Anchor, Stop Pretending, You're in Chaldea - Chapter 97

Waver, accompanied by Bai Qiu and Mashu, followed the traces of Magical Energy deep into the forest. Soon, they spotted a small cave not far away. After confirming the stone markers left outside, Waver cautiously peered into the cave. There were no signs of Magical Energy emanating from inside.

“This is the spot marked by Reines. It should be here. Come with me,” Waver said, feeling relieved after double-checking. He walked directly towards the cave in front of him.

“Swoosh!” Suddenly, a hidden rope on the ground was pulled, and a loop snared Waver’s legs, hoisting him up and suspending him in the air.

“?!?” Seeing Waver unexpectedly captured, Mashu and Mordred instantly assumed an attacking stance.

“Well, there’s no need to be so tense,” a slightly amused voice emanated from the cave.

“Onii-sama has set up a Bounded Field here, along with carefully laid traps. It’s not easy for anyone with ill intentions to enter here,” the voice’s owner, Reines, revealed herself. She then looked ahead and purposely displayed a surprised expression.

“Oh my, it’s actually Onii-sama?! What are you doing up there?”

“Reines, what are you thinking?! Get me down right now!!!” Waver exclaimed in annoyance, hanging upside down.

“Oh dear, oh dear, could it be that Onii-sama stepped into the trap he set himself? This kind of trap doesn’t require Magical Energy, just a little skill to capture prey,” Reines laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I don’t recall placing such an ancient trap around here!” Waver argued loudly as his vision turned upside down.

“Traps are not categorized as ancient or modern, only efficiency matters as the sole judging criterion,” Reines said with interest as she approached and poked Waver’s stiffened facial muscles.

“But to think someone would fall into such a trap, even Sima Yi would burst into laughter,” she added.

Watching the scene before him, Bai Qiu was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Senpai, should we… go help?”

Mashu hesitantly looked at Bai Qiu.

“It’s best not to meddle in other people’s affairs,”

“Are they idiots?” Mordred tilted her head and came to this conclusion.

In the livestream room, the scene of Waver being hung upside down was seen by the viewers.

“It’s my queen, the beauty of an era, with her black straight hair, tsk tsk tsk.”

“Waver: This is a disaster! A disaster!!!”

“So funny, it’s like a scene from the Dream Event Diary, Chapter 1.”

“Don’t panic, everyone. This is Kongming’s trap!”

“Even after coming to this place, Waver still has to be harassed by Reines. He’ll definitely have a nervous breakdown sooner or later.”

“Yeah, just look at how exhausted he looks. He doesn’t seem like a middle-aged person in his forties.”

“Hey, what if… Waver is actually less than thirty years old…”

“System message: ‘The Reviving King Sima Yi’ sends 4 rockets!”

“Comment: Hahaha, Zhuge Village Chief, I told you that you would end up hanging upside down!!!”

—–

“…Hello… Can you hear me?”

Dr. Romani’s communication intermittently connected and his image appeared.

“We have analyzed and confirmed that the true name of Lord El-Melloi II is Waver Velvet. According to records, he survived the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki and his summoning in this era might be related to that experience.”

Dr. Romani’s expression was very serious.

“In any case, he is a teacher from the Clock Tower, not a completely uncommunicative target. It is recommended to try to communicate with him.”

“Of course, communication. I am currently communicating with my Onii-sama in a friendly manner,” Reines said, running her finger across Waver’s forehead, trying to smooth out the anger-induced wrinkles.

“——————?!”

The doctor looked at the upside-down Waver in disbelief.

Realizing that he was being watched in this state, Waver struggled loudly.

“Isn’t this enough? Get me down already!!!”

“Oh my, Onii-sama is really clumsy. Well, indeed, it would be too disrespectful to keep him hanging. Trimmau!”

“Yes, Ojou-sama.”

Trimmau suddenly appeared and transformed his arm into a blade, cutting the rope.

“Ugh!!!”

Seeing Waver about to fall headfirst, Reines waved her finger and Trimmau turned into a cushion, safely catching him.

“What on earth happened during the communication interruption…”

Dr. Romani had a look of someone who missed several episodes.

“It’s hard to explain everything in a moment…”

Bai Qiu sighed.

“We’ll explain it to you later, Doctor. But for now, Lord El-Melloi II is no longer our enemy.”

“Oh, who are you talking to?”

Reines appeared next to Mashu, looking interested at the image of Dr. Romani.

“Well, this is a refreshing form of communication Magecraft. By the way, did you use some of the achievements of the Clock Tower’s celestial science? It seems somewhat similar to the magical technology mastered by the Animusphere family.”

“May I ask… who is this young lady??”

After being directly questioned, Reines’ face showed a slight displeasure.

“I never thought I would have to reveal my identity to a mere communication personnel. Even in this situation, I can’t be happy about it.”

“A mere… communication personnel…”

Seemingly stung by Reines’ words, Dr. Romani slumped injured onto the table.

“Hey, communication personnel, do you know someone named Olga Marie? She is the heiress of the Animusphere family, well, she’s my friend to some extent.”

“Huh? You know the Director?”

“Director?!”

Reines’ eyes lit up.

“Oh my, I seem to have heard an interesting term. Could it be that the heir with poetic talent has become an extraordinary figure after leaving the Clock Tower?”

“Well…”

Faced with Reines’ questioning, Dr. Romani didn’t know what to say.

“Cough, let’s end this playfulness here.”

Waver, who had composed himself, appeared before everyone.

“Everyone, regardless of the circumstances, we are now trapped in an almost unwinnable situation.”

Waver furrowed his brow and spoke in a serious tone.

“We are now opposing the entire Roman Empire.”

“The entire Roman Empire?!”

Surprised, Dr. Romani immediately asked.

“Then, what about the Roman Emperor of this era, Nero Claudius?”

“She is nothing more than a prisoner, about to be publicly executed in the capital.”

Waver spoke solemnly.