3 bar menu

Indomitable Pride and the Clash of Stealth Blades – Part 05

“Your Grace, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I have deeply reflected on this incident. About what happened to my son and your daughter. The Phantom Butterfly is too dangero—”

Knock, knock.

Kamori had to interrupt his words. Count Dred stared at him intently.

“Come in.”

A knight carrying a wooden crate entered the room and paused halfway between the door and the Count.

Paula wondered what was going on, when the Count suddenly spoke.

“Kamori, I am truly grateful for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“Do you remember a merchant named Leedra?”

“O-Of course. People hired by the Leedra family are the ones that deliver the Phantom Butterfly that had passed through inspections.”

“That’s right. Although it has to go through about three more hands before it hits the streets. Anyway, that’s beside the point. A few days ago, Leedra said this: I want to quit the Phantom Butterfly business.”

Kamori stood frozen in shock, like a statue.

“What a terrible thing to say, don’t you agree?” the Count continued. “I paved the way for the development of the Phantom Butterfly, and I entrusted it to you people because I trusted you both. And now, we’re raking it in. Right?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Yet he wants to quit. It seems someone has caught wind of our activities and tailed him, but to quit over something so trivial is truly disappointing. His betrayal of my trust broke my heart.”

His gaze shifted to the wooden crate carried by the knight, and Kamori’s face lost all color.

“Wh-What is that box the knight is carrying?”

“Oh, this? Show it to him.”

The knight opened the side of the wooden crate, revealing its contents.

“Eek!”

In the glow of the magic lamp, a severed head emerged, their face contorted in agony. Paula didn’t recognize them. The blood had already dried, but the flesh hadn’t yet rotted. They were likely killed yesterday or the day before.

Paula managed to stifle her scream, perhaps because Kamori, who was more discomposed than she was, stood right beside her.

Kamori plopped down on the spot.

“Truly disheartening. Wouldn’t you agree, Kamori?” The Count’s gaze was fixed on the man. “Right. You were in the middle of telling me something. What was it again?”

“U-Um…” Kamori’s mouth flapped open and shut. “I-It was nothing.”

“Is that so? Well, then. Let’s continue making a killing with the Phantom Butterfly, shall we?”

“Y-Yes, of course…”

Defeated and broken, Kamori could only go down on his knees.

Just then, there was a light, unexpected knock at the door. The Count told the knight to close the wooden crate and dispose of it, and instructed the door to be opened.

“Father!”

“Oh!” The Count stood up.

The girl Paula had healed entered the room. She wore a crimson dress, and though her arms and legs still seemed thin and frail, her cheeks had regained their rosy color. With proper nourishment, she would likely recover completely in less than a month.

The young lady rushed to her father and embraced him tightly. As the knight left the room, Paula helped Kamori to his feet.

“Are you okay?” Paula asked.

“I-I’m so sorry, Your Eminence.”

“It’s okay. This is nothing.”

“No, you don’t understand. I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”

Paula couldn’t quite comprehend what he meant by that.

“Father! I can think much more clearly now. Why did I ever get involved with such a stupid thing?”

“I see, I see. So you’re completely healed?”

“Of course! I’m starving, but I came flying here to see you first.”

“Haha. You’re so adorable.”

Holding his daughter in his arms, Count Dred appeared like any other father. However, the severed head from earlier clearly indicated otherwise.

“Father, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“I want that Mage over there to become my maid.”

The Count’s smile froze. “What made you consider that?”

“Her skills could come in handy. Besides, I promised I’d hire her.”

Paula did not recall agreeing to it. As she was about to speak up, Kamori tugged at her sleeve.

“Please, just let them be, Your Eminence. Or they will have to silence you, too.”

Paula finally grasped the situation—why he apologized for getting her involved. She was a witness. To the Count, she was someone to be rid of.

“Thank you for telling me, Mr. Kamori.” Paula smiled.

Kamori gave her a puzzled look. How could she smile in this situation?

“Count Dred, Miss. I have finished what I came here for, so I’ll be taking my leave,” Paula said.

“Wait just a moment. I said I’d hire you!”

“I’m already in the service of… No, I’m working with someone with whom I am bound by fate. I’m not available for employment.”

The young lady, not expecting to be turned down, was stunned speechless.

Count Dred’s forehead creased into a displeased frown. “You don’t seem to understand your position, do you? Information about the Phantom Butterfly is top secret. I can’t simply let you leave.”

“Father, what do you mean by—”

“You don’t need to know yet. This is part of the code of conduct of the nobility.”

The look he gave his daughter was that of a gentle father. Paula couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“This code of conduct of yours involves making money by distributing illegal drugs when the citizens are suffering. You’re quite different from the nobles I’ve pictured.”

“I see. We have irreconcilable values, I suppose. Tie her up so she can’t move. Let’s move to the villa. I don’t want to settle things in the mansion.”

