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What the Emperor Truly Needs – Part 05

From that night, Hikaru began his next move.

Using the information Luvain provided, he started looking into nobles who seemed to be hiding something.

Paula and Lavia resumed their Wandering Saint activities, but they cut back on their visits to minimize the risk of getting ambushed. Paula’s Soul Rank was low, and she couldn’t learn skills related to Stealth. Without Hikaru, they couldn’t use Group Cloaking. Hikaru reminded them that safety came first.

They haven’t really done anything of note…

Numerous nobles committed petty crimes such as falsifying books to evade taxes, starting new businesses without permits, and bribing higher-ranking nobles, but nothing caught Hikaru’s eye.

On the second day of his investigation, while visiting the fifth noble’s residence, Hikaru was getting tired of the routine.

“Ugh…”

Hikaru, who had been living a nocturnal life recently, stifled a yawn.

How much longer will this take if I keep going through them one by one? Ten days? Twenty? I still have to cast another spell for crossing worlds.

Serika had returned to Japan, and the other members of the Four Eastern Stars—Selyse, Sophie, and Sara—later followed her. With an incomplete spell, they could exchange objects, but not travel through it.

Hikaru had promised Serika he would work on the spell, and he wanted to. It was research done by Roland, the person who brought Hikaru to this world.

I should finish this up as soon as I can.

What Hikaru noticed was that these small-time criminals all had a common point of contact, Count Dred. Known as the “Count closest to the Cabinet,” he was considered one of the wealthiest nobles in the empire.

He’s got the money, but Emperor Kagurai hasn’t given him much power. Probably because he thinks a significant position for him could lead to trouble.

Hikaru decided to sneak into Count Dred’s residence. He already had access to Luvain’s documents summarizing information about the empire’s nobles. Count Dred’s residence was located on a plot of land facing the imperial palace and was far grander than other nobles’ mansions.

The bigger it was, the more weak points it had, but Count Dred had soldiers constantly patrolling outside the walls and multiple hidden surveillance points within. Not even elite agents could hide from Hikaru’s Mana Detection, though.

I’m guessing he’s trying to hide something.

This level of security might as well be nonexistent in the face of Hikaru’s Stealth. He had prepared a grappling hook, a thin but sturdy rope with six hooks at the end. Hooking it onto the top of the wall allowed for immediate infiltration into the interior.

I hate how I have more burglary tools now. No, I’m not a burglar. I’m a ninja. This is ninja gear.

Back in Japan, carrying this stuff would get you in trouble with the police. But Hikaru reminded himself that this was a different world and added the grappling hook to his tools.

The garden here was so vast and beautifully manicured that it didn’t seem like the heart of the capital. Embedded magic lamps illuminated the lush grass. Hikaru strolled confidently through the area unnoticed.

The interior of the mansion was equally extravagant, with gleaming corridors and pristine walls. The security guards patrolling the area donned equipment that were far more impressive than the guards of other nobles.

There’s no point in looking good if it’s just for show.

The guards were well-dressed, but as Hikaru discreetly checked their Soul Boards while passing, he found out their overall levels were low. Even without using Stealth, they wouldn’t have noticed him.

Count Dred appears to be on the second floor… Who could he be talking to at this hour?

It was long past midnight, but Hikaru, with his Mana Detection, sensed three people sitting. As he approached the room, he felt no human presence nearby. He pressed his ear to the door.

“Hahaha. I can’t stop laughing. All this money pretty much within our grasp.”

“Don’t forget the downfall of the Foreign Minister.”

“True. So, any plans on becoming the next Foreign Minister, Count?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no money in being the Foreign Minister. If I were to make a move, it would be Minister of Trade or Finance.”

“The way you look so far ahead is astounding.”

They were talking loudly, likely the influence of alcohol. As Hikaru eavesdropped, he began to piece a few things together.

Looks like the damage caused by the Accursed Toxin in the city is pretty severe. Emperor Kagurai plans to invest a lot of resources to rebuild it quickly, and Count Dred intends to use his network within the city to siphon off that money. Scums are everywhere.

He couldn’t help but heave a deep sigh.

But the problem is that what Count Dred is doing is technically legal. I don’t know the extent of his network, but making money through economic activities is not something he can be held accountable for. It’s like buying stocks you know will go up.

Was Kagurai interested in this? Or did he aim to thwart Count Dred’s ambitions? It would be a demanding task if he expected Hikaru to handle it.

What should I do? Should I meet Emperor Kagurai again and ask him directly?

“We should get going.”

“Good idea. It’s quite late already.”

“Do be extremely cautious regarding that matter.”

“We understand. That matter is very risky.”

Footsteps were approaching, so Hikaru hid behind a distant pillar. He made sure to remember the faces of the two nobles who came out.

The last person to exit was likely Count Dred. He was rotund, with thick, tousled grizzled hair. It looked like he was trying to smooth it down.

