Chapter 38 – Suspicion and a Clue

Third person POV

Later at noon, Robert arrived at the Lightningheart estate, and he opened the front door of the main entrance into the compound. Once inside, he headed straight to the main house, and opened the door, greeting, "I'm home."

"Welcome back, Robert-kun," Blaise greeted back while preparing the plates on the dining table. "You're just in time for lunch."

Mary and Sofia are cooking mutton and rice porridge as the main course while Aaron was reading his newspaper at the dining room. Max was training and sharpening his magical skills at the clan's training ground.

Taking off his leather boots, Robert responded, "Oh, thanks, big sis."

He then went through the living room and greeted Aaron with a hi.

Hearing him, Aaron looked at him and greeted back, "Ah, Robert, welcome back, just in time for lunch."

"Yes, grandpa, but let's do a screen check to all the members of this clan," Robert replied back.

"Why is that?" Aaron responded.

"I think there may be traitors who might be either the thief or accomplices of that thief who stole dad's sword," Robert explained in response.

"I don't think we have any traitors in this clan," Blaise objected.

"Yes, but let's just do a screen check just in case," Robert insisted.

Thinking about this, Aaron eventually nodded. "Okay, this afternoon then."

"Thank you so much," Robert responded back while bowing a bit.

Not long after, while eating lunch, Robert revealed to Sofia and Max about his plan for a screen check and the possibilities of a traitor within the Lightningheart clan.

"Okay, what?" Max commented. "A screen check?"

"What's that?" Sofia asked a question.

"It's a thing where a leader of a group will check his/her members for any suspicious item or activity," Aaron explained.

"Oh, okay, we never did that before, right?" Sofia replied.

"Yes, but since someone broke into this house and stole my late son's sword," Aaron responded while eating, "there is a possibility that there is a traitor among us."

"I see. When we will do that?" Max asked.

"By 6 in the afternoon, once all of our members returned from work," Aaron replied back.

Then, curious about the work of his clan members, Robert asked, "Um, grandpa, what was the work of the other Lightningheart members?"

"Oh, they are mostly worked as merchants, guards, and teachers," Aaron responded back.

"Wow, I didn't know there are Lightningheart members who work in the security sector," Robert replied back. "And also, as teachers?"

"Yes, mostly at the Keystone Central Magic Academy," Aaron added.

To that Robert thought, "Nice."

Meanwhile back at the Central Investigation Headquarters, Nate and Augustine are walking down the aisle of one of the headquarters' offices when one of Augustine's subordinates came to them, only to report to them that Derek had recently took the afternoon off from work, claiming that he had errands to do.

"Really? Again?" Nate commented.

"This is the 3rd time this week," Augustine added.

"I know, sir," that subordinate responded back, "but I'm not sure what he will actually do."

"I see," Nate replied back as he understands what Augustine's subordinate had said. "We'll just inform him that we will have a screen check this afternoon."

"Oh, okay, sir," the subordinate responded back.

She then went back to her desk and resumed her work.

After that, Nate said to Augustine, "Hey, Augustine-kun, I'm getting suspicious with Derek-kun lately. He takes the afternoon off more often than I thought."

"Yeah, you're right," Augustine agreed with him. "I'll keep an eye on him using my division."

"Okay, you can have my permission to do that," Nate replied back.

With that, they went to their work stations.

At his office, Nate is about to enter the room when he saw one of his own subordinates, a Lightningheart member named Colt, standing next to his desk.

"Oh, Colt-kun," Nate said to him, "what are you doing here?"

Colt then walks up to him and gave him a piece of flyer, which is actually the same flyer Robert found earlier. It is revealed that Robert had the flyer delivered to Nate via Colt.

Upon receiving it, Nate took a look at it, and he asked, "An auction event?"

"Robert found this laying on the sidewalk," Colt responded, "and he was suspicious that his late father's sword was one of the items that are to be auctioned."

Looking at Colt, Nate replied, "I see. We'll keep it as a clue just in case Robert is right about it."

"Thanks," Colt responded while bowing a bit, before leaving the office and closed the door.

At the same time, Robert was reading a book when Blaise came to his room asking, "Robert-kun, what are you saying to one of the clan members to do something?"

Upon hearing that, Robert responded to her, "Oh, I just had a flyer delivered to Nate-san by Colt-san."

"A flyer?" Blaise responded while raising an eyebrow for a few seconds.

"I found one that is about an upcoming auction event this week," Robert positively replied back as he sat on his bed and putting his book aside. "I think dad's sword might be one of the auction items."

"Okay, how can you be sure? You seemed to be confident."

"I'm just thinking all these weird thoughts."

"I see. Well, I hoped dad's sword will be located and recovered."

"Me too, big sis. I'm suspicious about Vanworth as well. It might be a possible vengeance against Saverfort."

"You're right. Vengeance is a common motive though."

"Yeah, it was."

"Okay, when the auction event will take place?"

"By the end of the week, if I remember correctly."

"Let's go there then!"

"Yes! Thanks, big sis."

But, meanwhile, at a rundown district, inside one of the tenement houses, Derek was negotiating with two smugglers from Vanworth about the agreed price of James' sword. They were planning to auction that sword to them, who will pretend to be buyers, at a very high price so he will have that money for himself. But, will Robert and the investigative team stop his plans from materializing?