Volume 4 Chapter 50 The Mysterious Man of Early Spring ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
According to the madam, Luchian had slipped out of bed on the night of December 31st and never returned.
She thought he had only gone to the latrine and drifted back to sleep, but when morning came he was still gone.
No matter where she looked in the house, he was nowhere to be found.
Only his closet stood open, showing he had changed into a dress robe. So she assumed he had gone out at night without telling her.
Later, while eating breakfast in confusion and worry, the head of the merchant guild came to her door. That was how she learned the news of her husband’s death.
”Not just sneaking out to play, but poking a hornet’s nest and getting himself killed… My… what did I do wrong? If there was something troubling Luchian, I should have been closer to him. His death must be my fault. Mine…”
”Ms. Ornella, Mr. Luchian may have been killed by the Warrior Monks of Azrael. They could have set a trap for him.”
”Even if the warrior monks were to blame, if my husband hadn’t left bed in the night this would never have happened. It’s my fault. Mine…”
The woman covered her face with the hand holding her staff and sobbed hard.
Kian cast her a cold look, thinking she should talk in daylight instead of sniveling and shutting down.
But kind Guria’s eyes filled with tears too, and she hugged the grieving woman tight.
”I’ll find the truth of Mr. Luchian’s death. He would never sneak out in the night just to stir a hornet’s nest! There has to be a killer!”
”…!”
”Sorry to summon you so late. It must be painful. But thank you. With this we—”
”Madam, since you’ve come, please show us Mr. Luchian’s room. And your bedchamber as well.”
”Kian! She’s grieving!”
”If all we do is hear her story, then dragging her out here meant nothing.”
”Meaning nothing—?”
”If we inspect his room, we might track how he left the house. But from words alone, nothing is certain. ――Madam, is that acceptable?”
What had started for forty gold coins and guild prestige, Kian had already decided—after talking with Rou—to investigate thoroughly.
Once decided, the perfectionist vampire would push through, no matter if he trampled on feelings.
That stubborn “glasses-Kian” side was part of his nature now.
Despite Guria’s glares, he all but dragged the madam along to Luchian’s house.
As the guildmaster’s personal barrier practitioner, he had lived in a fine home.
Studying the layout, Kian saw that Luchian’s closet was in the farthest upstairs room.
Unless he leapt from the window, he would have had to pass the bedroom again to go out.
”The madam thought he only went to the toilet, so she slept again. It’s not strange she didn’t hear footsteps or a door creak.”
Holding the sobbing wife, Guria frowned as she said this.
The three of them were now in the upstairs bedroom.
Ignoring her, Kian crawled across the floor, finding wine stains on the carpet and shards of pottery with his vampire vision.
”No, I think he was awake. Maybe too excited to sleep.”
”…What do you mean?”
”That night, didn’t you quarrel?”
”Huh?!” “――――!!”
”It’s been cleaned, but the room still shows plenty of breakage, spilled water and wine. Madam, wasn’t your marriage already cold?”
”Kian!”
”Step aside. ――Madam, answer truthfully.”
He activated the vampire’s Magic Eye of the Charm.
Gripping her shoulders, his glowing eyes locked on hers.
Her body shuddered, then she nodded once.
”…Yes.”
”For months now, no intimacy?”
”Wha—!?” “…Yes. Even when I tried, he refused every time.”
Still crying, she went on.
”My husband was a guild elder, always busy. I understood. But lately, he gave me no attention at all. Last time, his robe carried the scent of perfume only women use.”
”What kind of scent?”
”Sweet, like honey. Sweet enough to draw bees.”
(Sarah, the insect-user, always liked soaps and perfumes with a honey scent. Even Linca said so once…)
the madam’s face twisted.
Her staff slipped from her hand.
”That night, when we argued, I said it to him. He panicked, shouted at me. I thought I was right. I threw a water jar. It struck his forehead, he bled…”
In her arms, Guria gasped.
”He left the bedroom for his own room. I thought he would treat the wound and come back. But he didn’t. I assumed he was sleeping on the sofa. My own anger kept me from going to apologize.”
