Chapter 233 - The Unexpected Mastermind
"Siegrune, this place stinks. Can you purify the air?"
"I don't want to smell it, but I'll do it."
Purifying magic is a common spell used for daily cleaning, but when used by someone with the right aptitude, its effects are far more potent. In Siegrune's case, she constantly surrounds herself with a purifying field, naturally expelling all dirt, airborne impurities, and toxins. She can even purify negative emotions like anxiety and anger, allowing her to remain calm and composed at all times.
The advanced purifying magic immediately cleanses the stagnant air in the room. The unpleasant odor of medicine, sweat, feces, rotten food, and blood is finally gone.
The purification enchantment in my coat only reacts to toxic gases, so it doesn't function just because of a bad smell. I should encourage Charlotte to improve her engraving magic. I know it sounds spoiled, but people get used to things. No matter how impressive something is, it loses its value once it becomes part of daily life. Both Charlotte and I need to keep striving for improvement.
"Yukari-dono, I've purified the air, but I left the bloodstains. The smell will return soon, but it's better to keep the Bloody Mary propaganda intact, right?"
Indeed, the smell of blood is already starting to fill the room again.
"...Right. We need to make sure the survivors understand that she is Bloody Mary. It's important to leave evidence that this wasn't just a dream or an illusion."
The people who witnessed Mary's battle are trembling in fear. Those directly affected are also suffering intense pain.
The blood continues to flow from those who have been slashed, staining the floor. They must be feeling the terror of impending death.
The pain, the suffering, the blood-soaked scene, and the strong smell of blood will be deeply etched into their memories.
"Bloody Mary! Impressive as always."
"Indeed, it's been a while since I've seen you in action. Well done, Bloody Mary!"
It's a bit exaggerated, but I praise her while making a show of it.
Mary's subordinates, caught up in the moment, begin to cheer her on.
"Commander Mary, the Bloody Mary moniker isn't just for show."
"Commander always fights like this. No one who has faced her has ever come out unscathed."
"Hey, these are just low-level foes. Commander isn't even trying. If she went all out, they'd be minced meat."
"True. Without any restraint, they'd all be drowned in blood."
As this show of bravado begins, whispers of "That's Bloody Mary" start to spread.
Whether they knew the rumors or not, they won't forget this. Not in their lifetimes.
Using my magic sense, I detect that the fight upstairs is also over. Violante and the others must have finished their job quickly. We should leave this filthy place as soon as possible.
Pretending to retrieve something from inside my coat, I generate a large amount of wire and scatter it on the floor.
"I'm going to tie up the Bloody Skull gang. You over there, come and help."
I was thinking it would be a hassle to tie up all these young men by ourselves. The yellow-clad ones are perfect for the job. I haven't fully healed them, but they can at least do this much as a show of gratitude. They can endure the pain.
Unable to resist the authority of my command and the intimidating presence of Bloody Mary, those who can still move start working hard.
Establishing a clear hierarchy here will be beneficial in the future. The yellow-clad ones seem to be a new rising force in our territory.
As Exembra continues to grow, more of these types will appear. We can't deal with all of them, and as long as they don't cause us trouble, we don't really care if they form gangs or fight each other. As long as they don't trouble the Kikyo Society, they can do as they please.
The important thing is not to cause any trouble for us or anyone else, and to avoid offending me. If they do, they'll have to face the consequences. Even if they seem arrogant to outsiders, we, the Kikyo Society, are a powerful force in the great city of Exembra. A bit of selfishness is allowed.
But even without further action from us, they won't dare to oppose us.
As I supervise the binding, Violante's voice carries down from above.
"Everyone, could you come up to the next floor? We have a bit of a problem."
A problem? I thought the fight was over. It doesn't seem like a crisis, but it's still puzzling.
Siegrune and Mary look just as confused, but it's better to go up and see what's happening.
Leaving the Second Combat Unit behind, the three of us head upstairs.
When we enter the fourth floor of the building, we find many bodies lying around, just like on the third floor. However, there are no yellow-clad ones here, only members of Bloody Skull.
Violante has tied up and knelt the leader and his cronies, waiting to greet us.
As we approach, one of them starts to shout before we can say anything.
"You bastards, you won't get away with this!"
This must be the troublesome one. She looks like a typical delinquent girl, but her clothes are of high quality. Strange.
I give Violante a questioning look, but she just shrugs, signaling for me to handle it directly.
Dealing with such defiance is routine for a Kikyo Society trainee. It's not worth getting angry over.
Narrowing my eyes, I decide to hear her out.
"...What do you mean 'won't get away with this'? And who are you?"
"I am Baron Icetoy's daughter. If you commoners touch me, my family won't let it go!"
A noble's daughter, and a delinquent at that. I've never heard of Baron Icetoy, and I'm not sure if he even exists.
If he's real, acting without proper preparation could lead to future complications. If he's a powerful noble, it could be troublesome.
"Violante, connect me with Josephine."
The head of the Intelligence Bureau is still observing from a distance. She doesn't want to show herself to the commoners, which is fine.
Once we establish a magical communication, I relay the delinquent girl's claims and ask for information on the noble.
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
"What does?"
"Baron Icetoy is connected to the McDallian Family. He was one of the financiers for the smuggling operation. While I'm not sure if this bratty girl is his daughter, it's not entirely a lie."
