“Why are you back again? Didn't you just leave a few minutes ago?”
Just inside the South Gate of Noran, four soldiers were slacking off in the shade. Looking up to see the same four people returning the way they had come, their faces instantly twisted in annoyance. Lounging where they sat, one of them barked lazily:
“You'd better make it clear what you're doing running back and forth like this. Otherwise, take a detour to one of the other gates—we're not letting you through here.”
Yet in the very next instant, all four soldiers sprang to their feet, snapping to attention and standing ramrod straight with utmost deference.
Lynch had pulled out Knight Terry’s badge—a token the knight had given them to smooth their passage around town.
The guards were surprised to see that after stepping out for just a few minutes, the four newcomers now carried extra gear: a strange sword, a peculiar stick fitted with a grip, and an exquisite folding fan.
With these soldiers’ allegiances still uncertain, Lynch hadn't dared take any chances and had asked Miss Diana to bring out everyone’s weapons.
By his estimation, there was no longer any need to worry about drawing suspicion. The four of them had firmly established their presence in the city. As long as they didn't commit violent crimes in broad daylight, minor oddities—like strange items seemingly conjured out of thin air—wouldn't prompt excessive questioning from Knight Terry and the others, no matter how puzzled they might be.
Seeing the soldiers’ reaction to the badge, Lynch felt considerably more at ease. Such an instinctual response reflected a mindset conditioned to obey authority; men like this were generally unlikely to betray their superiors.
That made things somewhat safer.
After a moment of thought, Lynch leaned in and whispered a few words into Miss Diana’s ear. The count’s daughter offered a faint smile, then glided over to the four guards with poised elegance, asking in a soft voice, “Have you four been stationed here as guards over the past few days?”
As the eldest daughter of a count's family, the aura of high nobility was etched into her very instincts. Her posture and tone naturally carried the effortless pressure of a superior. Even though the soldiers couldn't understand her words, they were thoroughly overwhelmed by her commanding presence, standing rigidly in nervous deference. The moment Judy finished translating, the lead soldier in leather armor answered at once:
“Yes, my lady. We rotate every seven days. We’ve been guarding this post during the day for the past few days, returning to the fortress only after the gates are locked at night.”
“What time are the gates closed?”
“When the shadows of the trees fall against the wall.” The soldier pointed toward a few small trees nearby. Lynch estimated that to be around six in the evening.
Miss Diana pressed on, “Did you close them at that same time yesterday as well?”
All four men froze, their eyes darting evasively, clearly reluctant to answer.
It seemed something had indeed happened here yesterday.
A surge of excitement welled inside Lynch. He knew he had likely uncovered another lead; tackling the problem from both ends would drastically improve their chances of breaking the deadlock. Suppressing his nervous tension, he used his ability to modulate his voice and project it straight into Miss Diana’s ear, swiftly conveying his thoughts.
Miss Diana considered it for a moment, then gave a confident nod. With graceful poise, she smiled at the four men, revealing four silver beads resting in the palm of one hand while holding Terry’s badge in the other. Her warm smile carried an innate, condescending pressure:
“I want to know who entered through here yesterday, or understand what happened with you men yesterday. Tell me, and this money is yours. What is more, this will be our little secret—I will keep it strictly between us.”
That was several months’ worth of wages.
The breathing of all four guards quickened as they stared at the silver beads. The soldier in leather armor rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. After conferring in hushed tones with the three auxiliary soldiers and glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he broke into an ingratiating grin and lowered his voice. “To be honest, the gate was locked late last night. The red moon had already been in the sky for a while before we finally closed it.”
Lynch gave a silent nod. That placed it past eight in the evening.
Miss Diana gave the silver beads in her hand a light shake. “Why the delay? Was someone expected to return late?”
Faced with several months’ worth of military pay, the soldier in leather armor wasted no time making the right choice. “Because we came back late yesterday. We only closed the gate after hurrying back.”
The group exchanged glances, somewhat surprised. Could they have overthought this? Were these four actually clean? Did they simply abandon their posts yesterday, which was why they hadn't seen Leonard enter the city through the South Gate?
No.
Lynch caught on almost immediately. How could Leonard have known they would abandon their posts? Wouldn't he have worried about being spotted by these South Gate guards, who would then insist on escorting him back to the fortress? If that had happened, he never would have been able to sneak home and hide the murder weapons. Therefore, he had most likely chosen the South Gate precisely because he knew the guards would not be there.
Following Lynch’s covert cue, Miss Diana feigned disappointment. “So you weren't standing watch here at all yesterday? Meaning you have no idea who came in?”
“I've told you the honest truth, my lady. You can't go back on your word,” the soldier in leather armor insisted, his eyes fixed on the silver beads in her palm.
“Rest assured, I have no intention of breaking my word. I am simply curious—aren't you afraid of being punished by Knight Terry if he learns you deserted your post without leave?”
“My lady, the South Gate is very quiet. We occasionally slip off to take care of personal business; as long as nobody reports it, the officers don't make a fuss,” the soldier said nonchalantly. “Besides, we didn't leave without permission yesterday. We were running an errand for Mr. Locke! The commander knew about it, too. He accepted Mr. Locke’s request and let him pick whoever he wanted. So even if the commander knew we weren't at our post, he wouldn't punish us.”
“And who might this Mr. Locke be?” Miss Diana’s gaze sharpened. Handing over the silver beads, she pressed in a low, measured voice, “To be able to requisition the city lord’s soldiers and deal directly with the city lord’s knights, he must hold quite a high standing.”
“Him? He's the steward of the city lord’s manor!”
With that, the soldier beamed with joy as he snatched the silver beads Miss Diana offered, excitedly celebrating with the three auxiliary soldiers. None of them noticed that the four strange interrogators had already slipped away from the gate.
As they departed, every one of them wore a grim expression.
Lynch in particular had never imagined he would receive an answer like this.
The person who had conveniently drawn the gate guards away, allowing Leonard to enter the city unnoticed and hide the murder weapons, was actually the city lord’s steward. Could this steward be the true mastermind directing Leonard’s actions?
And if the steward truly were pulling the strings, did that mean the city lord—who hadn't shown himself all day—was the real mastermind behind everything?
What could he possibly gain from this? Staging a catastrophe in his own city, only to doom himself in the end?
Lynch couldn't fathom a motive, yet if the city lord truly were the orchestrator, then everything made sense.
The choice of messengers sent for help had been decided by him, which was how two test subjects were selected.
He hadn't wanted word of what was happening here to reach the capital, so after dispatching the two men, he had instructed Leonard to ambush Kemitt.
Leonard had been taking orders from him from the start, which was why he had struck down Kemitt.
Across the entire city, his authority was supreme, making him the only one who could orchestrate such a living nightmare without raising suspicion.
The deeper they analyzed the clues, the colder their hearts grew. If their hypothesis was correct and the city lord truly was the architect of this ritual, then what roles did Knight Terry and Dr. Sven play?
Were their actions today genuine, or was it all just an act?
Walking through the crowded, bustling streets, the four felt a creeping chill settle deep in their bones.
Rate on N.U.
