Chapter 374 - A Near Miss Between Hero and Villain
I couldn't help but wonder about the noble who had just turned into a pile of ash. Why? For what purpose?
I had many questions, but the dead couldn't speak. I was left with no choice but to try and get answers from the woman who was still blissfully unconscious.
"What now, Yukari? Can we even expect a sensible conversation from that woman?"
True. When she’d seen us in our skull masks, she’d been nothing but a babbling mess of excuses. She seemed like the type who wasn't just weak-willed, but also the kind to run away from reality through panic.
Plus, there were the remains of the old noble now, and the nasty smell of burning flesh filled the room. We’d have to change locations and wait a while before we could even attempt a conversation through intimidation.
"It’ll be difficult. But I can't just back down when the clues are right in front of me."
"I guess. Well, our part is over here and the night is long. Fine, let's take our time."
"Move the woman to another room for now. I’ll search this room a bit more."
"Alright, then I’ll go explore the rest of the mansion."
I hoped there was still something in this room. And I had to remember our original goal. More than the mysteries I’d just witnessed, I wanted something that linked back to Badu-Lot.
Like a common thief, I began tossing the furniture. I opened everything that could be opened, flipped every item, and even peeled back the carpet.
When I tipped over the second bookshelf, I noticed the texture of the wall behind it was strange. When I smashed through it, I found exactly what I’d hoped for: a hidden space.
"He’s certainly been hoarding."
The jewels I’d taken from the first floor were worth over a billion gist if sold off. On top of that, what I’d found now was likely his personal assets. There were a massive number of gold plates the size of cards and several large jewels.
He must have converted his slush funds and dirty profits into physical assets and hidden them away. I was taking every last bit of it.
In our line of work, we can never have too much money. Bribes are particularly expensive.
If we can support those in power financially so they can conduct their power struggles comfortably, that alone guarantees us a certain amount of freedom. If we don't provide any benefits to anyone, we’re just pests to be eliminated. That’s what it means to be a villain.
To prevent that, we have to support them with funds while maintaining a posture that says, 'I’ll even use violence for your sake if the time comes.'
It's a scratch-my-back-and-I'll-scratch-yours kind of thing. That’s how the good jobs come our way.
The three families of Exembra work with the officials in the administrative district that way, and they coexist peacefully with the royalty in the capital too.
Our Kikyokai is especially powerful because of our strong connection to the Duchess, who is said to be the most powerful person in the Kingdom of Brenark, even surpassing the royal family. Such collusion with power is essential for a villainous organization, and it costs a lot of money.
For the Kikyokai to do well in Berleeza, we needed to get close to the local power players just as we did back home.
This windfall of treasure would undoubtedly be very useful for our initial operations in Berleeza, where we didn't have a steady income yet.
"Hmm... the money is great, but there’s nothing of importance here."
If I couldn't find anything connecting to Badu-Lot, this was just a common robbery. Well, since I was taking everything I could, I guess there wasn't much of a difference.
As I was looking for anything else, Gradena returned.
"I did a quick sweep, but nothing caught my eye. How about there?"
"Just found more treasure. There’s nothing that connects to Badu-Lot."
"Was the info a dud? But this mansion is way too suspicious for that."
"That’s the thing. A freezer full of corpses, a hidden room with sleeping people, a mysterious blue potion, and a noble committing suicide. It’s beyond suspicious."
It was a complete mystery. But even if I thought about it, I didn't think the answers would be found here easily. I didn't see any files that would clear up my doubts either.
In that case, it’d be better to just dump it all on the Intelligence Department and let them handle it. They’d likely tell us the results unless it was a top-secret matter, and it wasn't our job to waste effort on it.
To be honest, no matter how strange or suspicious it was, the mystery of this mansion probably had nothing to do with us. So it didn't really matter.
If it did have something to do with us... I’m sure we’d find out whether we wanted to or not.
"I don't expect much, but let's give the woman one last interrogation before we leave."
"Right. Might as well try, just in case."
We went to the room near the bedroom and woke up the woman lying on the floor.
