Chapter: 98
Crownhall is a vast city, and at its center lies a space where the Imperial Family resides. Much like modern land prices are heavily influenced by transport links and amenities, various factors also impact the value of land here.
Generally, the closer you are to the center of the city—the Imperial Palace—the more valuable the land is. So, just knowing the location of a mansion or villa gives a rough estimate of one’s political power.
This is a simple map.
The area close to the inner walls that protect the Imperial Quarter, known as the ‘Golden Wall,’ is referred to as the ‘Golden Ring.’ Only those who have won the Emperor’s favor are permitted to reside there.
It’s not a place you can simply buy your way into; only those with considerable clout stand a chance of even stepping foot in it, becoming a target for many ambitious nobles.
It seems even the boy knight who almost brought the Purple Tower to ruin has a residence here.
Beyond the ‘Golden Ring’ lies a virtual buffer zone that separates inside from outside. The difference between the inside and outside is whether it falls within the patrol route of the Imperial Capital Knights Order.
Given that this is a knight order formed from some of the Empire’s best, maintaining public order is assured. In fact, it’s quite rare to see petty thieves inside. It’s a veritable affluent neighborhood.
Most of the residents are high-ranking nobles or tremendously wealthy individuals, and it seems even territorial nobles, managing lands from far away, tend to have at least one villa here.
Thus, some nobles argue about who’s living in the ‘real’ Crownhall, claiming, “This is where the true Crownhall begins,” or “How can it be Crownhall if it doesn’t have the protection of the Knights Order?” as if distinguishing between the genuine and the fake among themselves.
And from the outside to within the outer walls lies the Crownhall we’ve been enjoying and wandering around in thus far.
The mansion of Baron Dompel was built right on the boundary line. This too is a place normally hard for lesser barons to access, but it seems they managed to squeeze in thanks to the support of a duke, as explained by Pink-Balrez.
She added, “The Imperial Capital Knights Order is a faction under the Imperial Defense Bureau, prioritizing maintaining peace in Crownhall. Because of that, we sometimes clash with them. Do you understand what that means?”
“It means if we drag this out too long, the Knights Order will come for us?”
“Yes. Baron Dompel’s mansion is a gray area in relation to the Knights’ influence; if they show up, things could escalate quickly.”
“Quick and decisive action, then.”
I understood it to mean we should clear everything out before the police descended upon us.
===============================================================
We quickly approached the Baron’s mansion. The outer wall was bedecked with extravagant decorations, and rather than aesthetic beauty, it overtly screamed wealth.
Why showcase a jewel necklace hung out there? It didn’t even look like an artifact!
In front of the adorned main gate, two guards stood vigil.
It was necessary to enter the mansion stealthily. There would definitely be more guards inside, and if a fight broke out outside, we’d face problems for two reasons.
First, we’d attract the attention of the Imperial Capital Knights Order far too quickly, and second, the vast outdoors would be disadvantageous for us in combat.
Ideally, if a fight had to happen, it would be best to clash inside the mansion. It would also be important to check whether the Baron was the aggressor or the victim in this situation.
I locked eyes with my soul partner, Pink-Balrez.
“Shall we say we’ve got a delivery?”
“No, considering I sold off all my land to dive into commerce, it seems I’m on the verge of bankruptcy because our products overlap with that Baron’s trade. We’d be saying we brought a bribe as a gesture of goodwill to request mercy,” she quipped.
Just as we were concocting our impromptu cover story, one of the guards pointed at the Scarred Face Senior and approached us. What now? Should we just use hypnosis magic to slip through?
The guard bowed his head and spoke to the Senior.
“You’re here promptly this time. The Master has been waiting for you.”
“…?”
“Are those hypnotized slaves? The Master will be pleased. If there’s any left over, I wouldn’t mind one for myself…”
“…!!”
Pink-Balrez and I immediately relaxed our eyes and let our pupils droop. This was going to be a wave to ride.
I caught sight of my reflection in Pink-Balrez’s eyes. No matter how I looked at it, we appeared to be entranced by the hypnosis app, utterly lost.
I quickly stepped in front of the Tower Master, who was struggling to follow the situation.
The Scarred Face Senior, despite her surprised state, quickly regained her composure and joined the conversation. She smoothly transitioned into it.
“However, I doubt there will be much left. Just looking at you, they all seem to be S-ranks; do you think the Baron would leave any behind? Ah, perhaps the young man over here might be an exception.”
“Haha, there’s no reason to hide that…”
Oh, for crying out loud.
A chill ran down my spine. You have to check gender, you jerk!
The Scarred Face Senior led us into the mansion. Since the guard spoke to her so casually, it seemed this wasn’t their first encounter, but it appeared she had been on the receiving end of various antics from him before.
