Episode 219 – Setup (6)

Setup (6)

“Haha.”

Libra’s Aerial Garden. Johanna laughed, fluttering the [World Series of Poker: Round 6 Winner’s Certificate].

It was the first spoil she had obtained since she started nurturing and sponsoring gamblers.

In fact, this certificate was meant for the player, but Shion had no interest in the spoils and had given it up.

“That just leaves the spot for the trophy.”

She looked around her trophy room.

Indeed, it was filled with first-place awards of all kinds. Horseback riding, fencing, swordsmanship, magic, poker, and even a valedictorian certificate from Edsilla National University’s Department of Magic…

Johanna was quite a renowned jack-of-all-trades in her youth. Her magical talent was considered the best among those in Libra.

However, now focused on the succession structure, she had no new trophies to speak of.

Yet, the undying passion and thirst for competition were precisely why she was so dedicated to gambling.

Johanna was, in fact, a woman addicted to competition more than gambling itself.

“Um…”

On the other hand, Zia looked a bit worried. She had followed Johanna to this room as soon as she returned.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

Zia hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Sister… the finals can’t be won by luck…”

“I know. The finals are swarming with real talents. It’s a bit strange to call them gambling talents, but they’re the kind who can even detect when human flesh reacts.”

Johanna giggled.

Her expression was mischievous, like the old days when she would break Zia’s arm and smirk.

“I’m… worried about you, sister…”

“You’re worried about me?”

Johanna turned to look at Zia, who nodded naturally.

“Yes…”

“…”

Suddenly, Johanna’s eyes curved into a smile of amusement.

“Don’t worry. I won’t take what’s yours.”

“I didn’t mean that…”

“You’re anxious, so you came wearing a suit. Otherwise, could you give him to me?”

“…”

Zia closed her mouth.

This honest demeanor is something Johanna actually liked. It was completely different from Jade and Derek, who were always scheming to deceive her.

“It’s a joke. The succession structure will last at most seven years anyway. Zia, you’ll also become the owner of the winner’s spoils. There’s no reason for me to take it.”

The time promised by Sherlock was slowly approaching.

Johanna raised her eyebrows while looking at Zia.

“Of course, it does seem like you’re wasting it.”

Then Zia made a strange expression.

“Wasting…”

“Yes. If you have people, you should trust and use them. Share the arcane, big or small, and give them a reason to be under you. Right?”

Johanna sat down in the executive chair. With a swivel, she spun the chair 360 degrees.

“Sister… more importantly… if you lose in the finals, the shares…”

The shares of the Golden Casino.

Johanna had literally waged a war to obtain them.

Forcing her way into a world that had been monopolized only by the mafia was an achievement that established her as a successor.

“Zia. Do you think I’ve lived on luck alone?”

“…huh?”

“In the final round, the dealer changes with every game. There’s a separate way to know that.”

Johanna laughed deeply, her fangs sharply exposed.

“Shion Ascal, that guy won’t know. What decisive moment will bring about what event.”

Manipulating luck at the most crucial moment.

That’s what the game is all about.

“Of course, I hope Shion Ascal wins before that…”

Johanna is not just a simple gambling fanatic. Rather, that’s just an image she’s crafted for the crucial moment.

There’s no point in cheating in a game with small stakes.

It only becomes meaningful when you cheat in a decisive game.

“What are the odds?”

Johanna asked Zia. Zia just blinked quietly.

After all, Johanna would answer herself.

“Certain victory.”

* * *

“…Investing 8 million Ren?”

Springwater Hospital. My attending physician, Professor Yu Hains, looked perplexed as he accepted the money bag.

“Yes.”

The 10 million ren prize money was quickly deposited.

It was supposed to be deposited to Johanna, the sponsor, first, but Johanna really took care of the taxes and deposited the full 10 million ren.

I withdrew 8 million ren from it.

“Do I need to write a contract?”

Professor Yu Hains asked.

“No.”

No need for a contract. My continued life is thanks enough for the investment.

“Just make sure to complete that machine properly.”

The desire to live might dull my thirst for revenge, but a cure is realistically impossible. It’s just a machine that managed to treat a single pig when I was on the brink of death.

But…

A target lifespan of 45 years.

That seems satisfying enough.

Let’s live just half the expected remaining years of an average person.

“Let’s do that. The treatment is ready for today.”

“Yes. I’ll go right away.”

I’ve gotten quite used to this.

