Missing Person 5
Alvaldi.
Liliana recognized that name. In her previous life, it had been the name of a giant from Norse mythology. It wasn’t something that appeared in the otome game set in the world she currently lived in. In the game, everything was simply referred to as “Northern Barbarians.”
When she had first heard the Baron mention “Northern Immigrants,” Liliana’s mind had immediately connected it to the “Northern Barbarians.”
“Descendants of Alvaldi, you say?”
“Yeah. They’re nomads who live far to the north of this country. The name ‘Descendants of Alvaldi’ wouldn’t mean much to anyone here. To the people of the Kingdom of Slibegrad—and the folks in the Yunatian Empire too, for that matter—anyone who comes from the north is lumped together as ‘Northerners’ or ‘Northern Barbarians.’”
Gild spoke with a hint of disdain.
Indeed, neither the Kingdom of Slibegrad nor its neighboring country, the Yunatian Empire, differentiated the people of the north. In the case of Slibegrad, the high mountains along its borders meant that almost no information about the northern countries ever reached them. The Yunatian Empire seemed to have some diplomatic relations with the north, but generally, they were not interested in learning about other nations.
Liliana nodded but still had questions. As they began walking back to capture the men they had left on the other side of the underground chamber, she looked up at Gild, who was now even more muscular and larger than usual, making her neck ache from the effort.
“But there are many nations in the north, aren’t there? Why did you immediately sense that they were your people when you heard about the ‘Northern Immigrants’?”
“The pattern.”
“Pattern?”
Gild explained that he had recognized a specific wool decoration on the strap of the leather belt Yeori had been carrying. The unique pattern was apparently something special to the Descendants of Alvaldi.
“The mountains where we live are harsh. That pattern’s purpose is so that, even if someone dies, we can immediately identify who it was.”
Liliana nodded in understanding. Indeed, she had seen that pattern before. In her previous life, it had been known as an Aran pattern, used by fishermen on the Aran Islands—long mountain-like islands where the pattern was used in the design of their vests. Each family had its own unique pattern, which helped identify bodies in case of accidents at sea. It seemed that something similar served the same purpose in this world.
“The Descendants of Alvaldi don’t have a country. We live in groups, but there are outcasts like me scattered across the world. That’s why, when we encounter a fellow descendant, we’re bound to help them no matter what. If we betray one of our own, we lose our power. That’s the rule.”
It seemed that the Descendants of Alvaldi were a people bound by strong ties. As she rewrote part of her knowledge from the game and added this new information, Liliana asked Gild about the unique pattern.
“Do you have something with that pattern on it as well?”
“No,” Gild replied, briefly averting his gaze. He said nothing more. Sensing that it was best not to press further, Liliana fell silent. After a moment, Gild spoke in a low voice.
“…I left with my parents when I was small, so I don’t have anything like that.”
“I see.”
A silence fell over them, but before it could become awkward, they arrived back at the spot where they had started. The bound men were still lying on the ground. Quite some time had passed, yet no one had come to help them.
Frowning at the oddity, Liliana furrowed her brow. Gild noticed and looked down at her.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I was just wondering why these men are still lying here.”
“Would it have been better if they’d escaped?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Liliana tilted her head slightly in thought. Of course, it was better that they hadn’t escaped. But the fact that no one had come to their aid could mean that either their location was secure, or the men had been given so little information that they could be easily abandoned. Either way, it confirmed her suspicion that they were low-ranking members. But if they couldn’t extract any useful information from them, it could hinder the investigation moving forward.
(Even the Baron couldn’t track down the enemy, so it’s hard to believe they’d leave an easy trail. We should be glad we rescued the children, but…)
While Liliana was lost in thought, Gild muttered, “You’re gonna make this guy talk, right?” as he dragged one of the men to his feet.
“Better talk if you want to keep living a normal life. Or would you prefer I start with your eyes? I’m not picky. Ears might be a good option, too—they say you don’t go completely deaf even if I tear them off.”
“I-I don’t know anything—”
The mage that Gild had his eye on clearly wasn’t used to rough situations. The more he talked, the paler he became. As the man, trembling all over, confessed, it became evident that he and his companions were nothing more than hired thugs. The mages didn’t possess particularly high abilities either and seemed to make a living through petty scams.
