Chapter 373 - Too Many Secrets
"Tch, a mountain of corpses in a freezer... It looks like he was planning on adding more."
"There are still empty drawers. I’m sure that was the plan. Anyway, let's go. We have no use for dead bodies."
"I'm starting to look forward to interrogating this guy."
I hadn't planned on holding back regardless of who it was, but now that we were dealing with such a freak who was likely involved in major crimes, I had to be careful.
I had intended to make him talk about Badu-Lot even if the interrogation got brutal, but if I accidentally killed him, the culprit of this serial murder case would be gone.
The Intelligence Department would likely want to know the purpose and methods behind these frozen corpses.
There are all kinds of people in the world, but the idea of someone having a hobby for making beautiful corpses and freezing them... I didn't even want to think about it.
We left the freezer and returned to the stairs, taking a breath to refocus.
We went up from the first floor, passing through what looked like office and reception spaces on the second floor, finally reaching the residential third floor. The hallway was lit with dim, warm lights, making it easy to move around. Very kind to intruders.
However, the large building had many rooms, and it would be a pain to search them all. Since we’d already gotten the treasure, we skipped the extra looting and headed for the rooms where people were.
The noble was in the large room at the very end, where I felt another magic signature. Their bedroom, then.
There were multiple magic signatures in another large room... I wondered what the room assignments were. Even for servants, given the number of rooms, I didn't see the need to cram them all into one.
We were going to interrogate everyone involved anyway, so we decided to check the room with multiple people first. I signaled Gradena, and we moved in together.
In a building filled with dark secrets, there might still be non-magical alarms or traps. We proceeded with caution.
Following the magic of the people we assumed were servants, we found another strange situation.
"A dead end? That can't be right."
"Yeah, it’s disguised as a wall."
A small amount of magic was flowing through the wall. Once I cut that off, the disguise easily unraveled. It was a simple trick to fool the eyes.
But the presence of a door as sturdy as a bank vault was enough to tell us this wasn't a normal room.
First a hidden room for a freezer, and now a hidden room disguised as a wall. It was beyond suspicious.
"The bastard has them locked in here."
Given the situation, it was the only logical conclusion. We broke the lock on the outside of the door and forced our way in to meet those inside.
The windowless room was dark, only slightly lit by the warm glow from the hallway. At a glance, I could see a row of beds.
The interior was extremely simple, with no personal belongings. It looked like a hospital ward. These definitely weren't servants.
As we entered the room carefully, we saw five men and women in matching simple clothes, lying on beds without even blankets.
They didn't wake up even when we made noise. I wondered if they would wake up at all.
"Are they alive?"
"At least their hearts are beating."
They were alive. But with the disguised, sturdy door and this situation... maybe they simply couldn't wake up.
I didn't know how they were being kept alive, or if there was even any intent to keep them that way. Were they scheduled to be moved to that freezer soon?
Why would anyone do this? Was it just the bastard’s hobby?
"Can you heal them, Yukari?"
"Probably. I’ll try. I want to be able to talk to them."
If it was just physical abnormalities, most cases were curable.
I immediately touched the nearest woman to check her condition. A quick scan revealed that her overall bodily functions were significantly degraded. It was likely due to some kind of drug, and she’d definitely die if left like this.
"...Alright, this should be fine. Though I can't do anything if their minds are gone."
"A vegetable, huh. Well, nothing we can do then... Hey, wake up. Wake up!"
The woman showed no signs of waking up soon. In case we couldn't get anything out of her, I healed the others as well. My super-composite recovery potion is expensive, honestly. Well, I already collected the fee in jewels, so it’s fine.
"It’s no use, she’s not waking up from a light slap. Should I try a real punch?"
"It’ll be faster to ask the bastard. We’ll leave this for later."
"True enough."
The bastard’s serial killer hobbies were irrelevant to Badu-Lot anyway. Our goal was Badu-Lot. That was why we were here. Even if I was curious about the freezer full of corpses and these women, it was just a side story.
