Uninvited Guest (5)
How the hell did it come to this?
Noir recalled the moments just before he'd left the study.
"Young master told you not to come out here..."
"I have to use the bathroom. You think I'd wanna hear shit about it later? What, you think something's gonna happen just 'cause I'm taking a piss?"
He'd woken up at dawn, that's all. Just needed to hit the john.
"Young master, it's fine. Nothing big's gonna happen."
After heading to the bathroom with the head butler and a sturdy knight in tow.
"Young master, since we're here, I need to go too."
While Noir finished up and washed his hands at the sink, the knight scratched his head and stepped up to the urinal.
Pffft!
The door behind them burst open, and instead of piss, the knight spewed a fountain of blood from his throat as he collapsed.
"E-emergency—!"
The butler screamed in panic and charged toward him, but—
"Too bad."
With a chilling voice, a shadow leaped from one of the stalls, hurling something at the butler before snatching Noir up.
"Kid. If you don't wanna die, shut your trap and stay quiet."
A voice like ice piercing his lungs.
"I don't wanna see your big sis get killed by your daddy either."
He couldn't even speak—his mouth was clamped shut from the start.
"Heh heh heh. Good thing you're the second son, not the eldest. A margrave's kid learning the sword at seven? You'd make prime hostage material—"
Crunch.
"Guh?!"
Noir bit down hard on the hand covering his mouth. The grip loosened for a split second, and the moment his feet hit the floor, he bolted forward.
Rumble rumble.
"Hah. Playing hide-and-seek? Sorry, kid—no can do."
Whoosh!
Just as Noir rounded the corner, something flashed past his eyes.
"H-huh...?!"
"Whoa, dodged that? Gibraltar blood, huh?"
Zing.
A sharp silver needle-like thing quivered in the decorative side table along the hall. Without his training sessions with Father, his temple would've been pierced for sure.
But he couldn't afford to think that.
"Tch."
Pffft.
"Scared or not, you should've kept running."
The shadow, now close, pulled out a fresh needle and stabbed it into Noir's shoulder.
"Mmph...!"
"Don't worry, you won't be moving for a bit. Damn, it's lagging a little. Should've killed that butler too? Nah, whatever—the barrier—"
Hummm.
"...Why's it open?"
A red light flickered through the hall, soon enveloping the entire mansion in a glow of mana.
"Ah, shit."
The shadow spat a curse.
"The margrave's not resurrected or anything—how'd he activate the barrier this fast...?"
Rumble.
"Tch...!"
Footsteps echoed from running.
"Guess we'll hide for now."
Noir had no choice but to be dragged along like a ragdoll in the shadow's brutal grip, following wherever it went.
* * *
Attacks on Gibraltar had been countless over the years. Five hundred of them, no less.
Even as the Empire conquered the western continent, they'd probe the canyon now and then—only to be repelled every time by a Gibraltar Sword Master.
But even masters were human. They'd try bribes, seduction with women, the works. Kidnapping, imprisonment, assassins—nothing was off-limits.
Assassination had succeeded once before: against Cadian Gibraltar, who'd wiped out 10,000 elite Empire troops. His eldest son was killed. Fortunately, the second son survived to carry on the line, and after that, the Empire shied away from outright hits.
But kidnapping? They'd try it over and over, pulling every trick in the book. Even knowing the Gibraltar mansion was warded by high mages, the Empire's shadows exploited the Sword Master's weak spot.
And it worked like a charm.
"Ahh..."
Mother fainted.
"M-Ma'am?!"
"Nngh—get the countess to the sofa, now!"
In a moment when the lady of the house needed to issue calm orders, she blacked out instead.
"Tch."
She'd sworn to be a proper lady of the house, but hadn't accounted for this?
Flip it around, though—who wouldn't faint if their kid got snatched and might end up dead?
Mother collapsed. But a countess couldn't afford to.
Instinct kicked in.
Maybe he was judging her too harshly, but if Mother had real steel in her, she'd have held it together somehow.
I have to fix this. I'm the only one who can right now. Until Father gets back, I need to contain it and rescue him somehow.
That's what he needed to think—but instead—
—Grey, help.
