ALL NOVEL Chapter 248: Mission Start (3)
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Mira had thought of something she could do as an extra precaution while listening to the detective. So she took a step back and opened her Item Box.
『Was it… this one?』
Mira asked that to someone far away, and she replied. 『Yes, that’s the right one.』
That was Martel, helping Mira identify one of the many special fruits she had made for Mira before, and which were kept in the Item Box. The fruit was purple and slightly translucent, and it was more than just some food, as it was actually an edible stimulant with a superior effect.
Mira had decided to eat it, anticipating a possible fight against Fuzzy Dice. Her stomach was already filled with bavarois, but Martel’s special fruit did not seem to add any load, and it was so tasty she ate it really quickly.
(These fruits really are something else!)
Martel had explained that the fruit would increase the power of Mira’s abilities across the board, while also granting her a large boost in resistance to magic, making it a really good stimulant to take before confronting someone like Fuzzy Dice that mostly relied on status effects through magic. But that latter part of its effect came at a cost to the boost in power compared to the other fruits Martel made.
Martel had also warned Mira that eating multiple of those fruits at once would upset her stomach, so that was something else to keep in mind.
With all her preparations done, Mira waited next to Nina and her sisters, Lock-On M-Type in hand. By then, the sisters had gotten the hang of the fans’ behavior, and looked just as excited while cheering.(They really are impressive actors, I wouldn’t be able to tell if I didn’t know.)
Mira watched the three, very impressed by the way they were acting. But at the same time, she could see how she herself stood out like a sore thumb, as everyone else was cheering wildly while she remained still. She had no confidence at all in acting, and knew that she would only stand out more if she made a bad attempt.
So they went as planned, with Mira lowering her stance and squishing between Nina and Mina so that no one could see her. That position was reminiscent of someone trying to grope girls in a crowded festival, but as Mira looked like a girl now, no one would question her at first glance, and would just assume she was a shy girl.
(Ah, it smells so nice here.)
But her mind was still irredeemably rotten. After Mira got in place, Nina spread her white cloak, covering Mira with it. That completely concealed Mira’s small body, and she became essentially invisible.
「Good good, I have a clear view from here.」
Mira was in a good mood, being able to stand so closely to two girls, but she did not forget her mission. She aimed the sights of the device onto the Union’s balcony, as that was where her target would appear, and waited in silence. It was almost like she was a sniper.
A short moment after everything was in place, the crowd on the streets suddenly became much louder than it had been through the entire day. Fuzzy Dice had finally arrived.
Their clamor was rather excessive, with cheers and cries and shouts all mixed together, almost like they were competing to be the loudest.
「Ah, he’s here! Fuzzy Dice I love youuu!!」
「Please steal all of me toooo!!」
「FUZZY DI×△◇〇△△×□!!」
Then there were three loud voices next to Mira too. They were Nina and her sisters, who had quickly started matching the crowd’s reaction. They repeated the shouts they heard the most from the crowd, as well as some incomprehensible shrill cries. Overall, their reaction was so perfect that it was impossible to tell they were not real fans.
The voices in the crowd spread like a wave across them, and as if carried by that wave, Fuzzy Dice ran along the rooftops above them.
Just seeing him sent the fans into a frenzy, and even though Mira and the sisters were standing in a balcony that stood out from the crowd, their act made them blend in without issue.
「He’s identical to his design on the card.」
Mira peeked out from Nina’s cloak and saw Fuzzy Dice’s figure, muttering that in reaction. She had seen Fuzzy Dice’s picture before in the trading card game Legend of Astelia. His depiction there was identical to how he looked in life, so Mira could be certain that this was Fuzzy Dice.
Bathed in the cheers of his fans, Fuzzy Dice hopped off the rooftops to land on the Spellcasters’ Union’s balcony. Mira quickly looked into the scope of Lock-On M-Type and centered the crosshair on him.
(I guess there’s no chance I’ll get a peek at his face.)
If she could see his face, she would be able to use Examine, and if she had his name, it would not matter if he managed to run away. At the same time, if he happened to be a former player, then that would make it easier to approach him and make him reply favorably. But the mask was flush with his face, leaving no gap even while moving.
Fuzzy Dice looked around carefully and got ready to enter the Union, while Mira held her breath as she waited for him to stand still.
The device she held could not be activated rapidly in succession. Once triggered, it needed ten seconds to recharge. So she only had one shot. The ideal result was for things to go as the detective had planned, as he claimed he had done something in the balcony to buy time for Mira.
And whatever it was, the detective was confident it would work.
(Any moment now…)
Fuzzy Dice waved lightly at the crowd in response to their cheering, and then turned to face the door. He was moments away from opening it and vanishing inside. Mira kept the crosshair in place, waiting to see what would happen. For some reason, rather than opening the door, Fuzzy Dice squatted down.
(Now!)
The detective’s ploy had worked, making Fuzzy Dice squat down and remain still for a moment, and Mira knew it was time to pull the trigger. There was no sound or light. Lock-On M-Type worked completely silently, and successfully registered the mana signature of Fuzzy Dice.
「Alright, that was perfect.」
Looking at the device’s display, she saw that the pursuit indicator was following Fuzzy Dice now. Her mission had been a success.
Now that everything had worked out, she was finally able to breathe calmly again, and she told Nina and her sisters that it had worked. They also let out relieved sighs, mostly out of tension at acting after so long. Now that it was over, they could relax again.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Fuzzy Dice stood up again, holding a cat in his arms. That had been the detective’s trap there. The balcony door swung outside when open, so it could not be opened if there was a cat in front of it.
Mira felt like that had been an incredibly unreliable plan, as the cat could have moved away on its own at any moment, but it had worked so there really was no point in stressing out about it. She could simply watch the thief enter the Union and go out of sight now.
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