508 Goldman’s Mansion

508.

The city after the explosion’s spectacle was utterly devastated. The rubble of collapsed buildings and people carrying the dead and wounded moved busily. The still unextinguished blue flames surged, creating an atmosphere as if the end of the world had come.

The one who committed this brutal terror in this city was the man with black wings.

“Lobia…”

That man, or rather, I don’t even know if it was a man or a woman. The voice that came through the beak mask was androgynous. Anyway, he said his name was Lobia.

There wasn’t much that could be known about him right now. That he had a great desire for revenge on this city, that he was a winged race, and that he was wearing a considerable level of equipment all over his body, including high-performance bombs, that’s about it for now.

“Lobia… that was definitely the name the Mayor-nim mentioned, right?”

“Mayor Haginus… he definitely knows something. Now that the city is in this state, he has no choice but to open his mouth, no matter how much it bothers him.”

Come to think of it, I get the feeling that blowing up the city hall tower was aimed at the mayor from the start. To bring down that unnecessarily tall mayor’s office.

I managed to catch it, but if there were people inside, I don’t think they could have been okay. I was so busy minimizing the damage from the fall that I didn’t even think about the fact that Mayor Haginus might be inside.

But when I arrived at the entrance of the city hall, I was able to confirm that the mayor was safe. The mayor, with a haggard face wrapped in a blanket, was shivering and being surrounded by his attendants.

“Mayor Haginus!”

“Hi, hik…!”

When his name was called, Mayor Haginus was startled. Even at a glance, he was completely terrified.

“You heard what the assailant just declared, right? Lobia. That’s the name you mentioned, isn’t it?”

“I, I don’t know! You must have misheard!”

“Are you saying that after seeing this situation? You said you would protect your city and its citizens with your own mouth! Tell me everything. Then, in the name of the Hero, I will try to stop him.”

“M-my city will not be defeated by just this explosion. It can rise again. As long as joy and excitement remain in people’s hearts…”

“What the… are you out of your mind?”

“No, I’m serious. The collapsed buildings can be rebuilt. It’s a pity that many citizens have died, but as long as this city remains a city of festivals, people will continue to flock here. My city, my citizens have the strength to overcome this much hardship. So this is nothing. Really.”

What the hell is this? It’s beyond absurd, it’s a bit creepy. Is he crazy?

Suddenly, irritation surges. I didn’t catch the falling tower and Blade didn’t suffer such terrible humiliation just to listen to this nonsense. I grabbed the mayor by the collar and lifted him up.

“Stop talking nonsense and answer me. Before I make you a former mayor. Who the hell is this Lobia?”

“M-Mayor-nim!”

The surrounding attendants rushed in to pull my arm down, but of course, it didn’t budge. It’s not a strength that just a few men can handle.

Mayor Haginus’s face also turned blue. He struggled his feet in the air, and eventually declared surrender.

“A, alright! I, I’ll tell you! B-but, it’s a bit difficult here…”

Is it a story that shouldn’t be heard by ordinary people? But there doesn’t seem to be anyone paying attention to this side. The people around were already busy dealing with the tragedy that had befallen them. But it’s not a good place to talk.

“Okay. I, Hero Elena, will escort you myself. Where should I take you?”

Mayor Haginus rolled his eyes. He seemed to be gauging which place would be the safest. The answer soon came.

“L-let’s go to Goldman’s mansion.”

That Goldman’s mansion where Selena and I were refused entry. This time, the mayor is with us, so that won’t happen.

The fact that he’s asking to go there in this situation made me think that he’s somehow involved in this incident. If so, this is an opportunity. While listening to the mayor’s story, there will be information to get from Goldman as well.

I put the mayor down and turned to my companions. Even after receiving Riel’s treatment, Blade still seemed to have a hard time standing alone. I said to my companions.

“I’ll go to Goldman’s mansion alone. Everyone, go back to the hotel first. Of course, if it’s still intact…”

“Hero-nim, alone? I-I think it’s better to move together…”

Riel’s words. It’s the right thing to say. In a normal case. But right now, I thought that would be more of a risk.

I spoke in a voice that the mayor couldn’t hear.

