Chapter 155: A Common Enemy, An Enemy Within (12)

Kevin... Ashton? Why would that name show up here?

That name, which had become familiar to me, would pop up in the most unexpected place. I'd come across his books more than once, and as absurd as it was, reading his books had raised my Wisdom. Not this time, though.

Was it because I didn't read it thoroughly?

It could've just been someone with the same name. That was easy to check. I turned back to the first page. I had already read the article about Marquis Leandro's death thoroughly. I flipped to the next page.

Lady A from the R family

Reportedly, she shudders in pleasure when someone combs her scalp. When her hair is pulled, the hairs on her back stand up. Her scalp is said to be an erogenous zone.

Wizard K from Azure

He has a bland appearance and a seemingly clean private life. After work, he reportedly covers his windows in black cloth and spends the entire day with his nine cats. The current investigation is focused on what he might be doing with them behind closed doors.

Count D's youngest son S

Rumors say he can't go a single day without a woman. Despite his good looks and physique, it's said he only dates women at least ten years older, especially single mothers.

Pathetic...

It was filled with salacious, sensational rumors with no credibility or sources. Still, I carefully read through every word, just to be sure.

Rustle.

The sound of turning the page broke through the darkness. After reading the final line, I once again arrived at the publisher's credit.

[Wisdom has increased by 1.]

It's real.

Thump.

I set the paper down on the rooftop. A crackling sense of tension crept up my fingertips. There was no doubt about it now. The person who published this was

the real

Kevin Ashton.

Click.

I quickly looked around. The paper had been left in pristine condition. Maybe I could find whoever had placed it here.

However, the rooftop was completely still. Even with the Detection skill active, I didn't catch anyone slipping away. I could only sense drunk humans stumbling through the streets below.

"..."

Even the presence of the black cat that had been here moments ago was completely gone. It was like being in a trance.

"Kevin... Ashton." I murmured the name softly.

Who exactly

was

this man? Lime had said Kevin Ashton was a Wizard from Azure. In one of his books, the author claimed to be the eldest son of a grand ducal family, yet he seemed to write every type of book imaginable.

Was he really a single human being? Or was he part of some group? Maybe it was a title passed down. Perhaps, he was a being who had lived for centuries, like Naneow Tropin.

Dozens of theories flashed through my mind, but one thing was clear: he was connected to me. He could be approaching me with a specific intention in mind. I reflected on all the times I had come across Kevin Ashton's books.

Coincidence?

Aside from the ones I read in the slime's hideout or Lord Erast's study, the rest were too suspicious to be considered a coincidence. The first time I saw one of his books, it was in a toppled cart.

I had assumed bandits had attacked a book merchant, but there were no bloodstains or signs of a struggle. Aside from the overturned cart, everything was unnaturally clean. The book in the mountain lodge was the same. The hunters there hunted Trolls, so a book about them made sense. But

why

was the only book in the whole lodge one written by Kevin Ashton?

There were more oddities. When I asked for information about Kevin Ashton at Daliac in Aman, they immediately said there was nothing. The broker didn't hesitate. They didn't even try to check a list.

Was there really nothing?

Looking back, the moment I mentioned

Kevin

, it seemed like they rejected the request without hearing the rest. It felt suspicious. But going back to Daliac now felt awkward. Even if I did, demanding an answer wouldn't help.

Then, a thought struck me.

Should I ask Naneow?

She had been nothing but kind to me. Still, I didn't want to owe her anything more than I already did. I had already turned down her invitation. It felt shameless to take her help now.

I fidgeted with the pendant. It was said to grant Correct Decision.

Could I use it like this?

"Hey, I could use some help here."

Ding!

No way, it actually worked?

A translucent window appeared before my eyes. I focused on the message.

[Current Setting: Automatically activates in life-threatening danger or equivalent]

[Would you like to change this setting?]

[Once activated, it cannot be used again for 7 days.]

[Ability to be used: Danger Sense (B)]

[—A special ability possessed by a woman who's avoided danger effortlessly since childhood. Combines animal-like instincts with human knowledge and reasoning.]

Huh...

I hesitated for a moment, then made up my mind.

"Don't use it. Leave it as is."

[Default setting retained.]

Poof.

The translucent message vanished into the darkness. For now, it was best to keep the pendant's danger-avoidance ability untouched, especially in a place like this. Except for the Tower of Azure, which was far in the north, there were few places as densely populated with powerful beings as the Imperial capital.

There would be plenty of danger. Soon, I had a very important task ahead of me, which was to absorb the marquis' essence during the funeral procession. Who knew what complications would arise? I stayed hidden on the rooftop, quietly waiting.

The sky slowly brightened into a hazy dawn. The crowd that had been loitering under the influence of alcohol and drugs scattered to avoid the sunlight. Guards with light armor were stationed along each street—not to protect, but seemingly more concerned with clearing the path for the funeral procession.

The roads were neatly cleaned, and guards lined up on both sides of the controlled route.

So, it's starting.

