Published at 5th of December 2025 7:33 am

Chapter 99

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What the hell? Hes a newblood himself. Did he file a self-report?

Elias muttered, his face pale.

Then, biting his lip, he continued:

This isnt the time to joke around. We have two optionstake them down first.

He flipped the receipt over and showed it to me.

Or escape.

I glanced toward the entrance.

Fortunately, we werent sitting in direct view of the militia unless someone actively looked our way.

Elias spoke rapidly, his voice almost a whisper.

There has to be a code or pattern these guys use for their warp spells. All three places I checked yesterday used secret teleportation circles for their meetings.

But we dont know which circle theyre using here.

Thats why we try them one by one. It shouldnt be anything too complicated.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. When are we supposed to do that?

Engaging in something so suspicious right now could only invite trouble.

I pointed out the larger issue:

Even if we escape successfully, how do we explain this to the tavern owner? If he suspects us, hell report it in a heartbeat.

And dont forget, we just registered our identities here. If we run as soon as someone mentions checking for newbloods, itll only escalate the situation.

We could say we fled because we thought they were after Pleroma. Its risky, sure, but still

Would that really reassure anyone in the Catacombs?

Elias fell silent.

It was clear he knew how flimsy that excuse would sound.

Lets think. Not about escapeabout another approach.

Several questions nagged at me, but two stood out.

First: How did someone file a report about newbloods being here?

Recognizing a newblood by appearance alone is nearly impossible. The most likely explanation is that someone unaffected by perception distortion magic identified us and filed the report.

This raises the unsettling possibility that they specifically named Lucas Askanian or Elias Hohenzollern. But for now, I had to set that aside.

Second: Did the militia know that third-year student from the Magic Department was a noble mage?

Certainly not.

The Catacombs anti-noble sentiment is fanatical. Theres no way theyd allow a noble mage to operate within their militia.

Which means...

I turned to Elias.

Sit up. Act natural.

What?

Theres more than one person here whose life is in danger.

Elias furrowed his brow in confusion before his lips slowly twisted into a smirk.

If we didnt recognize that third-year from the Magic Department, he would carry out his duties as a militia member without hesitation.

But we do know him.

If he recognized us, he couldnt act without risking exposure.

After all, we could simply reveal his status as an Imperial Second Academy mage, and it would all fall apart.

Elias spoke quietly.

Alright. Then can I do whatever I want?

Why ask? You always do.

Well, worst case, we can just blow everything up and escape.

Hardly a solution, I thought, but nodded anyway.

If things went south, Id simply rewind time.

Checkpoint Assurance

Rewind: Level 1

- Return to the last checkpoint within Chapter 5

- Cost per use: 2.0 points

- Next level unlocks at: 2.0 points used

Current points: 10.0 Luck to next point: 0.90

Perfect.

Id already used rewind nearly five times, but by avoiding frivolous expenditures, I had plenty of points remaining.

Thank you. Well verify quickly.

The conversation between the tavern owner and the third-year from the Magic Department reached our ears.

Patrons seated near the entrance were already undergoing identification checks.

Suddenly, Elias stood.

Every militia member turned to look at him.

Even knowing he was prone to reckless behavior, his boldness caught me off guard.

Elias addressed them casually.

Whats going on? Something wrong?

We received a report of newbloods entering this tavern, one militia member replied without hesitation.

Elias glanced briefly at me, but he didnt need my signal to understand what was off.

They didnt recognize him.

The perception distortion magic was working perfectly.

No one here suspected Elias Hohenzollern or Lucas Askanian was present.

This meant the report hadnt named us specificallyit truly targeted newbloods in general.

But who could have filed such a report?

For now, I couldnt afford to dwell on that.

The third-year at the counter, unlike the others, wasnt reacting normally.

His gaze remained fixed on Elias, unblinking.

One of the militia members addressed us.

Since youre already up, could we see your

No need. Were leaving.

The third-year cut in, his voice cold despite the slight smirk on his lips.

Excuse me?

Were done here.

Verification isnt complete yet

Do I need to repeat myself?

The other militia members exchanged uncertain glances before bowing slightly to the patrons and exiting the tavern.

Elias muttered, incredulous, What the hell was that?

A noble mage, not just residing in the Catacombs but commanding authority in the militia? And leading other commoner mages as subordinates?

With these lingering questions, we met Julian Baum and quickly returned to the surface.

The priority now wasnt uncovering clues about Robert Mullerit was getting out of there.

Youre back? Wait your face!

Narce, who had been reading in the room, leapt to his feet in shock.

Things got complicated.

Wait, Lucas. What do you mean, complicated?!

His reaction was amusing, especially coming from someone with foresight abilities.

I headed straight to my room and called for Leo.

Leos reaction was similar but we didnt have time to explain everything. Soon, both Narce and Leo stood before us, their faces tense.

What the hell happened? Why does your face look like that?

