Volume 6 Chapter 35 Even Bad Guys Have Families
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The evil magistrate—no, wait. Correction. I’ve successfully infiltrated the mansion of the Duke’s twisted younger brother.
A wave of quiet pride stirs in my chest, but I restrain myself. This is just the beginning. If I let my guard down now, things could spiral fast.
…Now what? In the historical dramas back home, villains always blurt out their evil schemes the moment someone’s nearby. But real life isn’t that convenient.
There’s no guidebook for situations like this. No “how to spy 101.” I’ve heard that spies in some worlds have manuals, but I doubt any of them cover sneaking through the home of a high noble under magical surveillance. In the end, infiltration is all about improvisation.
Stealth isn’t just about moving unseen. It’s about thinking on your feet. Making the right calls.
Maybe I should form a team in the future. Mid-level operatives who can lead in the field, lower operatives who follow orders… Still, building an entire intelligence network? That’s a lifelong mission. A ninja isn’t born overnight.
Would there be some kind of secret organization like a ninja village in this world? Even if it exists, getting in would be another matter. And definitely expensive.
Money. It always comes back to that. Now that I’m aiming for the throne, I finally understand why politicians become corrupt. In this kingdom, bribery isn’t even illegal. If you have power, you can do as you please. But the higher you climb, the farther you fall. Rebellions don’t just kill leaders—they erase entire bloodlines.
The people in Duke Mineley’s domain are close to the breaking point. Just one spark could set the whole region ablaze. But I’ll hold back. It’d only cause trouble for Tizzy and the others. And besides, taking down the Duke gains me nothing. He’s technically my father-in-law—our marriage is still a secret. I’m not exactly thrilled about that either.
Inside the mansion, the guards I saw earlier are slouched on the floor. The hallway is lit brightly, so they’re not fully asleep… but some are clearly nodding off.
This must be their assigned post. They’re probably meant to watch the magic circle nearby. But judging by their posture, they’re not too motivated. Their morale’s as low as Raia-Raia’s when told to stay behind on guard duty. Honestly, they act like toddlers.
There’s a bell attached to the wall—likely a magic tool. That must’ve been the sound I heard earlier. It probably triggers when the circle detects an intruder.
Magic tools are convenient, sure. But rely on them too much, and you stop noticing the obvious. That said, it’s not realistic to stay on high alert forever. Peace brings carelessness.
I heard that in medieval Europe, geese were used instead of dogs for guarding. Maybe I should dig a pond and raise a flock someday.
Carefully, I weave my way between the sprawled-out men. Up ahead, there’s a door. It leads deeper into the mansion. But… will someone open it for me?
I tap on the door lightly with my nails.
The guards stir. All at once, they turn to look. My Stealth skill takes a hit, but this much attention doesn’t bother me. It’s still better than getting death-glares from a flock of angry quails.
”Was that… a rat?”
”Maybe a ghost…”
They’re muttering nonsense, but none of them move. Useless.
I scratch the door again. Finally, one of them—likely the youngest—gathers enough courage to investigate. He cracks the door open and peers into the darkness.
”Nothing here.”
”Told you. It’s a ghost…”
The rest keep whispering ridiculous things. Fine by me. The door’s open, and that’s all I need.
I slip through without a sound.
The hallway is pitch black, but it doesn’t matter. I can see just fine.
Now then… where to? The upper floor should have the main living quarters. That’s likely where the Castor clan resides.
This level holds kitchens, guest rooms… and maybe a warehouse? Or is it a storage area for weapons and food? There’s a suspiciously large stockpile of arrows and dried meat. It’s not unusual for nobles to hoard supplies, but this feels excessive.
There’s also a staircase leading downward.
Strange.
My Radar Scan is reacting oddly in this area. When I overlay the three-dimensional data I mapped earlier, the results don’t match. Something’s interfering.
A magic tool, maybe? It shouldn’t be too difficult to block search magic. If I could see the magic circle’s structure, I might be able to replicate it myself.
But the formation is expertly hidden. Whoever designed this knows their craft. The defense system here is far more complex than I expected.
Who exactly are the Castors?
The basement is the most suspicious. But the door at the bottom of the stairs is locked. I could unlock it—no problem—but I sense faint mana flow behind it. Possibly a detection spell or an alarm.
I’ll leave that area for later.
For now, I’ll head upstairs. Time to meet this “Castor.”
To my surprise, there’s no sign of magical defenses on the upper floor.
I hear children laughing. The sound feels… strangely peaceful. This is the home of a villain, right? Yet even villains can have families.
Perhaps, at least at home, he plays the role of a father.
I move toward the sound. Fortunately, the door is slightly ajar. I slip through sideways, careful not to make a sound.
The room inside is aglow with the soft flicker of beeswax candles. Dozens of them. The air is thick with warmth. To someone from this world, this would look like pure extravagance. But compared to the LED lights of Earth, it’s almost quaint.
Still, if they have magic tools, why use candles? Is this a show of wealth? If so, then the audience is likely their own family.
A little girl clings to a middle-aged man, whispering her goodnights.
That man… must be the infamous Castor. The same one who tormented Tizzy during her childhood.
One day, he’ll pay for that.
Beside him stands a woman—likely the girl’s mother. Her features resemble the child’s, and she’s undeniably beautiful.
I wonder… Why would someone like her choose a man like him? Perhaps for money.
Castor is slightly overweight but still presentable. In this world, a round figure signifies status. His balding head, too, might be considered charming. Some even shave their heads to wear wigs, claiming it adds elegance.
Culture… sure is different here.
I’d heard that Duke Castor had many young wives. Was it because he was simply a lecher, or was he trying to strengthen the Duke’s bloodline in preparation for troubled times? Either way, it seemed like the kind of thing that could spark a family conflict. Personally, I thought he should focus on increasing direct heirs, not just collecting backups.
