Searching in the Dark (4)

I tapped my foot lightly and looked at the trembling Lopez. A rather good idea suddenly came to mind.

"Why don't you try this instead? Modify your plan a bit. Set up a decoy."

"…A decoy, you say?"

Why the sudden formality? I tilted my head and stared at Lopez for a moment before slowly nodding. 

Threatening the Count to his face while blatantly advertising "I betrayed you" is a surefire way to get yourself killed. If you're trying to mess with someone, you'd better have a well-thought-out plan with layers of deception.

"The part where you steal the body of Leovald? Keep that the same. But the difference is, the one doing it isn't you anymore. You're just following your brother's orders, but in reality, an unknown third party steps in and takes the body."

"Could that third party be—"

"Yes. Us."

I lightly tapped my mask and chuckled. Even from a distance, the suspicious figure in black stood out. A mysterious force, whose true motives and backing were entirely unknown. Everything is already set up right here.

"Count Bermont knows how to handle you, but he doesn't know a thing about us. When you can't gauge your opponent, that's when things get complicated. You'll hesitate at the crossroads, second-guess yourself, and grow even more cautious… just like how your mind is spinning right now."

Lopez' shoulders jerked slightly. Predictable. His acting was so awkward it was obvious. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

I took a casual stance, as if showing leniency, and stood up from the bed. The frame creaked softly.

"We might send an urgent report to your brother once we leave. That's up to you. But how do you think Count Bermont would react? 'How dare they threaten and interfere with my plans! I'll deal with them!' Surely you're not expecting something like that, are you?"

This isn't some heartwarming tale of sibling loyalty. If Lopez had expected even a sliver of that, then he truly is a fool.

"On the contrary. The response would be more like, 'How careless were you to get caught?' followed by him discarding you first, then coming after us."

"..."

"Viscount Lopez, your only way to survive is to learn a little more about us and prove your worth to Count Bermont. The truth is, you never had a choice from the moment we arrived here."

In a gentle tone, I whispered and placed my hand on Viscount Lopez' shoulder, pressing down firmly. With a voice tinged with amusement, I asked:

"I've explained everything so kindly, and you still can't do the cost-benefit calculation?"

"No, I… I understand."

The answer came back quickly, as it should. If I had talked on and on and he hadn't understood a thing, it would have been troublesome. There would have been no point in the effort. Satisfied, I nodded approvingly.

"We'll search for the corpse together. After that, we'll take care of hiding it elsewhere and provoking the Count. You'll just play the middleman, drawing out the big fish—Count Bermont. Do you understand the overall plan?"

Viscount Lopez hurriedly assured me that he fully understood. The threat seemed to have worked. Maybe even a little too well.

After explaining the next steps in detail, Lopez listened attentively, nodding in agreement at intervals. When I finished explaining, he hesitated, carefully looking around, then asked:

"What should I do when we need to make contact along the way?"

"Oh, that," I said, pulling the moonstone bracelet from my wrist and handing it to him. The one I had prepared before coming here.

Given the historical setting, it's likely that the term "moonstone" isn't meant to refer to an actual space rock—especially since space rockets wouldn't be developed in this context. Instead, it could be tied to a legend or serve as a metaphor.

The stone, white and round like a full moon, with a rough surface reminiscent of raw stone rather than a pearl, seemed to match its name. When I originally bought it, it had looked like just that, but before coming here, Leonardo had instructed me to do something with it.

[Do you want me to carve a mark here?]

[Yeah. It might be difficult since the egg is small, but something simple like a basic shape would be good to make it easy to recognize.]

[I'll try. What exactly is the design?]

[I haven't thought about it yet. Kid, do you have a signal that your friends can easily recognize? Something as simple as possible.]

[Hmm… yeah. We have a signal we use among ourselves. Usually, it's carved on walls. It's a signal to avoid working here or to seek help from a kind person when things get tough.]

So, this is what I carved: a neat square, with two diagonal lines dividing it.

[What exactly does this mean?]

[The most important and simple one. It means 'food'.]

It was probably meant to symbolize bread.

If I were to count the number of trinkets Leonardo smashed while carving this, it would be endless. He brought so many pieces to the storage, but more than half of the bags were empty. All the rings were destroyed, and the only ones that survived were the bracelets and necklaces.

Watching Leonardo, with his broad shoulders hunched over, struggling to carve a stone smaller than a coin, was oddly amusing. He was scrunched up, groaning, and honestly, it was funny to watch. In the end, Vittorio and I laughed for quite a while while observing him.

A smile unconsciously appeared on my face.

