Chapter: 130
In Count Benstone’s villa, 3rd floor, cleaning maid supply room.
Around 11:20 PM.
Roderus -> If anyone could just deal with Count Benstone, that would be great.
Kim Lulu -> I just want to help Roderus. (No need for any public credit.)
Pink Balrez -> I don’t refuse any public credit that comes my way.
“Well then, I’ll gather the evidence and proceed through the Defense Bureau.”
“If you gather the data and still fail to stab Count Benstone, you’d better brace yourself,”
“Only if the evidence is solid can we bulldoze through. The political part will be neatly handled by the Defense Bureau, so the Capital Knights can take care of the physical stuff.”
“Just leave the finances, right?”
With that, the negotiation wrapped up.
To their surprise, the most crucial part of their collaboration—’who gets the credit’—was settled quite neatly, and the operation began to gain momentum.
They decided to adopt Roderus’s basic framework for the plan. The three of them slipped into the supply room, changed into extra maid outfits, and were ready to go.
“Transform.”
Three girls came out where there had been one man and two women before.
Yuli Lanster straightened her maid outfit, noticing something, and turned to Odaesu.
“Seems like the owner of this mansion is quite the lecher.”
“⋯⋯What makes you think that?”
“This maid outfit may look ordinary, but it’s designed with structural weaknesses. If someone targets the ribbon at the back, it could easily be taken off.”
“⋯⋯Why do you only think about those things?”
Yuli Lanster tapped her index finger while indicating the importance of guarding the ribbon if she didn’t want to end up exposed. Roderus, getting an ominous feeling, reinforced the ribbon around his waist with magic.
“What about the mansion’s security system?”
“Originally, soldiers patrolled in pairs, but due to the enlarged banquet, it was changed to a single guard per patrol. Plus, their manpower is concentrated in the ballroom with all the nobles.”
“What about magical traps? You know rich nobles always have at least one installed.”
“They’re laid at key points. The count’s room, Zwiidi Benstone’s room, and the drug storage in the basement have barriers that will go off unless the registered magic is channeled through.”
A magical door, huh? Yuli Lanster mentally began brainstorming various ways to tackle this.
Forcing the count or Zwiidi Benstone himself to open the door for them => That’s basically a declaration of war. If that were the intention, they would have already jumped into open combat, so that option was out.
Disassembling the magical traps with exceptional magic manipulation => It might be possible if you were a genius like a mad wizard. But she didn’t possess that level of magic control, so this was also dismissed.
Sneaking in through an entrance without magic traps => This is the way. They could start from above, break through the floor, tie themselves with rope, and hide inside.
Having thought that far, Yuli Lanster turned to Odaesu. If he knew of the traps’ existence, he must have also thought of ways to bypass them.
“How do you plan to breach?”
“Of course, my magic is registered. Though I might have been demoted for this failure, I’m still under the Lord Redburn’s watch as part of the Benstone family.”
“Wow.”
This is why having an insider makes things more manageable!
While Yuli Lanster marveled at this mysterious benefit, Kim Lulu excitedly grabbed Odaesu’s hand and pulled him.
“Kim Lulu, why?”
“I-I want to try being a secret agent too!”
Thump, thump. Kim Lulu’s heart raced heavily—not from love, this time, but from a sense of adventure.
How thrilling it was to watch movies where sunglasses-wearing government agents infiltrated, cracked secret safes, and made explosive escapes!
“This isn’t really the time to mess around… Sigh. Alright, so… Agent Kim Lulu?”
“Yeah!!”
“I’d like to give you instructions for rear security operations, just in case…”
“Stop! You’re assigned to the front patrol. ”
Yuli Lanster raised her fist for a stop signal. Odaesu, who had been playfully toying with Lulu, stiffened his expression and quickly assessed the situation. The three of them hid around the corner of the hallway.
“This patrol route doesn’t match what I gathered. Has there been a change?”
“It seems to be due to that soldier’s mischief. His face is flushed, like he’s had a drink, and he’s struggling to walk properly. He might have veered off the regular route while intoxicated.”
“Shall we subdue him?”
“Let’s deceive him to pass through. The less commotion, the better.”
With their expressions set, Odaesu and Yuli Lanster casually rolled a cart down the hallway. Kim Lulu hesitated for a moment but swiftly followed, trying to keep up.
