Hooked! (4)

'No. Stay calm and think this through.'

The moment I realized the Count was heading to the inn, my heart dropped, but after thinking it through, there was no need to panic.

The coffin of Leovald is neatly stored in the inn's basement warehouse. However, as things stand, the Count cannot possibly know where Leovald's body is.

So, he didn't come here specifically because he knew the body was in the inn, and there is no apparent connection between the Black Cloak and the inn, so there's no need to be overly concerned.

In fact, his destination could be inferred from the conversation between the Count and Lord Lopez.

The Count said he would bring his subordinates to the negotiation location, so if he's not bringing them separately but rather planning to reuse those already in the city, it wouldn't be strange that he came to the inn.

The real question is whether those guests Leonardo so cleverly disposed of can actually be of any use again.

'And right now, Vittorio is sleeping in the inn.'

Vittorio, having lived on the streets, had incredibly sharp hearing. That's one of the reasons he always greeted Leonardo and me when we returned from our nightly outings.

Watching the situation unfold with a furrowed brow, I saw the Count scan the inn's window before slipping inside. The room he entered had already had its curtains pulled back. It was the room where the five subordinates were staying, and among them was the leader, a short man.

It seemed like the Count had called for a meeting. All five subordinates were gathered in that room.

As the Count entered, the curtains slightly shifted, allowing a dim view of the room's interior. However, the flickering candlelight and the swaying shadow of the Count's long cloak made it difficult to see clearly.

Curious if a conversation was taking place, I glanced up at Leonardo.

Now used to it, he began to chant almost like a parrot, repeating what was likely the conversation.

First, one of the subordinates said:

"Ah, my lord."

"The situation's a mess."

"They were no ordinary opponents. Well, should I even call them 'they'? Anyway, the one who knocked us out was some crazy bastard with bad habits, and the other was a mad arsonist… but that guy just watched from a distance."

I cast a quick glance at the "crazy bastard with bad habits," and Leonardo, upon locking eyes with the "mad arsonist," blinked softly.

So my protagonist is the kind of guy who breaks bones, shatters them, and crushes people…

Leonardo, after a brief pause, whispered the Count's next words clearly into my ear. For someone labeled a madman, his voice was calm and measured.

"Tell me in detail about the situation."

"It's not much different from the report we filed. We followed your brother's subordinates down into the underground. There was this pile of earth, much like the ones around this town, stretching in rows. We received the body there. We confirmed it was the body of the… what's his name… Leovald." 

The subordinate clicked his tongue in displeasure, and I briefly saw him rub his bruised cheek.

"Then, suddenly, we were ambushed. The subordinate of that nobleman died right then and there. It was a chase—two of them. One charged at us, and the other started a fire from a distance, trapping us. After getting taken out, when I came to, they were gone. Just getting back here was a close call."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"You're not hiding anything, are you?"

The subordinate sighed, clearly frustrated, but didn't offer a further response.

After hearing the full report, the Count shifted his focus.

"How's their condition?"

"Two of them will be bedridden for months. The rest, one of them is wheezing like he caught some kind of lung disease after inhaling all that smoke underground, and the other, like me, has a broken arm."

At this point, the Count's eyes narrowed. The subordinate didn't notice the brief change in his expression, as he was busy checking the bandages on his broken arm. The subordinate continued.

"Anyway, if there's a place for us to be useful again, we'll definitely need treatment first. Whether you take us to the healing priest at the church, or throw money at some good medicine, we'll need it."

The Count's eyes seemed to sharpen, but before he could speak, Leonardo abruptly stopped translating his words.

"What's this? Why's he stopped? Did he break?"

I gave his arm a light tap, and as if that triggered something, the scene in the window shifted. The Count slipped his hand into his pocket and stepped forward. The bewildered subordinate stared at him, unsure of what was happening.

With another step forward, the Count drew closer to the subordinate. He seemed poised as if about to give him something from his pocket, maybe some kind of medicine or item.

