Workshop (2)

First, I sent Selena back.

Since it's currently Weaving with Weaving, it's invisible to Selena, but if I linger here, she'll naturally find it strange.

After all, I'd just be waving my hands and feet in an empty space.

With Selena gone, I slowly looked around the workshop alone, leisurely strolling so that anyone who saw me would think I was simply taking a walk.

"...Found it."

And I found it. The entrance leading underground.

It looks like an ordinary floor, but the blueprint of the workshop reflected by Weaving shows that there's a path leading down below.

However.

"I can't enter right now."

Despite the visible entrance, I can't go down there.

Because Weaving is an illusion.

Even if there's something down there, this workshop, which cannot interfere with reality, naturally cannot be built by piercing through the actual ground. Therefore, even if I open the entrance here, I'll only be hitting the real ground.

'To enter, I need to either Weaving the workshop in the air using Menosorpo or dig underground by force using Obsidian.'

Both options would attract considerable attention. The former would involve a building floating in the sky, and the latter would create a tremendous noise while digging underground. Even after releasing Weaving, traces would remain.

'Either way, I need to do it somewhere out of sight. For example...'

For example...

...the cabin I visited before.

I've been thinking about using the cabin for some time.

Even without the workshop, I need to experiment and try various things as I develop my unknown abilities.

So far, I've been doing it in my room or Constel's personal training room, but I'm starting to reach my limit.

So, if I renovate the cabin in my own way and use it for experiments and training, and summon the workshop next to it whenever necessary, I can complete my own base.

'The problem is the distance.'

It takes quite a while to get to the cabin from the mansion, so if I need to visit the workshop frequently, I need to reduce that time as well.

I know the method. The method that came to mind as soon as I had this thought.

I just don't know how to do it.

'Portal.'

Indus used portals to move to designated locations. However, it was a one-way trip back to their base.

But for now, that's enough. If I can set the cabin as my base and the portal's destination, and return to the cabin whenever I need to, it will greatly improve convenience.

'...Come to think of it, all Indus personnel were able to use portals.'

Are portals easier than I thought?

It's awkward to say this, but neither Thompson nor Skyler were mages, nor did they seem particularly smart.

Then why could the entire Indus leadership, including them, use portals?

"Well, the answer is simple."

Just ask.

'To the guy who still has a lot of uses.'

***

A few days later, at Obsidian.

Warden Esther heard absurd news from the afternoon.

"...He came here? Frondier de Roach?"

-"Do you know him? He's a shameless brat who came looking for the Warden as soon as he arrived. He spouted nonsense about you knowing him if he gave his name."

It's not nonsense. It's true.

Esther felt a headache coming on at the voice on the other end of the phone.

Frondier de Roach. At first, he was just a student who she wanted to get some information from to investigate Renzo's death. But she ended up not knowing Renzo's identity, let alone Frondier's.

Moreover, Renzo himself didn't even die, and he's probably wandering around somewhere on the continent right now! I have no business with Frondier anymore!

-"What should we do? Should we kick him out?"

"Ah, no. What's his business?"

-"A visit."

"Whose visit?"

-"That, Cain, the guy we caught recently, you know?"

Ah.

Is he out of his mind?

-"I naturally said no, but he insisted that you would understand, Warden."

"...Sigh, I understand. Send him to my office."

-"Yes? Is that okay?"

"Yes. I have some business with him anyway."

-"Huh. Understood."

The call ended.

A sigh that she had been holding back in the prison flowed out unconsciously.

There had never been a time when she had been so reluctant to deal with people.

Esther, who tracked and arrested criminals, was always in the position of digging into the opponent's mind. Whether it was a human or a monster, she was the one who pierced through their identity and exposed their sins.

However, when facing Frondier, the roles seemed reversed. She couldn't grasp Frondier's identity at all, and instead, it felt like he was seeing right through her.

Esther had first met Frondier at Heldre's mansion, so his reaction was simply puzzling.

