“It’s become even more certain with Delphine’s testimony and this investigation.”

La Rouge Headquarters.

Inside the building, where security had been further strengthened thanks to the recently acquired Posium, the three leaders were gathered together.

Lin spoke to Belly and Marian, who were seated at the round table.

“Pryde returned to Zone 3 as an escaped slave three years ago. Then a year ago, he killed a thousand people and gained immense power.”

After that, he became Marquis Pryde, a hero of the Empire, and manipulated people’s memories within the Empire with an unknown power.

“Yes. That’s quite strange……”

Marian asked with a confused face towards Belly, who was muttering to himself, lost in thought.

“To brainwash so many people at once….. How on earth can one possess such power?”

“Well, we don’t know yet……”

Belly answered with a blank expression, as if he were far away.

“But one thing’s for sure, it’s a different entity from Veritas, which uses black crystals……”

“Delphine asked.”

Lin inquired in a calm tone towards Belly.

“She wondered why she alone could remember Pryde completely, and if it might be related to her Posium charging ability.”

At that question, a spark of interest flashed across Belly’s expression, which had seemed to be in another world.

“……Yes, that’s what I’m most curious about too. We should speed up the investigation into her birth.”

Lin slightly furrowed his brow at the sharp glint that crossed those blue eyes and asked.

“Belly. I’m asking just in case, but you’re not having any strange thoughts, are you?”

Perhaps because he was too intelligent, he sometimes acted in a way that didn’t seem human.

As if he were a god observing a chess board from afar, he would sometimes show an inhuman side.

Lin added, in a tone that had unconsciously become a bit rough.

“She’s not just some chess piece, you know.”

“……”

However, Belly made no reply, only wearing a gloomy smile on his angelic face.

Seeing this, Marian also joined in.

“Lin is right. If we treat humans like mere chess pieces, how are we any different from the Emperor and his ilk?”

But even at the words of his old friends, Belly’s face did not easily relax.

“But Lin, Marian.”

Belly murmured in a low voice, his face as expressionless as a statue.

“We are fighting demons now. ……To read the thoughts of a demon, mustn’t I become a demon myself?”

It was several days later when the radio, which had been quiet for a while, suddenly came to life.

At the abrupt instruction, Delphine immediately headed to the window of the study.

A transparent pigeon was perched quietly on the windowsill.

They had said that Marquis Pryde seemed to have noticed something and would strengthen security even more…..

Perhaps they were worried someone might be eavesdropping?

It seemed they could no longer feel safe even with radio communication.

Delphine untied the note attached to the leg of the pigeon, which was clearly created by magic.

Immediately, the transparent pigeon dissolved into a handful of light and scattered into the air.

Returning to the study sofa and reading the note, Delphine muttered in a very small voice.

“A series of disappearances……?”

The contents of the paper were about mysterious disappearances that had been occurring recently in Netherfield, Zone 3.

Delphine couldn’t help but immediately think of the ‘Blonde Devil’.

Even though Zone 3 was a place where many mysterious disappearances and deaths occurred, could such a coincidence exist?

La Rouge had also noticed the strangeness of this incident and while investigating, discovered a connection between this case and a high-ranking noble.

It was none other than Duke Purcell, one of the three grand ducal families.

Her assigned mission was to gather as much information and rumors as possible about Duke Purcell within Zone 1.

“Information warfare……”

After reading the letter once more slowly, Delphine burned the note with a candle.

And after pondering a bit more, she took out a sheet of stationery.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

As Delphine nodded lightly, the servant bowed deeply before closing the door of the reception room and leaving.

It was a room decorated so lavishly it was almost blatant.

The wallpaper was pink with flowers drawn all over it, and the sofa was red.

The pottery and tableware placed here and there were all decorated with gold leaf.

Just as she was looking around the room that clearly revealed the owner’s taste, the door of the reception room suddenly burst open.

“Lady Pryde!”

“Lady Megan.”

Delphine greeted her with a smile.

Lady Megan approached busily, her dress with elaborate feather decorations fluttering.

