Involvement (3)

Gabriel came knocking on the door to pass us a message from Miss Margrett-- that we'll be having breakfast somewhere in the Earldom. Oh nice, we're finally going to explore.. That doesn't explain how she got past the lock though..

Anyways. Rin-san went to say her farewells to her family, Liliath acting as her bodyguard.

Nevermind that. Hopefully they'd get things done soon-- breakfast awaiting. I'm hungry.

As for the orange dots all around the earldom-- I warned Miss Margrett and Jennifer-chan about it. Nothing much I can say, really.

If any dot comes into a 10 meter range of us, it'll fire a notification.

I'm curious how the assassin managed to rally this many people-- do these people actually know me? Like.. do they know my face? Does he have some sort of printer ability that allows him to imprint an image into another person's mind? No right? Or does orange just mean hostility? Idk.

I think a playboy with that sort of ability is just plain weird..

Beep.

'Upfront, be careful.'

Jennifer-chan and Miss Margrett weren't given the map function.. and I don't intend to. So they didn't jump like Prune did. Sorry.

The roads were made from cobblestone, the rectangle-interlocking kind of pattern. Unlike Erudite kingdom, the ground wasn't leveled. Buildings were made with plaster and wood, quite a mishmash of designs with most of them 3 stories high. Louvered wooden windows on the upper floors, the busy streets with people bustling about. The gothic lamp posts along the streets didn't fit the morning mood.

Those are magic-powered right? Do they not use powerline cables? Underground cables maybe?

"Is the restaurant far away?" Prune asked.

"It's actually quite close, but you had said Liliath had an errand to run right?" Miss Margrett explained.

Prune nodded.

"I'm hungry.." Gabriel complained.

"You want candy?" Nine asked.

"I thought we shouldn't eat candy before a meal?"

"It's not like that rule applies here so.."

Candy is commonplace in this fantasy world. It's something children like a lot-- especially those back in the orphanage.

I looked at the blue tuft of grass growing in between the cobblestone path.

The orange dot passed us without any reaction.

It was a big, brawy, muscular, adventurer with a large battle axe hanging behind him. Fuck what? I should've paid more attention to the people in the environment-- he's at least 2 meters tall.

'A little longer everyone,' Liliath replied in chat.

The red dot in the mansion-- Vincent hadn't moved since a while ago.

What is he plotting?

Should I be worried?

"Noel, look. " Nine said.

We came to a weird roundabout with a large tree in the centre. Below the tree was an elf minstrel singing tales of the heroes…

"Elf!" Prune exclaimed.

"Are you still thinking of that elf? I asked.

"What elf?" she looked at me funny. Huh.. so she forgot about the 'hot' elf from yesterday?

Nine dug her pocket for some change, then threw it into the tin container.

"Thank you," she wink, before continuing with her song.

I was surprised how good she was at both her voice and the lyre-- I think that's what the instrument is called.

Gabriel dropped the candy wrapping from the candy she got from Nine into the can..

"Hey.."

After that we made a turn.

I made sure to remove the candy wrapping with [Disintegration] of course.

\\

\\

\\

"Rin-san, are you ready to go? Any longer here would cause your decision to waver. That is not what you want, correct?" said Liliath.

Rinalanashina nodded, indecision in her eyes.

July tightened his grip on her shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere."

"July-sama.. I'm sorry," Rinalanashina squinted her eyes, tears formed at the edges.

"Rin-aneesan is mine! You're not taking her away from me!" July yelled.

Liliath-sama looked at him, bewildered.

Rinalanashina tried to pry off his hands. With her demon-lord-like strength, it didn't pose much of a problem physically than it did psychologically.

"July-sama.. thank you for everything," Rinalanashina said in a strained voice.

"W-Wait.. no.. how can you.."

She held Liliath's wrist.

With a bow, red light enveloped the room. And in the next moment.. gone.

July looked at the scene with twitching eyes.

"Nee-san," he called out.

"The hell is wrong with that girl.."

"Nee-san!!"

"What?!"

"Y-You should've persuaded her! If only you were kinder than maybe.. maybe.."

"Did you even pay attention to the conversation O' little brother? It has nothing to do with me. That girl hinted at the butler doing some rather inconspicuous things without our knowing."

"B-Butler?"

There was only one butler that accompanied them during the trip-- and he was Vincent. July knew that this wasn't just a simple butler-- he was also a dealer in the underground market-- a killer.

"Rin-neesan said.."

"Why does this maid always have to give me trouble? Damn maid, I'll kill you when you come back."

"N-Nee-san where are you going?"

"To find that butler and inquiry," April pushed the door open.

"Wait for me!"

"Wait in the room."

"No I.."

"JUST WAIT IN YOUR ROOM!!" April's yell attracted the attention of the other guests in the hallway. Realizing that, she gave up all acts of etiquette and without a care of the world, stormed off.

"Nee-san.. Rin-san.. why can't you two just.. get along.." July squeaked.

One was fierce, the other was quiet. No.. April was the one who kept provoking Rinalanashina. If one had to be blamed here, it should be April.

Rinalanashina had been enduring for so long-- it wasn't impossible that she would choose an alternative if a chance presented itself.. was what July thought.

But he couldn't help but worry about her safety. It was too sudden-- to say that she would leave? Why would she leave?

July wracked his head. Recalling that she had touched on the topic of her death. By death what did she mean?

