Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 23
Today, the headquarters seemed unusually noisy and chaotic. Guards were hastily preparing their magical tools for deployment. Papers for authorization to mobilize were frantically shuffled back and forth.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Captain of the Guard Ortebaek and the young master Calskronin stood side by side, gazing at the detention center. Ortebaek stroked his beard and nodded his thanks to Kaiden.
“As expected, with your presence, things seem to be going smoothly for once.”
Inside the holding cell were two thugs. Their bodies bore blue bruises, evidence of recent beatings. The coldness of the floor digging into their bruised skin made them moan in pain. However, there was no one paying any heed to their sounds of agony.
“Thanks to the Master’s wisdom, we’ve captured the small fries of the Cassel cartel. It won’t be long before we track down the ringleaders,” said Ortebaek, expressing gratitude.
Kaiden remained silent. He merely stared at the thugs in the holding cell. As Kaiden’s chilling aura permeated the air, the groans of the rogues gradually subsided. Observing them shrinking under his gaze, Kaiden finally broke his tight-lipped silence.
“What about what I asked for?”
Ortebaek handed back the ledger he’d received from him, recalling its contents. Deeply etched in the center of the ledger was a sharp mark, but fortunately, there was no difficulty in deciphering what was written in it. The ledger was densely filled with names and amounts borrowed by people from the Cassel cartel. The murderous rate of interest was enough to make Ortebaek shudder.
To prey on the citizens of the empire so ruthlessly. Disgusting.
“As you say, we’ve issued the warrants and begun the investigation.” Recalling Kaiden’s unusual coldness from the night before, Ortebaek briefed him, “I’ve instructed a thorough investigation focused on the properties, sources, and recent activities of the individuals recorded in the ledger.”
Listening to Ortebaek’s explanation, Kaiden ran his thumb along the ribbon he held in his hand. He closed his eyes in contemplation as he felt the smooth texture.
Was it really just for money that she resorted to theft, even with such remarkable skills? No matter how exceptional her abilities were, if her sole aim was money, she wasn’t worth engaging with. Handing her over to the Bureau of Mages and confining her in prison would contribute to the stability of everyday life for ordinary citizens of the empire.
From a rational standpoint, it made sense, but…
However, a very trivial curiosity nagged at Kaiden’s mind. Why was it only the ribbon that was purple?
Because of that insignificant question, he couldn’t disconnect himself from the Trinity incident. Kaiden, stroking the ribbon with his thumb, slowly lifted his eyelids.
“She might have used an alias. Or perhaps, she had someone acting on her behalf. Keep that in mind during the investigation.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Kaiden flipped through the ledger’s pages, he added, “Could I also look into the documents related to Trinity that you have now, too?”
“Of course,” Ortebaek readily agreed. He gestured to an approaching guard. “Hey, you there.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Make sure to gather every document related to Trinity and bring them to the young master.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though the guard received the order, he hesitated to move immediately. After a moment’s pause, they leaned over to the Captain.
“Sir, Captain…” The guard’s body turned toward the captain, but his gaze remained fixed on Calskronin.
Even in a guard headquarters that was home to some of the strongest and most athletic men, Calskronin’s height and broad shoulders stood out like a sore thumb. His body was built like it would never break, and his face was chiseled like a piece of marble. His presence alone ruthlessly trampled the guard’s morale. The guard couldn’t help but freeze under the young master’s scrutiny.
Ortebaek urged, “What’s the matter? Why aren’t you moving?”
“Well, someone came by and said they were looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“It sounds like they were looking for young master Calskronin.”
“Hmm?” Kaiden, who had been examining the ledger, finally turned his head to look at the guard.
“They said that a man they met yesterday told them to come to the guardhouse if they had any trouble, which explains the look on their face.” The guard explained with an embarrassed expression, “Deep green eyes and black hair.”
As the guard described, they extended their hand toward Kaiden’s head. “About this tall,” gesturing to Kaiden’s height.
“And shoulders this wide,” the guard continued, spreading their hands to match Kaiden’s shoulder width.
The guard, after hesitating for a moment, closed their eyes and quickly added, “And the way he spoke, cold and arrogant, as if ignoring others, and the way he swiftly handled the delinquents, it was almost imperceptible.”
Listening to the guard’s description, Ortebaek tilted his head slightly. It seemed as though they were describing young master Calskronin. Ortebaek tore his gaze away from Kaiden, fiercely suppressing the suspicion that was creeping in.
Then, he directed a reproachful remark toward the guard, who conveyed pointless information. “How can the esteemed young master handle such complaints individually? We’re not even sure if it’s about him.”
The guard scratched their head, looking embarrassed. “Right, you’re probably right.”
“This isn’t a place for leisurely people-watching, so give them a good talking-to and send them on their way,” Ortebaek concluded.
“Understood,” the guard muttered, turning their head and starting to walk away.
But he was stopped in his tracks by a cold voice.