However, her state was beyond panicked. She was so hysterical that we had to give up on a conversation. This was another thing we should leave to the Intelligence Department. Neither Gradena nor I had the skills to extract information from someone in that state.
"Yeah, it’s no use. I’m about to lose my temper and kill her."
"Me too... wait."
Currently, we were nothing more than thieves who had broken into a noble’s villa for his mistress. I was always keeping a wide eye on our surroundings. My magic detection net caught something.
"What is it, Yukari?"
"They’re still far off, but someone powerful is approaching."
"Not one of ours, right?"
"They’re acting with the complete opposite of our stealth. They seem to be heading straight here. Who could it be?"
Was it a member of a different security force than Thompson's? The Intelligence Department was involved in tonight’s raids, so normally no public agency would show up unless we were being particularly flashy.
But the noble here hadn't shown any sign of calling for backup. Even the burst of powerful magic didn't seem to have caused a reaction in the neighborhood.
Who could it be? Maybe they just seemed to be heading here and had another goal.
I’d wanted to continue the interrogation and search a bit more, but... what to do.
"Let’s just check who it is. If they’re just passing by, it doesn't matter. If it’s someone who looks like trouble for us, we could just finish them here. By the way, is it just one person?"
"One... no, wait. One person is far ahead of the others, but there’s a group following behind. If it’s an organization that acts so loudly, it’s usually some public agency... Wait, if the mercenaries had a habit of making regular reports, it might be that. I’ll go check, you get ready to leave."
There wasn't much to prepare for our departure. Just a final check to make sure we hadn't missed anything and picking up our heavy bags.
I left Gradena to try one last time with the woman while I opened a window and climbed onto the roof.
My wide-area magic detection focused on the approaching powerhouse while I kept an eye in all directions in case it was a diversion.
The Intelligence observer seemed confused that I’d climbed onto the roof, but once they realized I was looking in a specific direction, they looked that way and started panicking. They had good eyes.
"I should have brought some night-vision artifacts..."
I couldn't see much with my naked eye in the dark, but a streetlamp happened to illuminate the approaching person for a moment.
I only saw them for an instant. That fearless smile that added a unique charm to her beauty, and the characteristic golden-red hair... there was no doubt. That was, yes.
"—The Vile Princess!"
Oh no, oh no, oh no!
Berleeza’s fourth princess, the unconventional girl who’d made a name for herself hunting villains. Even though she acted like a hero, she was called the 'Vile Princess,' which was such a hilariously perfect title. She was a continental superstar with countless fans, thanks to her beauty and flamboyant exploits.
And the only person I’d ever consider myself a fan of was right there!
I’d thought I might have a chance to see her somewhere. And now, I was seeing her with my own eyes, not just in a photo!
"Yukari, you’re too slow. What are you doing?"
Gradena was calling me from the window. I had to tell her about this joyous occasion.
"Gradena! It’s the Vile Princess! Akki! Akki is heading straight here!"
"Huh? That tomboy princess who hunts villains?"
"Yes, that’s her! Oh man, oh man, I get to meet Akki!"
"What are you talking about? Given the situation, isn't she here to take us out? That’s bad, isn't it?"
Ah... right.
This wasn't the time for 'I’m so happy to meet you' or asking for an autograph... Ugh, what a waste! And after I finally got the chance!
"But maybe just for a second..."
"Don't be stupid! She’s the 'No Questions Asked' Vile Princess when it comes to villains, right? We won't get a conversation, we’ll just end up in a brawl. We can’t exactly go knocking out a princess. Let’s get out of here."
Tch, Gradena actually being sensible for once...
"Aaaargh! Dammit! After I finally got the chance! Fine, let's go!"
Feeling the vivid mana radiating from Akki, I cast aside my regrets and went back inside.
We picked up our heavy bags, rushed out of the mansion, and vanished into the night, erasing our presence.
That princess was certainly powerful, but she wasn't on our level yet. Still, given how much combat she’d seen, her skills were likely decent.
Plus, just as the Prince of Medek-Regisamo was decked out in high-end artifacts, Akki was likely the same. Fighting her wouldn't be easy, and it’d be a tough battle if we tried to hold back and just escape.
