Chapter 112 - The assassin is taken into custody
Translator: VALIANT
We were back in the Tuatha Dé domain after finishing our work in the royal capital.
Since our return, I continued to gather intel and evidence through my communication network.
And then, just the day before, I finally completed the document incriminating Marquis Kalonarai as the real perpetrator.
[I barely managed to finish it in time, somehow.] (Lugh)
My real-time communication network really was breaking the rules.
When gathering information from around the world, it would normally take several days just to give the instructions to the local agents, and several additional days to get the investigation results delivered.
Moreover, if new information came to light, and the number of targets to investigate increased, it would once again take a few days to send new instructions, making the whole thing unbelievably long.
The ability to communicate information in an instant was the reason I was able to gather so much data in such a short period of time.
He who controls information controls the world.
No seriously, if I used this communication network to the fullest, I could actually take over the world.
[I’ve come to hang out!] (Dia)
The door to my room was opened, and Dia came in.
She didn’t knock first, not out of impoliteness, but because she and I agreed that if I didn’t want to be disturbed, I would keep the door locked, and if the door was unlocked, then she was free to come in.
[…Judging by the face you’re making, I’d say you’ve created a new spell again.] (Lugh)
When it came to Dia, you could immediately tell from her facial expression when she came up with a great spell.
[Yup, that’s right. And let me tell you, this one is amazing. Come one, write it down. I can’t experiment with it unless you do.] (Dia)
Dia was elated to talk about her new spell.
Lately, I had been so busy that I hadn’t been able to develop any.
So I had to rely on Dia for new spells.
I had taught Dia about various technologies from my previous life that could be used with magic, and she had successfully converted them into spells, sometimes in ways even I wouldn’t have thought of.
It was thanks to Dia being with me that countless spells came to be.
[Indeed, this is interesting.] (Lugh)
[I realized something when I saw your communication devices and hang gliders. Spells aren’t only used for fighting. This one should come in handy, right?] (Dia)
[Yeah, it’s great.] (Lugh)
Once again, I witnessed Dia’s genius.
I would’ve never imagined such a combination of formulas.
And this one was, without a doubt… specially made for me, who was about to go stand trial in the royal capital.
But I guess she was too shy to mention it.
[Ahem…! Um… Is your strategy for the trial going well? If you lose, they will brand you a criminal, right? We can’t let that ever happen.] (Dia)
[From what I can see, it’s complete. The rest depends on how many unexpected tricks the enemy might have up his sleeve.] (Lugh)
[Is it going to be a tough fight?] (Dia)
[I think I’ll manage somehow. No matter what he has in store, it won’t matter once I wreck the foundation of his claims.] (Lugh)
[I see, good to hear. But, this is a little bit frustrating. I can’t help you in times like this, and I wasn’t much help the other day in the royal capital either.] (Dia)
I saw Dia making an apologetic face, and shook my head.
[Not at all, the magic formula I used to build the radio transmitters was made possible thanks to you finding the right rules for me. Besides, you did successfully play your part in the royal capital.] (Lugh)
[But… I don’t remember doing anything.] (Dia)
[It’s because we gave the target the opportunity to bring three noble daughters back with him that he jumped at it. Just you being there was a significant detail. Besides, you two did a great job making me look comparatively better.] (Lugh)
[Hold it! Explain that last part.] (Dia)
[You know how I deliberately did your makeup and picked your dresses so you two would look less attractive, right? Not to mention, I intentionally did it so you wouldn’t match his tastes. It was to protect you both, and it was also calculated to make my beauty stand out when the three of us stood side by side. Not only that, but I was always making gestures of care and protection for you two. A woman who does that kind of thing can score points with that guy. Human appeal is a sensitive and relative thing. Surrounding yourself with people that highlight your own qualities is the basis.] (Lugh)
This was one of the techniques used for seduction.
By deliberately standing next to a woman who wasn’t to my target’s liking and whose social rank was even lower than mine, a contrast between us was created, causing the accentuation of my charms.
It was thanks to the girls that I was able to make Count Flantrude fall for me so easily.
…Although, by following my backup plan for this, I got his cooperation in a more straightforward way.
[I can’t decide whether I should be happy or frustrated about that! But either way, don’t hesitate to count on us from now on too. Because as soon as we leave you alone, you always try to do everything by yourself.] (Dia)
[Really? I think I’m already depending on you plenty enough.] (Lugh)
[You can depend on me even more than that. I’m your big sis, after all.] (Dia)
[Actually, you’re my little sis now.] (Lugh)
[Hhmmrrr…!] (Dia)
I giggled from seeing Dia adorably puff out her cheeks.
