Chapter 372 - The Jewelry Shop’s Cold Room
Things were moving. I would make them move.
I would smoke out the fools playing with fire in the shadows. I’d carve the Kikyo emblem into the minds of everyone who dared pick a fight with us as an unforgettable brand of terror.
This time, we didn't have to handle everything ourselves. Having backing made things incredibly easy. Not needing to spend time or money on groundwork was the best.
Normally, laying hands on a noble of a major power was a task that took immense effort, if it was possible at all.
And these were Berleeza nobles. Getting to run wild against them was a dream come true, a fantasy made real.
We were bona-fide villains, but the fact that our opponents were even worse villains was almost funny. Though for the country involved, it was likely a serious matter rather than a laughing one.
For a noble, who should be working for the sake of the nation, to aid an enemy state trying to spark a war was an inexcusable crime. Even the villains of Exembra rarely thought of doing something so audacious.
The fact that there were likely nobles doing it without even realizing the gravity of their actions was another headache for Berleeza.
No matter how much power struggles were involved, there were lines that must not be crossed. Whether they were tricked or led astray, it was a crime that couldn't be talked away.
Does that make us, the ones shaking down these villains, the ones on the side of justice? Heh, I suppose that’s not funny either.
Regardless, those who defeat evil aren't necessarily good. We were simply acting for our own profit. Whether others saw it as justice or evil didn't matter in the slightest.
Actually, what we were doing was undoubtedly evil. We were beating people up to make a profit.
No matter who thanked us for it, it could never be called an act of justice. If someone dared to play the hero, they’d be the worst kind of pure evil. For someone like me, who’s been drenched in more blood than I can count, just imagining that kind of delusion makes my skin crawl.
"...The next one was a trading company, right?"
"Yeah, apparently it’s a shop he lets his mistress run. The target practically lives there, and security seems tight for her sake. If I remember correctly, there are plenty of alarms and at least three guards."
"Good, good. I hope there's at least someone worth fighting."
"I’m more interested in getting solid information. I hope the others are having better luck."
The noble at the casino only had information that wasn't particularly useful. He only had indirect ties to Badu-Lot, and what he told us wasn't exactly reliable.
Still, knowing who those indirect connections were wasn't bad. If the other members didn't bring back anything decisive, we could use those names as new leads.
The city of Bertoreea never slept, even deep into the night, but there were still plenty of places the light didn't reach. We crept toward our next target, blending into those shadows.
The secret raids happening across the city were still only known by the attackers and the attacked. We would shake them down as much as possible tonight while their guard was down.
"We’re almost there. We go in carefully from here."
"It’s dead quiet. I guess we can’t make too much noise."
This area seemed to be a high-class residential district for commoners. Large buildings, wide yards, and well-maintained security. Every house screamed wealth.
Our target was a building that served as both a shop and a residence, tucked away in this neighborhood. The residential area was extremely quiet late at night, and there were even mercenary types who seemed to be on patrol. They’d come running the moment anything happened.
In this situation, we couldn't be too flashy when taking down the guards at the shop. If we caused a scene in the middle of the night, not only would the patrolling mercenaries gather, but word would likely spread everywhere via communication devices. That would interfere with the other members' raids.
To keep things quiet, I wanted to gauge the strength of the enemy guards. I didn't think there was anyone we couldn't beat, but being careless and letting them stall us would be bad. First, I observed the situation from a short distance away.
When I did, I noticed the security was different from the info we had.
"...Their skill seems average? But there are a lot of them."
Average meant neither good nor bad, which for us meant they were weak. Still, with so many of them, taking them all out without alerting the neighbors would be difficult.
If it were just for show, they wouldn't have hired that many people. I could feel the noble’s serious intent to protect this place. Was it for the woman, or was he worried about his own dark secrets? Probably the latter.
"The matching gear makes them look like hires from some mercenary group. The files said at least three, but I didn't expect six."
There were no strong individuals among the ones patrolling the area either. Even if they were alerted, we could easily defeat them and escape.
"If we could just kill them, it’d be easy, but if we can't, it’s a bit of a pain. I’ll leave this to you, Yukari."
"Yeah, I know."
Hmm, what to do.
I had plenty of options, but as I expanded my search, I realized someone from the Intelligence Department was likely monitoring the shop too. It felt less like they were watching a hostile noble and more like they were watching us raid the place.
