Chapter 42
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 42: Tracking (3)
Until he left Kalik Droban's reception room, there was no change in Iden's expression.
Polite greeting, formal well-wishing remarks, short praise for victory.
After finishing all those procedures formally and smoothly, he didn't stay longer.
"Thank you for sparing precious time today."
With that one sentence, rising from the seat, taking courtesy neatly and withdrew.
Didn't ask more.
Didn't interrogate more either.
Because purpose was already achieved.
Since suspicion solidified into certainty, causing friction beyond that was dangerous and unnecessary.
Continuing words long for no reason would only stimulate Kalik's wariness.
Until catching material evidence, had to remain as a polite Baronet who visited for a greeting.
Just, while heading from the mansion gate to the reception room and from the reception room to the mansion gate, Iden's gaze flowed softly.
Corridor leading from entrance to reception room.
Positions of windows and stairs.
Deployment layout of security personnel.
Presence of space that can be hidden behind wall decorations.
Mansion located in the inner castle of the capital had quite strict security befitting a clerk with a guilty conscience.
Outwardly it didn't look excessive nor lax, but the settled atmosphere was different from other mansions.
An artificial point as if decorated to give the impression of an 'appropriately safe noble mansion'.
Iden moving his steps drew the floor plan of the mansion in his memory.
And that night.
Around the time moonlight hid behind clouds, and deep darkness settled in Helon inner castle.
Iden hid his body in the shadow of the wall behind the mansion.
Erwin asked how about informing Grand Duke Your Highness, but Iden didn't do so.
Even Wintel family is now at the stage of 'recognizing' the existence of opposing forces due to the explosion incident.
Even though they penetrated deep enough to cause an explosion in the banquet hall where the Grand Duke's son is, that Wintel family's cognitive ability is late might be partly due to the flow of the original work, but anyway, it would indicate that the opposing forces' organizational power and concealment power are at a considerable level.
Moving hastily might lose even the barely found clue, and opposing forces trying to collapse Wintel family might cut off all revealed tails and hide.
Moreover, there is absolutely no 'material evidence' yet.
Circumstantial evidence is bound to produce only subjective and biased results.
As soon as material evidence appears, the development of the incident will proceed objectively and quickly.
There was no need to be hasty.
Therefore, Iden asking worried Erwin to wait for him slowly pulled up mana to dantian.
Summoner of the Dark Night.
Had to catch material evidence first fully exerting the reason why that alias was attached.
What is used this time is extremely reduced, stealth specialized summoning formula.
From the tip of Iden's right index finger, blue light mana was pulled out thin like a thread.
He drew a semi-circular micro summoning circle in the empty air.
Doesn't complete the circle.
Incomplete formula leaving a gap on purpose, that gap is exactly the margin for 'noise blocking imprint'.
"—Deploy."
Short and simple chant.
Summoning circle darkened as if swallowing light, then connecting with the floor shadow, fluctuated minutely.
What popped out from inside was closer to a 'phenomenon' than a creature.
Black curtain with inconsistent shape flickers.
Looks like a film absorbing light, but actually a special individual summoned beast eliminating mana waves, black Dark Night Stealth Beast.
It is something Iden evolved one step further applying Eldmonde's Summoning Arts book, grafting 'wave suppression' onto visual concealment.
Not only vibration of footsteps, air flow brushing clothes hem, minute vibration due to heartbeat, but even enclosing mana waves inside the curtain to hide perfectly.
In such a mansion of unquiet forces, there would definitely be devices detecting mana.
Dark Night Stealth Beast stuck surrounding Iden's ankles and waist.
Instantly, his presence lowered drastically.
As if pushed out one layer from space.
He moved towards the wall.
The moment toe tip stepped on the wall, another micro summoning circle was created underfoot.
Gravity Mitigation Auxiliary Formula.
Auxiliary summoning circle supporting underfoot dispersing about 30% of weight carried on feet.
Time taken to fly up stepping on summoning circles and crossing the wall was merely three breaths.
Landed in the mansion's inner garden, but not a single grass leaf shook.
Dark Night Stealth Beast minutely adjusted surrounding air flow to disperse landing impact.
Iden lowered his body.
Two guards were patrolling the opposite side of the garden.
Their movement line was constant.
Stop for a moment at intersection point and chat.
Iden deployed one palm-sized basic summoning circle.
A fingernail-sized black dot popped out from the summoning circle, seeped under the garden flowerbed and moved into the bushes on the opposite side.
Another Dark Night Stealth Beast hiding in the shadow in deep darkness.
Rustle.
Rustle.
Summoned beast arriving at the center of the opposite flowerbed shakes body disrupting peace in darkness.
As if a small rodent is moving, bushes flickered making sound.
Rustle.
Dark Night Stealth Beast was moving under the bushes creating sound.
Soon, two guards began to head to the source of the sound putting drawn swords forward.
Iden took that gap and moved from shadow to shadow.
Steps only on sections moonlight doesn't reach.
