Chapter 299
Chapter 299
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 299
Chapter Title: Shadows from Twelve Years Ago
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Narke's gaze turned to me. I shook my head in disbelief at the astonishing news and asked,
"You're saying he's passed away."
"Yes. Ten years ago."
When I heard that the person I knew was already dead, I froze up from my fingertips all the way through my body. How was I supposed to react to that?
"Ten years ago..."
"It seems we've stirred up painful memories for Your Highness the Archduke. We're truly sorry."
While I was still reeling from the shock, Leo cut in after gauging the Archduke's expression and offered an apology. The Archduke waved it off, signaling there was no need.
"No, I already understand it's necessary for the investigation. I'm grateful enough that you're working to recover the Oestreich-Este family heirloom."
The Archduke looked around at us and continued.
"However, we're managing the items on a family level, and above all, my late brother handled Ferure in much the same way I do, so he wouldn't have any special information that I don't."
"I see. Understood."
Leo glanced my way as he replied. It was a signal to ask if I had questions, but right now, I needed time to collect my thoughts.
Frustrated that we weren't getting anywhere, the Archduke leaned in closer and asked,
"So, how is the investigation progressing? For example, have you looked into organized theft rings, or re-examined everyone who entered the country that day—something like that?"
"Yes, the Investigation Bureau has already checked all entrants and departures for the week starting that day, but we found no traces related to the stolen items. Also, our Eschet has a mage who can read objects' memories. We've been investigating around the borders with him, but nothing unusual has turned up yet. My apologies."
"Hmm..."
While I stared straight ahead, their mundane conversation continued.
My mind was a mess, unable to shake off the shock from learning about the deceased. Even though it had only been a few days, the person I'd mingled with was actually long dead.
And... yeah, it had seemed too easy. Asking the Archduke directly after twelve years should have solved everything right away. But we'd hit an unexpected snag, so things were about to get more complicated.
Narke nudged my ankle with the tip of his shoe. I turned my head slightly to meet his intense stare—he'd read my mind—and he asked the Archduke,
"Does the Oestreich-Este family have any unique spells unique to it?"
"I can't reveal spells passed down in the family. As you know, those are all state secrets. If it were connected to this incident, I'd tell you, but... you'd have to keep it strictly confidential."
The Archduke wore an expression like he was fielding one absurd question after another today. Narke bit the inside of his lip, equally unsure.
—"Nothing to get here. This guy really doesn't know anything."
I nodded at Narke's telepathic message. After that, we continued talking a bit more with Second Lady Maria, then returned to the mansion.
If that's how it was, I'd have to look elsewhere for what I needed.
"You're finally back..."
Elias muttered in a dying voice from my bed. I didn't even greet him as I set my bag on the chair.
"Did you get anything? Must've been great without me."
Leo responded dryly to Elias's sarcasm.
"We told you to sort the documents."
"I'm a field guy!"
"So you didn't?"
"I did..."
Elias buried his face in my pillow and pointed to the stack of papers on the desk. Normally I'd tell him to get out, but I wasn't in the mood right now.
I perched on the edge of the bed and said quietly,
"Leo. I want to meet your uncle."
"Hm?"
Leo looked like he seriously doubted what he'd just heard.
"...You mean His Highness Emmanuel? Have I ever introduced you?"
"No."
"Then how do you know him? Is he connected to this case?"
"He can at least give us a lead."
As the Archduke's one occult friend—someone even his brother didn't know everything about—he might have info the Archduke himself lacked. Sure, there was physical distance, but they shared the Archduke's secretive hobby, making Emmanuel his closest confidant. The Archduke visited Bavaria often, and Emmanuel went to Austria just as frequently. That's what I'd gleaned from their conversations.
Leo stared at me stiffly, then shook his head.
"Of all people, him being tied to the Oestreich-Este theft? Just how deep have you dug?"
"What do you mean?"
"My uncle hates even hearing about that family. I don't know what beef they have..."
He hates them.
Because his friend died? Or some other reason? Thoughts swirled through my head. Countless possibilities popped up randomly, each with its own probability, messing with my calculations. Meanwhile, Leo avoided my eyes and said,
"He probably already knows we're handling this theft case. So... I can't arrange a meeting."
"..."
"Even if I asked him, or you wrote him directly, he'd refuse."
"You're sure?"
I let out a short breath and asked. Leo's face showed he understood, but his answer was utterly firm.
"Yeah."
* * *
Leo was right.
