The coin has been in tails for days now.
Crack ---! Crack ---!
"Hey! Is the mechanism broken?"
"That shouldn't be. The mana blocker should be embedded on each brick."
Crack ---!
'I knew it was useless!'
"Ack!"
"Get off me!"
Not just for Eli but for the other kids, too, the punishment for being caught was slightly reduced with the dark-haired boy, who was the sturdiest, protecting them. That goes for Eli, who was the smallest. It was no wonder the kid almost died before.
As he guessed that escape was futile, just when they were making one turn towards the exit, they were surrounded by more than a dozen of the enemy, led by Villagers A and B, who were both cruel despite their outward appearances. Eli's faith in humanity plummeted just like that.
Of course, the scale of faith has tilted for the better a tiny bit due to the actions of the young master, who was keen to protect them.
"But what about the shackles? Shouldn't it work?"
"Yes, it's still working. Either he recovered a little or we didn't hit him hard enough."
"Whatever. Just knock them out. We've got to get going."
"Huh? Why?"
They were forced to move early, or they might be caught up in dangerous circumstances.
"The Silver Legion, together with people from the Blue, White, and Gold Orders, were sighted at the Red Road."
"Damn it, that quick?"
"Yes, let's get moving now so we can still lose them on the plains."
On the old man's signal, a subordinate approached and handed him a box. From it, the old man took out an orb the size of an average man's knuckle and grimaced as if it were something nasty.
"Tsk."
'That ---!'
It was an object Eli—no, Argus—had seen in Lohiya.
'They have connections either with the elves or the children of Magoria.'
These are the only groups highly involved in alchemy.
However, it wasn't certain, as it may also be a stolen item.
The orb is a product of the synthesis of crystal X when submerged in liquid Y, both materials Argus knows nothing about. But he was sure it came up with one theoretical class as an object they should avoid.
The old man approached one of the kids, who looked at him with a scared face. The orb lightened up upon contact with the boy's skin, and not too long after, the kid lost his consciousness.
It was an orb that drained the mana reserve.
"No!"
"Young master!"
Crack ---!
"You troublesome, little sh*ts —"
A commotion ensued between the two groups, with the dark-haired boy resisting the approach of the man with the dangerous object, the continuous whipping of the crazed old woman, and the loud crying of the remaining young masters.
"Darn it! This kid never learns!"
"Lucian!"
Thud!
"Ahhh!"
The old man grabbed the golden-haired kid by the ankle. Eventually the struggles were for naught as the Villager duo continued to attack them. Only Eli and the dark-haired boy were left when the dust had settled, but the latter endured most of the violence.
"Hey..."
"It's Max. Don't worry, mm? My father will definitely come to find us; we just need to put up with it for a while."
Eli was about to tell the kid to stop his useless effort for the meantime, but he was given words of comfort: Max is a good kid.
It took quite some time before they were able to knock Max unconscious.
"Damn it, how persistent! Surely, he is that man's son."
Seeing that Eli wasn't resisting, the old man was given a little leeway to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves, and Eli noticed the old skin that seemed to have melted but then reverted shortly.
'Whoa, an ability to disguise? How convenient.'
His eyes shone with the information that seemed to never end.
"Hah! Let's go now."
The orb was finally held towards Eli; he was somewhat curious what it would be like.
The cold orb touched his arm.
'Huh?'
"Hmm?"
There was no reaction. Neither Eli felt anything nor did the orb lighten up, which should have indicated it had absorbed his mana.
"What's with this...?"
Realizing that nothing seemed to be happening, Eli, no, Argus, employed his acting ability honed by many years of experience and pretended to faint.
Thud.
"Huh?"
"What's the matter?"
"The orb didn't light up."
"The kid passed out, though? But hey, that's dangerous; do you think it's full?"
The mana drained by the orb cannot be reabsorbed by anyone; instead, these balls, when full, may be used as bombs.
"Right, it's best to be careful."
A subordinate yet again came close with the box, and the old man secured the orb.
"Tie the kids and throw them in the wagon. We'll get going in a short while."
