Chapter 16 - The Vortex
"So, it was an inside job after all..."
Inspector Pale remained silent for a long time after reading the report.
This particular attack by the Poison King Cult was perplexing in many ways.
The most inexplicable part was how the enemies managed to approach Granvelle Village without any resistance.
Granvelle Village wasn't even located on the border like Bryse.
Of course, the border guard couldn't perfectly secure the entire long border.
But even if the enemy exploited a gap in patrols and broke through quickly, the area between the border and Granvelle Village posed a problem.
Even calculating the straight-line distance, it was a two-day walk.
This area had regular patrols by the Sword King house's army, as well as a natural surveillance network provided by the various people traveling between villages and cities.
Yet, no one witnessed the enemy's infiltration.
Not a single witness came forward.
It was as if the enemies had foreseen all patrol routes, surveillance points, and human movements.
Furthermore, two days before the attack, the knight order stationed in Granvelle Village had been replaced.
Most of the veteran knights from the Sword King house who had been stationed there for a long time were reassigned, and a large number of newly appointed knights took their place.
Additionally, it was discovered that half of the thirty private elite knights personally trained by Roa Granvelle, the head of the Granvelle family, had taken leave and left the mansion.
"And of all people, only the most skilled knights, including the knight commander, took leave to return to their hometowns..."
This reeked of something.
Someone had intentionally created the moment when the Granvelle family was weakest and exposed that timing to the enemy.
There was an inside traitor within the Sword King house.
The problem was the suspects.
Pale felt a shiver run down his spine as he read a few family names listed in the document.
"If we seriously prod, the entire Sword King house could be turned upside down..."
A sigh escaped him.
This was an extremely heavy and difficult task.
But it was also something that had to be done.
If he didn't cut out the festering wound now, even if it hurt, his whole body would rot someday.
"Phew... By the way, I wonder if the young master arrived safely in Bryse?"
Pale smiled, looking at the large money pouch on the table.
The pouch contained the address of 'Highwind,' the fifth dormitory of the Northern Academy, along with the name of Ray Granvelle, who should have already moved in there.
He planned to send it via express delivery with a subordinate before sunset.
If nothing went wrong, Ray would have the cash in his hands within two days.
"May he graduate safely from the academy and rebuild his family... This is all I can do. I wish I could take care of him directly, but I have too much to do right now..."
"Inspector!"
Suddenly, a team member burst through the door of the inspection office.
"It's a disaster! People who claimed to be from central just forced their way through... Cough!"
Men in black clothes swarmed into the room, trampling the team member.
Pale immediately drew his sword and shouted.
"Who are you?!"
"Hmm, why don't you draw it? That would make things easier. Though reporting it might be a bit bothersome."
The last man to enter tilted his head and smiled.
"You are..."
"We're from counter-intelligence."
The man tossed an identification plate and documents onto the table.
"This is..."
Three swords were engraved on the identification plate.
One sword meant a supervisor-class, two swords an inspector-class, and three swords an executive-class.
Pale held his breath, sensing the killing intent emanating from all directions.
'Is this counter-intelligence? Every single member is 5-star level.'
"Pale Trace. You are under arrest."
The man, in a defiant stance, raised a steel noose.
Counter-intelligence was a direct unit under the Sword King, obeying only the Sword King's commands.
It was a secret organization that most people didn't even know existed, but it possessed formidable authority, capable of arresting almost anyone in the Sword King house if necessary.
"Counter-intelligence, huh... I've only heard the name; this is my first time seeing them in person. Don't you rarely act directly?"
"That means this matter is that serious. Arresting you, that is."
"The charge?"
"Leak of classified information."
"Ha..."
Pale let out a hollow laugh and raised his Aura.
This was his mistake.
He hadn't expected such a rapid response so soon after starting his investigation.
'I've stirred up a viper's nest.'
He should have anticipated that they would be this reckless.
If he had, he would have conducted even the minimal investigation he had already done in extreme secrecy.
"Leak of classified information? What classified information did I leak to whom? I am innocent."
"We'll find that out during the investigation. Will you cooperate with the arrest?"
The man narrowed one eye and waved the hand holding the noose.
It was a clear invitation for him to resist rather than cooperate.
If he were to die here, it would be much easier to cover things up.
'Eight of them in total?'
Pale assessed his own skill against theirs, cold sweat trickling down his back.
'If I fight, I'll definitely lose.'
No, he would definitely die.
That's how overtly they displayed their killing intent.
They were formidable opponents even one-on-one; if they all attacked simultaneously, he wouldn't last a moment.
He wasn't afraid of dying.
He had resolved himself to that fact since he was first appointed inspector.
The problem was that the moment he drew his sword, all his subordinates here would also die a dog's death.
"Ugh... Inspector..."
"Don't move. Don't you have work to do?"
Pale sighed, looking at his subordinate who was pinned to the ground, unable to move.
"Tell everyone in the inspection unit. To not resist and to cooperate. Phew... I entrust the rest to you while I'm gone."
"Inspector!"
"I will cooperate. I ask that you do not harm my subordinates."
Pale lowered his sword and held out both hands.
The man in black scoffed with a bored expression.
"Hmph, anyone would think we came here to massacre the place."
The man tied the noose around Pale's wrists.
The coldness of the metal tightening made him shiver.
The moment he stepped out of the branch office building, following the man.
'Black Knights!'
