Chapter 21: Beast Hunt (9)

Chapter 21: Beast Hunt (9)

Strictly speaking, Jay – Calvin Braimlow – was not the contract target. What I promised to the White Chief was the extermination of the “White Guard.” However, the essence of the request was revenge, and if I could put in ten times the effort to reap a hundred times the effect, there was no reason not to.

I needed a submarine for this. The smuggling fleet of terrorism that would set London ablaze.

‘Come to think of it, the [American Front] was also influenced by the [British Front,] wasn’t it?’

The headquarters of devil worship was currently in the UK. Anyway, the most sinister things in the world were all aided by the British.

Then one of the subordinates in the driver’s seat said,

“We’ve arrived.”

Calvin’s mansion stood facing the San Francisco Art School. A sloping area, with a foundation raised for leveling, blocked the view like a fortress. Thick pine trees even extended their branches, making it impossible to see the inside from the outside.

For an ordinary person, that is.

“No one seems to be inside.”

Kyung-tae tilted his head at my words.

“Really? I thought there would be some subordinates guarding at least.”

Then he frowned and shook his head again.

“Come to think of it, it’s strange that there isn’t even one servant. In a mansion of this size.”

I replied indifferently,

“Maybe he’s a shy guy.”

There were often people of that type. People who obsessively hide their vulnerable areas. Revealing your personal space to such people was similar to showing your naked body to others.

Or maybe he just hated people.

“At any rate, it’s good for us. Let’s go in with just the two of us first. It seems safe enough.”

Kyung-tae nodded without saying anything.

“Yeah. I’ll tell the rest to patrol reasonably.”

This was a residential area. There were many closed circuits and many parked cars. It meant it was difficult to approach by car.

Creak- Clank-!

The small back door’s electronic lock could be easily released with simple magic. What I lacked in my current magic was not sophistication but power, and the voltage needed to open the lock was only 1.5 volts. Temporarily stopping the closed circuit was about the same difficulty level.

I led the way with a suitcase on my back. As I walked slowly, I stepped on weeds that had grown through cracks in the paving stones.

“What kind of mansion is this? It’s not even a ruin.”

Kyung-tae’s comment followed.

The garden, which seemed to have been neglected for a long time, even looked yellowed from winter. The twisted branches of thorny bushes clung to the dried-up vines. The decadent garden completely surrounded the mansion. Waiting for Calvin to fall asleep, it would be easy to burn it down with just a spark. A magical arson would leave no clues, and the vengeful chieftain would also be satisfied.

However, if I disposed of him like that, the case would remain a mystery.

To set fire to a mansion like this, you had to scatter a lot of sparks, and that was only feasible. Magic arson wouldn’t leave any evidence, but it would be unnatural for anyone who saw it because it would scatter so many sparks. The black boxes of the cars parked generously in this area would record this unnaturalness, and...

‘Before long, when those with awakened primitive magic abilities start to appear, suspicions may arise that this incident was caused by some kind of superpower.’

Even if the concentration of magic power was high, it was still too early for awakened individuals to appear. Those masters bastards of the Round Table, who were chasing the apprentices, might get involved in this case, and that was a concern.

Above all, the client, White Chief, would have strong suspicions. He probably would already know that the fire was my doing.

So, I wanted to avoid even this small risk on this side.

Kyung-tae and I opened the sliding door and entered the room. The alarm system here wasn’t working either. Whether mechanical or electronic, the locks and security devices in front of me were useless. “The Eye of the Golden Age” recognized wires with electric flow as unique colors, so there was no way it would miss a device that was turned off when I was conscious. It was a function to search for and highlight specific information within sight.

Kyung-tae wrinkled his nose and chuckled.

“That ‘goods’ I saw from outside seems to have been a homemade bomb, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Of all things, TATP. Isn’t that enough to create an alibi by now?”

The tragedy of the Braimlow family would no longer be my concern once this moment passed.

I looked outside as I descended the slope from the garden. When I came into the mansion, the garage door was opening, and a car was entering.

“Finally, the landlord has arrived.”

“Shall we go?”

“Of course.”

I strolled out of the mansion just as casually as when I entered. The landlord was coming in through the front gate while the intruder was making their exit through the back gate. We moved in opposite directions, ensuring we wouldn’t cross paths in this spacious house. As I descended the slope from the garden outside, I observed the inside of the mansion from the car.

Since he had just arrived home, there was no rush for him to head straight for his workstation. I would need to wait a bit longer until Calvin entered the zone of the intended crime.

“Hyungnim.”

“What is it?”

“Do you happen to crave some sweet donuts?”

“...Why on earth are you bringing that up out of the blue?”

“Well, we are in the USA, and Donuts are a staple here. It’s considered courteous to enjoy some donuts while on stakeout duty in your car.”

“... “

Wasn’t that a stereotype of the police? I glanced at Kyung-tae, who seemed genuinely hungry rather than motivated by any particular stereotype. Given that he hadn’t had a proper meal throughout our operation, his hunger was likely to catch up with him soon.

‘No, this is him being considerate.’

I decided to fill up on some calories briefly and then return to the hotel for some rest. I felt like my mind wasn’t working properly due to sleep deprivation. Although there was a saying that the job wasn’t done until it was done, I hoped this would be over soon.

“...Alright, go order some.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kyung-tae radioed the team responsible for securing the exit via a simulated escape. He gave them an oddly specific instruction to bring in donuts from a nearby place highly rated on Yelp, matching the quantity with the number of people by type. It seemed like an unnecessarily detailed order.

A while later, I observed Calvin’s movements while savoring a glazed donut with overly sweet milk tea by my side. The guy who had just finished his dinner had now stumbled upon the basement door that I had deliberately left open. He froze like a deer caught in headlights, then swallowed hard, and with a cautious step, he descended the stairs after retrieving a gun from the secret compartment of the fireplace.

In this place without major interference, much like the “President’s” stronghold, my control field could momentarily expand to encompass the entire mansion and extend slightly beyond. Within that range, I could remotely execute spells. I was prepared to upload my algorithms into the circuits.

“Would you like one more?”

“Hmm.”

This time from the box Kyung-tae presented, I chose a chocolate iced donut. Surprisingly, it tasted better than I expected. Just as Calvin, who had been moving like a puppet, finally stood in front of the fridge. He read the note I had left and his eyes widened. In an attempt to react swiftly—

My spell first caused a spark in the fuse.

Tic.

Kugugugugu-thud!

A powerful explosion shook the ground. The shockwave tore Calvin’s body to shreds, and a portion of the ceiling collapsed, creating an instant ashen tomb. The police examining the debris would likely conclude that a malfunctioning sanctuary caused the mishap.

Kyung-tae asked,

“Is it over?”

“Just a moment.”

I initiated one more algorithm within the circuit. It was a very small and simple ignition spell. The target was the fragments of the note I left behind. Removing a few conspicuous large pieces would be sufficient to ensure the destruction of the evidence. It would make handwriting analysis impossible.

“Done. Let’s go.”

At my command, one of the subordinates in the driver’s seat pressed on the accelerator. The car sped away, leaving the upscale neighborhood behind. However, the road back to the hotel during rush hour wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

In that time, I had devoured three more donuts.

Author's Thoughts

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

Enjoy reading~!