“Lord Jang, is it?”
“Isn’t it the only way to catch a lead right now? Since we don’t know the location of the thief who stole the treasure either, it would be advantageous to obtain information from Lord Jang as quickly as possible.”
“Hmm…”
He nodded as if acknowledging the logic in my words.
After all, this was the only way out of the situation. However, he looked at me with a troubled expression.
“There’s nothing else we can do.”
“That is correct.”
He stood up with a somewhat uneasy look on his face.
It seemed that since Lord Jang was someone of considerable standing, it was awkward to question him. If the source of the treasure’s acquisition was somehow questionable, digging into it would likely expose some dirty secret. In such a scenario, there was a high chance that both of us would find ourselves in an awkward position.
After all, people with a lot to hide often resort to dirty tactics to cover up their secrets.
“Hmph… I didn’t want to contact Lord Jang if possible, but given the situation, he’ll surely understand. I’ll visit him tomorrow. It’s too late to go now…”
“Ah, understood.”
“Then, have a good night.”
With a face weary from exhaustion, he turned his back and left the inn. I quietly watched him leave, then nodded respectfully to the innkeeper watching from the kitchen and climbed the stairs.
How did things end up this way?
Ideally, we should resolve this quickly and either return to the Martial Alliance…
———————–
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
“Good morning.”
“Not really. I’ve just come back from being harshly criticized for lack of results.”
There’s nothing more irritating than having your boss nitpick everything. I recalled our vice-leader who was especially nitpicky. That man was truly critical.
But thanks to his scrutiny, he managed our supplies efficiently so none of us starved. I learned quite a bit from him in various ways.
“Excuse me…”
“…Ah, sorry. I just got lost in old memories.”
“It’s normal to feel nostalgic at times. Now, let’s head to Lord Jang’s.”
We headed towards Lord Jang’s mansion to obtain the lead. Rumor has it he owns the largest mansion in this city.
“Did we gain any leads from last night?”
“It seems the thief hasn’t left the city. We thoroughly searched the city but found no traces of the pursuer charm, leaving the situation unclear.”
“The thief didn’t leave the city…”
Why?
Isn’t it natural for a thief to just leave and run as far away as possible? There’s no barrier or anything preventing their escape, so why wouldn’t they just leave quietly?
“There are too many questions. This is definitely not an ordinary thief; there’s something odd about this from the moment they used light-footed movement…”
“In a world where so many ruffians practice martial arts, such a person may exist.”
“…Shouldn’t you hesitate to make such remarks in front of a martial artist?”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. What’s important now… isn’t it that we need to meet Lord Jang by entering this gate?”
I heard that he suddenly appeared decades ago, founded a caravan, and quickly expanded it. He is clearly an influential figure in this city with valuable collections displayed every night market.
I looked up at the gate of his mansion, which seemed similar to a palace.
It’s like they built a complete Gyeongbok Palace. Just walking around the garden would likely take an hour. Already, we had to walk a long stretch along the mansion’s wall to reach the gate.
It’s almost as though an entire district is covered by this mansion.
“Meng Podu, what brings you here?”
“I’ve come to ask Lord Jang a question. Is he currently at home?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Please deliver the message.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The martial guard guarding the gate entered after opening it. We patiently waited for his return. The guards reappeared after about fifteen minutes.
“Please come in.”
The guards opened the gates wide and announced. We followed them through the gate into the mansion.
“…Is the richest man’s house in this city really this different?”
“He’s unimaginably wealthy.”
It certainly shows.
But if someone as rich as this has such a lax security, isn’t something off?
Could it be… that he knew the treasure would be stolen from the start?
Though the purpose is unclear…
No, everything right now is speculation. It’s too weak to be drawing conclusions from such meager clues. What we need to do now is hear what Lord Jang has to say.
“Lord Jang! Meng Podu has arrived!”
“Tell him to enter.”
There was some rustling sound amidst the voice.
“Come in.”
