"Ehem... Excuse me for my earlier behavior, Mila Velerth. How about we start over?"
"S-Sure, that's fine..."
Sitting on one of the sofas, I, Mila Velerth, squirmed in pain. My entire body was marked by the bites of the girl... no, of boss Luna, who had burst into a rage after I called her a child.
Warren, sitting beside me on another sofa, had his hand covering his face. At first, I thought he was doing it out of embarrassment, but upon closer inspection, I realized he was holding back laughter. That Warren... you'll pay for this later.
"Welcome to my lair, Mila Velerth! My name is Luna!" said boss Luna once again, her happy face full of excitement.
"P-Pleased to meet you..." After the sudden attack of bites, I was no longer as excited as before.
"I hope we get along, Mila Velerth! Hehe~"
"S-Sure..."
How can she smile like nothing happened after what just occurred?
Warren clasped his hands in front of his mouth and spoke to boss Luna. "By the way, boss, why did you want to see Mila today? There must be a reason, right?"
"Hum, Hum~!" Luna nodded at Warren's words. "You're absolutely right, Warmonger. Today is a special day because Mila Velerth is a crucial piece of our plan. She will be the key to phase two! Without her help, defeating the villainous Trio Encanto will be impossible."
Phase two?
"B-But boss Luna... this girl?" The one who spoke was Lara, sitting on a wooden crate near boss Luna.
"This girl is weak. I've faced her myself, and with her level, she'll be nothing but a hindrance to our plans. Besides..." Lara added, her voice filled with distress, "the only one you need is me."
Lara... the girl responsible for the mall attack. She was undoubtedly strong. With one of her attacks, she completely destroyed the place with no effort. I couldn't deny her power, but something about her made my blood boil with rage. That day, she endangered the lives of innocent people, including Gris.
Not only that, but she also referred to them as "sacrificial lamb." Her way of speaking reminded me of Katrina. That truly enraged me.
"Boss Luna..." I said, lifting myself slightly from the sofa.
"Huh? What's wrong, Velerth?"
"I'm willing to cooperate to take down the Trio Encanto."
"Huh? Great! I thought I'd have to convince you, Mi—"
"However!" My voice rose slightly, reflecting my anger.
"..."
"I will not tolerate harm to innocent people, as this girl does!" I said, pointing at Lara, who stood with her arms crossed.
"Oh!" Boss Luna covered her mouth with her hand in apparent surprise, looking between Lara and me. Meanwhile, I caught a faint, approving smile from Warren.
"Oh? Do you have a problem with my methods? Then let me give you a lesson." Lara jumped off the crate and approached me, extending her hand, which began to glow.
"Lara, stop!"
"..."
At boss Luna's command, Lara froze instantly, clicking her tongue in frustration as she made a face.
"Please forgive Lara, Mila Velerth. She's a bit... how should I put it? Reckless. Still, her methods, while extreme, are highly effective." As Luna spoke, Lara smirked mockingly at me. I shot her an angry glare, which she held without flinching.
That said, Luna's words were not baseless. The drastic measures the authorities took after the incident showed that Lara was not someone to be underestimated.
"Did you get that, brat? Someone as weak as you can't compare to me."
"Excuse me?" We locked eyes again, both seething with anger, until Lara broke the silence.
"Can't you see the difference between us? Fine, I'll put you in your place, br—"
"Both of you, calm down!" Boss Luna struck the rectangular crate she was using as a table and yelled. Her voice was so loud that I had to cover my ears.
Then, in a more pleasant tone, she continued, "Mila, forgive Lara. The thing is, she's different, you know?"
"Different?"
"Yes. She's not just any sorceress, you see? She's unique and special: the only one capable of using explosives as part of her sorcery. She's a brown-eyed sorceress. Her powers, though unorthodox, make her a significant threat to the Trio Encanto."
"...!"
Now that I think about it, Warren had explained the different types of sorcery to me at the park, and he never mentioned anything about brown-eyed sorcerers or explosive sorcery.
I glanced at Lara again, who gave me a mocking smile, as if she were looking down on me. She was about to speak, but boss Luna quickly interrupted.
"However, Lara," Luna said, addressing her, "you shouldn't underestimate Mila either, you know?"
"Boss Luna? What do you mean?"
"It's simple!" Luna stood up from the sofa. "If it weren't for her, you would be dead right now, Lara."
"What?"
"That's right. The day of the mass robberies, the Trio Encanto couldn't capture you thanks to Mila Velerth. You owe her your life, in a way. That day, Mila Velerth faced Katrina Erlenbaugh head-on and survived."
Lara, with a disturbed and confused expression, looked at me. "T-This girl?"
That Friday, I had nearly lost my life to Katrina Erlenbaugh. On that same day, mass robberies took place in various locations—something I learned from Gris. So it was this girl who caused them.
Still, if Warmonger hadn't intervened that day...
"I know what you're thinking, Mila Velerth. If Warmonger hadn't intervened that day, I'd be dead, right? You're mistaken."
"Huh?" Luna seemed to read my thoughts. When I looked at her again, I noticed a green glow in her eyes.
"Katrina divides her victims into two groups: those she encapsulates in the old building and those she eliminates. Of the latter, no one has ever escaped her blade—not even with Warmonger's intervention... except for you."
"..." Lara, visibly troubled, remained silent, though I could feel her burning gaze on me.
"Now that everyone has calmed down," Luna said, "why don't you explain the plan to Mila, Warmonger?"
"Of course, boss Luna."
In a professional tone, Warren began to explain. "Phase one involves attacking the economic power of the Trio Encanto. It is said that Dasha Vienna controls the finances of warehouses and schools, Leandra Oikonomou dominates the music industry, and Katrina Erlenbaugh oversees science and technology. In this first phase, we'll focus on the weakest of the three: Dasha Vienna."
Luna nodded, clearly pleased with Warren's explanation.
Now that I think about it, that must've been the reason Lara attacked the mall. No wonder Dasha Vienna looked so worried.
I noticed Lara muttering "Dasha Vienna," her lips trembling with overwhelming anger.
"That's phase one, yes," Luna said abruptly. "But our problem was figuring out what to do afterward. We know Dasha Vienna's weakness, but what happens after that? Both Leandra and Katrina remain mysteries to us. How could we move forward with our plan?"
Luna turned to me with a smile, pointing directly at me. "That's where you come in, Mila Velerth! You are the key to everything!"
"M-Me?"
"Exactly! For phase two, you, Mila Velerth, will go on a date with Katrina Erlenbaugh!"
"W-What?!?!"