Night had fallen recently, enveloping the city of Arstjipta in darkness. The light coming from the top of magic lamp posts installed throughout the streets, along with some lights coming out through the windows of houses and buildings, provided a limited illumination for anyone still walking outside. There were few to none of such people after sunset, especially inside this particular district where the buildings were mostly noble mansions. The only people outside buildings in the area were only private guards stationed at the front gate of each mansion.
Yet, four shadowy figures were now sneaking around one of the mansions, avoiding the watchful eyes of the guards in front of the gate. Without making a sound, they slowly and steadily climbed like spiders over the four meters tall wall at the left wing side of the mansion. Behind the wall, there was a garden with trees and bushes which were sufficient to provide some cover. The four figures laid low there, watching the pattern of guards patrolling the area within the walls.
“Storm Four. Report what you can see so far.” Storm One said.
Storm Four immediately replied. “There are ten guards in total, divided into five groups of two. Based on their movement and positions, they are likely patrolling in a lap pattern. If their pattern remains constant, we’ll have a three minute window in... twenty seconds.”
“We will wait for one minute.” Storm One said. “Keep in mind that they might have some sort of detection magic. Heck, we don’t even know if our stealth gear means anything against magic. Keep your guard up.”
“Sir,” Storm Three spoke up. “What are your orders in the case we get spotted?”
“There are too many unknown factors regarding our current enemy.” Storm One replied while peeking over the bushes. “Prioritize retreating if that happens.”
“And leave Miss Gardner in their grasp?” Storm Three asked. Like all the others, her helmet fully concealed her face so there was no way to tell what kind of expression was on her face. However, it was easy to notice that her tone was audibly displeased.
Remaining unfazed, Storm One replied. “Magic is pretty commonplace here, thus we never know what kind of feats the guards are capable of from just a glance. Also remember. If something happens to us it’s all over for Miss Alphen. Vice Captain can’t escort everyone alone.”
“...Affirmative, sir.” Storm Three said, still audibly displeased.
“Move out!” Storm One said once the mentioned one minute passed. All four of the group immediately dashed out of the shrubbery they had been hiding in and climbed the wall of the three-story mansion all the way to the roof within ten seconds.
“There’s nobody in the room behind that window.” Storm Four said, pointing towards a nearby roof window. “At least according to my readings.”
Storm One nodded, and he made a hand gesture signaling everyone to move towards the window. Once everyone arrived, Storm Two carefully and skillfully unlocked the window for everyone to go through. The room behind the window seemed to be a rarely used attic storage, looking at the amount of dust and spider webs all over it. The four soldiers then carefully and quietly entered the attic one by one after confirming that there really was nobody in there.
“Miss Gardner is on the first floor directly below us.” Storm Four said. “I detected two other people in the same room.”
“Understood. Good work.” Storm One nodded.
Storm Three soon chimed in. “According to the nanom link readings, Miss Gardner is asleep.”
“And most definitely tied up.” Storm Two said. “Partial obstruction of blood circulation in the arms and legs due to external pressure. What else can explain that?”
“We can bulldoze through the floors straight down or take the stairs in stealth.” Storm Four said while dusting off some spider webs from his combat suit. “What are your orders, sir?”
“We take the stealth route.” Storm One said. “Bulldozing straight down will risk injuring Miss Gardner, and the enemies will get alerted long before we get through all three floors. Let’s move!”
The Storm Squad then made their move, opening the trap door leading to the third floor of the mansion and jumping off as quietly as they could. The corridors of the mansion were illuminated by various lamps on the walls and ceilings, and thus the dark color of the squad’s suits backfired, sticking out like roaches on white floor tiles.
“Are there guards patrolling inside?” Storm One asked as all four of them leaned to the nearest wall and gradually became blurry, almost perfectly transparent figures.
“Negative.” Storm Four replied. “According to my readings, there are only unarmed people inside.”
“Likely servants.” Storm Two said. “Or magic caster guards.”
