"Die, Barthomeloi, El-Melloi!!!"
Amid Gertler's maniacal laughter, the mana fluctuations at the mana node reached their peak, and this "mana volcano" finally erupted.
Terrifying mana surged out from underground, the sheer amount of mana directly searing Shinji and Lorelei's magic circuits, and this was just the weakened aftermath after passing through the workshop's barriers.
Under the relentless mana onslaught, the sturdy underground workshop began to deform. The original area of around 50 square meters was gradually being compressed.
As the area was being devoured, the walls and bounded field of the workshop did not develop any cracks, but instead became thicker and more reinforced due to the compression of mana.
"The compression technique of solids and liquids was the thesis Lord Kenneth presented when he ascended to the 'Brand rank'. Under such a technique, you will be compressed into mush, hahaha."
"What should we do? What should we do?"
Gertler's arrogant attitude did not perturb Lorelei's composure. As the heir of the Barthomeloi and the most noble of the Clock Tower, her pride ran deep in her bones and would not waver from the ravings of a madman.
What troubled her was the dire situation. The outer wall of the workshop was far more resilient than expected, and with only a whip and a few defensive mystic codes, the only hope of breaking through the predicament lay in the great magecraft secretly guarded by the Barthomeloi. But she had not yet fully mastered this magecraft, and the success rate of activating it was low. If it failed, then all would be lost.
Should she take the gamble, or—
Lorelei unconsciously bit her left thumb, a small habit of hers whenever she faced a difficult decision.
At that moment, she noticed the man whose face was covered by the cloak standing still, unmoving.
"Hey, don't just stand there dumbfounded, think of something quickly."
Shinji opened his eyes at her words and channeled the Mystic Eye Petrification.
"Fervor, meisanguis. (Boil, my blood)"
The mercury film spread on the ground and converged around Shinji as the center, forming a spherical mercury shell enveloping the two of them.
He was not spacing out or pretending to do nothing but was using the Mystic Eye Petrification to detect the flow and distribution of mana, hoping to find some clues.
Unfortunately, he could not find any clues, but did locate the position of the surveillance and eavesdropping spells, so he used the Mercury to encase himself and Lorelei, blocking the eyes on the ceiling and the ears on the ground.
Seeing Shinji's actions, a hint of joy appeared on Lorelei's face, and she lowered her voice to ask, "Do you have a plan?"
Shinji nodded, then shook his head.
"So do you have one or not? Speak up." Lorelei was starting to get anxious. Though she couldn't see, she could feel the pressure closing in.
"I do have one." Shinji sighed, deactivating the one-way sound barrier of the cloak. "But..."
"But what?"
"I don't want to use it in front of you."
"Eh?" Lorelei thought she had misheard. "What did you just say..."
"I said, I don't want you to see my trump card, understand? Lady Barthomeloi." Shinji, whose actions had been repeatedly obstructed, had already built up a lot of dissatisfaction, and his tone now carried some anger.
Lorelei's expression darkened, not because of Shinji's tone, but because -
"I have not yet inherited the Barthomeloi name, so I don't have the right to use that title."
The family name of the Clock Tower nobility held a sacred and special meaning - only the current head of the family could address others directly by the family name. Gertler could call her the "Lady Barthomeloi", but Shinji's "Lady Barthomeloi" was unacceptable.
"And now that things have developed to this point, dwelling on these formalities is meaningless. I can swear on the honor of the Barthomeloi that I will not reveal anything I see to anyone."
"I do not believe in the oaths of magi, especially those of the Barthomeloi family." Shinji remained unmoved.
"You-" Lorelei was trembling with anger, "Apologize immediately, this is an insult to the Barthomeloi!"
"Is it an insult?" Shinji shrugged. "If I remember correctly, the Barthomeloi family presides over the special Department of Law and Politics in the Thirteen Department."
The Department of Law and Politics, the only one of its kind in the Clock Tower, had no direct connection to the Mysteries. It was a department that used the magecraft and power of the Clock Tower to intervene in the real world or to adjust the internal balance of the Clock Tower - a profane but indispensable group. It was not a place to study law and politics, but a functional department that ignored the magi's innate drive to seek the "Root", existing solely for the stability and development of the Clock Tower, fundamentally a heretical faction.
"Of course." Lorelei held her head high, for this concerned her family's honor, and she had to argue forcefully. "The Department of Law and Politics represents law and order, and what we say and do is the same. You should not have doubts about us."
Shinji chuckled. "Listen to the name of your department - Law and Politics. Is not political maneuvering a normal part of it? I did not intend to insult the Barthomeloi, and I am willing to apologize for that, but I will not change my view of the Department of Law and Politics and its ruling family, because that is a well-known fact. Can you honestly say the Barthomeloi have never done anything unsavory?"
"I..."
Lorelei was at a loss for words. She knew Shinji was telling the truth - to maintain the stability and development of the Clock Tower, Barthomeloi's methods were indeed less than honorable, and few of the other Twelve Departments were willing to be associated with the Department of Law and Politics. But she was unwilling to admit this out loud.
"I'm serious. Alright, tell me what you want me to do."
The obstinate way she bit her lip and the stubborn glint in her eye at the corners reminded Shinji of the most widely recognized title of this young lady - the "Solitary Queen."
Solitary: lonely, haughty, destined to not fit in with the crowd. Perhaps this unconventional young lady is truly different from others, which is why she can grow to become one of the strongest of humans.
"You have two options: sign the 'contract of geis' or lose consciousness."
Either one is an extremely unreasonable demand. The "contract of geis" is the strictest form of constraint, representing absolute distrust between magi. And losing consciousness means Lorelei will completely lose her autonomy - if Shinji harbors ill intentions toward her, she will be left in a position of absolute passivity.
"What if I don't agree to either?" Lorelei bit her finger again.
"I will knock you unconscious and take you away." As he spoke, the lightning of Indra flashed along the mercury membrane, like golden snakes - this mercury membrane had more than one purpose.
"I see, I don't have any parchment to write the document on." Lorelei lowered her hands and closed her eyes in resignation. Her meaning was clear - she had chosen the second option, to let Shinji knock her out.
This time it was Shinji's turn to think he had heard wrong: "You trust me that much?"
"I do, because you don't want to die, and you don't want to destroy the relationship between Barthomeloi and El-Melloi."
Not wanting to die means Shinji will break through this workshop.
Not wanting to destroy the relationship between the two families means Shinji won't do anything to Lorelei.
"Such guts, such spirit, worthy of the future Queen."
These were the last words Lorelei heard before she felt a numbness at the back of her neck and lost consciousness.
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