My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 17Vol 2.

Of course, we can't be certain that we'll work well with the dark magicians. We’ll have a hard time understanding them, and [N O V E L I G H T] they’ll likely feel the same about us. At times, lingering resentment might resurface.

But if we can find a point where our interests align, we might be able to help each other—at least within acceptable limits.

“Thank you all for listening!”

I shouted in a satisfied voice, pleased that my proposal had been accepted.

Then, April casually added,

“Oh, then let’s have you take charge of that, Salvia.”

“...What?”

“You came up with the idea, didn’t you? So, I’ll give you the credit too. Hoho.”

Wait, why do I have to handle such a troublesome task? Given my rank...

...Ah, right. My rank here is still pretty low.

Realizing that, just as April said, I was the only one who could take on the job, I nearly teared up. Damn it. I need to drag Karon here as soon as possible.

“Salvia, you can handle it, right?”

“O-Of course....”

I replied in a trembling voice while cursing internally.

Damn it, I really brought this disaster upon myself.

As I was drowning in regret, April brushed past me and whispered,

“You look pretty bright. Looks like your worries are resolved?”

...As expected, she's sharp. Male lead magnetism +30.

“I only did what I had to. It’s something I had to handle myself.”

“Right, well done.”

April winked at me playfully.

“So, I’m sure you’ll do just fine finding some dark magicians.”

...Damn it!

***

Although I was now burdened with more work, I still felt a sense of accomplishment. The senior soldiers had accepted my proposal to recruit dark magicians, and I had solidified my relationships with the male leads.

So, I decided to visit the tarot shop again.

“Mr. Victim, you were absolutely right!”

That was the first thing I shouted as I entered the shop. Seeing my delighted expression, Victim looked even more smug.

“See? I told you I never miss.”

“Yes, really!”

Just like he predicted, I had found my answer regarding my relationship with the male leads. His tarot reading had been right on the mark.

Even his warning about the cold putting me in danger had been accurate.

As I looked at him with newfound admiration, Victim shrugged his shoulders with an air of self-satisfaction.

“Hoho, I told you, I never get things wrong. You look completely at peace now.”

As we chatted, I finally brought up the real reason I had come to see him today.

Sure, I wanted to tell him his tarot reading had been right, but there was something else I needed to ask.

“Mr. Victim, I have another question.”

“Hmm, let’s see....”

He folded his hands together and leaned forward over the table.

“Wait a second. I’ll guess your concern first.”

“...Hmm.”

Honestly, while Victim was undeniably talented in tarot reading, his ability to guess concerns wasn’t all that reliable.

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Last time, he made me write my problem down—only to steal the paper right after.

This time, he placed a small statue in front of me. It was a pure white sculpture of a man, exuding a strangely sacred aura.

“This is Saint Seriphius, said to have the power of prophecy.”

“Oh....”

“If you confide in him, I’ll receive divine inspiration to solve your troubles.”

“...That’s a scam, isn’t it?”

I narrowed my eyes at the statue. In the end, wasn’t this just another way to trick me into saying my concern out loud?

But Victim quickly shook his head, pretending to be deeply offended.

“No, no! Just whisper your concern to the statue. Even if I can’t hear you, it’ll work.”

It still seemed shady, but I had nothing to lose.

So, I decided to go along with it. Holding the statue close to my lips, I whispered,

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Hm, so you’re looking for someone?”

“...What?”

Did he really just guess that?

I blinked in shock and lifted my head—

“You fraud!”

—only to see Victim holding a paper cup attached to a string, pressing it against his ear.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a tiny hole in the statue’s stomach.

...This lunatic had turned the statue into a cup-and-string phone!

‘Is he insane?!’

How dare he scam me like this?

Under normal circumstances, I would’ve flipped the table right then and there.

But... no matter how ridiculous this was, the truth was that his readings had actually helped me.

So, suppressing my rage, I sat back down, my body trembling with frustration.

“You’re looking for someone. Tell me more.”

“...Ugh. Remember how I was debating whether or not to bring someone in? I finally decided to do it, but now I have no idea where they are.”

“Ah, that person, huh....”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“That means your obsession with this person is incredibly strong! There’s no way you’ll ever let them go!”

“This person is absolutely terrified of you. Your obsession must be overwhelming.”

“Even if your comrades oppose you, you are destined to claim this man! Go! Make him yours!”