"You want to meet Cain?"

"Yes. I don't need the other members. Just meeting Cain is enough."

Never mind the other members, even meeting Cain is a problem.

Esther pressed her hand to her forehead.

Currently, all visits to the Indus leaders were prohibited.

This was because Indus couldn't keep track of all their remaining members. There was a concern that they might disguise themselves as parents, siblings, or relatives to visit and exchange new plans in code, so visits were banned.

Above all, due to the recent incident with the monster stealing Renzo's body, visits were handled even more strictly.

'...Wait a minute.'

At that moment, Esther realized something and looked at Frondier.

"Did you just say Cain is enough?"

"That's what I said."

"Not just any Indus member, but only Cain?"

"Yes."

Frondier answered with his usual bright smile.

Esther's eyes sharpened as if to pierce through his intentions.

'Could he possibly know?'

Among the Indus leaders, Cain had a surprisingly clean criminal record.

Living within Indus, which dreamed of revolution, naturally led to committing crimes, big or small. This was even more so for the leadership.

However, unlike the other members who were all involved in heinous crimes such as murder and assault, Cain had none.

It was hard to believe that she had avoided such things simply because she was a minor, as even her connection to Indus had been cleanly severed.

'It must be Heldre's doing.'

The rumors about Heldre cherishing his granddaughter seemed to be true. Cain might not have participated in any crimes himself, but the fact that the records were completely erased from Indus was astounding.

Therefore, a visit with Cain was conditionally possible. Of course, outsiders didn't know this, and it was up to Warden Esther's judgment, as she had intended to call in the person she would interview directly, but...

'Just how much does he know?'

When they met at the mansion, Frondier said he had led Esther to Constel.

She was still unsure about that statement, but it was clear that Frondier knew more than others.

Perhaps Frondier possessed something that surpassed Esther's specialties of insight and deduction...

"A full-length mirror."

Frondier's meaningful words seemed to interrupt Esther's thoughts.

"It's rare to see a mirror that shows your entire body from head to toe like that."

"...You."

"Just curious."

Frondier smiled as he said that.

Esther looked at the mirror. Naturally, the reflection in the mirror was her own. The doppelganger wouldn't appear in the mirror unless she willed it.

...There shouldn't be anything strange in the mirror.

Why did Frondier bring up the mirror now?

Was it really just curiosity, as he said? Was this also a coincidence?

"...If you want a visit..."

Esther shook her head.

She also had business with Frondier. That's why she had asked him to come to her office.

"Answer my question first."

"What is it?"

When Frondier asked back, Esther took a moment to organize her thoughts.

The conclusion she had reached after much thought and consideration while Frondier was at Constel after leaving the mansion.

"That necklace of yours."

Esther looked at Frondier's necklace.

A simple necklace with a black gem.

'I heard that Frondier created weapons out of thin air.'

And not just one, but all kinds of weapons.

According to recent information from a witness, that method was probably related to that necklace.

"Is that black water inside that necklace?"

"..."

Frondier's answer, which had always been straightforward, finally stopped.

For the first time, Frondier seemed surprised in front of Esther.

At least, that's how it appeared to Esther. That's what she wanted to believe.

Thinking she had cornered him, Esther added another sentence.

"The black lake said to be slumbering within the glacier beyond the north. Is its true identity a 'Fragment of Helheim'?"

This time, it was clear. Frondier's eyes wavered, and his pupils dilated slightly.

Frondier was surprised.

He was genuinely surprised.

Esther continued speaking.

"According to ancient legends, the Fragment of Helheim is located at the northwestern tip, the last point where Helheim remained in reality after being cut off during Ragnarok. It's right above Yeranhes, which is ruled by your family, Frondier de Roach. Did you bring it from there?"

"..."

"Answer me! Frondier!"

Esther shouted forcefully, but Frondier remained speechless.

He was currently overwhelmed by various complex emotions that were difficult to describe.

But those could wait.

For now, Frondier was grateful to Esther.