“Yes, sir.” The two knights by the door moved.

“Y-Your Eminence, please apologize!” Kamori urged. “While you still can!”

Paula gave the man a somber look. “I’m disappointed, Mr. Kamori. I thought you would stay true to your word.”

Realization dawned on Kamori. She had expectations of him. Despite his involvement in the Phantom Butterfly trade, she helped him, hoping that he would withdraw from the trade and assist in eradicating the Phantom Butterfly.

But Kamori had failed to measure up to that expectation.

“Your Eminence…”

The woman he saw was not panicking. She was completely confident that she would be safe. He wondered where that confidence came from, but before he could think it through, the answer appeared.

“O’ Elementals, heed my call. Flames rising higher than will-o-wisps, incinerate the approaching danger!”

A girl appeared seemingly out of nowhere, wearing a mask similar to the Wandering Saint. Mana radiated from her body like sparks. The knights snapped back to their senses, but it was too late.

“Flame Wall!”

The fire magic filled the room with a brilliance and heat exceeding even that of midday. Flames erupted from the floor, reaching all the way to the ceiling and scattering the people in the room.

“Wh-What’s going on?!”

“Kyaa!”

“Your Grace, Miss!”

“Intruder!”

Screams filled the air, and Kamori could do nothing more than watch in astonishment. The Mage in the corner of the room approached them. Blocked by the wall of flames, the knights were more focused on helping the Count rather than on defeating the enemy.

“I waited until the last moment, just in case. I assumed you believed there was a chance for them to change their ways.”

“I thought so, too. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way,” the saint said in a different tone of voice, almost childlike.

“What about this person?” the masked girl asked, pointing at Kamori.

The saint shook her head.

“I see. Then let’s go.”

They opened the door leading to the balcony, not the main entrance.

“Ah…”

Kamori was about to say something as they moved away, but he realized he had no words to express.

---

Hikaru, waiting directly below Count Dred’s room, saw Lavia’s spell being cast. The window brightened, and screams came from within.

Moments later, the two emerged onto the balcony, and Hikaru let out a sigh of relief.

“Over here,” he called.

“Catch me.”

“Huh? Whoa!”

As soon as Lavia spotted Hikaru, she fearlessly scaled the balcony railing and leaped. Hikaru felt a jolt in his hips as he caught her.

“Come on, Lavia. At least give me time to prepare.”

“I knew you would catch me.”

Hikaru enjoyed the feeling of Lavia’s arms around his neck. She had become really affectionate lately.

“What happened inside?”

Paula climbed over the railing, but her hand slipped.

“A-Ah… Ahh!”

“Wait, whoa?!”

Lavia jumped aside just in time, but Hikaru, catching Paula as she fell, tumbled on his backside.

“O-Ow…”

“A-Are you all right, Lord Hikaru?!”

“D-Don’t call my name so loudly, please.”

“I-I’m sorry… Wait, you have a scratch on your cheek, Lord Hikaru!”

I just told her not to use my name…

Paula was about to use her healing magic, but Hikaru quickly activated Group Cloaking upon noticing the estate guards outside approaching their location.

They headed for the back entrance Paula had used to enter, and found a man standing there.

“There you are, Silver Face.”

It was Kutsuwa.

Even with Stealth fully engaged earlier, Kutsuwa had noticed him, so he could sense them even more clearly when Hikaru used Group Cloaking.

Hikaru dispelled Group Cloaking. “You expected us to come here?”

“I’ve always had sharp intuition, you see.”

“Yeah, sure looks like it.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

Hikaru had actually already checked Kutsuwa’s Soul Board in their close-quarters battle earlier. His goal had been to buy time and divert attention.

【Soul Board】Kutsuwa F. Neinsax
Age: 21 | Rank: 35 | 3

【Vitality】
【Natural Recovery】1
【Stamina】2
【Immunity】
【Toxin Immunity】3
【Perception】
【Sight】2

【Strength】
【Muscle Strength】4
【Weapon Mastery】
【Shortsword】3
【Projectile】1

【Agility】
【Power Burst】4
【Flexibility】2
【Balance】3
【Stealth】
【Imperceptibility】2

【Dexterity】
【Dexterity】3
【Tool Mastery】
【Medical Apparatus】2

【Instinct】
【Instinct】9
【Detection】
【Life Detection】1

His stats were similar to Sara of the Four Eastern Stars, but the most noteworthy part was definitely his 9 points on Instinct.

Instinct is such a pain in the butt…

Hikaru planned to use his own Instinct to counter it, but his was currently only at level 3. He needed to raise it further first.

A spy from a noble family, huh? Anyway, what I need to be careful of is his Instinct. Nothing else. So he sees it as him having good intuition.

Keeping Lavia and Paula behind him, Hikaru stepped forward.