Chapter 14
It was always the case when a project of some scale wrapped up. A lengthy report had to be written. A meeting had to be held based on the submitted report. And finally, a face-to-face with Head Frida Keilak.
I was the Gilorian Empire’s most skilled freelance inspector. Document work? I gulped it down like water. Conferences with the subcommittees were nothing unusual. The only problem… was the meeting with Head Frida Keilak.
I had pulled out the cleanest suit I owned and headed for the Capital Defense Force headquarters. At the entrance I performed the usual ritual—right hand on left breast, verified against the statue—then handed over my identification card and made my way to Head Frida’s office.
*This place never gets used to no matter how many times I come here.*
I had no idea why. It was an inexplicable unease, seeping out from somewhere inside me like stagnant water.
I had my hand on the doorknob to knock when her slow voice drifted from inside. “Mr. Blood, come in.”
I opened the door. Head Frida’s glossy, blood-red fingernails drummed lightly against the table.
“Head.” I bowed. She answered with lips painted blood-red. “Magnificent.”
It sounded like praise, yet a chill crawled along my arms.
“Thank you.” I lowered my head slightly. “The Imperial Court is very pleased.”
The corner of her right lip curled with sly amusement. “I believe I understand how much thought Head Frida put into this. Including the incentive.”
As always, the payment arrived the moment work was complete.
▶ Starting Fee: 50 million cramps ▶ Success Bonus: 100 million cramps ▶ Incentive: 50 million cramps
A total of 200 million cramps. Enough to buy a small residence on the outskirts of Clovan City.
My spine folded with respect for Head Frida Keilak.
“Mr. Blood, let’s not stand on ceremony. Sit.”
Head Frida sat with a satisfied expression, hands resting on her knees, posture straight.
A brief silence fell.
It was my turn to speak.
“Head, has the identity of Mosquito been confirmed?”
Our conversation had always been about the case. “Mr. Blood killed him. He detonated himself. Thanks to that, the deputy mages had to search corpses and wasted quite some time.”
Head Frida swept the cup on her fingertip while gazing steadily at me.
She was deliberately distorting the facts right now.
“He chose to die himself. He jumped into the Caedis realm and decided to end it.”
“Yeah, so he blew himself up.”
“But he was being chased by something. Maybe his death wasn’t his own decision either. It seems he had been programmed to die from some external force so he wouldn’t reveal secrets.”
That had been the conclusion at the time.
The way his pupils had moved right before death, the tremor in his muscles, the final words— all of it pointed to him being forced into suicide.
Head Frida set the cup down on the table and looked me straight in the eye. “Mosquito was a heretic.”
My chest dropped with a dull thud. “An old heretic. He had been wanted for a long time, probably even before Mr. Blood started working as an inspector.”
An old heretic. Thanks to the advancement of magic science, heretics could now be identified through inspection methods.
Heretics had special stones in their bodies. Over time the color of those stones changed. We were only able to detect them through autopsy now, but one day a simple inspection alone might be enough to find the stone of a heretic.
“I see.”
It wasn’t a problem for me yet. Showing emotion like this was something subordinates did.
“Despite being a heretic, we’re still figuring out how he used the power of Caedis. Mr. Blood must be dying to know that.”
I nodded. Head Frida always saw right through my inner thoughts. And the word “figure out” she used carried a double meaning—whether she knew or not, she wouldn’t tell.
She alone had to control the information.
I could tell she was keeping the existence of Caedis itself at a 1st-grade secret level.
“Yes.”
I wouldn’t pry further if she didn’t offer the information. That was the unspoken rule between me and Head Frida Keilak.
But when it came to Caedis, I had no choice but to cross the line.
“Did you obtain the Caedis egg?”
I had specially asked Jade before leaving the dungeon. To gather the egg stuck to the cave wall.
To bring dungeon items out, I needed a special-handling flask. Special handling came with high costs, yet I had still asked and he had readily agreed.
A line crossed? A small spasm crossed Head Frida’s smile. “Half yes, half I still don’t know.”
A lukewarm reply. “But I can use it as bait. A lure to attract Caedis.”
As if nothing had happened, her smile brightened again.
The brighter her smile grew, the darker the shadow that fell over my heart.
Mosquito had been a heretic. And several years ago he had used the power of Caedis I had killed with my own hands in the dungeon.
He had tried to hatch the Caedis egg by sacrificing his own life. When that failed, he had died without hesitation.
I needed to know why he had clung to Caedis so desperately. His goal, even if it was only through the egg, to revive Caedis.
And there was one more thing I had to confirm. The relationship between Head Frida and General Jade. Why Jade had gone after the raiders for her sake.
“Head, there is one more thing I would like to confirm. The past between General Jade and me…”
Knock. Knock. I fell silent at the sound of the knock.
And stopping the conversation had turned out to be an excellent decision.
“Jade Blaze.”
