After finishing his conversation with Hestia, Judas's gaze drifted elsewhere... toward the lone owl perched in the distance.
It sat unnaturally still, its glassy, artificial eye glinting faintly under the sunlight.
'That owl with the glass eye... it's been watching us for nearly a week now.'
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The creature didn't even blink.
Its presence wasn't that of a wild animal... it almost seemed artificial.
As if responding to his suspicion, the owl turned its head, locking eyes with him.
For a brief moment, Judas felt an eerie sensation, like someone on the other end of that gaze was staring directly into his thoughts.
'A familiar.'
He concluded, the corner of his lips twitching faintly.
'And that glass eye... it's definitely some kind of surveillance device.'
There weren't many in Orario capable of creating something like this.
In fact, he could only think of a few people... adventurers with the Mystery development ability, such as Asfi Al Andromeda from the Hermes Familia... and the other being—
'Fels... the skeleton sage serving under Ouranos.'
Judas exhaled slowly, a thin wisp of smoke escaping his lips.
"So you've been watching us this whole time, huh?"
He muttered under his breath.
He lifted a hand and tapped his chin, his expression turning calm and analytical.
Then, with a quiet snap of his fingers—
『Trace』
A faint magic circle flickered to life across his irises.
An invisible thread of light shimmered into existence from the center of his forehead, extending outward... connecting to the owl's glass eye like a tether of energy.
『Link』
Immediately, Judas's perception began to shift.
The world blurred around him as his consciousness followed the thread's path... past the rooftops, through the bustling streets of Orario, descending into the city's underbelly.
Stone corridors... flickering torches... and then, darkness.
Eventually, his vision locked onto a cloaked figure in a hidden room, the faint light casting just enough shadow to reveal the shape of someone who preferred not to be seen.
A small smile crept across Judas's face.
[You've been spying on us long enough... I suppose you won't mind if I find out where you are, right?]
Judas' voice echoed faintly from within the crystal orb mounted atop the ancient staff.
The cloaked figure standing beside it stiffened in surprise, the movement of their robe rustling softly in the silence.
The flickering glow of the orb revealed only the faint outline of a skull beneath the hood.
"Judas Spade?"
The voice that came out of the figure was soft yet hollow... its tone made it impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman.
[That's right, Fels. Nice to meet you.]
Judas' voice answered, distorted slightly by the medium but unmistakably composed.
"To think you even knew my name... and to breach my communication crystal so effortlessly."
Fels lifted the staff, the orb glowing brighter in response.
"It seems I greatly underestimated your abilities, Judas Spade."
[I could do a lot of things... but that's not what I'm interested in discussing.]
[Tell me, why are you watching us?]
Judas' tone sharpened slightly, carrying suspicion but not hostility.
"I assure you, I have no ill intentions toward you or the Loki Familia," Fels replied immediately.
"I'm merely keeping an eye on Silence. You should know firsthand how dangerous that woman can be."
[Hmm... makes sense.]
Judas mused, his tone unreadable.
[A rogue Level 7 wandering freely in Orario... I can imagine how much of a headache that must be for the Guild.]
Fels paused for a moment, studying the orb as though searching for Judas' eyes through the reflection.
"I have a question I'd like to ask as well, if you don't mind me asking, Judas Spade."
[Ask away.]
"When did you notice I was watching?"
His voice carried genuine intrigue... no arrogance, only the hunger for knowledge.
[I knew from the start.]
[The only reason I didn't act was because I knew you weren't an enemy.]
The orb flickered in sync with his words, each pulse echoing faintly across the dark chamber.
Fels could feel Judas' gaze... despite the distance... piercing through the crystal link like a blade.
"Then why reach out now? What makes today different?"
Fels asked.
[Simple]
A pause. The orb's light dimmed slightly.
[The reason I'm contacting you now... is because I want to speak to your master.]
Fels stiffened.
"Huh? You even know my affiliation... where did you learn this information? Did Loki tell you?"
His voice quivered faintly... a rare crack in the calm demeanor.
[That's irrelevant. Just answer the question.]
Judas' tone hardened.
[Is Ouranos listening to this conversation?]
The room Fels was in was far too dark to see beyond the faint circle of light surrounding the orb.
The flickering of the orb cast long shadows across the chamber walls as Fels' skeletal fingers tapped the staff.
Fels didn't answer right away.
A few seconds of silence passed before he finally spoke.
"No. He isn't. But if you have a message for him... I can deliver it."
[Hmm...]
Judas frowned, his mind assessing every detail in Fels' tone.
He could tell... Fels was telling the truth.
[Alright then. Tell him this...]
Judas' voice lowered as he began speaking, his tone calm yet deliberate.
What followed made Fels' hollow eyes widen.
A full minute passed before the orb fell silent again.
Fels stood frozen in place, his skeletal hands trembling slightly from sheer disbelief at what he had just heard.
"W-w-wait... did I just hear that right? You can't be serious!"
[Are you going to deliver the message to Ouranos or not?]
Judas' voice asked, firm and absolute... a tone that left no room for refusal.
"I will... just remember that I have no power to control Ouranos' decisions. Whether he agrees or not will depend entirely on him."
Fels reminded, his voice steady but tinged with unease.
[That is fine.]
Judas' reply came, calm and unbothered... and then the light within the crystal orb flickered once before fading completely.
For a long moment, Fels simply stood there, staring at the now-dormant orb.
The oppressive stillness of the underground chamber seemed to grow heavier by the second.
Finally, he exhaled and lowered his staff.
A long sigh escaped him... one of both relief and wariness.
"Judas Spade..."
He muttered, the name lingering in the air like a curse and a prayer all at once.
He turned toward the faint glimmer of torchlight flickering across the stone walls.
"...what a terrifying young man."
"Freya Familia... good luck."
Fels' skeletal fingers tightened around his staff.
"It looks like tomorrow is going to be a hectic day."
With a faint rustle of robes, the cloaked mage vanished into the darkness.
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