Chapter 216 – Imposter

“Ugh… ghh… It hurts…”

The man groaned as he cracked his eyes open, his face contorting in pain. His body must have been wracked with agony. Though he tried to put strength into his limbs, he remained lying down. Moreover, the pain in his body seemed to prevent him from moving.

“Awake, are you?”

The man turned his gaze toward the voice’s direction. There stood Elmer, the group’s Leader. Elmer too had been rolled over after being immobilized by Earth Magic. Seeing this, the man seemed to understand the position he himself was in.

“Are you… unharmed…?”

“Hard to call this ‘unharmed.’ Look at this state. Can’t use Magic. My head and jaw hurt. It’s a bit hard to talk, but well, I’m alive somehow.”

Elmer, with bandages wrapped around his head, gave a pained smile.

“Magic is… that means…”

“Lower your voice. We don’t know who might be listening.”

At Elmer’s hushed tone, the man looked startled and hurriedly scanned his surroundings. The place he was in. The situation he was placed in.

He realized they were in some unfamiliar mansion, with quite splendid interior decor. Only the man and Elmer were around. No one else was present.

“This is… what’s going on?”

“Don’t know. Probably, this is a room in Count Gartner’s residence. The others were here too, but they seem to be taking them out one by one. Whether they’re being interrogated or transported, I don’t know… For some reason or another… our plan was exposed, we were defeated, and here we are.”

The man showed a thoughtful expression at Elmer’s words, then said:

“Ah, r-right! That Bayle…! Could he have betrayed us!?”

“He was likely just being controlled by some kind of Magic. I don’t know the Magic, but such things probably exist. The enemy was simply better. That’s all there is to it.”

The man’s eyes widened at those words. Then he let out a deep breath and said:

“…What’s going to happen to us now?”

“Rescue is hopeless. The guys we had stationed at the annex were taken out by a Mechanism and defeated. Bringing Godwin along was so we could insist it was for ransom if exposed. All we can do now is keep quiet and solemnly accept our punishment.”

At Elmer’s words, the man looked dejected and gave a weak laugh.

“To think those two misread the opportunity…”

“If they judged it was something the two of them could handle, it must have truly been a good chance. One that wouldn’t come again if missed. Then, it just means we were short on hands…. It was my misjudgment.”

“That’s not…”

“If it had gone well… perhaps we might have achieved our objective too…”

“The recovery of Patricia’s possessed Magic…?”

Just as the man said that much, the expression vanished from Elmer’s face.

“Elmer-sama?”

Ignoring the man’s puzzled question, Elmer stood up casually as if it were nothing.

The man was speechless. The stone coffin that should have been binding Elmer was like a prop, hollow inside, with just the lid placed on top. If he’d wanted, he could have moved at any time.

Why? Had the Magic Seal been lifted, allowing him to break the bindings?

Such were the questions and hopes the man harbored. The answer to them was a change in Elmer beyond his expectations.

“Ghk!?”

From his face. From his hands. The color drained away. His eyes, nose, and mouth became indistinct in shape, and his hair receded as if being sucked back into his scalp. In a short time, what had been Elmer transformed into something semi-transparent. In other words—the true form of a Doppelganger.

Then the room’s door opened. The man looked at me as I entered, his eyes wide.

“Good work, Ambrum.”

Ambrum placed a hand on his hip, bowed slightly, and left the room. Caduceus was with him. Their exchange just now, though in low voices, had been clearly audible to me.

Apparently, Ambrum can’t speak when not in human form because he lacks vocal cords. Even in human form, his responses aren’t that skilled, so if you want him to speak elaborately beyond prearranged replies, Rosemary needs to directly control him.

Rosemary being strict with the surroundings was also a precaution to keep the servants at a distance, preventing the Shadow Clone’s flaws from showing.

And directly controlling him results in that.

“Wh-what was that!?”