“Either way, we must not be seen by anyone.” Storm One said. “Storm Four, lead the way.”
“Affirmative, sir.”
The squad soon marched through the corridors of the mansion quickly and stealthily with Storm Four in the lead. The closest stairs were located near the middle part of the mansion, which was unfortunate for them, who started at the extreme left wing side. On a few occasions they had to stop and stay perfectly still to avoid being seen by a passing maid or manservant, wasting a number of minutes. But ultimately there was nobody who caught notice of their presence.
“There’s the stairs.” Storm Four said, pointing to an insertion at the left side of the corridor they were advancing through. It was a square stairwell which went down all the way to the first floor. “Ah, bad news sir.” He suddenly said, which made everyone stop in their tracks.
“What?” Storm One asked quickly while the remaining two kept their eyes open to their surroundings, looking out for possible people coming.
“Someone stood next to the bottom end of these stairs just now and he doesn’t seem to be moving away anytime soon.” Storm Four replied.
“Tch, dammit. He’ll definitely notice us.” Storm One gritted his teeth. He then quickly glanced at the three-dimensional map of the mansion projected in his sight, courtesy of Storm Four’s swarm of scouting drones which right now were still flying high above and around the mansion as they spoke. “From there to there... Hey, is the man below us within someone else’s line of sight?”
“For now I don’t think so, sir.” Storm Four said.
“Alright. Change of plans.” Storm One said. “We will go down quietly, take out that person non-lethally, blitz through the corridors, snatch Miss Gardner, and get the hell out of here fast.” He continued. “With enough luck nobody else would notice him fainting for a few minutes.”
“Sounds good.” Storm Three said. “Let’s do this.”
“Let’s move!” Storm One said, and no more words were spoken from anyone among the squad. They descended down the stairs while minimizing the sound of footsteps they made, for which the fact that the stairs were carpeted helped. It took them about half a minute until the final steps of the stairs were right ahead and the man standing guard was in their sight. The man didn’t seem to have a weapon, and his lightly armored attire gave strong implications that he was capable of combat.
Storm Three stepped forward and grabbed the man in the mouth tightly with one hand while her other hand grabbed the man’s wrist. Simultaneously, both of her gloves emitted controlled electric pulses which shocked the man and rendered him unconscious. Wasting no time, she stepped back, dragging the man into the stairwell and put him down gently on the floor at the corner.
The four Storm Squad members immediately dashed out of the stairwell and through the corridor which led them to the room they believed to be the location where Hilda was. Like in the third floor, the corridor was illuminated with lamps on the walls and ceiling with no switches or such in sight. With the squad dashing fast, even untrained eyes would notice their blurry figures, but right now stealth had become less of a concern for them.
Soon, the squad reached the door of the room where Hilda was located according to their nanom link. The door was a double door which was visually more luxurious than other doors seen so far in the mansion, giving off the vibe that the room behind it belonged to the owner of the place. The squad split into two, taking positions at the left and right side of the door.
“There are several windows on the other side.” Storm Four said. “Not reinforced.”
“So we blast through one of them to get out?” Storm Three asked.
“It’s basically our best option in my opinion.” Storm Two said before turning his head towards Storm One. “Your orders, sir?”
“Remember.” Storm One said while giving a quick nod. “Get in, snatch Miss Gardner, get out. Ready?”
“Ready, sir!” All the other three replied in unison.
“Let’s move!” Storm One said, and the squad made their move, beginning with kicking the door open violently.
Slam!
As soon as the door was wide open, Storm Two threw a stun grenade into the room. One second later, a soundless blinding flash of light occurred and all four soldiers stormed into the room.
Crash!
What?
Disorientation was the one word which would explain what Storm One suddenly felt. He could recall having planned for the squad to storm into the room where Hilda was held, snatch her from the grasp of the kidnappers, and escape as fast as they could. He could recall storming into the room, but his own memory failed to serve him right beyond that.