Outside, the area was filled with knights in black armor.
The Black Knights.
The private knight order of the Black Luna family, which ranked first among the Eight Great Houses of the Sword King house.
The Black Luna family was the one written on the very top line of the report he had just read.
'They're fast.'
Considering that their main base was in the south, far from here, he could gauge how swift their response was.
'Has the Black Luna family joined hands with counter-intelligence? If so, then even His Majesty the Sword King, who is behind counter-intelligence...'
Pale sighed and closed his eyes.
The situation was spiraling towards the worst imaginable.
The cancer within the Sword King house was not a trivial matter that a mere inspector could handle.
***
I rummaged through the room at the far end of the second floor of the dormitory like a thief burgling an empty house.
The result was disappointing.
Eric didn't even have a single copper.
I had expected him to have hidden a lot of operational funds, but I was wrong.
Was the Poison King Cult so poor that they couldn't even properly fund their spies?
Whatever the case, the total amount of my assets hadn't changed at all compared to a few hours ago.
One hundred and forty coppers in total.
In Granvelle Village, that would last me about two weeks.
Tiber had once said that a single meal cost roughly three coppers.
But this was Bryse, a large city encompassing the academy.
The prices were outright murderous.
I hadn't seen a menu item under ten coppers in any restaurant.
More importantly, the immediate problem was the uniform I needed to buy.
A custom uniform started at two hundred coppers.
I couldn't even afford one piece of clothing if I emptied all my pockets.
I had no choice but to resort to secondhand uniforms sold by graduating seniors.
The cheapest used uniform cost one hundred coppers.
I struggled for a long time to choose one that wasn't worn out and was clean.
Even then, I couldn't find one that fit perfectly.
In the end, I chose an oversized uniform, considering that my body would grow.
The sleeves were so long they covered my fingers.
The loose fit wasn't ideal, but it didn't matter.
Given my current circumstances, such clothes might even be more fitting.
Now, I had forty coppers left.
I had to survive two days on this.
In two days, the academy's new semester would begin.
The academy provided meals, so I would be able to eat at school from then on.
The problem was what to eat for the remaining two days.
The cheapest food at a street stall in the market furthest from the academy, a skewer, cost five coppers each.
This meant I could at least not skip meals, even if the portions were small.
It would take hours to walk to the stall, I didn't know when the food was made, and it was some unidentified meat, but still.
But then.
[The Oak Tree Inn. Bryse Main Branch.]
I saw that sign.
—That's right. The Oak Tree Inn is the best restaurant. It's really delicious there.
My sister had said that when she returned to the mansion for vacation.
—The Oak Tree Inn? I agree with that. Their dinner special is exquisite. The tender lamb as the main dish is excellent. And the special sauce is superb.
My brother, who was next to her, agreed.
At the time, I wasn't very interested in food, so I didn't pay much attention...
[The Oak Tree Inn Dinner Special: Limited-Time Sale! Only 40 Coppers Today!]
My heart began to pound rapidly.
Why, of all prices, forty coppers?
If it had been more expensive, I wouldn't have even given it a second glance.
I stood rooted in front of the restaurant, unable to move my feet.
Gulp.
Saliva.
My legs trembled, and I felt so hungry I thought I would collapse.
Come to think of it, did I eat anything today?
If I didn't burst through the restaurant door right now and order the dinner special, I might go crazy.
No, wait.
Gasp.
I was startled for a moment.
This fierce hunger and frantic appetite weren't mine.
I looked up at the sunset sky and sighed.
"Tiber, please calm down. I don't have any money right now. If I spend all my remaining money on that, I'll have to starve for the next two days. So let's look somewhere else. Okay?"
But.
Despite my desperate plea, I, who had become one with Tiber, was unable to move a single step from in front of the Oak Tree Inn.
"Tender lamb and special sauce, you say?"
A clear image formed in my mind.
Even though I had never actually tasted it.
But it must be delicious, right?
It would surely be an amazing taste that I'd remember for a lifetime.
Considering what I've been through in the past few months, I definitely needed a reward.
So I absolutely had to eat something delicious right now.
That's how life balances out.
"No, I told you I don't have money!"
But a gaping hole had opened in my chest.
I had to fill it immediately.
Only by satisfactorily filling this hole of hunger would Tiber's lingering regret also be filled.
But if I spent all forty coppers here, I'd have to starve for the next two days.
But Tiber.
But the remaining money.
But something delicious.
But... But... But...
"Ugh..."
I had fallen into a trap.
A deep, inescapable trap lay in front of the Oak Tree Inn.
How long had I been stuck here?
Ten minutes?
Or thirty minutes?
During that time, countless customers had entered and exited the restaurant.
A delicious scent wafted from the people who came out.
"Ugh..."
I'm dying.
I can't bear it anymore.
My soul had already left my body and began rushing through the front door of the Oak Tree Inn.
If so, it was now my body's turn to follow the soul that had left first.
But then.
"..."
I felt a gaze from somewhere.
I turned my head to see a child wearing the same uniform as me staring at me.
"..."
"..."
Who was this kid?
He was definitely an academy student.
He didn't smell of poison like the guy I killed at the dorm earlier.
No, it was natural that he didn't smell of poison.
Not all academy students could be spies for the Poison King house.
But why was he staring at me?
His eyes looked malicious, and he even had a scar on his face, which seemed unusual...