We left the secret room and finally headed for the room where our target was sleeping.
In a building with thick, soundproof walls, we didn't have to worry about making a little noise. From here on, we’d be flashy to help with the intimidation.
"This is it. I hope the bastard isn't in a coma too."
"Surely not. Alright, let’s put a little spirit into this."
I made eye contact with the skull-masked Gradena and kicked open the unlocked door with all my might.
The loud noise must have triggered an immediate sense of crisis, as the two in the bed scrambled to sit up. I wondered how we looked in the dim, warm light of the room.
Two intruders in black, wearing masks with white skull patterns. This is what they woke up to. Even if they were groggy, the terror would have woken them up instantly.
"You two, this isn't a nightmare. Unfortunately, this is reality."
"N-No! Help, help me! It’s not... it’s not what it looks like—!"
An older man and a woman of a certain age. The woman seemed to think she was about to be killed and was in a state of extreme panic. She kept repeating nonsensical excuses.
Perhaps seeing her chaos helped him find his composure, but the older noble was already starting to calm down. The terror on his face had been replaced by a surface-level calm.
If we could talk, that was good. I could ignore the woman who seemed incapable of a real conversation.
"You're prepared, right? Our business is..."
"I-I didn't! I have nothing to do with this! No, nooo!"
The woman cut Gradena off. I wanted to ignore her, but she was loud and annoying. I signaled to Gradena that I’d shut her up and approached the bed, which only made the woman scream more. She was incredibly irritating.
To make matters worse, the old man tried to show some useless backbone to protect the woman. Fed up with the annoyance, I punched the man first, then grabbed the struggling woman by the neck and choked her unconscious.
Gradena, who had watched the whole thing, reset herself.
"You know why we’re here, don't you?"
The old man seemed more angry than afraid. When he glared at her in silence, she punched him again.
It was such a waste of time. Stubbornness was pointless in this situation.
Honestly, read the room.
However, the man glaring at me with bloodshot eyes seemed to be driven by even more rage. He looked like he wanted to kill me with his gaze alone.
Was that his pride as a man or his dignity as a noble? I was impressed by the attitude, but this guy was a freak with a serial killer hobby and a traitor who had sold out his country. He was scum.
If he were a decent noble, I might have thought he was impressive, but this was just a piece of trash doubling down.
And it was just posturing. You don't reach this room without getting past mercenary guards, high-level mana-authentication keys, and numerous alarms. He must have understood that since we cleared all of those, we weren't just common thieves.
Someone who’s cornered only has two choices: die with a brave face or beg for their life.
"...I don't know what kind of petty thieves you are, but this is a noble’s villa. Leave at once!"
"You think we're just here for the money? We're not. We’re here for you. Don't worry, we’ll leave once we’re done. If you cooperate, that is."
"Where are the guards? They’ll be here any moment!"
Even though he must have known they weren't coming, he had to cling to that faint hope. Gradena looked at him with exasperation before turning to me.
I didn't want to waste time. He might be acting tough because he was angry, but he didn't have the vibe of someone truly prepared, and it wasn't like he had any military training. I’d just hurt him enough so he didn't die and make him talk. That was it.
I decided to take over the questioning from Gradena.
I looked down at him with an intimidating presence and began the Q&A session. First, the main goal.
"Tell us everything you know about Badu-Lot."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
What? He’s actually lashing out? Maybe he hasn't realized the danger he’s in yet because he was just woken up.
Shouting was pointless, he should have known that. It was like a child’s tantrum. Maybe he was doing it consciously to hide his fear with anger.
No matter what he felt or thought, it didn't matter. I’d make him realize that the result would be the same, just with a more painful process.
There’s no benefit to making a thief angry. Don't irritate me.
"The next time you say anything other than an answer to my question, I’ll start by gouging out an eye. I’ll ask again. Tell us everything you know about Badu-Lot."
"You...! Do you have any idea what happens if you lay a hand on me—!"