In this situation, the smart play would be to put them to sleep with a poisonous mist. But I didn't like the idea of showing my hand to the observers. Fine, I’ll add an extra step.
With a practiced motion, I created a large crystal bottle and synthesized a drug inside it.
Even if someone was watching from a distance, my rapid magic casting would make it hard to tell what I had done. They probably didn't even know I was here yet.
"What’s that?"
"A special blend. It heals fatal wounds but contains a powerful sleeping agent. Use this on them before they kick the bucket. You’ll have to be fast or they might actually die, so move."
I handed over the freshly made bottle.
"Whoa, what are you planning?"
"I thought I’d show the observers a glimpse of the Thorn Witch."
"Observers? Tch, someone's watching? Should I take them out first?"
"Judging by the feel, it’s the Intelligence Department. They’re technically on our side, so leave them alone."
To defeat enemies without letting them do anything, even if they’re weak, half-hearted damage won't cut it. If they have the guts to use magic or call for help, I need to take them all out at once with a powerful attack.
Gradena understood my intent and moved to hide near the enemies. Meanwhile, my preparations were complete. I spread my magic net, and the target shop was already within my domain.
Two guards patrolling the yard, two standing inside the gate, and two resting in a shed. Six in total. And on the third floor of the mansion... wait, there are quite a few people. I thought it was just the target noble and his mistress, but are there more guards inside?
As I sharpened my magic detection, it seemed they weren't armed guards. They appeared to be sleeping normally. The files hadn't mentioned servants.
Whatever, it didn't matter. Retreating wasn't an option. I’d just consider it more people to interrogate.
Alright, let’s begin.
Faster than anyone could notice, using the minimum amount of mana necessary. Even if someone was watching, they wouldn't even realize magic had been cast.
Using high-powered magic is easy. The difficulty and the true test of skill lies in controlling it with extreme precision and speed. This was where I excelled.
An incredibly quiet activation. Six thorns of death struck the guards.
The results were instantaneous. Thorns erupted from the ground at extreme speeds, piercing the lungs of all six men.
The guards likely stared in confusion at the thorns skewering their chests. I used the thorns to hold them in place while slowly lowering them to the ground to keep from making noise. I dispelled the thorns and waited to see if anyone reacted to the slight sounds.
"...The patrols didn't notice. But man, taking them down quietly is boring."
Next time, I wanted to go in with a bang.
Gradena, who had been on standby, rushed into the grounds and used the special healing-slash-sleeping drug to close their wounds while completely stripping them of consciousness.
After deciding the surrounding area was clear, I entered the grounds myself.
"Yukari, this place is weird. I was going to force the entrance, but it’s incredibly sturdy."
"Even you can’t break it?"
"I could if I wanted to, but there's no way to do it quietly."
Let’s see.
"...What is this? It’s absurdly robust. A door made of magic ore with a constant mana supply? This could easily deflect mid-tier spells. And the lock is a complex mana-authentication type."
"Is this standard for the rich in Bertoreea?"
"This costs way too much. No one would go this far without a very special reason."
Given the number of guards, this was definitely suspicious. If I could uncover the secret here, I might get much closer to Badu-Lot.
"First, I’ll take out the security artifacts. There seem to be a lot of those too."
I sharpened my detection to ensure I didn't miss a single one. Breaking one might trigger another, so I decided to take them all out at once rather than tracing every individual path.
Excluding anything that seemed meant for daily life, I caught them all in my net and acted immediately. I destroyed the cores of multiple security artifacts simultaneously, and while I was at it, I used magic to wreck the lock on the sturdy door. The scale of the destruction was kept to the absolute minimum, and again, my magic was so quiet that no one would notice.
Still, having a night watch and multiple security artifacts was beyond thorough. The building itself seemed exceptionally sturdy too.
Besides being a noble's secret nest for his mistress, the fact that it was a high-end shop probably played a part. It was hard to tell with the shop closed, but this seemed to be a jewelry store. It made sense for it to be built specially, but this was still overkill.
"It’s done. No one inside has noticed us yet."
"Yeah, but the files didn't say anything about live-in employees. Are they guards too? They don't seem to be awake though."
"Who knows. Let’s just go in."