As the three of them walked towards the entrance hall, Hikaru tried to enter Count Dred’s room, but he was surprised when he saw the door.

An auto-lock…?! They have such a thing in this world?!

The door was securely locked with a magical device, not something Hikaru could deal with easily.

No need to rush. Besides, Count Dred is clearly shady.

Suddenly Hikaru’s Mana Detection picked up on someone approaching the room. It wasn’t Count Dred or a servant; it was clear from the way the person descended from the roof.

They stood over 180 centimeters tall, with a lean but muscular frame and a well-balanced posture. His tight black attire revealed his physique, but a mask concealed the lower part of his face, hiding his expression.

The person descended from the roof onto the balcony and reached towards the glass window.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You’ll sound the alarm.”

The man whirled around in surprise, drawing a dagger from his waist. Standing on the next balcony was Hikaru.

“Silver Face… What are you doing here?”

The muffled voice belonged to a man, but his age was indiscernible.

“Just doing a little investigation. Touching that window will trigger the magic item, setting off the alarm. The owner will think something’s up, and I don’t want that.”

“How do you know this is a magic item?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

“I can’t.”

Before Hikaru could say anything else, the man touched the window. Immediately, a loud clanging echoed throughout the residence, like someone banging on a metal bucket. It was chaos inside the mansion.

“Oh… it really was a magic item.”

“Are you stupid? I gave you a heads up, and you touched it anyway.”

“Trusting someone you meet in a place like this is more stupid. And you, telling me the truth, are the most stupid of all.”

“Good grief. I tried to do a favor for the Empire’s intelligence agency, but I guess you don’t appreciate kindness.”

“…”

Hikaru hoped to get the man to reveal his affiliation, but he gave no response.

Ignoring Hikaru’s words, the man said, “Aren’t you going to run? In a few more seconds, this place will be swarmed.”

“You go first. I’ll just follow you.”

“You’re gonna tail me?”

“Good question.”

“I tried to be nice and let you escape first, but I guess you don’t appreciate kindness.”

The man lowered his center of gravity. Hikaru sensed he was about to make a move.

“In that case, to avoid it being seen as a malfunction, I’ll leave you here as evidence.”

The man’s footsteps made no sound as he swiftly dashed and leaped towards Hikaru from the balcony.

He’s fast!

The man’s agility surpassed Hikaru’s expectations. Hikaru narrowly dodged the kick that came at him like a rocket. As soon as the man silently landed on the balcony, he unsheathed a dagger and swung it at Hikaru. Hikaru maneuvered to dodge the attack, but the man continued with a relentless barrage of swings.

In no time, he found himself cornered at the opposite end of the balcony, near the railing.

He’s skilled in close combat too!

The man unleashed a decisive strike at Hikaru.

I’ve been waiting for this.

Hikaru deflected the blade with an upward kick from below, and the dagger, gleaming under the moonlight, spun through the air with a sharp clink. The man’s wide eyes said he didn’t expect this to happen.

“The way you swing your dagger. You’re an imperial agent, all right.”

Hikaru had been trained by Unken, Pond’s Adventurers Guild’s guildmaster, who had previously served in the Empire’s intelligence department. The similarity in the way he attacked made it almost certain that he was a member of the agency.

Hikaru noticed commotion from inside Count Dred’s room as several individuals rushed in.

“…”

The man, however, refused to admit his affiliation.

“My mission is complete,” he said, turning his back on Hikaru. He jumped from the balcony railing, grabbed the roof’s edge, and quickly climbed up.

“My mission is complete? What a sore loser… Ah.”

It was only when he attempted to flee that Hikaru finally noticed something amiss. The hem of his cloak had been pinned to the balcony railing by a throwing knife.

“Hngh…”

He tried to pull it out, but it was deeply lodged.

“A knife fell from above!” came a voice from below.

There was no point in staying here any longer. Unfortunately, he couldn’t pull out the knife.

“Damn it!”

Hikaru drew his short sword and tore his cloak, freeing himself. The balcony window flung open, and two soldiers leaped out.

“What’s this? Knives?”

“It’s an intruder, for sure!”

It was chaos, but by then, Hikaru was dangling beneath the balcony, where the moonlight didn’t reach. No one noticed him with his Stealth on.

Still, he’d been hanging there for quite a while, and it was quite exhausting.

I’ve been had… Maybe I lack the sense for close combat.

He believed he’d become quite skilled through his prior training and the battle in Bios’ great pit. That’s why he appeared before the man earlier and talked to him.

Overconfidence…

If he had disappeared as soon as he called out to the man, it wouldn’t have escalated into a fight. Hikaru remained suspended from the balcony, reflecting on his recent conceit.

Indeed. He was overconfident.

On that day, when Hikaru returned to the inn, only Lavia was there.

“Hikaru… Paula… Paula’s been kidnapped,” she said tearfully.