He really doesn't learn. I told him not to make me do this. I’m a woman of my word, so I had no choice.
I scanned the area for something to use and found something suitable. I picked up a stylish glass pen from the bedside and grabbed his face to hold it steady.
"I told you."
Without hesitation, I drove the glass pen into his bloodshot eye and twisted it.
His frantic struggle and screams did nothing to stop me. It was truly a futile resistance.
Learn your place, and don't make me waste any more effort.
Don't make me angry. Don't irritate me.
"Tell us everything you know about Badu-Lot!"
"Guh... uuh... aaaaaagh! St-stop! Stop it!"
It seemed the pain finally made him understand. But those weren't the words I wanted to hear.
"Listen. I don't want to hear you crying. I told you I’d gouge them out if you said anything irrelevant. Do you want to offer up the other eye too?"
If he wanted to see how long his resolve would last, I was happy to play along. I’d keep him alive but drive him to total submission.
I forced his remaining eye open and slowly brought the glass pen closer.
"Magic can heal almost any injury, but that only matters if you're alive. You don't actually think we won't kill you, do you?"
"Huff... huff... G-G-God... Oh God... aaaaaaaaagh!"
The old man struggled violently, and before I knew it, he was gripping a dagger that must have been under his pillow.
He thrust it at me. It seemed to be an artifact of some kind, as it was emitting a strong magic signature. I hadn't felt anything from it until now.
"Tch, this guy."
He’s got some spine. No, it was more like madness. This wasn't a normal atmosphere.
"Yukari!"
Sensing something strange or dangerous, Gradena punched the old man with an electrified fist, knocking him down.
He was bleeding from his eyes and mouth, with burns on his face from the electricity. He was completely unconscious.
"It’s not like he was on drugs... Did I threaten him too much? Whatever, but this dagger."
"A magic item?"
"The burst of magic was too large. It’s not just a magic item, it’s an artifact."
I pried the dagger from his tight grip to examine it.
I carefully checked its appearance and mana paths to ensure no mysterious abilities would trigger. The blade and hilt were covered in complex designs, clearly making it a valuable item. At the very least, it didn't look like it was about to explode.
Hmm? The design looks familiar...
"If it’s an artifact, it’ll sell for a lot. Let’s take it."
"Yeah. But this guy is out of his mind. Interrogation isn't going to be easy."
"He snapped even after you gouged his eye. Now that he’s settled down, maybe he’ll talk when he wakes up?"
"I hope so. I’ll stop the bleeding for now."
"I’ll take his necklace and rings too, since we don't know what else he’s got... Tch, this one won't come off."
She couldn't get one of the rings off. It was stuck tight, as if it were biting into his finger.
"Let’s see... it’s an offensive magic item. It won't do much to us anyway. Unless you specifically want it, just leave it."
"It’s not worth cutting off a finger for. Not my style, so I’ll let it slide."
There were many things I wanted to know.
The priority was Badu-Lot, then the freezer full of corpses, the drugged servants, and this magic dagger.
Before we continued the interrogation, I decided to look for any clues. Gradena and I started searching the room while the two were unconscious.
"For now, doesn't the space behind that big painting look suspicious?"
I thought the space behind a painting was a bit cliché, but apparently, it was a direct hit.
"A hidden safe. Magic reaction... it seems there are some small magic items inside. I’ll check the desk, you handle the safe."
"Got it. I'll just break it if I can't open it. I’ll make sure I don't damage the contents."
"Be careful, we don't know what’s in there."
Hmm, the desk drawers were a mess and hard to sort through. There were some valuable-looking accessories mixed in with trash. I didn't see anything that looked like evidence of his crimes.
I stuffed a few valuables into my pockets and quickly moved on to the shelves.
"Yukari, come here."
"Did you find something?"
Gradena was waiting with the safe open. There was something that caught her interest.
"This. This box won't open."
It was a locked box that had been inside the safe. It was small enough to carry with one hand, but from my quick check, it was more robust than the safe itself. It was quite high-end for its plain appearance.