”Ms. Ornella… oh…”
”It’s my fault. Because I couldn’t endure. My husband died because of me—”
While she repeated this, Guria hugged her tighter, whispering “It must have been so hard.”
But Kian left the room at once.
the madam was now useless.
It was Luchian’s own chamber that mattered.
’He was middle-aged for a human, but his wife is still young.’
In the innermost room, faint lemon scent mixed with the odor of an older man.
On the sofa lay a thin, even layer of dust.
At the window, white prints of boots showed.
(A man losing drive in bed, yet gaining drive at work. A wife in her prime, left alone. It’s natural she lashed out. And natural he sought comfort elsewhere.)
”Kian?”
Guria entered, having calmed the madam.
He opened the double windows, using vampire sight to scan the neighbor’s roof.
”Luchian left this way. The footprints are clear. Don’t step on them.”
”Really? And you—you have no heart, do you? Barging into her secrets like that!”
”I’ll be kind when it matters. But now this mattered more. I’m cold by nature. Accept it.”
”…Geez.”
Leaving Guria’s sigh behind, he leapt out.
Talia released a bird-type golem to light the rooftop.
”Here, Guria.”
He whispered to the golden-haired girl, who flashed beside him like blue lightning.
She knelt on the slanting roof, peering where he pointed.
”Footprints…? Several, overlapping.”
”They must have stopped to talk here.”
Kian plucked something stuck in the tiles.
It was a giant bee—or something like it.
It looked nothing like the docile sort that gathered nectar.
Its jaws bore crushing pincers. Its abdomen ended in a sharp sting. The insect was ten centimeters long.
’The same kind of sting left in Luchian’s back.’
(A golem?)
’No, a living creature. But not normal. Altered by alchemy. Look—you can see the long venom gland.’
”What’s that? ――Wha!? What IS that?”
”A monster insect. The killer forgot to take it. She must not see well in the dark.”
Its right wing was torn, its body half-crushed, as if by great force.
He recalled how bees had been mangled against Natra’s barrier the same way.
Luchian had been attacked here.
Perhaps his cry never carried.
Or else it was swallowed by the New Year’s din of the town.
Kian pictured it: the middle-aged mage bolting across rooftops, batting the insect away with barriers.
(Was his first thought for his wife still inside?)
Either way, realizing he could not match the foe, he tried to flee.
Sliding down without a sound, Kian landed in the back alley.
There, ivy torn from the wall showed where he had grabbed to slow his fall.
’He ran for the main street. But in the end, the assassin woman caught him, jumped on his back, and dragged him down.’
Guided by Talia, Kian’s arm pointed to broken crates at the alley’s end.
They weren’t just fallen—they had been kicked, scattering into the lane.
From the street, it would look like a drunk or a cat.
But tracing the marks told the truth of that night.
”Here he was pulled down. And the fatal neurotoxin was driven into his back.”
He explained this to Guria, who had just caught up.
If passersby had looked closely, they might have noticed Luchian acting strangely.
But the streets were crowded with drunks staggering around, shouting nonsense.
Unluckily, no one saw his abnormal state.
Struggling to breathe, his vision spinning, he wandered through the bazaar crowd, trying to escape the woman—only to collapse at the place he was later found.
”…!”
”Ms. Medea, or your brother, should be told directly. Have them search this area again. You must return to the palace at once.”
”What about you, Kian?”
Guria stepped in front of him, looking up with the festival street glowing faintly behind her.
The lights cast her in shadow, but her eyes clearly said she had no intention of quietly going home.
”Investigating alone is too dangerous. No matter how strong you are, if you’re ambushed or outnumbered, you’ll be defeated!”
”I could say the same to you.”
Kian placed a hand on her shoulder.
”I’ll give you a vial with the insect corpse. When you investigate, check Luchian’s recent acquaintances. Most likely you’ll find he drank somewhere with a pretty woman. I think she was the one who visited his window that night, attacked him, and injected poison into his back.”
”All right. But I’m still going with you! That’s fine, right?”
”No, it’s not.”
”…I thought I’d never see you again, and then I find you here. Can’t we stay together a little longer?”
Her quiet, damp words left him at a loss.
This was a forty-coin job in Azrael gold, but this princess seemed to have no sense of public versus private.
