Operation Cuckoo
Blood flowed from Brooks' head, crushed against the substitute stone, soaking the ground. A futile end for the bastard.
"……."
Emilia's eyes widened at the sight. The hand she'd raised to cover her mouth trembled.
"Haa… haa…."
She panted, unable to even scream. No matter how much Brooks had tried to harm her, the death unfolding before her eyes had clearly shaken her.
"Th-that…."
Her voice, laced with terror, murmured the words. I placed a hand on her shoulder. Her body was shaking violently.
"It's fine. He brought this on himself."
I gently closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at Brooks' corpse. Unlike her intense trembling, I felt nothing. It was his own doing from the start, and his death was nothing but a self-inflicted mistake. It had nothing to do with me.
While reassuring Emilia, I scanned the surroundings. The village was still quiet. But soon, someone would come out to check what was happening. There was one thing I needed to do before that.
I need more information.
I approached Brooks' body and began rummaging through his pockets.
Sometimes I miss the game system.
In the game, a report full of details would pop up the moment someone called me "Captain."
Speaking of information, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
I wonder if the Phantoms are around?
Phantom. Strictly speaking, Phantom was an organization with a different nature from Black Raven. Its purpose was experimentation.
The game Conqueror of Another World had one brutal feature: characters could die if raised incorrectly. How heartbreaking would it be if a cherished character perished due to one mistake? For example, incompatible skills could clash and explode. High-talent characters might overcome it and grow, but that was rare. Bad luck could even curse equipped gear, killing the character outright.
So, I came up with a way to prevent sudden deaths in my raised characters: separate experimental ones. Enter Phantom, the organization born solely for testing. They were Black Raven members, but ghosts in all but name—mere lab rats, I'm afraid. With disposable characters, I ran all sorts of experiments. Cursed items? Equip freely. Risky enhancements? Go for it. If luck held, they'd gain great power; otherwise, they'd die. Phantom members turned over frequently.
Those who beat the odds got sent wandering the continent for intelligence gathering. Thus, Phantom doubled as my private intel network alongside its experimental role.
But I can't manage Phantom right now, can I?
Black Raven's tangled structure let it run itself without me. But Phantom was different. Its experimental bent meant only I, the captain, knew of it. Phantom was Black Raven yet independent.
So, was Phantom operating on its own now?
"……."
A chill ran down my spine. Come to think of it, I shouldn't meet them either. Would they like the captain who used them as guinea pigs? Absolutely not. They might even hate me.
I vowed inwardly to never cross paths with Phantom, right alongside Celestia.
As I rifled through dead Brooks' pockets with that thought—
Paper?
'The family knights are dispatching a mage from the Fire Tower with them.'
Fire Tower. Naturally, Black Raven had a member there too. The tower master, probably? The thought brought a smile to my lips.
This might go smoother than expected.
Luck was on my side. I quickly organized my plan and summoned the status window.
Captain, just give the order.
This was my second command to Black Raven since the last one.
"The Fire Tower Master will hold position and await contact."
Captain's order acknowledged.
With the command issued, I gave Brooks' corpse one last glance.
"I'll make good use of the bastard's spot."
I'd take Brooks' place in the Hartwell family. Operation Cuckoo, in other words. With no identity to my name right now, posing as a noble's bastard was far better. Even discriminated against, I was a game player and Black Raven's captain.
"This'll work."
I slipped the note back into Brooks' pocket. Then hurried to Emilia.
"Emilia, the village is gonna get chaotic for a bit."
Obvious, really. A noble's bastard dead? The place would erupt. And knights from the family were due in days. Would they leave the village be with Brooks dead? No chance.
"I've got it all figured out, so just trust me and follow. Got it?"
But I had a solution. Emilia already trusted and followed me.
"…Got it."
She nodded, whispering softly.
And moments later.
"Wh-what happened?!"
Villagers began appearing one by one. The sudden silence must've worried them. They rushed over, hastily adjusting their clothes.
"B-Brooks…!"
Someone spotted the corpse and screamed. The gathering crowd confirmed it. Gazes hit the bloodstained ground, and breaths caught. The air filled with shock and horror.
"Qu-quick, fetch the village chief!"
A few bolted toward the chief's house. Emilia gripped my arm, stepping back, yet unable to tear her eyes away despite her trembling.
"Oh no!"
Villagers sobbed around the body. Some despaired; others stared blankly. Less grief over a death, more worry over the village's future.
"What in the world?!"
The village chief arrived soon after, surveying the scene. It looked like drunken stumbling—no murder traces. He'd have someone to blame if it were homicide. He clutched his quivering beard and yelled at me.
"Speak! What happened?!"
To his urgent demand, I recounted everything—omitting Brooks' attempted rape and my dagger threat. No upside in mentioning those.
"Hah… That's why I said no drinking."
Confirming no fault on me, the chief slumped, berating himself. Brooks must've turned beastly when drunk. But what now? He was dead. Self-recrimination wouldn't revive him.
The chief gazed at the dark night sky with a hollow expression.
"……."
His heart must be conflicted. Understandable. Who'd expect death from solo drunken fall? But even so, the village's responsibility lingered. The Hartwells would pin blame somehow. Best case, chief alone executed. Worst, everyone dies. Either way, he couldn't escape death. Such was the weight of leading a village.
But I approached him slowly.
"Chief."
He didn't stir. I extended a hand.
"There's a way for you to live. What say you?"
He looked at me. Long and hard, then spoke.
"R-really?"
I nodded confidently. Hope lit his face at last.
"I'll become the Hartwell family's bastard son."
His shock followed my words.
Late night. Lights still burned atop the Fire Tower. Adeline von Arknon's office, the tower master. Far past normal hours, yet she'd returned on urgent notice. She'd ignore tower matters, but Black Raven's? And from vice-captain Ariel herself? No choice.
"What on earth…."
Adeline's face betrayed unease. Ariel's message was simple:
Fire Tower Master Adeline: Prepare to execute Captain's commands at any time.
Simple on surface, complex beneath. Black Raven missions meant bringing members. Yet the Captain specified Fire Tower. Something linked the two.
"……."
Her disciple Bella came to mind. Bella headed to a remote Hailstone Principality village for a Hartwell bastard paternity test. Adeline had sent her.
Near that village: a magic stone mine. Black Raven was investigating such sites.
She won't run into Black Raven, will she?
Adeline hoped not. Bella's playfulness worried her. She'd go herself if possible, but as master, it'd draw eyes. Another couldn't replace her—Bella knew Black Raven, her sole disciple and thus well-positioned despite non-official status. Any clash could be smoothed.
She prayed for no worst-case.
Phantom….
The Captain's guard, Phantom. Shrouded in secrecy—who, what missions? Only known: not Black Raven proper, witnesses don't survive.
If mine investigators were Phantom?
"No way…."
Chill hit her. Why mention Fire Tower? Pieces clicked.
"Master already knows."
The paternity request. Bella's dispatch. Captain knew all—and ordered anyway.
"Contingency for if Bella clashes with Black Raven…."
Mine team likely Phantom, per direct order. He'd gauged Bella's personality too.
The test was secret—only Adeline and Bella knew.
"Still the same, Master."
She smiled wryly. Monitored, yet pleased—proof he thrived.
She penned a letter to Bella.
Raven sighted. Extreme caution advised. Do not suspect.
Pre-departure warnings reiterated—now with real Phantom threat.
She enchanted it. It folded into a crane. She approached the window. Cold air seeped in.
"Please, let nothing happen…."
Adeline released the paper crane into the night. It flapped gracefully into the darkness.