Chapter 177: Trap(1)
Chapter 177: Trap(1)
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*
The elves had been meticulously tracking the trail ever since the publisher sent the letter. They set out on their pursuit, completely unaware of what was currently unfolding within the mansion.
They had nearly lost their target when a man intentionally took a convoluted route to throw them off, but they were elves—masters of magic.
By using magic, they could easily track a target by identifying mana flows, including footprints. Even if that failed, they could resort to high-level spells, so the task presented little difficulty.
"The path leads here."
An elven man with dull blond hair reaching his shoulders muttered as he looked at the mansion's entrance. Before his eyes stood a firmly locked main gate, standing tall and imposing.
Guards stood watch at the checkpoint, pulling sentry duty. Despite the late hour and the brilliant canopy of stars overhead, they showed no signs of drowsiness as they worked.
Though shrouded in darkness where nothing should be visible, the elves could see as clearly as if it were broad daylight. Naturally, this was also thanks to magic.
"By the way, isn't this the territory where the exhibition was held?"
"That's right. The place where they held that so-called exhibition for Xenon a few months ago. How ridiculous, holding an entire exhibition for a mere writer."
When another elven man questioned the group, a brown-haired elven woman answered with a snort. Her arrogant expression and condescending tone made her the perfect elven stereotype.
I have a bad feeling about this...
Mael, the elven man, thought to himself as he stared at the mansion's gate. Somehow, they had succeeded in their tracking, and the process of reaching the mansion had been smooth.
The problem was that it had been too smooth—easy, even. The target had tried to delay them by taking a winding route, but such efforts were meaningless before magic. To truly erase one's traces, one would need magic at least equal to their own.
That was why he felt uneasy. Currently, Xenon was speculated to be either a prophet or a person from the future; there was no way such a person would fall for mere 'tracking.'
Unlike the others, Mael held a surprisingly high opinion of Xenon, which naturally led to his apprehension. Of course, his high opinion didn't change the fact that he disliked the man.
"What should we do? Shall we enter at daybreak?"
"No. If we wait, he might have time to prepare some trickery. We move in now. Are there security spells in place?"
"There are, but they are quite weak."
Lena, the elven woman, answered the leader's question. By human standards, the security magic was quite sophisticated, but it could hardly function properly against them. These were no ordinary elves; they were personnel dispatched directly from the Elder Council.
No matter how skilled an average elf might be, they would have to bow before the power of the Great Families. While these three weren't as absurdly strong as a Warlord, they were more than capable enough to be considered elite forces.
Kalas, the elven leader, wore a thin, predatory smile, sensing that the job would be easy. Even if there were security spells, magic installed by mere humans was something they could easily bypass.
"This is getting easier by the second. Everyone, follow me. We'll check the first floor first."
"Do you think Xenon is really here?"
"It doesn't matter if he isn't. The trail ended here, so there's bound to be something."
Lena laughed confidently and waved her hand. Her body momentarily turned translucent before vanishing completely.
Since she wasn't hiding in the shadows like a Dark Elf, a faint, hazy afterimage remained. Of course, even this would be difficult to detect for anyone without exceptionally sharp eyes.
Following her lead, Kalas and Mael also concealed themselves using magic. They didn't forget to take measures to ensure they wouldn't be caught by the security spells.
"Stay alert. Muffle your footsteps as much as possible. From now on, we communicate via telepathy."
[Understood.]
Thus, the three elves entered the mansion under the cover of stealth magic. To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, they didn't use Teleport, which emitted a large mana signature; instead, they used their superior physical abilities to lightly vault over the walls.
The notion that elves didn't engage in dirty work was a thing of the distant past. While that temperament still lingered, it was a different story when it came to a 'Greater Cause.'
That cause was the fact that Xenon possessed far too dangerous knowledge. Previously, they could dismiss it by saying a novel was just a novel, but now they had a clear justification.
Even though God Himself had warned them not to interfere, they had only come for verification and 'persuasion.' They had no intention of touching him as the warning had forbidden.
[The first floor seems to be where the servants stay.]
[Nothing stands out particularly.]
[Same for this room.]
The elves exchanged messages through telepathy.
The first floor of the mansion consisted of servant quarters, a dining hall, and a lounge. Occasionally, a servant carrying a lamp would pass by on patrol, but none could sense the elves.