However, it was thanks to all the rigorous military training and survival simulations he had experienced, that he instinctively raised his senses towards his surroundings in order to regain his awareness of the situation. Storm One soon became aware that right now, he and the rest of his squad had just crashed through the window of the room they had stormed into. He didn’t have the faintest memory about anything which had happened inside the room, and it would be best to assume that the exact same thing applied to the other three. They definitely were as disoriented as he had been.
However, figuring out what had happened inside the room didn’t matter anymore for the time being. Storm One knew that the squad had completed their objective, for the simple fact that right now he was carrying Hilda Gardner in his arms. There was no mistake that she was the real one, not a magically created body double or such, because the nanom link was still active and pointing towards her. There were no ropes or such binding her body and she was fast asleep, which was better for the squad at the current situation.
“We got her! Move! Move!” Storm One shouted, jolting the other three back into their senses.
Without any words spoken, the four blurry figures dashed through the front yard of the mansion straight to the walls. All the guards in the area were startled and stunned since what they saw was probably only a figure of a sleeping girl being carried by barely visible specters. Curiously, there was nobody shouting at the guards to give chase or such, and thus those guards remained still.
Storm Three ran ahead of the group and stopped right at the wall with her back turned against it, and then she crouched, putting her hands down together. Without hesitation, Storm One jumped lightly and stepped his right foot on Storm Three’s hands, followed by putting all his strength there for the next jump he was about to perform.
“Hmmph!!”
With a tense grunt, Storm Three straightened her legs and raised her arms with all her might, boosting Storm One’s jump. The latter gracefully soared over the wall and landed at the other side on his two feet, with Hilda still safely carried in his arms.
Meanwhile, Storm Three turned around once more and put her arms forward, pressing her palms against the wall with her body leaning forward slightly. Storm Four used her back as a platform to jump up the wall, followed by Storm Two doing the same. Both of them successfully grabbed the top of the wall, but Storm Four was the only one climbing over it completely. Storm Two instead only climbed partially, leaving one leg hanging on the inner side of the wall.
Storm Three, having run back a short distance from the wall the moment Storm Two had jumped from her back, dashed towards the wall and jumped as high as she possibly could. She successfully got ahold of Storm Two’s hanging leg and hung on it tightly, with the latter pulling his leg up. Storm Four, still perching on top of the wall right beside Storm Two, reached his hand to Storm Three who immediately grasped it. Both Storm Four and Storm Two then pulled Storm Three up together, and they ultimately were successful in going over the wall, jumping down and landing on their feet near Storm One who had been waiting.
With no further waiting, the squad’s boots began glowing blue and they dashed away from the mansion at the fastest pace humanly possible. With their main mission objective secured, the new objective right now was to shake off possible pursuers and return to the inn.
As the squad dashed down the streets through the darkness of the night, Storm One spoke to Storm Four. “Storm Four! Any pursuers?”
“Negative!” Storm Four quickly replied. “There are no signs of pursuers leaving the mansion.”
“Copy that!” Storm One said. “Turn left over there and disengage our stealth!” He continued while eyeing a left branch which led into a secondary road.
As instructed, the squad turned left and stopped running. Their transparent and blurry figures became normal, and their combat suits changed back into their default colors. Everybody other than Storm One kept their eyes open to the surroundings with their hands ready to draw their guns anytime.
“The coast is clear as far as I can see, sir.” Storm Four said. “No pursuers detected.”
“Alright.” Storm One said, taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh. “Mission accomplished. Good job, everyone.” He continued, to which the response from the other three was little more than a subtle relieved sigh.
Storm One then changed the way he carried Hilda from a princess carry to a piggyback ride with a length of belt securing them together at the waist, while Storm Four recalled and retrieved all his scouting drones. After the two of them were done, the squad folded their helmets away and began walking at a considerably faster pace than normal townsfolk normally did.
“How much battery power did you spend?” Storm One asked while walking.
Storm Four, who was right behind, immediately replied. “About half, sir.”
“The drones sure are quite the guzzler.” Storm Two said from the very front. “But it was thanks to them that we completed our objective and got away safely.”
