Chapter 63 Draven Discovers Important Information [2].

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Draven Discovers Important Information [2].

’So someone was monitoring them with that mark.’

It was not an unknown technique to Draven, since in the video game there were organizations that used similar marks to check the status of their members.

Some were employed by military groups and others belonged to clandestine organizations.

However, those marks had a particular characteristic.

They were not designed to transmit detailed information, but only indicated whether the bearer was still alive.

’That means someone could know when they died.’

Draven examined the fragments again and then used the second instrument sent by Zenash.

The small compass began to react and its needles moved slowly while several inscriptions appeared on the surface.

Draven observed the result.

’What is this?’

The device was recovering residual information related to the transmitted signals.

Although the marks no longer worked due to the mercenaries’ deaths, some fragments still retained records of the previous connections.

Draven smiled.

’Surplus.’

He activated the storage plates and then connected both instruments, so the inscriptions began to multiply.

For several seconds, the compass remained completely still and then a sequence of numbers appeared.

Draven leaned in slightly.

’These are the coordinates.’

The information indicated the location of the receiver to which the signals were being sent, but he still needed to interpret the values correctly, since the system used a different geographic reference from the one he knew.

’I’ll have to compare them with a map.’

Draven activated the analysis again and this time managed to recover several additional pieces of data, such as that the signals had been sent outside Aster’s territory.

Furthermore, the general direction corresponded to a region situated to the west of the continent, so Draven remained motionless.

’West...’

He recalled the distribution of the kingdoms of Valkaen, where Aster occupied the eastern region of the continent while Konia was located to the west.

Draven examined the coordinates once more.

’So it’s from there.’

The compass finally showed a territorial reference.

[KINGDOM OF KONIA.]

Draven remained observing that information for several seconds.

’Konia.’

The kingdom ruled by dragons, precisely the race to which the mercenaries who tried to kill him belonged.

’So they were hired from there...?’

Draven stopped.

’Not necessarily.’

The receiver was in Konia, but that did not prove that the one responsible for the attack was physically in that kingdom.

It could be a mercenary organization that used those facilities to supervise its operations.

There was also the possibility that someone from another country had hired their services, but he had just obtained an important lead.

’Someone in Konia received the signals from those five mercenaries.’

And that person probably knew that all of them had died, so Draven observed the information again.

’I need to find out who was waiting for those signals.’

A sound coming from the hallway interrupted his thoughts.

"..."

Draven immediately raised his gaze and heard footsteps along with several voices.

"Are you sure you left the document here?"

"Of course."

"Then let’s check the warehouse."

Draven remained motionless.

’Damn.’

The footsteps began to approach, so the young man immediately deactivated the instruments.

Then he took the storage plates and checked that the information had been recorded.

’I have the coordinates.’

He stored the devices inside his bracelet and then carefully began placing the fragments back into their respective boxes.

He could not leave obvious signs that someone had examined the materials, but the footsteps drew even closer.

"Do you have the authorization?"

"Of course I do."

Draven closed the last box.

’I need to get out.’

He observed the door and the security crystal began to glow, since someone was using an authorization key from the outside.

Draven immediately stepped back into a dark area between two shelves.

’Now.’

He concentrated his mana and his body vanished just as the lock emitted a small sound.

Draven reappeared in the outer hallway, but he had no time to relax, since one of the employees was only a few meters away and, fortunately, was looking toward the warehouse door.

Draven remained motionless.

’Don’t turn around.’

The man began speaking with his companion.

"Check the table at the back."

"All right."

Both of them entered the warehouse, so Draven took advantage of that moment to move toward a less illuminated area.

Then he continued advancing, but his shoulder was starting to hurt again.

Besides, he had used his displacement ability several times during a relatively short period.

’I have to get out before I spend too much mana.’

He reached the hallway where he had entered, but the rear door was still closed, so Draven checked that no one was nearby and then concentrated his mana again.

When he reappeared outside the administrative building, he leaned briefly against a wall and took a deep breath.

’It worked.’

He had managed to enter the warehouse, found the belongings of the five mercenaries and, most importantly, recovered information about the destination of the magical signals.

Draven smiled slightly.

’Not bad.’

However, he was still not finished, since he needed to leave the academy without anyone discovering him.

He observed the surroundings.

The guards continued watching the main entrance and none of them seemed to have noticed his presence, so Draven began moving between the dark areas of the courtyards.

After several minutes he managed to reach the exterior of the facilities and finally stopped on a sparsely traveled street.

’Now I just have to go back.’

He checked the contents of his bracelet again to make sure he had not forgotten anything and then let out a small sigh.

’I finally have a lead.’

However, when he tried to perform another displacement, he felt considerable discomfort in his right shoulder, so he stopped immediately.

’I think I overdid it a bit with the mana use.’

The healers had warned him not to use too much magic while he continued recovering and he had just ignored that recommendation for a good part of the night.

’Taliah would kill me if she saw me now.’

He decided to keep walking for a few minutes before using his abilities again.

While he advanced through the streets of Astral, Draven thought again about what he had discovered, since someone was interested in knowing the result of their operations.

’But why use such a simple system?’

If those individuals worked for an important organization, they probably had far more advanced methods of communication, but the marks only sent periodic signals.

’Perhaps they didn’t need to transmit anything more.’

Draven remained thoughtful.

If the mercenaries returned alive, they could report personally on the result of their mission, but if they died, the receiver would stop receiving the signals and that would allow them to know that something had gone wrong.

’So the one responsible already knows that his men failed the mission.’

And he probably also knew that he was still alive.

’That means they could try again soon.’

He needed to act carefully.

He still did not know who had hired the mercenaries nor did he know the scope of that organization, but he had a location.

Draven examined the results mentally once more.

’Konia...’

He knew that kingdom quite well thanks to the videogame.

It was a nation ruled by dragons, famous for its military power, its mines and its fighter organizations.

He also knew that the diplomatic relations between Konia and the other kingdoms were complicated, and that obtaining information from Aster would not be easy.

’And traveling there could be even worse.’

However, it was still too early to think about that, since first he needed to interpret the coordinates with precision.

The instruments had identified the destination kingdom, but the exact location required additional analysis.

’Tomorrow I’ll review everything carefully.’

Finally he arrived at a street near the Valdegrim residence, so he looked for a dark area and then concentrated his mana one last time.

Draven reappeared inside his room and immediately checked that everything was in order.

’Everything is just as I left it.’

He carefully removed the dark clothing.

Then he stored the instruments sent by Zenash inside a small compartment of his desk and sat in front of that piece of furniture with one of the plates.

However, when he was about to begin examining the coordinates, he heard a sound coming from the hallway.

Draven raised his gaze while the footsteps stopped in front of his door and then someone knocked softly.

"Young Draven."

Draven remained motionless.

’Ena?’

The maid’s voice was heard again.

"Are you awake?"

Draven observed the dark clothing that he still had not finished putting away and then looked at the instruments on the desk.

’Damn.’

"One moment."

He quickly stored the plates, then arranged the clothing and headed toward the door.

’Calm down, I just have to act normally.’

He took the doorknob, but before opening, he heard Ena’s voice again.

"By the way..."

"..."

"Did you enjoy your nighttime stroll?"

Draven remained completely motionless.

’What?’

He slowly looked toward the door while the maid continued speaking in her usual expressionless tone.

"I hope you found what you were looking for."

Draven felt that a new problem had just arisen.

’How the hell does she know?’