Chapter 16: One-Man Army

The King's Path (2)

『Now, hurry up and offer your blood to this body.』

"Don't rush me. I'll give it to you."

Comet returned to her room and compiled the information on the blockers and relays into a report. She added statistics she had obtained by using Blood Arts several times on her way back, making it quite presentable.

She printed the report and went to the Committee. The Committee still looked busy. She glanced into the semi-transparent Chairwoman's office and saw the Chairwoman holding her forehead, deep in thought. Understandable, since the government's future looked bleak.

Comet knocked on the door and entered when she heard a response.

"Comet? What's the matter?"

The Chairwoman looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"Do you need something?"

"If you ask that first, it makes it sound like I only come to you when I need something."

The Chairwoman chuckled.

"Is there ever a time when you don't?"

Comet scratched her cheek.

"I guess not. But that's not why I'm here today. Would you like to take a look at this?"

"What is this?"

When the report was handed over, the Chairwoman began reading it with a nonchalant attitude. But as she grasped the contents, her smile disappeared and her expression hardened.

"I'm giving it to you as a gift since I'm always imposing on you."

The Chairwoman quickly scanned the report and stared intently at the statistical data.

"……Source?"

"An alien."

『Hmm? Is she talking about this body?』

Comet took out the soul orb containing the Princess of Blood and Shadow and handed it to the Chairwoman.

"I went around collecting souls after this rift incident, and I obtained the soul of a non-human intelligent being."

The Chairwoman accepted the soul orb and examined it closely. Since she wasn't a Necromancer, she couldn't hear the Princess of Blood and Shadow's voice or sense her presence, but she seemed to be pondering the report.

『What is this rude gaze?』

The Princess of Blood and Shadow asked in a dazed voice.

"Since she's from a multiverse, I figured there could be intelligent beings, but she taught me magic from a school I've never heard of before."

The Chairwoman reviewed the report again.

"If she just taught me magic, it wouldn't be a big deal, but she spoke with specific situations in mind, so I compiled it into a report and brought it to you."

The Chairwoman nodded and took out the Soul Compactor that Comet had borrowed and returned once before.

『Wait! You don't mean…….』

The soul orb was placed in the center of the Soul Compactor.

『Is she selling this body off!』

"We don't usually call handing over an invader to the government 'selling off'."

"You seem to have become friendly with this alien?"

"Yes. I've grown a little fond of her. She's kind of cute. Since you can't hear her voice anyway, should I do it?"

"……Please."

Comet grabbed the handle of the Soul Compactor. Turning the handle would increase the pressure of the machine and compress the soul.

『Wait, wait, wait!』

The Princess of Blood and Shadow had already experienced it.

"If you tell us what you know, it'll be over without any pain."

『Does she have no heart!』

"That's that, and this is this."

The handle turned.

『Kghaaaa! Why without even asking……!』

"Oops. I forgot. I'm not experienced in these national interrogations, so just a moment."

『Kghaaaaa! You son of a bitch!』

The Princess of Blood and Shadow resisted, and sparks flew from the soul orb. Comet pondered what to ask and glanced at the Chairwoman.

"What should I ask?"

『Ugh……!』

"……It's better to release the pressure first."

The handle returned to its original position.

The Princess of Blood and Shadow gasped.

『……I will not forget this humiliation!』

"That's a relief. It means your memories will come back when you see the compactor. There will be less trouble the second time."

『You damned, you crazy……!』

The Chairwoman cleared her throat and interrupted the conversation. Then she looked at the soul orb and said,

"Please introduce yourself first."

『Hmph. Like commoners who don't know etiquette. This body is the Princess of Blood and Shadow! Worship me!』

"She says she's the Princess of Blood and Shadow."

"What is your specific name?"

『None of your business! Base commoner!』

"She says it's none of our business."

The Chairwoman tapped the desk and pondered, then gestured to Comet. Comet grabbed the handle of the Soul Compactor and turned it.