“No need to talk. I’ll tell you this much: that was a confirmation check. You’re not the only one who leaked information, so no need to feel particularly guilty.”

The man finally realized he’d been tricked, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. He seemed at a loss for words.

Compared to preparing things like Magical Inquisition or Magic Potions, this method is quicker. Besides, Rosemary, upon my suggestion, seemed to put considerable effort into controlling Ambrum, thinking it might serve as some form of atonement toward Father.

Anyway, I’ve heard what I needed to. Using Sleep Cloud to make him lose consciousness again, I levitate him to the entrance hall with Levitation.

“Is this the last one?”

Claudia asked.

There, the packaged kidnappers were piled up like luggage. Everyone was waiting nearby.

“Yeah. Termwills side seems to have their reception ready, so please handle it.”

“Okay. Leave it to me.”

A Teleportation Magic Array spread from Claudia’s feet, and the group was neatly shipped off to Termwills. Left behind was—only Godwin, his face pale.

This guy can’t use Magic either, and his connection to them is weak. Since there’s no need for Magic restriction with Subjugation Magic, this is more a matter to be left to Father.

Former servant Godwin will play the role of being publicly denounced for attempting to guide criminals for monetary gain, serving as a stern warning to prevent others from following.

“I-It’s a misunderstanding, Master! … Th-Theodore, young master too! I-I was just—told I’d get money if I guided them around the county…!”

When Father and I looked at Godwin, he said such things with a strained smile.

…Guiding, huh.

“Heard you were grumbling in a tavern and got approached?”

When I said that, Godwin started trembling violently.

We have multiple testimonies from the group. Godwin apparently resented Father for being fired so easily after years of service. Even so, Godwin was effectively a spy for the Marquis’s family, betraying the Count’s family, so it’s his own fault.

Seems he was spotted by their information-gathering team while drunkenly grumbling with misplaced resentment, and was approached about helping steal the Count’s family treasures.

But their method was kidnapping. And—their objective wasn’t treasures, but Patricia—likely Mother’s Magic Formula. Those two set their Mechanism there because they thought they could kidnap both Father and Kathryn simultaneously.

They figured they could use Kathryn’s safety—someone Father shows kindness to—as a Shield to prompt Father’s confession. A chance to kidnap two people under night’s cover without drawing attention isn’t something that comes often.

Well, Godwin probably wasn’t told that, but even so… he apparently leaked the Count’s family internal affairs to them, and using his familiarity, loitered around so that even if seen, it would seem like he was there to request reemployment.

He wasn’t given information… but there’s no doubt he was quite actively assisting them.

“I heard plenty from the next room. Disappointing, Godwin.”

“N-No! I was! Just tricked by them!”

When Father sighed, Godwin’s eyes widened and he started piling excuse upon excuse, but it was unbearable to listen. He was carried off by soldiers while screaming.

“Patricia, huh… Between that and Silvatoria…”

Father made a sour face and put a hand to his forehead. Ah… He’s tired.

Well, it’s been one thing after another; can’t be helped.

“—Mother probably didn’t want to drag you into her own affairs.”

“…That’s… about Lisa. Surely that must be it.”

He narrowed his eyes and smiled wryly. …Come to think of it, I couldn’t say it to Father earlier.

“Something I forgot to mention earlier—you said you were too soft, right?”

“Yes.”

“Mother called that ‘kind.'”

That’s what I like about you, too.

Father’s eyes widened slightly, then he showed a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Theo.”

Saying that, Father quietly closed his eyes.

“Right after arriving… various things happened, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s banquet.”

“That’s right. That should proceed as scheduled.”

Rosemary’s matter will come after that, I suppose.

“Then we’ll return to Mother’s house for now. Let’s start fresh tomorrow.”

“Yes. Until tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”

Before then, we need to organize and properly compile what we learned from their testimonies. Grace and the others, who had been smiling during my exchange with Father, nodded back with serious expressions when I looked at them and nodded.