I had no intention of opposing the Berleeza royal family, so fighting was out of the question.
Though personally, I would have loved to try fighting her at least once...
Feeling intense regret, we ran until we were far enough away to stop.
I felt stifled and took off my skull mask.
"Man, I didn't think Akki would show up. If I go back now as a random passerby, I wonder if I could talk to her."
"Just stop. She’s a hero, even if they call her the Vile Princess, and we’re the worst kind of villains. Besides, Yukari, your face is known. It’d be one thing in public, but you can't have a normal conversation at a crime scene. Still, why did Akki pick up our trail? It couldn't have been a coincidence."
I could feel from her magic reaction that Akki had entered the mansion. It wasn't just a coincidence, that mansion was definitely her destination.
We hadn't heard from the Intelligence Department that Akki was onto us, but that princess was a bit of a loose cannon. You couldn't predict her movements.
Our Kikyokai was currently working with the Berleeza central government behind the scenes. So Akki had no reason to interfere with us, but if she didn't know the situation, it was only natural for her to see us as enemies.
I expected the Intelligence Department and those above them wouldn't just ignore it if Akki got in our way, but...
"...It’s not certain she sees us as enemies yet. Besides, we’ll know why she moved soon enough. That flashy princess is anything but secretive."
"Every move she makes is news. We’ll know by tomorrow morning without even trying."
Whenever Akki moved, it made the papers. Not only did she not hide her actions, but she also used her flamboyant exploits as a deterrent against villains. I was sure tonight’s activities would be in many media outlets. We’d find out her goal then.
And if she was going to be an obstacle for us, the Intelligence Department or someone else would surely explain things to her. Right?
The Intelligence observer was there tonight too, so they’d surely report it.
The next day’s papers revealed that Akki’s actions were directed at the corrupt noble. She’d apparently moved on the bribery cases involving the noble at that mansion.
I checked the papers with Gradena and Heidi early that morning at the hotel.
There was no mention of us in the papers, nor any mention of the noble burning to death. There was nothing about the suspicious things we’d seen either, just a vague and thin report.
Even Akki’s usual exciting exploits were barely mentioned this time.
This was likely because the details of the case were being hushed up. It wasn't just a petty case of a corrupt noble lining his pockets; once you included the freezer, it was a major case with many corpses. Since it would affect the dignity of many other nobles, it couldn't be made public. It was only natural for it to be buried in the dark.
Even an unconventional princess like Akki couldn't just do whatever she wanted. Still, she’d have her complaints, and as Akki, she wouldn't just leave a mystery as a mystery. There was a high probability she’d poke her nose in where she wasn't wanted.
But that was exactly why I liked her. I wanted her to stir things up to the extreme, and I could expect her unpredictable actions to make it harder for our enemies to move.
On a personal level, Akki joining the fray was exciting as hell.
"Man, the Boss and the Third Seat really pick the interesting ones. To think you’d run into Akki."
"It was a shock. More importantly, I’m glad we got info on Badu-Lot. Good job, Heidi."
This was it. Heidi’s team had secured the information on Badu-Lot, our top priority.
I decided we were crushing them tonight.
"It was just a coincidence. I actually wanted to go to that mansion with you guys."
Heidi’s group might have found out even more about that mystery-filled mansion than Gradena and I did. But there was no point dwelling on it now.
"The Intelligence Department will solve the mansion’s mysteries. More importantly, we can finally get rid of one of our headaches tonight. Is the surveillance going well?"
"We’re watching so closely that not even a bug could get away. The only way the Badu-Lot guys are escaping is if something completely unpredictable happens."
"Our position will be in trouble if we let them go. We’ve already gone wild against nobles, even if they were corrupt. If we don't bring back a prize soon, some of the big shots might start making trouble."
"Yeah, tonight is a critical moment. We’re settling this no matter what."
Even with all the hostile forces around, a curse is particularly troublesome. If we could eliminate that quickly, things would be much easier from here on.
Above all, taking down the dark organization Badu-Lot was a perfect achievement for a newcomer. Establishing this track record was vital for our future.
It was time to collect on all the effort we’d put in.
Get ready. I’m not letting you get away.