Women like this rarely listened to reason. Kian frowned.
Maybe he had no choice but to bring her—when a sharp cry rang out from up the street.
”Guria!”
Sparse passersby turned at the sound, but when they saw two women in plain clothes, they quickly looked away.
While Guria ducked behind Kian’s back, a half-dark elf, Medea, and a white fox beastman, Rita, came right up to him.
Medea wore a loose black dress, with white arm-covers from upper arm to wrist.
Her shoulders and smooth brown skin were bare, even a glimpse of side breast showing.
Her silver hair was tied in a ponytail with a black ribbon. Except for her glasses, she looked completely different—like a gentle, stylish older sister.
Rita wore loose white eastern-style clothes.
Pants, socks, leather shoes.
Her hair, usually tied back, now flowed straight, making her look more grown-up.
It was January first. They were both fully off duty.
”Guria! What are you doing?”
Usually she called her “Princess,” but Medea grabbed her by the arm, calling her by name.
Guria clung to Kian’s arm, crying, “Wait, wait, just a second!”
”Bringing Rita was the right choice. She found you immediately. Now, we’re going back.”
”Ehhh!?”
”…Lord Kian, you took Guria out?”
The fox beastman’s yellow eyes glared at him.
Kian shook his head.
”No. I just ran into her while on a quest. I was questioning Mr. Luchian’s wife at his house.”
”Luchian?”
”Who’s that, Guria?”
”Wait, you two didn’t read the report!? The guild’s chief mage, Mr. Luchian, was murdered!”
”We were off today. I was training all day. The vice-captain was out matchmaking since morning.”
”You were not. Stop spreading lies, Rita.”
Kian hesitated a moment, then explained everything.
Medea at first only half-listened (while Rita’s unreadable face gave nothing away), but when he showed the modified insect monster, Medea grew serious.
”Lord Kian, truth is, even before you came to this island, patrol routes and guard schedules have been leaking to the ‘pirates.’”
”So I heard. The rumor spread beyond Crete.”
”Recently one of the court mages was cut in half by a blast like Salamander’s Scorching Ray. Likely Azrael’s assassination squad.”
”I see. By the way, Luchian’s lover was probably a warrior monk of Azrael. You should investigate his contacts fast. Also, put guards on the alchemists’ and magicians’ guilds.”
”Guards, huh.”
”Short on manpower?”
”No, but on Water Island, Balinars control all security. The Order of the Lightning Knights can’t interfere easily.”
”This is a chance to reconcile, vice-captain.”
Rita spoke quietly.
”We can’t keep fighting each other. Against Azrael, such a great enemy, we need unity first.”
”You’re right.”
Medea pushed up her glasses and turned to Kian.
”Thank you for reporting this, Lord Kian. I’ll take responsibility for the insect. Mr. Luchian’s body—is it with old Gaius?”
”Yes. As of this afternoon it was in cold storage.”
”Understood. Then we’ll excuse ourselves. Lord Kian, please stay safe.”
”You won’t preserve the scene?”
”…You’re right. Rita, go to the guard post. Closest is by Knossos prison. Jailers should be glad for the change.”
”Understood.”
”Eh? You’re really taking me back? But I only live until the fifth! Can’t I at least breathe a little more outside air?”
”Because of the ritual on the fifth, we need you safe. Please be reasonable.”
”Uuugh…”
(Once this quest is done, I’ll fly to Minotaur Island and rehearse turning into Asterios one last time.)
Thus began the Light & Darkness O-chinchin arc.
”Well then, I’ll be off.”
”Kian!”
Guria’s clinging voice.
She was already pulled away, held in Medea’s arms.
Side by side, Kian noticed Medea was slightly shorter than Guria. Somehow funny.
”Uh, well… hehe. Then, see you. Maybe this really is the last time. Next time we meet, I might not be myself. But… I’d like us to still be friends.”
”You shouldn’t say that. If we meet again tomorrow, it’ll be awkward.”
”If only we could meet tomorrow…”
Her face clouded. She waved once more.
Rita dashed off. Medea checked the street, opened a teleportation gate.
Seconds later, Kian was left alone on the deserted midnight road.
