Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Magnet Branch (3)
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Screeech.
The massive door swung open, revealing the gruesome scene within.
“Whew, they were killed clean.”
Juters, the military policeman assigned to investigate the massacre of the Wiruan Merchant Group's leadership, clicked his tongue as he surveyed the bodies strewn across the hall.
The neat sword wounds on their bodies indicated no ordinary skill.
“Who the hell could have done this….”
“Independence Army, right?”
It was a question from his adjutant, Grun, standing beside him.
Juters nodded and carefully stepped around the pools of blood on the floor.
“Has to be. Who else but those barbaric Francia scum would pull off something this shitty. Damn mongrels.”
He pictured the scene in his mind from the blatant traces scattered around.
“Probably someone they knew. High chance everyone was standing and looking at him when he first walked in.”
“Because he was an intruder?”
“No. They weren’t just glancing around—they were facing the entrance. Means he had a status that drew all their attention.”
“A Francia guy?”
“Traitors among them hold high positions too.”
“Ah—.”
Even among the Francia, turncoats often rose high. The governor, Halent Barrein, was Francia nobility, wasn’t he?
Juters crouched to closely examine the dead and confirm identities.
“This one’s Histeron.”
The man who led the Wiruan Merchant Group had his head split open by a sword slash from below. Juters stood and scanned the overall scene.
“Sword swung so fast, no one even got away properly.”
The radius of scattered bodies wasn’t that wide.
Even though it was a single person doing the slaughter in the hall, he hadn’t given the banquet attendees enough time to flee far.
Truly wiped them out in the blink of an eye.
“But how’d he pull this off without leaving a single trace?”
Juters stroked his chin, furrowing his brow.
The culprit had a high status that instantly drew their eyes, and the power to slaughter them in an instant.
Yet someone like that visited the merchant group, and there’s zero info on him.
They wouldn’t have welcomed him with open arms, but they’d at least have given him a room.
But questioning the underlings yielded nothing unusual.
As if someone had perfectly covered it up.
“The roster of the conscripted?”
“Not a single one left. Nothing else touched, just that info vanished clean.”
“Definitely Independence Army handiwork, then.”
“Yes. Was going to investigate the ones who led the conscription separately, but turns out they were all at the banquet too.”
“So they herded all the key people here and wiped them out in one go.”
“…Yeah.”
“Damn it. Maybe the culprit didn’t have high status but impersonated one? That’d make sense. Looks like Histeron got properly hooked.”
Juters fiddled with his earlobe, lost in thought.
The obvious goal: free the conscripted.
High chance an Independence Army guy impersonated a high noble from the start. Otherwise, traces wouldn’t be wiped so cleanly from the beginning. What kind of guy fooled Histeron like that?
“…If it was impersonation, maybe he posed as an imperial noble.”
Juters murmured after thinking. Grun jumped in surprise, scowling.
“What? That insolent?”
“Those barbarians know nothing of nobility. With that level of power, easy to fool. Probably a fallen Francia noble. So he’d mimic one perfectly. Histeron probably tried cozying up and got this end.”
“Ooh, it’s starting to fit together?”
“True or not, gotta report it framed like this. No traces, so gotta write a story. Fuck.”
He pulled a notepad from his pocket, jotted down the info so far and his assumptions based on it, then snapped it shut.
“Man, really curious who pulled this shit.”
He pocketed the notepad and turned toward the entrance. His adjutant followed.
For a moment, their steps halted as they were about to exit.
An unfamiliar man stood before them, no idea when he’d arrived. Their hands rushed to the swords at their waists.
“Wh-who are you!”
“The guy you were curious about.”
At the man’s indifferent voice, they drew their swords as if expecting it.
Shing-.
Or tried to.
But the swords stopped halfway drawn.
Spurt!
Blood sprayed as the sword-wielders collapsed limply.
The two headless bodies tumbled with a roll.
The man took the notepad from Juters’s pocket.
Whoosh.
Flames from his fingertip devoured it in an instant.
He tossed the burning notepad to the floor and turned leisurely.
The words Juters had assumed and written burned to ash in the flames, scattering.
* * *
Like a ghoul digging up a grave, Liriel was pulling clothes from her bag.
The outfits Cecilia gifted her were buried at the very bottom.
“Hmm, what to wear?”
She eyed the three outfits on the bed, deeply pondering which to choose.
Not because she wanted to look pretty for someone.
‘Just for my own satisfaction!’
She comforted herself like that.
“This seems fitting.”
In a feminine navy dress, she twisted her body this way and that, checking herself.
The simple design didn’t feel overdone, yet not plain either—perfect fit.
“Hmm~ hmm~.”
Outfit decided, her cute reflection in the mirror brought a hum naturally.
