CHAPTER 64
The Ex-Demon Lord and the Dark Side of Humanity, Part II
“I will solve this case by the end of the day. I promise,” I declared with a blank glare as we headed to our top destination, the library.
Just who was I talking to?
Not Ireena.
I guess…I’d say it was directed toward fate.
We hurried to the library where we identified the victims. Once we found out their names and backgrounds, we got in touch with anyone with any kind of relation to them.
We had done a general sweep for our investigation…when the sound of the bell tolled across town. As it signaled evening, I looked at Ireena.
“Shall we head to the main event?”
“You bet…!”
After exchanging a nod, we started to stroll forward, side by side, heading for…a district where the wealthy lived. Our target was the master of a stately mansion.
First, we approached the enormous gate and spoke to the guards.
“Is this the manor of Kold Raspberry, the head of Raspberry & Co.?”
“You’ve come to the right place… What business might you have with the master?”
“Please let Sir Raspberry know that personal attendants of an esteemed visitor have come to discuss business.”
I imagined they would scoff at such a statement under normal circumstances. But since the assembly of the Five Powers was days away, there was something credible about my statement.
“…Just one moment.” The guard disappeared behind the gate and returned about ten minutes later.
“You have been granted an audience. However, you must allow us to inspect your belongings before entering.”
After checking every inch of our bodies and finding nothing, we passed through undeterred, greeted by a man whose duty seemed to be escorting visitors. We obediently followed him through the courtyard and entered the mansion.
The manor’s interior was exactly what I expected. It was almost uselessly glittery, decorated with ostentatiously expensive vases and paintings. They say you can tell a lot about a person by the inside of their home…and I could see that was particularly the case here.
“The master awaits you in this room. If we pick up the slightest hint that he has no interest in you, you will be escorted off the premises immediately,” the man warned in a detachedly professional manner before leaving.
“…Well, shall we meet him for ourselves?”
I gripped the knob and slowly opened the door.
The room was almost inappropriately big and conspicuously garish. Lounging on an expensive sofa in the center of the room was a middle-aged man…Kold Raspberry.
He had that peculiar aura of a business titan, and he looked upon us with a broad smile.
“Oh, we have guests. You’re just as young as they told me,” he said good-naturedly. “Anyway, have a seat. Can I get you something to dri—?”
“No, thank you. We can stand. We won’t be long,” I cut him off and continued without a moment’s delay. “First of all, you have my apologies. We lied to you. Our intention is not to discuss business. We came…to condemn you.”
Kold’s eyes widened, and his jaw went slack. “Huh? Condemn me?”
“Yes. I imagine you’re aware of the recent string of murders that have stirred the town?”
“Of course. One of my own was done in, after all.”
“It seems that way… And that only cemented your position—all because the gifted victim no longer posed a threat to you.”
The words streamed out of my mouth.
As time passed, his expression started to ease its tension. “I see. You think I’m behind these incidents… Who are you two anyway? You lied to the guards, huh?”
“I shall only say that a certain someone has entrusted me with resolving this case.”
“A certain someone? …Whatever. So why do you think I did it?” he asked, maintaining his relaxed smile.
I explained my working theory to him.
“I initially thought the criminal was a demon. Based on the testimonies from residents and information from the crime scene, I’d concluded it had to be one. However—”
“One thing led to another!” Ireena cut in. “And we realized it could have been done by someone other than a demon! Right, Ard?!”
I nodded to her. “It all came together when we visited a certain restaurant and learned about Megatholium’s laws and political system. That led me to my second theory—”
“This…was done by a human who was trying to frame a demon! This was your conclusion, right, Ard?!”
Ireena was stealing my thunder, but that just made her cuter.
“Yes. That was when I started to have my suspicions. After that, we researched the victims and their backgrounds. And in that process…we made sure to leave no stone unturned.
“…Huh.”
“Our investigations showed that while the victims were upstanding citizens on the surface…they were actually gang members who earned a living selling drugs.”