『Wait, wait! Kghaaaa!』

Time passed. The Princess of Blood and Shadow screamed and suffered, but she rejected every question. As the clock hand moved once, the Chairwoman let out a hollow laugh.

The handle returned to its original position.

『Like inferior humans! Don't you know that torture is an inferior method that reduces the accuracy of information and eliminates the possibility of persuasion!』

"Was this a device that could withstand the soul state? It's not broken……. How odd."

The Chairwoman examined the Soul Compactor.

"She's just a Princess of Blood and Shadow with unnecessarily great mental strength. As a Necromancer, I would add that if a soul can withstand this much, it can continue to withstand it."

『Hmph!』

The Princess of Blood and Shadow snorted in a much healthier voice.

The Chairwoman nodded and put the Soul Compactor back in. Then she handed the Princess of Blood and Shadow's soul orb to Comet.

"It's a pity that the additional income isn't great. Take good care of this alien. Let me know if there's anything."

"I will."

The Chairwoman reviewed the report again and chuckled.

"Comet!"

"Yes?"

Comet was suddenly hugged tightly.

"I knew you'd do something!"

"Really?"

Comet hugged her back.

"That's right! My judgment was right after all!"

The Chairwoman subtly praised herself and spun around with Comet in her arms.

"Those who said this and that about you will now shut their mouths. Hahaha!"

There seemed to have been a conflict of opinion among the government's high-ranking officials regarding giving Comet special treatment.

The Chairwoman was in a really good mood, ignoring Comet's movements to be let down and continuing to spin around. It was difficult for Comet to imagine what the person in charge of protecting the collapsing government would feel when they found a breakthrough, so she just stayed still.

The Chairwoman, who had calmed down to some extent, put Comet down and took the report.

"I'll have to discuss it with the military, but we won't be able to start an operation to destroy the relays and blockers right away. We need time to reorganize the existing operations."

"I see."

Comet knew what the Chairwoman was going to say next, so she waited quietly.

Looking at Comet, the Chairwoman smiled meaningfully and hugged Comet again, patting her on the back.

"You've done really well! I'm going to be busy from now on, so I'll be going."

The Chairwoman grabbed the doorknob and turned it, then stopped and looked back.

"Oh, right. Since you're here, why don't you go see Officer Dan? I think she had something to say."

The Chairwoman left those words and disappeared quickly. Comet blinked and scratched her cheek. She thought she would be asked to participate in the operation, but she wasn't.

Comet looked around the empty Chairwoman's office for no reason and came out. As the Chairwoman said, she went to Dan Ga-yeon's seat and saw Dan Ga-yeon, who looked very busy with paperwork. Comet hesitated and tapped Dan Ga-yeon's shoulder with her finger.

"Are you busy?"

"Yes? Oh, Comet-nim. No, Comet. What's up?"

"I heard you had something to say to me."

"Huh?"

Dan Ga-yeon blinked.

"I don't……?"

"Really?"

"Who did you hear that from?"

Dan Ga-yeon's eyebrow furrowed, annoyed at the target who had played such a prank or made a mistake in the midst of her busy schedule.

"The Chairwoman."

The eyebrow returned to its original flat state.

"T, the Chairwoman-nim? Just a moment. Did I miss something? I don't think so."

Dan Ga-yeon rummaged through the documents for no reason and pondered. Then she put down the document she had just picked up and paused.

"Wait, could it be? Could it be because of that?"

Dan Ga-yeon glanced at Comet. She guessed what the Chairwoman was talking about, but she seemed hesitant to tell her.

"If not, I'll ask the Chairwoman-nim later."

"No, no. I think I just remembered."

Dan Ga-yeon said urgently.

"So……."

Dan Ga-yeon hesitated for no reason and continued slowly.

"So, you know how we tracked down the Necromancer because of the convenience store murder case last time?"

"Yes, Officer Dan, your handling of the situation was cute back then."