She herself didn’t realize how much I relied on her.
[Well, looks like they’ve come to get me. Look after the house while I’m gone.] (Lugh)
I looked out the window and saw a jet-black painted carriage parked in front of our residence.
Only special officials use that carriage.
In other words, it was used to transport crime suspects.
[Good luck out there.] (Dia)
I was going to go to the royal capital on my own.
I was being taken into custody, so I couldn’t bring any escorts with me.
Besides, there wasn’t much Dia or Tarte could do for me once I was there.
As I was about to get up and greet the officials, a shadow flew across the room.
It was Tarte, who was out of breath.
[Um…! Lugh-sama…! I brought you this…!] (Tarte)
She offered me a large basket.
A sweet smell wafted from it.
[I packed it with long-lasting sweet bread! I had a thought that they might not give you any decent meals, so I baked this. Please be safe.] (Tarte)
When I opened it up, I found long-lasting bread baked with a rich kneading of fruits and nuts soaked in alcohol.
I used to have her make it for us as long shelf-life food when we did survival training a long time ago.
So she still remembers that recipe.
Maybe the reason she prepared the bread we had during survival training was her way of praying for my survival.
[I’ll gladly take it.] (Lugh)
It had slipped my mind, but I needed that sort of stuff.
I was about to be taken in as a suspect.
Although, that was all I was, so normally, they shouldn’t treat me badly.
However, things wouldn’t go normally this time. Knowing the guy trying to set me up, he probably bribed the officials to have them harass me and make me lose my better judgement.
Putting pressure on someone by hurting them, starving them and depriving them of energy so they would be unable to make a proper argument in front of the court was standard practice.
I gratefully stored the whole basket together with my documents for the trial in the Leather Crane Bag, which I then folded up and put in a plastic-like bag I created with one of my original spells before gulping down the whole thing.
It was the fact that the Leather Crane Bag could be folded small enough to fit in the palm of my hand that made this stunt possible.
[Uh hey, Lugh… That bag was, like, extremely valuable, right? Are you sure it was safe to swallow it!?] (Dia)
[It’s precisely because it’s valuable that I did this. With a little training, you can store stuff like this in your stomach and retrieve it at any time. If they plan to torment me, there’s no doubt they’ll confiscate my belongings, right?] (Lugh)
[Seriously…!? You never cease to amaze…!] (Dia)
You could also easily hide stuff in other places, like your rectum.
It was a fairly popular technique, and some people had even managed to pass through customs with a kilogram of drugs hidden inside them.
[This is incredible, Lugh-sa— Oh no! I messed up again!] (Tarte)
[What’s wrong?] (Lugh)
[Since you have the Leather Crane Bag, the bread didn’t need to be long-lasting, I could’ve prepared softer bread for you…!] (Tarte)
Tarte was in a panic.
Indeed, the bread she baked for me was similar to Stollen, a tough bread with little water content for long-term storage.
[It’s okay, this is delicious in its own right. I’ll happily eat it. …I’ll be back in a week or so. If you haven’t finished your homework by then, I’ll blow a fuse.] (Lugh)
I said so in a mischievous way to alleviate some of their worries.
[Yeah! I’ll make sure to complete it all.] (Dia)
[I will also try to master the subject.] (Tarte)
It would’ve been a waste not to give them anything to do while I was away.
Which is why I gave them some homework to do.
By the time I came back, they would’ve both grown.
The officials knocked on the door of the mansion multiple times.
Normally, one of our servants would greet them, but this time, it was me.
[How may I help you?] (Lugh)
[Is Lugh Tuatha Dé here!?] (Official thug)
The man in front of me was middle-aged and slightly shorter than me. His demeanor was intimidating, but there was a sense of vulgarity about him.
A real small-time crook.
[That would be me.] (Lugh)
[A letter was delivered to you some days ago! I’m arresting you under suspicion of murdering Count Marlentot, and taking you to the royal capital!] (Official)
Obviously, I never received any letter.
They made sure that it was seemingly lost by accident to frame me.
I deliberately feigned to be shaken by the news and unaware of anything.
I shouted that I never received any such letter, that I had no idea what he was talking about, and that it had to be a misunderstanding of some sort.