“Heeek, huh?”
The drunken soldier squinted with eyes smelling of alcohol and glared at the three of them. He narrowed his gaze and asked,
“This isn’t the party area. Where are you three going?”
Yuli Lanster’s expression blossomed softly like a flower.
With gently slurred words and a gentle tone, effortlessly oozing charm,
“We’re here to attend to you, soldier. You know, late-night services are also necessary.”
“But, I’ve never seen your faces before…”
“I was working at Count’s other villa, called in for help this time due to staff shortages… so you probably haven’t met me, dashing soldier.”
Clunk. Yuli Lanster stepped closer and neatly adjusted the soldier’s collar. Overwhelmed by the sudden alluring scent wafting from her, the soldier, with a flushed face, didn’t know how to react.
“Though I’m busy today… we might meet again. I’ll be passing by now.”
“Uh, uh… sure…”
Clunk, clunk.
Yuli Lanster led Lulu and Odaesu away. The soldier, enchanted by the trio’s retreating figure, shook his head and returned to his original patrol route.
Once out of sight, Yuli Lanster reverted back to her usual expression and muttered,
“We’ll meet again in prison.”
“⋯⋯A classic case of charm.”
“Kim Lulu, the actions of adjusting a man’s collar or tie have a high impact. Refer to this when you have an opportunity later.”
“Don’t teach Lulu anything weird…!!”
Kim Lulu mentally noted that next time she met Roderus, she should do the collar adjustment.
The trio smoothly navigated through obstacles and arrived at Count Benstone’s room. As they approached the doorknob, a green magical circle rose into the air, reading their magic signature.
“Step back. I’ll open it.”
Odaesu channeled magic to unlock the door. Clang! The door opened easily.
Slide. The well-maintained hinges made no sound upon opening. Inside, there was just a large bed, a few bookshelves, and various decorations.
“Let’s split and search. I’ll handle the bookshelves.”
“I’ll take care of the decorations.”
“What about me?! What should I do?!”
“You… investigate the bed. There might be something under the pillow.”
The search began. Yuli Lanster neatly pulled out books and scanned their contents, returning them to their previous locations with mechanical precision.
Meanwhile, Odaesu moved quickly, prioritizing speed, even if it left a trace. She quickly swept through the decorations, considering secrets and artifacts.
And Kim Lulu explored as earnestly as a middle school girl in an escape room.
About 10 minutes later, they reached a conclusion.
“Nothing here.”
“Nothing.”
“Uh, I found something like a magic wand!!”
Whirrr! Kim Lulu spun the night-sparkling wand in her hand, and Odaesu quietly snatched it away and tossed it back where it belonged.
“Why?!”
“This isn’t evidence. At least… I can tell that Count Benstone is not working on anything.”
“Yeah, Zwiidi Benstone, was it? Perhaps he has transferred his drug-related tasks to someone else.”
“⋯⋯His office is on the 4th floor. We need to hurry.”
===============================================================
In front of Zwiidi Benstone’s office door on the 4th floor of Count Benstone’s villa.
Around 12:10 AM.
The trio checked that Zwiidi Benstone was still in the ballroom and attempted to enter the office. However…
Beep.
[Inactive magic pattern detected: No strays required!]
The green magic circle rejected Roderus. Odaesu ground his teeth.
“Damn it…”
“What’s going on?”
“There must have been a falling out with Zwiidi Benstone. That guy must have listed my magic pattern as an exception.”
“It doesn’t seem like an alert is going off… that’s a relief.”
What they assumed would be a simple lock due to insider knowledge had instead turned into a hurdle because of their earlier clash.
“What now? Should I just blow it up and walk in?”
“No. We need to breach as quietly as possible. Even if we collect evidence needed for prosecution, if that fact gets exposed… the Capital Knights will probably try to erase the evidence before they arrive.”
“Then the chances of the prosecution failing increase. He’s under the protection of the Duke of Redburn, after all.”
“Is there… is there no way?”
Just as Odaesu and Kim Lulu were lost in serious contemplation, Yuli Lanster quietly considered and pulled out a cheat key.
“There is a way. However, you’ll need to keep it a secret.”
“⋯⋯Okay, if it allows us to break through, I won’t say a word, whatever it is.”
