Chapter 40
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 40: Tracking (1)
The reception room was quiet.
Only the sound of wind brushing outside the window and the minute sound of teacup touching saucer filled the space.
Redric Ricardo was sitting leisurely leaning back against the backrest.
Dark colored suit was arranged without a single wrinkle, and refreshing perfume smell mixed with awkward silence created a strangely cold atmosphere.
"I heard the research was finished successfully. Congratulations."
He rose from his seat handing a bouquet.
Hand movement was natural, and there was no superfluity like a scene prepared for a long time.
Vivienne looked at the flowers for a moment then accepted.
Red hair flowed down softly along shoulders, and blue pupils fell down momentarily containing modesty.
"Thank you."
Redric continued speaking calmly.
"I believed you would succeed. You were like that in the Academy too. Since you solved problems and succeeded by tracking persistently and tenaciously enough that even professors had headaches."
"It is undeserved praise."
"Haha. Not at all. It is passion and brain to exert it, blessed talent."
Formal and short laughter exchanged.
Outwardly it was a smooth reunion.
Harmless topics like weather story, research institute environment, Academy's change went back and forth slowly on the table.
But conversation interval was constant, and even timing of catching each other's breath was careful.
Vivienne was looking carefully.
Reason for ominosity felt from the first reunion.
A while later, Redric put down the teacup.
"Then... I wonder if there was progress regarding the matter I requested."
Tone was soft but question was direct.
Vivienne's finger followed the teacup edge slowly.
She shook her head.
"I haven't solved it yet. The structure was more complex than thought."
Actually she hadn't made a direct attempt yet.
Thanks to similarity with this project, rough direction was set.
But ominosity felt at first reunion.
She considered it order to solve that first.
Explosives shouldn't be handled carelessly, nor should catalyst be made carelessly.
Because explosion that should head to mine might head to a wrong place.
Therefore, Vivienne was trying to take confirmation procedure before starting research.
Redric's gaze stopped momentarily.
Short blank created then filled soon.
"I see. Seem I was too hasty."
He shrugged his shoulders lightly.
It was an attitude of a person re-establishing calculation rather than revealing disappointment.
Vivienne continued speaking carefully.
"That... may I ask something?"
"As much as you want if it helps."
"You said it was for mine development right? Could I know about the scale. If small blasting, condensation of that density wouldn't be necessary."
Redric answered without delay.
"Medium size or above. It's near northeast mountain range, and heard reserves are quite substantial. Since bedrock is hard, judged inefficient with general explosives."
Answer was smooth.
But for some reason it sounded like explanation prepared several times already.
Vivienne nodded and asked again.
"Main rock? Is it granite series?"
"Yes, heard it is close to granite."
"Then if setting condensation direction horizontally, efficiency would drop."
Her voice was still soft.
"Isn't vertical dispersion type more suitable?"
Redric stopped answering for a moment.
It was a very short gap.
Pupils brushed past table then returned to her again.
"Would depend on site situation. I wasn't involved up to detailed design."
Vivienne threw the last question.
"Where is the exact location of the mine?"
At that moment, air in reception room changed subtly.
Even bird sound heard from outside felt clear.
Redric exhaled thin breath and leaned body a little more on backrest.
Fingers tapped armrest lightly then stopped.
"......It is outskirts of Northern Territory. I will tell detailed coordinates next time."
Short silence.
Vivienne's gaze didn't shake.
Blue pupils were observing him as if verifying experiment result.
Redric's mouth corners went up slowly.
It was a different texture from before.
Not laughter when throwing light joke, but close to reaction when realizing opponent is reading the board.
"Lady Vivienne."
His voice lowered one tone.
Not refreshing cold of North, but somewhat damp and cool current dominates space.
"Seeing you have many questions, are you perhaps close to solution?"
It was a direct question.
Vivienne put down the bouquet on the table and shook her head.
"As I told you, not yet."
