Magic Patterns

Hidden behind a thick trunk, like all the trees around, Frank's heart pounded at the thought that perhaps Shin's killers had returned to finish the job. Nevertheless, he tried to calm himself to rationalize the situation.

It's not possible. That woman clearly finished Shin off, and I confirmed his death with her own eyes. Technically, he was dead, my reincarnation into him is a completely unexpected event, and there's nothing of value here. Otherwise, I would have noticed in my companions' corpses the absence of something through this kind of memory, not to mention that they seemed more focused on that strange box the men in front of us were carrying.

Dispelling his doubts that they were the killers who had previously taken Shin's life, Frank could feel calmer, although he still didn't let his guard down because he didn't know who the mysterious footsteps belonged to. The most sensible thing was to hide.

Soon, the sound would approach notably, allowing Frank to slightly observe blurry figures in the distance due to the mist generated by the stormy weather in the area. The few details he could distinguish would give him the opportunity to see their clothes, consisting of cloaks similar to those mysterious men.

Their clothes resemble those men escorting the box. Is it possible that reinforcements came to look for what was left of us? Still, should I present myself to them? The original Shin was clearly murdered in this forest. If I remain as the only survivor, it would certainly be suspicious...

The figures would become visible, revealing a group of two men and one woman arriving at the scene. The woman among them would step forward to view the scene and see the bodies of the different soldiers. The feeling in the woman was certainly one of sorrow for the families of the deceased, while her crimson eyes emitted a whitish glow, seeming to perceive information only perceptible in the mystical.

"They were definitely killed by a member of the Lightless World; their bodies contain traces of shadowy magic."

"What about the three Enchanters?"

"I tried to follow their magical trail, but it disappeared completely. Probably, the Enchanter who pursued them has the Shadow Keeper pattern."

The woman discussed the situation with one of the men. In Frank's eyes, the woman was quite beautiful, her face revealing soft features. Her chin wasn't too pointed but not too round either. Her almost pale skin reflected the moonlight faintly. Her hair fell like a cascade down her back, intensely white, while her eyes, which were red, seemed to be shining with an inexplicable white light. The man beside her had short, dark blue hair slicked back, giving him an experienced and fierce appearance. His face still seemed young, but he had a scar from a cut right on his cheek, with some small lines showing the events he had been through.

Soon, a third individual would join them. He seemed quite young compared to the scarred man. His light brown hair and easy features showed certain soft and some tough traits, giving the illusion that he was a young boy on the way to manhood, appearing to be about the same age as Shin.

"I don't understand. Why did they decide to send people who don't have any magical pattern? It was obvious they were going to perish."

He asked with perplexity and a certain helplessness, noticing how several of the soldiers were of similar ages to him. The more experienced man would look at him with eyes that seemed to show a certain resignation and proceed to explain it with a cold yet serene tone that contrasted with the heavy expressions of his two companions at the scene.

"The church explicitly requested the enchanters working for the City of Copper to escort a scroll containing a piece of the Light Bearer's magical pattern. Enchanters usually have a higher amount of mana than other people, which others can sense or see depending on the category they belong to, but in the end, they equate to a certain number of people. That's why our trackers can't detect any members of the Lightless World; they hide among the crowds of the cities to avoid detection. The church prioritized the arrival of the magical pattern, but given the incident at the main headquarters of the City of Gold, they could only send three Enchanters with a four-part pattern, so they had to opt for methods to hide."

"You mean these people..."

"Yes, they were smoke screens."

The boy's expression sank as his heart seemed to grow heavy at the idea that the church would use normal people as a cover. His silver-haired companion, on the other hand, could only look away while acknowledging the reality of the matter, being more experienced in this field. The fact that they were attacked first made it clear that the smokescreen worked initially, but the fact that his companion couldn't detect any magical trace left them uncertain if they survived. The magical pattern had managed to reach the church through a Light Minion, one of the abilities that one of the three Enchanters possessed.

Frank, who was hidden, listened to the conversation. It seemed like he didn't even have time to process the surrealism of the situation. In part, they had confirmed his suspicion that they were some kind of distraction, but the reason had surpassed all expectations. Soon, those individuals used terms he couldn't understand. He could only assume based on his knowledge as a novel reader.

Magic, they're definitely talking about magic!

Frank suspected that there might be magical elements from the point of reincarnation, but hearing it directly was still a shock. He had heard a bunch of names and terms he couldn't comprehend. It was then that the white-haired woman would lift her gaze after examining the bodies around to furrow her brow while looking directly at a tree not far from them, turning to look at her companions to imply that there was a suspicious person behind that tree. The experienced man would nod, and a white glow would appear in his eyes.

Frank, who was hiding behind the tree, didn't dare to look to update his information on them because he was still contemplating whether to introduce himself to their vision, considering that previously the other three men didn't care, they might even suspect him as the only survivor, taking him as some kind of accomplice. So, in search of extracting information from him, they might proceed to torture him or something similar. But his thoughts wouldn't take long to become blurry, and his movements awkward and clumsy. It was a strange and inexplicable sensation, as if someone had injected a potent sedative without warning. Slowly, he would fall, losing the strength in his legs and falling against the trunk. Blurry footsteps would approach his position, and soon the figure of a man with his hair slicked back would appear before him.

"Tell me your name."

Chapter end