“Poor her.” Storm Three said, walking next to Storm Four and staring at Hilda’s peaceful sleeping face. “She must’ve been very scared, and it was my fault.”
“No, it’s not.” Storm One said. “The enemy was definitely skilled, being able to take her away without any of us noticing. That’s why I’m carrying her like this now.”
“He’s right.” Storm Two added. “Not to mention that strange thing happening back then. At one second I was storming into the room, and at the next second I was jumping out of the window. I was like... what?”
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“You guys had it too?” Storm Three asked.
Storm Four was the first to give an answer. “Yeah.”
“All of us did.” Storm One said. “The kidnapping and that room... definitely magic, don’t you think?”
“Definitely.” Storm Three said. “This place is getting scarier the more I think about it. We barely know anything about magic, and we’re defenseless against it. What if there’s a magic spell which outright kills you instantly?” She gritted her teeth, and one could notice that her clenched hands were shivering.
“Get a grip, soldier!” Storm One said in a slightly raised voice. “A good hit from Phantom Squad’s sniper shot also kills you instantly. Magic is little more than tools and weapons in the arsenal of our enemies and allies alike. It’s not easy, but we just need to be wary of it like any other potential threats.”
“You really made it sound simpler than it actually is.” Storm Three said with a sigh, but she also smiled a little.
Later, they arrived at the inn safely. The tavern at the first floor was mildly crowded with people, most of whom the squad were already familiar with. Not paying any heed, the squad went upstairs to the floor where their rooms were, and they were welcomed by everyone the moment they exited the stairwell.
“Joseph! I’m so glad you’re back bringing Hilda!” Renne said in delight. “And others too!”
Renne’s crews were all beaming with joy similar to Renne, grinning ear to ear upon seeing Hilda on Storm One’s back. Nathan was standing right behind Renne, and he was also visibly delighted, though not as clearly written on his face as others.
“Let’s put her on a bed.” Nathan said, leading the squad to the room where Hilda stayed.
Soon, Hilda was gently put down on her bed, still sleeping with a peaceful look on her face. Right after that, Storm One stood up straight facing Nathan and gave him a firm salute.
“Mission accomplished, Vice Captain sir.” He said in a straight tone.
In response, Nathan grinned sharply and gave Storm One a pretty hard pat on the shoulder. “Good work out there, soldier.”
But before anyone could celebrate further, Hilda was noticed rubbing her eyes and thus everyone’s attention went to her immediately.
“Uhhh...” Hilda groaned while still rubbing her eyes.
“Hilda! You alright? Do you feel strange anywhere?” Sandra asked while kneeling beside the bed.
“H-Huh?” Hilda asked, looking confused as she turned her head towards Sandra. “What happened? Why am I on the bed?”
Audrey, who was standing next to Sandra, folded her arms while looking at Hilda in the eyes. “Okay, Hilda. Take a deep breath first. After that, tell us anything you remember before waking up.”
“What? O-Okay.” Hilda said before taking a deep breath. “Well... we were walking home, and Leader was joking about using me as bait and... I suddenly felt sleepy.”
“You don’t remember anything after that?” Audrey asked. “Anything at all?”
“No...” Hilda shook her head. “I must’ve fallen asleep while walking, haven’t I?” She shyly laughed as she got up into a sitting position on the bed, but then her face quickly turned grim, realizing something. “Or don’t tell me...”
“Unfortunately, yes...” Renne said, sitting on the bed while holding Hilda’s hand. “You were kidnapped by the same perpetrator Joseph’s squad was investigating.”
“Oh, no..!” Hilda said, immediately touching and looking at various parts of her body. “Did I get harmed anywhere? Where are my boots?”
Renne looked at the Storm Squad members one by one, and all of them dejectedly shook their heads in response. “Sorry. It seems your boots were left behind.” She said to Hilda.
“Oh, I see...” Hilda looked down. “I’m sorry.”