"Hoo."
No helping it. This was standard Nostrum Kingdom fare.
Flip it again, though—this is my chance.
The first adult down. With the commander out, someone had to grab the baton.
"Head maid. Keep Mother and Letar locked in the study—no exceptions. Sir Arman, guard the door. Sir Tanian, the windows. Stake your lives on protecting them."
"Y-young master...?"
"Shut up and follow orders."
Did they need the show of authority to snap to?
"In the name of Gibraltar, I command you."
Jingle.
I pulled out the ring Father had given me for emergencies.
"I'm acting count. Defying me is defying the margrave. Damn it, do I really have to explain this now?"
"N-no, sir!!"
"Then move! Search every inch of this mansion!"
"Yes—!!"
Only when I bellowed with full irritation and rage did the knights finally spring into action.
Father's men are no good after all.
Not hopeless—just loyal to a fault. They wouldn't take orders from a ten-year-old kid.
Time to raise some from the orphanage.
I needed my own limbs. Divert some rebar from the cloud bridge repairs, and I could build a decent "facility."
Still, if there was any force I could muster right now—
"Lady Mente. I need a favor."
"...An order."
Lady Mente clenched her fist to her chest.
"Understood."
"Thank you. I'll grant you clearance through the mansion's barrier."
I nicked my pinky with a knife and smeared a drop of blood behind her ear.
"Watch for anyone trying to enter from outside or colluding with the kidnappers inside."
"Outside accomplices. Got it."
"Details—"
"I'll follow orders."
Lady Mente bolted out without another word. As long as my blood was behind her ear, she could pass through the barrier freely until it dropped.
"Sir Robert."
"Yes, young master!"
"Father should be back in about seven minutes."
He'd surely sensed the barrier going up. He'd hand off canyon defense to the troops and head straight here.
But I can't just wait for Father.
Noir was kidnapped. Ninety-nine percent chance he'd be used as a hostage, but that one percent... he could be killed outright. If his hostage value vanished.
I ran a quick mental sim.
—You plan to kill my talented second son, Noir?!
—I've got one son already. I can make more.
—What?!
—To blackmail me, you should've kidnapped my wife, not my son.
"......"
It'd happened for real later on, so a chill ran down my spine.
Yeah. That's Father.
Mother, Father, the siblings—all of 'em. Everyone in this family was a freak outside normal bounds.
"Heh."
Me included.
"Sir Robert. Got a dagger?"
"Always carry one..."
"Thrown dagger work?"
"Knife throwing? Been decent since I was a kid."
"Good."
Deep breath.
"If we face off with the kidnapper, I'll draw his eyes—you go for his hand."
"Pardon?"
"Got it?"
"...Y-you're not planning something reckless, are you?"
"For my dear brother?"
Guys like Robert don't budge on logic alone.
"Please, sir."
"...Understood. But restrain yourself from anything too dangerous..."
Persuasion complete. I gave Robert a light nod and scanned the study.
"Young master..."
Everyone stared oddly; Letar clung to fainted Mother, gazing up at me with teary eyes.
"Letar."
I approached and stroked her little head.
"Stay with Mother till Father gets here. Got it?"
"Y-yeah..."
"Good girl."
Please don't cause trouble—just stay put.
I flashed a smile conveying my desperation, then turned and strode out of the study.
"Young master!!"
One of the knights I'd sent rushing out earlier came sprinting back.
"Adam!"
"Robert?! Where are you—?!"
"Report."
"Y-yes! No signs of anyone fleeing the mansion grounds! Unless they used magic...!"
"No one flies without magic, so they're still inside somewhere. Sir Adam—search the interior. Leave no stone unturned."
"Yes...!"
Sir Adam saluted and dashed off down the hall.
Sorry, but the knights wouldn't find the kidnapper.
If they do, great. If not, it's an Empire shadow.
The imperial shadow network—spies and assassins run straight from the palace. If it was one of them, they'd be hidden too well for normals to spot, biding their time.
Nothing to do but pray.
If it was a shadow, trapped in the barrier, high odds they'd hole up there.
