The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 88

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 88

“What are you saying, you would have thought of it quickly too. If I had even half of half the skill you showed cleaning up the Kraken incident, this much would be nothing.”

When she snorted and retorted, he shook his head.

“That’s a different kind of thing. Did you forget why we prioritized your orders during combat? Pouring out insane ideas at lightning speed in the field is your specialty.”

“Is that a compliment? Insane ideas.”

“Suggesting we set fire to a garden that our senior has lovingly cultivated with a lifetime’s dream—that’s not an insane idea?”

“…Let’s set it in a place that causes the least damage to the plants. There was a plaza-like area here, the Botanical Hall? That would be good.”

They immediately moved while discussing specific tactics. They could constantly sense presences moving around the Garden, but proceeded in directions to avoid encountering them as much as possible.

“There are many duplicates transformed into forms other than Lindsey. Clerks, gatekeepers, even Tritoma special operatives…”

“Rita, the clerks and gatekeepers here are all Tritoma members too.”

“What? Then the Oath-Bound Defense Force got taken down by the Doppelganger this badly? It looks like at least five or six were captured. Gid, did you train your people carelessly?”

“How are kids who’ve never seen a named monster supposed to handle a Doppelganger? Did you forget that even the old Last Defense Line Command got completely wiped out in less than a day?”

“Ah… that’s true. Of all things, a Doppelganger.”

“Still, it’s true they lack real combat training. It would be really nice if someone could help. Like a talented individual from Beacon’s Matan, who’s famous for being good at working new recruits hard and even got requests from Command.”

“I’ll help after the Duke approach operation ends. By the way, it’s awkward to keep openly calling our operation target by name, so we should give the Duke a code name.”

“How about Idiot.”

“That’s a bit much.”

“Show-off, Disgusting Showman, Trash Clown, Peacock Brain, Opera Lunatic.”

“…Let’s just call him Actor. Gid, you really hate the Duke. Well, from your position, it’s natural to dislike him.”

“Wait, what does that mean? Rita, are you saying you don’t dislike that bastard?”

“I don’t feel great about him, but compared to the old Command demons or those trash high-ranking city officials, shh.”

Between the tall trees, metal tables and a coffee stall came into view.

Botanical Hall.

The circular plaza that had been full of well-dressed customers under bright magical lights when they first saw it was now shrouded in darkness with only moonlight streaming down. Two shadows wandered around inside. A man and woman in clerk uniforms.

“Are they people, or duplicates?”

“We don’t have an original to play spot-the-difference with, so we’ll have to catch them and test.”

Gid stepped forward in response to Rita’s question that sounded like she was talking to herself. When Rita tried to follow, he shook his head.

“I’ll do it this time. Wait.”

As she stopped at the entrance, he sheathed his sword and entered the plaza barehanded.

The clerks approached him with friendly smiles. Gid smiled skillfully and shook hands with the male clerk, then immediately swung his opposite hand to crush its head with his bare hand. Transparent jelly-like substance splattered in all directions as it was crushed.

‘He checked if it was contaminated with Oaths. Direct contact with contamination could be dangerous… Well, if it’s Gid, he’ll be fine.’

Next, he grabbed the mouth of the woman who was screaming like a human, paused for a moment, then activated his Oaths.

Something like black heat shimmer rose up, and the female clerk’s head turned transparent in his hand and began bubbling. It soon turned to liquid and flowed down.

Rita, who had been waiting with explosive rounds loaded, was startled by the sight. She asked the returning Gid, who was brushing off his hands, in confusion.

“How did you just do that? You’re an Augmentation type.”

Augmentation Pact Holders can overwhelmingly strengthen their bodies like knights who use Oaths and display tremendous cutting and destructive power, but they cannot perform attacks with special properties like freezing or applying heat. That kind of thing is the specialty of Fabrication Pact Holders like Lillieta and Olivia.

While crushing and fragmenting duplicates to subdue them is possible with overwhelming brute strength, liquefying them by applying heat should be impossible.

“It’s similar to how you imitate Augmentation types.”

Gid answered calmly. Rita frowned.

