Chapter 158: Proceed with Caution

The guard immediately relayed my words to Eugen, who hurried over.

“Lord Leon, you have business with my master?”

“I have something I’d like to inquire about confidentially. May I see him?”

“Confidentially… I shall inquire with my master. Please wait a moment.”

As Eugen turned to leave, I appraised him. [Appraisal: Criminal history… embezzlement of public funds]. Oh dear. Whether it was minor pocketing or something serious, I decided to ignore it as long as it caused me no harm.

After a while, Eugen returned and said, “The Count awaits you in his study.” As I followed him, I appraised him again. [Appraisal: Connection to Heinz… none]. Good. The Count’s household seemed safe, so I would forget what I had just seen.

I nodded to the knights standing before the door. Eugen knocked, pushed it open, and held it for me.

The Count rose from the sofa to greet me, so I stood before him and bowed: [Appraisal: Connection to Heinz… None].

“Please forgive this sudden visit due to urgent matters.”

As I greeted him, I also appraised Romand, the heir standing behind him: [Appraisal: Connection to Heinz… None].

The three of them seemed clean, but I decided to test them with a bluff.

“Today I went to the Adventurer’s Guild to collect meat, but something strange interfered.”

“Something strange… could it be about that meat?”

“Yes, but the people behind it are the problem. Are you familiar with a brothel called the Garden of Flowers and Honey?” [Appraisal: Connection to the Garden of Flowers and Honey… none].

“The Garden of Flowers and Honey? Eugen, do you know it?”

“It operates behind Corantie Street, but unsavory rumors constantly surround the place.” [Appraisal: Connection to the Garden of Flowers and Honey… none].

I glanced at Romand. He shook his head. [Appraisal: Connection to the Garden of Flowers and Honey… none].

This seems manageable, but there’s one more problem.

“Did this Garden of Flowers and Honey show you any disrespect, Lord Leon?”

“Actually, I was attacked in the meadow past noon, and upon examining the captured men, I learned they were members of an organization involved in abduction and human trafficking.”

“What… that was the Garden of Flowers and Honey?!”

“Father, shall we immediately make arrangements to raid the establishment?”

“The matter isn’t so simple. To bring abducted people into the city, they must pass through the entrance gates.”

“Surely not, the guards…”

Hmm, Romand doesn’t seem involved in this either.

“Please remain calm. One of the captured men confessed that there are collaborators among the guards and even your household knights.”

“Is this true?”

“Yes, otherwise they couldn’t bring abducted people through the entrance gates. According to the story, it seems one security unit is cooperating.”

Count Arkwright’s face turned deathly pale, but the worst shock was still to come, so I needed him to remain composed.

“Eugen, if Lord Klein is at home, could you summon him?”

“Lord Leon… surely not.”

“I’ll verify this now, so please call him.”

“Eugen, tell him I’m calling for him and bring him here. Don’t let him suspect.”

Eugen bowed and departed at the Count’s order.

“Klein appears to be receiving entertainment from Heinz, the secret owner of the Garden of Flowers and Honey, in exchange for leaking information.”

“No, surely not him.”

“What should I do…”

“This probably won’t end within Lynas, and your house can earn great credit by helping destroy the organization. Count, I would like you to send Chancellor Brighton a letter requesting the kingdom’s cooperation.”

“That is…”

I smiled and gave him a meaningful nod: take the credit for this. Color returned to his face.

“However, if we make a wrong move initially, the organization behind them will notice and escape, so please proceed with caution.”

“Understood. We’ll thoroughly purge this corruption from the kingdom.”

With a knock, the door opened and Eugen returned with Klein. Klein had thought his brother Romand called him, so he was surprised to see me.

“Klein, come here. I need to verify something.”

“Brother, what’s this about?”

“Ah, I’m the one with business. I hear you’re on good terms with Heinz.”

Though he turned pale in an instant and tried to deny it with “Th-th-that’s not…”, when I said “Balkan told me everything,” he collapsed to the floor.

“The guards who accompany you know about this, don’t they?”

Klein trembled like a puppy, unable to respond.

“Count, could you call out his guards?”

“Understood. Eugen, summon Gloucester and the other five.”

“Ah, please use a servant and call them to Lord Eugen’s office.”

“But we risk letting them escape.”

“I can handle it alone, but please find out if there are other informants.”

I glanced at Klein, and “Understood,” came Romand’s cold reply.

I used [Concealment] to hide in a corner of Eugen’s office, drawing a startled look from him.

