be free to kill them afterward, so there’s no need for you to act spoiled now.”

”…pffft…! True… you did say that, kid. Alright, fine.”

The black-haired boy raised his left hand with two fingers extended, shaking his head with a cunning smirk, making the shadow puppet snort before nodding.

”I would also like to know how exactly did you die but, that can wait until you are done here. Feel free to start.”

*WHOOSH*

The moment that Zoemi waved his hand and gave clear permission, the shadow bolted forward, surrounded by the halo of ice spears…