For You This World I'll Destroy

Published Mentari Festival (3)

— 25 —

The pretty clothes Khanza gave me have now been changed to Black Company's black uniform, complete with a short sword replacing the Twin Princess that Dagger was treating. Liam took off his illusory magic and is now fully present as the White-haired Pangerat named Arthur. Huft, it turns out that the fairy tale dream ended sooner.

How else would Alexandria's safety be more important.

Taken by Quina, we both arrived at a warehouse. There had been a crowd gathered by the police who fenced the location from the curious eyes of the committee. Soon they were respectful when they saw Prince Arthur and invited us to the CTF.

“Seeing rigor mortis on the neck and jaw of the victim, perhaps, Malice it killed him 2 to 4 hours ago. Are there any witnesses or CCTVs around here that I can see?” asked a pale blue-haired woman in white gloves, kneeling to check on the corpses that had been slammed into the shattered cargo box. The eagle emblem on his elegant black uniform, showing his position as a Pathfinder.

A detective also opened his record and reported to the Pathfinder, “Everyone around this warehouse has been interrogated and all the CCTV strangely did not record anything 2 hours. The result is nil.”

“Any. Likely first, you are too busy looking for excuses rather than evidence,” said Hunter named Nuwa, who then took a syringe with a long needle and while injecting the corpse through his ear hole,

“Secondly, they were brought under the influence of powerful illusion magic that robs the memory of the events here. Third, they conspired. Well, either two possibilities still haven't ruled out the possibility that the perpetrator of this murder isn't a Witch from the White Order

But, to say a Malice did it, hahaha, it seems like the peacetime had significantly lowered Alexandria's IQ. Don't you agree with me, Prince Arthur?”

Liam furrowed his brows and replied, “Nuwa, there is a limit that you cannot pass.”

Nuwa laughs amusedly, “No refute, but neither agree. You politician with a sweet mouth. Haah, you always let me down, Arthur.”

Faster than Quina, I immediately unsheathed my dagger to the girl's neck and said, “Once I hear you insult the Prince again, you will end up like that corpse.”

“Serful, spooky. Looks like I've stepped on the sensitive kitten's tail, hmm?” said the Princess who stood up not caring about my threat. He haughtily took off his gloves and gave them to the detective there, then challenged me.

“A Lady who always sticks to Prince Arthur, you must be Chrysant. Hmph, why do you consider my words insulting the Prince?” tanya Nuwa who shuffled her waist, “I only give input so that later the Prince can become a Leader worthy of respect by the six Rulers of the Angkasa Fortress.”

“Enough, stop. We are not here to look for a commotion, Nuwa, Chrysant,” Liam's lerai who sighed, “Safety of Alexandria must take precedence. Both White Order and Malice, both are threats.”

Nuwa smiled as she looked at me and Arthur alternately,

“You are very close, you defend each other. Heheh, I won't take care of your personal affairs, Arthur. But I'm more curious about this lady. Chrysant, who do you think is the perpetrator of this murder? Is it a Malice or a White Order witch?” ask the Princess.

“U-ugh, why does Chrysant feel tested huh?” I'm reluctant.

Nuwa opened her fan and partially covered her face, “Hohoho, Lady Chrysant is indeed funny huh.  Well, just think of it that way. This is a very important test.”

… Ugh, I just met Nuwa for the first time, but I've been wanting to poke her mouth with sambal. He looked at me one eye apparently. He doesn't know that the investigation is also my forte, hmph! With gloves, I checked the body.

A brown-haired man and a white uniform smashed into the cargo wooden box violently. The badge of the sparrow shows himself a Chronicler-level hunter. But the strangeness I found, there was no resistance at all I found or at least a clear trace of magic. Perhaps, someone had secretly killed him in one fatal attack. For a Malice, a surprise attack this clean. But, for the White Order Witch it was very easy. I also examined the wound that hit his chest.

“Hmmm, no magic residue at all, but this black stain all over his chest... Soot?” I muttered, asking for tweezers from a detective, and found metal fragments in the man's wound.

If I'm not mistaken, I've seen him at the Dagger workshop. Is it... the bullet shotgun, the Automachina that civilization uses all over? But, was that weapon capable of doing this much damage? Hmm, the more I see. This cargo box was destroyed unnatural. He was like being crushed with a hammer before being set to fit this corpse. In other words…

“... Someone planted this corpse here. I can confirm 100% that it wasn't Malice who made this mess. But a human being, whether an affiliate with White Order,” murmured me

But, why would my hunch say... A Hunter did it?

Wait for this scent, gunpowder? I followed the scent and found a large cargo box with fireworks on it for the night. If not wrong, the peak night is held on the seventh night of the Rising Sun Festival, right? I opened the cargo to find it empty.

“This..!”

I also said, “We should send personnel to evacuate festival guests immediately, while we hunt the group.”

“Pragmatic proposal, but does not solve the problem. We better follow their game with a trap waiting on *******. That way, other than us preventing their evil plans, we can also catch them at once. That way...this problem will be resolved,” said Nuwa who tapped her fan in hand and looked at Arthur, saying,

“Then, Arthur, you know what to do instead?”

Arthur sighed and immediately ordered the policemen there, “This is an emergency mission of the S-type class, all personnel on duty, both hunters, detectives and knights, and the, immediately track down the group trying to sabotage the Published Mentari Festival!”

“Ready, Prince!” yell all the soldiers and detectives there. While they were busy chatting, Nuwa pulled me from the crowd.

We also arrived at the back of the building, where Nuwa immediately laughed amusedly, “You passed my exam perfectly, Lady Chrysant. The way you check the scene, you must be suspicious of a human doing it, right?” he said leaning against the wall.

“Test? Hey, didn't you tell me yourself about this case? why are we even here, as Pathfinder, we have to—“

“No need, the group does not exist. I put the body there,” Nuwa said casually.

“H-Ha?! K-K-You did it?” I said, who immediately drew my sword. Suddenly, Nuwa disappeared.

NAH!!

Nuwa touched my forehead so hard, that my head was bouncing and hot.

“What do you want? Catch me? With a charred magic circuit like that? Heh, would you kill yourself?” he said that folding his hands, “Always ready to fight, biting off all threats to Black Company. Ruin Hunter, you are the most ideal Pathfinder.

But that's your stupidity. If you can't put your safety first and your mission first, you'll only hurt those you care about, Chrysant.”

“A-A-Aww, why the hell is Chrysant even diasehatin? Is there something wrong with doing my job?” my lament rubbed my spicy forehead, “Haah, never mind. So, Arthur and the whole Black Company are gonna find a troublemaker that never existed? Say... You must have a reason behind all your games, right?”

Nuwa smiled, “Wah, Chrysant, your instincts are amazing. It's worth it that you managed to bring Nadja home from the Black Zone, a bonus with Quartz Month again.”

“Udah, don't talk sweet. Just tell me you mean.”

Nuwa chuckled and gave me a shimmering, red liquid syringe. No, this is just an illusion? The liquid was exactly like the syringe Luciel had given to Emilia.

“Sel The Warden?”

Nuwa was surprised, “Oh, you already know? From where? Amazing, I think I'm the only one who's been able to track his trail. Quickly, Arthur is very attached to you,” he said who clapped his hands, “Then, I do not need to explain the efficacy of this cell is not it?”

I'm nodding.

Nuwa smiled, “I started the ghost chase game to prevent panic,” said the Witch who then whispered in my ear,

“Chrysant, someone is trying to poison the city's water source with The Warden Cell. Are you willing to help me catch the bad guy?”

…. Ha's? What did he just say?

Character Designs