Eternally Regressing in Another World

Chapter 11: Square 9: The Magic Mirror

A magic mirror. A classic magical item, famous from stories like Snow White. Since this world has magic, it would not be strange for magic mirrors to exist. Just as I expected, the magic goods shop in the shopping district had a wide variety of mirrors on display. I picked them up one by one, examining each carefully. After browsing for a while, I settled on one particular item.

”Excuse me. What kind of magical tool is this mirror?”

”Ah, this one’s a paperback mirror. Never seen one before?”

The shopkeeper looked at me strangely, as if this was something everyone should know, which told me it must be a fairly common item.

”No, I only just arrived in this country.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie. Fortunately my unusual clothing made the excuse easy to accept.

”Raised out in the boondocks, huh? Well, it’s not a complicated tool. You put a book inside the mirror, and it displays whatever page you want to see. Holds about a hundred books, I’d guess.”

So basically something like an e reader. Whether it’s magic or science, people seem to want the same things in the end.

”Gonna buy it? It’s 3980 yen.”

”Sorry, I’m just browsing today. Oh wait, could I get this instead?”

”Sure, that’s fine, but you’re buying this without the mirror? Well, long as you pay, I won’t complain. That’ll be 890 yen.”

The clerk wrapped the item with practiced hands. I took the neatly wrapped package and left the shop.

”Now I just need to find them. Better start searching this area thoroughly.”

Walking along, I peeled off the wrapping and began searching for a place Nest might show up.

Whew, finally found her. Thirty minutes into my search. I caught sight of Nest walking down the shopping street, her robe swaying. The two men she kept as company, especially the fat one, towered over everyone around them. With a build like that, it wasn’t hard to keep track of them even on this crowded street. I moved with the flow of pedestrians, careful not to draw attention. At this rate I would pass right by them. That single instant would decide everything.

”Let’s see... there we go.”

I pulled a tablet like device out of my bag and operated it openly, as naturally as I could manage. No one turned to look at me. I had already fitted it with the cover I bought at the shop earlier. The paperback mirror looked a lot like a tablet. With the cover attached as camouflage, I would look like someone reading a magic textbook while walking, studying on the move. Sure enough, every so often someone passed by staring at a mirror while walking, just like people glued to their phones back home. But this was not a mirror. It was a high performance piece of equipment.

”Please work...”

I started up the video recording function.

”...Stay calm. Act natural.”

I muttered to myself, as quietly as I could so no one would hear. Natural, casual but precise. The distance between me and Nest kept closing.

Twenty meters... ten meters... five meters... now!

At that instant, my shoulder collided with Nest’s. I immediately let the tension drain from my back and let myself stumble convincingly.

”Whoa, sorry about that.”

”Oi! What do you think you’re doing to my sister!”

The slim man’s furious voice crashed down on me. The full weight of overwhelming intimidation from someone far stronger than me. A jolt of pure fear for my life ran down my spine.

”It’s fine. Making a scene would just cause trouble for everyone, wouldn’t it?”

”Y... yes ma’am. If you say so...”

Sweat dripped from my forehead. My hands shook, and I caught the tablet just as it nearly slipped from my grip.

”Ah, um, sorry, I...”

My tongue wouldn’t cooperate. Still, just as I predicted, Nest moved to calm things down. These people were about to commit robbery and murder. They couldn’t afford to draw attention here. I was fairly certain I wouldn’t actually die, but fear is fear regardless.

”I am, I am truly sorry.”

I bowed deeply, lowering myself in an almost fawning posture. At that moment, while keeping the tablet mostly hidden by my bag, I angled it toward the gap in the hood covering Nest’s face. I let just enough of the shadowed area show, threading the camera’s line of sight through that narrow opening. The small camera recorded it all as video.

”I’m not bothered anymore. Go on, off you go.”

”Y... yes! Excuse me!”

Released, I sprang up and hurried away from the scene as fast as I could. My hands and legs were still shaking, sweat dripping from my chin. To anyone watching, it would have looked like a spineless coward who got scared off. That is all it would have looked like. But in reality, it was something else entirely.

”...Did it actually get recorded properly?”

In the shadow of a building, I checked the video I had just filmed. The conversation had come through with little noise, easy to make out. The angle wasn’t bad either, no glare from the light, and the image quality was decent. And then, the crucial shot. About three seconds. Short, yet more than enough for what I needed. On the screen of the device in my hand, Nest’s face was recorded with perfect clarity.

”I did it... forget knives. This is my weapon!”

I sprinted at full speed down the road toward the shoe shop.

”Damn it, this is way too close...”

