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Indomitable Pride and the Clash of Stealth Blades – Part 02

Once the guard left, Hikaru gently dropped back down and began to contemplate his entry point. There were four windows in front of him, but they were all locked from the inside and couldn’t be opened from the outside.

Looks like Paula is on the third floor, on the opposite side.

Mana Detection could locate a person, but it couldn’t reveal the interior layout of the house. It provided insight into whether people were inside, and he could break windows to enter, but navigating further was a matter of trial and error.

Going around to the opposite side through the roof isn’t an option.

He had detected two people on the roof, though he didn’t know if they were agents or some other faction. Regular folks didn’t usually hang out on rooftops.

It’s a long shot, but I have no other choice.

The dimmer lighting inside would favor Stealth. Steeling himself, Hikaru unsheathed his straight sword, a weapon he’d purchased from Dodonno, a Dwarf fashionista in the holy city of Agiapole. It was fairly sturdy.

“…”

The last time he used it was to end Ranna’s life. Thoughts of that moment crept in, but this wasn’t the time for sentimentality. Hikaru inserted the blade’s tip into the window’s gap, near the latch.

“Hngh!”

He applied force, shattering the window in one swift motion. There was a grating sound of metals grinding against each other, but the guards remained motionless, and there was no significant change inside the mansion. Hikaru swiftly climbed inside through the window, finding himself in a seldom-used guest room with stagnant air.

There were ten people inside the mansion, and one of them was Paula. They were scattered throughout the house, some working in the kitchen and laundry. There were probably around twenty rooms in total, offering numerous hiding spots.

Hikaru’s shoes left dusty footprints on the polished stone corridor. He quickly wiped his soles with a cloth, but he couldn’t get rid of all the dirt. As long as he remained undetected during his infiltration, it would suffice. Hikaru sprinted along the corners.

The staircase in the entrance hall was visible from anywhere, but with no one around, he rushed up it. Ahead were… two people.

“Isn’t that the famous Wandering Saint? What’s she doing here?”

“Stop gossiping. You know the master hates it when people pry into his business.”

“But I’m so curious.”

One of the maids was pushing a cart filled with dishes, while the other carried a bucket of sheets. Hikaru hid behind a statue and waited for them to pass by.

They knew Paula was here, and Hikaru felt relief knowing they treated her well.

After the maids walked past him, he made his way down the hallway and stopped in front of Paula’s room. He turned the doorknob, but it was locked.

Hikaru deactivated his Stealth and knocked on the door.

“Yes?” Paula’s cautious voice came through.

“It’s me.”

Footsteps pattered.

“Lord Hi—Lord Silver Face?!”

“Is the door locked from the inside?”

“No, it’s always locked from the outside.”

“Got it. Step away from the door.”

An examination of the lock revealed it wasn’t as simple as the one on the window. Picking it with a small knife wasn’t going to work.

“I can’t open it.”

Not hearing any response from Hikaru, Paula moved to the door. “I’m fine, Lord Silver Face.”

“Wait… I think the maids might have the key. I’ll go get it. Or do you think you can escape through the window?”

“That’s not it. I’m staying here.”

“What?”

“I came here willingly… You read my note, right?”

“Have you not treated the patient?”

“It’s already done. The young master of the Kamori family suffered adverse reactions from the Phantom Butterfly.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t Kamori selling it?”

“Apparently, but…”

Paula briefly explained the situation.

It was all because of the Accursed Toxin.

In this world, traveling merchants usually received payments in cash, but for businessmen like Kamori, transactions often occurred on credit, with payment to be made later.

However, when the Accursed Toxin restricted entry and exit to the imperial capital, merchants started demanding payments from clients to whom they had extended credit. Simultaneously, the circulation of Kamori’s main product, foodstuff, rapidly came to a halt, and they ran out of cash. They soon exhausted their borrowing capacity from moneylenders and fell into debt. That’s when they turned to the Phantom Butterfly.

Painkillers could be imported as medicine, and there was a high demand for it. This was all suggested by a noble.

