Chapter 78
Chapter 78
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Pursuit
-----------------------------------------------------------------
◆
Gray had subjected him to some utterly bizarre outrage, but anyway.
Felix and Marchioness Anastasia, who had stepped away briefly, soon returned to their seats.
“⋯⋯It seems we won't be able to retrieve it quickly.”
Midway through the conversation, Felix puffed on a pipe she had lit at some point, as if she had been under considerable stress.
“The alchemy materials we wanted have already been stolen by someone. They've got some nerve.”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
How could the continent's greatest merchant have his goods snatched away so easily?
Especially items requested by Felix—anyone with a brain would guard them heavily.
As Carlyle blinked in bewilderment, conveying that sentiment, Marchioness Anastasia flapped her arms in a motion full of grievance and added,
“They're no ordinary thieves! They're a secret society infamous across the entire Empire.”
“A secret society?”
“The Pale Moon—have you heard of them?”
“Huh.”
Carlyle knew that name.
‘The pinnacle of back-alley guilds.’
A group that prided themselves on being free spirits unbound by any affiliation.
Originally, they were famous among freelance mercenaries—mostly riffraff—for their irreplaceable talents in niche fields.
Unusual mercenaries whose goal was to maximize their value and retire quickly.
Like the Demon Hunter version of fire-breathers, perhaps.
Carlyle himself had relied on them a few times across his repeated cycles.
If they were the culprits, it made sense that the items had been stolen out of the blue.
Ordinary manpower couldn't stand against them.
The odd part was,
“⋯⋯Do you have any idea why such people would suddenly target Your Ladyship's goods?”
“They're so elusive and ghostly in their movements that even I don't know for sure⋯⋯”
“I see⋯⋯”
“You seem like you have some suspicions?”
To Felix's question, Carlyle shrugged and replied.
“It's not suspicion—just a sense of déjà vu.”
A pure hunch, but backed by Carlyle's vast accumulated data, it was right nine times out of ten.
Whenever something bizarre happened around Gray,
‘Demons?’
[Demons.]
He didn't know how they were entangled, but whenever things got weird and tangled, it was safest to blame that side first.
At least, it had never been wrong so far.
‘Well, whatever.’
He didn't know how demons were involved this time either.
The issue was how to recover the items.
“Retrieving them by force would be⋯⋯ difficult, right?”
“⋯⋯Very.”
Felix nodded to Carlyle's words, tilting her pipe.
“We'd win in a fight. We would win, but⋯⋯ we don't know ‘where they are.’ A collective of paranoid perverts.”
With the Gray Cardinal, who could summon the Orthodox Church's strongest force—the Knights of the Round Table—and humanity's mightiest, the Hero, on hand. Losing to humans was inconceivable.
However, there was a reason they were called a ‘secret’ society.
Their stealth was beyond imagination.
They maintained hideouts across the continent, accessible only through security procedures that would make even obsessives scream, and kept changing them constantly.
Even Carlyle, who knew their ways well, had to rely half on luck to make direct contact.
“⋯⋯.”
“At best, we're trying to track them down somehow, offering an exchange sum to get it back⋯⋯”
“That's not a good idea, Marchioness. Those pirates won't hand over such precious materials for money alone. They'll take the cash and run.”
“Th-that can't be⋯⋯”
The Marchioness's rotund body trembled as if struck by vibrations.
If bribery with money didn't work, she seemed utterly lost on how to retrieve the goods.
“⋯⋯Tch. How long to procure new ones?”
“They're extremely rare metals—it'll take at least a year, if not more. Even these were obtained by pouring astronomical sums into a black market auction⋯⋯”
“That's⋯⋯ a problem. We can't leave a calamity-grade beast floating over the Empire for years.”
Felix and the Marchioness exchanged pessimistic outlooks in low voices.
From the start, the materials were so rare there were no substitutes.
And amid that,
Carlyle, who had kept silent and pondered deeply, spoke up.
“No. I don't think we need to procure new ones.”
“⋯⋯?”
“⋯⋯?”
In truth, this situation might not be so bad.
True to their secret society aura, the Pale Moon also functioned as the Demon Hunter world's top information broker.
Quick contact with them could have its advantages.
“What are you scheming now?”