…

As soon as I was discharged from the hospital, I immediately returned to ‘the promised place.’

A derelict factory with only concrete and steel rebar bones left. There, Bell Moore was waiting.

“Hey. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

I put the Artifact around my neck.

It’s an Artifact that records images like a camera, but since it stores information in ‘mana’, it’s impossible to manipulate the footage.

It’s to ensure full preparedness against any possible manipulation disputes.

“Hey. If you do all this and there’s no evidence there, you’re screwed. You know that?”

Bell Moore spoke with a newfound anxiety. I nodded.

“I know. If there’s no evidence, I’ll take the responsibility.”

“…Alone?”

“Yes.”

Because there won’t be none.

I’ve already been there.

“I, alone, am the internal investigator. Bell Moore is simply following my orders.”

“…Huh. Orders.”

Bell Moore let out a hollow laugh. He scratched the back of his neck.

“Let’s hope so. Fortunately, it seems that bastard Benedict still has no clue what’s going on.”

Benedict will die without even knowing he’s dying.

Of course, information obtained illegally without a search warrant cannot be used as evidence. Not legally in Edsilla.

But this is a judgment in Libra’s world.

“Let’s go.”

“Not yet. There’s one more person.”

“…Who is it?”

Bell Moore pointed somewhere.

From the darkness of the abandoned factory, another person emerged.

Purple hair. A woman with an intellectual aura about her, Riley, looking at me.

“You’re quite busy, aren’t you, Shion the intern?”

“I’m a Chaser now.”

At my response, she just shrugged her shoulders. Bell Moore turned around with a grin and said,

“We need someone to unlock the security formula. With three people on the team, we should be good to go… Let’s move.”

“Yes.”

…

We arrived at Benedict’s villa. With Riley’s help, we infiltrated stealthily, and I wandered inside just enough.

Moving too familiarly in a place I was visiting for the first time might give me away.

I didn’t want to leave even the slightest excuse to be suspected.

Anyways.

We reached Benedict’s secret space.

“It’s amazing every time. How do you break the magical encryption?”

I cracked the code in the same way as before.

Shhhhk—

The secret door behind the wardrobe was revealed, and the faces of Bell Moore and Riley hardened for a moment.

“What’s this now?”

A smile spread across Bell Moore’s face. It was a look of satisfaction.

“…What a trashy human being.”

Riley frowned in disgust.

“Well, looks like we won’t be needing any evidence?”

I surveyed the interior. My eyes scanned here and there until I picked up a notebook.

“Bell Moore.”

I showed it to him. The two hurried over to look at it.

It was evidence I had naturally created, showing traces of studying Sonya’s handwriting.

“…It’s over.”

Bell Moore laughed brightly as he put it into the evidence box. Then he hesitated for a moment, almost pouring all the materials inside into it.

“Hey. What do we do now?”

He asked me.

“By protocol, we report to the superior.”

“Superior?”

The Intelligence Agency is affiliated with Libra. Therefore, it doesn’t have an owner per se, and even if it did, it would currently be the head of the house, Sherlock.

However, my current temporary position as ‘internal investigator’ definitely has a superior.

A direct descendant who personally convened the disciplinary committee.

“It’s Lord Derek.”

I need to inform Derek of this fact.

That one of Derek’s subordinates is such a person, Derek himself must know.

Riley and Bell Moore’s faces stiffened for a moment. They looked at me with vacant eyes.

“The operation recording ends here.”

At that moment, I turned off the recording Artifact.

They all seemed to have a lot to say.

“…Crazy. Are you a Lunatic?”

Bell Moore’s words were full of disbelief.

But what Derek obsesses over the most is his own face. He never lets anyone who smears shit on his face live.

Therefore, if this incident were to be made public, he would only outwardly punish Benedict with a facade of sophistication and mercy.

But inside, he would harbor a rage beyond imagination, and not only would I be in danger, but also my affiliation with Zia.

I’m not ready for such chaos yet.

“Why don’t you just pass it on to the eldest daughter?”

“No. This whole incident was a personal deviation of Benedict. Moreover, he is a personnel of Lord Derek. The execution is Lord Derek’s responsibility.”

“…Wait a minute—”

I turned to Riley, who seemed about to object.

“No blemish must come to Lord Derek. No one dares to do that to a direct descendant.”

My loyalty to Libra is shown in this way.

“…The punishment is left to Lord Derek.”