It was surprising how many people had gathered for his death, but it seemed he was quite famous in the capital. From the murmuring crowd, it even sounded like he had a fan club.

"

Hic, hic, hic...

How could someone so handsome die like that...?"

"A beautiful life, gone too soon...! So much for my romantic ideals..."

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Of course, I had no idea what they saw in that cold, expressionless face of his.

And he had a psychotic obsession, too...

I recalled the sight of him ripping through dozens of harpies, their entrails spraying everywhere. His eyes, glowing blue as he grabbed me by the throat, remained vivid in my mind. Not exactly the kind of memory that was good for mental health.

Clack.

I shook my head to clear the recollection. Eventually, I saw the funeral procession begin to move.

Hop!

I dropped down at once, remaining cloaked under my stealth skill. No ordinary person would notice me here.

This was the first spot, within eight paces of the marquis' coffin. The street, which was crowded and rowdy last night, became even more so because of this celebrity's funeral.

Somber music filled the air. Voices everywhere recounted stories of the marquis, some talking about how he gave up all his power and status after losing a secret lover. The tale clearly struck a chord with the public.

"They say he requested to be cremated?"

"He followed his secret lover to the afterlife..."

"A tragic man... such a beautiful soul..."

"Sad but romantic..."

It wasn't difficult to slip through the crowd. I quietly made my way to the front using stealth and body techniques. The procession moved slowly in the distance.

I can do this.

I could absolutely do this. When the procession finally came into full view—

Clank.

I froze for a moment, startled. The dozen knights guarding the coffin wore blue armor that matched the marquis' signature style.

Huh. I panicked for nothing.

The armor bore the image of a lion. I didn't even need to guess at their identity. They were the Blue Lion Order, the knights led by Marquis Leandro himself.

I studied them carefully—every single one looked formidable. I could judge their general skill level even from how they walked.

I ran scenarios in my mind. I could defeat two with just swordsmanship. With magic, maybe four. More than five? I wasn't confident.

Still, as I stared, a strange dissonance hit me.

They're... stronger than the imperial knights?

Without fighting them, I couldn't be sure, but even on appearance alone, they seemed at least a level—or a level and a half—above those who protected the emperor.

Step.

I advanced to a spot just one step away from the outermost ring of guards.

"Ah, sir, you can't go any closer—"

A bumbling-looking guard tried to stop me, but the raccoon-mustached guard beside him elbowed him and said, "Oh, Inspector sir! What brings you here today?"

"I admired the marquis deeply. I wanted to send him off... up close."

Even as I said it, I felt ridiculous, but I forced myself not to laugh. Thankfully, the guard responded with enthusiasm.

"Oh my! Then please, take my spot! Hehe, right this way, sir."

"Thank you."

Five steps. I was closer than I'd expected. I hadn't realized just how crucial Naneow's armor would be.

I pulled a few silver coins from my pouch and handed them to him.

"This isn't from the Inspection Bureau—it's from me personally. Take it."

"Shield unit eleven, Guard Hans! Name's Hans, sir!"

Hans quickly pocketed the money. I had no more time to worry about him. The marquis' coffin was slowly approaching right in front of me. Blending in among the guards, I discreetly reached out my hand.

Essence Absorption!

But nothing happened. A wave of tension and confusion washed over me.

Absorb it.

Still, nothing. There was no glow, no energy leaking from the coffin. It wasn't a matter of distance or an obstacle. I'd seen the essence light pierce through a carriage during the emperor's assassination. There was no way nothing should be showing.

The marquis... isn't in there?

As I stood frozen in confusion, a few knights of the Blue Lion Order gave me sideways glances. I quickly lowered my head and stepped back, slipping into the crowd.

At the second-closest spot, and even at the third, I tried again to absorb the essence. Still nothing.

What the hell is going on?

"Farewell, Marquis!"

White flower petals rained down from a second-story window. One of the knights with keen eyes was beginning to look suspiciously in my direction.

There was no need to use the pendant. This wasn't a good situation.

I reactivated my stealth and retreated into an alley, then climbed to the rooftops.

Fwoosh!

There was a perfect spot to oversee the entire street. From where I had found the tabloid earlier, I pieced together the situation in my mind.

First, the Maqruis' body was not in the coffin. Second, certain people were intentionally spreading a romanticized narrative of mourning. Young, pretty women and older men dressed in fine clothes handed out flowers and passionately shared the tale of the marquis' tragic love.

As I followed the procession, I began to recognize a few faces. Though they wore civilian attire, their movements showed signs of extensive training.

There's an organization behind them.

At Daliac, they had said it was an assassination, but in the capital, the story being spread was suicide. It had to be

their

doing.

I thought of abducting one of them for questioning, but they were moving in pairs or trios. Too risky. It was better to observe for now.

Who is that...?

With everything viewed through a suspicious lens, I even began to notice something odd among the knights. Especially one man, more ornately armored than the Knights of the Blue Lion.

His lips were tightly sealed, as though gritting his teeth. His face was stiff, his eyes bloodshot. It wasn't sorrow, but rage. Fierce, focused rage—clearly directed at someone.