I sent a letter to Archduke Emmanuel asking to meet, and got an immediate warp-post refusal. I hadn't even mentioned Oestreich-Este, but as Leo said, he knew what case we were on and anticipated my questions.
Asking the Imperial Family or Bavaria's king for help wouldn't work either. I didn't want to force a Bavarian royal using imperial authority anyway, and custom dictated no divine powers in investigations involving royals. Without hard evidence tying him to the case, Emmanuel could just play dumb.
So what could I do?
"You collapsed and woke up, huh."
I opened my eyes. Emmanuel, lounging on the sofa back, held his cheroot to my lips with a grin.
Twelve years ago. I'd slipped back into the extra chapter. Not just now—I'd entered half a day ago by this timeline's reckoning, right after investigating the dead Archduke Maria.
My friends needed time to investigate outside, so I hadn't bumped up the time differential. Elias and Narke would keep pressing the Hermetic Society as before, so I'd get their intel when I returned. Their findings mattered to me too.
I waved my hand.
"If you're giving me one, make it fresh."
"Picky. You sure you're American?"
"What do you think Americans are...? You think we don't care about hygiene?"
"Haha."
Emmanuel just laughed and puffed his cheroot without answering.
I'd learn ways to win over the real Emmanuel here, and more fundamentally, spend more time with Archduke Maria to extract info. He'd said my presence advanced the club's founding by years. I'd probe his "original plans" without derailing the unaltered future too much.
It wouldn't be worth it if it strained me, but lounging peacefully was no big deal. With the imperial order and now knowing what the Archduke's technique was, I couldn't just abandon Ferure without checking what power it held.
Recapping yesterday's talk with Leo: What if Phleroma's "ability replication" had limits? And they sought his technique to bypass them?
Just one of many hypotheses, but endless ones like it were the problem. If true, the fallout would spread like wildfire.
A peaceful breather to gather info suited me fine. Staring at the cheroot smoke wafting above me, I thought of wallpaper discoloration.
"In twelve years, you'll be 41, right, Your Highness?"
"29 now... yeah, probably."
"That's old."
"41's old? I've got a hundred years left."
"Bigger age gap with me."
Emmanuel pondered seriously how that related to 41, then chuckled.
"Back then, Sir Everett's 35. Six years apart—can't call that 'old,' can you?"
"It's plenty. When I started middle school, you were entering the First Academy."
Brainless response. In reality, he's 41 and I'm 18—a twenty-plus-year gap. Six years is fine here; Koreans obsess over even one or two, but friends that age aren't weird locally. Still, twenty is pushing it. I'm ready to act the part, but he'll see me as a kid no matter what.
*'41 looking at 18... like his kid.'*
Tricky. And being his nephew's friend doesn't help.
"How do I get close to you, Your Highness?"
"Take it like an American."
He offered the cheroot again.
"Did some American wrong you or something?"
"Weird. You wanna get close to me?"
"If you want me to smoke with you, give me a fresh one?"
"This is my last."
"You thought of me so kindly—I must've missed it."
"Yeah. Got it?"
"I thought I did, but nah. Thanks for the last one, but first time seeing someone offer their own they've been smoking. Wanna share oral microbiomes?"
"...So scientific. Who thinks that far? That's why you're hard to befriend."
Emmanuel smirked. I had no intention of smoking anyway—hygiene matters to anyone. He seemed to prioritize weird loyalty, sentiment, romance over it, but hygiene wins every time for me. A thousand times over. Maybe as a 21st-century guy, I struggle with this era's romanticism sometimes. Dropped in 1960s Europe, I'd adapt poorly; 1880s worse. This world's totally alien. Gotta drop 21st-century thinking to survive.
"When's Archduke Maria coming?"
We'd parted after unique ability lessons, so Maria Oestreich-Este was staying at Emmanuel's. But no sign of him now.
"Probably scouting spots in Berlin."
Relentless. Meeting the guy who'd die in two years would've bummed me out unprepared. Good he was away.
I took the whiskey Emmanuel offered, sipped, and lay back.
"You introduced Maria's water-generation unique ability—any others?"
"Why?"
"Curious."
"Probably not."
"Then, any unique ability Maria wants?"
"Why pry like this? Why only Maria talk?"
"I'm the type who fixates and talks only about it."
"Fixates... what?"
Emmanuel scowled down at me. Bad word choice—I resolved to mind it even with newhumans and corrected.
