I mean seriously, all the hard work, time, and money I poured into making this fake royal seal, and the only thing Adrien says is, "Treason"? Are you kidding me right now?
Still, we had a mission to prepare for. Viscount Rowley was planning to scout Sevan Lake tomorrow morning, and that meant we had to be ready to make our move. So, yeah, we headed home a little earlier than usual.
By "early" I mean the seventh hour in the evening.
Sorry, Mom.
The moment we stepped inside, boom, another earful from her. I tried to explain, but nope. One sharp glare from Mom and poor Adrien, who was about to defend me, shut up like someone stole his voice. Puppy-boy went all stiff, ears down, tail between his legs. Not literally, but close enough.
We were just about to sneak away to the dining room when,
Ding dong!
Then ding dong-ding dong!
Then DING DONGDINGDONGDINGDONG!
The doorbell rang. Not once. Not twice. But like someone was trying to knock the sound into the core of the planet.
"Who the heck is this impatient?" I muttered, watching Adrien's forehead twitch as a vein visibly popped up. He marched to the door with the grace of a knight and the fury of a dad whose nap got ruined.
He swung the door open.
"Sir Ashfo-ah!" the guest choked mid-greeting.
"Oh," Adrien said flatly. Even with his back to me, I could feel the fake hospitality dripping off his face like cheap perfume. "Didn't I say I wouldn't spare you next time? Well then, goodbye."
With that, he started drawing his sword.
I mean, WHAT is wrong with this guy?!
"Stop, Adrien," Mom called calmly.
Instant response. With the same speed he unsheathed it, Adrien sheathed the sword and stepped aside like a loyal guard dog told to sit.
"Yes, Lady Eleanor," he said, standing straight like a proper knight at a palace gate.
The guest, Mr. Black Shirt Guy from earlier, bowed deeply, sweat beading down his temples. "Madam Eleanor, Sir Ashford," he stammered. "Please help me… My young master is missing."
Wait, what? That little brat is missing?
"What's going on?" Dad asked, arms crossed like he was waiting to sentence someone to death. Mr. Loid- the guest- explained in short bursts of panic that the boy had vanished, and he had no clue where to start searching.
"We'll send our guards," Mom said with concern. "Is that alright with you, dear?"
Dad gave a silent nod.
She offered him a soft smile and turned toward Adrien. "Go call Guard Mikael and tell him to gather our men. Take Mr. Loid with you."
"Yes, Lady Eleanor." Adrien bowed slightly and hurried out through the back to the guard station behind the house. But not before throwing a glare so sharp at Mr. Loid, it probably shaved a few years off his life.
Once they were gone, Mom let out a sigh. "I hope nothing serious happens."
"It'll be alright, honey," Dad said gently, placing a hand around her shoulder like the world's most chill husband. Then he turned to me. "As for you, go to your room. Seriously, Kaiser. What were you thinking going out this late?"
Ah, got caught.
I'd tried to sneak out the back to join Adrien. I turned around with my best innocent grin. "I'll help too," I said quickly. "After all, Adrien's with me!"
Mom glared. Like, lightning strike level glare. "Don't be a burden to Adrien."
Excuse me?! Burden? Me?
I was the strongest Arcanist before I died! …Well, not anymore. But still!
"I'm not," I huffed. "And I'll help him find the kid."
Mom narrowed her eyes. "Kaiser, I know you're cleverer than most kids. But this isn't something you can handle."
Dad sighed and rubbed his temples like he had just gotten hit with a migraine. "Just let him go," he muttered. "He needs to learn how to deal with this kind of things."
Mom whipped around with a death glare of her own. "Are you BLIND? He's FIVE. FIVE YEARS OLD."
While they were busy having their domestic death match, I just…slipped out from the back door. Easy.
Outside, the night had settled in like a thick blanket. The moon peeked out between clouds, but it didn't help much. The path to the guard station was lit with torchlight, flickering orange and gold shadows dancing on the ground.
When I reached the wooden guardhouse, I peeked through a tiny window. Mr. Loid was inside, talking fast and looking like he was about to pass out.
The room was warm and smelled like smoke and old leather. Behind him stood Guard Mikael, a middle-aged beast of a man with short blond hair and arms like steel pipes.
"…Julian. His name's Julian," Loid said. Huh. Guess that's the kid's name. Forgot to ask last time we met. Oops.
Just as the talk wrapped up, Mikael gave a nod to the other guards, and then he spotted me.
"Young Master Kaiser?" he blinked, clearly surprised.
The others turned to look.
"Young master, you shouldn't be here," Mikael said, brows furrowed with worry.
"Don't worry. I got permission. And Adrien will be with me."
"Eh? Why? You'll just be a burden."
That damn freak Adrien said it without even blinking.
Smack!
Mikael's hand came down on Adrien's head like judgment itself.
Serves you right, idiot!
And just like that, we were off to the town. Even though it was night, it was not the closing time, so the streets were alive.
Shops glowed with golden lights, some had hanging lanterns, and others had glass lamps. The smell of roasted meat mixed with sweet pastries wafted through the air. Good. That meant witnesses.