The hands of my watch pointed to 11:04. If I remembered right, Nest and her men were supposed to reach that girl’s house at 17 minutes past, which left me only about twelve minutes. And factoring in the nearly ten minutes it would take to travel there by carriage, that left only two minutes to convince Elizabeth. Having taken so long to track down Nest had cost me dearly.

”Thank goodness, she’s still here!”

A golden carriage stood out with overwhelming presence on the main street. No question, that was Elizabeth’s. As I approached the carriage, I could hear that distinctive laugh of hers. Judging by the butlers loading up packages, she was still in the middle of shopping. Just as I caught my breath in relief, a woman stepped out of a shop, more eye catching than anyone else in her golden dress, fan fluttering, walking with an elegant gait.

”Ah, you’re such a help, Miss Elizabeth.”

”No need for thanks. I only buy what I judge to be good quality. You should be proud that your eye earned my approval.”

It was almost the same exchange I had heard before. But repeating the same outcome again would accomplish nothing. If asking normally led to death, then I needed to change my approach.

”Miss Elizabeth, do you have a moment?”

That was when I noticed her expression tighten slightly. I knew the reason. It was these clothes. She had told me herself that in this world, a suit like mine was the uniform of the northern kingdom’s assassin unit. I knew wearing it would make her wary. But that was fine. Precisely because she was on guard, she would try to catch me in a lie, which meant she would actually listen closely to what I had to say.

”Oh? What business do you have with me?”

”Actually, I need you to look at this.”

I fumbled the tablet out of my bag. Elizabeth watched me with a puzzled expression.

”A magic mirror. What exactly are you planning to do with that?”

”...A mirror, is it. That’s probably how it looks, but please, take a look at this.”

I hit play on the recorded footage and turned the screen toward her. It showed the crowds moving through the shopping street from a first person view.

”What is this? The shopping district?”

”Just a little more, and they’ll appear.”

A few seconds later, Nest and the others came into frame, drawing closer. That was when Elizabeth murmured.

”These two are the Fulm brothers.”

”The Fulm brothers?”

”These two distinctive men. They’re rather feared cleaners in certain circles.”

Cleaners was too gentle a word. What she meant, plainly, were killers, murderers.

”But is this all? If it’s the Fulm brothers, couldn’t you simply report them to the guards...”

Elizabeth’s expression clearly shifted.

”Whoa, sorry about that.”

”Oi! What do you think you’re doing to my sister!”

”It’s fine. Making a scene would just cause trouble for everyone, wouldn’t it?”

”Y... yes ma’am. If you say so...”

Elizabeth’s expression changed completely, her shoulders trembling faintly. My point had surely already gotten across, but the footage was not finished yet.

”I am, I am truly sorry.”

As a final blow, the face I had risked my life to capture filled the screen, Nest smiling pleasantly. I let the video freeze right there, showing off Nest’s cheerful yet villainous face.

”What in the world is this!?”

Bloodlust flickered in her eyes. An expression close to a threat, as if she might stab someone on the spot. I wished she would aim that look at Nest instead of me.

”This mirror reflects the past. This is a small altercation that happened in the shopping district about ten minutes ago. But I wanted you to understand just how serious an emergency this really is.”

”...Do you know where this woman is now?”

”If you lend me your help, I will tell you.”

Elizabeth pressed her fan to her lips and sank into deep thought. Part of me wanted to press her, to demand she act quickly since a dangerous criminal was walking around loose. But from her perspective, I was the enemy. Objectively speaking, it would make sense if I looked like a spider spinning a trap on someone else’s orders.

”What will you do?”

She had the option to refuse. But she was a noble girl the townspeople clearly trusted a great deal. It would be difficult for her to dismiss an emergency affecting the town simply because I seemed suspicious. She was likely facing a far bigger decision than I could imagine. But I had no time to spare either. Urgency and careful thought both left sweat on our brows.

”...Very well. I will believe that story.”

”Thank you for thinking it through so carefully.”

”There’s no time left, is there? Tender! Bring the carriage!”

The young butler I had seen earlier brought out a plain carriage. Elizabeth and I climbed aboard and set off at full speed toward the girl’s house.

”Now then, if we hurry, will we make it in time?”

”Yes, but it will be close.”

”I see... Well, once this is over, there are quite a few things I intend to ask you.”

”Information as payment, then?”

”Ohhohohoho! I’m glad you understand so quickly!”

The moment I heard that lofty laugh, something occurred to me. For some reason, no escort was following us. A carriage racing off alone, even knowing full well how dangerous the enemy was.

”Um, Miss Elizabeth. What about your guards?”

”No need for anything like that, I am more than enough on my own! Ohhohohoho!”

This might really be hopeless. I found myself thinking that all over again.