Under window, behind pillar, tree shade, Dark Night Stealth Beast eliminates mana traces and waves along his exterior.
One window at the back of the mansion.
Due to the structure checked during the day, this place leads to the study.
He placed his hand on the glass window.
A small summoning circle spread on the glass surface, then thread-like tentacles were summoned, sliding through the window frame gap and releasing the locking device.
Iden, opening the glass window carefully, seeped inside.
In darkness, bookshelves of the study stood quietly.
He caught his breath and began to look for things that could be material evidence.
Reason he was called Summoner of the Dark Night.
Alias attached not as one using darkness, but one 'implementing' darkness.
Alias attached because secret Summoning Arts unfolded in the dark night bind enemy's hands and feet, and tighten their breath.
And now.
Kalik Droban's mansion was slowly, sinking into his darkness.
**
Late at night, Kalik Droban was walking the mansion corridor slowly.
Mild smile of the day was nowhere to be found.
Waist supporting greasy belly was tied firmly, and slow walk had also become strangely light.
One figure following behind him.
Man draped in black coat walked maintaining constant interval like an attendant, but it was a face not seen when Iden visited during the day.
Exceptionally quiet footsteps, body movement without feeling presence, it was the movement of a trained person.
End of corridor, Kalik pressed the hidden lever behind the display cabinet.
Clack.
One side of the wall pushed away quietly revealing stairs heading underground.
Two people went down without a word.
Basement was an enclosed space without a single external window.
Imprints for soundproofing and blocking were densely engraved on the walls, and multiple layers of mana insulation patterns were overlapped on the floor.
The person appearing to be an attendant stepped forward first.
He took out a round metal plate from his bosom and placed it in the center of the floor.
Complex imprints were engraved on the surface, and a flame pattern was engraved in the center.
Man took out a dagger from his bosom, and instantly cut his palm.
Slash!
And clenching the cut hand fiercely, dropping blood on the pattern, the metal plate began to heat up red.
Ziiiing—
Cool air heated up, and human-shaped flame began to rise above the metal plate.
Not a real flame, but 'projection flame' and a medium connecting with external space.
A while later, a voice was heard from beyond the flame figure.
"Dwirig."
Kalik's pupils shook minutely.
Dwirig, alias calling him inside [Endermit].
Outwardly an honest and dull clerk, but actually a person scanning documents and reports gathering to the Main Castle faster than anyone, and therefore in charge of information book.
Kalik straightened his waist.
"Reporting."
His voice was low and stable.
"Princess Emiline has no special external activities after the banquet incident. Only digesting set schedule going back and forth between mansion and Main Castle."
Existence beyond the flame ring was listening silently.
"Next official event is 'Exhibition'. However, security is greatly strengthened after the banquet incident, and seems only carefully selected nobles and close aides can enter."
Air in basement became heavy.
Kalik continued speaking.
"And on the confirmed list, Vivienne Elindis was included."
Flame inside the ring soared high momentarily.
Breaking the silence continuing for a while, a bizarre voice sounding cool yet burning rang the basement again.
"Then must tell Belsig to hurry the operation."
Belsig.
That name was none other than Redric Ricardo's alias.
Kalik bowed his head.
Flame receiving short and concise report gradually decreased.
Semi-circular ring shook, then soon lost light and disappeared.
No traces were left on the metal plate.
Silence settled in the basement again.
Kalik Droban looked down at the floor for a moment.
Then, turning his body towards the stairs hanging that mild smile shown during the day on his lips again.
**
Kalik Droban exiting the basement exchanged short gazes with the man at the stairs entrance.
There were no words and didn't see each other off either.
Just parted like that as thorough business relationship.
Man disappeared sliding into shadow, and Kalik remained alone.
Was the mansion corridor again.
Mansion at night had a completely different face from daytime.
Firelight of fireplace was already extinguished, and only candlesticks were flowing faint light at regular intervals.
That light cast Kalik's round silhouette projecting it long on the wall.
Round and round.
Looking only at silhouette, he was truly harmless.
Study arrived before knowing.
Place always stopping by right after reporting to the head.
Is it responsibility as a clerk.
To record what was reported, record what was ordered, record signs and flow of the time to complete duties accurately, and to plan for later days.
Kalik standing in front of the thick door of that private place never shown to outsiders caught his breath for a moment putting hand on doorknob.
Out of breath going up and down stairs repeatedly with heavy body.
A while later.
He went in opening the door, and simultaneously footsteps stopped.
Inside the office was exactly as organized state.
Ledgers stacked neatly on desk, up to records and maps filling the walls.
What changed was that the secret space of the study was open, and a man holding the file engraved with [Endermit] pattern that should be inside it was standing by the window.
Man who said visited for greeting.
Man whose blue-grey hair absorbed deep darkness turning black-blue.
Was Iden Summonfield.
He, escaping from Dark Night Stealth Beast, was welcoming him calmly in Kalik's study.