After a short while, having found nothing despite searching every nook and cranny of the first floor, the elven tracking team moved up to the second floor. The second floor housed the rooms for the family, including the Lord, rather than the servants.
Kalas had searched the first floor just in case, but he had already deduced that clues were more likely to be on the second floor. Therefore, he planned to search the second floor more thoroughly.
[I will check the Lord's office and bedchamber first. You two check the other areas.]
[Understood.]
[Yes, sir.]
After giving orders to his subordinates, Kalas moved toward the room he assumed was the Lord's bedchamber. Usually, rooms related to a Lord had double doors rather than a single one.
Before long, Kalas arrived at a set of double doors and used magic to sense who was inside. Seeing as it was empty, he assumed it was the office.
Wait, I feel like I've heard the name Maishal somewhere before...
Before entering, Kalas thought deeply about the Maishal family. He was certain he had heard it at least once, but he couldn't recall the details.
Long-lived species, by their nature, have excellent memories. They can remember exactly what they ate for New Year's ten years ago, so a name should be easy.
He rarely forgot a name once he heard it, yet he couldn't quite place where he'd heard 'Maishal.' In cases like this, it was usually a name he had heard in passing through rumors.
I should just take a look first.
Entering the office via a short-range Teleport, Kalas looked around. As expected, it was an office for the Lord to conduct business.
The office was generally ordinary. It smelled of paper, and a desk was positioned prominently in the center.
Driven by an unearned confidence, he felt certain a clue would be here. With an expectant smile, Kalas strode toward the desk.
His conviction grew the moment he saw a drawer firmly secured with a lock. He was sure there would be a clue related to Xenon inside.
Using mana to easily pick the lock, he carefully opened the drawer to avoid making any noise. It was perfectly silent, without even the typical rattling sound of a drawer sliding open.
...It's a bust.
Inside the drawer was nothing but a pile of documents; there was nothing related to Xenon. Then again, documents were important, so it wasn't hard to understand why it was locked.
Kalas clicked his tongue inwardly and began searching the other drawers. Before long, he discovered a single piece of paper in another drawer.
A photograph?
It was a photo. One might wonder how a photograph could exist in an era where cameras hadn't been invented, but such things were possible because of 'magic.'
Images or videos could be stored via magic and then printed onto paper. However, this technology hadn't reached the public and was currently used only for military purposes.
In Albenheim, where most elves could use magic, seeing a photograph wasn't a first, but what caught Kalas's attention were the people in it.
In the vivid color photograph—not black and white—stood Hawk during his days as a Knight Commander, alongside his comrades.
Though Kalas usually looked down on humans as an inferior race, he couldn't help but focus on the figure in the photo. Because the hair of the man standing proudly in the center, Hawk, was 'red.'
Furthermore, his golden eyes, glowing like those of a predator, plunged Kalas into deep thought.
Red hair and golden eyes...
This incredibly unique combination was rare not just among elves, but across all races. It was beyond rare; it was practically non-existent.
Wait. Maishal is...
When one faint memory surfaces, it often triggers a chain reaction. In Kalas's mind, 'Maishal' and 'red hair' finally merged.
He wasn't in the military, so he had only heard it in passing, but there was a human with red hair who was said to be incredibly strong. He had heard that elven scouts sent to the border regions frequently returned with broken limbs.
Their lives weren't in danger and they recovered quickly, but he was a man skilled enough to 'subdue' elven scouts. A human, yet someone who could never be underestimated—one of the individuals even Albenheim had to be wary of.
The man who had boosted the Empire's security by wiping out the Barbarians who were wreaking havoc in the border regions.
The Red Lion, Hawk Ducard Maishal.
...Damn it.
Kalas hurriedly tossed the photo aside and straightened his back. He never dreamed this would be the residence of the Red Lion.
He had only ever heard the title and rarely the name, so he hadn't even suspected it. But he had certainly heard of the Red Lion's fame.
Even Kalas, who usually looked down on humans, could not afford to underestimate the Red Lion.
I have to leave this place immediately—
It happened in that instant.
Thud!
"Gah!"
While Kalas was momentarily distracted, someone grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed him face-first into the desk. It was an ambush so swift he couldn't even resist, and the pressure applied to his neck was terrifying.