“No, while you can imitate other types to some extent, what you just did is as impossible as me, a Fabrication type, coating a sword with Oaths.”

“Hmm… doing all sorts of things made all sorts of things possible.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Wait a moment.”

He suddenly lifted her up like a doll and sat her on a table. Rita blinked in bewilderment.

“What are you doing?”

“Wait here for a moment.”

Leaving her behind, he headed toward the coffee stall and looked around inside it, then moved to a small makeshift warehouse next to it. It seemed to be for storing cafe supplies.

He broke the lock on the makeshift warehouse with his bare hands and rummaged inside, soon emerging with a boot. It was an oiled leather boot that looked like what staff wore for work.

Returning with the boot, he knelt down below her as she sat on the table and gently grasped her foot.

“Gid?”

When the flustered Rita reflexively tried to pull her foot back, he held it simply and said.

“Your shoes are uncomfortable.”

“No, this much is fine.”

“Who was it that threw off her shoes on the deck and ran around barefoot, making her feet covered in wounds?”

Gid forcibly removed her shoes and examined her feet, clicking his tongue briefly.

“You already have blisters.”

“It’s because I lack calluses.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“What’s this little thing.”

“Right.”

He laughed as if deflated, then took out a handkerchief, wrapped and tied it around her heel area, and put the work leather boots on her.

Lillieta watched the scene with a strange feeling.

Seeing her foot held comfortably in his hands in the dim moonlight felt odd. Her eyes were strangely drawn to the tendons standing out on the back of his hands as he tied the handkerchief.

‘Maybe it’s because Gid’s hands are a little different from what I knew. It’s bothering me for no reason.’

It wasn’t like similar things had never happened before, but it felt unfamiliar because they weren’t Gid’s familiar rough hands.

A man’s hands that were smooth and elongated without scars or calluses, looking like elegant sculptures.

While she watched in a daze, Gid lifted her other foot and untied his cravat to wrap it, saying as if complaining.

“It seems like every time I meet you, I lose my cravat.”

“I didn’t take it, you gave it on your own.”

“So you won’t return it?”

“I said I’d return it. I’ll wash them all and return them during the Frontier Festival.”

“Really? I’ll be waiting and believing in you, Rita. I’ll be hurt if you don’t come.”

Speaking cheekily while finishing putting on the leather boots, he stood up and extended his hand to her.

“Want to try walking now?”

When she obediently took his hand and got down from the table, his eyes became very gentle.

“How is it?”

“…It’s definitely comfortable. Thank you.”

“Good.”

He smiled with his eyes curving. The golden eyes reflecting her rippled like honey.

Feeling somehow ticklish, Rita immediately pulled her hand away from his and turned her attention to the wooden coffee stalls.

“It would be good to set fire there. Burning the stalls would be better for Senior Is’s mental health than burning plants.”

“Should we gather them all in the center?”

“Yeah, that would be better to prevent it from spreading to the trees.”

Without her needing to move, Gid instantly carried and moved the stalls, stacking them in the center. Then he even brought out oil from the staff storage and poured it generously.

Once they set the fire, they would need to move urgently. They did a final check of their operation, then stepped back slightly.

Rita aimed Silvergrass at the stacked wooden stalls. The butterfly pattern glinted through the gaps between her fingers gripping the handle.

[Question: Shall I cast enhancement magic on the user’s body now?]

‘No, rapid magic has a short duration. Use it right before combat.’

[Learning: Understood.]

She pulled the trigger.

Bang, with a loud explosion, the fired explosive round hit the stalls and burst into huge flames. The explosion that occurred in the oil-soaked pile of wood soon became fierce flames that shot up to the glass ceiling. The surroundings became as bright as midday in an instant.

Clang— Clang— Clang—!

Suddenly, metallic sounds rang out loudly. It seemed like fire detection alarm magic had activated. Then a bluish magic circle appeared on the glass ceiling, and storm clouds formed beneath it.

‘I’m seeing rain clouds indoors. Is this Oli’s handiwork?’

The clouds that had been swirling gray soon began pouring down merciless torrents. Along with the sound of pouring rain, countless footsteps came rushing in.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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