Hooked! (2)

Take 1. Baron Roald's Mansion, Annex (Day/Interior). A crumpled secret message lies on the desk. Lopez, stands alone in the room, his face twisted in frustration.

Viscount Lopez: (Monologue while reading the note) "Don't run away, wait, I will provide support."

Viscount Lopez (Sneering) "Ha! Let's see who ends up laughing in the end."

Lopez grabs his bracelet and leaves the mansion.

Take 2. Baron Roald's Mansion, Annex (Night/Interior). A visitor, his face concealed by a mask, appears without a sound. Lopez, startled, trembles his shoulder as he notices him.

Viscount Lopez (Trying to stay calm) "Is this someone sent by my brother?"

The visitor reveals his face.

Viscount Lopez (In shock) "Brother? Why are you here—"

Main Characters: Viscount Lopez, Count Bermont

Clear Condition: [Count Bermont infiltrates the Sinistra and makes contact with the Viscount.]

After slowly scanning through the scenario note, my eyebrows naturally raise.

The Count came in person?

'Mm. The encounter came sooner than expected. I thought he might test the waters a few more times before this.'

Still, it's not something for me to comment on. The scenario note has already stated this, so there's no chance it'll change.

At least, judging by Lopez' dismissive attitude, it's clear he's not an ordinary person.

What he wants is undoubtedly the body of Leovald. The best approach would be to lure him with the exchange of money and the body, and then try to extract as much information as possible.

Ideally, I'd like to check the information window before a full confrontation, but it's unfortunate that the infiltration route isn't revealed in the scenario note.

It seems there's no other choice. Tonight, I'll have to sneak into the mansion and eavesdrop on their entire conversation.

However, since I still haven't grasped the Count's skill level or position, I need to be extra cautious.

I'll need to check with the Viscount again on this matter.

Lost in thought, I gaze out the window and notice a ragged boy approaching the inn, holding something in his hand. It was small, but judging by his excited pace, I could roughly guess what he was carrying. It was the kind of step a child takes when they're clearly excited about getting some reward.

The Viscount must have finished 'Take 1' and is now sending another report through the street urchin. The note had mentioned that the Viscount was taking his bracelet with him when he left.

Since I noticed it first, I might as well make good use of the opportunity.

"Young master."

I called out to Leonardo, who was practicing handstands on the first floor. His gaze slowly shifted upward—well, technically, given his upside-down position, it would be more accurate to say his eyes moved downward.

I gestured that I had something to say, and he quickly straightened up. I handed him a towel as he pushed his damp hair back and began to speak.

"I have to go to the Baron's mansion again."

"Did something happen?"

"Not exactly. But I have a feeling the Count, who's probably furious by now, will be making his next move soon."

"How do you know that—"

Knock, knock, knock.

The back door of the inn creaked open, and the street urchin hurried over, handing me a note. I quickly scanned its contents, then, with a smile, passed the note to Leonardo.

"You see this?"

The note read as follows:

"Ha."

Leonardo blinked and gave a small, almost imperceptible expression of admiration. Considering his stiff facial muscles, that slight reaction was nearly the equivalent of a full exclamation of surprise. I couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied with his response.

[Scenario weight: 13.08%]

Mmm, let him keep overestimating me like that.

I handed the street urchin a plate piled high with dried fruit and bread, and he eagerly scampered off, clearly delighted. I turned back to Leonardo with a smile, feeling satisfied.

"And to add, the one visiting the city this time is quite a big shot."

"A big shot?"

"Count Bermont."

Leonardo's expression twitched for a moment. Suspicion was written all over his face. Yeah, I guess it does seem strange to him.

"Wasn't the Count staying at the royal palace? Is he really moving on his own?"

"Yes."

"The note doesn't mention that."

"Have you forgotten who you're talking to? There's always a way."

[Scenario weight: 14.00%]

"…If even a big shot like the Count is moving personally, then it seems that Leovald's body really must be important to them."

"Yeah, the whole situation stinks, doesn't it? They just sneak into someone else's territory and start causing trouble."

I let out a displeased laugh, and Leonardo nodded solemnly in response. His eyes looked momentarily troubled, so I snapped my fingers sharply to pull his attention back to me.