I observed his reaction as I pretended.
If he had just been a regular government official, he would’ve been somewhat doubtful and offered an explanation.
But since this thug had been bribed…
[How unsightly, you filthy murderer! Now get your ass moving!] (Official)
He drew the sword at his waist and threatened me with it …while mockingly grinning at me.
That prat knew that the letter was never meant to be delivered to me.
[I’m going. So I can prove my innocence.] (Lugh)
The moment I said that, he was getting ready to punch me.
I see, looks like they pick guys with mana to take noblemen away.
I had expected him to hit me, and the movement was so slow it was easy for me to swing my head and avoid the impact.
It looked flashy, but it only did little damage.
Nevertheless, I stumbled and fell on the floor, with a look of horror on my face and a hand on my cheek.
[So much for the so-called Holy Knight! The hell’s with that defiant look in your eyes!? You’re not showing any remorse at all! I’ll give you a goddamn lot of attention and set you straight till we arrive at the royal capital!] (Official)
Go ahead, get as cocky as you like.
I’ll be sure to make you pay for it later.
When I boarded the carriage, my hands were tied, and I was even gagged so that I couldn’t chant any spell.
And just as I expected, all my personal belongings had been confiscated.
Though I say all of them, there was fortunately not much they could find just by inspecting them lightly.
I had two guards, both of whom had been bought off by Marquis Kalonarai.
Once I was in the carriage, the ensuing development was just as laughable as I imagined it would be.
They spewed out abusive language, and during the meal, they acted as if their hands had slipped to knock over my food, then they trampled all over it on purpose.
And for the past while now, both of those officials had a needle stuck into their necks, and their eyes remained wide open as their entire bodies were rendered flaccid and devoid of consciousness.
Surrounded by these two dummies, I undid the iron chains that bound my hands and removed the gag.
After that, I leisurely took out the Leather Crane Bag and ate the bread Tarte made for me. It felt hard but moist, and the dried fruits and nuts it was filled with gave it a luxurious taste.
The basket also contained a thermos of warm soup, for which I was grateful.
This warm soup soothed the rage in my heart.
[How yummy. I see that Tarte has improved again.] (Lugh)
Thank goodness she had packed some food for me.
Now that my stomach was full, I re-examined my documents for the trial.
And even though I was doing all this, the officials were, predictably enough, still groaning and moaning to themselves in their disagreeable voices, with no movement except for their fingertips twitching every now and then.
They were in that state because of the drug-coated needles I stuck into their necks.
There was no way these lowly grunts could uncover any weapons that an assassin had earnestly concealed. Besides, even with my hands tied, I could still pull off a stunt like that.
The drug I injected them with was a powerful truth serum I had synthesized in case of emergency.
It was so potent that whoever was injected with it could no longer tell the difference between dream and reality, leaving them daydreaming with their eyes open, and sending their minds into a world that suited their fancy instead.
I heard them talking to themselves, and it appeared that they were torturing me in their dreams.
They were rich noblemen and the next heads of their families. And they couldn’t stand me because I was handsome and idolized by everyone.
And it seemed that they enjoyed beating me up while I was deprived of my freedom.
The advantage of this drug was that thanks to its ability to blur the line between dream and reality, the victims believed that the delusions they had during the few hours the drug was in effect were real.
Unlike common fainting spells, their memories of that time would still remain, so even after they came to their senses, they wouldn’t realize what I had been up to.
I would periodically administer them with that drug until we reached the royal capital.
This would make them more docile while serving as groundwork for later.
Regular use of this drug rendered the victims overly feeble-minded and easy to reshape to your liking.
From the day before our arrival, I would change the chemicals a bit to make them my gofers and get them to cooperate with me for all kinds of things.
[Although, I didn’t plan to use this drug. The aftereffects are pretty nasty, after all.] (Lugh)
If they had just been your average officials, I would’ve played nice till we arrived at the royal capital.
But they took the bribe and tried to make me suffer just for kicks.
And I was nowhere nice enough to be considerate to those lowlifes.
[Well then… Now that I’ve gone over the documents, I guess I’ll do some magic development.] (Lugh)
It’s been a while since I’ve had time to relax.
I’m gonna develop all the spells I want.
I took out a pen and paper.
Dia had been surprising me as of late. So I had to create some spells that would blow her mind as well.
I had just the thing I wanted to make.
Dia will be delighted when I show it to her, then she’ll develop the idea behind it and create a brand new spell.