“No, please don’t feel sorry.” Renne shook her head. “I’m the one who should be sorry. This wouldn’t have happened if we went home immediately.”
“Hey, I’m not fond of intervening but,” Audrey spoke up. “You should quit self blaming. What’s important is that we got Hilda back safe and sound, and the quest is pretty much cleared.” She continued, turning her head towards Storm One. “Right?”
“Well, I think you’re not wrong.” Storm One replied. “Our priority was to bring Miss Gardner back so we quickly escaped once we got her, but now we know the location of their hideout. It’s a noble mansion, so Jin definitely will know names once we tell him.”
“Noble mansion, huh? Figures.” Sandra said with her facial expression displaying disgust.
Clap!
Renne clapped her hands once and spoke out. “A-Anyway! All of you get out! The room’s getting hot with so many inside! Oh, except Joseph.”
Within less than a minute, the only ones remaining in the room were Renne, Hilda, and Storm One. Hilda was still in the same sitting position on her bed with Renne sitting on the same bed near Hilda’s legs, and Storm One stood nearby.
“Is there anything you want to discuss, Miss Alphen?” Storm One asked.
“Yes.” Renne replied before looking at Hilda in the eyes. “Sorry for this. I know you must be tired.”
In response to Renne’s apology, Hilda just smiled and nodded sincerely. “It’s okay, Leader. It’s not like I remember any of it anyway.”
“First, let me take a look.” Renne said, quickly inching closer to Hilda and rolling up the latter’s right sleeve.
“W-What are you doing, Leader?” Hilda asked startlingly while Renne examined her right arm painstakingly, then the other arm, and then her thighs. “P-Please don’t stare too much.” She said while her face was flushing red.
“There’s nothing at all.” Renne said with a heavy sigh. “No damaged nerves or blood vessels, even though your nanom records state that you were tied up for a while.”
“Huh? I was tied up?” Hilda asked as she put her rolled sleeves back down.
Storm One chimed in with his arms folded. “Before we got to you, we learned from the nanom link that you had blood flow obstruction in the arms and legs due to external pressure. The most likely explanation is that you were tied up quite tightly.”
“There’s no way it didn’t leave any internal wound.” Renne said, getting up from Hilda’s bed. “I’m guessing that they used some kind of a healing spell on you after getting you out of the ropes. They really were meticulous in making sure that they would leave no evidence of harm.” She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth after she finished speaking.
“And they also have the assistance of magic.” Storm One said. “All four of us have no memory of what happened when we raided the confinement room.”
“What? Seriously?” Renne asked. “But you have a record, right?”
Storm One nodded. “Only audio, but yes.”
“Let’s hear it.” Renne said.
“Affirmative, Miss Alphen.” Storm One said before having his nanom play an audio recording directly on their hearing. The playback began with the sound of a door being slammed open followed by the rushing footsteps of the squad entering.
“Rescue target spotted!”
“Leave her to me!”
“Two men at nine! Confirmed stunned!”
“Leave them! I got her! Go! Go!”
After the quick dialogue among the squad, there was soon a sound of a window breaking and more rushed footsteps, and then Storm One ended the playback.
“That’s all the part which escaped our memories.” Storm One said.
Renne folded her arms, closed her eyes, and lowered her head with a frown on her face. “Hmm... If I were to make a guess, that room has been enchanted so that you won’t remember anything that happens while you’re inside.”
“I can concur with that.” Storm One said. “At one moment I was rushing into the room, and then I was already jumping out of the window with Miss Gardner in my arms.”
Renne walked around and sat on a different bed with a sigh. “Now I can make a rough speculation about their MO.”
“W-What is it, Leader? Would you tell me?” Hilda asked with her eyes going a bit wider.
“They kidnap their target with a stealthy method we still don’t know yet, bring the girl into that room, and do whatever they want with her. Afterwards, they clean and heal her up, put her to sleep, and drop her at some random place in the early morning.” Renne replied, sounding more upset as she spoke.