Following their advice, Kamori started dealing with Phantom Butterfly, which saved him from running out of cash. However, he miscalculated.

His only son had gotten his hands on the Phantom Butterfly and became addicted to it. The symptoms were severe, and without the drug, rashes appeared all over his body, making him weak and unable to keep down food.

“The master promised me that once his son recovered, he would quit this kind of business forever.”

“But what’s that got to do with you staying?”

“The son wasn’t using the Phantom Butterfly alone. There was someone with him, a young lady. She also suffers from severe reactions, and they want her to be cured at all costs.”

“Ah, young lovers playing with fire.”

“Yes. You could say they’ve brought this upon themselves, but the city was in a terrible state due to the Accursed Toxin. I couldn’t solely blame the son for getting involved with a drug that showed him illusions.”

“I see. Let’s heal the lady first, and then we can make our escape.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry for being selfish.”

“It’s okay. But if anyone tries to harm you in any way, they’re going down.”

“O-Okay.” Paula replied cheerfully.

Hikaru couldn’t quite understand the source of her happiness. He hadn’t realized that he was essentially saying, “I’ll protect you.”

“So, when is this treatment going to happen?”

“It’s scheduled for tonight. The young lady is the daughter of a high-ranking noble, the same noble who recommended the importation of the Phantom Butterfly. It’s crucial that no one knows about her connection to the Kamori family.”

“I see… Now I get it.”

Hikaru realized that this was the source of all their problems. Even if Kamori quit dealing Phantom Butterfly, distributing illegal drugs in the imperial capital was still a crime. While there was room for sympathy, Hikaru believed the crime of destabilizing the capital was too significant.

I’ll talk to Emperor Kagurai about this later. Ask him what the punishment is for something like this.

If they executed everyone, including the man that Paula saved, it would leave a bitter taste in Hikaru’s mouth.

With the intelligence department keeping a close watch, it was impossible to simply return to the way things were before and pretend nothing had happened.

“So, what’s their name? Who’s this idiot who took advantage of the chaos in the capital?”

“Let’s see…” Paula tried to recall their name. “I believe it was Count Dred.”

---

As autumn deepened, days grew shorter, and night quickly blanketed the imperial capital.

The grocery stores surrounding the Kamori residence had already shut their doors, and the streets were empty. A carriage rolled up and came to a halt.

“This way, Lady Wandering Saint.”

The portly head of the Kamori family emerged, leading Paula out of the store. He appeared stout, but his face was haggard. His bald head reflected the light of a magic lamp. The carriage they boarded began to move slowly.

“They’re on the move. Follow them. I’ll keep an eye on the people at the mansion.”

“Got it.”

An imperial agent who had been lurking behind a building moved out, sticking close to the shadows.

As night descended and the streets quieted, the carriage glided smoothly through the city, hooves clattering on cobblestone roads. Eventually, the road transformed into well-kept stone paving, and the spaces between the houses grew wider as they entered the upscale residential area.

The carriage came to a halt at Count Dred’s residence, not at the grand front entrance with its massive iron gate that took several people to open, but at the rear. There was a discreet seam in the wall. It opened, and a young man dressed in a butler’s attire appeared.

“Kamori?”

“Yes.”

“Good, come this way. Bring the lady.”

Kamori disembarked from the carriage and entered with Paula, the wall closing behind them completely. The time it took for the carriage to resume its journey was just under a minute, and with the carriage itself blocking the entrance, it would be hard for casual observers to notice the comings and goings.

“You better be sure that woman can heal her.”

The young butler addressed Kamori in a condescending tone, despite the apparent age difference. There was a clear difference in status between merchants and nobles, and even if the butler himself was a commoner, he held a high position in Kamori’s eyes.

Aware of the class distinctions, Kamori replied humbly, “Yes, of course. Lady Wandering Saint, my son—”

“Do you have any idea how much suffering the young lady has endured because of your stupid son?”

“I-I am truly sorry.”

Kamori shrank, but in reality, his son was the victim.