He tried to circulate his mana to escape, but he couldn't. The mana that had already flowed in from his neck had completely seized control of his body.
Struggling, Kalas twisted his neck as much as possible to look back. A pair of golden eyes, glowing ominously in the darkness, were looking down at him.
The gaze was literally that of a 'predator,' enough to make one's knees tremble. It had effortlessly subdued Kalas, who was considered an elite even among elves.
"Y-You..."
"Shh. Quiet."
Just as Kalas was about to speak, Hawk, who held his neck with a hand the size of a dinner plate, placed an index finger to his own lips as if telling him to be silent.
At the same time, Kalas felt the amount of mana being transmitted through his neck increasing. That mana gradually moved toward his heart, and while it didn't touch it completely, it hovered around it.
Kalas realized what this meant. If he made any useless resistance, his heart would be detonated instantly.
It was a level of mana control that should have been impossible for an ordinary human, but his opponent was the famous Red Lion—a man speculated to possess strength equal to an elven Warlord.
Meanwhile, Hawk looked down at the trembling Kalas and chuckled.
"You shouldn't go around breaking into other people's houses."
*
Meanwhile, while Kalas was being subdued, Lena and Mael were investigating in a pair. They had decided that searching in pairs was more efficient than one person per room, even if it took more time.
They first meticulously searched the empty rooms. One was originally Dave's room, but as everyone knew, he had already enlisted. The room was vacant.
Next, they searched Nicole's room, but she was also away for her entrance test. Naturally, it was impossible to find any evidence related to Xenon there.
In the end, only one room remained: Isaac's bedroom.
[I wonder what Lord Kalas is doing? He hasn't contacted us.]
[I don't know. Let's just do our job. He's probably focusing.]
The two elves quietly slipped into the bedchamber where Isaac was sleeping. They didn't forget to check if any servants were nearby before opening the door.
As they stepped into the chamber, a unique scent tickled their noses. It was the musty smell characteristic of old books.
As if revealing the source of the scent, Isaac's room contained numerous bookshelves. They were, of course, packed tightly with volumes.
[I have a feeling it's here.]
[Let's search quickly.]
With the scent of books in the air, the two entered with a subtle sense of certainty. They checked the bed just in case and saw the owner of the room fast asleep, oblivious to the world.
If they investigated quietly, that would be the end of it. Mael and Lena first walked toward the desk next to the bed.
There, they discovered a stack of papers and a single letter sitting on the desk. The two elves were momentarily excited, but they calmed themselves and divided the items to check.
[This is... Oh, my God. It's the manuscript for the first volume of the Xenon Biography!]
[This is a letter. And it's from the publisher.]
It didn't take long for them to realize that the stack of papers was the manuscript for the first volume of the Xenon Biography and the letter was the one sent by the publisher.
With this, the truth was proven. The owner of this bedchamber was indeed Xenon. Lena looked back and forth between the letter and the manuscript with an ecstatic gaze before turning her eyes toward the bed.
As if completely unaware of what was happening, the owner of the room was still sleeping soundly with his eyes closed.
[What should we do? Should we take him?]
[Of course we should. We have no choice if we want proper verification.]
[Right. We can just bring him back before tomorrow morning.]
The moment they confirmed the room's owner was Xenon, the two elves began plotting a kidnapping. For a moment, greed took root in their eyes.
Finding Xenon was already a massive achievement, but 'persuading' him too? That would provide an opportunity to significantly strengthen their positions within the Elder Council.
Even if persuasion failed, it didn't matter. They could simply threaten him so he could no longer write. Now that it was proven he possessed dangerous knowledge, they had more than enough reason.
Mael and Lena placed the manuscript and letter back on the desk and turned their gaze toward the bed. And then...
"You can't do that~"
Grab—
A seductive female voice drifted from behind them. Along with it, hands gently covered the mouths of the two elves.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say the mouths were covered 'softly,' but the moment they were touched, the intelligent eyes of the elves instantly turned vacant. By all appearances, their consciousness had completely vanished.
Yet, despite losing consciousness, they remained standing upright instead of collapsing. Cecile, the woman who had muffled the elves, spoke quietly with a charming smile.
"Kidnapping is a bad thing, you pointy-ears."
She had even been eavesdropping on the elves' telepathy.