CH 21

There was now a sudden silence in the room.

The lord couldn’t keep talking with his stiff voice panting. Haron quickly recognized Carl’s intentions and frowned. No matter how much Carl was from the Marquis family, it was hard to frame the warrior alone.

However, if the lord was a witness, the situation would change a little.

“What do you think, lord?”

Haron was so dumbfounded that he let out a laugh. He and Carl have been in a bad relationship ever since they were in the capital. It was also usually Haron who’s at the lower end, and this time, it was an extension of a similar situation.

The difference was that this time, Carl’s claim was more serious than usual.

“I don’t know what’s the point in catching a living person without evidence.”

“There’s not enough evidence, but I think it’s enough.”

Carl’s answer went through Haron’s mind. All he could hear was ‘I don’t have any proof but I just want to bury you’. Carl then just shrugged and continued.

“I heard that most of the mahone stones this time were collected by the warrior.”

“…”

“Then you should know that the lord had a huge sum of the stones. Plus, you’re a man who can enter and leave the lord’s room freely without any soldiers restraining you…”

“It’s just a guess.”

Haron frowned and said in a determined voice. It was just a malicious slander that contains no logic if anyone hears.

“It seems that you want to blame me somehow, but you can’t. I didn’t have to steal because I was with the lord the entire morning.”

“Well, since you’re the warrior, I wonder if you could use any other superhuman method…”

Carl glanced at the lord with the corner of his eyes. However, he was still shivering and couldn’t agree with him properly. No, it was more accurate that he couldn’t. No matter how much the lord wanted Carl to be on his side more than Haron, this lie was too serious just for that reason.

‘If Duke Blake finds out…!’

He couldn’t figure out what Carl believed in and why he was so confident.

Carl, who saw the swaying eyes of the lord, clicked his tongue. It’s because the man who rules a territory is indecisive and he didn’t like that so he shook his head.

It was a well-anticipated development.

‘You’ll eventually cooperate with me even if you don’t want to anyways.’

Carl looked at Haron again with a confident smile.

“Okay, then we’ll turn around.”

“What else will you do…”

“What if it was the warrior’s maid who did it?”

Haron’s hands flinched for a moment, and Carl noticed the brief movement.

“What do you mean all of the sudden?”

“Well, won’t that be right? If you were the warrior’s maid, you would’ve heard of the Mahone stones while staying with him, and his room was recently just moved near the lord’s room, right?”

“…”

“It’s a person that can roam around alone when the two of you are outside of the castle while meeting us. The maid is definitely a suspect.”

Carl had been a man who makes the best judgment right before he gets handed a big amount of money or profit. He was able to work out the worth and how much value the other person even in a blink of an eye.

He then swallowed a breath at Haron’s unprecedented expression.

‘Wow, has it ever been this bad?’

He thought the lord was just exaggerating to some extent about Haron’s previous behavior, but it was the opposite. He never blinked from the years of bullying, and just his expression now is making Carl nervous.

He then tried holding back his laughter as he felt he had just caught him from the little bait. He then opened his mouth to the attendant next to him.

“Hey, what are you doing there in the back? Go get the maid who serves the warrior.”

“What you mean is…”

The attendant looked between Carl and Haron alternatively, and carefully opened his mouth.

“She’s not in the castle right now. She’s been on vacation since yesterday…”

“Vacation? Is it a holiday?”

“No, I think she just took a vacation…”

The attendant’s voice lowered at the end. That was because Haron’s face gradually darkened the more he talked. On the other hand, Carl thought in a happy mood.

‘I didn’t know you had suspicious circumstances.’

Even if she had an alibi, he would have to manipulate it. Carl really didn’t think the maid was the culprit since it’s hard for an average person like a maid to enter the lord’s room and escape within the eyes of the soldiers.

He then commanded a servant with a gentle smile.

“Take the maid with you right now. She is a prime suspect in the theft.”

“Carl Altor!”

Haron’s fierce voice was heard shouting where no one has heard of it before. It was a voice that made everyone in the room except Carl fall on their face since it sounded like he could kill everyone in the room at once.

“There’s no witness, no evidence, and no suspect.”

“Well, we’ll find out if you bring her in now and we ask. Of course, it may get violent along the way.”

“…Do you think I’ll let you do that?”

With his cool voice, Carl felt suffocated and his heart tightened. But, the more that happened, the more enjoyable it was for him. Carl forced himself to smile more eloquently in the midst of his shaky life. At times like this, he knew that showing fear would be the worst move.

“I don’t want to bother the poor maid either.”

Carl slowly got up from his seat and went nearer to Haron. It took a lot of nerve for the room was still frozen cold just by Haron’s energy.

“But what can I do? If the person doesn’t come, then we’ll have to catch the first suspect.”

~*~

(Lucia’s pov)

“Will it be okay… around here?”

I walked while looking around. The boundary between the human land and the monster’s territory still had a lot of remains, such as bloodstains, arrowheads, and broken swords. It was truly a devastating scene, but not a single body was seen.