That was what Victim had said during my last tarot reading. Sure, he had mistaken the situation for some messy romance, but in the end, wasn’t it just a roundabout way of saying I could successfully bring a dark magician to my side?

“Oh, but didn’t I already tell you the outcome? He’s going to end up on your side, hoho! You’re going to have him in your grasp anyway.”

“Still, I’d like to know how to actually find him. It’s been really frustrating.”

Since Victim looked disinterested, I repeatedly emphasized just how important this person was to me. Eventually, he seemed a bit more intrigued and leaned in.

“So, you’re not going to tell me who exactly this person is? I might be able to help, you know.”

“Hmm...”

For a moment, I debated whether I should tell Victim the truth.

We had grown somewhat close over time, but if I mentioned that I was looking for a dark magician, wouldn’t he report me?

‘...Wait a second. I’m part of the Dark Magician Search Special Forces!’

Yeah, I had completely overlooked that! It’s perfectly normal for me to be looking for a dark magician. That’s literally my job.

If Victim ever reported me and asked why I was trying to recruit a dark magician, I’d just insist that he misunderstood—it was a different person entirely.

Having resolved my doubts, I decided to tell him the truth.

“I’m looking for a dark magician.”

The moment the words left my lips, Victim’s hands trembled, and his tarot cards scattered onto the table. He looked utterly shocked.

“W-what... why would you...?”

“Well, I have my reasons.”

“Then, when the cards said you’d cling to them obsessively and never let them go....”

“Ah, no! I didn’t mean I was going to defy the country and accept their help or anything like that!”

I hastily tried to cover my tracks, but Victim’s face had already gone pale. Was the idea of me looking for a dark magician that terrifying?

Then, suddenly, he shot up from his seat and yelled—

“GET OUT! Leave immediately!”

“Huh? Why?!”

“...This tent is cursed now! I need to purify it!”

Cursed?! What kind of bizarre mishmash of superstitions was this tarot shop built on?

“What’s with you all of a sudden?”

I stood up, dumbfounded, and took a step toward him—but he quickly backed away, as if I were some kind of monster.

“Why are you acting like this—oh, are you okay?!”

Thud.

Victim, still retreating, stumbled over his own feet and fell flat on his back.

I instinctively reached out to help him up, but at that moment, a few items tumbled out of his pocket, scattering across the floor. I absentmindedly picked them up and placed them back on the table.

“You’re so clumsy—huh?”

Mid-motion, my hands froze.

One of the items now resting in my palm was a black crystal ball.

And I had seen it before.

Back when I was serving in the Border Defense Army—inside a dark magician’s house.

If my memory was correct, this was something only dark magicians used.

Which meant...

“...Victim, are you a dark magician?”

I had thought he was just a tarot reader, but he was a dark magician all along?!

That explained everything. The panic, the attempt to throw me out—it was all because I had said I was looking for a dark magician.

As realization dawned on me, my eyes widened. Victim, on the other hand, looked like he had seen a ghost.

“M-madman....” he whispered.

“...Why are you suddenly insulting me?”

“No! I refuse to be used again!”

Victim trembled violently before bolting upright. Then, in a flash, he grabbed something from the table.

It was a capsule-shaped object—something that looked suspiciously like a giant pill.

“...What’s that—KYAA!”

Bang!

The moment Victim popped it open, thick smoke exploded into the air. My vision instantly blurred, and an unbearable sting shot through my eyes. Tears streamed down my face involuntarily.

“Cough! Cough! You crazy bastard!”

“I am escaping in pursuit of my freedom~! Farewell~!”

I could hear Victim sprinting away, but with all this damn smoke burning my throat, I was completely helpless.

‘Gas warfare?!’

I had never experienced a gas attack in this world’s army before—yet here I was, getting hit with one inside a damn tarot shop.

When the smoke finally cleared, I cracked open my red-rimmed eyes and looked around.

Of course, Victim was already long gone.

“Cough! That bastard...”

Sniffling and wiping my face, I gritted my teeth in pure rage.

Victim, you bastard.

Do you really think I’m just going to let you go after discovering you’re a dark magician?

You think I’ll give up?

No.

This is where the romance fantasy heroine takes a break.

You think I’m some delicate protagonist?

From now on, I am no longer the heroine of a romance fantasy.

I am obsessive Salvia.

Victim, you’re mine.

No matter how far you run, I’ll hunt you down and drag you back to my side.