"I mean hooked on occult. Got an occult friend—wouldn't you be too?"
"Yeah... but you stirred it up, so now we gotta hunt that treasure chest."
Deciding to air grievances, he pinned me lightly with mana.
"Surprised you blame me. Weren't you planning to chest-hunt with him anyway?"
"Sigh... why start now? I talked him into later."
So he'd burn out alone later. But I'd lit the fire.
Sorry, but a nudge gives momentum. Personally curious—and checking if he differed from my intel—I asked,
"What's Archduke Maria's full name?"
"Hmm..."
Silence stretched.
*'He doesn't even know his friend's name?'*
Suspicious, but he snapped his fingers.
"Beatrix... something."
"Got it. Try remembering your friend's name next time."
Matched my research, thankfully.
Earlier, brother Leopold Maria called Beatrix Maria "elder brother"—actually Venerabilis, not ältere Bruder. Newhumans use different terms. I lump Venerables as "brothers" or call Adrian Ascanien the old-style, but usually they use Venerabilis for senior siblings or high-mana mages. No hints there. Only I use "brother" old-style.
Emmanuel grumbled at my jab. But we were close enough at 29 he wouldn't drag me for lese-majeste. Ignoring him with eyes closed, he broke the silence.
"Teaching still going well?"
"Of course."
I'd soothed him into being better friend/mentor than Fronto, so Leonard wouldn't hound my free time soon. Before more Leonard talk, I asked,
"How do I get closer to Archduke Maria?"
"Your eyes don't say you want to."
Emmanuel stared piercingly, then laughed.
Well, he dies in two years. No needless pain. But to learn why Maria dragged in a heirloom—mere guess or likely?—surface chit-chat won't cut it. I shrugged; he tossed out,
"Wanna get close? Work to visit his house."
"Can't leave country for classes."
"Ah. Then hunt the treasure chest~"
"Realistic?"
"Nope."
Spot-on. Twelve years on, it's still a mystery used for secret club interviews. If found, it'd be headlines.
Chest-hunt for Archduke friendship? Dead end.
*'Asking to infuse Ferure risks altering the future.'*
He'd slap any ability in then. More I intervene, more my info gets tainted.
Logically: Who experiments new tech on a family heirloom? Accessories for artifacts abound cheaply. Why touch historic property?
If extreme circumstances make him think Ferure without mentioning it, that's reliable-ish. Might shift since accelerated, so gather more here fast, verify outside. Wrong? Drop quick.
Elias and Narke hitting twelve-year-future Hermetic Society—if I'm off, join them.
*'Two weeks this time.'
Twelve hours outside.
Here, two weeks to naturally learn all about Maria.
Three days in, I finished occult primer.
The Archduke clapped and jumped up.
"Done! Party time for finishing a book! Sir Everett, such zeal—occult basics in a week."
"Haha..."
Damn... only occult theory.
Seemed easy but tricky. Hard linking occult to heirlooms; they rabbit on their interests. Chats aplenty, but steering mine? Tough.
Tried leading like "Do you artifact-ize gems too?"—got "obvious question" looks. Riskier near-topics? Bland basics. Same for unique abilities. All looped to intro occult, killing depth.
Sensing my soulless vibe, trailing Emmanuel closed the book giggling.
"Maria."
"Yeah?"
More comfy in our trio, he bantered casually around me. Emmanuel spoke again.
"You think Sir Everett's here 'cause he loves real occult?"
"...?"
Ready to shut him up, I turned. He glimpsed my face, faltered laughing, leaned to Maria.
"He's here to do direct activities with you."
"Direct activities..."
The Archduke stroked his chin, eyeing me seriously.
"Is it what I'm thinking?"
"Sorry, no idea what you're thinking."
"What're you asking? Sir Everett's never said it outright. He's shy, so pick up on it already."
Realization dawned; he apologized to me sheepishly.
"Didn't realize... Should've accommodated if you'd said."
"Said what? Note: occult invocation theory's enough on paper."
"In the middle of life's path, I found myself in a dark wood."
"..."
What now? Blinking blankly, the Archduke nagged Emmanuel.
"He doesn't know."
"Sir Everett's a newbie."
Emmanuel rose, pulled my shoulder.
"Dante's Divine Comedy."
"I know. So?"
"You gotta tour with Virgil sometime."
Chills; I whipped to him. Near-death vision? Afterlife tour?
Nonsense as expected. He patted, laughing.
"Try astral projection together—you'll get as close as you want."