“Please don’t mind me. Use a servant to call the six who were guarding Klein.”

At my words, he nodded, took a deep breath, and rang the bell on his desk. He ordered the servant who came to call Gloucester and the other five who were guarding Klein.

After a while, with a knock, the door opened and six familiar faces entered the room.

“Lord Eugen, did you summon us?”

“Ah, I’m the one with business.”

I answered while dispelling [Concealment] beside Eugen, and the six men froze in shock.

“Wha… what’s the meaning of this?”

“I have questions, but I’ll have you spin a bit first before talking.”

I wrapped all six in successive narrow [Whirlwind!] spells, spun them thoroughly, and then drained the magic. I bound the dizzy men with their hands behind their backs, gagged them, and waited for them to settle.

“You probably wonder why you’re bound, but mention the Garden of Flowers and Honey and Heinz and you’ll understand.”

Their complexions changed slightly, but they exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“I know you’re guarding Klein. Or rather, Klein has admitted it, and I heard it from Balkan and the others too.”

At my words, their faces finally changed.

“When I captured and interrogated Balkan’s group, they told me about the guards and about you. Here is the choice: endure pain and confess at the end, or answer honestly now and I’ll ask the Count to reduce your punishment to roughly ten years of criminal servitude.”

I sent Eugen to summon the Count.

“Before Eugen returns, name everyone in this mansion connected to the Garden of Flowers and Honey or Heinz. If you remain silent, I’ll torture the answers out of you and then have you sentenced to lifelong criminal servitude. Nod if you intend to talk.”

One man nodded desperately, so I removed his gag. “Edvan, one of the Count’s guards, and Yungel, a guard serving the heir Lord Romand, are friendly with the manager of the Garden of Flowers and Honey. I’ve seen them receiving various favors from him.”

Edvan and Yungel. Another man struggled and nodded, so I removed his gag as well.

“There’s also a rumor that Rainz, captain of the West Gate security unit, often spends a long time talking privately with Manager Moritz in his office.”

That gave us three more names.

Good grief, I’m glad I acted cautiously.

A knock sounded, and the Count entered with Eugen.

“Count, they agreed to cooperate in exchange for a sentence of ten years of criminal servitude. Your guard Edvan and Lord Romand’s guard Yungel are said to be close to Moritz, manager of the Garden of Flowers and Honey. The third is Rainz, captain of the West Gate security unit.”

The Count’s face was contorted.

“We don’t know how far information has leaked from them, but for now, please isolate the three whose names came up.”

“Edvan is in the office. Yungel should be resting in the barracks.”

“Then shall we restrain Edvan first, then call this Yungel?”

“What about these men?”

“Cooperate with the investigation and I’ll limit your punishment to ten years of criminal servitude. If you’re judged uncooperative, prepare for lifelong servitude.”

They were all nodding obediently, so I gagged them again and rolled them aside.

Returning to the office, Klein was clinging to Romand’s feet begging for forgiveness, but when the Count approached, he kicked him away with all his might.

“How much more disgrace do you intend to bring upon the Arkwright name? I strip you of the Arkwright name. Prepare yourself for interrogation!”

While the Count shouted at Klein, I surveyed the room and noticed a pale-faced man standing by the wall. He had probably relaxed after hearing the earlier conversation because he thought it had nothing to do with him, but the Count’s treatment of Klein must have shown him which way the wind was blowing.

“Lord Edvan, I have questions for you too.”

At my voice, he suddenly drew his sword and ran—but too slow. I spun him around with [Whirlwind!], drained the magic, bound the dizzy Edvan, and rolled him aside. The other guards were frozen in shock.

“Father, this is?”

“An informant. There’s one more, so we must capture him before considering our next move.”

While the Count explained, I sent Eugen to summon Yungel.

“Yungel too?!”

“I believe he was leaking the household’s movements rather than directly committing the crimes. If Rainz and his West Gate unit escape, Heinz and the others will flee as well. We must proceed carefully.”

As the Count and the others nodded, a knock sounded and Eugen returned. A tall man stood behind him, looking suspiciously at Klein and me.

“Yungel, enter.”

At Romand’s familiar command, he bowed lightly and entered, but was wary upon seeing Klein’s face.

“Yungel, I hear you’re on good terms with Moritz, the manager of the Garden of Flowers and Honey. You’ll tell us how much you’ve been leaking about us.”

The Count’s sharp words made him flinch. He spun toward the door—but unfortunately for him, I was ready.

He spun around crying, “Wha—wha—what?!” but there was no chance I would let him escape.