This is just how scary impersonation can be. If we had proceeded methodically to investigate among ourselves without directly calling the Senior for clarification… it would’ve been impossible not to harbor suspicions.
The Senior was quick to gather her thoughts, as if sensing that. She gave my shoulder a few light pats. Yeah, I just saved a life here.
“Then, have a good time.”
The guard escorted us to the building’s entrance before returning to his post. The Senior shared brief eye contact with us. Shall we go? Let’s go. You’re not really Lorei, right? No, I’m not.
The Senior opened the mansion door.
A long carpet adorned the entire corridor, decorated with all sorts of pottery, paintings, and crafts lined up along the sides. Several maids walked back and forth over it.
There were more maids than I expected. For a mansion of this size, five servants should be enough, but it seemed there were over ten maids just counting with a quick glance.
All the maids were wearing collars, reminiscent of those usually used for pets, and they all wore the same glassy gaze. They had been hypnotized.
The Purple Tower Master trembled and murmured, “…This feels wrong.”
It did feel wrong. It was painfully clear that they didn’t view people as people. I grabbed the wrist of one maid passing by.
She offered no resistance, and her pulse was weak. Overall, she seemed frail. Was even the bare minimum of care not being taken to ensure she was fed and hydrated? I decided to speak to her.
“What’s your name?”
“Eleonora, Master.”
“Can you hear my orders? I’m new here.”
“I’ve been commanded to serve every guest that visits the mansion as my Master.”
Ah, I see how it is.
I opened a random door along the corridor. There was no one inside, and it appeared to be a guest room. I commanded the maid, “All maids who hear my voice, enter this room and rest. Be cautious not to step on or crush one another.”
“Yes, Master.”
The maids rushed into the room. It was impossible to release them all back outside right now, so I intended to keep them isolated here for the time being.
The initially bustling corridor became eerily empty in an instant.
The Scarred Face Senior sighed once and walked to the end of the corridor. We pretended to be under hypnosis and followed her. We pushed apart the splendid, enormous double doors, revealing a spacious area with a lengthy dining table, and in the seat of honor, a pig sat.
With jewels hanging haphazardly from its form, that must be the Baron. He surveyed Pink-Balrez and the Tower Master with a leering gaze and spoke to the Senior, his thick lips parting to ask, “I heard your next visit would be in three months’ time, yet here you are early.”
“Seems I’ve arrived sooner than expected.”
“I’ve already fulfilled half the quota. In a while… we can also feast on those beggars in the east. Heh heh… The promised reward will be ready, right?”
“Reward, you say?”
The Pig Baron lightly drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair as if annoyed. The vibrations made his jowls jiggle. Then he pulled out a small statue from within his clothing and proclaimed loudly, “I promised to enhance this hypnosis statue! It needs to work on the noble girls as well!”
“Oh, indeed, that was the agreement. Don’t worry; it’s in preparation.”
“Commoners are dull. Surely, a noble soul like mine must have exquisite slaves. Ah, I must make sure to show that annoying Kicilia just how unworthy she is of treating me like a trifling matter!”
The Baron suddenly erupted in a fit of rage, shouting and spitting everywhere. He was a disgraceful example of a noble, with his greedy eyes glistening only with avarice and inferiority.
He seemed to be working closely with the perpetrator. Using wealth and power, he likely seized control of the slums and planted the “Big Brother” statue everywhere.
And what he received as payment for his efforts was that hypnosis app.
This pig of a baron was quite a typical rotten noble! On the other hand, considering that he was the owner of the hypnosis app, it could be seen as a fitting selection. Thus, the villain would have approached him for cooperation.
Pink-Balrez’s concealed hand clenched into a fist, and the Scarred Face Senior signaled with a nod. With the perpetrator being so closely connected, there was no reason to hesitate in taking action. Just as I was attempting to summon my own magic,
the Purple Tower Master Yuna softly opened her mouth, “…You, you have money and power.”
“Hmm?”
“Why didn’t you simply, y’know, hire people by paying them properly? Treat them normally… and have them do the work? You aren’t some penniless individual; you could have done that. Why go through the trouble of hypnotizing innocent people and subjugating them?”
“Looks like that one isn’t under hypnosis. Are you not doing your job properly?”
The Pig Baron chided the Senior before licking his lips in disdain. He spoke with a voice thick with confidence as if stating some undeniable truth.
“Why, would I be doing this if I lacked money? Not at all! I could hire an army of ten or a hundred commoners as servants. But you see, the moment you touch them inappropriately, they start screaming. Call them to my bedroom, and they would throw a fit about quitting.”
“…?”
“But these maids? How deep is their loyalty? I can do anything I want to them without complaints. They don’t even glance at me with those wretched eyes.”
Slap!
