Chapter 54
“Does this look like a deal to you? This is blackmail. If you cooperate here, you’ll be handed over for drug manufacturing and distribution in the Empire. But if you don’t… what do you think will happen then?”
Despite the polite tone, the weight in his voice left no room for resistance. The man’s body stiffened. Corend leaned down and whispered into his ear, too quietly for Ria to hear.
What did he just say?
But judging by how the man’s face went even paler than when his throat was being squeezed, it was no ordinary threat.
“Fine, fine! I’ll talk! Just who the hell are you?!”
Corend only smiled faintly. It was his usual gentle smile, yet it carried a chill—and Ria thought perhaps this was his real smile.
After Corend’s threat, the man began to spill everything easily, as if he had never resisted at all. He admitted that this wasn’t Ernie’s first visit here, that she handed him large sums of money each time, and that the reason was to acquire a certain drug.
“Ah, damn it. Should I even be saying this…?”
When Ria asked what kind of drug it was, the man hesitated, but after catching Corend’s cold gaze, he opened his mouth.
“Ahem. Well… it’s nothing strange. She said she wanted something that could put a large beast to sleep. That’s what she said.”
“…A large beast?”
Corend frowned in puzzlement. At that moment, something flashed through Ria’s mind.
“Did she, by any chance, mention a tiger?”
“Oh! How’d you know? She was saying nonsense like, could it even put a house-sized white tiger to sleep?”
“Ha…”
Ria let out a hollow laugh. So Ernie had wanted to get rid of Lucina, who had humiliated her. Since it wasn’t an ordinary animal, she must have thought regular sedatives on the market wouldn’t work, and that’s why she came to such a place.
Ria studied the man closely. It seemed the reason he had concealed Ernie’s request until now wasn’t loyalty, but rather fear of being caught. After all, he’d managed to extort huge sums from a naive noble girl by selling nothing more than a sleeping drug.
“Did you figure something out?” Corend asked.
“Ernie doesn’t seem directly connected to this matter. Wait… didn’t she have someone with her?”
“A man?”
“Yes. A man in a long black robe should have gone in with her.”
The man stroked his thick beard.
“That’s odd. She did come with someone, but… what I saw was an old woman. A small-framed woman at that.”
“…What?”
Ria’s indifferent eyes suddenly sharpened.
“That can’t be. If you’re lying—”
“Why would I lie now, when everything’s already exposed?! I swear! She wasn’t in any robe. She was wearing a dress, just like yours!”
Ria’s eyes widened. She was sure she had seen a man cloaked in a long black robe.
Now that I think about it, what was it Zen said?
“She doesn’t even come to school, so why would she come to a place like this with someone that suspicious?”
“Maybe she’s on a date.”
A date…? Who would think Ernie was on a date with someone dressed so suspiciously?
Perhaps what Zen saw was someone entirely different. A plausible theory crossed Ria’s mind: Ernie had certainly come with someone.
But… what if that person appeared differently depending on who was looking?
“…It really was an old lady?”
“Yes! Why would I bother lying? She wasn’t my customer. She just stood there.”
Corend interrupted.
“Stood there?”
“Yeah. She didn’t even draw the girl’s attention. Almost like a nanny.”
Ria frowned. Corend gestured slightly, signaling her to step aside and talk.
After tying the man up in the corner, they began to discuss.
“What you saw was a robed man. What he saw was an old woman. Correct?”
Ria nodded.
“And Zen might have seen yet another person.”
“Then this must be some kind of magic that changes appearances depending on who looks at them.”
“You know something about that?”
“Yes. It’s not difficult magic. It’s not real shapeshifting, just illusionary trickery.”
“Then the culprit must be that person.”
“For now, we should assume so.”
Ria bit her lip hard.
“What could their goal be? Why kidnap Zen…?”
“If we think simply, it could be resentment against the royal family, or maybe money.”
“If it was for money, they would have taken me too.”
The Cavlik family’s wealth rivaled that of the royal family. Corend nodded in agreement.
“In any case, the Lady of House Evon won’t be able to escape responsibility.”
“…Wait.”
Ria pointed out something odd about the man’s testimony.
“Maybe Ernie saw that person as a nanny or bodyguard.”
“You mean she was deceived too?”
“The man said the old woman seemed like a nanny. If she was wearing a dress like mine, Ernie might have thought she was her mother or a relative.”
