12 O'Clock Marionette-Chapter 55

I don’t get it.

Seriously, why is this old woman so persistent?

Is there some kind of family motto engraved into White Desert’s blood that says, "Always make the other person uncomfortable"?

I greeted her reluctantly.

Whether it showed on my face or not, Nigellia caught on instantly.

“You must understand, once something piques my interest, I cannot look away until it is resolved.”

“Oh… right.”

“That’s why I handled all the research for the sect as well.”

Ah, something I really didn’t care to know.

Or wait, is this important? Maybe she’ll spill more about the sect if I let her talk?

I kept quiet, waiting, but Nigellia didn’t say another word.

Shouldn’t enemies have looser lips? This is just dull.

“So, what’s the test this time? Identifying ancient sects by their divine energy?”

“This will be much simpler than before,” she said. “You’ve spoken with Cruello, haven’t you?”

She motioned with her chin for me to sit. Only then did I realize I was still standing.

I quickly sat down on the sofa.

Nigellia wasted no time either.

“Do you understand why I told you to donate to the temple?”

“That’s… wait, this is the test?”

She nodded without hesitation.

Wow, she didn’t even bother to dress it up.

Well, I had no complaints about an easy question.

I already had a good idea of the answer, so I spoke without delay.

If Nigellia sent me to the temple, then the reason must have been—

“You were trying to remove Ro Blue.”

“Oh?”

“That was the only significant thing that happened while I was there.”

I hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but my divine energy was exceptionally discreet and natural.

I was good at concealing my presence and detecting others.

Siora’s body had its limits unless I actively used spells, but even then, Ro Blue’s presence was strikingly clear.

Maybe because he was young, he lacked real combat experience, but he was more than capable of handling major responsibilities.

Looking back at the situation—

"I was overseeing security just now, but I couldn’t leave the saintess to handle visitors alone."

"A report just came in. The detained rioters were all executed."

As soon as Ro Blue left his post, the rioters were dealt with.

That couldn’t have been a coincidence.

For this to work, two conditions had to be met: I had to visit Mamic, and Ro Blue had to stay by her side.

Even if the plan failed, the sect had nothing to lose.

“You needed an opening to dispose of your pawns.”

“Hmm. Should I say that’s correct?”

“Huh?”

Wait. No? That’s wrong?

Really?

I was so sure.

Hold on, this is no time to panic.

“Oh, this doesn’t count! I was just thinking out loud. I never actually said, ‘That’s the correct answer!’”

Nigellia chuckled, clearly amused. But the truth was the truth.

“You got half of it right. But it wasn’t Ro Blue’s skill that made us hesitant to act.”

“Hm?”

“We just didn’t want to deal with the hassle of crossing the Pope’s nephew.”

“The Pope’s… nephew? That knight?”

“It’s not something publicly known.”

Whoa. He was that important?

I was more surprised by the fact that, despite his background, his presence was still that unremarkable.

“But last time, you targeted him, didn’t you?”

“That was just a light touch. I didn’t even break a bone, did I?”

I guess shamelessness is a requirement for being a villain.

I wondered if she’d still call it a light touch if she were on the receiving end.

“Anyway, that’s the correct answer.”

“…Really? Just like that?”

“Would you like a harder question instead?”

“No, thank you.”

I answered instantly.

If I remembered correctly, the first trial had twelve people who passed, while the second had ten.

So far, the pass rate was high enough that there was no reason to suspect anything.

Nigellia retrieved the reward.

It was another black box, though the size was noticeably different.

“It’s the same type as the one on your finger.”

“A ring, then.”

“I’ll be quite busy for a while. Take your time waiting for the final trial.”

Just like before, the old woman didn’t linger. She left without hesitation, closing the door behind her with a crisp click.

I immediately opened the box.

As expected, inside was a ring.

The design featured a silver snake coiled around the finger, its eyes embedded with gemstones that radiated magical energy.

She said it was the same type as mine.

“…A gate, perhaps?”

I wondered how she figured it out.

Then again, if even Qudil had noticed my ring was a magic tool, a more skilled magician wouldn’t have any trouble at all.

If the ring really functioned as a gate, the destination was obvious.

The headquarters of the Black Serpent Sect.

I had only expected a map at most, but this was unexpectedly convenient.

“Hmm.”

I hesitated, staring at the ring before shaking my head.

No matter how I thought about it, going alone in this body was far too reckless.

This wasn’t a trial, so it should be fine to ask Cruello for help, right?

Strike while the iron is hot.

I lifted the bell placed in the drawing room.

I was about to summon Betty to send a letter to White Desert when—

“Who are you calling?”

“Ugh, seriously…”

A voice behind me interrupted my actions.

