Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Girl Searching for the Girl, The Man Pursuing the Man (3)
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A tense current of electricity crackled through the dark corridor. Luca responded in a calm voice, apparently not all that surprised that his identity had been seen through in a single breath.
"Well, you seem pretty sharp. Why don't you take a guess at what's going on, Doc?"
"I'm smart, but I can't read minds. Still, when you hold a knife to a lady's throat, you'd think you'd just come out and say it."
"You must enjoy joking around. Not that it's funny."
"Hey? What are you doing over there?"
Just then, an unfamiliar voice called from behind. From the clanking of armor, it sounded like a passing guard.
"...What a pain."
"Hey! I'm the one asking. What the hell are you..."
Unfortunately, the overly curious guard placed a hand on the mystery assassin's shoulder. I silently mourned him, already picturing the spray of blood about to erupt.
"When a man's talking to you..."
"Stupid bastard."
Luca whipped around in an instant, grabbed the guard's hand, and smashed the hilt of his dagger into the man's temple with all his might. The guard staggered, dropping his sword, but Luca didn't miss a beat.
"Gaaah!"
His scream echoed through the entire corridor. More blood would flow in this mansion tonight. Afraid some might splatter my way, I slowly turned around.
There stood the guard clutching his leg, with Luca standing in front of him, arms crossed.
"Your face looks familiar, so you're no newbie. What gives you the guts to get in my way?"
"S-Sorry... The hallway was so dark..."
"Fucking idiot."
He clicked his tongue once, spat on the floor, and growled.
"Get lost. And don't interfere again."
"Y-Yes... Understood..."
The guard bowed repeatedly as he scurried away. Surprised by the unexpected turn, I tilted my head and glanced at Luca.
"What are you, anyway? Were you with the baron's household from the start?"
"What else would you think?"
"Stupid question. So the professor must be a huge threat to the baron, huh?"
"That's one reason. He's a key figure in the opposition, so who knows what he might do."
Luca sheathed his dagger surprisingly candidly as he answered without hesitation. Leaning against the wall, I flashed a grin.
"You're telling me all this too easily. Isn't that a bit sloppy?"
"It's info you're allowed to know, so I'm sharing. Plus, you need to hear what comes next."
He crossed his arms and looked down at me.
"So, did the baroness buy your story? Does she think you're really a doctor?"
"It's not about belief. I am a real doctor."
"Don't play word games now."
Luca grimaced in annoyance before shrugging it off with a relaxed expression.
"Whatever. Real doctor or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is what you need to do."
"And what's that?"
"Do nothing."
What kind of joke was this? As I tilted my head, he squeezed his eyes shut.
"How can you call yourself a doctor if you don't even get that? Do you really not know why the baroness keeps giving birth to deformed children?"
I mulled over his words before suddenly realizing the truth, and a smile crept onto my face.
"You mean... the baron did it on purpose?"
"What else? He's a knight, after all—no way he'd have some defect. But the baron has no desire to be tied down by a woman like that. He needed to fabricate a reason."
"So he deliberately made her give birth to monsters? But why not just prevent the pregnancies from the start?"
"You're not getting it. It's not just about banishing her—he wants to commit her to an asylum. Make her watch as he tears apart another retarded freak born right in front of her, and even she will snap eventually."
A bitter taste of human malice spread through his matter-of-fact tone. Luca continued with a look of utter disgust.
"She held out a long time, though. But this time's his chance to break her. He's got high hopes for the bastard she's pregnant with now."
"And telling me to do nothing means he plans to ruin this child too?"
"Took you long enough. And here I thought you were smart."
I didn't bother asking what would happen if I didn't comply—that would be the stupid question. Instead, I nodded obediently.
"Got it. I'll do that."
"Good. Anyway, you're not even a real doctor, so you couldn't do much regardless. Just show up, kill some time, and leave. No funny business."
"Doctor!"
Suddenly, Nadia's voice rang out from inside the room. Luca shot a sharp glare that way before vanishing into the shadows.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Come on, let's go. You can look forward to this—they've prepared something grand tonight."
Nadia clung to me like an old friend. Amid her heavy makeup and flashy jewelry, the scent of contrived perfume carried a hint of desperately hidden loneliness.
I almost laughed. The hero who vanquished the Demon King, returned only to be abandoned by her former comrade lover, scorned even by the family servants. And the doctor being so kind? A fake. The banquet they're heading to? Her husband's infidelity party.