“I know a wizard. Among the people I know, he is the most exceptional. The public calls him the ‘Mad Wizard.’ I’ll seek his cooperation.”
“⋯⋯Where does this person live that he can provide cooperation; more importantly, is he even reliable?”
How could a person with the moniker ‘Mad Wizard’ be trusted?
Odaesu and Kim Lulu imagined the insane, crazed image of the wizard, briefly considering stopping Yuli.
“Now, I’m going to connect the communication. Be quiet.”
Pink Balrez quietly closed her eyes. What she intended was a side product of long-distance communication via a dream-based TRPG study.
Sending signals through dreams using the characteristics of the dream demons. After a while, she connected with the mad wizard from the Academy.
-What’s up? If you’re asking about Opennem again, I’m hanging up.
“I need help, mad wizard. We need to deactivate magical traps without triggering alarms, and we can’t leave any traces behind.”
-I specialize in illusion magic… but let’s see what you got.
The mad wizard, looking through the magic with Ping Balrez’s eyes, quickly finished calculations and dictated the solution.
-Start magic recognition and left, right, left. Then, with the rune on the lower right, short-circuit in, and I’ll access the magic circle’s center to alter the data. I’ll send remembered data, so just follow that. Got it?
“Got it. Copy that.”
-I’m lonely. Hurry up and finish it.
Beep.
Through the dream, well-packaged memory data arrived. Ping Balrez placed her hand on the magic circle and moved her magic. Left, right, left.
The magic circle began to glow red in reaction to her magical input, preparing the alarm spell.
Kim Lulu swallowed nervously, and Odaesu prepared to summon his rapier. If the alarm went off, they would need to fight their way through.
However, Yuli Lanster remained calm. The mad wizard couldn’t be wrong, and if she just did her part well, the security would be breached.
Crackle. She poked through the security vulnerabilities, climbing toward the core of the magic circle, and transmitted the data sent by the mad wizard.
Wiiiiiing──!!
The magic circle blazed red and was just about to sound the intruder alarm throughout the villa.
Beep!
The circle instantly shifted to green, recognizing Yuli Lanster as the user, and opened the door. Click.
“Phew…”
Kim Lulu exhaled in relief as she melted away.
“This isn’t the time to get comfortable. Kim Lulu, the operation isn’t over yet, and we haven’t found any crucial evidence. Start searching!”
“I’m going in. I’ll check the left.”
Thud. They opened the door and stepped inside. The room was empty, scattered with empty bottles and disorganized paperwork, generally messy.
Yuli Lanster and Odaesu immediately sprang into action, sifting through the documents for evidence of drug dealings. Kim Lulu momentarily spaced out but then rolled up her sleeves, wanting to contribute.
She wanted to do something. Anything, something cool…
“I swear, in the movies…?”
Kim Lulu stealthily approached and lifted the carpet. Suddenly, a secret safe emerged! Lulu jumped up in shock and delight.
“I-I found the safe!!”
“⋯⋯Found it?!”
Yuli Lanster, who had been reading documents about the exploitation of miners, and Odaesu, examining Zwiidi Benstone’s drug collection, dropped their current items and gathered around Lulu.
“I thought something might be here, and when I lifted it like this!! Boom!”
“Good job. You did well, so let’s keep our voices down while being excited, okay?”
“It’s made of mithril alloy. There’s no way it can be opened by human strength, so we’ll need a key.”
“Zwiidi Benstone is an idiot, but he’s likely carrying such an important key on him. It might be better to move the whole safe…”
An item that couldn’t be opened with human strength…
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Yuli Lanster and Odaesu looked at Kim Lulu simultaneously. Right next to them was someone who surpassed human capabilities!
Under the flood of keen anticipation, Lulu sheepishly averted her gaze while stuttering.
“Uh, should I… open it…?”
“Please do.”
Rumble, rumble.
With the strength of a living bulldozer, she ripped the safe apart. Inside were various expensive jewels and one ledger. Yuli Lanster quickly skimmed through the contents of the ledger.
And simply declared,
“We’ve got a whale. It details who he traded with and what for.”
“Will that be enough?”
“Yeah. This will be sufficient to bring down Benstone. Well done, magical girl ‘Pure Rodeo.’”
“Eh, heh…!!”