"So," I asked Mr. Loid, who is trying to walk in rhythm with his longer steps. "How did he go missing?"
"We were in the room we rented for the night," he said as we entered a bustling Tavern. The biggest one in the Ashford barony. A place where you can get a room, food, and sometimes drinks.
"We were planning to leave early morning, so I went out to buy some necessary items after settling young master Julian in the room."
The tavern was packed. The scent of alcohol, food, and sweat mixed in the air. Loud laughter burst from the far table.
A bard was playing some lute-like instrument, barely heard over the shouting of drunk meatheads in the corner. Some were dancing. One guy looked like he was trying to arm-wrestle a table.
Mikael assigned two guards to stay at the tavern and sent others to check the surrounding streets. We headed upstairs. The hallway had old wooden floors that creaked with every step. There were about ten rooms, each with a brass number plate on the door.
"Check each one thoroughly," Mikael instructed the guards.
I didn't waste time and walked into Julian's room. It was plain, a simple countryside room. A bed, a wooden table with uneven legs, a wash basin in the corner.
Not noble-like at all. Definitely not Julian's style.
"So, he was here when you left?" Adrien asked, poking around the room like some kind of raccoon. He even checked under the bed.
Seriously? What did he expect to find, Julian hiding with a 'boo'?
"Yeah. And I went out just for half an hour after putting him to bed," Loid answered, rubbing his temples.
I wandered to the bookshelf near the wall. It was the only thing that looked slightly out of place. As Mr. Loid explained, I ran my fingers along the spines.
"They searched. No one saw a kid leave the tavern or go downstairs," Mikael reported, stepping into the room. "We're guessing he was kidnapped."
"So, if they didn't leave by the front door or through the tavern, then..." Adrien turned to the window. "But the window was locked from inside. So, there was no way he was taken by the window."
"But there's still a chance someone inside locked it after he was taken," Mikael added.
I shook my head. "That's not the case. Look outside the window."
Adrien leaned over. "Oh, you're right! There's a toy cart right under the window. And since this is the market street, it's too busy. Someone would've noticed if a kid climbed out or got pulled out."
"Exactly," I said.
"So, if he didn't leave through the window or front door..." Mikael scratched his head, confused. Mr. Loid stood silently, shoulders drooping. Poor guy. He looked like someone just kicked his favorite puppy.
Adrien piped up again, "Maybe someone lied? About not seeing anything? Even if they used the back door, they'd have to pass by the kitchen or cashier, right?"
"I don't think so," I said, struggling to reach the top of the bookshelf. Damn this short body. "Mr. Loid, help me."
Loid moved toward me, ready to assist, but,
"I'll do it," Adrien interrupted, tossing Loid aside like a bag of laundry.
...?
And then he picked me up.
"Lift me to the fifth row," I grumbled.
He adjusted his grip and raised me to eye level of a grown human, the middle of the shelf. Yeah, fifth row from the bottom.
From outside, this room looked wider. But inside? It was oddly narrow. That could only mean one thing...
"Gotcha!" I yanked on a green book, and with a mechanical clack, the bookshelf sank inward, then slid sideways into the wall.
A hidden passage.
"What the?!" Adrien gasped, nearly dropping me.
Both Mikael and Loid stood frozen, mouths open like fish out of water.
"What is that?!" Loid asked, stepping back instinctively.
"If we believe what Mikael said earlier about an insider," I said while pointing toward the dark passage, "then this makes sense. Julian didn't leave on his own. The kidnapper must've waited inside. Maybe someone with a room here. Or someone disguised as a servant."
Adrien tilted his head.
"But even if they were an insider, they'd still have to pass through the tavern to get out. And someone will surely notice unless the whole place was in on it. That just wouldn't make sense," I said. "More likely... the kidnapper took Julian through this hidden chamber."
"But…how did you know about this?" Adrien asked.
"The room's measurements are off. That's what made me suspicious. From the outside, this room is bigger. And please, put me down already."
Adrien blinked, realizing he was still holding me. He carefully lowered me like I was made of glass.
Mikael muttered under his breath, "As expected from young master Kaiser…"
Yeah, yeah. I know that look. He is thinking, 'Is this kid really a kid?'
He straightened and saluted. "I'll call the other guards."
"Wait," Loid asked, leaning in. "How did you know it was that green book?"
I pointed at the shelf. "The other books were slightly tilted. Probably about two degrees. That one was the only one standing straight. Perfect ninety degrees."
Adrien squinted at the shelf. "How the hell can you even see that?"
Before I could answer, Mikael returned with more guards.
"We're ready to go, young master."
Ehh? Why are you all looking at me? I'm five. Don't expect me to lead you like some war general! But Mikael's proud and respectful gaze made me sigh. Guess there's no escaping this.
"Well," I said, adjusting my posture, "we can't completely rule out a front-door abduction. Maybe he was hidden in something, like a trunk or sack, and carried out. Search for those things, too. Keep guards posted around the tavern and the town. I'll go in with Adrien, Mr. Loid, and two guards. Mikael, you stay and manage the perimeter."
Mikael looked like he wanted to argue but nodded. "As you command, young master."
I didn't command anything!!
Stop making me feel like some commander in a fairy tale war!