One day, a well-dressed man had approached them at the tavern they frequented, offering them a lucrative job. The task was simple: for just a few days, they were to watch over the children in the church’s basement. If any outsiders appeared, they were to fend them off and never hand over the children. Then, when the client arrived, they were to hand the children over to him—that was the entirety of the job.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me! They didn’t say anything about this kind of mess!”
“So when was this handover supposed to happen?”
“T-tomorrow night! That’s all I know, I swear! Now let me go!”
The man screamed, still held by his hair. Gild, looking exasperated, glanced sideways at Liliana, who shook her head slightly. There was no point in pressing him further; they wouldn’t get any more useful information.
“What did the man who gave you this job look like?”
“He was like some high-and-mighty noble, but he was wearing a robe, so I couldn’t see his face. Oh, but he did have a scar between his left thumb and index finger. He usually wore a ring on his left middle finger, but he took it off whenever he met with us.”
“You’ve got a good eye, don’t you?”
“Comes with the trade.”
Given that he had mentioned dabbling in scams, Liliana figured he was probably telling the truth. He had likely been somewhat successful in his underhanded dealings. After seeing Liliana nod, Gild released the man’s neck, letting him collapse to the ground. The man groaned in pain, but Gild ignored him and walked over to Liliana.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“Well, I imagine the Baron’s men will arrive soon, so we should hand them over to them.”
“Yeah, that’s probably the least troublesome way.”
Gild noted that she would probably erase their memories as well. Liliana nodded in agreement. It wouldn’t do for the Baron to learn that she and Gild had freed the children and captured these men.
“Farewell, then.”
With a sweet smile, Liliana erased the parts of the thugs’ memories that concerned them. As they left the church, she altered the memories of the other fallen men as well. She and Gild then made their way back to where they had tied up their horses.
“You’re heading back to the estate now, right?”
“Yeah. …Looks like I owe you more than I can repay.”
“You owe me?”
“Yeah.”
Gild nodded with a wry smile.
“If you hadn’t used your curse magic, I wouldn’t have known where those kids were being held. And before that… you saved my life, plain and simple.”
Liliana had saved Gild twice—once now, and once during the monster stampede. The implication was clear, and Liliana responded with a smile.
“In that case, should we extend our contract, my dear bodyguard?”
“Huh?”
Gild blinked in surprise. Liliana couldn’t help but laugh. Gild and Olga had taken on the role of her bodyguards, but the original contract was only for one year. That term was now close to its end. Olga had recently offered to extend the contract, but it seemed Gild had forgotten about the approaching deadline. His face briefly showed confusion before he realized what she was getting at, and he quickly put on a grumpy expression.
“—I’m not saying no.”
“Then I look forward to working with you again.”
“Seriously, you’re such a pain.”
Despite his grumbling, Gild never once said that he didn’t want to continue.
*****
Baron Kenis gently watched his youngest son, who was overjoyed at reuniting with Yeori, before stepping into his study. As he sat at his desk, he stifled a chuckle that threatened to escape.
The report that Yeori had returned with a group of unfamiliar boys and girls arrived almost simultaneously with the news from his shadow that the Antropo district was clear of any disturbances.
When his shadows were dispatched to the location Yeori had identified as a hub for human trafficking, they found all the kidnappers tied up and lying on the floor. During interrogation, the men shamelessly admitted that they had no idea how they ended up in that state. They confessed that they were supposed to hand the children over to their client the following night, but given the situation, it was unlikely the client would show up at the church.
“—Well played.”
The butler, who had been standing nearby, flinched momentarily and glanced at the Baron. Despite the dangerous tone in his voice, Baron's eyes held a mix of admiration as he stared into the distance. After a moment of contemplation, he gave the butler a low command.
“Tell Brendan to meet me at the usual place the night after tomorrow.”
“As you wish.”
The butler bowed and left the room. The Baron lit a cigar and took a long drag.
“Liliana Alexandra Clark…”
At first glance, she appeared to be a delicate and graceful young lady, with a gentle demeanor and an aura of fragility that seemed as if it could shatter at the slightest touch. As the leading candidate for the crown prince's fiancée, she was highly regarded for her intelligence and excellence.
—But she was so much more than that.
Baron gazed out the window at the deepening night, exhaling a cloud of white smoke as he narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.