Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: This Is My Answer
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Chapter 13
A room in the Head’s mansion on Black Scale Island, exuding an air of luxury.
Someone was pacing anxiously.
Light brown hair, strangely sharp eyes, and reddish pupils.
It was Isabel, the third daughter born to the Head and Kairam.
She walked, biting her nails, occasionally cracking open the window to peek outside.
It seemed she was waiting for someone.
“My lady, please, stand still for a moment.”
Her nanny, unable to watch any longer, chided her, and only then did Isabel stop pacing.
“That boy was finally caught, right? What happens when he’s brought to the main house?”
“Naturally, they will follow procedure.”
“So what is the procedure?”
“He will be submitted to an internal trial. The Acting Head will likely pass appropriate judgment.”
“Mari, you’ve been with the family for a long time. What kind of verdict is usually given in these cases?”
“Well…”
At her question, Mari hummed, lost in thought.
Nannies assigned to the direct line of the Rantzverger family were a bit special.
Beyond their basic duties, they also served as bodyguards, secretaries, and more.
Furthermore, they were selected from seasoned female agents, so they were well-versed in matters both inside and outside the family.
That was why Isabel waited for an answer with eyes full of expectation.
Mari would surely have the wisdom to navigate even a situation like this.
“This is a first for me as well. I never imagined a direct descendant of the family would be captured and brought here by the Shadow Blood Assassination Squad. Truly, I never imagined it.”
“Tsk! You’re no help at all, just nagging.”
With a pout, she went to the window, leaned against the frame, and tapped her toes.
It looked as though she was staring at the sky in frustration, but Isabel’s gaze was scanning the entrance to Black Scale Island.
Just then, she saw a group emerging from the stairs leading to the underground.
Walking alongside the Shadow Blood Assassination Squad, clad in their crimson uniforms, was none other than Ray.
“He’s here! He’s here!”
After confirming his face with a sharp glance, Isabel jumped up and down before hastily trying to dash out of the room.
*Thud!*
“Ack!”
But her attempt was thwarted by her nanny’s solid defense.
“My lady.”
“What!”
“This is Black Scale Island. You must maintain your dignity.”
“What dignity does an assassin need?”
Isabel retorted sarcastically, causing Nanny Mari’s eyebrows to shoot up.
Her stance made it clear she would not move an inch unless Isabel was properly admonished.
Finally, Isabel closed her eyes, gave a perfunctory nod, and said.
“Hah! Fine, I get it. Now move.”
“You promise?”
“I said I get it!”
“Hmph. We’ll see.”
Mari stepped aside, but not before rolling up her sleeves to reveal a pair of brawny arms with a smile.
It was a silent threat: act like a tomboy, and you’ll be thrown back in the room.
Isabel had no choice but to walk down the hallway with quiet steps and a peculiar posture.
“Your posture doesn’t matter. Just be quiet.”
“If I want to be quiet and fast, I have to walk like this!”
After firing a retort at Nanny Mari, she descended the stairs quietly but swiftly.
* * *
Next to the Head’s office was an attached building for handling internal matters.
It was the Rantzverger family’s judicial institution, known as the Hall of Correction.
In truth, its doors had rarely ever been opened.
Traitors were almost always dealt with on the spot, as the evidence was usually clear.
*Kuuung! Drrrrr!*
“Go inside.”
As the massive iron door opened, someone placed a hand on my back and pushed.
*I can walk just fine on my own. They’re really rushing me.*
With only my arms bound, I grumbled internally and was about to take a step.
But then, someone popped out from the left side of the mansion, staring this way.
It was Isabel, looking as if she had come out to watch the spectacle.
*Are you here to tease me?*
I couldn’t help but let out a small smirk.
It seemed just like her to pull a lighthearted prank even in a situation like this.
But just then, a pressure that made my entire body tingle washed over me, and a voice rang out.
“Why are you dawdling?”
I turned my head to see the Acting Head, Kairam, standing on the dais of the Hall of Correction.
She was looking down at me dispassionately, radiating an icy aura.
*Kugugung!*
Only the Squad Leader and a few agents of the Shadow Blood Assassination Squad followed me inside; the rest thoroughly guarded the perimeter of the Hall.
I walked with the Squad Leader and stood before the dais.
Then, a few elders entered the Hall.
Most of them were the Acting Head’s people.
*Isn’t this a bit unfair?*
This meant the trial would be swayed entirely by her will.
If I failed to persuade Kairam here, this wouldn’t end with mere excommunication.
*Still, the nanny will probably just get demoted.*
Though I was an illegitimate son, I was still of the direct line, so I had a nanny named Abigail.
At my request, she was living outside Black Scale Island.
Summoning Abigail now would not only disrupt my plans but also attract unnecessary suspicion.
That was one more reason to clear my name.
