Chapter 907
Clack, clack.
As small footprints appeared on the floor, Haena wiped her teeth and moved forward. As expected, the door handle was firmly locked. Haena focused her energy at her fingertips and slid a wire into the keyhole.
Click.
“Haena, is it working?”
“Yes, this much is no problem. But since I can’t see my hands, it’s a bit… um.”
She had to work more clumsily than usual. Ian anxiously glanced down below the railing. Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone passing by.
Click, click.
“Okay, it’s open. You can come in, Ian.”
The door swung open in an instant. Ian thanked her and slipped inside, while Haena closed the door behind him. Then, she wiped the hallway spotless before returning to the room.
Creak.
Ian entered Crony’s study and first took a look around. The interior was neat and orderly. The curtains were drawn, making the room dark, but he could still make out the shapes. Should he turn on the light?
Zzzzz!
Ian conjured a small orb of magic at his fingertips. It was a tiny glow, like a firefly, but it brightened the surroundings. He strode over to the desk and rummaged through the drawers.
Rustle.
He carefully kept the papers in order as he quickly read through them. Most were reports on managing the mansion. The handwriting looked familiar—it was the butler’s. Similar to the handwriting on the invitation.
‘Nothing.’
There was nothing particularly noteworthy on the desk. Ian opened the drawers from top to bottom, confirming that the lowest one was completely empty. Impossible.
‘Something’s off.’
How could a personal study have such clean drawers? Even for simple paperwork, this was unusual. As Ian absentmindedly slid the drawer in and out, he suddenly noticed something.
“Huh?”
The depth of the drawer felt different, as if there was a hidden compartment. Ian reached inside the third drawer and fumbled around until he found a small groove.
‘Here it is.’
Leaning in to inspect the inside, Ian felt a chill run down his spine. A secret space made only with a groove, no special mechanism. It seemed like if he pulled on it, it would just come out. But knowing Crony’s personality, would he really leave such a sloppy trap?
Swish.
Ian crouched down and checked the potion kit Ako had given him.
“Lightning powder… Why on earth did she give me this?”
Next were the clone potion and the hallucination potion.
Ian carefully examined the clone potion, then popped the cap and swallowed it in one gulp. A sweet strawberry flavor spread through his mouth.
Whoosh.
Heat flushed through his body, then quickly faded. Suddenly, an un-invisible version of himself appeared, standing there blankly.
“Oh.”
“Oh.”
“…Hello?”
“…Hello?”
The clone mimicked his every move, wiggling its fingers awkwardly, as if trying to get used to the unfamiliar body.
Ian asked the clone to pull the groove.
“It’s inside here.”
“It’s inside here.”
“Can you try pulling the groove?”
“Can you try pulling the groove?”
“…Stop copying me.”
“Stop copying me.”
Ugh. The clone’s behavior was frustrating. Ian narrowed his eyes in displeasure, but the clone blinked innocently and reached into the groove.
At that moment, with a click, the gap opened slightly—
Crackle! Crackle!
Suddenly, a beam of light burst out, instantly burning the clone to ashes.
“…!”
“…!”
Ian stepped back in shock, while the clone, unaware it was being erased, turned to dust and vanished.
‘A trap.’
If he had blindly reached in, he would have been burned to death like that. Ian felt sweat trickle down his spine and called out for help.
“Haena. Haena, are you there?”
But there was no answer. The potion’s effect must have worn off, or for some reason, she had left earlier.
Ian looked around and pulled a cloth from a stand, wrapping it around his hand.
‘The clone opened the gap a little, so I just have to pull it.’
Would it be okay? Just in case, he activated a protective shield, but the unease wouldn’t fade.
At the same time, Ian fully realized that Crony truly intended to kill him. Even if this wasn’t a trap aimed directly at him, it revealed a nature that anyone who crossed the line would be killed without mercy.
Creak.
Carefully, even more carefully, Ian opened the drawer. Inside were thick stacks of documents and a small jewelry box. Just as Ian reached to pick them up—
“Is that the right size for the clothes?”
“Probably. By the way, who manages the mansion’s water supply? Fire them immediately. What a disgrace.”
“Understood.”
Voices came from outside.
Ian held his breath and slowly examined the documents. Haena and Romandro would surely buy him some time.
Rustle.
‘A list of bank accounts. Why keep this here?’
Ian scrutinized the deposits and withdrawals with his small hands. Then he discovered something new: Crony’s financial resources were more limited than expected. Money was transferred to various places as soon as it was deposited, leaving only about a hundred gold coins available for immediate use.
‘Huh? This isn’t a transfer, it’s a withdrawal.’
Compared to his assets, a significant amount had been cashed out, and that entry caught Ian’s eye. He memorized the date and amount, then moved on to the next document.
“…This is it.”
He found a business card. It read
‘Could this be the group Crony hired for the assassination?’
Ian hesitated but pocketed the card. If Crony returned and saw the desk, he’d know someone had broken in and triggered the trap. Since it was inevitable, it didn’t matter whether Ian took it or not.
Swish.
At that moment, Ian’s fingertips regained color—the invisibility potion’s effect was fading. It would take some time to walk back through the hallway to the room…
Click.
