Chapter 167: Undercover (3)
There was a common saying that said, “money doesn’t grow on trees”. It meant money wasn’t something that was freely found. Normally, that was true. You didn’t often find money just lying anywhere on the ground. However, Lloyd’s current situation was a bit different.
Money doesn’t grow on trees? That’s right. It comes from the ground!
Lloyd’s content gaze moved toward the hole he had just bored. About 20 inches deep down, there was a skull. A real one, not the kind used in biology class at school. Any normal person would have shuddered at the sight, but not Lloyd. He was different.
Whew. My precious.
His gaze, which was stuck to the skull, resembled that of a greedy man looking at his golden goose. Or that of a passerby who spotted a 50 dollar bill amid a pile of leaves in the fall. However, this was hardly surprising as the skull contained a precious jewel.
So, in other words, I simply have to clear the concentrated mana, and the jewel will be mine. Like this or that way.
Ziiing! Lloyd rotated his three-strand mana circles with the dream of being filthy rich, sucking the mana pressured in the jewel. The rotation disintegrated the mana structure, and the process was likened to getting rid of the fuse in a time bomb and pulling out a Zenga block from a delicately put pile. He disintegrated and disassembled the mana structure. Then, he moved it to the other side of his arm.
Psssh… The mana, which had now become harmless, dissipated and spread throughout the air. Sometime later, around the time sweat started to drip from his forehead, the dangerous energy loaded in the jewel finally disappeared. A rewarding smile appeared on his face.
Now the jewel is mine. Mwahaha.
Clack! The jewel rolled out of the skull and landed on his palm. How pretty and wonderful it was to behold. He studied the jewel and all its dimensions. Mirth danced in his eyes.
Nice. There isn’t even a single blemish. It’s perfect.
This was the 24th one. Lloyd had been roaming around Naraman’s wall for several hours now, and he discovered 24 skulls and just as many jewels. His bloating pocket pleased him. But it came with a tad bit of guilt.
“I do not know what terrible thing you went through, but may you rest in peace.”
After taking the stone, he placed the skull on the ground, giving it a respectful bow. And he set the skull into the sack with care lest he damages it. Three more sacks lay around him, containing all the 24 skulls he had found.
It’s a relief that there were clothes in my bag to turn into sacks.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thought of carrying these many skulls.
Although I can’t hold a funeral for them, I should at least bury them in good soil.
These victims were buried without anything else but their skull. And worse, they were abused by no other than dark magicians. So, it went without saying how resentful their souls must be after they were half-heartedly buried in this cold earth with an evil stone planted in their skulls. Lloyd hated to leave them here. Though the job was slightly bothersome and laborious, it was the proper thing to do. The least he could do was give them a proper burial in fertile land. And so, Lloyd made sure to take the skulls along with the stones, so engrossed in the process that the sun was already hanging on the west horizon before he knew it. The night would come soon, and his surroundings would grow dark.
Should I return to the lodging first?
Lloyd took the skull-loaded sacks and placed them in his lodging. And he once again stepped out. This time, he had more sacks with him.
Duh. Why should I stop this treasure hunt just because it’s dark?
Hay had to be made while the sun shone. The mast had to be raised while the wind was good. The same went for keeping the treasures in the ground. Lloyd had to take this chance and abuse it, much like going to a buffet with the intent of expanding your stomach or taking the chance to move things forward with your crush after they confessed. As the opportunity presented itself to Lloyd, he had to sweep the entire area for hidden gems, even if it meant pulling an all-nighter.
This opportunity won’t last long.
Since the job involved sneaking around and stealing the stones containing dark magicians’ magic, it was only a matter of time before they noticed the disappearance of the magic circle they had painstakingly crafted.
I have to take as many as possible before they notice anything. I can do it.
Lloyd rushed out of the castle, so speedily that the callous in his feet started to sweat. It was as though he was darting to a store after it announced a one-day mega sale and giveaway event. He dug and dug, each scoop reflecting the spirit of a farmer harvesting a bumper crop or a fisher hauling up a net full of riches. As a result, Lloyd discovered countless skulls, dissipated the mana in them, and pocketed the jewels. He also earned an unexpected reward in the process.