This was flawless.
‘Any guy would fall head over heels!’
Not that she meant to make Genes fall, she excused to herself pointlessly.
Stepping out, fine weather greeted her.
Blue sky, warm sun, cool breeze.
Good day like this naturally lifted her mood.
Absolutely not because of Genes.
She headed to the meeting spot with Genes with light steps, like going on a picnic.
Would’ve been nice to leave together, but he had morning business, so no choice.
Meeting spot: ‘Harry Peter’s Magic Shop.’
Hot spot where young men and women gathered, apparently.
Jeez.
‘He’s not thinking weird stuff, is he?’
This was just touring the capital, not a date.
Genes never said anything like that, yet Liriel worried alone.
* * *
Finishing brief business, I headed to meet Liriel.
Stopped by Wiruan Merchant Group briefly, so meeting at ‘Harry Peter’s Magic Shop.’
Popular spot for Magnet citizens to set meetings.
I dashed across densely packed rooftops.
Streets crowded with people and carriages—this saved time.
Hide presence, no one spots me.
Tap.
‘Harry Peter’s Magic Shop’ stood out from afar, clearly decorated.
Blue vines climbing the walls screamed presence.
Tap.
Down from the roof, spotted Liriel standing over there. Crowded area, but she stood out, easy find.
Navy dress, unlike usual.
About to call her, some guy beat me, approaching and speaking.
“Good day. I’m Butter, youngest son of the Rimario family. Just standing there, your figure struck me like a single rose blooming amid mistflowers—intense and beautiful, eyes spellbound. If not a bother—.”
“Bother.”
At my words, their gazes turned to me.
“Oh? You’re here.”
Liriel, making a disgusted face at the greasy guy, brightened and stuck close to me.
“Ah, my bad. You have company. Excuse me. Enjoy your time.”
He glanced at me and scurried off.
I tsked at him.
No backbone, chasing beauties.
“Dress like that, flies buzzing.”
“Am I shit? Flies buzz shit. Pretty flower draws bees. Why? This dress makes me pretty? Say it if pretty. It’s fact.”
Liriel flipped hair behind ear, acting cute.
What’d she eat wrong?
“What’d you have for breakfast?”
“Me? Just baguette.”
“Then why like this?”
“What?”
“Never mind. Let’s go.”
Heading to the square, Liriel grabbed my arm, stopping me.
“Square’s this way!”
She pointed opposite my direction.
“You know the way?”
“Yeah, roughly. Passed here going to Whailun Palace by carriage. Remember this much.”
I followed Liriel striding confidently ahead.
“But where were you since morning?”
“Wiruan Merchant Group.”
“Huh? Why?”
Liriel’s eyes widened round.
“Killer returns to scene, that crap?”
“Think so?”
“Then why? Wasn’t it cleaned up neat?”
Cleaned neat, yes.
Reasoning plausible, but couldn’t lead to us.
“Tried steering their investigation my way. If they think killer’s still in capital, they’ll focus harder searching for me.”
“Ah—.”
She got it, nodding.
Whichever way they investigated, they’d chase roofs like dogs after chickens, but better they chase me than the conscripts.
So I firmly pointed their eyes my way.
“Hmm, Genes seems subtly caring up close. Harsh words, but quietly looks out. Why? Could speak pretty too.”
I pinched her cheeks with one hand like tongs, turning her face forward.
“Shut up and watch ahead.”
“Tch.”
She pouted in complaint but soon widened eyes in awe at the sight.
“Ooh. This is intact!”
“Yeah.”
Before us loomed a grand fountain adorned with fairy and divine beast statues.
“Lots changed, but some stayed same.”
Liriel approached, staring at the statues.
Magnet had turned foreign, but close look showed familiar spots.
“As a kid, seemed way bigger….”
Nostalgic, Liriel gazed wistfully, stroking the fountain. Past memories in her eyes felt visible to me.
Watching her quietly, she reminded me of this city.
Much changed, feeling unfamiliar, but look close—old memories still there.
Like Liriel to me.
Time turned her woman enough to feel strange. Personality wilder too. Yet living together, the girl I knew pops out, greeting happily.
Maybe why teasing her is fun.
Eyes glaring—that’s the face I knew.
If Francia hadn’t fallen, we’d be married by now. Walking this street as crown prince and princess.
Now thinking, weird I’m here.
Executed crown prince of fallen nation, returned as martial world’s best after ten years.
What nonsense.
Initially resented the absurdity, but now glad I returned.
In many ways.
“This is Tenasta Square!”
We’d arrived at the vast open plaza bustling with people.
I shifted gaze to the clock tower at center.
Amid passing crowds, I quietly eyed the spot where I’d been executed in my past life.