Leo, the Imperial Second Academys Magic Department doesnt admit commoners, right?

Are you going to tell us or not?

Ill explain later.

Leo glared at me, exhaled sharply, and replied.

Technically, its not banned, but its practically impossible.

Has it ever happened?

Not in the last decade, no.

Right. So, we just ran into a Magic Department third-year in the Catacombs.

What?!

Elias shrugged.

You know the guy we played poker with? Its him. We even spoke directlyits definitely him.

There was no doubt about it.

Not only was he part of the Imperial Second Academy, but hed also represented the academy in competitions. Id seen him just a few days ago.

The third-year vice representative from Class 2? Hes a Prussian noble. He shouldnt be anywhere near there!

And yet, there he was. In the militia.

.

Leo was at a loss for words.

I turned to Narce, whose expression mirrored Leos.

Narce.

Yeah?

Do you think they recognized Elias?

No. If the disguise were that bad, I wouldve stepped in. Also

Narce hesitated, speaking carefully.

Lucas, your appearance wasnt particularly recognizable either.

That makes sense.

While I had received treatment at the Catacombs' infirmary, my battered state worked as an unintentional disguise.

Plus, my face isnt nearly as well-known as Elias.

So, how did you encounter the militia?

There was a report that newbloods were in the tavern we were at.

!

Thats all the explanation youll get for now. I called you here to discuss revising the plan.

And what revision would that be? Leo asked seriously. Frankly, Id suggest pulling out. There are other paths to our goal.

I understood where he was coming from.

But retreating wasnt an option anymore.

The moment that third-year recognized Elias, the stakes had risen.

If he was a spy for the Emperor?

Elias entering the Catacombs alone would be more than enough grounds to eliminate him.

As much as I hate to say it, we have no choice but to go deeper into the Catacombs.

That man isnt there legitimately, and hes already exposed himself to you. How can you be sure of anything if you stay?

Leos logic was sound.

If retreat were viable, Id have rewound time already.

But this isnt something we can escape from.

Leaving the Catacombs would only increase the risks for both Elias and me, and it would render us powerless to stop the Emperors plans.

On the other hand, staying posed its own dangers.

But when weighing the two options, retreat carried the higher risk.

Unfortunately, theres no way to resolve this without infiltrating further.

I turned to Narce.

Thats why I need your help.

What do you need?

Come into the Catacombs with me.

Leos frown deepened, but I raised a hand to calm him.

Itd be ideal if all four of us could go, but having one publicly recognized faceEliasis enough.

Narce mumbled thoughtfully.

I do want to help, but no, I think theres a better way.

What do you mean?

Itd make more sense for Leo to go. Ill join later.

He must have a plan.

Knowing Narce, asking too many questions would just waste timeit was better to trust him.

Between Narces higher magic power and Leos superior skill stats, either could contribute effectively without much difference in overall capability.

After some deliberation, Narce looked at us.

You should still disguise yourselves before heading in.

Well, thats a given. Though it wont do much against him.

There are better methods. Leo, if youre okay with it, I can lend you my appearance.

What?

Leos baffled tone was met with Narces mischievous grin.

Exactly what I said. Its not hardat least, not as hard as making someone look older.

Is that even possible to learn?

Of course. The textbook method involves memorizing a three-page formula, but for someone like Lucas or me, overlapping it with mental manipulation magic should work.

Lucas would probably just memorize the formula.

Yeah, probably.

Narce nodded thoughtfully.

So, who should we test it on first? Elias?

Narce snapped his fingers.

Snap!

!

His hair grew longer and turned white.

But the hair was the least shocking part.

His eyes, nose, mouthevery feature shifted until he was a perfect replica of Elias.

Well?

Elias

Havent done this since I was a kid. Feels fun! So, whats something youve always wanted to hear?

Reality snapped back into focus as he teased.

I scoffed, unimpressed.

The real ones right here. Hearing it secondhand means nothing.

You wound me, Lucas~

!

Anyway, point isI can do this. Any guesses on what youd like me to say?

Narces impression, from Elias mannerisms to his drawling tone, was uncanny.

Even Leo was squinting as if trying to distinguish them.

Youre scarily good at this, Narce.

Thanks! Calling you Lucas feels fresh.

With another snap, Narce returned to his original form.

So, Leo, what do you think? Would you enter the Catacombs using my face?

Why cant I just use my own face?

Narce smiled slyly.

Normally, Id hesitate to say this with certainty, butyes, you really should use mine.

Fine. Its weird, but fine.

***

As Narce finalized his plan, I had an idea.

Narce, you just need to avoid entering the Catacombs yourself, right?

Yeah, thats right.

Then, could you turn into me instead?

Hmm sure, if I had some elixir. Whyah.

Narces understanding smile mirrored my own.

In a nearby cafe, Narcenow disguised as mesat waiting.

Missed a lot of classes lately, havent you?

Narce glanced up to see the third-year from the Magic Department pulling out a chair across from him.

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