Rinalanashina had been acting weird as of late. July had never seen her so anxious. He thought that it was because she wasn't used to attending the party-- he never anticipated that there was an entirely different reason.

"July-sama.."

"S-Shyna-san?"

July had been standing motionless at the open doorway-- flinched when he heard her voice.

"Rina-san.. she.. she.."

"She told you too?" July asked with pain.

"I-I don't know what to do.. I support her decision b-but.."

"Support her decision?! What fanciful delusions did you come to?!"

Shyna flinched-- her expression stiffened and then stood there in silence.

She was shocked, yes. It was the first time she had been shouted at by July. By an instinctive reaction, whenever she made a mistake, her mind would close and she'd enter a stoic state.

"Why.. why.. I tried my best to protect her yet.. yet.. why did she have to leave.." July muttered, clenching his fist so tight the knuckles became white, "Shyna-san, tell me. Why did you support her decision?"

"About that.." Shyna looked around, "Let's enter the room first. I don't know where he might be."

"He?"

"Before he comes, enter."

"Yes."

Shyna shut the door behind her. With a flat voice she said.

"Rina-san was almost killed. And the party that saved her is the same one that will take her away for the sake of protection."

"Party? I saw that girl.."

--use teleportation.

July fell into a daze.

A teleportation spell-- not to mention. That girl, Liliath, he never saw her until the slap. How did she appear? July had been too emotional to notice until now.

Just who was that girl?

"Ridiculous.. why did she leave? Does she think she's safe with.."

"I beg to differ. Apologies for being as rude. If not for them, she would've died of poison by now."

"Poison?"

Shyna nodded.

Or at least-- that was what she knew from the little information she had gotten from Rinalanashina herself. Her appearance and disappearance together with Liliath was too abrupt. They disappeared before she could even ask a question.

"We will be leaving later this afternoon, correct? We still have time, what we need to do now is ensure her safety. Persuading her to return should be secondary if her life is at risk."

"I know but.."

That butler.

What could July do?

He had been missing since the night of the evening party. What was going on?

"Is this.. father's plan?" July gritted his teeth.

"I don't have enough proof to answer that.."

"Yes." A third voice.

Vincent jumped into the room through the window.

"W-What?!" July was shaken by his arrival.

Shyna maintained expressionless.

"Killing her was the secondary objective. The primary objective had been achieved.. or that is what I would like to think. Unfortunately, I have to confirm it with my own two eyes. Words alone won't be enough."

"Y-You..!" July's breathing started to grow heavy.

"Do you want her to return? I could make it happen if you cooperate? I messed up a little during the first encounter. My apologies."

First encounter.. which meant that if he hadn't messed up then..

Rinalanashina-- she would've long been dead.

"Kill..." July's words drowned into a whisper.

"Pardon?"

"Kill yourself. This is an order."

Vincent shook his head," I only listen to orders from the Margrave. And even if he did order such an absurd request, I wouldn't adhere to it so readily. Are you an idiot?"

July looked at the ground, vision blurred.

He knew very well that against a foe like him, he stood no chance.

There was no way to beat him.

If he tried to do so-- the likelihood of him being killed was..

"Now. My plan is simple. I need two things. One-- something Rinalanashina-san herself finds precious-- and two, your command that you will take responsibility for this. Of course, I had the consent of the Margrave to achieve the result by any means, but I won't be taking the young lord's life. I had been considering a few possibilities.. and in my current predicament, I don't think normal means would suffice," he smiled. "I had three objectives, actually."

"Explain," Shyna said.

"Good to see you're well," Vincent smiled, "Young lord, you do understand that your position in the house is wavering is it not? I have a proposal-- or, a deal."

July twitched.

"The third objective was to frame milady as the murderer. In that way, you will have no hindrances in becoming the next lord of the house. The Margrave does not wish to see a girl rule over his territory."

To frame April as the murderer? Wouldn't that action ruin the image of the Margrave's house-- was what July wanted to ask. But behind those eyes of his-- July couldn't bring himself to do so.

July's father, the Margrave , must have already prepared some countermeasures to tackle this issue.

What choice did he have?

"In exchange for you eternal future with Rinalanashina-san and your secured position as the next successor of the Bougainvillea house, I would like if you would have me continue to have me serve by your side."

"You're ridiculous.. I'll go persuade Rin-neesan myself. Stay out of this.."

"Tsk. Tsk. How naive."

"Naive how?"

Vincent's mouth curved into an upwards crescent.

"She's not human you know? Your nee-san."

"What?"

"Why else did you think she left?"

"W-What do you mean.."

"As the person closest to her, I never thought you'd not realize such a simple fact. Now, how would you deal with a demon lord if that goes wild? Are you sure you can keep her by your side forever? What if I told you I had a way to make her obedient to you? Would that be something you want? Or do you think losing her here forever is better?"

July furrowed his brow.

Losing her forever..

But..

Demon lord?

"I understand now," July said.

"Hm?"

"If I had to choose, her happiness is most important. I'll.."

"You're mistaken there. How much do you know about the people who took her anyways?"

"At least a lot kinder than you. One of them is an Irregular, there's no way y.." Shyna voice tapered off and she collapsed to the ground.

"W-Wha.. y-you.."

Her body convulsed twice. Blood spilled from her mouth.

"She was being quite noisy. So? What do you choose?" Vincent smiled, a knife pointed at him.

July shivered.. all over. He couldn't move, he couldn't do anything--

Cornered like a rate, he had no choice.