Worried but undeterred, Ian kept working. He opened the jewelry box tucked in the corner.
“Ah.”
His body froze.
Inside was a familiar amber-colored magic stone—Idgal. He didn’t know how, but compared to the single one Ako had managed to get, this one was larger and seemed sturdier.
‘This is supposed to neutralize magic.’
Ako’s purpose was clearly research, but what about Crony? What on earth did he want with this? No, more importantly, where did he get it? Ian frowned at the ominous thought.
‘Take everything.’
He stuffed all the evidence-worthy items into his pockets.
Ian looked through the other documents, but most seemed unrelated to the assassination. It was time to wrap things up.
Click.
Peeking out the door, Ian saw the servants standing in the hallway. They were there to bring clothes and to be ready for any unexpected requests. Since his invisibility had completely worn off, he couldn’t leave carelessly.
“Honestly, I’m out of that jasmine tea. Do you have any?”
“Um, the mansion doesn’t keep any prepared…”
“Then at least prepare some similar flower tea. Ian, what if you catch a cold? You’re an important figure in the Magic Department! Isn’t that right?”
Cough! Cough!
Haena cast a finicky spell to shoo the servants away, while Romandro coughed repeatedly. Ian wasn’t sure if he was copying her or not.
The servants looked troubled but grumbled as Haena closed the door and went downstairs.
“Some people are just so fussy.”
“Exactly. Wouldn’t a simple warm-up do?”
“Flower tea, huh? I wonder if there’s any left in the kitchen?”
Now was Ian’s chance. He shook the last hallucination potion a few times and sprinkled it on the floor. Without looking back, he dashed down the hallway.
The background shimmered strangely, and a giant cockroach appeared on the ceiling. It was the size of a human fist, and the servants descending the stairs screamed as if they were about to faint.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“Eek!”
Thud!
Why would a hallucination potion conjure something like that? Ian ran, puzzled by Ako’s strange choice.
Just then, the door opened. Haena wrapped Ian in a towel as if she had been waiting for him.
Click.
“Ian, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“There was quite a commotion outside.”
“Don’t know. Ako gave me something weird.”
What on earth… Haena and Romandro were puzzled but held their tongues, trusting Ako’s judgment.
Ian quickly dried off and changed into the clothes the butler had handed him. They were clothes Crony had worn as a child, so they felt a bit unsettling, but there was no other choice. From now on, staying hidden was the most important thing.
Meanwhile, the butler, irritated by the noise, climbed the stairs carrying a broom and duster, only to find the servants flustered and running about.
“What’s all this commotion?”
“There was a huge bug on the ceiling—!”
“We have guests! What is this nonsense?”
The butler snapped angrily but then noticed the floor. Though the footprints had mostly been wiped away by the servants’ comings and goings, faint traces of moisture remained. He motioned for the servants to stay still.
‘What’s this?’
None of the servants were holding anything wet. Following the moisture with his eyes, it led to the innermost hallway.
‘That’s…’
There was only the study there.
The butler frowned and headed in the opposite direction, toward the room where Ian and the others were changing.
“…!”
Could it be?
He turned back toward the study and tried the doorknob—fortunately, it was locked. The butler hurriedly flung open the door to Ian’s room.
Bang!
“Ah.”
Ian, having changed clothes, was drying his hair by the fireplace. Romandro sat beside him, looking on with curiosity. Ian frowned, clearly annoyed.
“I wish you’d have given me some warning.”
“I-I apologize. I just wanted to check if you were comfortable—”
“It’s uncomfortable when the butler barges in like that.”
The floor was soaked. It was clear Ian had come out of that room, but there was no solid proof. They couldn’t just start frisking him, and since Crony personally held the study’s key, they couldn’t enter there either.
“I’m very sorry.”
“The master invited me to live here, but the more I think about it, the more I feel we’re not a good match.”
Ian adjusted his collar as he warmed himself by the fire.
“The door opens without a sound, the faucet’s broken and sprays like a fountain, and judging by the noise outside, it seems there was even a bug infestation.”
And on top of that—Hana’s confident little fist, raised defiantly, was the cherry on top.
Ian’s criticism left the butler speechless; he just bit his lip. Such things simply shouldn’t happen in a refined, upscale mansion. Ian tossed the towel aside and asked,
“The master should be in his bedroom, yes? I’ll just say a quick hello and be on my way.”
His bangs were still slightly damp, but he couldn’t stay in the mansion any longer. When he nodded as if to say “lead the way,” the butler turned and guided them.
“This way.”
Hana, Romandro, and Ian exchanged glances. Whatever happened, let’s just wrap this up and get out of here.
Ian had a business card in his pocket and needed to deliver Idgal to Minister Arena. If Crony had gotten his hands on a magic stone capable of nullifying magic, that was truly dangerous. Lost in these tangled thoughts, they arrived at Lord Lato’s bedroom.
Knock, knock.
“Master, it’s Lord Ian.”
The butler knocked, but there was no answer from inside. He knocked again.
“Master?”
The silence inside was unnervingly complete.
Startled, the butler opened the door—and there lay Lato, peacefully asleep in bed. So still, so quiet, not even a breath could be heard. He was in a deep, undisturbed slumber.