章 49: Face to face

"Again, there is no indication that anyone entered in the room."

Felix rubbed his temples as he looked over the documents from the murder that occurred last night.

The procedure was the same.

A clean cut decapitates the victim, killing instantly without giving him a chance to scream. No servant or guard saw anyone enter the mansion, and only a lock of red hair was found at the scene. They had been trying for days to track down the murderer, but to this day they had not even managed to find his shadow.

"But at least we now know who he's targeting."

Last night's victim was Klaus Emmerich, an important figure in the pharmaceutical industry who was in the business of selling medicines and herbs and gave treatments to the nobles of the city. He was someone extremely valued, as it was thanks to him that several nobles who fell seriously ill recovered safely thanks to his treatments.

Of course, behind that caring figure was a perverse maniac who liked to kidnap children to play with them and test experimental drugs, but that is something that no one, apart from the Schmetterling family, knew.

But the point is that Klaus Emmerich and the other two nobles who died a few days ago had one thing in common.

They were all big contributors to the Schmetterling family, bringing in large sums of money every year.

"The killer must be targeting them."

Being clear about this made things much easier. They just had to keep an eye on the nobles who had a close relationship with the Schmetterlings and, when the assassin shows up, ambush and capture him.

"Warn the troops and mobilize them according to the orders in this letter."

"Yes sir!"

The officer took the letter from Felix and left the office to carry out the order.

"Let's see if you can keep sneaking out, you bastard."

***

Boom!

In a secluded room of the Schmetterling mansion, a loud explosion was heard.

"Cof! cof! Damn it... another failure."

Christa said in frustration as she saw the charred remains of the new prototype she had designed for the elemental crystals.

"I guess the coral crystal isn't tough enough either."

Grabbing a notebook, she crossed out the name of the coral crystal along with the other materials they had tried to use to encase the elemental mana of the Elemental Crystals.

"Phew, lucky the furnace is of good quality, or else it would have been destroyed by now."

She said with relief as she looked at the alchemical furnace that despite having directly withstood an explosion showed no more than a few minor scratches.

Alchemy was a practice where things could go very wrong if the unexpected happened, so naturally the materials used in mixtures, such as alchemical furnaces, had to be sturdy.

In fact, there wasa popular saying among alchemists.

If the furnace cannot withstand three explosions, then it is not a good furnace.

"Are you guys okay?"

She asked as she turned to look at Johan and Mari, who were dressed in lab coats.

"Yeah, we're fine."

Johan nodded and then walked over to look at the charred remains of the glass.

"I guess it didn't work either, although I think we applied too much heat this time."

"Coral crystal becomes more resistant as it gets hotter, so I thought it would work, but it seems that created an instability in the elemental mana."

Alchemical furnaces use mana to create fire, as with a traditional method they would not be able to reach the proper temperatures to make some mixtures.

But it seems that this itself influenced the elemental mana within the molds, causing it to become destabilized.

"Well, I guess this is it for today."

Christa said as she removed her robe and gloves.

"Would you like something to drink? I have some very delicious rose wine in storage from three months ago, so it's the perfect time to drink it."

Mari's eyes lit up when she heard about the rose wine that was a specialty of the city of Rosenheim and was said to have a sweet and intoxicating taste.

But her face visibly darkened as she remembered that she already had plans for that evening, and justly, Johan spoke up beside her.

"We would love to, but unfortunately we have plans tonight, so we won't be able to attend."

"Are you guys going on a date? I understand, have a good night~".

That last part she said with a cheeky grin. Mari blushed slightly, and Johan just smiled at her; if she thought that, it would be better for them.

After talking some more, they finally said goodbye, and the couple walked towards the exit.

But as they were walking, they happened to run into a group of young people.

"Mr. Johan, Mrs. Mari."

Beatrice greeted them enthusiastically along with the other members of the group, except for one who simply ignored them with a snort.

During the days Arthur and Livia were going to the mansion, they made sure to gain the trust of the protagonist group.

Arthur struck up short but friendly conversations with them when they "happened" to meet and occasionally gave them advice when they looked worried. So he gradually gained a big brother image.

And Livia, for her part, also chatted with the girls and sometimes gave them candy or cookies that she herself had prepared, also earning a big sister image.

"Hey guys, are you going out tonight?"

I asked with my characteristically friendly smile.

"Yes, we have a... job to do; what about you guys?"

"We were planning on having a date tonight."