“If anyone could profit off their deaths, it’s you! The boss of Raspberry & Co., Kold Raspberry!”
“Or perhaps we should say…Sir Drug Lord?”
In that moment, his expression changed. His smile flooded with darkness.
“You have two faces, a public one and a private one. You show that you’re a respectable businessman. But the other…reigns as a mob boss. The victims were all the top dogs of rival organizations.”
“Who would profit from their deaths?! You!” Ireena barked. “You killed anyone who got in your way and tried to place the blame on Mr. Bordeaux! You were the one who dropped that potted plant on the poor old lady! You tried every method to expose Mr. Bordeaux’s real identity and make him out to be the bad guy! Ard saw right through you!”
It was here that Ireena paused for a moment and checked his reaction.
…He apparently planned on playing dumb.
“You’ve got quite an imagination. Me? Mob boss and serial killer? Hah! How stupid! I avoid profitless ventures and risky deals on principle… Um. Ard, right? Did you just say you learned about this nation’s laws and political system?”
I nodded, and he seemed to snicker at me.
“In that case, I’m sure you understand. It is risky to form a gang and engage in ‘lucrative’ activities in this holy nation of Megatholium. The government knows everything about its citizens—from their income to even their purchase history. To try to profit off drugs here is—”
“Since you weren’t profiting from respectable business, this money really can’t be used. If you tried to spend it, you’d be arrested for possessing money of unknown origin.”
“Exactly. Everything is closely monitored here, which means gangs are high risk and no return. After all, you can’t spend any of the money you make.” Kold shrugged. “Use it once, and you’ll find yourself behind bars. A thick wad of cash, all for nothing. That might be a different case abroad, but those schemes won’t work here. When it comes to organized crime, hell is a better breeding ground than Megatholium—”
“You’re sounding like a black-market amateur.” I stared at Kold, who was silent for a moment.
“It’s true you can’t use unaccounted money in Megatholium. And it’s impossible to leave the country with it,” I continued to explain. “However…you could take dirty money and give it value if you wash the grime off. In other words…”
“Money washing…? What was it? Money… Oh, right! Money laundering!”
“Yes, Ireena. You have a fantastic memory.”
“Tee-hee!” She puffed up her chest. She was seriously the cutest person in all creation.
Seeing her made my face relax…while Kold’s stiffened.
His smile had slipped off his lips, and his eyes were looking a little sharp.
I flashed him a smile. “We saw some tough guys at a certain restaurant. That was when it hit me. I wondered if this establishment was laundering money… And the gears started turning in my mind…leading us to you.”
Megatholium was Lizer’s attempt to re-create society at the end of the ancient era. Back in those days, ruffians had run their own black market, wreaking havoc in our civilization. The same thing was happening now.
…When I was in control, I refused to let organized crime run amok and eventually eliminated all mobs. As the leader of this nation, however, Lizer was indifferent to their presence.
He didn’t seem to care as long as no one was selling drugs to children. It was all water under the bridge as long as no one was threatening children or taking their money. The laws seemed to reflect his wicked personality.
“As long as you’re careful to leave children out of it, this nation is a criminal’s paradise. Wouldn’t you agree, Sir Drug Lord?”
I pointed at Megatholium’s greatest crime boss and made my declaration.
“These serial murders were a human crime meant to look like the work of demons. And the one who ordered his subordinates to carry out the plan…was you, Kold Raspberry.”
He was silent for some time before he finally began to chuckle. He started to clap enthusiastically.
“Yes, excellent! You got it right on the nose. Everything was under my orders.”
Kold openly admitted his crimes, but those eyes showed no sign of resignation. In fact…they burned with violent malice that said he would eliminate anyone who got in his way.
“At any rate, that person is a scoundrel, too. Saying I could only stand to profit from this deal and dispatching a lap dog to take care of business? Good thing I prepared for this…”
Kold stomped on the floor two times. Boof. Boof.
The door quietly clicked open, and droves of people surged into the room.