“I don’t know yet whether the man named Goldman is an enemy or not. It’s dangerous to bring Blade, who is not yet fully recovered, into his mansion. So go back and let Blade recover, and extract as much information as possible from Grenberg. There’s not much time. Because it’s a situation where another bombing could happen at any time.”

“Wait, if Goldman is the enemy, isn’t it more dangerous? You don’t have Overdrive right now.”

“Even without Overdrive, I won’t be easily defeated. I’ll be careful in every way. And…”

It’s a bit cringe. But still, I smiled and said.

“Even if I get caught, everyone will come to save me soon, right?”

Even if I get caught by a cowardly trick like a status ailment, as long as I have the Hero’s durability, I’m unlikely to die immediately. I’ll suffer some hardships, though.

Even if I’m gone, the Hero party’s strength is by no means weak. There’s no reason to be afraid of a Master with a measly talent that there are 100 in the world.

“I’m sorry, Hero. My mistake is holding you back…”

Blade had a very pained expression. Seeing that face makes me think I need to try harder. I shook my head and said.

“There have been many times when I’ve been saved thanks to Blade. If you think about it that way, please recover quickly and return to your original condition.”

Everyone seemed to understand, even if they weren’t completely happy about it. That’s how the story ended. I took Mayor Haginus to Goldman’s mansion, and my companions went to the hotel for Blade’s recovery and Grenberg’s interrogation.

“You must come back safe, Hero-nim…”

Just before leaving, Riel grabbed my hands tightly and said.

=======================================

Goldman’s mansion was a magnificent mansion, just like when I came before. It seems that explosives could not be installed here even in a situation where the city was devastated.

The gatekeeper at the entrance was a different person than last time. He recognized the mayor’s face and let us through immediately.

Passing through the well-kept garden, in contrast to the devastated streets, and reaching the entrance of the mansion, a man in fancy clothes was standing there.

“Welcome, Mayor Haginus-nim. I’ve already heard the news that a heinous criminal is running rampant. My mansion is perfectly safe, so don’t worry. But who is this person…?”

“W-well… this person is… the, the Hero-nim.”

“Let’s just say it’s nice to meet you for now. Mayor Haginus said he wouldn’t talk unless it was here. Can we go in?”

Goldman looked at Mayor Haginus as if giving him a hint. But soon he smiled and said.

“Of course, Hero-nim. It is a great honor to be able to welcome a wonderful person like Hero-nim to my humble home. Come in, please.”

I followed Goldman through the front door. The inside of the mansion was the furthest thing from the word ‘humble’ in the world. The carpeted floor, the gold-rimmed wallpaper, the paintings decorating the walls, and the dazzling chandelier were all things that felt incredibly expensive.

Passing through such a splendid interior, Goldman led us to a room on the first floor. Before I could even grab the doorknob, the door to the room opened automatically. This may also be the work of Goldman, the master of magic engineering.

When I entered the room, the maid offered me a drink, but I declined. She might put medicine in it. Now that I don’t have Overdrive, I needed to be wary.

After placing brandy in front of Mayor Haginus and a teacup in front of Goldman, the maid left, leaving only me, the mayor, and Goldman in the room. Sitting on a sofa made of some kind of leather, Goldman asked in a comfortable posture, as befitting the owner.

“Now, shall we have a leisurely conversation? What kind of story do you want to hear, Hero-nim?”

“The black monster that appeared in the skies of Irene a little while ago, he revealed his name as Lobia. You definitely asked me before, ‘Did you come knowing about Lobia?’, Mayor Haginus?”

“Kkeu, kkeueung…”

At that point, Goldman’s face hardened a little. He momentarily cast a sharp glance at Mayor Haginus as if blaming him. But soon he completely changed his expression and said with a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha, I was wondering what it was. Lobia is the name of a bad criminal who was exiled from this city. It seems he shamelessly appeared to take revenge. This, the Mayor-nim was so scared that he made you suspicious for no reason, Hero-nim.”

“Hmph.”

“Why are you laughing…”

PAK-!

I lifted my leg and slammed it down on the wooden table. The table was horribly smashed, and the tea and alcohol that were on it were scattered on the luxurious carpet. The mayor was terrified, and Goldman’s face was stiff.

“Speak properly. If you value your life, tell me everything you know. Don’t you still know that the other party is planning to blow up this entire city with bombs?”