I pitied her, but felt no guilt. No matter how miserable she got, as long as I got what I wanted, that was fine. I quickly summoned a smile and replied brightly.
"Sure. Lead the way."
"You're a bit late, Madam. The baron is waiting."
"Huh? Was I that late...? Did he look really angry?"
Nadia fawned over the maid she'd just ignored and insulted moments ago. The maid replied flatly, without a flicker of emotion.
"No, he wasn't that mad. So please, go in."
"Ah... Okay. I will."
Even after answering, she hesitated for a long while. Her tension was so thick I could see her ragged breathing from the side. Sweating profusely and staring at the floor, Nadia suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
"L-Let's go! We can just go in together."
"Don't be so tense, Nadia. It's just dinner."
"W-What? W-Who said I was tense! Fine, I'm going in. Going in!"
Nadia took a deep breath to steady herself, then flung open the banquet hall doors with her own hands.
A dazzling beam of light poured straight at our faces. As I winced and shut my eyes, I felt Nadia grip my hand tightly. Surprised by the startling chill of her touch, I slowly opened my eyes.
Jewels everywhere shattered their reflected light over my shabby hat. Ceiling, walls, floor—even the tabletop was overrun with them. Each one clearly valuable and precious, yet they somehow felt gaudy and tacky rather than elegant. I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the tablecloth edged in gold thread.
Perhaps it reflected his own status: a hero from the same party, yet stuck as a mere baron. As if to prove it, his old bow and arrow from his active days hung on the opposite wall. At this point, it wasn't funny anymore—just pathetic.
But I couldn't laugh openly. The bow's owner sat right in front of me. Amid the waves of inferiority crashing subtly around me, I felt like I was suffocating as I offered false respect to the empire's most famous archer.
"An honor to meet you, Baron Rick Leonhart."
I bowed my head deeply, but he didn't even glance my way, turning his gaze aside instead. Then he greeted his wife with unbelievable coldness.
"You're late. Nadia."
Just those two words, and Nadia trembled as if slapped hard, bowing her head. She stammered out her prepared excuse.
"I-It was just... Rick... t-taking a while to get ready..."
"I told you to call me 'Baron' in front of people."
"...Sorry, Baron."
Respect only emerges when others respect you first, after all. Proving his lowly mercenary roots, he pointed accusingly at Nadia.
"Whatever. Sit down already. The food's getting cold."
"Yes. Of course."
Nadia hurried to the seat beside him, following his finger. What about introducing your guest? Amazed by the couple's lack of manners, I sat anywhere, and when Rick ignored me to start his speech, I just sighed, utterly numb.
"Well then. Is everyone here now? Excellent."
He smiled for the first time and stood.
"I know you're all hungry, but first, I must explain how meaningful this gathering is. Today, the esteemed Professor Heide, whom I respect immensely, has joined us for dinner. Thank you again for accepting my invitation, Professor."
The professor, whose stiff expression hadn't softened since I entered, finally offered a faint smile and bowed to the baron.
"Not at all. The honor is mine, Baron."
"As you all probably know, Professor Heide serves as a potions instructor at Erendel Academy and was once a leading candidate for dean. I recall he especially enjoyed fervent support from the younger students. Right, Professor?"
"It was more attention than I deserved. I'm simply grateful to those students who supported me."
"But alas, he didn't get the position. Quite fortunate for me, though."
A sharp edge hid within the polite words. The professor clamped his mouth shut and clenched his fist under the table.
"You've always been critical of my wife and me, Professor. Especially my beloved Nadia. Isn't that right?"
"That's a misunderstanding, Baron. I merely..."
"I still can't forget that day. How my wife sobbed after reading your paper. I spent the whole day consoling her."
The professor bit his lip, unable to respond, while I stared at the cooling food, trying to quell a growing sense of disappointment.
"I..."
After a long silence, the professor finally spoke. As the baron stared, he couldn't meet his eyes, looking off over his shoulder.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding, Baron. I simply wrote what I believed to be the truth in that paper. But as you know, it wasn't. The paper was invalidated for falsification. I know forgiveness is unlikely now, but... if you could see it as the foolish mistake of a stupid professor, I'd be grateful."
"A mistake."
