Chapter 79: Baron Ashro’s Estate 10
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: Baron Ashro’s Estate 10
"But why are there drugs here?"
Loki’s question snapped the Special Class students out of their daze. They turned their collective gaze toward Baron Ashro, the weight of the situation finally sinking in.
The words Cardinal had left behind before departing flashed through their minds.
‘On the contrary. This time, I didn't come to steal, but to return what was stolen.’
‘I must say, I’m surprised. I didn't expect an Imperial noble to possess drugs.’
When Cardinal first mentioned "drugs," they hadn't believed him. After all, such substances had vanished from the Empire long ago and hadn't surfaced since. However, Elicia, who had arrived late, had also looked at the bottle and identified its contents immediately.
Did that mean, just as Cardinal claimed, those drugs originally belonged to Baron Ashro?
Seeing the students staring at him, Baron Ashro denied it at the top of his lungs.
"That thief is clearly trying to frame me!"
If the Special Class students had caught Cardinal, the Baron had planned to smuggle the drugs away somehow. He had been startled when Cardinal suddenly appeared, but he initially thought it was a golden opportunity to eliminate the witness. Instead, Cardinal had toyed with everyone with overwhelming skill.
Even after Cardinal left, the Baron intended to play the victim to the Special Class students to gain their sympathy and support. That was, until Cardinal left the drugs behind.
"He must have obtained a single bottle from somewhere just to pin this on me!"
Baron Ashro truly believed that. The amount of drugs Cardinal had made off with wasn't just one bottle; he was certain the thief had kept the rest of the stash and left a single vial behind to frame him.
"That is true."
"I suppose so. We can't exactly take a criminal's word as gospel."
Observing the students' reactions, Baron Ashro cheered inwardly.
Until Loki opened his mouth, that is.
"I took a quick look, and that wasn't an ordinary bottle. It definitely has a special magic cast on it, so there’s probably a lot more inside than it looks."
Of course, this was a blatant lie. The Baron might not believe the words of a mere student, but...
"Professor Elicia, isn't that right?"
Elicia nodded. There was no one here who would doubt Elicia's word.
"......But why would Cardinal go out of his way to return the drugs just to frame the Baron?" Sepia asked, deep in thought.
"Maybe... he did it so we'd stop looking for him?" Frederick suggested in a timid voice.
"Even so, that doesn't erase Cardinal's crimes, does it? In the first place, if Cardinal hadn't shown up, we wouldn't have even encountered the drugs," Sepia countered.
As Sepia said, the Special Class students had spent all day trying to catch Cardinal but hadn't found even the slightest clue. The students continued to debate Cardinal's motives.
There were only two things they were certain of. One was that what Cardinal left behind was indeed real drugs. The other was that Cardinal could have killed everyone here but chose to leave instead.
The students also considered the possibility that what Cardinal said was the truth—that he had stolen the drugs from Baron Ashro. As the conversation continued, Baron Ashro grew increasingly anxious. What if they reach the truth?
Clap!
Loki clapped his hands once to draw their attention.
"Now, now, making us overthink like this might be exactly what Cardinal wants. Let's all calm down for a moment."
Hearing Loki's words, Baron Ashro rejoiced internally. I might survive thanks to that idiot!
Or so he thought, until he heard what came next.
"Since we won't find an answer just by talking amongst ourselves, let's just contact His Majesty the Emperor and hand the evidence over."
What is this madman saying?
Regardless of the Baron's shock, Loki spread his arms wide and continued.
"And then, we can investigate this place from top to bottom!"
The Baron had done his best to erase any traces of the drugs, but if the Emperor himself ordered an investigation, the chances of his secret being discovered were high.
"That way, we can prove the Baron's innocence too. Isn't that a great idea?"
The madman grabbed the Baron's hand, speaking as if he were genuinely happy for him.
"That's........"
Baron Ashro couldn't say a word. If the Emperor came, he was finished. But if he showed any sign of refusal, it would look like a confession of guilt.
Just then, a desperate idea flashed through the Baron's mind. It was currently late at night, nearing dawn. It was impossible to contact the Emperor at this hour.
"Common sense dictates that contacting His Majesty right now is—"
"I'll handle that."
The words the Baron had carefully prepared were cut short. Lucas, who had been knocked unconscious against a wall by Cardinal's attack earlier, was staggering toward them.
A person who could contact the Emperor even in the dead of night.
Right, the Crown Prince was here!
Baron Ashro was so flustered he had momentarily forgotten Lucas's presence.