Yuli Lanster began to ruffle Kim Lulu’s hair. Odaesu watched the scene, feeling queasy and annoyed, swatted Yuli’s hand away, and pulled Lulu closer.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Just then, as a subtle battle of nerves unfolded…
They heard Zwiidi Benstone’s voice from outside.
“There are many beautiful things in my room! Wonderful… including drugs. The low-quality stuff is stored in the warehouse, but the high-quality ones are kept separately in my room.”
“It’s a delight to view another noble’s collection. Thank you for the invitation.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯!!”
Odaesu and Yuli Lanster quickly scanned the room. Under the bed, the windows, corners of the ceiling, beneath the desk, and in the wardrobe.
The wardrobe?
They exchanged glances and nodded. As Yuli Lanster closed the safe and started reshuffling the carpet, Odaesu squeezed Kim Lulu’s side and entered the wardrobe.
“Whoa…!!”
“Shh.”
Then, Yuli Lanster squeezed in beside them, shutting the door. Darkness enveloped the closet. In that moment, she caught a piercing gaze of purity.
Even while charming beautiful women, Yuli Lanster’s true nature was that of a pure romantic. She intentionally pushed Odaesu aside.
“You…!!”
“It’s cramped. Let’s all squeeze a little closer.”
“We’re already close enough…!!”
“There’s still space between your navels, isn’t there?”
What even is that supposed to mean!?
Pushing together.
Due to the physical pressure, Odaesu and Kim Lulu found themselves pressed tightly against one another, feeling each other’s heartbeat through their chests.
Lulu quietly whispered,
“I-I’m… okay… with this!”
“Now’s not the time to say stuff like that…!”
“Shush.”
Yuli Lanster stirred the intimate mix of male and female feelings, peeking through the gaps in the wardrobe. Zwiidi Benstone was conducting business, opening a box filled with drugs, presenting his product.
“With just one of these, you can stay active for three days straight…”
“Ooh…”
The target of his sales pitch was a bearded middle-aged man, seemingly eager to boost his dwindling pride.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”
Yuli Lanster took a deep breath, the familiar scent washed over her, reminiscent of drugs.
Dreammer XX (몽야환).
Or, “Invitation by the Succubus.”
This drug is refined from succubus bodily fluids, causing the user to fall into a deep sleep, effectively broadening the mental gateway for dream demons to invade.
Judging by the scent, the purity of the drug was nearly of the highest quality.
And the only source capable of producing such a fine dreammer… was the bodily fluid of the Succubus Queen.
A chilling glint radiated from Yuli Lanster’s eyes as dark intent emerged. She hadn’t expected to uncover such a clue here.
How she longed to painfully rip him apart.
Right now, should she just grab Zwiidi Benstone by the neck and leisurely inquire about the source of the drug to trace its origins? If so, then…
“Hey, is anything happening?”
A whispering butterfly voice flitted past her ear, and Yuli Lanster quietly closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. That’s right, the purple elderflower was observing her. This was an operation, after all.
“⋯⋯I’m fine.”
Yuli Lanster murmured to the purple elderflower.
Calmly, she waited. Silently.
Until her heart settled down.
===============================================================
In the garden of Count Benstone’s villa on the 1st floor.
Around 12:40 AM.
Yuli Lanster shook the ledger.
“I’ll send the secured ledger straight to my superiors and try to move as quickly as possible. Do you need personal protection, Roderus?”
“I’m fine. Actually, don’t notify anyone. We can’t raise suspicion with the duke.”
“⋯⋯Odaesu, I’ll guard you! Just like I always have!”
“⋯⋯Yeah, thanks, Kim Lulu.”
Kim Lulu had always managed to create openings for him whenever the Capital Knights pursued the ‘Blue Rose.’
Thanks to that, the rumors about the ‘Blue Rose’ being an otherworldly powerhouse circulated, which was a tad troubling.
“Well then, I’ll see you again during the raid operation. It shouldn’t take long. If the second prince takes the matter seriously, we might act as early as dawn, so be prepared.”
“Understood.”
Yuli Lanster nodded and melted into the night’s darkness. Now it was just the two left. Kim Lulu glanced around cautiously.
“⋯⋯If there’s still time, shall we dance together?!”
“⋯⋯The request to dance should come from the man.”
“But, Odaesu’s a girl!”
“What I mean is, that’s not what I…!!”
So, in the end, they danced.