"So, you're suggesting we visit the mansion again?" 

"Yeah. It's better to see and hear how things are playing out for ourselves, rather than hearing about it later from the Viscount. We'll gather more information that way. Of course, since we still don't have a solid read on their skills, it's best to keep our distance as much as possible."

"The Viscount recently moved to one of the shabby rooms, didn't he? With the wind picking up today, it might be possible to conceal our presence by blending into the draft. We'll need to stay cautious, though."

I had visited the Baron's mansion before to review and draft some provocative letters, and during that time, I had noticed a tree growing in the courtyard outside the Viscount's old room window.

That should work, I guess. When I mentioned the idea, Leonardo nodded, agreeing that it seemed like a good plan.

There was one concern I raised with him.

"The wind will help hide our presence, but will we actually be able to hear anything? With the wind blowing so strong, the sounds might be drowned out."

"I… I mean, my hearing is unusually good, so there's no need to worry."

"Wow. That was totally the 'young master' way of speaking."

"T-That's not what I meant—"

I knew what he was trying to say. He was referring to his superior hearing, of course.

I threw in the playful comment to lighten his stiff expression, but honestly, it's probably better to tease him like this now and then. He tends to make his possession a little too obvious sometimes.

To be honest, I do this because it's fun to tease him. Leonardo, belatedly realizing I was poking fun at him, scowled, clearly irritated. 

Of course, I acted like I didn't notice. He sulked for a bit, trailing behind me silently as if to protest. By the time Vittorio showed up for his shift at the inn, Leonardo had returned to his usual indifferent demeanour.

I waved to Vittorio as he dutifully reported for work and delivered the message.

"Kid, we're heading out again tonight. You can stay at the inn and sleep like usual, but make sure you lock up. There's no one else around to trust. There are some burly guests, but they're all in pretty rough shape, so I doubt they'll be much help."

"Uh-huh. Got it…"

After a brief pause, I crouched down to meet the kid's gaze.

"You can ask what we're up to, you know."

Vittorio flinched slightly, but gave me a small smile as I glanced at him.

This kid tends not to ask questions. 

Maybe it's because he's lived on the streets where even the next meal wasn't guaranteed. Vittorio had learned to pretend not to see, hear, or ask questions. Even if Leonardo and I were up to something unusual, he'd just silently nod without asking why.

Why we're skulking around the streets in black cloaks at night. What the tasks I give mean. Why I've repeatedly told him not to go near the basement recently.

All those questions, Vittorio swallows them down without asking, every single time.

It's convenient to leave it that way.

"You're my partner, aren't you? You can ask as much as you want. It doesn't mean I'll let you get tangled up in the adults' business, though."

I gently ruffled his black hair, revealing his forehead. His eyes, previously hidden by his hair, were now visible. Vittorio hesitated for a moment before asking.

"…So what are we going to do this time?"

"The guests we've got staying here… actually, they came to steal something valuable and important from this city. They're bad people. That's why Leonardo and I gave them a good beating last time. After that, those guys tattled, and now even worse, stronger people are coming. So, we're trying to get rid of them. But before we can do that, we need to scout things out first."

I had been planning to explain things to Vittorio eventually, even if it was somewhat vague. Vittorio, as if carefully picking out the questions he'd been holding back, asked another one.

"Why do you want to stop those bad people?"

Because I need to stay alive. Because it's beneficial for me to increase my leverage.

"I always say it, don't I? I'm just a kind innkeeper. A good person always seeks to do the right thing."

Sorry for the lie. But this, too, remains a secret. One I probably won't be able to tell until this whole stage is over.

Vittorio sighed deeply, his face a mixture of confusion and frustration.

"Sometimes… no, almost always, I'm confused about what exactly you do."

"Haha! Just take me as I am. I'm not really trying to hide anything. It's just that keeping things like this is better for you."

Vittorio gave a half-smile but, instead of responding with words, shook his head. He changed the subject, asking if I could tie his hair back again since it was bothering him while working.

It's funny how he always trusts me to do it, even though my skills are terrible. Maybe it's because I project the image of the me from those days when I had nowhere to rely on onto this child. Watching him, I can't help but feel a twinge of concern.

And that night, Leonardo and I set off for the mansion again.