"Ah!, I-I see, well, in that case, be careful, please, the streets have become more unsafe these days."

"Thanks for the warning; I'll keep that in mind."

After saying goodbye, they walked to the door and left the mansion.

"Do you think they noticed yet?"

Livia asked, to which Arthur simply nodded.

"Surely they've figured it out by now.

The first time is an accident, the second time is a coincidence, and the third time is already a pattern.

Surely the police already deduced who they were targeting and would be vigilant.

This, while it might seem bad for them, was actually quite the opposite.

"It will be the perfect time for me to rebel."

In the middle of the assassination attempt, will be ambushed "unexpectedly.". I will then fight the protagonist group and defeat them in a crushing manner—really quite a simple plan.

"It will only be the beginning though."

After defeating them, he would be sure to point out the suspicious parts of the Schmetterling family. Freydis could help him with that. It would plant a seed of distrust that would eventually blossom when the beastmen tribesmen entered the stage.

"Make sure you prepare well; we may have a messy confrontation."

"Understood."

***

"Thank you very much for sheltering me tonight; things have been getting very dangerous lately."

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to protect you if anything dangerous happens.".

While the policemen and guards were talking to the noble mansion owner, Kein and his group were standing vigil in a corner.

"Do you think he's really going to come?"

"We don't know, but he's the best we have so far.".

While Kein and the others were discussing and preparing in case Arthur really did show up, Freydis was deep in thought.

"Disgusting."

That's the first thing she thought of when she saw the nobleman they had to protect tonight; he had a kind smile on his face and seemed to be a good person, but Freydis could see his foul, twisted soul that no one besides a criminal could possess.

"No, even a murderer would have a cleaner soul.".

How many atrocities and how twisted did a person have to be to have a soul like that?

When she questioned Arthur about his murders, he told her not to worry, that all the nobles he killed were city scum.

She decided to believe him that time, even if she still harbored doubts; she decided to trust his word, and now seeing the nobleman in front of her, her doubts were completely dispelled.

"I'm tempted to just let him murder him.".

That thought crossed her mind, but she finally put that aside and focused on the conversation Kein and the others were having.

"Then Akiyama will hide to attack Arthur when he sees an opportunity; me and Leticia will accompany the knights on their patrol, and Beatrice and Freydis will stay in the rear to support us with magic.".

Everyone nodded at the plan they had prepared, except Alexander, who stood at the other end of the mansion with his arms folded and leaning against the wall as if this was none of his business.

Woosh-

Akiyama took two steps back and disappeared into the shadows. Kein and the others in turn went to their positions.

Freydis and Beatrice joined the other mages in formation.

"Don't you think there's something strange?"

Beatrice suddenly asked.

"Like what?"

"In the murders until now, they said they had found absolutely nothing aside from a few strands of hair, but then I began to wonder how did Arthur manage to act so stealthily without anyone spotting him?"

Any skills?

Did he get help from the demons?

"Plus those locks of hair seemed to have been left behind on purpose, as if he wanted us to know that he was the one performing those murders.".

Those questions haunted Beatrice's mind ever since she had been informed of the deaths of the two nobles. The Arthur she knew would not be capable of such feats. But neither could he have performed it with a group, since no one had noticed anyone entering the mansion.

What is it that he is trying to do?

It was a question that she inquired about.

Freydis, for her part, was sweating with nervousness.

She more or less understood what Arthur was trying to do since she got the clues from Arthur himself, but she also wasn't sure if what she believed was true.

"That guy is always cryptic and doesn't tell me anything directly.".

So she wasn't entirely sure, even having heard things from Arthur himself, but she had an idea. That's why she was nervous to hear Beatrice's deductions.

"W-well, we can't be sure what-."

BOOM-!

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard.

Taken by surprise, they quickly turned to see what was happening, and surprise tinged their faces as they observed the top floor of the mansion completely destroyed.

"What the..."

Woosh-!

As if the exposure itself hadn't been enough, out of the smoke shot what appeared to be a person.

Spinning around in the air a few times, he finally landed nimbly on his feet.

He was dressed in a black hooded suit and wore a black mask that covered his face.

Onlookers overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events were unable to process the various things that had happened in so few seconds but were awakened from their bewilderment by a voice shouting from the destroyed second floor.

"Get him!"

That person was Alexander, who looked visibly wounded, holding his left arm and with his face stained with blood, most likely as a result of the explosion.

At his shout, the knights began to move and ran towards the masked person.

