Chapter 26 - It's Not Like Everything is Solved Just by Shedding Blood, Right?
Gokigenyou. I am Violia Nico Fortesia.
It was all well and good that I captured the lightning user, but due to his constraints as a slave, he only has one day left to live.
If I don't drag this child's master out by tomorrow night, I won't be able to pick up a talent that's practically falling into my lap! A mage who can proactively commit murder—and a slave at that—there's no better property than this! Absolutely none! I shall definitely catch them!
「...I see. Then that is enough.」
I let out a sigh and clapped my hands together with a pop. Or rather, I made sure the sound was heard. By whoever might be listening from the other side of that collar.
「I shall think of a countermeasure tomorrow. If that fails, I shall set you free.」
「...A slave pathetic enough to get caught... I think they'd just kill me the moment I returned.」
「Oh, is that so? But very well. Regardless of that for now, let us speak no more of it.」
I knelt down beside the lightning user and gave him a bright smile.
「Shall we take a bath? This hideout has a shower room. It even has a proper bathtub.」
「Huh? A bath...?」
「Yes. A bath.」
The lightning user looked blankly at me. Well, it was quite sudden, wasn't it?
「...Don't tell me you have never used one!? Does your master not bathe!? Do they not own a bath!? Are they filthy or poor—which is it!?」
「T-They own one and they use it! Don't call them poor or filthy!」
Come to think of it, this child also has a constraint: 'Do not insult the master.' How convenient. I shall utilize this constraint to create a situation where 'failing to deny it would result in insulting the master'!
「But that means they do not let the slaves use the bath, does it not? That implies they are perfectly fine with having filthy people in their proximity...? How unsanitary!」
「No, I've used one! I know what a bath is!」
「Is that so? ...Don't tell me your master bathes with you!? Does that not mean your master is a sex offender!?」
「As if we'd be together! We're master and slave! All the slaves are properly given time to go in after the master!」
「Ah, I see... then that is fine, I suppose... Eh? You enter properly, then? When was the last time? A week ago, perhaps...?」
「I went in last night! What is with you!? What have you been doing this whole time!」
「I simply wanted to say nasty things about your master! O-hohohohoho!」
Rest assured! This is my sincere feeling!
And so, I intended to put the lightning user in the bath... but I decided to let him go in alone.
「Here. This is rose-scented oil. You may splash it into the tub as lavishly as you like. It is quite relaxing.」
With that, I handed him the bottle of scented oil.
「...Ah, perhaps you were unfamiliar with scented oil? Or do you not know what a rose is...?」
「I know. My master uses it, and I see the roses growing in the garden every year.」
Ah, I see. That is good to hear.
...And so.
I shall say what I truly wish to say.
「Listen? You may leave the shower running. Do not be stingy; use plenty of hot water.」
I said this while staring firmly into the lightning user's eyes.
His large, lapis lazuli eyes narrowed suspiciously for a moment... and then, they flew open as if he had realized something. It seems he properly understood my intent.
That he should 'keep the shower running to mask the sound'!
And so, once the sound of the shower could be clearly heard, the four of us huddled in the corner of the room for a consultation!
「I never imagined he would be a slave... We must do something within the next day.」
When I made that proposal first, everyone nodded. Everyone's heart was as one. If we could pick up a mage here, it would be an incredible bargain. There is no reason to let this opportunity slip away!
Immediately, each of us announced our policy.
「...If that lightning user is a slave, then naturally, the owner must be a noble. That much is clear from the fact that he apparently uses baths and scented oils normally.」
Indeed. That child only spoke of the bath, but there is quite a bit to be gleaned from that.
First, that he uses a bath normally. That multiple slaves seem to have been bought. And the information about roses in the garden... well, most noble gardens have those flowers around, so it's not much of a reference.
Well, for now, this confirms the 'target is a noble.' I am satisfied with having extracted that information!
Now then. Now that the information is out, it is finally time to decide our move.
「Since the target lent him out as a guard, there must have been some connection to House Castane. I'd like to try hitting that lead. What do you think?」
「True. Then I'll try looking into that area. In the meantime, Doran, can you check the slave traders? It's a long shot, but a mage slave is rare, so someone might have heard something somewhere. ...Well, I don't know how much info we can trace in a single day, though.」
The moves for Doran and Giovan were decided. Good. Insurance is important.
「Then I'll stay behind. I don't think I'll be of much use.」
Wise. I cannot imagine a drug addict being useful in an information war.
...And with that, the moves for the three of them were set. Doran, Giovan, and Chesta then turned back toward me.
「What will Violia do? Coming with me?」
「Since you're a young lady, don't you know a fair bit about the noble circles? Want to move with me?」
「I think staying behind is fine too. There's no harm in having more eyes on that lightning brat.」
Each had their own logic. I would likely achieve some results regardless of who I acted with.
...However.
I shall go beyond that!
「No. I shall act independently.」
「What do you plan to do?」
「Look, just like the shower room here, there is a water supply for the noble district, is there not?」
The water for the shower here is obtained by pilfering from the water supply dedicated to the noble district. Yes. This town has a water system exclusively for the noble district.
Since it is a large town, they must separate the water supply to some extent... under that pretext, they use the noble-only water system to use as much abundant water as they please. Of course, ordinary citizens cannot use water so extravagantly.
「What about the noble water supply?」
「I shall pour my blood into it.」
「No, no, no, no... Young lady. I think mass-murdering the nobles is a bit much.」
An immediate objection. Well, I expected as much. But this is the best way!
「Even if we do not know who the opponent is, it will be fine if we just kill them all together!」
「Yeah, I guess that's true...」
It cannot be helped. Finding this child's master and either rewriting the contract or killing them within just one day... there is simply not enough time.
In that regard, if it is mass murder, all that trouble can be skipped. It is the best!
...However, this plan also has a weakness.
「Will you have enough blood?」
「To be honest, it is a borderline case.」
That is the problem. My blood is, unfortunately, finite.
Even if I try to let my blood flow into the noble district's water supply, I wonder how much toxicity I can actually provide with only the blood flowing through my body... I shall just have to do my best to squeeze out an amount capable of killing them all!
「More importantly, if the servants drink the water first and die, the target will become cautious. I think there's a high possibility the poison won't even reach the target.」
Furthermore, that is also an issue.
Nobles... annoyingly enough, they employ servants... If those people die first, it might be a bit more than just killing nobles.
「That is true, isn't it... Do you have any good ideas? Specifically, a method to mass-murder them quickly.」
「How about moving away from mass murder for a moment?」
「But is there any other way?」
Pouring my blood into the water supply is very convenient because it can hit a wide area all at once. Certainly, there are concerns about whether the poison will be sufficient and whether the target will also be affected by it.
But... this is a time for haste! We cannot afford to be leisurely! It is mass murder! The noble district of Elsemarin shall become a ghost town starting tomorrow!
After thinking for a moment, Doran raised his hand.
「I'm in favor of killing. But no matter how you look at it, killing them while they're all scattered and holed up in their mansions is too inefficient. ...Therefore.」
「It's a hoax. We'll say, 'Violia Nico Fortesia has scattered poison in the noble district's water supply. Everyone in the noble district is already infected. An antidote is required,' and gather all the nobles together to distribute the 'antidote.'」