No words were spoken in the room for a number of seconds until Hilda broke the silence.
“D-Do whatever they want...?” Hilda asked with a cracked voice, looking very worried and on the verge of crying. Renne quickly went to Hilda and hugged her.
“It’s okay, Hilda.” Renne said. “None of those nasty things you imagine have been done on you. Absolutely.”
“How can you be so sure..?” Hilda asked.
“The nanom records.” Renne replied, still hugging Hilda. “They only tied you up once and that’s it. They definitely don’t know about our nanom, so there’s no way it has been manipulated or such.”
“Really..?”
“Yes. Really.” Renne said, releasing her hug and looking at Hilda in the eyes. “But... I just thought of something else. And if it’s true, your kidnapping is really my fault to begin with.”
Hearing Renne’s words, Storm One spoke up. “What do you mean with that, Miss Alphen?”
“This can be merely a coincidence, but on top of the similarities Audrey mentioned back then, there’s one more, Hilda included.” Renne replied.
“And that is...?” Hilda asked, to which Renne didn’t immediately answer. She just went silent, which lasted for five seconds before Hilda asked again. “Leader..?”
“Legs.” Renne replied reluctantly. “All the other girls were wearing short skirts or shorts, showing their legs off.”
“W-W-What?” Hilda asked in surprise, immediately eyeing her own legs and nervously grasping the hem of her skirt.
“Pardon me Miss Alphen, but I think that’s quite a stretch.” Storm One said. “The weather has been pretty hot in and around the city, so almost all young people wear light clothing regardless of gender.”
“I know, but these creeps are sick. We never know what goes on in their mind.” Renne said while lowering her head. “Suppose I was right, Hilda would’ve never been kidnapped if I hadn’t given her leggings to Sandra.”
“Then Miss Park would’ve been the one kidnapped instead.” Storm One said. “But I suggest that we end the discussion here and retire for the night, Miss Alphen.”
Renne didn’t give an immediate answer. She instead took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “You’re right, Joseph. I’ve been too agitated to think clearly. Sorry about that.”
“It’s all right. It happens to the best of us.” Storm One said. “Tomorrow we'll report our findings to Jin first thing in the morning... No, wait. Maybe I should do that right now.” He continued, frowning as he came to the last part of his words.
“I was about to tell you myself.” Renne said. “The longer we wait the more time those sick nobles have for erasing evidence. Go!”
“Right away!” Storm One replied. “Oh, and to any of my squad listening, I’ll be going alone. Guard the place while I’m away!”
Storm One immediately walked out from the bedroom and left the inn alone. Right outside the door, he activated the blue glow on his boots and dashed towards the city hall, having the assumption that Jin would be home at the time.
Okay, just in case...
Storm One also activated the stealth mode of his suit and put his helmet on, once again becoming a blurry, near transparent figure in the shadows of the night. Throughout his trip to the city hall he kept himself alert, anticipating possible attacks. After all, he now knew about the kidnappers, and there was a possibility that they knew about him as well.
Fortunately, Storm One arrived at the city hall without any incidents. At some distance away from the front door, he reverted back to normal before walking further. Unlike the guild, the city hall seemed to be closed after nightfall so the doors were closed and there were guards standing by. Knowing that, Storm One kept walking until one of the guards noticed him.
“The city hall is already closed. Come back tomorrow.” The guard spoke.
Storm One showed his guild card and spoke. “I’m an adventurer on a request by name by Duke Gentruvorst Grasmord. I need to deliver an urgent message.”
“What? That’s out-“ The guard said before Storm One intervened.
“This matter concerns the duke himself and at least one more noble house. If you delay me for too long, bad things may happen and it will be on you.” Storm One spoke in a slightly raised voice with a fierce glare which would stab through the soul of the unlucky fellow it was directed at, and that turned out to be effective on the guard.
“A-Alright, alright! Give me a minute!” The guard said before running to a fellow guard who then went inside in a hurry. One minute later, the same guard came out along with another man who wore the staff uniform of the city hall. The latter quickly approached Storm One and spoke.