Words were soft, but line not allowing further exploration was clear.
Between two people now only thin film called courtesy and favor remained.
Underneath it, fact that each other is testing each other was revealing slowly.
Redric put down the teacup slowly.
Sound of porcelain and saucer touching rang exceptionally clearly.
Looking at Vivienne for a moment, he tilted his head slightly.
"Interesting."
Short one word, but several layers of meaning were loaded in it.
"I asked many advices so far, but if not understanding explosion structure, they didn't ask up to rock type. Besides suggesting vertical dispersion type first... quite specific."
His gaze went down to her fingertips.
Hand holding teacup had no shaking, but tendons on back of hand were pulled minutely.
"Grateful that you show interest like this to request made shamelessly."
Vivienne faced him without even blinking eyes.
Blue pupils held light quietly.
"Not at all."
Short and concise answer.
Redric didn't answer immediately.
Instead tapped armrest slowly with fingers then stopped.
"Was worried but, feel thought of leaving it to Lady Vivienne was right as expected."
Unlike word worry, expression had no impatience at all.
Rather close to side reading opponent's breath.
Vivienne bowed her head slightly.
"If mine development is nominal purpose, thought scale and rock information would be needed. Just checked as researcher."
"Of course."
Redric agreed immediately.
"Since My Lady was always thorough. Then I will wait a little more."
"Yes."
"If solved, I will promise appropriate reward so I ask of you."
He rose from seat slowly.
Movement organizing collar was excessively leisurely.
As if words remained.
Following, reason for that lingering movement was heard.
"However..."
He who moved one step towards door, turned body half again.
"Hope it doesn't take too long."
His pitch-black eyes look at Vivienne.
Words were polite and gentle, but clear test and warning were contained in them.
Smile also became fishy unlike first time, and attitude also changed high-handedly.
His face as if guessing something.
Vivienne forced a smile.
Didn't mix unnecessary things in that smile.
"It won't be so."
Silence flowed for a moment.
Redric looked at her quietly then nodded.
"Then see you again next time."
Redric who greeted politely leaves reception room.
Moment door closed, Vivienne's expression hardened minutely.
Listening to footsteps receding out of door, Vivienne exhaled slowly.
Ominosity.
That was becoming thicker.
**
When Erwin received the paper with names Iden filtered, she caught breath for a moment then nodded.
"I will dig out list information."
Her voice was firm.
Not simple attendant's position, but now tone coming from position close to equal accomplice(?).
Digging out montage and personal information of seven nobles wasn't difficult for her who is noble young lady from bone.
After Erwin left, silence settled in mansion's reception room.
Iden, left alone, looked at ceiling leaning back on chair.
Redric Ricardo.
Name of Final Black Curtain in original work.
Wasn't in first banquet, and was in second banquet.
Timing was strange to call coincidence, and above all, name confirmed right after reunion with Vivienne bothered mind.
Original heroine met again by chance.
Name of Final Black Curtain discovered in list by chance.
Coincidences continuing in succession aren't coincidences.
Must be inevitability induced by original work, and appearance of Final Black Curtain would surely imply bad flow.
Possibility was high that Redric participated in opposing forces.
Since he was riding opposite of flow in original work too.
Since existence called 'Black Curtain' is character set like that.
Although memory of original work wasn't clear, weight word 'Final Black Curtain' gives wasn't light never.
Therefore from moment recognizing that name, couldn't just sit and watch.
As did in Hamelon.
Having responsibility for knowing and will to utilize knowing, name of original Final Black Curtain heard to him who was digging about Grand Duke family's opposing forces cannot exclude relevance completely.
Problem was method.
Information was relationship in medieval social network.
All information flowed passing people's mouths and feet.
Moment asking directly, that itself becomes warning signal.
Eventually remaining method was one.
Spying and tracking.
It is turn to chase Final Black Curtain in original work.
For great cause, for my ambition.
Iden began to dig Redric's back straight away.