BCST 15

chapter 15

A forgotten memory, one that had been lingering just beneath the surface, suddenly surged to the forefront of my mind.

I hadn’t been able to recall it immediately because I had only thought of it as a company name.

Aria Aires.

Also known as the Black Spider Empress.

An early notable boss, sometimes referred to as The Looming of Ruin or The Loom of Ruin.

She had caused thousands of casualties upon her first appearance and wandered among collapsed skyscrapers, weaving webs—a future powerhouse dark mage.

Judging by her capabilities, even a year ago she must have already possessed a remarkably exceptional skill set.

“She’s coming in now.”

The voice of the woman sent to fetch Aria.

At that voice, my gaze turned toward the door on one side of the room.

“Come in.”

Click.

The door slowly opened, and the tension in the room escalated.

The Black Spider Empress was a violent madwoman, from the moment she appeared until the moment she was subdued, scarcely speaking a word.

Given the memories of her past actions, the tension felt entirely natural.

Unconsciously, I gripped the armrest of the sofa tightly. At that moment, the door fully opened, and Aria Aires entered.

“Did you call for me, Father?”

Her voice was elegant and refined.

A soft, almost weightless sound touched the floor as she stepped through the open door.

Her movements were precise, her balance perfect, as if her toes touched the ground first, naturally keeping her posture intact.

Her long blonde hair swayed lightly, not wildly, moving like a graceful extension of her arms.

Even the way she walked felt like a small performance, a display of refinement no commoner could achieve without extensive training and effort.

Anyone observing would unconsciously sense the difference, feeling that she was unlike any ordinary person just from a glance.

The fact that she would become the future Black Spider Empress was temporarily overshadowed by the impression of her poise.

Yet, from the moment she entered the room, I had quietly begun to use Magic Detection.

My senses, now capable of perceiving mana beyond the five senses, spread widely.

Nearby structures were perceived differently, and I could distinguish between objects with and without mana.

Her presence extended even to Aria, who was a considerable distance away.

And then I realized:

Her body contained no mana at all.

She was, quite literally, a normal human.

Yet the level she would achieve in the near future was undeniable.

So that meant she either possessed terrifying talent or some hidden secret…

As I looked at her with a curious expression, Aria offered a light greeting.

“Did you know that when brewing tea, some people place ice on top of tea leaves after pouring hot water widely over them?”

Lightly…

“I was surprised the first time I saw it. It prevents the tea leaves from fully opening, allowing one to extract the desired flavor. Watching that, I realized that perhaps always doing one’s best might not always be the correct approach.”

Was that… a greeting?

“Even so, I’ve always tried my hardest, giving my best. But seeing you today, I wondered if perhaps my efforts were like the role of ice in tea—serving a purpose, but limited. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Problem Solver. My name is Aria Aires. I look forward to working with you.”

“…I see. I’m Eddie.”

Her tone sounded as if she’d read a hundred self-help books.

Aria’s father, Aires, smiled warmly as he looked at his daughter.

Wait… he actually found that heartwarming?

A bit unusual, wasn’t it?

I decided not to comment on someone else’s family manners and instead gave the client a look urging him to explain the mission.

Catching that glance immediately, the client began to speak.

“Alright. Now that both parties are here, let’s begin.”

The details were simple.

The dark mage targeting Aria Aires was named Tullon Goksel.

The initial attack had been successfully thwarted by the existing security personnel, but he had already shown a strong greed for Aria.

“He was surely captivated by my daughter’s appearance.”

“Hmm.”

This man had a tendency to be overprotective regarding his daughter.

“In any case, that cursed dark mage declared he would return and disappeared. Recently, however, we learned that he was spotted while preparing for our product exhibition.”

Saying this, Aires placed several photos on the glass table.

Photos of a figure in a hood, seemingly taken from a distance.

I took the photos and examined them carefully.

This must be Tullon.

A name I’d neither heard of nor seen before.

Unlike the ambiguous reputation of Aires’ company, this was definite.

Yet, from the chairman’s following words, I could see the connection between Tullon and Aria.

“According to our research, he’s a dark mage who made a contract with a higher being associated with spiders. It’s a common type among dark mages.”

So that’s why it’s spiders.

The outline of the incident became clear.

Aria, overflowing with talent, and a dark mage who had contracted with spider-related higher beings.

A year later, Aires’ company would disappear.

And Aria Aires would become the Black Spider Empress.

Though she wasn’t a mere level 3, it’s hard to imagine a single dark mage dismantling a mid-sized company alone.

If so, even if the attacker is the dark mage, the reason the company falls is likely…

At that moment, Chairman Aires clasped his hands together.

“The company grew rapidly, but it wasn’t prepared for protection. That’s why predators like him prowled around. Money could solve it temporarily, but magic-related issues aren’t so simple.”

Hmm. So he hired magicians through Edge Line?

“Of course, we also have a mercenary unit to capture him. Mere defense would only make us prey.”

A good decision.

But, to me, even that effort seemed futile.

Why?

Because, knowing the future, I already knew that effort would fail.

Then—

Flash!

[Quest – Aria Aires’ Protection]

Received from the Edge Line Personnel Office.