The room was vast. We entered, removing our shoes, finding a space almost as spacious as a living room. This seemed quite natural for such a large house.
If I lived here… No.
It wouldn’t attract me that much actually.
Maintaining such a wide space would be a nuisance.
“Meng Podu. It’s been two days. Who’s the hooded figure behind you?”
Ah, I haven’t taken off my hood. I removed my now almost inseparable hood, placed it on the ground, and bowed respectfully.
“I am William Marshall. Please call me ‘Wei Mo’.”
“A Colored-Eyed Person…”
Lord Jang looked at me with surprise, then eyed me warily.
“I didn’t know you traveled with a Colored-Eyed Person. Meng Podu.”
“I met him by chance. He’s quite sharp, which is why I’ve brought him here to aid in solving this case.”
“Hmm…”
An elderly man with a somewhat cunning expression swept his beard while observing me thoroughly; it was an unpleasant feeling, but there was no room to create a scene, so I waited for his inspection to finish.
“Hmm. If you’re useful, then it’s fine…”
This is really making me uncomfortable.
Having finished his inspection, Meng Podu immediately moved to the main topic.
“Is there anything you can tell us about the treasure?”
Hmm.
As he furrowed his brow…
“I acquired it by chance at an auction. It was an old manual, bought out of curiosity. But when my bodyguard took a look, he identified it as ‘Shadowless Divine Bowmanship.’ I simply displayed it at the night market to show it off.”
“Chance.”
There’s a smell of something fishy here.
Isn’t it obtained through regular channels?
Shall I ask directly? Or…
“Is that all?”
“Are you doubting me now?”
“No. I was merely wondering if there was any additional information.”
“Meng Podu. Despite spraying the book with the pursuer charm, you couldn’t track it down, correct?”
“That’s…”
“Tch. I assumed I could rely on you, Meng Podu.”
…It’s clearly an attempt to get us out of here quickly.
I subtly shifted my gaze to examine the old man’s body. Perhaps there were signs I hadn’t found on him.
Flat temples, no significant muscles… no, these things aren’t enough to confirm anything.
It seems like we have no choice but to take a risk now.
“I’m disappointed in you. I will entrust this matter to another constable. You may leave…”
“Sir.”
“What do you have to say?”
“Could you summon the bodyguard who inspected the Shadowless Divine Bowmanship manual?”
“…That bodyguard quit recently.”
…That sounds like a lie.
It’s not something famous nor something a mere bodyguard could identify just by reading an old book. Of course, if the manual had its author’s alias clearly stated, that might happen.
But Lord Jang’s reaction wasn’t because of that.
Just from his gaze, it was obvious the suspicion I had aroused had intensified.
“Did he know the contents by memory? Yet you let him go?”
Would a merchant do that? Honestly, if this guy took the content, remade the book, and sold it, the value would drop significantly. Although, such extreme cases are rare, the possibility isn’t zero.
“It’s the Shadowless Divine Bowmanship you’re trying to retrieve, Lord Jang.”
Lord Jang’s eyes sharpened, glaring at me like a foe.
“…I feel offended.”
I observed his face, which was filled with confusion and anger, looking for an opportunity.
An opportunity to find a lead.
“As long as you’re hiding something, there will be no way to find the Shadowless Divine Bowmanship manual. Would it be better if you were honest?”
It’s no big deal for me if I’m annoyed and just leave. While my connections with the authorities would be dashed, it doesn’t matter much since I’m practically a Martial Realm person.
Even without them, I can survive adequately by networking within the Martial Realm.
“Meng Podu, is this your intention as well?”
“Ah, no. What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
Meng Podu tried to calm me down with a panicked expression, but I had no intention of stopping.
I still had one last accusation to make.
I expelled the concealed dagger in my mouth.
Something as hard as steel or as soft as a leaf.
“…Do you have any connection with the Shadowless Divine Bowmanship, Lord Jang?”
The old man’s countenance warped unpleasantly.
—