* * *
Guria’s palace stood inland in the southwest of Water Island.
White spires rose from the slopes, a beautiful sight.
It was home to Crete’s royal family, with a small underground prison for political offenders.
The palace opened directly onto the streets, but guards lined its gates, and many barriers *[T/N: magical wards]* wrapped it.
”If I offend General Asterios, this whole palace will be destroyed, won’t it?”
One couldn’t teleport directly inside.
Landing on the broad avenue before the palace, Guria asked the half-dark elf beside her.
”No, nothing like that.”
”Eh?”
”Ten years ago, only Cyclops Island, a military base, was burned. The enemy never came this far.”
”How can you say that? Cyclops Island was our breakwater, and it’s gone. You can’t say we’re safe.”
”The enemy’s aim isn’t to drown Crete in fire, but to seize our naval power and economy.”
Medea’s long black skirt swayed as she stepped closer.
She pushed up her glasses and tugged Guria’s arm.
”This palace wasn’t built for war. It was designed as an open salon, welcoming merchants and scholars. A castle for trade and free politics. If Azrael conquers us, destroying it would only harm themselves.”
”So they won’t come this far?”
”If we fight to the end, maybe fire will swallow everything. But before that, we’ll surrender.”
”――――”
”To profit from our country, they can’t kill Crete’s royals recklessly. At least not until our people accept Azrael rule. We’ll be kept alive, used for control.”
”So… even if we lose, we won’t all be killed?”
”Exactly. So, don’t push yourself. Calling Asterios can’t be stopped—it’s the nation’s plan, everyone’s wish. But even if it fails, there’s still a future. Don’t carry too much weight—relax.”
Medea said this, then caught herself, lowering her eyes.
”Forgive me. I can say such easy things only because I am not the sacrifice. For you, it must have sounded insulting.”
”No. Not at all. Thank you, Medea!”
Guria patted the half-elf’s shoulder and started back toward the palace.
They passed through the gateless gate and climbed the spiral path up the mountain slope.
She didn’t climb to the very top, but turned into a flat corridor lined with vines and white pillars. Tropical flowers bloomed in pots along the walkway, leading to a door. Beyond lay the royal family’s living space.
Just as Guria was about to ask Medea whether her sisters in Franz were studying well, she felt a sharp unease and glanced behind.
Medea turned back too.
”――――――――”
”Who?” “…!”
Someone stood there, clearly no palace guard.
As tall as Kian, as broad-shouldered, radiating the aura of a beast. A lone shadow.
She didn’t call out “Kian?”
There was no time for that.
If she hesitated, she would die—so Guria instantly manifested her Blue Thunder Stone spear.
”Princess Guria Selda, I presume.”
A raspy voice rang out.
The man’s black-robed arm lifted, revealing a curved black shamshir.
Medea blew her summoning whistle at once.
But before its sharp tone echoed through the palace, the tramp of armored boots approached from behind the intruder.
”What’s happening here!?”
The door at their back burst open, and Amora and other elites of the Order of the Lightning Knights came out. They were caught between enemies, yet the black figure simply stood motionless.
As if he wanted the uproar to grow louder.
”Zeus, grant me strength!”
Guria invoked spirit descent.
Her body shone with fierce lightning.
The electric force cloaking her spread into the young knights who bore her blood.
Amora took the lead, spear in hand.
Her usually yellow hair turned blue and translucent, scattering sparks as it stood on end.
”Fill the ground, little sea!”
Medea’s quick incantation soaked the stone floor in a thin film of water.
Rearguard: Medea and Guria.
Vanguard: Amora and the Lightning Knights.
The footing: water.
A perfect killing formation.
”Haaaaaah!”
Amora roared with spirit, channeling the Blue Thunder Stone spear into the water.
At once, the others pressed their spearheads into the flooded floor.
Toward the black monster standing in the corridor, blue lightning surged.
Notes:
• Luchian – Magician serving Guildmaster Michelangelo Rendano of Crete’s Merchant Guild. Calm, graceful, and reliable, he aids him with conjured items and discreet support. First appears v4c21. Reminder: Loyal guild mage, quiet strength behind his master.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Amora – Scipio’s fiance, and the knight of crete.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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