"Yes, sir!"
"It's disturbing. Whip that kid again."
Crack ---! Crack ---!
Eli was lashed several times. Nevertheless, the kid's lack of reaction erased the old man's uneasiness.
"That's enough. Let's go."
Meanwhile, Eli, who was just feinting unconsciousness, was cursing in every language he knows. It took every bit of control in his body to not show any hint of being hurt to avoid further interrogation.
He was terribly confused himself.
'What's wrong with this body?!'
For Renaris, once a kid passed his tenth name day, they could be dedicated to the temple, and they'd receive their blessing, which was their innate talent. However, mana is different.
Mana is in everything. Every creature has mana. Of course, there's a difference in how much mana one could attract or absorb. Even so, every person has mana from birth.
But Eli didn't feel even a tiny sliver of mana coming out of his system.
'How?'
There were missions to fulfill, information to dig up, and mysteries to solve, but Eli only got one body.
'Let's just think about it later.'
He decided to focus on what was before him.
The bonus thing about being a fairly good actor was that the vigilance against him was significantly reduced.
He was carried like a sack over one man's shoulder, and Eli hid his eyes behind his hanging arms. Their heads weren't covered in sacks anymore.
Eli was able to see the layout of the place where they were held before they were mercilessly thrown into a carriage.
"Where's the boss?"
"He took off when the news about the Legions arrived; he left the plan of action to us."
"So what now?"
"I've contacted a few of our men from the town; several wagons would leave by tonight and scatter at the Lumos Plains. I hope that'll be enough to throw the knights off the scent."
Eli and the others were crammed at the front end of a huge wagon, in a hidden compartment covered up by the bleating sheep and goats.
Thankfully, Villagers A and B sat at the coach box, which gave Eli breathing space to sort out what he learned.
How the syndicate basically operates, how they exchange information, the landmarks to determine the hideouts between Nina and Temani, the abandoned chapel at Nina, the thing about the plagues and disciples, and rough guesses of the levels and abilities of the people he encountered—these are the few pieces of knowledge Eli acquired somehow.
'I think I've got enough for now.'
The Lumos Plains, an unclaimed land east of the Duchy of Illana, is a great plain the size of three regular counties. The vast and barren land was home to wild beasts and mutants. Moreover, the entire plain extends along the Crimson Mountains, where dangerous beast-type otherworlder tribes reside.
'If I'll be dragged toward who knows where, I don't know when I'll be able to return.'
It was important to do things phase by phase.
Additionally, Eli thought the information he got from his excursion was already a sufficient teaser to build some trust.
Being able to familiarize himself with the noble children is also a plus.
Just in time, the eyelids of the dark-haired boy, Max, twitched, indicating he was about to wake up. Eli expected that he would be the first to do so.
***
Like how it was inside the prison room, for some reason, Max felt the mana gradually filling up his core. That was despite the cold chains that were still around his ankles and wrists, which supposedly blocked any forms of attraction.
Max resembled his father in how he was built, like a paladin. As with most of the people in Lysargia, the mana that he attracts is absorbed into his core for circulation and augmentation.
The strange orb has drained his mana reserve, and the chain-like artifacts prevent it from attracting and absorbing. It was a stroke of luck that both are malfunctioning.
Max slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw were a pair of light gray orbs staring straight at him. Though he was surprised by the distance between their faces, which was a hand's span away, he was able to control himself from making a sound.
The other kid made an almost audible hiss.
"Quiet."
He whispered in a way that Max could barely hear.
"We can't talk for long, it'll be difficult if they notice."
Max nodded once.
"Let's talk this way."
The imperial language is a simple language with only 47 letters.
Cleverly, the kid, who introduced himself as Eli, taught him a simple way for them to communicate by using their fingertips. It was meant to go unnoticed.
[Let's make a run for it.]
They only got two people as enemies, unlike earlier.
[Cooperate with me.]
Eli's look at Max full of confidence that they'll certainly find a way.
For some strange reason, Max found it easy to trust Eli.
[Alright.]
Right then, the first solid link that would last a lifetime was built.