I quickly turned my head—

And saw a man sitting leisurely on the drawing room sofa.

What was there to say? It was Cruello.

“Hello, darling.”

“At this point, you’re basically a stalker.”

"I’ll Acknowledge It."

"Instead of acknowledging it, try reflecting on your actions."

"That would be difficult—Ares has been making quite the fuss."

Cruello narrowed his eyes, as if trying to elicit sympathy.

Utterly shameless. But what he just said caught my attention.

"Who?"

"Ares was the one who personally took care of the sect’s henchmen."

"If he’s so busy making up for his failures, why did he show up at the temple? Does the Black Serpent Sect assign tasks to fugitives now?"

"He wasn’t following orders—he was simply carrying out what the sect wanted on his own. As long as it benefits them in some way, they accept it. Though this time, he’ll need to succeed three times in a row."

"So he even infiltrated the temple just to get back in their good graces?"

"There’s no assassin more discreet than him."

Discreet, my ass.

Ares lost to Gavotte’s rice grain.

The greatest assassin in the world is Pianissimo.

"So, it looks like we have everything we need."

Cruello uncrossed his legs and stood up.

His gaze landed on the serpent-shaped ring.

"I assume you don’t mind me tagging along?"

"I was about to call for you anyway."

The decision came quickly, but acting on it took a little more time.

I couldn’t just vanish when no one knew how long I’d be gone.

The sun had already set, and I had just returned from the temple, so it wasn’t hard to come up with an excuse.

"I’m exhausted today. I’ll be sleeping early, so make sure no one comes into my room while I rest."

"Understood, Lady Siora."

The lights dimmed, and the door closed behind me.

Just in case, I bunched up my blankets into a cocoon shape.

Every morning, I woke up wrapped up like this anyway, so a quick glance wouldn’t raise suspicion.

Then, I retrieved the hidden black priest’s robe and cloak from my room and moved toward the window.

Knock, knock, knock.

At the third tap, the window opened.

"You got ready faster than I expected. No one found it odd that you went to bed so early?"

"No one is unaware of my fragile health."

Considering how often I ran in the training grounds, it was almost depressing.

"Want me to teach you more swordplay?"

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"It would take years before I could be useful. No thanks—let’s just go."

Cruello shrugged and placed a hand on my shoulder.

He looked at me as if to say, Go ahead and rub the ring, but… hmm.

"As long as we’re in contact, we’ll be transported together, right?"

"Of course."

"…What if this ring has a different range than the one you made?"

I wasn’t normally this cautious, but this was the enemy’s headquarters. Something about it made me uneasy.

To erase the lingering discomfort, I took hold of Cruello’s hand with the one wearing the ring.

I laced my fingers tightly with his, only then feeling reassured.

At least this way, I wouldn’t have to worry about just his hand being transported.

"Ah…"

"Let’s go."

I rubbed the ring, and my vision immediately flipped.

There was a brief moment of dizziness, but it passed as soon as I blinked.

Thankfully, we weren’t instantly ambushed by sect enforcers.

Instead, something else caught my attention.

"Hmm."

A secluded alleyway.

Judging by the architecture, we were still in the capital, but… what was this place?

There was no way Nigellia would prank me with something so trivial.

So that meant…

"Did we become beggars?"

"…What?"

"You know, after my entire fortune disappeared from my account, leaving me homeless on the streets—"

"We’re near the Great Elder’s estate. There should be an entrance around here."

"Of course, I knew that. I was just joking!"

Someone has no sense of humor.

Ignoring Cruello’s unimpressed stare, I covered my burning ears and began chanting a familiar incantation.

—Second Order Spell: Extension of Senses.

My perception sharpened instantly, and I caught the trail of black mana.

It was flowing, brushing past ever so slightly, directly in front of where we had landed.

When I held up the token Nigellia had given me against the wall, the mana stirred violently.

My vision swayed once more.

"…Oh."

This time, we arrived in a dimly lit warehouse.

A heavy iron hatch lay open in the floor, revealing a staircase leading underground.

I didn’t hesitate and began descending.

"The steps are pretty high. Think you can make it?"

"I’m not a newborn alpaca."

Did he think my legs were twigs?

The sound of our footsteps echoed loudly.

The staircase extended far in both directions, and the walls were lined with faintly glowing magic stone lamps.

The air grew increasingly damp, and an ominous atmosphere thickened as we went further down.

It truly felt like we were heading into the lair of evil.

Keeping my senses sharp, I reached the bottom in no time.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive door, so tall I had to crane my neck to see it in full.

It was covered in intricate, ancient symbols—beautiful yet imposing, with an eerie presence.

As I approached and examined it, I found a round indentation near the center.

I placed the token into the slot.

With a loud, grinding sound, the massive iron door began to move.