We entered into the shop space. There was a back door which the residents probably used, but we could get in from either side. The back door might have been easier, actually.
"I'll turn on a light."
After closing the door, I used a small light spell. The stylish interior and the massive amount of beautifully displayed jewels came into clear view.
"This is a sight. Are these jewels waiting to be made into accessories?"
"I don't know how they sell them, but this is a fine bonus. I’m taking it."
"Now you're talking!"
We pulled out small, folded bags we kept for such occasions and began quickly stuffing them full.
I wanted to cover our expenses in Berleeza and the bonuses for the members while we were in the city, but we didn't have a steady source of income yet. We couldn't let an opportunity like this slip away. We take as much as we can, whenever we can.
I doubted the Intelligence Department would complain. As long as it didn't come out of their pockets and we were satisfied by taking it from a traitor, it worked out for them. If they let us do as we pleased, they couldn't complain about expenses, and if they did, we could just bring this up to shut them up. Only the traitor would lose out.
Once we had collected a good amount of treasure, we finally headed to the upper floors where the people were.
The large mansion had many rooms, and it would be a chore to search them all. Since we already had the treasure, we skipped the extra searching and found the stairs to the second floor.
"What’s with that room? It’s not the kitchen, is it?"
As I was about to step onto the stairs, Gradena pointed toward a hallway branching off to the side. I had felt a somewhat strong magic reaction from behind that door, but I’d ignored it because it was clearly different from a security artifact.
Even without getting close to the room, the dull hum of a mana-powered device could be heard in the quiet mansion. It was a familiar sound, very similar to the one made by the cold room back at our headquarters. I was almost certain that’s what it was.
But I’d seen the kitchen earlier, and a small cold room was attached to it. That made me curious about what this room could possibly be.
In a jewelry shop that didn't handle food, there was normally no reason for a second cold room. This wasn't a research lab, and it was hard to imagine jewels or ores that required low-temperature storage. As we approached, I saw the door was even locked.
A locked cold room in a jewelry shop. Anyone would find that suspicious. If they were trying to hide something, they could have done a better job of it.
Though it might just be some expensive food being stored.
"Want to look? I have a bad feeling about this."
"Me too, but we can't just leave without checking."
I felt like the Intelligence Department would tell us if we asked later, but seeing is believing.
It was a hassle to decrypt a high-level mana-authentication key, so I just broke it. When I opened the heavy door, I saw mountains of wooden crates. Most of the contents seemed to be alcohol. That would have been fine, but the problem was another door at the back.
A door hidden behind the mountain of crates, and this one was locked too. A considerable chill was leaking from it. Not just a cold room, but a freezer. This was likely the source of the strong magic I’d felt.
"It’s freezing in here."
"Yeah. What kind of stuff are they keeping in a hidden room?"
We looked at each other and opened the back door. Instead of frozen food, we found something that looked like lockers. Installed against the back wall was a set of drawers, four rows high and six rows wide. What could possibly be inside?
The sterile, inorganic atmosphere of the room made it hard to imagine meat or fish being stored here. That was the kind of vibe it gave off.
Could it be some dangerous items that required freezing? Dangerous chemicals crossed my mind, but I’d never heard of such things in this world. I didn't feel any magic, so it wasn't a dangerous potion either.
"...We’ll know once we open it."
I grabbed the frozen handle of a drawer through my cloak sleeve. I gave it a pull, and it slid out much more easily than expected.
What was revealed was a white, frozen object. And as I’d feared, it was something awful.
"What is this?"
"Who knows. I don't even want to understand the mind of a guy with such twisted hobbies."
A corpse. The white, frozen object was the naked body of a woman.
I’d seen many disgusting things in my time, but I never imagined I’d find something like this being kept in a freezer.
"I really don't want to, but should we check the other drawers?"
"I really don't want to either..."
We checked the drawers, and about half of them were empty, while the other half contained corpses.
There were men and women of various races and ages. The only thing they had in common was that they were in such good condition you couldn't tell the cause of death. I didn't quite get it, but was this some kind of serial killer’s collection?
This was a mess, but it wasn't our problem. Our target was Badu-Lot, and we had no intention of getting involved in anything else.
Honestly, I wanted to pretend I never saw it. But I didn't want them to find some way to blame us later, so I decided I’d tell Moore from the Intelligence Department about it afterward.