Chapter 470 – Spies.

“ARghhhhhhh”

“Ughhhhhhh….”

“N-noooo…”

“…”

“That doesn’t sound like a goblin or a hobgoblin…”

Roland, together with a maid who had orange cat ears, walked through a darkened corridor. In the distance, he could hear strange shouts indicating someone in a lot of distress. The woman next to him clearly knew what was happening but didn’t seem perturbed by the screams. The shouts grew louder as they progressed, and eventually, the maid, Mary, spoke out.

“Since your return, we have noticed an increase in suspicious individuals…”

“Suspicious individuals? Could they be from information guilds or perhaps…”

Mary stopped the moment he asked about the origins of the shouts, and to his surprise, she took something out. She held it out to him, and at first glance, it looked like nothing more than a simple bracelet. It was mostly black with a bird insignia that resembled a raven on it. However, to Roland, this was more than a simple bracelet, as he could instantly identify it as a magical item.

“This has quite a strong concealment enchantment on it, anyone wearing it would have their true status hidden.”

Roland took the bracelet from Mary, inspecting it closely. His eyes narrowed as he detected the subtle yet sophisticated concealment enchantment. There were several layers of hidden runes that would even challenge tier 3 class holders. An expert on Arion’s level would be needed to even see a problem, and most others would need to examine it directly and closely to notice anything unusual.

“Such a runic enchantment isn’t easy to come by. Whoever is using these has access to some serious resources.”

Mary nodded and replied quickly as the two walked towards the groaning sounds.

“These individuals have been sneaking around Albrook, and we found these bracelets on them. The shouts you hear now are from one of those we captured…”

The intricate concealment runes on the bracelet indicated a high level of craftsmanship and knowledge. Something like this wasn’t cheap and far beyond what a common thief or spy would possess. This suggested that a well-backed group was behind it. Various groups could be responsible, but Roland suspected someone nearby. Considering that he had just caused a scene in another noble’s territory, his guess was likely correct.
“Do we know anything about their identity and objectives?”

“Not yet. The interrogation is ongoing, but they’re tight-lipped. Whoever they are, they’ve been trained to resist questioning. Luckily we know of a group that uses the raven as a calling card.”

“Let me guess, Theodore?”

Mary nodded.

“Ah, are you familiar with The Raven’s?”

“Not exactly, I heard a few rumors here and there, but nothing too specific…”

Mary nodded again, and they continued forward without her going into much detail about these so-called ravens. Roland had been given all the information Arthur possessed and had also used information guilds through the thieves’ guild. This organization was similar to what Mary’s maids were turning into: the eyes and ears of the noble.

This wasn’t anything new; nobles were, in a sense, required to establish their own spy network if they ever wanted to achieve anything substantial. The person that had been caught was probably here to investigate the strange mage who had rescued some slaves. He had caused quite a scene in Aldbourne, which exposed the state of their army. Now that they presented themselves as a proper threat, their enemies were probably trying to gather as much information as they could.

While the Valerian Duke frowned on any assassination attempts among nobles, he would likely let it slide if there was no proof of the deed. Because of this reason, Mary was taking this situation quite seriously, and the screams of the unknown man were proof of its seriousness. He probably possessed valuable information that could help her protect Arthur better, but extracting anything from him would likely prove challenging.

“They are probably trying to figure out the extent of Arthur’s forces, do you think they are aiming for something else?”

“They might just be testing us or trying to provoke a response.”

“Testing? I see.”

Roland nodded, finding sense in Mary’s assessment. The man they had captured could have been a lure set by Theodore and his group. Once their own spies and agents were sent in, he would capture them to extract information. It was a tactic occasionally used, where the spies sent in to be captured often lacked valuable information. As they approached the cell, it became increasingly evident that this individual was not going to divulge any secrets easily.

“ArghhhhhHHH!”

“Uh oh, get down!”

A familiar voice called out to him from within the cell, and he instantly conjured a shield of mana. It arrived just in time to intercept the spray of blood hurtling their way. The blood splattered against the barrier, revealing inside the cell the lower half of a man’s body slumping forward. It appeared the prisoner had imploded from within, likely triggered by a magical safeguard to prevent him from disclosing any critical information.

The two of them stood in shock as they witnessed the gruesome aftermath of the prisoner’s demise. The man’s lower body lay limp against the floor of the cell, blood dripping down in a macabre display. The cell itself was now splattered with crimson along with the person that was performing the interrogation.

“Ahh… it stinks…”

Giana, the person Roland was supposed to meet today to conclude his prosthesis research, was the one who caught the brunt of the explosion. In her hands, he could see a metallic tray that she had used to shield her face from the gory blast. On the ground lay various sharp objects like knives, scissors, and pliers, which were likely on the tray she had been holding.

“Giana, are you alright?”

Mary rushed in to aid Giana, but Roland’s attention remained fixated on the remains of the supposed spy. He had heard of volatile magical contracts before, but this situation surpassed anything he knew. The closest comparison he could draw was to the parasitic abyssal worms people were previously implanted with. His mana senses confirmed his suspicions; instead of regular mana, he detected cursed hexes permeating the area.

‘I’m sure the Duke wouldn’t approve of cursed magics but not like Arthur would be able to pin anything on him, even with a recording.”

“Oh, Knight Commander! You’re already here? Sorry about this, give me some time to freshen up~”

The author’s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The woman didn’t seem too shaken up by all the gore and chunks of matter permeating the area. Roland was starting to wonder where these maids were coming from. Was there some hidden ninja maid village where young girls were being trained in the ways of assassination and espionage?

“It’s fine, take your time, I’m just here to examine the last few specimens and how they reacted to the transplantation effort…”

He replied while turning towards Mary who was examining the remains.

“This looks like a blast worm…”