Ding Dong!
[Skill Level Up!]
[The Asrahan Core Technique: Triple Circle Lv. 3]
[Mana amplified to: 560%]
[Skill Options: ① Energizer / ② Latent Power Surge / ③ Power Saving Mode / ④ Circle Shift / ⑤ Supercharge]
[Required RP to level up: 600]
[Current RP: 3,005]
Yes!
Checking the message in front of his eyes, Lloyd clenched his muddy fists. He had been using the Asrahan Core Technique to its maximum capacity as he removed the evil mana in the stones. The job itself turned out to be a great source of training for his skill.
Oh, I made the right choice by coming to Namaran.
Lloyd now desisted from the dark magicians, obtained a boatload of expensive jewels, leveled up his Asrahan Core Technique, and thoroughly checked the construction site for the slope stabilization method. Lloyd, who could utilize the Subterranean Scanning and the Asrahan Core Technique, was the only one able to do all this work at once.
Lalalala! Yes, yes!
He started to hum subconsciously. The humming stayed with him throughout the night as he mined the jewels.
“Did something happen to you?”
The next day, around midnight, Lloyd was smugly smiling as he counted the jewels he had scavenged the previous night in his lodging when he heard a familiar voice out the window. It was quite icy. Lloyd turned and found Javier slipping into the window.
Cocking his head, Lloyd asked, “By the way, what tremendous event led to you becoming a flashy lady?”
Javier was making his way through the window in the exact countenance Lloyd had seen the previous day in the soup kitchen. Modest and humble dress. Silky silver hair. He was Lady Ella at the moment. Javier was embarrassed to be in such a fashion, so he wrinkled his nose and spoke.
“I had no choice,” blurted Javier.
“You had no choice? Did you run out of clean clothes to wear?”
“Your response is terribly incorrect and offensive. That is definitely not it,” defied Javier.
“Then?”
“Like I told you, there were areas in Cannavaro’s house that were off-limits.”
“You mean the areas protected by magic?” asked Lloyd.
“Yes, the basement.”
“Did you disguise as a woman to peep at the place?”
“Yes,” Javier said as he nodded. “I had no other choice even though I am a sword master. The magical protection can’t be penetrated. So, this was the only way for me to make my way there without being caught.”
Javier frowned slightly, and Lloyd wondered what he was thinking about.
“At first, I didn’t mean to cross-dress. But my face was the problem.”
“Because you’re too handsome?” joked Lloyd.
“Yes.”
“What. Are you seriously saying that?”
“It is the undeniable truth.” Javier sounded like he was talking about something very obvious. “I was too conspicuous. I could disguise myself, but my face can’t be altered. So, I thought outside the box.”
“Which was dressing as a woman? Because even if you draw attention, nobody will guess it’s you?” asked Lloyd.
“Yes, they will never think even for a second that a renowned knight would put on a woman’s disguise. That’s what I thought and why I did it.”
Javier slightly lifted his front skirt with his hands.
“I was worried a little at first, but no one doubted me.”
“And you are now the ravishing beauty in the city, Lady Ella.”
“Please erase that from your memory…” Javier chuckled, shuddering at the thought. “Anyway, thanks to my disguise, I was able to enter the basement on the fourth day on account of running an errand. But I found the place to be slightly off.”
“In what way?”
“There was another basement in the basement.”
“My, my. Were you able to get in there?” asked Lloyd.
“Not yet. It looked like only the closest cohorts of Cannavaro could enter inside.”
“I see,” said Lloyd, “this is very fishy.”
“Are you still doubting him?”
“Of course.”
Lloyd looked at him, his head cocked in a haughty manner.
“Do you still consider him to be a good man?” asked Lloyd.
“Yes,” said Javier confidently.
“How so?”
“I have not found anything that ties him to be an evil man,” Javier answered. “And he is still spending every minute of his day taking good care of the refugees.”
