Hooked! (3)
The mansion was quiet in the dead of night. After meeting with the Viscount, I had given him a few instructions in advance.
"Keep the window slightly open. We'll have the conversation from this side. I'll be watching from nearby."
"Y-Yes."
With the instructions delivered, I took a step back. Leonardo silently adjusted his cloak around me, ensuring the fabric wouldn't catch on anything.
Sigh… It's not the most graceful, but there's nothing to be done.
As the curtain fluttered in the breeze, Leonardo kicked off from the railing and soared into the air for a brief glide. The crisp leaves brushed against my cheek.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the Viscount, stuck to the window frame, scanning the area as if searching for us. He looked around, trying to spot where we had vanished.
'Good positioning.'
The branches were a bit too narrow for two grown men to sit comfortably, but with a little squeezing, we'd likely make room.
As I shifted around, trying to find a more comfortable position, Leonardo, seemingly unable to watch me fumble, reached out his arm. When he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, his thigh acted as a kind of brace, preventing me from tipping over.
Oh.
It was more comfortable than I expected.
Now that we had the front-row seats, all that remained was to wait. The moon, high in the sky, had once been full but now was waning, casting the night in a deep stillness. In the silence, I found myself drifting between boredom and tension, somewhere in between.
Boredom and tension, two words that don't often go together. But sometimes, when sitting in a waiting room, I'd get the same feeling—restless yet alert at the same time.
As I blinked slowly, the warmth from the person next to me spread, making me feel oddly fuzzy.
At that moment, Leonardo silently tapped my hand. Blinking my eyes open, I followed the direction of his gaze. In the darkness, I saw something move quickly—a shadowy mass darting through the night, sharp and swift.
The Count is quicker than I thought.
'First, I need to rely on the Innkeeper's insight…'
[Opening information of the designated entity.]
[The designated entity's rank is higher than the caster's, so some information is excluded from being accessed.][Viewing information.]
Rank – Supporting Character (Scenario Weight: ■■.■%)
Role – Count Bermont
Script – [Born as the eldest son of the Bermont family, received the title of heir after ■■■ his parents.]
[With the help of ■■■, he succeeded the title after the previous Count ■■■, and swore absolute loyalty to ■■■.]
[Assists the reclusive ■■■, overseeing various tasks within the royal palace.]
[Sent Lopez to Sinistra, along with a group of henchmen, to act as couriers.], [■■■ ■■■….]
Dialogue – "Your incompetence only grows with time, little brother. You can't even manage a single body that's already dead and motionless."
! Status Effect – This entity is under the influence of the special ability
'...Huh?'
As I looked at the activated information window in the darkness, most of it was what I had expected, but the last part contained a word I had never seen before.
Special ability,
It was similar in nature to the special ability I possess,
[Opening information of the designated entity.]
[The designated entity's rank is higher than the caster's, so most of the information is excluded from being accessed.][Viewing information.]
Rank – ■■■■ (Scenario Weight: ■■.■%)
Role – Leonardo (Leovald)
Script – ■■■■ ■■ ■■
Dialogue – ■■■■ ■■■■
Special Ability – ■■■■■■■
Even the heavily censored information window of the protagonist, Leovald, had a special ability, and so did I. Now, another entity with a special ability was being hinted at.
Submission… it means to yield, to bend one's will in obedience. I carefully examined Bermont's information window again.
...■■■, those three characters kept repeating.
Could the caster of the special ability and the person appearing in the script be the same? If so, there is certainly a suspicious person. It was said that the body was moved to the royal palace, and the one who betrayed and killed Leovald—the owner of that body—was none other than the king.
The name, 1Godric, fits perfectly with the three syllables. It would make sense for the protagonist's arch-enemy to hold a special ability if it's to balance the power dynamics in the story.
But… then, how does it explain that in the early part of the scenario, it was Godric who placed Leovald's body in Sinistra?
[Archive Access: Loading previous script.]
[It was said that it was King Godric's intention to keep Sir Leovald's body in Sinistra, not the capital.]
[Is that true? I would have thought he would want to keep his close friend's tomb nearby, visiting often. How could he… ]
Yeah, I remember clearly. If they were going to target the body anyway, there would have been no need to send it to Sinistra and retrieve it through the Count. They could have just placed it in the royal palace. If that part hadn't existed, I would have been almost certain that those three letters belonged to Godric.
Damn. If I were just a supporting character, I could have easily cleared those black squares in the information window.
