Chapter 188. The Calm Before the Storm (5)
Click, click, click.
Jurgen placed the Dice sitting on the desk into the Palette one by one.
A cube shimmering with rainbow-coloured light. A catalyst for Material Creation, and a weapon for Hanbin's full power.
Now that he had more than enough capital, there was no longer any need to keep his identity hidden. He had made them in generous abundance.
"Haah……."
Jurgen slowly steadied his breathing.
He had lost comrades more times than he could count on his fingers. He had never grown used to it, but he had always had the composure to keep a clear head.
And yet……
"Penelope."
The thought that he might lose Penelope made it anything but easy to stay composed.
A rage that felt as though his mind were boiling red-hot. The impulse to burn everything to ash—if so much as a single scratch were to be left on Penelope—throbbed within him.
"Haaaaah……."
But letting himself be driven by emotion at this moment was a poor move.
He needed to be as cold-headed as possible.
It was certain that something had befallen Penelope. In that case, the next step was to identify the culprit.
"The culprit."
Who could it be?
A force capable of making the mistress of Y&P Trading Company—and a 5th Rank Alchemist at that—vanish without a trace, here in the North.
There were broadly three suspects.
First, the Ashford Marquisate. A longstanding power of the North, and a family with ties to the Rosemore family.
But for now, ruled out. They were currently on good terms with the Ashford Marquisate, and there was absolutely nothing to be gained by abducting Penelope.
In that case, next was the End Order. The kingdom's filth, who revelled in abduction and Human Sacrifice.
They were among the most likely suspects—but……
"……."
Jurgen shook his head. Previously, in the Demon Realm, he had swept away the Cardinal along with every key member of the Northern Branch.
Recovering from those losses would take years alone. They would not have the means to carry out such a meticulous abduction right now. That left only one remaining possibility.
"The Rosemore Count Family."
Even within that, the candidates narrowed to two. The eldest son, Rupert Rosemore, and the eldest daughter, Clarisse Rosemore.
"Rupert……."
Jurgen furrowed his brow.
He had been sensing something instinctively suspicious from Rupert.
However, Aiden's report said he was innocent. Aiden had conducted such a thorough background investigation and come up with nothing—that meant it was time to trust evidence over instinct.
Then there was one person left.
"Clarisse Rosemore."
No matter how he thought about it, she was the most likely suspect.
Clarisse had been keeping a close watch on Penelope for some time. Even at the Birthday Banquet, that vigilance had continued—yet Y&P had secured the Royal Trading Company designation. Setting aside the question of 'why go to such lengths?', she had more than enough motive.
"I've looked around the area, and she's still not here. Boss."
"Aiden."
"Yes, Boss."
As Jurgen sat deep in thought, Aiden returned.
"Where is Clarisse right now?"
"She's been staying in Albion. There are the Succession Negotiations, and the social season is getting started as well."
The distance was considerable. But with even Vic unable to find a trace, he could not simply sit and wait.
Jurgen made his decision.
"Could you protect Miss Serena and Brigitte?"
"What about you, Boss?"
Even if Clarisse turned out not to be the culprit, it made no difference. This was a chase with not a single clue to go on. There was no choice but to pound the pavement.
"I'll be going to see Clarisse."
"Right this moment, you mean?"
"That's right."
After a brief moment of deliberation, Aiden spoke.
"I'll come with you, Boss."
"No, you stay here. We need to be prepared for a possible second attack, don't we? I can't afford to lose Miss Serena and Brigitte as well."
Jurgen shook his head as he threw on his coat.
"Don't worry about that. I have a plan."
"Oh?"
"I ran into some of my old subordinates on the way here, and they happen to be hanging around nearby, so I'll call them over. If we leave Miss Serena and Miss Brigitte with Baron Keystone, those lads will guard them like shadows."
When Jurgen narrowed his eyes, Aiden spoke with a light air.
"More than anything, Boss—you're not in your right mind right now."
"……."
"Murder intent is just dripping off you. I'd be terrified of you causing an incident if you headed to Albion alone in that state."
Only then did Jurgen's expression ease slightly. He could feel plainly the concern his former subordinate had for him.
"I'm counting on you."
***
The outskirts of the capital, Albion. In a forest slightly removed from the splendour of the city centre stood the Rosemore family's Annex.
Shaaaaaaa!
Rain poured down as though the sky had split open. Thunder and lightning flashed without pause, and the downpour thrashed so fiercely that one could barely see a step ahead.
Two shadows took up position on a hill overlooking the Annex.
Jurgen and Aiden. They stood getting soaked in a rather forlorn fashion, peering at the manor through binoculars.
"Boss, something's off."
"Indeed it is."
Aiden wiped away the rainwater and frowned. Jurgen nodded in agreement.
"There's quite a substantial guard force. Looks like the Rosemore family's private soldiers……."
And yet—private soldiers stationed at the garden, the terrace, and the front entrance. At a glance, it might appear ordinary enough.
But Jurgen and Aiden picked up on the wrongness in an instant.
"The deployment is peculiar."
"Yes."
Rather than facing outward, they were oriented inward—as if keeping watch on the inside. Even the patrol routes covered not the exterior of the manor, but the interior.