It's a good thing I was wearing the mask. The smile from just now didn't look like something suspicious at all. What an amateur mistake to make.

After composing myself again, I explained how to use the bracelet to Lord Lopez.

"The method of contact is simple. Just wear this bracelet and stand quietly in any crowded place or alley in Sinistra. A messenger will come to you."

"Pardon?"

Lord Lopez seemed confused, not understanding how that could be possible. 

I wanted to say something like 'I am a miracle worker. I can control this city with ease…' but the truth was, it wasn't like that at all.

The streets were filled with street kids scattered everywhere. 

Whether it was a workplace, a back alley, or a bustling street, those who lived not under blocked roofs but in the open, using the streets as their turf, had become my eyes and ears. In a world where you couldn't always rely on the goodwill of adults, they had made the whole world their home instead of just a building.

So, I only had to make a small request to the neighbours of the streets, offering a reward. After showing them the moonstone bracelet I had marked with a knife, I asked them to notify me immediately if they saw anyone wearing it.

There was no need to speak directly. If they spotted someone idly standing in an alley, they would check their wrist and come to report to me. I had offered plenty of rewards, so for the kids, it was almost like a game of "hide and seek."

They were incredibly interested when I told them this. I remembered the gleam in the eyes of the little ones as they listened intently, and in the middle of my thoughts, Lord Lopez murmured in disbelief.

"Such… such a thing is possible…"

If you peeled away the layers, it was just a game for the kids. But from Lord Lopez' perspective, it must have felt like I was the mastermind of some powerful, mysterious organization controlling the city. Well, that's the charm of the behind-the-scenes theatrics, isn't it?

I walked over to the table and picked up a water bottle. It seemed like something I had left out for when I got thirsty later at night. The firewood had almost burned out, and as I poured the water onto the embers in the wall furnace, steam rose, adding to the atmosphere.

The room plunged into darkness in an instant, and Leonardo, clad in black, and I were effectively concealed in the shadows. The steam from the water and the fire created a mysterious ambiance, intensifying the mood.

Of course, the mastermind must always make an entrance and exit with an air of mystery.

I tapped my thigh and signaled to Leonardo. He had been standing silently close to Lord Lopez, contributing to the atmosphere of fear, and now he obediently moved to the window and stood by my side.

As we had agreed, Leonardo dramatically flung his cloak and leaped out the window first. It was my turn next. Before leaving, I glanced back at Lord Lopez and gave him a final piece of advice.

"You'd better think carefully. If things go well, you won't just be a temporary placeholder, a 'count's deputy'. You might actually become the real count, so don't forget that."

"I will keep that in mind," he replied.

"Then, walk the tightrope well."

Still facing Lopez, I gripped the balcony railing and leaned my upper body back. The sensation of slowly falling, head-first toward the ground, was dizzying, but I held back the instinct to react, for the sake of a convincing performance.

I really do all sorts of things just to stay alive.

I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the brief moment of floating.

Soon, a steady support caught me. Leonardo, who had been waiting below, stabilized me and wrapped me in his arms.

Hello. Good to see you again, mighty pectoral muscles. It's been just a few days, hasn't it? Are we seeing each other too often?

The firm texture through the black fabric greeted me as I leaned against it, offering a casual greeting. All I had to do was get out of the baron's manor now.

I tried not to let it show, but while threatening Lord Lopez, I'd been tense, worrying if he might see through me or if there was something lacking in my approach. The tension drained from my body in an instant.

Leonardo must have sensed my condition. Instead of setting me down, he lifted me and silently disappeared into the shadows, carrying me out of the manor. The ride was smooth.

"Let's get out of here."

He moved without saying a word. We passed through the thick bushes where white roses bloomed, and the baron's manor gradually shrank into the distance, looking no larger than a child's toy.

[Clear condition achieved!]

['Scenario Note #006′ has successfully concluded. There are "15 hours and 38 minutes" remaining until the next scenario note assignment. Until the scenario is assigned, characters will begin 'free actions' to fill the empty gaps in the narrative. Please ensure they act naturally so they do not recognize the discrepancies in the world of the story.][Scenario Weight: 7.18%]

"Phew." 

Only then did I let out a deep breath.

"Finally done. Playing the villain was exhausting."

Leonardo let out a surprised chuckle, responding with a hint of disbelief.

"You looked like a natural. I almost suspected you were a veteran."

"What? Hahaha!"

I burst into laughter, my tension finally dissolving. It felt good to laugh, even at something trivial. Leonardo also cracked a smile, his lips curling up in a soft, amused expression.

The full moon above, like the moonstone necklace hanging from his neck, cast its gentle light on us.

It had been a night of satisfying results.