General Jade’s deep voice came from beyond the door. “Come in, General.”
Head Frida uncrossed her legs and rose. She brushed the wrinkles from her clothing.
“Oh, you’re here too.”
Jade had cleanly shaved his gray heart-shaped mustache. He met my eyes. He greeted Head Frida with a handshake and exchanged light pleasantries, then sat.
“You’ve hired a truly excellent talent as your subordinate. His performance was truly impressive. It warmed my heart to see it.”
Jade praising me in front of Head Frida. “Ah! And we donated the dungeon harvest to the families. I didn’t ask, but it should be fine, right?”
Jade smiled ambiguously. I nodded lightly. “He helped us actively in eradicating the dungeon raiders. We thank you on behalf of the Capital Defense Force.”
An uncharacteristic expression of gratitude from Head Frida. The two seemed neither intimate nor hostile.
“The Blaze Clan members spend the most time inside the dungeon, so it makes sense for us to take measures to ensure safety inside the dungeon.”
Just surface talk. “We will also hold a memorial service for the fallen clan members on the part of the Capital Defense Force.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Head Frida.”
We couldn’t learn anything about the relationship between the two. “Regarding the management of the 4th floor underground of the dungeon, I have been pondering it.”
Management of the 4th floor underground of the dungeon? Then it must be about the Mushroom Cave. The mushroom cave used as the hatching chamber for the Caedis egg.
There might still be eggs left that we hadn’t collected yet. Was she planning to entrust their management to the Blaze Clan? For what reason?
“General, that should be discussed separately.”
Head Frida cut in. She smiled attractively and clearly excluded me from the conversation.
A flicker of doubt crossed Jade’s face, but he soon seemed to read her intention and gave a bitter smile. “After this battle I have thought a great deal about what it means to be a leader. In fact, groups that rely 100% on one person rarely succeed.”
And then Jade suddenly showed self-reflection. The officially recorded casualties of the Blaze Clan due to this incident: 112. A painful loss.
Personally, I thought if Jade had been a little more cold-headed, the loss and pain would not have occurred. That was why he had tried so hard to stop me in the field.
“So, Zeo the Inspector, have you considered joining our clan? As a candidate for the next leader.”
A fairly direct proposal. A candidate for the next leader of the Blaze Clan, which guaranteed success.
It was tempting.
“General, recruiting me in front of you would be unfair.”
Head Frida drew a line with her bright smile. Even if she hadn’t said it, I would have declined.
As I joined an organization, the risk of my identity being exposed would increase as my colleagues in the city grew. They trusted me now, but no one knew how their attitude would change the moment they learned my true identity.
“I will decline.”
I refused bluntly. No need for roundabout excuses. Survival came first at any moment.
“Then perhaps you can accept this small gift?”
He handed me a box. Inside was a stone glowing with a faint red light. A pair of wings was subtly carved on it like a phantom.
“Magic stone containing the Fire Wings.”
I stared at the stone in my hand. Rare magic stones that appeared after defeating monsters in the dungeon had been polished into pure power crystals through magic techniques. I had stored the clan’s unique technique, [Fire Wings], inside it.
“When the time comes, you will be able to invoke [Fire Wings]. Although it can only be used once, it will still be a solid ally on your path.”
It wasn’t a casual remark. An extremely rare and precious gift.
“Thank you.” “Not at all. I only wish it helps you well.”
An awkward silence fell between us.
The one who broke it was Head Frida. “General, thanks to you the goblin assimilation efforts have increased tremendously.”
“Was that why you led the elderly into the dungeon?”
Huh? Goblin assimilation? What did Dave and I suddenly have to do with this?
I didn’t know when it had started. From when had the weakest monsters in the dungeon, the goblins, begun to emerge into society? Of course, they had fallen to the lowest rung in the Gilorian Empire, yet janitors, farmhands, factory workers, gardeners, even meat shields in war. They did the most dangerous and undesirable work, yet they were the only race that performed it without complaint for the lowest wages.
Had they come here with the Blaze Clan?
“The number of goblins in the empire has increased, and it’s time we invested more resources into their assimilation.” “Yes. We are currently working on related budgets and policies.” “The goblin shelters are at capacity and the living conditions are a mess, so the possibility of an epidemic cannot be ruled out.”
Were the people in front of me right now claiming to be guardian angels of the goblins? “Cost is always an issue. It is unknown whether the taxpayers will allow budget for goblins.” “That’s why social assimilation education is necessary. If communication is possible, their usefulness will increase even more.” “That’s true.”
A warm feeling welled up in my chest. I hadn’t realized they were such warm people. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have had to be so resolute when refusing.
“There are still many borders where monsters threaten us. There we need a lot of manpower. People who will work without complaint if you just feed and house them. Broaden your horizons, Head Frida.” “That’s right.”
Regret should never be taken lightly. I didn’t think there was anything more to hear from here.