Rick rolled the word around in his mouth, chewing it slowly. Then, with his signature fake smile, he said,
"Of course all mistakes deserve forgiveness, Professor. Nadia has made plenty of big ones with me, but I've always forgiven her. She's my loving wife, and as my dear friend Bobby says, forgiveness is a hero's virtue."
"Thank you, Baron. Your mercy is as legendary as..."
"But forgiveness requires understanding the mistake, doesn't it? Unlike my wife, I'm an ignorant brute who knows nothing of scholarship. Could you explain the paper's contents, Professor?"
"P-Pardon...?"
The professor, briefly deluded into thinking he'd be spared, froze with his mouth agape. But true to his sharp mind, he quickly recovered and stammered an excuse.
"Ah... If that's what you wish, Baron, but unfortunately... it's been too long, and I don't remember the details. Sorry, but that request..."
"Knew you'd say that, so I prepared it. Bring it."
The baron snapped his fingers, and a thick stack of papers thudded down before the professor. A cold voice descended over the cruelly pristine edges.
"Just summarize the key points, dear Professor. Starting with that bit about the Demon King and the prophecy."
The professor opened his mouth as if to scrape up another excuse, but he had no more room to maneuver. After agonizing, he picked up the papers. With a trembling voice, he began reading his own folly.
"...Five years ago, a group claiming to be heroes invaded demon territory, slaying the Demon King and key figures before returning to the empire. They praised their own feats and demanded just rewards—a result we all know well."
"Slaying, huh? Interesting. Continue."
"They claimed they exterminated them because the revived Demon King threatened imperial citizens and planned humanity's extinction. However, statistics from the time of the supposed slaying raise doubts about whether the Demon King truly threatened humanity. Knight Nadia claimed over a hundred border knights died when the Demon King revived—that much is true. But including deaths from illness and accidents, the number of knights actually killed by demons barely deviates from the average. Considering accidents made up a large portion, it suggests severe corruption in imperial military service..."
"Skip the boring parts. Next, the bit about me and my wife."
"Ah... Yes."
The professor turned the page with shaking hands. A sharp paper edge sliced his finger, blood trickling down, but he didn't notice, gripping the sheets with bloody hands.
"Debate also surrounds whether the Demon King was truly defeated. Setting aside the hero prophecy, particular controversy clings to party members Knight Nadia and Rick. Nadia had repeatedly faced committees for disqualification due to incompetence, and fellow knights doubted she possessed skills to vanquish the Demon King. Beyond finding the hero, what contributions did she make to the party? It's questionable in itself."
I snuck a glance at Nadia, but she was too busy watching the baron to notice. He, listening intently, raised a hand to signal the professor.
"Continue."
"And Rick, who married Knight Nadia after returning victorious, was described by his mercenary clients as not exceptionally skilled. Unlike other unscathed party members, his severed index finger—trace of fierce battle, or proof of incompetence? Only... the hero's party knows the truth."
"Enough."
Rick clapped once, cutting him off. He stared silently at the professor.
"Fine paper, Professor."
"...Thank you."
"When I first heard about it..."
He suddenly shot up and approached. Grasping the professor's shoulder, he leaned in.
"I agonized over how to rip apart this fucking piece of shit."
"...!"
Just the hand on his shoulder made the professor choke out a gasp.
"I lost a finger saving the world, only to come back to this crap. I obsessed over how to destroy you properly."
"I-I..."
"But learning about you changed my mind. I realized I'd misunderstood a bit."
The baron slowly backed away from the professor, then approached the seat beside him. There sat Lydia, trembling and holding her breath just like her husband.
"No way you meant harm. Not a man married to..."
His thumb gently stroked her pale neck.
"...someone this beautiful."
The baron gripped her chin, forcing her to face him. Licking his lips greedily, he spat,
"Come to think of it, I haven't properly greeted you, Madam. In our baron's house, we show respect to ladies with a kiss. Shall we?"
"Baron, I... Mmph...!"
Before she could refuse, his thick lips swallowed hers. His tongue invaded instantly, sloppily smacking inside her mouth, the wet sounds echoing through the hall.
"Mmph... Mmmph..."
"Haa... Slurp..."
As Lydia kept her lips sealed in resistance, he seized her throat, forcing her mouth open to savor every inch. Crimson lips, soft tongue, the sweet depths within. While his own wife endured this humiliation, the professor could only tremble uselessly beside her.