“They’re all mages who specialize in dirty work. You might even say that when it comes to the art of espionage, they’re as skilled as professionals. There are even some who murdered the best mages in other countries… So I imagine you understand the situation?”
“Hmph. Ireena, what do you make of all this?”
“Hee-hee! Isn’t that obvious?!” She snorted with all the confidence in the world and stared at me. My dear friend’s eyes gleamed with certain expectation. “Get ’em, Ard!”
“Understood,” I answered with a smile—and snapped my fingers.
A moment later…the mages started dropping like flies. It was as if the strings controlling them had been cut.
“………Huh?” The smile had slipped off Kold’s face. His jaw hung slack in shock. “Wh-what is this…?! What? Why? How…?!”
“No need to be so surprised. I just snapped my fingers, amplified its volume several thousand times, and sent the attack directly into their brains.”
“…Huh?”
“Think of it as a cheap magic trick… I imagine it feels like the greatest illusion of the century to you.”
Kold still couldn’t grasp the situation. My Ireena, on the other hand, thrust her chest out in triumph.
“Hee-hee! Atta boy, Ard! I have no clue what you did, but it was totally awesome! You’re the best in the whole wide world! My best friend is mind-blowing!”
Ireena was a ball of cuteness as she bragged for me. Compared to her delightful nature, my battle skills were chopped liver. Ireena was the reigning world champion of everything.
“D-dammit! Who the hell are…? Ah?! C-come to think of it, I’ve heard the name Ard Meteor…! You’re the prodigy causing trouble in Laville…! You’re the Ard Meteor…!”
“Hee-hee-hee! That’s right! He’s become a household name abroad!”
It seemed like my reputation had been spreading across the continent against my will—because of all the recent screwups. I was so happy Olivia wasn’t around, I could have cried tears of joy.
Shrugging in exasperation, I asked Kold: “Well, Sir Drug Lord? I have one question for you…… Who is the mastermind?”
“Th-the mastermind?”
“Yes. This is the work of a human, but…it’s not like you were in control. Isn’t that right?”
Kold broke out in a sweat and said nothing. I pressed him further.
“You have human capital. That’s why almost anything is within your reach. As for this latest incident, there is one thing that’s impossible, even for you. That is…disposing of the victims’ astral bodies. That alone you cannot do.”
The forces collapsed around us were Kold’s best personnel. For those of the modern day, their power was, in a word, astounding. However, none had the ability to erase these spirits.
“Are you still hiding your ace bodyguard…? I doubt it. If that were the case, you would have called them out a long time ago.”
I shot him a hard glare, and Kold’s composure seemed to dissolve before our eyes as he started to cower in fear.
“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about! I-I’m the only one involved—”
“Hmm? Have you forgotten already? You just said it yourself. ‘That person is a scoundrel.’ …So? What person? I would love to know.”
“Th-that’s…!” Kold was sweating profusely, and his eyes darted around the room.
…Well, I could guess, but we didn’t have evidence. I considered getting the man to talk, but…
“Ngh…?! Gh-grgh-glug…?!” Without any warning, Kold began to clutch his chest in agony.
“A-Ard…?! Is this…?!”
“I knew it. It seems they’ve implemented countermeasures.”
If possible, I would have healed him and gotten the information by any means possible, but…it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
Whoever was controlling Kold had crafted the perfect silencer. If certain conditions were met, it erased the target’s astral spirit…by using something like Geass—an unbreakable oath—or another magical vow. The average user could analyze the technique and nullify it while the magic was in effect…but the mastermind seemed to have strength in spades. The spell was complex, and even I would have trouble dissecting it in such a short amount of time.
Therefore… The magic cast on Kold did its job…and did it well.
“Is—is he dead?”
“Yes. Unfortunately.”
I failed to get verbal evidence out of him, but there was nothing I could do at this point. I had a solid inkling of the mastermind’s identity. It wasn’t like they were going to try anything on us anytime soon. At the moment, it was enough for us to keep a close eye out for related activities.