The figures that had been visible through the open window vanished, slipping out of sight like they had left the stage's spotlight. And from behind the curtain, the audience was left unaware of what was happening.

Then, someone shouted, "Wait, what—don't come any closer!"

I grabbed Leonardo's arm again, startled.

"Leo, what's going on?"

He muttered under his breath.

"Why? Suddenly, I sense it…"

What?

Even before Leonardo could explain, I heard the sound too. It was carried on the wind, reaching us despite the distance. I quickly turned my head and used .

In the brief seconds that passed while I made my judgment, Leonardo whispered:

"It fed on them."

[Accessing information of the designated entity.][Viewing information.]

Rank – Extra (Scenario weight ■.■■%)

Role – Count's Henchman #1

Script – [A criminal sentenced to death in the domain of Count Bermont, makes a deal with the Count and handle his dirty work.] 

[Under the Count's orders, he headed to Sinistra as a transporter for Leovald's corpse.]

Dialogue – None.[Viewing information.]

Rank – None (Scenario weight 0.08%)

Role – None

Script – [Great Empire's Subject.]

Dialogue – None

! Abnormal status – This entity is under the influence of the special ability, . (Caster:■■■)[Viewing information.]

Rank – Extra (Scenario weight ■.■■%)

Role – Count's Henchman #2

........[Viewing information.]

Rank – None (Scenario weight 0.07%)

Role – None

........

! Abnormal Status – This entity is affected by the special ability, . (Caster: ■■■)

As I accessed the information on each of the Count's subordinates, starting from the first to the fifth, I noticed something peculiar. The scenario weight kept flickering and disappearing, and then it—the entity—would quickly materialize in the information window, as if it was newly created, following along. It took a moment for my mind to catch up with the situation.

In other words, Count Bermont had fed his subordinates to it.

And even more troubling was the fact that the subordinates were now under the influence of a special ability. 'What is going on?'

Leonardo's pupils were wide open, his gaze fixed on the window. Almost instinctively, he began repeating the words, passing them on.

The Count snapped his fingers sharply, then spoke:

"Restore their bodies first."

Then, the five subordinates began to snap their bones back into place, their submerged injuries healed, and their wounds closed almost instantly. It was an astonishing healing ability. If anything, "strange" would be a better word than "amazing." They followed the Count's orders obediently.

They didn't attempt to devour the Count. Nor did they try to deceive him. It was as if they were simply following orders, in perfect submission. It didn't feel like them—the creatures I knew.

Once again, the Count snapped his fingers and asked:

"Dig through your memory. Recall the ones who left you wounded."

"A man, two of them. One was large and fierce, the other more slender, though both were tall. Fire, fire, hiding, then an ambush…"

The Count clicked his tongue.

"The only problem with feeding them to the trained ones is that they become idiots. This report needs to go up… follow me."

The subordinate stood up smoothly. I watched in a daze as they moved.

'Trained?'

So, the Count was someone who could even make it—the very enemy of humanity—submit. Using his special ability. Compared to my own ability to pry into others' information, this was on a whole different level.

Of course, I've been making use of my ability too. 

Anyway, the fact that he had ordered the retrieval of Leovald's body… that meant something significant.

'No matter how I think about it, it seems like the real final boss is behind the Count.'

If that's the case, a few possibilities come to mind. Either Leovald is a confirmed traitor and Godric is the final boss, possessing such powers, or there's a third party involved.

If there's a third party, the important question is whether Godric and this third party are allies, rivals, or acting independently. Or, even worse, Godric himself could be brainwashed by the final boss and is in a state of submission.

'Either way, this is going to be a tough fight. Submission, huh? It's basically the same as brainwashing.'

Just as I was about to shift my position to the roof facing the corridor, I noticed something.

A height reaching up to an adult man's waist. Tousled black shoulder-length hair.

'Vittorio!'

My eyes widened as I rubbed them awake. Vittorio was walking through the corridor.