The bodies have vanished, and now the souls were in my hands now.

One by one, there were magic circles engraved overnight from the last several days. All the materials that can make the barrier are gathered here. The Mahone stones were all poured together in the center, and a humming voice can be heard from all of that.

“This will never happen again.”

With a small whimper, I took out a small dagger and cut my palms slightly. Black blood dripped down onto the Mahone stones from the knife.

“I’ll make sure of it.”

The mahone stones melted from the blood that dripped down, and the incense went up to the sky as if it was drawing a picture. The light from the jewels flashed brilliantly. After a while, it extended so wide across the air where it covered the sky.

It was a transparent wall where all-natural objects can pass, but humans can’t.

A new barrier has finally been created in the land of the monsters.

Now, no one will be able to come this way unless they break this barrier down.

“Go comfortably.”

Looking at the scent rising up into the sky, I left with those words.

I slowly turned my head as the sight covered my eyes.

‘Now that Haron is back, I need to return to the lord’s estate…’

I hesitated while thinking so.

I’m going back? Why?

The only purpose was to infiltrate the lord’s castle and get the Mahone stones, and I completed that. Even if I went back, they would find the stones missing and search everywhere. There won’t be anything big except being caught accidentally.

“…I don’t have to go anymore.”

I clenched my fist.

I don’t need to see the warrior anymore.

Even though I told myself that there was no need, I was still constantly searching through my head for reasons to go back.

“Go to the Devil’s castle.”

My steps slowly headed towards my castle.

Go and tell them it’s okay to go back to where they used to live, and then I should study more about my powers.

‘I’ll be back, Sia.’

Damn.

My faltering steps stopped at the spot. I didn’t even know I was biting my lips.

I knew how lonely it was to come back to an empty space with no one waiting. I even talked like I would wait for him.

“… Because it’s the last time.”

Before the words could continue, my body had already turned. Unlike before, when I was walking slowly, I headed for the lord’s castle quickly. If I’m lucky, I might even be able to say goodbye for the last time. However, I heard voices in the castle.

“…What do you mean now?”

“I mean, the Mahone stone theft happened a while ago, and the culprit was the warrior. Aren’t you the warrior’s maid? You still haven’t heard the news.”

The maid who told me the news with my blank expression gave me a poor look and went on her way. After she had completely disappeared from sight, I slumped down on the spot.

“…That’s ridiculous.”

Why?

Why is it like this?

The innocent warrior can’t just suddenly become a Mahone stone thief.

I felt my head pounding.

I expected it to be a mess because the stones will be gone, but I never imagined that the blame will go to the warrior.

Who stigmatized it? Was it the lord?

It almost seemed certain that the lord had intervened, for it was impossible without his influence. But he wouldn’t have done it alone, for the warrior has a good reputation.

I don’t know what type of method was being used, but that person had to be smart and have the ability to spread rumors in a short period of time to make Haron look like a criminal in a theft case.

The stupid little lord could never do that alone.

“First of all, I need to go see the warrior’s status… I mean, I need to know where he is right now.”

I took a deep breath and tried to think calmly as I could.

“Yeah, he’s still a high-ranking nobleman… so you can’t just torture him.”

I muttered to myself as I walked aimlessly down the hall.

“Hey there.”

Someone called me from behind. Looking back, a middle-aged man was approaching this way while holding a cane.

A man with dark golden brown hair, a sharp brow, and medium to low-pitched heavy voice.

I bowed my head quickly. He was a man of high standing, presumably by his appearance, energy, and tone. It was incomparable to a country lord. He stopped his cane right in front of my feet.

“I’d like to go see Lord Elves, but I’d also like you to show the way.”

“Oh, I see.”

I instinctively noticed that this man was a big shot. While walking carefully, I led him to the lord’s room. From behind, the sound of his cane can be heard.

“… He’s in trouble. Really.”

He murmured as he followed me. After arriving in front of the lord’s room, I knocked politely at the door.

“My lord, we have a visitor.”

“Gee, I said I’m not accepting guests right now! Tell him to go back!”

“But…”

“Is such a lord worth living? Who do you dare talk back to? You want to die, don’t you?”

Harsh and violent language flew out from behind my shoulders. He didn’t say much, but the words sank heavily. The room inside then became quiet, and the door opened with the lord stepping out.

“This, this voice… Oh my gosh! Du-Duke, Duke Blake!”

He bowed down 90 degrees, no, I think it was more than that. I thought for a moment that he was more flexible than I thought.

“Oh, Your Excellency is here? Uh, when? If you would’ve told me I would’ve liked to meet you earlier…”

“Hmph, I come from magicians, and they’re very capable people who don’t need your greetings. There’s more to say than that, so I’m coming in to sit down.”

“Oh. Yes!”

The lord made a hasty arrangement. His chubby limbs, body, and fingers were shaking everywhere. On the other hand, the duke sat back and threw his cane at me.

“You know why I’m here.”