According to Josephine, if she is the baron's daughter, it's plausible that she knows about the smuggling operation. As a sponsor's daughter, she could have access to information that common thugs wouldn't know. This would explain how she obtained such information. If she used her family's connections to gather intelligence, she could have influenced the third-level organization of the Clad Family.
However, it's unlikely that the baron or his family are directly involved.
Getting involved in the underworld in Exembra would automatically make them enemies of the Kikyo Society, the Clad Family, and Anastasia Union. The baron's wealth and power are not enough to take on such powerful forces. It's more likely that this naive delinquent girl acted on her own.
Still, a young noble's daughter wouldn't be able to lead a gang. There must be a leader.
As I observe, one of them starts to lash out in anger.
"Look what happens when you fall for that Icetoy brat's lies! We did nothing wrong; it's all her fault!"
The young man, with a visibly unhealthy appearance and suspicious eyes, seems to be high. Despite this, he can still communicate.
"What do you mean, it's her fault!?"
"We did exactly what you told us to do! I'm done with you, you're useless now!"
"What are you talking about, you junkie! I told you not to get involved, and yet you did! What's so great about Bloody Skull? Without me, you're just a mindless pack!"
The tension between them is clear. While I don't want to listen to their petty squabbles, overhearing them will help identify the leader.
We won't change our plan to hand them over to the Clad Family, but the noble's daughter is a different matter. She might be useful. We need to have a reason for not handing her over, though. But since we were also inconvenienced, it shouldn't be a problem.
"Josephine, tell me more."
I ignore the bickering and continue to gather information from Josephine.
Baron Icetoy had connections with the McDallian Family, but that was in the past. Their business relationship was strictly financial, and they weren't particularly close.
Given this, we might be able to bring him to our side by offering him a favor. Even if he's a low-ranking noble, having more allies is always beneficial.
I decide to use the girl as leverage to approach him.
"Decided. Everyone—"
I instruct Violante to secure the noble's daughter and leave the rest behind.
I'll have one of Josephine's subordinates inform the Clad Family that we stumbled upon the drug dealers during a routine cleanup. They can handle the aftermath. Showing the drugs here will prevent any suspicion.
I'll also have Valgar Clad handle the negotiations to avoid any conflicts with the Clad Family. The Intelligence Bureau can manage these details.
What will the Clad Family think when they see the gruesome scene left by the yellow-clad thugs? They probably intended to torture the culprits mercilessly once they found them.
It's a harsh lesson for any new rising forces. The Kikyo Society and the Clad Family will ensure that such attempts are met with severe consequences.
We leave the bound thugs behind and warn the yellow-clad ones that more dangerous people will arrive soon. It's around dinnertime, but it's not too late to visit someone's home.
Since keeping the noble's daughter overnight at our place is problematic, we decide to take her directly to Baron Icetoy's residence. Josephine and Siegrune will accompany me, while the Second Combat Unit and the rest of the Intelligence Bureau return to the Headquarters.
"What do you know about Baron Icetoy?"
I ask Josephine casually as we travel in the vehicle.
"We have information on all the nobles in Exembra, but our knowledge of non-allied and less influential nobles isn't as deep. No one in the Intelligence Bureau has met Baron Icetoy, but I recall that he has a territory in the southeast of Exembra. He had a good reputation, known for being reasonable and approachable among other nobles and merchants."
Josephine reflects on her memories.
Interesting, a territorial noble. Most territorial nobles have residences in the Royal Capital and nearby major towns, so his involvement in Exembra isn't unusual. However, his good reputation is questionable given the delinquent girl.
"Seeing this delinquent daughter makes me doubt his good reputation," Siegrune comments dryly.
The delinquent girl, sitting in the backseat, looks sullen. Despite her defiance, she seems to understand the gravity of her situation. She knows the Kikyo Society's name but not its true power or connections.
"We'll see when we meet him. In the worst case, he might deny knowing her, but we'll deal with it. If he opposes us, we can use our connections to handle it."
Handling noble relations is the Intelligence Bureau's specialty. Our past efforts will come in handy.
"Baron Icetoy isn't part of any powerful factions, so we have the upper hand. If needed, we can use our leverage to eliminate not just the baron's family but an entire faction."
"Letting the nobles handle it among themselves is best. If needed, we can either act on it or use it as a threat."
Josephine's approach is sound. Our investment in the Intelligence Bureau pays off.
"Rosmerta-sama and Yukari-dono have connections with the Duke Oversta. Could they influence the situation?"
"Maybe, but that might be overkill."
We joke about intimidating the delinquent girl. If she thinks her father can save her, she's mistaken.
She's a potential blackmailer, even if she doesn't realize it. She'll have to endure the threats for now. What we do next depends on the baron's reaction. We haven't decided yet.
At the checkpoint between the administrative district and the Noble District, we mention the Kikyo crest and our intention to return the noble's daughter. The guards let us pass without further questions, recognizing the potential hassle of involving us.
"We're almost there. Is this the place?"
"Yes. The administrative guards have already been informed of our visit."
Let's start with a polite conversation. If he's reasonable, we can form an alliance. If not, we'll collect a "botherance fee" and leave. If necessary, we'll ensure he faces the consequences. After all, the parents are responsible for their children's actions.