“Sir Joseph Marhanser, I believe?” The man asked, to which Storm One responded with a nod. “Please follow me.”
Storm One followed the staff into the main hall and through the door at the back which led to the private residence part of the building. Storm One kept following the staff, walking hurriedly past several maids and menservants, most of whom threw a quick glance at him as he passed.
A minute later, the staff and Storm One arrived in front of a door on the second floor of the building. After taking a deep breath and fixing his glasses along with his mustache, the staff knocked on the door.
“Pardon me for the intrusion, Lord Gentruvorst. Joseph Marhanser is here wishing to see you to deliver an urgent message.” The staff spoke with his voice slightly amplified and his tone of speech being straight and professional.
Click!
There was a clicking sound coming from the door, and then both sides of the double door swung inside gently without anybody else touching them.
What came first into Storm One’s sight was the spectacle of a room which could be said as a personal library, judging from the fact that there were bookshelves on almost all sides of the room. A crystal lamp was hanging at the center of the ceiling, illuminating every part of the room with its brilliant but gentle light.
And then at the other end of the room there was Jin himself, sitting behind a carved wooden desk on a chair which matched the design. Unlike previously, Jin now wore a fancy decorated suit truly befitting his nobility rank of duke.
“Come in, Joseph.” Jin said with his usual smile and tone of speech.
Storm One complied, walking into the room cautiously. The staff member stayed outside, and once Storm One was a few steps in the doors closed by themselves, startling him a little.
“Take your seat there, skip all formalities, and tell me your urgent message.” Jin said, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk facing him. Once again, Storm One complied and sat down as instructed.
“Alright, I’ll get straight to the point.” Storm One said. “We found the hideout of the kidnapper, but they also know that we know. If we don’t hurry they might erase all evidence and escape.”
Upon hearing Storm One’s words, Jin’s eyes slightly went wider for a brief moment. “You’ve already done that much? Not even half a day has passed.”
“Yes, it was a mix of fortune and misfortune.” Storm One said. “Anyway, this is the place. Pardon my homeland technology.”
Storm One then used his wristwatch to display a holographic picture of the noble mansion in aerial view, along with a city map and a blinking red dot marking the mansion’s location. He noticed Jin looking astonished at the pictures, but then Jin frowned and one could hear him sighing through the nose.
“This mansion is... What made you certain that this is the hideout?” Jin asked without changing his frowning expression.
“Miss Gardner, I mean, Hilda, she got kidnapped.” Storm One replied. “We tracked her to this location and snatched her back. When she came to, she didn’t remember anything, which was consistent with the rumored kidnappings.”
“I see...” Jin said. “So that’s why you said that they know too.”
“Right. It’s a noble mansion, so things weren’t that simple for us.” Storm One said. “We ultimately decided to enter in stealth, but our escape was far from being stealthy.”
Jin leaned back on his seat and folded his arms. “Don’t worry about what you said earlier. They won’t escape anytime soon, and I’m sure of it.”
“Well, if you say so, then I’ll take your word for it.” Storm One said. “What would you have us do, now that we have progressed this far?”
“Nothing.” Jin said. “Your job is done.”
Storm One, being startled a bit, asked. “Pardon me, but did I hear you right? That’s all about the quest?”
“Indeed.” Jin replied, leaning forward and resting his arms on the desk. “Going further in this matter is outside your capabilities, so I shall take it from here. Find me at the library tomorrow at noon for your reward.”
“Then, I think I should take my leave.” Storm One said, standing up from his seat. “Please don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need any assistance.” He said while pointing at himself with his thumb, to which Jin only responded with a nod.
The door swung open by themselves once more, and Storm One left. The staff member from before was still standing by right outside, and he politely escorted Storm One out of the city hall.