"Hoo... Nice..."
"Baron... I... Ah...!"
As the baron's lips left a dark mark on her neck, his vile hand slipped under the table. I couldn't see exactly, but Lydia's sweet moans stirred the imagination.
"Hoo... You're sweating so much, Madam. Guess I should help with that... Professor Heide?"
"Yes?"
"You brought a gift for me."
"Ah... Y-Yes. Some liquor I collected during my tenure... and a bit of potion I made myself..."
"Your stamina potions are especially effective. Even boost virility, they say."
"Yes..."
The professor averted his eyes from his wife, mumbling something between a groan and a reply. Lydia watched his cowardly act with her own eyes.
"Then fetch it now. Feels like I'll need it soon."
"Pardon? Ah... Yes. Luca, could you... bring those gifts?"
"Yes, Professor."
Luca slipped out of the banquet hall with a cruel smile matching the baron's. As the baron prepared to indulge in Lydia, Nadia's voice suddenly piped up.
"Um... Baron?"
"What, Nadia? I'm busy."
He snapped curtly, relentlessly working his hand under the table. Lydia panted with a fully relaxed expression. Knowing full well she meant nothing to him, Nadia persisted anyway.
"Baron, you... haven't greeted me yet."
"What greeting between husband and wife?"
"But it's our first time seeing each other today. Can't you at least... greet me once?"
"Haa... Fuck."
Irritated at the interruption, Rick withdrew his hand from under Lydia. As she exhaled a sigh heavy with exhaustion, he strode toward Nadia.
Self-inflicted from jealousy, but she flinched and averted her eyes each time he neared. By the time he loomed before her, she squeezed her eyes shut.
"You that desperate to kiss me?"
"...Yes, Baron."
"Fine. Then."
Surprised by his ready agreement, Nadia looked up hopefully. Rick slowly bent down toward her.
And grabbed a wine glass from the table, dumping its entire contents over her head.
"Kyaaak!"
She raised her arms with a shrill scream, but he steadfastly poured every drop of the sticky liquor over her. Nadia shuddered, staring up at him with wide eyes. Rick calmly set the glass back down and spoke.
"Oops, Nadia. Can't go spilling drinks like that."
"Ah..."
She sighed hollowly at the droplets trickling down her long hair, then bowed her head deeply.
"Sorry..."
"Must be feeling ill. You there, Doctor? Sorry, but take her to her room and check her out. Take as long as you need."
Graciously acknowledging my presence, he barked the order like I was a servant. I nodded silently and stood.
"Understood, Baron. Come on, Nadia. I'll help you to your room."
"Yeah... Okay."
"Nadia, huh...?"
The baron frowned at the familiarity but quickly turned away, uninterested. He approached the professor, who felt betrayed for not protecting her, and Lydia, who despised him for not resisting. As I inwardly mourned their tragic fate, Nadia's quiet voice brushed my ear.
"...Thanks, Doctor Rachel."
"No need to thank me for this."
She thanked me with a wretched tone, even adding the honorific. Was this the true face of the empire's saviors? After settling her in her room, I'd witness the legendary archer rape another man's wife. Better to chat with Nadia in her room and slip away. I'd have to endure her lamentations, but I might glean something useful.
Supporting her soaked, unusually heavy body, I headed for the door. Liquid dripping from her hair mingled with my skin, carrying the sharp alcohol tang of strong wine—and a thick, fishy stench like fresh blood.
...
Yes, just like the stench of thick blood.
I froze with my hand on the doorknob. The lingering metallic tang in my mouth was unmistakably the fishy aroma of human blood.
Just to check, I sniffed Nadia's hair—no, it wasn't from there. This ominous scent seeped from the door crack.
"Damn it."
I muttered under my breath and slowly pushed the door open. Light from within spilled into the dark hall, illuminating a man collapsed in a pool of blood. Dust filled my mouth like gritty sand.
"Ah... Ah..."
A familiar voice grazed my ear. The man I'd thought dead twitched his haphazardly sprawled limbs, staring this way.
"Luca."
I whispered his name softly. But he didn't stir, just stared endlessly into my eyes. Looking closer, his right and left arteries were severed clean, spurting blood in rhythmic gushes. Staring at the meticulously sliced wounds, I slowly turned to Nadia. She gaped in disbelief at Luca before finally forcing out words.
"No way... That's impossible..."