“But he specifically said ‘nanny.’”
“That might have been their behavior. If Ernie looked down on her, and the other acted like a servant….”
Corend nodded, slightly impressed.
“That’s plausible. In that case, this matter becomes more complicated.”
“Why?”
“Because usually, this kind of illusion magic doesn’t let you choose how others see you. Appearances are random. But here, it seems deliberate. If that person planned everything…”
“…Then they might have shown up looking suspicious in front of me on purpose—to bait me into following them. And in front of Ernie, they appeared as a familiar nanny to lower her guard!”
Everything fit perfectly. Ria spoke with a flushed face, and Corend nodded gravely.
“If that’s true, then our enemy is more skilled than I thought. One thing is certain.”
“What’s that?”
Corend’s lips twisted.
“Whoever they are, whatever they want—it won’t be easy to find them.”
Ria’s guess proved correct. Ernie vehemently denied any crime, saying she had indeed visited the shop, but only with her nanny.
“To kidnap the Crown Prince?! Are you insane?!”
Her face had gone deathly pale. She didn’t seem to be lying. Ria quickly gave up on trying to extract more information from her.
Ernie never had the guts to harm the Crown Prince anyway.
Corend looked puzzled.
“You won’t press further? Even if she doesn’t know, some clue might come up.”
“Then why don’t you stay here and investigate, Your Grace?”
“…And what will you do, Lady Ria?”
“I just had a good idea.”
Ria rose, as if to leave House Evon at once. Corend frowned and caught her arm.
“What are you planning to do alone? It’s dangerous. If you must go, then together—”
“I’ll be fine. And forgive me, but I don’t trust anyone. If you really want to save Zen… then investigate around Ernie. Please.”
“You said you didn’t suspect her.”
“I don’t. But that person disguised themselves as Ernie’s nanny. How did they know her face?”
“…Then it must be someone connected to her somehow.”
“Exactly. So please, do that.”
Ria shook off his grip.
“Wait, my lady.”
Corend caught her arm again.
“Please… stay safe. Don’t push yourself.”
“…What?”
“Remember this one thing. When everything ends, when you return—you will be needed. Because you’re the only one who is not my enemy.”
“…What are you talking about?”
When everything ends… not my enemy…?
Ria frowned at his cryptic words. Just then, a faint green light radiated from Corend’s hand, and her vision blurred.
“Now then… be careful on your way.”
Startled, Ria lifted her head.
What… what were we just talking about?
Her mind was hazy, as though wandering in a thick fog. It felt like waking from a dream, desperately trying to recall its details.
No… this isn’t the time. I need to hurry.
Shaking her head, Ria forced away the strange feeling. What mattered was saving Zen. She quickened her pace.
She didn’t head for the carriage waiting at the front gate. Instead, she slipped into a deserted garden.
Because… thanks to Ernie, I really do have a good idea.
She touched the back of her neck. A necklace with a glowing amber gem appeared. Clutching the pendant like a prayer, she called out.
“Mya!”
In an instant, a white cat appeared before her, eyes wide—Lucina, the divine beast with mysterious powers.
If only I had realized earlier that I could summon Lucina right after Zen was kidnapped.
Regret was useless now. Shaking her head, Ria scooped up Lucina.
“Mya nya?”
As if asking what was wrong, Lucina rubbed her face against Ria’s cheek. Ria whispered into her ear.
“Zen’s been kidnapped. I need your power.”
“Mya… mya?!”
“I don’t know the details, but you’re a divine beast, aren’t you? Find him.”
When Ria’s desperate words tumbled out, Lucina batted her mouth closed with her paw.
“Mya.”
Nodding firmly, she seemed to say, Leave it to me.
Leaping from Ria’s arms, Lucina shook herself once. With a ripple of fur, her body instantly grew into that of a massive white tiger. She sniffed the air, whiskers trembling, circling as if tracking a scent.
After a few moments, Lucina stopped and nodded her great head toward Ria.
“You want me to ride?”
“Grr.”
She nodded again. Ria quickly mounted her back, gripping the thick fur tightly. Having ridden once before, it wasn’t as difficult as she feared.
“Grrr.”
“Alright, let’s go!”
With a powerful leap, Lucina bounded forward—so light it felt as though she were taking flight.