The Pig Baron brought his hand down sharply against the cheek of the maid standing beside him.
Slap, slap. Slap.
Repeatedly.
In an instant, her cheek swelled up, blood trickling from her lips. Yet, under the imposing grip of the hypnosis, neither her body nor mind could muster even the faintest rebellion. The Baron wheezed with delight.
“Ahh, the joy of being able to toy with them at will!”
“…?”
Meeting someone who doesn’t view others as human is a deeply unpleasant experience. This Baron shares the same humanity as I do.
He must’ve been born screaming into the world, once crawling on all fours, then learning to walk upright, building relationships with many people throughout his life. What could have possibly led him to become so different? As I pondered this, a bitter taste accompanied a profound sense of sorrow.
The Pig Baron boldly held out a small statue towards Pink-Balrez and the Tower Master, “If you weren’t under hypnosis, I would cast it upon you! Now, look this way! Kuhuhuh… And everyone becomes my sex slaves!”
A potent wave of hypnosis radiated from the palm-sized statue, and our expressions turned dazed.
We were caught in the spell, losing touch with our consciousness, becoming the Baron’s playthings. The Pig Baron chuckled lustfully, gesturing towards us.
“Yes, you with the pink hair, come over here! Strip off that stuffy outfit right now! You shall be my concubine… heh heh…”
Under the hypnosis, Pink-Balrez slowly started to remove her jacket, revealing her alluring form as she moved toward the Baron—
===============================================================
“Now… that’s quite splendid… hurry and serve me…”
Are you kidding me!?
Bang!
I slapped the back of the Pig Baron’s head. He staggered, spinning around, still grinning like an idiot as he must’ve been lost in the reflections of the hypnosis waves, enjoying what he deemed a delightful dream.
Pink-Balrez, twisting her wrist, asked, “Hey, crazy magician, can I give him a smack too?”
“If you hit him too hard, you might snap him out of hypnosis… wait, if you gather that much magic to hit him, he could just die.”
I snatched the statue from the Baron’s hands.
The small statue looked like it had been crafted with greater care than the larger one. The output of its hypnosis waves was stronger than I expected.
Without mental barriers, we’d fall victim to it just like those maids, becoming slaves instantly. A flimsy mental barrier would be enough to numb us into servitude with repeated exposure to its output.
Good thing we’re at the top of our game in this field; if we were students at the Academy, chances are, we’d have already fallen for it. With that thought, a sense of responsibility as an educator stirred within me.
The world is vast, filled with dangers. We need to ensure our students are wary of the hypnosis app, stepping up our methods. I must forge mental walls as mountainous as the Himalayas!
“Now then, having neutralized the Baron… let’s see what we can uncover.”
We needed to gather as much evidence as possible. With proper proof, we wouldn’t just be labeled as intruders in the Baron’s mansion; we’d emerge as heroes rising up to eliminate a criminal.
As long as we justify our actions, I trusted our Second Prince would cover for us afterward.
“…?”
“Senior, what’s wrong?”
The Scarred Face Senior seemed distracted, holding her hand to her mouth in contemplation. Had she been slightly affected by the hypnosis waves earlier?
“Junior. It’s not that, but… about the Baron.”
“He seems rather foolish…”
“True enough, he does come off as a bit dim.”
Indeed, while we passed through the guards unnoticed, this noble practically stood there with a vacant smile as a troop showed up, suggesting he was rather pure-hearted in his own way.
“I wouldn’t have appointed a dullard to lead.”
“If he truly is a fool, then…”
“There must be a mastermind lurking behind him?”
“Exactly.”
It clicked for me. If I were the one pulling the strings, I’d hesitate to entrust this Baron with any serious tasks. I’d want to assign the duty to someone sharper, more competent… perhaps a true mastermind.
The Pig Baron’s words hinted that they were working on spreading the “Big Brother” hypnosis app throughout Crownhall. There must be a commander orchestrating this whole operation.
The classic cliché floated through my mind.
The incompetent noble’s steward is, in fact, the hidden puppet master of the whole scheme. That’s the sensation I got.
If that were the case, letting our guard down after capturing the Baron would be folly—
“Magician, above you!”
Pink-Balrez’s sharp warning snapped me back. I instinctively looked up at the ceiling.
Whhhrrr!! Crash!
The ceiling shattered into dozens of pieces, collapsing as three figures descended, ready to attack. One was wielding a great sword, another twin blades, and the last an arrow. Were they targeting me… no, the Baron was their target, aiming to silence him?
“Protect the Baron!”
I hurriedly summoned my magic. The Tower Master’s hand glowed with brilliance, a soft ssshhhhhh of chains echoed, while the Scarred Face Senior brandished a dagger.
Clang!
With a metallic clash, dust billowed into the air.
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