The light cavalry's gaze was directed not toward the dark forest outside, but inward toward the manor itself. Like wardens ensuring that someone inside could not make it out.
And on top of that—
Magic Detection Devices installed on every windowframe, and a Blocking Barrier enveloping the entire manor. Even for the Rosemore family, the security deployed at an Annex was rather excessive.
"Whatever it is they're hiding in there to be this thorough about it. Could it be that Miss Penelope is here?"
"That's something we can find out by checking."
"……Whatever it is, it's suspicious."
"Is Clarisse definitely on this side?"
"About fifty-fifty odds. There are two Annexes, and the last confirmed sighting of Clarisse going out was here."
The situation was unfolding differently from what he had anticipated.
One thing, however, was certain. Walking boldly through the front gate and announcing 'I'm here to see Clarisse' would obviously get them nowhere.
"What shall we do, Boss? Should we just force our way in? With that number of people, let me think…… Roughly five minutes to clean up……."
"No."
Breaking through by force would be simple. However thoroughly they had prepared, what stood before them was Hanbin. But it was best to avoid causing a commotion.
"I'll go in quietly and confirm."
What was needed right now was a discreet meeting with Clarisse.
"Aiden, can you draw their attention from the forest on the other side? I'll make my entry the moment their focus slips."
"Understood. Same as always?"
"Same as always."
Aiden grinned and melted into the darkness. Jurgen concealed himself in the rain and quietly crept toward the manor.
―Bang!
A heavy explosion rang out from the forest on the opposite side. The impact was enough to shake the very ground.
"What was that?"
"Over there! Check it out!"
The heads of the private soldiers guarding the garden all snapped toward the opposite side at once. Several drew their weapons and ran toward the direction of the sound.
However, the Rosemore private soldiers were orderly. Rather than swarming all at once, they maintained their guard formation in orderly fashion.
It didn't matter. All that had been needed was a very brief gap.
"……."
Jurgen scaled a garden tree and in an instant pressed himself flat against the Annex's outer wall.
The target was the fourth-floor terrace. The rain-soaked brickwork was slippery, but the climb itself was not difficult.
Just as he reached out toward the terrace railing—
"……."
Jurgen flinched at the subtle Magic Power wave he felt beneath his fingertips.
An alarm barrier designed to alert against intrusion from outside.
The level of craftsmanship was quite considerable. For an ordinary person, disabling it would have taken time.
But Jurgen did not stop.
Bracing himself with one hand against the wall, he drew an Alchemy Catalyst with the other.
Flik! Flik! Flik!
Small metal needles flicked from his fingertips pierced through the alarm system's circuits, halting their function. Disabling something was simply the reverse order of installing it—straightforward enough, provided one understood the principle.
Jurgen lightly vaulted over the railing. No alarm sounded.
A faint light was seeping out from beyond the terrace window.
As Jurgen's fingertips scraped across the glass, the pane sliced through smoothly and without a sound.
He eased it out carefully so it would not fall. He slid his hand in and turned the latch.
Creak.
With a sound small enough to be swallowed by the rain, the window opened. Jurgen stepped inside the room, his wet coat billowing behind him.
The room was lavish. Fine furnishings and ornaments, masterwork paintings. Even the wine bottles strewn across the floor were all of the highest quality.
"……."
Jurgen moved quietly toward the interior.
In the centre of the room. A woman was curled up on the sofa, dressed in an elaborate silk nightgown.
Clarisse Rosemore. The immaculate, composed bearing he had seen before was nowhere in evidence.
Her hair was in considerable disarray, and in her hand she held a half-emptied bottle of whiskey.
It was then. At the very moment a cold gust stirred Clarisse's hair—
Clarisse, who had been slumped listlessly on the sofa, hurled the whiskey bottle she had been clutching to the floor.
Crash!
In an instant, the temperature inside the room spiked. Using the alcohol from the shattered bottle as a catalyst, she unleashed on the intruder the Rosemore family's signature flame-type Alchemy.
A makeshift technique used without a proper catalyst, and yet it was high-powered magic capable of reducing even a seasoned Knight to ash in an instant.
And yet.
Fwoosh—
The fierce blaze did not so much as singe the hem of Jurgen's coat. All that ferocious momentum fizzled out in hollow futility.
"……!"
The sight of a full-force attack extinguished as easily as blowing out a candle. Clarisse's eyes trembled with bewilderment.
Before she could even process the situation, her vision was covered by a black leather glove.
"Mmph!"
The scream did not make it out.
"Mmph—! Mmph!"
A grip like iron clamped over Clarisse's mouth, and at the same moment a rough force slammed her back against the sofa cushion. Clarisse struggled, but the difference in physical strength was plain.
"……!"
The moment Clarisse confirmed it was Jurgen, her pupils shook with shock. She looked as though she wanted to ask, 'How on earth did you—?'
"Shh."
Jurgen pressed his index finger to his lips and spoke in a low voice.
"Don't make a sound."
"……."
"I have no desire to be rough with you either. For now, you are Miss Penelope's elder sister."
"……."
"If you understand, blink twice."
Clarisse, who had been staring at Jurgen with a wary look, slowly blinked twice.
It was time for the interrogation.