At first, I imagined some shady harem situation. But watching how he doted on his daughter… it felt more like ordinary fatherly love.
He spoiled her like a pampered cat, yet for a noble, he maintained decent communication with his child. Among the high-ranking nobles, plenty don’t even recognize their own children until they’re adults. Some say that once affection forms, it’s harder to treat them like political tools. Others claim nobles just find child-rearing bothersome. Compared to that, Duke Castor seemed surprisingly decent. It was hard not to warm up to him.
If I had to deal with the father, the daughter would probably see me as her enemy. Revenge wouldn’t be off the table.
Children aren’t to blame—but still, sparing Minamoto no Yoritomo and Yoshitsune led to the Taira clan’s downfall. Mercy can be dangerous. If I’m too soft, even those I care about might suffer the consequences.
Yet… total annihilation, like what happened in the Three Kingdoms era, seems excessive. That kind of cruelty only breeds future avengers.
Ideally, you punish without leaving resentment behind. But can I really do that?
For now, I need information. Without the full picture, I can’t judge properly. Delaying a decision until I know more is the smart move.
”Good night, Father. This time, it’s the real one.”
The girl lingered a bit, clearly reluctant to leave. In the end, her mother gently tugged her back to her room. I wished she’d left the door open, but of course, my hope was crushed. With a quiet click, the door closed.
Now I was alone in a room with the enemy’s leader.
Thanks to my maxed-out Stealth skill, there was no chance of being discovered. The only concern was the clock-like magic tool mounted on the wall.
A clear box held a swinging pendulum, and faint mana flowed through it, powering its motion. If someone used magic or a skill nearby, the mana would shift, and the pendulum’s swing would respond.
That meant my Stealth might be exposed.
Luckily, Duke Castor had been too focused on his daughter. Children tend to release unstable mana, making the pendulum’s motion erratic. But now that she was gone, the movements had stabilized.
To avoid detection, I carefully let the ambient mana pass through me without resistance. Simple in theory—impossible for most. But thanks to my training in precise mana manipulation, especially through the art of room techniques, I could manage it. Funny how skills you once thought were useless end up saving your life.
Duke Castor didn’t seem suspicious at all. He barely glanced at the magic tool. That was a relief… though it felt a little anticlimactic.
Once his daughter left, his entire demeanor shifted. The warmth vanished, replaced by the cold face of a villain.
He unlocked a drawer, pulled out a stack of letters, and began writing replies with determined effort. I silently moved behind him, trying to peek at his writing—but his handwriting was terrible.
Even if it wasn’t intentional, handwritten text was hard to decipher. I activated my Editor Skill to record everything. I’d decode it later or transcribe it for Shea-Shea to read.
Even without understanding every word, I could guess the contents were orders for something shady. Still, seeing the supposed mastermind of evil just sitting there writing letters… it felt surprisingly mundane.
Maybe the ones carrying out his orders were the real unlucky ones.
In stories, the heroes always take down low-level villains. Those underlings are often just following orders, unable to resist. If they could say no, they wouldn’t be underlings to begin with. I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for them.
After about an hour of nonstop writing, Castor began tidying up the documents.
Was he done for the night? He certainly worked harder than most nobles I’d seen. Maybe he was heading to bed? Or taking a break for tea?
He reached for a bell, and a butler appeared instantly.
The man resembled Sebastian from the Professor’s place. Come to think of it, I’d forgotten his real name entirely. Everyone just called him Sebastian thanks to Mr. Raoh’s weird influence… Kind of frustrating, really.
”I’m going to see the doll.”
That’s all Castor said. The butler stepped forward smoothly, helping him into a heavy cloak. It looked like they were heading somewhere cold.
”I shall accompany you as well.”
I slipped through the door as the butler opened it, following closely behind. The butler kept a respectful distance from Castor. Probably proper manners—no one gets too close to nobility.
Staying hidden while controlling mana flow was tough, but it helped that the magical device wasn’t portable. Once I left that room, I could worry a little less.
The butler led the way, keys jingling softly, guiding us through a maze of hallways. My Radar Scan couldn’t detect this area. Suspicious. The real action must be down those stairs.
After passing through several locked doors, we descended deeper. This wasn’t just a basement—it was a dungeon. Hard to believe something this huge was hidden beneath a normal street.
Now that I thought about it, Castor had mentioned a doll. Could he be referring to the Doll Princess?
Ms. Nina seemed close to a safe recovery. At this point, uncovering the secrets of the Doll Princess wasn’t the priority. But… if I could rescue more like her, I’d like to.
”Will you be meeting the young master?”
”Is he with the women again?”
”That’s part of the business.”
Huh? Even though the stairs continued down, Castor and the butler suddenly turned off into a side hallway. A detour?
What should I do? Should I keep heading down?
”The young master” likely referred to Castor’s son. And “the women”…? That part was definitely suspicious.
Notes:
• Mone – Earth’s spirit, the security guard, the one who allow Saburou to enter the Lady Uno’s realm, expresses interest in being a wife, specifically called “Earth’s Mone.”
• Tizzy – Claims to be Duke’s daughter, a noble with advanced magic skills.
• Raia-Raia – Energetic kid, tailor’s daughter. Calls protagonist ‘Chicken Ham Hero.’
• Shea-Shea – Mauro’s daughter. Hurt by Alexander. Became an eager fiancée after advice from protagonist.
• Raoh – Pakkyamara. An infamous, scheming, but somewhat incompetent senior adventurer known for meddling with hero summoning rituals; often gets beaten up as a result. The one who want japanese food.
• Ms. Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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