“⋯⋯Just a plan that might require me to wear myself out a bit?”
The Marchioness looked baffled, and Felix's expression twisted.
But at least, in Carlyle's view, there was no more efficient way.
-System Log
▶ Target 'Gray Chasefield' begins efforts to change the relationship!
▶ Related events are generated in sequence!
Hmm.
Carlyle glared at the window floating before him and thought to himself.
‘Lady, you've been acting a bit off lately, haven't you?’
[⋯⋯Is it strange that I'm being friendly toward you?]
‘Fuck yeah, it is!’
[⋯⋯.]
Bento.
A bento, of all things.
Good lord.
How desperate must she have been to do something so horrific?
[⋯⋯⋯⋯Desperate?]
‘Obviously, it's built up, right?’
[What?]
‘Lately, there hasn't been anything to beat up, smack, or kill.’
[That's true⋯⋯ but why does that matter?]
‘You're the type who gets antsy without regular outlets like that.’
[⋯⋯.]
‘Not doing your usual routine has thrown you off. I'm sure of it!’
The Holy Sword fell silent.
To Carlyle, it felt like a silence mixed half-and-half with different emotions.
Half from knowing she couldn't deny it.
And half from wanting to beat him to death right then—
“⋯⋯.”
Hmm.
He didn't know why she was so furious, but anyway.
In terms of providing an excuse for it,
There might be a pretty good way.
“Marchioness. Could you combine a few of the alchemy materials I requested?”
With that, Carlyle scribbled a formula on paper.
Felix, peering over from the side, tilted his head and chimed in.
“⋯⋯Isn't this what hunters use? For tracking locations, right?”
“Wow, you recognized it at a glance?”
“One of the Templars uses something similar. How do you even know this? Isn't it a secret formula only known in those parts?”
No one could match him in trivial skills and knowledge.
Carlyle chuckled inwardly and handed the paper to the Marchioness.
He also tossed a line to Felix.
“Then, Cardinal. Could you pass a message to the Lady later?”
“?”
◆
The next day.
It wasn't particularly surprising that Gray Chasefield looked in a foul mood.
She was human-shaped stress incarnate, living half her days consumed by irritation and rage.
But even so, there were times it stood out especially.
When her expression turned so vicious that everyone nearby slinked away.
“⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯.”
And from morning, as Gray prowled Anastasia Marchioness's mansion radiating such menace, her presence carried an aggression that naturally made others retreat.
‘⋯⋯That bastard.’
She ground her teeth, recalling Carlyle's reaction from yesterday.
The more she thought, the angrier she got.
How dare he kick away the goodwill she offered first like that?
Just wait. Let's see if he brushes it off the same way next time⋯⋯
But more infuriating than those thoughts was her current state itself, as she mulled them over.
‘Why should I even care about something like that?’
Why should she bristle at every move over some nobody's reaction?
He hates me? Fine, I hate him too!
From now on, whatever happens to him, I won't give a damn.
‘Hmm.’
No, ignoring him forever might be too much. Considering what he's done so far.
Not forever, then—at least for a while, let's not care.
No, he's still infuriating.
Maybe ignore him for a bit longer?
“⋯⋯.”
Why was she even thinking about this?
Gray spat a tch of annoyance and spun around.
When she was this pissed, the best outlet was swinging her sword.
With that thought, she slung the Holy Sword over her back. Adding a deadly weapon to her already ferocious aura made her seem like a beast stalking with claws bared.
Probably, the only one here who could casually approach her like that was the Gray Cardinal.
“Miss Chasefield, there you are. It's urgent.”
“⋯⋯?”
Gray tilted her head at Felix's somewhat urgent demeanor.
It wasn't common for her to exude this vibe. What's up?
“It's about Carlyle. He needs your help.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Gray's face twisted horrifically.
Rage boiled up from the depths.
She had just sworn not to care what happened to him.
Absolutely not.
No matter how bad, she wouldn't even snort⋯⋯
“⋯⋯What does that have to do with me? Whatever happens to him isn't my business.”
With that, Gray turned to head to the training grounds again.
—She tried to.
“He's been kidnapped.”
“⋯⋯.”
“It could turn into a real disaster if we're not careful.”
Gray's movement halted abruptly.
◆