It seems hard to directly know about the one behind the Count. It's frustrating. I wish I could fully clarify things here, then actively share the information with Leonardo, using it as a stepping stone to rise as a supporting character.
At that moment, a dark figure suddenly leaped up and passed over the window. I saw Lopez, startled by the unexpected visitor, jump in surprise.
The wind blew strongly, and my ears rang. It was impossible for me to overhear anything with my ordinary hearing from this distance. So, I could only watch them. Leonardo quietly began whispering. He started to relay the conversation between Lopez and the Count.
The Count spoke.
"Where is the body?"
Outwardly, the person was only wearing a cloak and a strange mask. Lopez, being someone immensely proud of his birth and status, trembled his lips at the rudeness and insolent attitude of his counterpart. However, he swallowed his indignation and responded.
"Is this someone sent by my brother? I don't know the whereabouts. It seems I haven't heard anything… about an attack."
"Didn't you investigate them after the ambush?"
"…The men I brought, and even the transporters my brother sent, all got taken down without a plan! What kind of investigation are you talking about?"
The Count coldly retorted.
"So, after losing the body, you just hid here, trembling like a rat stuck in a hole?"
At this point, Lopez' patience had finally worn thin.
"Damn it, how dare you—!"
At this, the other's hand started to rise. When the person removed the mask, his face was revealed. Lopez froze in shock.
"Brother? Why are you here—"
"You're incompetence grows day by day, my brother. You can't even take care of a body that's already dead and immobile."
The Count replied with a cold expression, sweeping his gaze up and down Lopez. His attitude was one of clear disdain. Lopez, for a moment, wore a face of deep inferiority, but he quickly forced it down and swallowed his pride.
"Did you really not track the body's whereabouts?"
"I—I truly don't know."
"Didn't they say they were pushing for a deal? When was the last time they came to you?"
"…About two days ago. They've been pressing daily, asking how much they want."
"Enough. Have you seen them?"
Lopez swallowed hard and fell silent. After a brief pause, he shook his head.
"I haven't. Not once."
The Count stared at Lopez silently. After a moment, he slowly opened his mouth.
"But."
"..."
"I somehow feel like you're lying."
"No, no, it's not like that!"
"Are you planning to withhold the truth?"
Lopez' lips trembled, but this time, the tremor was not from anger.
"Please believe me, brother. Why would I ever turn against you? Though their threats and this wretched place have worn me down—honestly, I've been more afraid than I should be—it's true. But I know what's at stake, and I would never lie to you. I really—"
"Enough."
The Count cut him off coldly.
"Finalize the meeting place and date, and inform me."
"Eh?"
"They've been clamouring for you to show some sincerity, haven't they?"
"Are you, in the end, planning to pay the price and buy them off?"
At that, the Count let out a sigh, fixing Lopez with a cold stare.
"You fool. If they were really thieves, do you think they'd stop just because you've agreed to their price? They might just keep raising the price, asking for more money."
"Well then…"
"The deal is just a procedure to confirm who they are. I'll bring my subordinates with me. You just prepare the place. If they're nothing but lowlifes, we'll deal with them on the spot. If they're something more, then I'll handle it from there."
"You're bringing your subordinates?"
Lopez glanced around, but Bermont didn't answer. He simply turned on his heel, leaving Lopez in a state of confusion.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business. Just negotiate the price and call them in. I'll return in the afternoon."
With that, the Count departed.
[Clear condition achieved!]
['Scenario Note #009' has been successfully completed. There are 18 hours and 00 minutes remaining until the next scenario note assignment. Until the scenario assignment is completed, the characters will begin 'Free Actions' to fill the empty spaces in the narrative. Please ensure they act naturally so as not to perceive any discrepancies in the world of the story.]
I glanced between the Viscount and the Count for a moment before nudging Leonardo. I wanted to follow the Count now, to see where he was going. We could arrange a meeting with the Viscount later.
Leonardo quickly understood my intention and, before I knew it, had me slung over his shoulder. Wait, why am I being carried? This posture feels like I'm a sack of grain—
A gust of wind swept past us. Without hesitation, Leonardo leapt from the tree, carrying me as he chased after the Count. It was a terrible, far from stealthy way of following someone. I sighed inwardly, realizing that today was the day I'd lose all dignity.
We hopped across rooftops, sometimes slipping into the shadows, as we trailed behind the Count. His movements were precise, as if he had a clear destination in mind, moving with ease and purpose.
And when he stopped, I blinked in disbelief.
'…It's my inn.'
It was an all-too-familiar place.