After all, Derek will not let Benedict live. I would bet on it.

I know the character of this eldest son very well.

“I simply act according to the rules.”

* * *

In the capital Edsilla, at Derek’s grand mansion.

As an internal investigator, I faced Derek. I handed over all the items in the evidence box to him.

“…”

Derek scanned them one by one.

The smoking gun was a notebook practicing Sonya’s handwriting, but there were also photos containing some sadistic hobbies, and records of backdoor deals for business rights in Derek’s ventures.

“…What is the reason you brought these to me?”

Derek asked, tossing them aside.

“As an internal investigator, I am presenting evidence that Benedict has manipulated the case to Lord Derek, who personally convened the Sonnet Revil disciplinary committee.”

Derek rested his chin on his hand. His slender gaze was mixed with humiliation, shame, and anger.

“What do you want?”

“This is the personal deviation of the Intelligence Agency team leader. Above all, the grave offense is the attempt to tarnish the honor of Lord Derek.”

“…’Attempted’ to tarnish?”

“Yes.”

Derek seemed to find some clue in my words.

“Have you not reported to anyone else?”

“No. I am an internal investigator appointed by the disciplinary committee. Therefore, the superior I must report to is Lord Derek, who first convened the committee. Even that is related to Sonnet Revil, not the punishment of Benedict. That is not my place.”

“…”

Derek slightly lifted his waist. The back that had been almost buried in the chair straightened up again.

“Then. As an internal investigator, what are your thoughts?”

“I act according to the regulations. As an internal investigator, my only thought is that Sonnet Revil is innocent.”

“…And as a retainer of Libra?”

I lifted my head to look at Derek. His blue eyes narrowed like a snake’s.

“As a retainer of Libra, I cannot tolerate any employee of the Intelligence Agency tarnishing the reputation of the direct descendant, Lord Derek. No one should do that.”

Only then did Derek smile.

He asked with a slightly satisfied tone.

“What punishment do you think is appropriate?”

My answer was clear.

“…Death.”

Derek flicked through the evidence spread out on the desk and raised his eyebrows.

That was the end of it.

The mental settlement for a man who had served him for many years was sufficient with just a glance.

“Can you handle it quietly?”

Benedict will die without even knowing why he died. His mouth will never open.

He will not be able to utter a single word in defense against the fabricated evidence.

“It is possible.”

* * *

Late at night, at the capital residence of the Intelligence Agency team leader Benedict.

I had arrived at the destination. Standing at the entrance, I looked up at the lit bedroom and tightened my blue tie.

Knock-knock-

I knocked on the front door.

As if waiting, someone inside opened the door for me.

It was Benedict.

“…”

He looked at me with a strange expression.

“Did Lord Derek send you?”

“Yes. My duties as an internal investigator are scheduled to be concluded.”

“…Hmph. Is that so. What’s the conclusion?”

I tried to step inside, but Benedict blocked me.

“Where do you think you’re going, you orphan scum. Don’t cross the line and speak from there. The only reason I’m meeting you now is because of Lord Derek’s command.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes. You must have been chewed out by Lord Derek himself, huh? But it’s too late. Your career is already over.”

Benedict still didn’t realize what was coming. Well, he couldn’t know.

I smiled thinly.

“What’s so funny, you filthy bastard. If you dragged out the conclusion of the case for a whole week, you should have been prepared for this much.”

Because I prolonged the case a bit, Benedict and his subordinates had a lot of complaints against me.

Though Benedict himself would die today.

“Don’t worry.”

I placed my hand on my waist.

“The case will be concluded.”

“Just tell me the conclusion and get out.”

“Yes. The conclusion of the case ends.”

I gripped the sword.

Benedict is stronger than he looks. He’s probably a notch above Bell Moore.

Therefore, a surprise attack is necessary.

It has to end in one strike. Now, while he’s off guard, with a 「Severing Sword」 that pours out without a hint of murderous intent…

“With your death.”

“What… What do you mean?”

Benedict’s eyes filled with horror as he realized something.

“You crazy bastard!”

Just before he could hastily raise his Magic Body, my sword surged first. A cutting blue line severed his neck.

Sshhhrrrk──!

The neck and body were cleanly separated, and from within, red blood gushed out like a fountain.

Thud──.

Benedict’s body collapsed with a wobble, and his head rolled across the ground.

It was a remarkably clean scene.

“…Case closed.”

I wiped the blood splattered on my face with a handkerchief.