"Mr. Lucas, where have you been all this time? Oh, look at those wounds. Did you trip on your way here?"
Everyone looked at Loki with deadpan eyes. Among the Special Class students, Lucas was the only one who had actually managed to put up a fight against Cardinal.
And the one looking at Loki with the coldest eyes was Elicia. She was the only one who knew that Loki was the one who had put Lucas in that state.
‘They only get stronger when they feel a sense of crisis, don't they?’
That was what Loki had said before intentionally instilling fear in the students.
"Ha... ha."
Lucas let out a hollow laugh as he looked at Loki, who was mocking him while handing over a potion. After drinking the potion, Lucas spoke.
"I will contact His Majesty."
"How do you plan to contact him?"
"With a communication device, obviously..."
Lucas reached into his clothes to pull out his device, but his hands fumbled through empty pockets. The device that should have been there was gone. Since he couldn't manifest a communication device out of thin air, Lucas had to admit it had disappeared.
"Then I suppose it's best to rest for today and head to the capital early tomorrow to make contact," Loki concluded.
* * *
In the dead of night, while everyone else was asleep, Baron Ashro clutched his head in distress.
If things go on like this, everything will be exposed!
The drugs were currently in the possession of that strange fellow, Loki. If the Emperor found out about them, it was only a matter of time before the Baron's involvement was revealed.
Wait, what if the drugs never reach the Emperor?
To find traces of the drugs at the estate, the bottle that boy was holding was the key piece of evidence.
"I'll have to kill that brat."
"Pardon? He is an Academy student," the butler tried to dissuade him.
But the Baron saw it as a golden opportunity. "It might actually be better that he's the one holding it. He's just a commoner anyway. No one is going to care that much about the death of a mere commoner."
He hadn't liked the boy from the start. Not the way he intentionally fell in front of him from the wyvern, nor the way he constantly interrupted whenever the Baron tried to speak to the Adelian Lady or the Crown Prince.
"Kill him quickly before morning. If you fail, I'll kill you first."
"Y-Yes, sir!" the butler replied, trembling.
* * *
Baron Ashro sent a servant to quietly lure Loki out. If he died inside the main house, the Baron would likely be suspected. Claiming he had something important to say, the Baron led Loki quietly to the basement of the estate.
This was a secret location that almost no one in the mansion knew about. Being deep underground, no sound would reach the outside.
"Exactly how far down do we have to go?"
At the innocent question, which showed no sign of suspicion, Baron Ashro wore a sinister smile.
"This should be far enough."
"So, what exactly was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"It's nothing much, really. Just that it's time for you to die."
"Huh? What do you mean by—"
At that moment, several more people appeared from behind the Baron. All of them were heavily armed with armor and swords.
"What is the meaning of this!"
Baron Ashro sneered at Loki, who was trembling as if paralyzed by fear.
"You died at the hands of Cardinal, who suddenly reappeared in the early hours of the morning. And I was wounded while trying to save you."
If that happened, his reputation would soar. A noble who risked his life to fight for a student—it was a sweet title.
"What a boring scenario."
The voice was so nonchalant it was hard to believe it belonged to the person who had sounded terrified just a moment ago. Thinking it was mere bravado, Baron Ashro was about to speak when his body and mind suddenly went numb.
"Don't you think so, Your Majesty?"
[Indeed.]
Loki was holding a communication device in his hand. It wasn't the one he received from Johanna or Yerika. It was the one he had swiped from Lucas while pummeling him as Cardinal.
"Your Majesty?"
For a moment, Baron Ashro couldn't process the situation. Since when was that communication device there? It wasn't there a moment ago.
"This is... I mean, there's been a misunderstanding..."
It was a situation where no excuse would suffice. As Baron Ashro stammered incoherently...
Tsk.
The sound of a tongue clicking echoed through the room. It didn't come from Loki, nor from the communication device. It came from right behind the Baron's back.
Before he could assess the situation, he felt something cold pierce through his spine.
Squelch!
"Aaaargh!"
Baron Ashro looked down at his own body. A blade that had entered through his back was now protruding from his chest.
Thud.
Loki watched the butler who had stabbed Baron Ashro, and the men who didn't show even a hint of agitation at the sight. To think the Necromancer had more than one subordinate here.
"Kill that brat and retrieve the drugs."
At the words of the butler—no, the Necromancer's subordinate—the armed men charged at Loki simultaneously.
"Whoa~ scary, scary."