Comet smiled brightly.

Dan Ga-yeon was stunned.

"T, anyway! So, we waited at the back gate of the looters' base with the cooperation of the police, right? We ran into a Ranker looter and just let him go, but he broke through the police cordon and escaped. But this time, the Ranker was caught during the rift incident."

Comet thought back carefully. Come to think of it, there was a Ranker who introduced himself as the guild leader of one of the many guilds that went to kill Comet during the Imperial Execution Order. Maybe he was the boss of the fleeing looters?

"How did he get caught?"

"The suspect we were chasing, the Necromancer, was the cause."

Dan Ga-yeon hesitated for no reason at the word "suspect." She seemed reluctant to say it in front of the real culprit.

"The Necromancer was a subordinate of the Ranker, but he betrayed him during this rift incident and annihilated the looter group he belonged to. The Ranker was injured in the process and fainted, and was arrested by the police who came to clean up the scene."

"Oh……."

That was like a Necromancer. With plenty of souls due to the rift incident, it was understandable that he would want to get rid of the troublesome surroundings and become free.

"That's interesting. And?"

"……That's the end."

Comet blinked.

"It was interesting."

"Right? But I don't think that's what the Chairwoman-nim wanted."

"Should we go meet that captured Ranker?"

"Do you want to? I'll take you there. Just let me finish up."

"Are you sure it's okay to give me a tour when you're busy?"

"No, I'm not okay. But I can't just ignore what the Chairwoman wants..."

Dan Ga-yeon muttered, criticizing the Chairwoman. Comet pretended not to hear and busied herself with something else.

Following Dan Ga-yeon's guidance, they arrived and were able to speak with the Ranker in a straitjacket. The burly man, restrained, stared at Comet on the other side.

"We meet again, Comet."

He was quite composed. The government's treatment must not have been too bad.

"Indeed."

"What brings you here?"

"I wonder."

Comet scratched her cheek.

The conversation stalled. Comet had come without a real reason, and the Ranker had been unexpectedly greeted by a visitor, so it was an unavoidable situation.

The silence was broken when the Ranker spoke first.

"Have you heard how I was captured?"

"Yes. It was a result befitting a Necromancer."

The Ranker frowned. The sound of grinding teeth could be heard.

"Yes. That bastard betrayed me."

"You shouldn't use Necromancers as subordinates in the first place. The Chairwoman doesn't even include Necromancers in the Committee. You were too brave."

The Ranker gritted his teeth and strained his muscles. The straitjacket twisted and turned. Whether it was due to alchemical treatment, the straitjacket held up perfectly. Comet quietly examined the straitjacket.

"Did you come to mock me?"

"No. It's not that, but I just came. Is there anything you want to say?"

The Ranker suppressed his anger, hesitated, and then spoke.

"Are you perhaps planning to kill the Necromancer who used to be my subordinate?"

Comet twirled a strand of hair beside her ear.

"Yes. What Necromancer wouldn't want that?"

If you study Necromancy, you can hear a good maxim.

The fastest way to achieve great accomplishments is through killing, or so the saying goes.

To elaborate, it refers to the case of killing another Necromancer. Many Necromancers misinterpret the maxim, but that's the basic principle. It was obvious. Once you kill, you can easily take the achievements of others.

"That's good."

The Ranker leaned forward and quietly opened his mouth.

"I know the location of that bastard's hideout. A place the government doesn't know about yet."

Comet wondered if the Chairwoman had considered this far, but regardless, it seemed like she had something to do.

"That's tempting. Could you tell me which branch of Necromancy that Necromancer specializes in?"

If it's a close combat build, she'll get the soul, but it would be a great disappointment.

"I don't know much about that, but he used strong souls to attack. The souls were visible to the eye."

So, he must have created a spiritual chimera or something. The specifics might be different, but one thing is certain. It's a small elite build.

"Great. I'll avenge you. Tell me the location."

Comet felt happy and hummed.

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