Mission: Protect Aria Aires during the upcoming corporate exhibition.
Eliminate any threats approaching her during this period.

Reward – 6 Ability Points
Failure – Decrease in Mia Dunlevy’s trust.

I’d expected this quest to appear soon.

6 points… That’s similar in difficulty to Yabok, huh?

It annoyed me slightly.

…Wait a second.

The objective is threat elimination, but do I have to intervene personally?

I already know that the current level of security will fail.

Surely, the original history had the same level of security personnel.

Yet the incident still occurred.

So, if I appeal that the forces are insufficient and improve the situation, the quest could be completed, right?

Unlike a game, here I have more freedom to exercise influence.

Alright, let’s try it.

“Do you think the current force level is sufficient?”

Chairman Aires’ eyebrows twitched at my words.

“Is there something unsatisfactory? You don’t even know what I’ve prepared.”

It must be terrible.

Perhaps I should have waited to bring it up later.

Since I was considering things based on the already-confirmed future, the order of things got confusing.

No matter.

There were already people affected by my earlier Magic Detection skill.

I reminded myself and spoke.

“Yes, it will fail. The personnel you’ve stationed in that room are presumably what you consider adequate security, right? Then it’s obvious.”

Aires flinched slightly but then said,

“Huh? They were hired assuming a level 3 dark mage. And yet… it makes sense. You noticed them despite being told to stay hidden.”

He accepted it rather quickly.

The supposed level 3 dark mage wasn’t Tullon but me—but neither mentioned it.

They must have also investigated and prepared for me.

“Do you know how many?”

I stated the exact number of personnel detected through Magic Detection.

“Twelve.”

“Hmm…”

Aires rubbed his chin, pondering, then said,

“Manager, fire all of them and hire new ones.”

The manager, waiting nearby, was shocked.

“B-But sir… the event is in two days. Hiring and conducting scenario training and rehearsals would take too long…”

Despite the manager’s worried protests,

“The mission already failed. What else can I trust?”

The chairman sounded utterly unreasonable.

The manager cast me a resentful glance but eventually relented.

“…Understood. I’ll immediately change the contractor.”

Aires gestured toward her, indicating she should proceed.

“You don’t need to worry about this anymore. Go and handle it.”

“Thank you. Then…”

The manager quickly took the elevator and disappeared.

As the doors closed, her slightly agitated voice could be heard, likely speaking into a phone:

“Who’s in charge of this contact? Check immediately and forward it to me…!”

I shuddered at the thought. Working in a company seems unbearable.

I silently commiserated with all office workers everywhere.

Everyone must endure this kind of stress.

Still, a bit of annoyance is better than a catastrophe, right?

However, the quest remained incomplete.

Was the future not yet reflected? Or was the security level still insufficient?

Either way, it was worth trying.

Then, the chairman spoke to me again.

“That was impressive. Your skill is evident. Eddie, was it?”

His eyes were noticeably friendlier than before.

“Do you have anything more to say? I’ll listen carefully. I want to hear perspectives on dark mages we may have overlooked.”

His subtly imposing tone still annoyed me, but I had something to share.

“I have a guess regarding the culprit’s motive.”

“Really? Could it be?”

Aria’s eyes widened, and Aires seemed shocked, unable to believe it.

“…What? Wasn’t it because my daughter is beautiful?”

Is he serious?

Perhaps my expression gave me away, because he flushed and cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Go on.”

I maintained my composure and slowly looked at Aria as I spoke.

“Aria Aires, you possess talent far beyond what is necessary to become a dark mage. That’s why you’re targeted.”

I was 100% certain.

Dark mages form contracts with higher beings to gain power.

But the contract is never one-sided.

The higher being gains something in return.

Usually, this is called a price, and depending on it, higher beings may desire contracts with multiple dark mages.

It’s the same with the “spider” case.

That’s why Tullon was called a common dark mage.

“Spider” is known for having many contracted followers.

For some reason, a being with such greed rewards someone with immense talent?

Tullon would undoubtedly gain great compensation for success.

“Perhaps discovering her talent was accidental… but by offering her as a contract, he could receive a corresponding reward. His greed blinds him.”

All mages, as they advance, move further from mundane desires and focus on personal values.

Among them, dark mages are heavily influenced by their contract’s value, often losing themselves in their patron’s priorities.

This causes morally twisted dark mages, which is why public opinion of them is poor.

“Oh… my daughter has the talent of a vulgar dark mage? That can’t be…”

The topic concerns his daughter, so he is emotionally affected.

Normally I’d ignore such slip-ups, but this one is too useful to let go.

Yet his reaction is understandable.

Dark mages can gain power rapidly via contracts.

This allows reckless individuals to quickly acquire magical strength if circumstances align.

If conventional mages are orthodox, dark mages are the unrefined or third-rate kind.

Public perception is what matters.

“She was already sent to the Magic Tower at great expense to confirm her talent. They said she had no potential as a mage.”

They even conducted direct tests?

Then his reaction makes sense.

Thus Aires’ distrustful questioning:

“…And now, suddenly, you claim she has the talent of a dark mage? On what basis?”

I looked at him calmly and replied:

“My divinity says so.”