40 – 2. The Path of the Dagger (21)
21.
I shortened my stride and moved on. It’s strange for a woman to go to the bathroom as if she were a man, and she had to take the time to observe her surroundings.
However, you can’t just look around and shoot around. It was because of the existence of the maid who followed me like a shadow. It was because when I asked the guards where the bathroom was, they blushed and called a maid in front of me.
Thanks to that, I had no choice but to glance sideways and examine the structure of the mansion. Fortunately, the bathroom was at the end of the hallway, so there was time to spare. Is it necessary in this world for a woman to be followed by an attendant whose hands are empty when she goes to the bathroom? It was a culture that I couldn’t understand at all because I lived only in a witch’s mansion or an inn where the two of us were alone.
Or maybe it’s because I simply look like a ‘higher person’ to them, like the clergy. It’s like the fact that only the face is exposed, and it’s going to look mysterious. It’s annoying to have maids following her around her mansion, but on the other hand, it’s also said that there’s nothing suspicious about her as long as she’s taking her with her.
Soon, when we reached the end of the hallway with a door that looked like a bathroom, I whispered to the woman walking in front of me.
“Over there.”
“Yes, yes.”
After walking silently for a while, he suddenly came to the end and opened his mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed. The maid listened to me with her nervous expression evident.
“Don’t be so nervous. I have a little question.”
“Yes, yes, tell me, lady…” ….”
A young lady. Who is the lady like this…… , No, this is not the time to have a seizure. I caught my breath.
“It’s no different, and as I was coming earlier, I saw a lot of guards from the entrance of the mansion…… What’s going on?”
“Ah… ….”
“It’s nothing else, and I’m a little scared to see all the tough men staring at me…….”
I tried my best to avoid looking at her and pretended to be pitiful. Surprisingly, the maid nodded as if she understood me. She was afraid of the ripple effect of her new appearance that this would work.
“Well, actually, there is a criminal imprisoned in the mansion…… “
“Yes? It’s not a prison, it’s a mansion?”
When I asked again in a surprised tone, she hurriedly looked around her and then whispered with earnest eyes asking for silence. It is a known fact throughout the estate that the thief was caught, but is it a secret that he is being held in the mansion? I was a little puzzled and listened to her in silence.
“Yes. The artifact the lord brought me this time was stolen a while ago…… I don’t know what he was thinking, but a few days ago, our servants were also questioned by the butler and the drivers…… A colleague I worked with got sick for a few days…… Black.”
Ah, crying. I quietly embraced the maid who started sobbing shortly after. Somehow, the first time I saw it, my eyes were watery, and sure enough, the tear glands were abundant. The maid, who calmed down after a while, apologized for not being able to see her, and continued.
“Anyway, the nasty thief was finally caught, but the lord seems to be directly questioning him. Even if you’re being held, it’s dangerous for you, so you’d better not pay attention.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“The bathroom is this way. I’ll wait outside until you finish your business.”
I got it and smiled at the maid. More than that, why is she blushing? She has heard that women like pretty women, but she honestly lives as a man, so she doesn’t really sympathize with her. Taking advantage of the moment she turned around, I opened the door to her bathroom. Well, there’s a spear, but it’s not big enough to squeeze your body through. It’s like a ventilator.
So what to do, I decided to make use of that maid who seemed to have a crush on me a little more than risk getting caught by the guards walking around outside the mansion. I closed the door quietly to make sure no sound was heard and put the ring on my finger. Click! Then, it rattled and acted as if the door wouldn’t open.
“Hey, the door won’t open no matter what. Can you help me?”
“Yes? You didn’t go in, did you? Uh, why won’t this open…….”
The maid was flustered and turned the doorknob hard, but she probably won’t even put the key in. Before I came here, I had several [Lock (lock)] Orders in stock for the ring. Thanks to you, my head is still spinning. It is not easy for a human who is not talented in magic to use the power of a tool to force a spell.
I took the ring off my finger again and pretended to twist my leg. Maid watching me. When she signaled that she was in a hurry, as if she couldn’t let me suffer as the same woman, she took a big heart and climbed the stairs, saying that she would lead me to another bathroom on the second floor…… Dog X feet.
The Count stood in a dark room. Not only because he drew the curtains, but more because the room was originally used as a library. Empty bookshelves lined the windows, blocking the gloomy sky seen through the cracks in the curtains.
It is an old room where even the workers are not cleaned separately. In a place where the only light is a lantern hanging on the wall, the count looks at a man sprawled on the floor.
It was a thin man with long limbs. He was a few years younger than the count, but the wrinkles around his eyes made it difficult to tell how old he was. Had his face been intact, it would have been somewhat acceptable. Before he was brought to this room, he had strong guards beat him so hard that his swollen cheeks and eyes looked ugly. Scarred all over his body, including his face, he was wrapped in new scars, wearing minimal clothing and tied tightly with ropes.
It was not because he was benevolent that he had yet to gouge out his eyes or cut out his tongue, but only out of necessity. He said that he did not scream even once while being bloodied, so it was judged that he must have a serious degree of tolerance for simple torture. Instead, the count decided to try another method, taking advantage of the fact that he was sufficiently weak and weak.
“You will die.”
“… ….”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you to save me, wouldn’t you?”
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No answer came back. The Count thought he had passed out, but he could see right away that he was simply silent. The physiological reaction was because there was a boiling sound of blood coming up from inside.