“At any rate, this case is now closed, and we have completed the task for the pope… We have no further business here. Let us be going.”
“R-right. I’m with you there, but…what do we do about the body?”
“There is no need to worry. His Eminence will settle any remaining issues.”
After all, he was undoubtedly watching us at that very moment.
“Something else requires our attention: what to do about Mr. Bordeaux. Everything else will come later.”
“Yeah. Let’s go tell him we’ve solved the case.”
I nodded in agreement, casting detection magic to locate Bordeaux.
…He seemed to be in his office. It figured that he didn’t heed our warning to hide.
I sighed as we left the room.
The servants weren’t yet aware of what had happened to their master. There was no need to go out of our way to tell them, so we silently slipped through the hall, across the courtyard, and out the front gate.
“…By the way, Ireena, the citizens here follow the bell to a T, huh?”
“What? Yeah. That’s because they’re devout believers of the United Creed.”
The ringing of the church bell dictated their actions, and its orders were absolute.
For example, the populace stopped and took their lunch at the sound of the noonday bell. Daily life in Megatholium was almost entirely commanded by the church.
“What about it?”
“…There’s something I find a bit weird.” I subconsciously quickened my pace. As I did, I voiced the root of my unease. “The bell signaling the start of evening has already come and gone…which means most of the citizens should have returned home. But for some reason, many are still gathered outside Mr. Bordeaux’s office.”
“Huh? Wh-why would that be?”
“I’m not sure. I cannot suss out the situation through detection magic alone. Maybe he extended his hours, or…”
Or maybe some other problem was going on. I was just thinking this…
“—! A-Ard!” Ireena tapped my shoulder, pointing at the distant sky. Her trembling finger pointed to…a billow of thick gray smoke.
“Mr. Bordeaux’s office is over there…!”
Shit, I thought as I cast teleportation magic. I usually didn’t use it, because it was so rare in the modern era.
However, this was an emergency.
Our vision went dark, and the scenery shifted. We scrambled down the main road to Bordeaux’s office.
When we got there…Ireena and I gaped at the scene in front of us.
“Tell me I’m dreaming,” I breathed, praying this was a trick of the eye.
I knew Ireena was seeing what I was looking at—Bordeaux’s office going up in flames.
The citizens were cheering.
“Serves you right, monster!”
“How dare you try to pull one over on us!”
“Go to hell, you dirty demon!”
How did they find out? I thought I’d altered the memories of anyone who found out his true form.
…I guess theorizing would have to wait.
“H-hey, Ard. Where’s Mr. Bordeaux? Is he okay?”
“………”
“Well, he is a demon. He’s tougher than us. Even if they try to burn him alive, he can handle it, right?”
“………”
“Hey, Ard?”
“………”
“Hey. Say something.”
Ireena must have had an idea about what happened to him. However, we didn’t know for sure. Until I said otherwise…Ireena would continue to believe what was easiest to believe.
“…Yes, I’m certain everything is fine. It seems Mr. Bordeaux was expecting this. He intentionally waited at his office and allowed the people to burn it down so he could fake his own death. This must be his way of preparing to move to a new land.”
“You’re right. After all, they found out he’s a demon. He’s gotta clear his name and start fresh. I bet he’s thinking that if he pretends to die here, he can get a fresh start and work hard elsewhere.”
“…I think you’re right.”
She must have started to piece it together. Her eyes pooled with tears.
…I know. I had just lied to her.
Demons have tough bodies. Even without defense magic, they could endure this heat.
However, that was in their half-beast form. In their human guise and without magic to defend them…he was no different from the rest of us.
“Mr. Bordeaux must be heartbroken. Let us leave him be for a while.”
“Yeah… I bet he wants to be alone right now… Someday…I hope we can…”
Ireena never finished her sentence.
The office burned to the ground.
The people laughed over its ashes.
As the dark side of humanity showed itself before me…
…All I could do was clench my fists.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login