“My goodness. Thank you for coming to visit. I was just about to contact you as my health was gradually improving.”

She coughed out a somewhat artificial coughing sound.

Having heard that she had been in shock for a while after the recent fire incident, Delphine responded without much surprise.

“Oh dear. Are you alright now?”

“I’ve gotten much better. More importantly, thank you so much for saving me that day, Lady Pryde.”

She added, wiping her dry eyes with a handkerchief.

“I should have died following my husband long ago….. What’s the point of a widow living alone and lonely?”

“You shouldn’t say such things, my lady.”

Delphine sat down, trying not to recall the embarrassing sounds she had heard from beyond the waiting room that day.

“It was truly a terrible accident. The violinist disappeared, didn’t he?”

“Yes. But rumors say……”

She lowered her voice unnecessarily as she spoke.

“That a burned body was found in that waiting room.”

“How unfortunate.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t seem particularly saddened by the news of the death of the man she had been intimate with.

“It’s a shame. It was so big and nice….. I mean his violin, of course. You know?”

She hastily added.

“Of course. We lost an excellent musician.”

“Well, it’s fortunate that none of the nobles were seriously injured. In fact, who would care if one or two commoners died!”

Delphine just smiled awkwardly and took another sip of tea instead of answering.

The lady wasn’t a bad person, just a bit too honest. It was just the general perception of Zone 1 nobles.

“By the way, have you heard that rumor? Would you believe, Lord Days……”

Fortunately, the talkative lady started chattering about various rumors in high society even before Delphine could ask.

That was also the reason why Delphine had come to see her today.

Delphine quietly listened, filtering out useful information from the flood of gossip.

“……So, you know about Viscount Humphries’ heir going missing, right? They say Duke Purcell is in quite a predicament because of it.”

“Ah?”

Finally, after going through all the social news, the Duke’s name came up.

This was the topic she had been waiting for.

Delphine quickly swallowed the ginger cookie in her mouth and asked slowly.

“The young Viscount Humphries has gone missing, but why is Duke Purcell in trouble?”

At this, Lady Megan laughed and waved her hand.

“Hoho. Oh my! Getting old is like this, I tell you. I keep forgetting that you’ve been away from society for a while. Well……”

She unnecessarily lowered her voice and whispered to Delphine.

“Not long ago, Marquis Humphries challenged Duke Purcell to a duel.”

“A duel?”

“Yes. He said his noble honor had been greatly damaged, though he couldn’t reveal the reason.”

“My goodness. What happened then?”

Delphine asked with an exaggeratedly surprised expression to draw more of the story out of her.

Duke Purcell.

As the head of one of only three ducal families in the Empire, he was a man who had never lifted anything heavier than a silver spoon in his entire life.

On the other hand, Marquis Humphries was a border count and a war hero in his youth.

“Surprisingly, His Majesty the Emperor mediated the duel.”

“What? His Majesty personally?”

Delphine asked with wide eyes at the unexpected news.

Dueling was a tradition and custom for nobles to stake their honor on, so it was considered very rude for even the Emperor to interfere carelessly.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying!”

“Do you perhaps… know why?”

As Delphine asked, her eyes sharpening, the lady shrugged her round shoulders.

“Isn’t it obvious? They say the Purcell ducal family has recently amassed a huge amount of gold.”

She implied that the Emperor had taken the Duke’s side out of greed for his gold.

However, from what Delphine knew, the cause and effect relationship was likely to be the opposite.

It was more likely that the Duke had suddenly acquired gold and gained the Emperor’s favoritism because he had come under Veritas, the Emperor’s secret organization…..

“Anyway, right after that suspicious duel, the Marquis’s son suddenly disappeared. People are suspecting that the Duke secretly took revenge.”

“I see……”

“The Marquis doted on his only son so much, they say he’s almost gone mad now.”

“……”

Delphine recalled Marquis Humphries, whom she had met at a social party once.

Unlike other nobles, he had been robust and jovial, not someone who would easily break down over minor issues.

At that moment, Lady Megan, who had been silent for the first time since starting the conversation, suddenly added.