It wasn't just a metal box, it was built for durability as a magic item, and its mana-authentication key was at a higher security level than any door I’d seen in this mansion.
"What is this? Even if a common thief stole this, they wouldn't be able to open it even with special tools or magic."
That only made me more curious. And since my magic aptitude and skills were well beyond 'special,' my competitive spirit was ignited.
Breaking it would require a significant amount of mana, which would alert everyone nearby. So, I would use my skills.
And then...
For a small box that I could usually open or break in seconds, I actually spent over ten minutes on this one.
The incredibly precise and complex mana-authentication method was educational and a rare experience. It felt different from normal magic technology. An ancient relic... maybe this box was an artifact too?
"There, it’s open. Well, it’s nothing if I really concentrate."
"Oh, you got it?"
Gradena, who had been searching elsewhere, came over. We looked inside the open box together.
"Is this medicine? I can tell it’s not a recovery potion."
There were about twenty small bottles inside the box.
There are many kinds of recovery potions, but they are generally colorless and transparent. Someone like me who’s good at magic could change the color if I wanted to, but normally people tell them apart by the bottle's color, pattern, or label.
The liquid in the small transparent bottles before us was a murky blue. Anyone could tell it wasn't a recovery potion. It looked more like poison. Since he was keeping it so carefully, it must be something valuable.
"...Hmm? I’d know if it was a known magic potion, and I can usually tell the effect if it’s similar to something else. But I have no idea what this is."
As a dedicated student, I’ve researched many magic potions in books and experimented with many of my own. A magic potion that didn't resemble anything I knew was very interesting.
"Even you don't know?"
"At least it looks bad for the health. It seems to have a complex effect, so I probably won't know even if I investigate it now."
"Then why don't we just use it?"
Gradena pointed at the unconscious old man. I see, we might be able to see the effect clearly if we actually used it. Since he wasn't likely to talk anyway, it was a brilliant idea.
I immediately woke him up from his unconscious state.
"What is this blue potion you were hiding?"
"Wh-What? You opened it? How..."
"If you don't answer, I’ll make you drink it. If it’s not a shady drug, you won't mind, right?"
"Stop! Not that!"
"You really don't learn. I told you I don't want to waste time, didn't I? Now, drink up."
Judging by how much he was panicking, there was no doubt it was a nasty drug. If he wasn't going to talk, we’d just test it.
Gradena pinned him to the bed while I forced his mouth open and shoved the bottle in. The murky blue liquid flowed down his throat.
The trash opened his remaining eye and his hollow socket as wide as possible, struggling like he was in a total panic. But we didn't let him go until he’d swallowed it all.
Given his reaction, it was probably some kind of poison, but there was no need for such a complex magic potion if it was just meant to kill. What kind of effect did it have?
Once he’d drunk it all, we let go. The way he was shaking while clutching his throat was anything but normal. I’d be in trouble if he died, so I prepared a detoxification spell.
"How do you feel? If you just talk honestly—"
"GAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
He suddenly let out a scream so loud it even surprised us. It was a roar that sounded like it would tear his throat apart.
When I instinctively stepped back, the old man poured mana into the ring on his right hand.
I felt magic being activated.
"What a pointless thing to do! Gradena, get behind me!"
"Right!"
He might be powerless before me, but it was a magic item that could fire off a fairly strong spell. I couldn't just kill him to stop it, and it would be a pain if it misfired. I stepped back to prepare for an attack and deployed an anti-magic barrier.
However, the magic didn't reach me.
"Wh-What is he doing!"
Fire magic was activated. But the one who burst into flames was the old man himself. As if he were burning from the inside, he collapsed while spitting fire from his mouth.
The intense magic fire completely incinerated his thin body in an instant. He was dead.
"...Did he commit suicide? Why?"
It wasn't a mistake caused by his panic. That was a conscious decision to end his own life.
I watched the magic fire in a daze alongside Gradena, with no idea what had just happened.