"Sir Robert. If you were the kidnapper with a hostage and couldn't escape the mansion, where'd you hide?"
"Er, um..."
"First: pantry or wine cellar."
I headed straight for the food stores.
"Wrong. Thought they'd be in an empty barrel."
The knights had already torn through—no trace.
"Next: under beds or in wardrobes?"
"Y-young master, the knights already checked those..."
"Not places for the living."
"......!!"
I placed my hand on the morgue door handle.
"Dust's been wiped."
"......."
"Let's go in. Whoever this bastard is, I wanna see their face. The one who touched the morgue."
Creeeak.
Door opens. Cold air stabbed my skin from the stairs down. I slipped a knife up my sleeve beforehand and descended leisurely.
Thud, thud.
Heavy footsteps. Candles around the morgue flickered faintly—no other reactions.
"......."
Lighting the mana stone on the wall bathed the room in pale gray glow.
"No one's h—"
"—here? Yeah, right."
Nothing in sight. But a telltale scent tickled my nose—one that shouldn't be in a morgue.
Refined silver dust. Low-grade.
Probably stashed in paper at this point in time, but those in the know could smell it.
Lucky me.
I could handle this solo.
"Sir."
"Yes?"
"You ate in the dining hall earlier? Someone touched the cheese."
"Did they...?"
"Yeah."
The scent lingered there too. Not hiding—stocking up for a siege.
"Sir. I think living people matter more."
"Pardon...?"
"Someone who'd touch corpses to save the living."
Even if—
"It meant desecrating ancestors."
"No way."
"If they're hiding in an ancestor's coffin, I'd just stab right through—"
BOOM!!
One coffin lid exploded upward.
"Young master!"
Robert yanked me back and swung his sword wide—something went clang and hit the floor.
"You little shit!!"
"Whoa, whoa. Thought the eldest was dead weight, but your head rolls pretty good—not very Gibraltar-like?"
Out crawled the kidnapper, cloaked head to toe in black.
"Stay back. Unless you wanna see your brother's eyes pop."
The shadow grabbed Noir, pressing a dagger to his eye.
Kingdom-style dagger. Sneaky for an imperial.
"Hmm."
"Hmm? Oh, want your brother dead? Makes sense—with that brain, you'd know a talented sib dying locks the margrave seat for you."
"No."
I raised both hands and stepped forward.
"Let my brother go. Take me instead."
"What?"
"Higher hostage value. I'm the envoy to the grand ducal house."
"......Hoo?"
Chatty shadow, but not dumb.
"Hmm, yeah. Clever. Fun. Fine—let him go. Walk over nice and slow."
"...Heh."
"Still smirking?"
"Nah. Just..."
Result achieved. Five steps forward.
"Noir."
"B-bro...!"
"Wanna live? Close your eyes tight and stay still."
With that, I charged.
"!!"
Whoosh!
Something sharp whistled past as I lunged.
"Wha—?!"
The shadow tried stabbing Noir's eye, but Robert's thrown dagger nailed his hand.
Clang!
"What?!"
Robert's shock was natural—he couldn't know about the steel plate on the hand. The dagger ricocheted high.
I seized Noir's collar and yanked him back, using the momentum to thrust my right hand forward.
The knife shot from my sleeve—
"Ha, cocky brat?"
—spotted instantly. The shadow sidestepped, mocking me.
"What're you gonna do with a puny knife—"
"You."
I gripped the knife, channeling mana into the tip.
"!!"
Faint gray glow at the blade's edge. The shadow's eyes widened—too late.
Stab!
Up from below. Mana-infused, it sank into his throat like cake, hilt-deep.
"G-guhk...?!"
Bloodshot eyes, hands flailing in resistance. Too slow.
Rrrrip.
I twisted with full force, sawing upward from inside.
"......."
The shadow froze. Arms dropped limp; he crumpled over me.
"Whew."
Worth all those nights piling mana while my bed creaked.
"You."
Whispered to the corpse slumping onto me.
The dead weight? That was you.
"Ah."
I turned.
"Good job, brother. Thanks for staying alive. But..."
Noir stared up, pale with terror.
"I told you to close your eyes."
"Yeah?"