“So I decided to put something other than my life on the scales. Would you like to hear the story?”
“… ….”
“As you know, I serve , The god of the nether. That doesn’t mean I have absolute faith. It’s a little different from the other nobles you’ve fought so far. If they truly serve him in the hope of well-being in the afterlife, then I am only cooperating with them out of necessity. You can see that there are no regrets in my life.”
The man’s hunched back moved slightly. There was the sound of boiling blood. He vomits up phlegm mixed with saliva and blood. The Count smiled with satisfaction. Whether it’s anger or other emotions, it’s the first time you’ve responded.
“All I want is a happy life for my daughter. I’ve sacrificed so many things for that…… Have you ever had one of those? Otherwise, there is no reason to risk your life fighting the Zulkar Church in the Royal Capital with that skill.”
“… ….”
“They will come tonight at midnight. A human from the Zulkar cult. Even if I didn’t bother to execute you, they would never let you live after years of sabotaging them. It will cause more pain than you can imagine. So, here is a suggestion.”
Sweeping the corner of his wrinkled mouth, the old count said to the man.
“Give me the honor. Execution or whatever, before you die——I will restore your honor.”
“… ….”
“Before they take you away, I will cut your throat and make you a good righteous man who was falsely accused of fighting the heretics and eventually died. There is no lie in that fact. Isn’t it? I’m responsible. Your soul will not suffer from foreign forces.”
The man opened his mouth. He opened his bloody mouth and spoke for the first time. The Count brought his ear closer.
“…… What do you want?”
“──The artifact you stole from me. I only need one. Only with it will I be able to keep my relationship with them as it is now, and my daughter will be able to prosper for a long time. Of course, it would be perfect if you returned the items you stole so far, but I’m well aware that it’s too much for a lottery of honor, so I won’t ask for anything.”
“… ….”
The Count smiled. It was partly because the man was responding positively, but it was also because he was conversely trying to hide his nervousness. Tonight, at midnight, they will come, and if you find out that the Count has no artifacts in his hands, you don’t know what kind of threat he will threaten. Rather than opening the thief’s mouth by inflicting pain before that, he thought it would be a fair deal to give him what he most desired.
“Only one thing…… Ask.”
“Tell me something.”
“…… More than ten years ago, Kuluk, do you remember the territory where the plague spread in the west?”
“Plague…… Alas, that monster. I know. It was very sad for the young people. I personally tried to use my strength to help, but…… I quit after receiving a message from the Zulkar Church.”
“…… What.”
“Well, that’s a ‘necessary thing’. If my memory is correct. There would have been some benefit if we had accepted the remaining people into our territory.”
The count muttered in a regretful tone, talking as if it were an old incident he couldn’t remember. And seeing that the thief’s mouth was closed again, he narrowed his brows.
“I think the story is enough. Now it is your turn to answer.”
“… ….”
“Where are you, Artifact?”
f*ck! The Count could not bear his anger and kicked the man. He silently swept the floor without screaming. I guess it’s okay to pull out some teeth. There is no more time to delay.
In the meantime, a rather urgent knock sounded. During the interrogation, no one was told not to come in, but when the count responded nervously, one of the knights took off his helmet and said:
“My lord, the priests who came last time are here. You are looking for the lord…… “
“…… Go now.”
“Yes!”
The Count dared to step on the man. It’s definitely annoying to visit in the midst of time pressure, but there’s no problem. He maintains a cooperative relationship with the Zulkar cult, and has never done anything worthy of being caught. He has kept his mouth shut with enough gold coins even for the families of those he sacrificed. The only variable would be that the thief survives and flees the mansion, but that’s something that could never happen without his touch.
As the Count walked down the hallway with a confident gait, he naturally took a handkerchief from the owner of the house following him and wiped off his blood. And he asked, as if on a sudden thought.
“What is Alicia doing?”
“The lady is absorbed in reading in the annex.”
“…… Keep an eye on the clergy so that they don’t head to the annex. I also ask Alicia not to come out of the annex. Put on two or three guards.”
“Okay.”
As I approached the drawing room, I saw the faces I had seen a few days ago. Yeongju tried to smile and feigned composure. No problem. There will be no problem.
I don’t know why the cathedral knight is wearing a helmet, but that man called the Heretic Inquisitor is a kind of human with a sharp point. As he handed over a formal greeting, the count pretended to be relaxed and listened to his story in silence.
“Ah, I can give you anything like that. Head butler. Take a look around the mansion and come.”
To the Heretic Inquisitor, who said with a smirk, “It’s very difficult to live in an unfamiliar place away from the cathedral,” And that he wanted to rest comfortably in the mansion before he returned, the Count calmly replied that he would give him an empty room.
“By the way… ….”
The Heretic Inquisitor pauses and opens his mouth. The Count also guessed. The fact that those who came to catch the thief will return to the main school means that they all know that the count’s house was burgled, that the two are the same person, and that the count is detaining him.
Soon the Heretic Questioner laughed. It was a fishy smile uncharacteristic of a priest.
“The mansion is rather heavily guarded. Excuse me, but roughly how many knights with fighting power are there?”
“You mean the article? …… There are more than 30 people stationed there, including servants. Why do you ask such a thing?”
“No, just.”
The Heretic Questioner barely swallowed the next words. And he glanced in the direction of the cathedral knight. He just stared over the helm at the Count with an upright posture.
Thirty people might be a bit tight. He hoped Jin had reached the heart of the mansion by now.