But the masked person, seeing himself cornered, turned around and began to run away. The knights tried to chase him, but the masked man was moving at a speed far greater than theirs and quickly got out of their reach.

"Leticia!"

"Yes!"

However, Kein and Leticia quickly overtook the knights and began to chase after the masked man.

Being students of the Athena Academy and especially being the best first-year students, their skills far surpassed those of the average knights.

"Let's go too, Freydis!"

Beatrice and Freydis also began to chase after the masked man. While they didn't have the physical abilities of a warrior, mages also had their own ways of moving.

Woosh-!

A green aura began to surround them, and a powerful gust of wind propelled them into the air.

This was an ability that only skilled mages were capable of using. It was based on using wind magic to propel and move through the air, thus being able to fly and glide depending on the amount of mana the mage possessed.

Some of the mages that were with them also began to fly, but they could not compare the speed at which Freydis and Beatrice were going.

With that, the quantum began to chase the masked man.

He was running at a speed that was difficult for even them to follow and seemed to have full knowledge of the terrain, taking advantage of alleys and forks to make them lose sight of him, but thanks to the aerial view provided by Beatrice and Freydis, they managed to keep up with him without losing him.

"We're approaching the town square."

Beatrice, having already spent several weeks in the city of Rosenheim, naturally recognized the paths that led toward the city square. If she could reach this open space, then she could cast magic freely without worrying about damaging the citizens' homes.

"He's leading us."

But clearly the masked man was also aware of this; it was impossible for him not to know this having demonstrated extensive knowledge about the structure of the city.

Is he leading us into a trap?

That's very possible; maybe his companions are waiting for us up ahead, plus we are far away from where we were originally, so reinforcements will take a long time to arrive.

But we can't let him escape, not now.

"Be careful; there may be a trap waiting for us up ahead!"

Heeding her warning, Kein and Leticia sharpened their senses to be prepared for any ambush or trap that might appear.

The masked man, for his part, increased his speed just about to reach the entrance to the square; however, something unexpected happened at that moment.

Woosh-

From a nearby shadow, Akiyama appeared with his sword ready and swung it at the masked man.

He is looking surprised by his sudden appearance; he hurriedly tried to dodge his sword.

Slash-!

With a spin, he managed to get away from Akiyama, dodging his attack, which only managed to damage his clothes.

"We got him!"

Finally, Beatrice and Freydis went down to join the others.

The five watched the masked man, who had finally stopped. They didn't dare attack him recklessly, with the thought that there might be people hiding ready to ambush them or some other kind of trap, so they just watched him with their weapons drawn, ready to act in case of any suspicious movement.

Crack-

Suddenly, the man's mask began to crack. It seems that Akiyama's attack managed to damage his mask. The cracks slowly spread throughout the mask until finally the mask shattered into pieces, revealing the man's face.

"Arthur"

And just as they had thought, the man behind the mask was none other than Arthur Reclesia, the person they had come to capture.

"Oh, long time no see.".

Said he with a smile.

Seeing that, Kein, Leticia, and Beatrice had the same feeling.

This was not the same Arthur they knew.

His eyes, his posture, and the air around him were completely different from before.

Compared to the Arthur they had interacted with at the academy, the one now seemed like a completely different person.

But despite that feeling, Kein spoke without hesitation.

"If you give up now, we won't hurt you.".

"Sorry, but I can't do that.".

He said with a small laugh, and with a smooth motion, he unsheathed the sword he had strapped to his waist.

Seeing this, they all tensed up, paying utmost attention to his every move.

They hadn't noticed it until now, but ever since they had stopped in front of him, they had been feeling an unusual sense of pressure, and now that he had unsheathed his sword, they finally understood.

The Arthur in front of them was much more dangerous than the one before.

Instinctively, they felt they had to be careful around him.

"How the hell did he change so much in a few days?"

Kein wondered as he tightened his grip on his sword.

The Arthur he knew and the one before him now were not even comparable.

Arthur from before was a lazy idiot; the one now was more like a sharp sword.

"Well then."

Boom-!

Then suddenly, they all began to feel immense pressure on them.

No, not just pressure

Their instincts began to scream at them to run, but their bodies couldn't move.

Fear.

A primal fear that every creature feels before a predator, like a rabbit to a wolf, like a deer before a lion; right now they had a predator in front of them ready to devour them.

"Shall we begin?"

He asked with a smile that never left his lips and his eyes glittering sinisterly.

The predator was ready to hunt them down.