Chapter 89

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The mayor's residence was a grand stone house.

With its large walls, metal gates, and ivy-adorned arches, it was a magnificent structure that seemed out of place in such a forest.

"Wow, looks like they have money," I muttered as we stood in front of the closed gate. Tetra agreed.

"If only that money was earned honestly..."

"Is this place also the town... I mean, the city council hall?"

"Yes. That hasn't changed. Although, it was much more modest in the previous mayor's time, now it's become so luxurious."

Tetra spat out the words bitterly. Her hand was so hot it seemed ready to set the house on fire at any moment.

"So, what about the mercenaries inside?"

"I'll leave the method to you. It seems you'll do better without my interference."

"Is that so?"

Honestly, I was at a loss even though I was given the responsibility. Unlike the tavern earlier, there were many townspeople inside. If I were seen, it would be impossible to silence everyone.

Disposing of the bodies was also a problem. If the bodies were found, it would cause a commotion no matter what.

I had to bury or burn them, or somehow make sure they weren't found.

...But I didn't need to worry. Right, I'm good at not being seen.

So the only problem was disposing of the bodies, which I could leave to Tetra.

"Um, so, when I bring the bodies, can you burn them, Tetra?"

"Sure... but, are you going alone?"

"Yes, it'll be faster that way. Tetra, can you wait on that roof over there?"

I pointed to the roof of a nearby house. It was slightly higher than the others and seemed hidden from the surrounding buildings.

I couldn't ask Tetra to wait in front of the building, so it was a spur-of-the-moment plan.

"How long will it take?"

"About a quarter of an hour, I think."

"Well, since I said I'd leave it to you, I won't stop you... but be careful... though, I guess you don't need to worry about that."

"I appreciate your concern."

When I made a light joke, Tetra puffed her cheeks and turned away.

"Then, I'll be off."

"...Be careful."

Tetra muttered softly.

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The gate was locked, but it opened easily with magic.

A light click echoed.

There didn't seem to be any preparations against mages. Even if not a mage, a sorcerer could probably open it... but then I realized a martial artist could force it open with brute strength.

This gate was probably just for show.

It also made me feel a bit uneasy.

I opened the door slightly and slipped in, turning invisible.

I was careful not to be seen, but there was no one around, so it wasn't a problem.

With a soundproofing spell, I could move freely inside the house.

I had lived in someone else's house for five years.

Compared to that, fooling people for a short time was child's play.

I entered the building and walked down the hallway. Occasionally, I passed people who looked like officials, but no one noticed me.

It was surprisingly easy.

The search itself was probably simple.

If the trap I set in the tavern earlier worked, the target would be found.

I looked up at the window of the tavern from the hallway and waited.

"They're coming."

From a distance, I heard the sound of flapping wings. Two birds.

I couldn't tell what kind of birds they were, but they looked like crows with white bellies, making a clacking sound.

These were the birds Ferment had prepared to summon the mercenaries.

I had used magic to restrain them so Tetra couldn't see, and then cut off the magic supply to release them. It was good that the timing worked out.

I confirmed that the birds entered the same room and hurried there.

I pressed my ear to the door and could hear the sounds inside.

There were probably two people. They seemed to be discussing the letter from the birds.

"...Isn't this overkill..."

"...But Ferment said so. They must be tough..."

"...They're probably just playing around..."

They didn't seem eager to move.

From the fragmented conversation, it seemed they weren't convinced by the message.

Their actions didn't matter. But they had received the letter.

So, the remnants of the Adtest Mercenary Group were them.

Next, I needed to confirm the number of people inside.

So far, I could only hear two people, but were there others? Using magic to search might alert the two, and opening the door would definitely be noticed. Was there another way to confirm?

But then I realized it was simple.

They had received the letter. Since they were summoned, they would come out of the room soon. I just needed to wait and confirm.

I cast a soundproofing spell around the room so the sounds inside wouldn't be heard when the door opened.

After waiting for a while, the door was rudely opened.

As the door opened, I peeked inside.

It was a small room. Paper scraps were scattered everywhere, forming a pile on the desk.

The bookshelf was sparsely filled with documents, giving an untidy impression.

There were only empty wine bottles scattered around, no blind spots, and no one hiding.

As the door opened and the two people came out, I used magic to forcefully push them back into the room.

"Ouch...! What the hell!?"

"Get ready! It's an attack!"

One of them fell on his butt in surprise, while the other immediately sensed the danger and gathered his martial arts energy.

He had good instincts. Or perhaps, the other one lacked a sense of danger.

I closed the door and revealed myself.

I wasn't used to killing people.

Showing myself was a sign of my current weakness. But I would get used to it.

"You brat...!"

I didn't respond to the angry mercenary and just used telekinesis to break his neck.

I had to avoid blood and flashy magic or dramatic fights. I had considered other methods based on the density of their martial arts energy, but it wasn't necessary.

There was a crack, and the two bodies collapsed.

"...Still not used to it, I guess."

Facing the two bodies, I muttered.

Breaking a fox's neck was easy, and hunting for survival was a daily routine.

Taking lives, killing, was a part of my daily life. But it felt different with humans.

It was strangely mysterious.

I picked up the two bodies and made them invisible along with myself.

It wasn't difficult to include them in my invisibility.

I thought about leaving through the window and headed towards it, placing my foot on the edge.

Suddenly, a shelf caught my eye. Unlike the messy pile of documents, this shelf had a stack of notepads.

From what I could see, they all had the name "Mr. Shigan" written in round handwriting.

I didn't have a habit of reading other people's letters, so I quickly looked away and jumped out the window.

It was almost thirty minutes. I needed to hurry back to Tetra.

The notepads stuck in my mind as I ran.

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I jumped onto the roof where Tetra was waiting. She was sitting and gazing at the sky, lost in thought.

I dispelled my invisibility and called out to her lonely back.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"…!?"

She seemed so surprised she couldn't speak. When she turned around, her face was filled with shock.

"Wh-What a scare! How long have you been here!?"

"Just now. Did you see something interesting?"

"…No. I was just looking around because I was bored... So..."

She paused, then looked at the bodies I was carrying and nodded slightly.

"Guess I don't need to worry. Shall I burn them?"

"Please do."

I dropped the bodies with a thud, and Tetra placed her hands on them and chanted a spell.

Soon, blue flames spread from the feet.

The flames silently consumed the bodies, quickly turning them to ash.

The bodies disappeared without any smell or smoke. The feet were already scattered by the wind.

"With this, our job is done. We just need to wait for Leighton."

"Speaking of which, where is he now?"

"If you ask me..."

He had disappeared like the wind. I had no idea where he was.

But he had said he would kill the Trenchworm and expose the tax evaders. He was probably doing that somewhere.

I could trust him.

"Well, Leighton will come when he's done."

"I hope so."

Perhaps from the sense of accomplishment after a job well done, Tetra's expression seemed to change.

Looking down at the town, people were moving around like ants swarming to honey.

The sweet honey of tax evasion would soon be gone. I hoped this wasn't the last burst of activity.

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