“Tsk,” said Lloyd, “You’re saying this even after you saw the basement situation?”
“It could be a secret vault, which is common among wealthy families.”
“Then,” Lloyd argued, “why did you disguise as a woman if you plan on defending him?”
“I would like to remind you once again that this is all to fulfill your order to the utmost capacity.”
“That’s a good answer,” Lloyd said sarcastically.
“I learned from you, Master Lloyd.”
“You are brazen.”
“Thank you very much,” answered Javier.
Javier then smiled faintly before asking Lloyd a question.
“By the way, I asked you a while ago, but did something happen to you as well?”
“Hmm? Why?” said Lloyd quizzically.
“The dark circles around your eyes deepened. But strangely, your expression is brighter.”
“Does it show?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Haah. Actually, I discovered these.”
Lloyd brought out one black stone and showed it to him, explaining everything that had taken place the night before. How he had come across a skull in the ground while surveying. How it was concentrated with mana. How removing the mana in the skull made a jewel appear. An incomprehensible expression appeared on Javier’s face after he heard the story.
“So you stole, no, excavated these jewels all night long?” asked Javier.
“Yeah. And I think the skull and the stone have something to do with Cannavaro.”
“Do you have proof?”
“That’s your job to find out from now on,” Lloyd said.
Of course, he didn’t have any evidence yet. There wasn’t a single piece of evidence to prove that Cannavaro was behind the skulls and jewels. However, Lloyd knew.
This is his doing. I’m completely sure.
Lloyd was sure because he had read the novel. Cannavaro was the man responsible for the incident with Namaran’s Wall. And a similar thing was to take place in this world.
“So, I’m telling you,” stated Lloyd. “You said that there is another basement underneath, right? Look into it. There’s got to be something in there.”
“Master Lloyd,” called Javier suggestively. “Did it ever cross your mind that you may be falsely accusing Lord Cannavaro?”
“Yeah, so you’ll have to check if my conviction is wrong or not, right?” asked Lloyd.
“…”
“Moreover, if this jewel really belongs to Cannavaro, something about him will change tomorrow. After all, he’ll think the jewels were stolen. He’ll act differently, or his people will be busy. Try to take advantage of that moment.”
“…”
“What, want to make a bet or something?” joked Lloyd.
“What kind of bet?” asked Javier in a serious tone.
“If I thought wrong and Cannavaro has nothing to do with this, I’ll call you ‘Master’ for a year. That is when no one else is around,” suggested Lloyd.
“Make it three years. How does that sound?”
“What?!”
“Are you scared?” smirked Javier.
“No, not at all. But in case I’m right, you will wear this costume when we return to Frontera county.”
“…”
“Scared?” asked Lloyd.
“No, not at all.”
“Good. But we have to be honest in front of the truth that will be revealed. Got it?”
“Of course. After all, this bet is just for fun.”
That went without saying. Javier, too, sensed something serious was happening in this city when he heard the story of the skulls and jewels. Dark magic. An evil scheme was brewing in this city. Getting an ominous feeling in his gut, Javier nodded in a serious manner.
“Then, I will return as soon as I come across something. Until then, please be safe, Master Lloyd.”
“Good,” said Lloyd. “You too.”
Javier left through the window, and a gust of fresh air came into his room. Lloyd’s head cleared as he breathed in, and it allowed him to go through his plan once more.
I need proof. I need damning evidence that Cannavaro was the one who buried the skulls and jewels.
Once he found it, he would go look for Count Namaran.
Then, let the games begin. Even if Cannavaro is a dark magician, he’ll be arrested on the spot when the knights ambush his place.
If that were to happen, he wouldn’t have to take any action. There would be no need to take on any dangerous risks. And he’d be able to prevent the incident regarding Namaran’s Wall.
So, Javier, I trust you.
Lloyd knew that Javier would be able to do it. Thinking so, Lloyd sat at the table and counted the jewels he spent all night collecting. And the next day, when morning rolled around, Cannavaro’s eyes swelled with rage when he realized that every single noctanium, the cursed stone, he had buried around Namaran’s wall was stolen.