I stared up at the dais.
Kairam glanced at the elders and murmured softly.
“Let us begin.”
“Yes. Case Number 74, Betrayal. The matter of 1st-grade assassin Ray Rantzverger, who disappeared for six months. The witness present is the leader of the Shadow Blood Assassination Squad, who led the pursuit.”
An elder opened a report and briefly summarized the case.
When the reading was finished, the Acting Head looked intently at the Squad Leader.
“Describe the search and arrest process.”
“Yes, Acting Head. We roamed the area around the Forest of the Dead for approximately two months but found no suspicious organizations. The arrest was made on October 22nd, without combat.”
“Is that really all?”
“…”
The Squad Leader subtly averted his gaze, then looked me up and down.
He was probably recalling the promise he made to me.
I deliberately jingled my cuffs and stared right back at him.
*I came along quietly, didn’t I? What’s the big deal?*
Though he seemed to have much to say, the Squad Leader ultimately remained silent.
He could only report the objective facts.
“As stated in the report, we were unable to obtain any other evidence.”
“Hmph…”
She hummed, looking at me.
With nothing to find even after a thorough search, she seemed quite displeased.
*My, my. You look so frustrated.*
At last, Kairam began to question me about the events.
There was no other way but to ask the person involved.
“Can you explain yourself?”
“Yes, of course.”
“…Proceed.”
My confident reply brought a flicker of interest to her eyes.
She probably hadn’t expected such a response.
In any case, she seemed to welcome the fact that I had an explanation.
*Alright, the question now is how to handle this.*
I had currently mastered the 4th tier and was looking toward the next stage.
By revealing my level, I could easily prove I had been to Esmeranta’s Tower.
After all, reaching the 4th tier at the mere age of nineteen would require a special method.
But I had no intention of revealing all my cards just yet.
*The Acting Head might have a fairly accurate grasp of my level.*
The Konntraeger Energy Arts was supreme at concealing one’s aura.
It was inherently subtle, making it difficult to discern even with deliberate inspection.
But the difference in level between Kairam and me was so vast that I couldn’t be certain.
She probably had a vague idea.
That my level did not match my agent rank.
*Trying to be clever here could backfire. A direct approach is the answer!*
The Acting Head was someone who valued efficiency and results. If I showed her my accomplishments, she would surely come up with a solution herself.
*Ssk. Chak.*
I tried to channel my aura to instantly shatter the tightly bound ropes.
My plan was to make a grand display of my level and blow away all the charges.
*Tuduk!*
But no matter how much force I applied, the cuffs and ropes only broke halfway before stopping dead.
It seemed these restraints were no ordinary items.
“Huh? Why isn’t this working?”
The four squad members surrounding me immediately pressed daggers to my vital points.
One of the elders who had been watching silently shouted in a sharp voice.
“Insolence. Moving without permission during a trial.”
“No, this is… I’m trying to prove my innocence. Tsk! It’s not working well. What is this made of?”
*Clink. Clank.*
I looked over the cuffs and ropes with an awkward expression.
Soon, everyone’s gazes turned to the Acting Head.
They seemed to be asking what she was going to do with this ridiculous boy.
But her expression was as cold as it was at the beginning as she said.
“That’s enough. Third Elder, compose yourself.”
“Ahem! Yes.”
“Go on, show us this proof of yours.”
At Kairam’s command, the squad members’ daggers hesitantly pulled back.
I summoned my aura and completely shattered the half-broken restraints.
Then, in a flash, I snatched one of the daggers that had been about to retract.
“Whoops! Let me borrow this for a moment.”
The Shadow Blood Assassination Squad was composed of agents who were at least high-grade.
But no matter how hard he tried, the agent couldn’t pull the blade free from my fingers.
A high-grade agent was rendered completely immobile by the strength of a mere 1st-grade agent.
At the astonishing sight, the expressions of Kairam and the elders inevitably changed.
With a slight smile, I looked around the hall and continued.
“This is my answer.”
As I drew up my aura, a dark energy coalesced on the dagger.
The aura, which had been scattered like mist, soon took a perfect form before vanishing with a whisper.
*Ssk.*
My arm thrust forward, but no one in the hall could sense the sword strike.
This was the Demonic Wheel Kill itself.
“A perfect Demonic Wheel Kill…!”
“How old was that child? He’s turned a new year, so he’s only nineteen now?”
“…”
While the elders stood with their mouths agape, Kairam’s gaze grew increasingly deep.
Even though I had proven I’d reached the 4th tier, her face remained stern.
*I’ve gone this far, and you’re still giving me that look. What are you going to do? If you don’t like it, try and refute me.*
After watching the Demonic Wheel Kill to its conclusion, she asked in a low voice.
“Did you go to Esmeranta’s Tower?”