Later, Storm One stepped out of the city hall through the front door. After walking away several steps, he glanced back at the city hall building and let out a mild sigh. It was quite clear to him that the perpetrators had a fair chance to get away with everything. With the uneasy feeling within, Storm One resumed walking away. In the end, his squad and all others were merely commoner outsiders in the world of aristocrats.
***
Within the noble mansion where Hilda had been rescued from, there were two men in the bedroom which had one of its windows broken. One of them was staring at the broken window with his arms folded, while the other walked in circles while biting his own nails anxiously. The two men were young adults in their mid-twenties and they were completely identical to each other, except for the fact that the one walking in circles had a long downward ponytail reaching his waist, contrary to the neatly trimmed black hair of the other man.
“...We screwed up, didn’t we?” The one staring at the window asked without looking at the other.
“Oh, nooo we didn’t. Everything’s fiiiine.” The anxious man replied without hiding the sarcastic tone. “AS IF! It’s all over now!”
“Calm down. Panicking won’t help.”
“Hey! Who was the one with the great idea of taking that girl!?”
“Yeah, but we both agreed that she was cute and she had nice-looking legs.”
“Oh, yeaaah. Nice legs, eh? And look at the mess we’re in now thanks to that!” He said while pointing his right hand all around the room.
“I guess we should’ve realized that the ones around them were Belmott Empire soldiers, now that I think about it. The girl was probably a Belmott Empire official.”
“WELL, TOO LATE! If a war with Belmott Empire breaks out it will be on you!” He said while pointing at the other.
“Why only me? You were the one who took the girl into our carriage.”
“Because you asked me to!”
“Okay, okay! It’s my fault! Happy now?”
“Tch! Not in the slightest! We’re still in deep shit!”
The short-haired man sighed before walking to a nearby desk and taking a fountain pen out of his suit. He then sat down on the chair behind the desk and began writing a note on a small piece of paper. A few seconds later, he stood up and showed what he had written to the other man.
“I know you probably won’t agree with this.” The short-haired man said.
The long-haired man gritted his teeth. “Like hell would I agree, but do we have any other choice!? Our collection is still there and I’ll never leave them behind!”
“Me too, brother.” The short-haired man sighed as he tucked the small paper note into his suit. “Me too.”
The two brothers then walked towards the door with their head hung in despondency. Once they were right at the door, they raised their head, stood side by side, and took a deep breath before walking out of the room together.
“Wait, what?” The long-haired brother said the moment they were in the corridor right outside the room. “I’m not carrying the girl?”
“What? Is she still inside?” The short-haired brother asked, turning back to take a look. “No, I don’t see her anywhere.”
“Wait, why is the window broken?” The long-haired brother said while pointing at the window at the other end of the room. “Did she somehow escape?”
“The note!” The short-haired brother said, reaching into his suit. He took out a small piece of paper and read the writings on it. “Oh no...”
The long-haired brother quickly took a look at the note as well, and his face turned grim. “Face the consequences? So we finally screwed up.” He facepalmed with a huge sigh.
Suddenly, a manservant approached the two brothers in a hurry. “Lord Alex, Lord Gill! There is a visitor!”
The short-haired one, Alex, looked at his pocket watch and spoke to the manservant. “At this hour? Send them away.”
“U-Unfortunately, we can’t do that.” The manservant said nervously with cold sweat dripping down his face. “In fact, he is already in the parlor.”
“What? Who’s this impudent guy?” The long-haired one, Gill, asked in displeasure.
“W-Well... It’s...” The manservant replied.
Soon, both Alex and Gill went to the parlor of their mansion hurriedly after knowing who the visitor was. When they opened the door of the parlor, the aforementioned visitor was already sitting nonchalantly with his right leg crossed over the left. Noticing them, he threw a smile at them.
“It’s an honor to receive your visit.” Alex bowed while greeting, trying to sound as dignified as possible.
Gill also bowed like Alex, and then he spoke. “What brings you here, Lord Gentruvorst Grasmord...?”
The visitor didn’t respond with words. He just kept smiling in a way which for some reason looked highly intimidating and made both Alex and Gill want to run away.
***