Ch.276The Mysterious Attack

Two days after departing from Grandorn Zwei, we arrived at Moon Lake. After securing accommodations and finishing some light shopping, we visited Gerald Fork’s mansion despite the late hour.

Of course, we weren’t planning to meet Calliope right away; we simply wanted to convey to Gerald our intention to negotiate with her.

During our previous visit regarding Iris’s situation, Gerald had demanded the Silver Wolf tribe’s treasure in exchange for allowing us to interrogate Calliope.

If that was the case, he likely wouldn’t grant our request to “negotiate with Calliope” for free either. There was no reason to appear hasty and give Gerald a favorable position at the negotiation table.

After all, obtaining the Dark Blade wasn’t as urgent as rescuing Iris had been.

With that in mind, we left a letter stating our business with the suit-wearing slave guarding the main gate, and had only walked back toward our lodgings for about 1-2 minutes when—

“Master William! And fellow adventurers! Please wait!”

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment as I saw the slave running after us with an urgent expression.

“Haa, haa, haa… M-Master… haa…”

“OK, calm down. Take a deep breath and speak slowly. We’re not going anywhere.”

“I-I’m sorry… haa, haa…”

The female slave in the suit who had chased after us took a moment to catch her breath before finally standing up straight to deliver her message.

“If it’s convenient for you all, my master would like to meet with you right away.”

“Huh?”

“Is it really alright at this hour?”

“Yes. He said if it’s not possible now, he’ll clear his entire schedule for tomorrow, but requested that you visit as soon as possible…”

Gerald wants to meet us right now?

Could it be that there was a problem with that virility medicine, and he became “unable to perform”?

Although I felt somewhat uncomfortable about the situation, if our negotiation partner Gerald was in a desperate position, that would be advantageous for us.

Hoping this wasn’t about a claim regarding the Silver Wolf tribe’s treasure, we turned around and headed back to Gerald Fork’s mansion.

“Welcome, everyone. I’ll take your coats and cloaks.”

“The master is waiting in the reception room. This way.”

When we entered the reception room, welcomed warmly by the slave maids, Gerald Fork was waiting for us with a haggard expression.

“Ah, you’ve come at a good time. I was just about to inquire about your whereabouts through the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“You seem to have an urgent matter. Is there a problem with the Silver Wolf tribe’s treasure?”

“No, that item’s effectiveness was certain. Thanks to it, I’ve been enjoying my days.”

So it wasn’t a drug side effect issue…

While I inwardly sighed with relief, that relief was immediately overshadowed by a greater anxiety.

I realized there was only one other reason Gerald would urgently seek us out.

And his next words confirmed my suspicion.

“The reason you’ve come to see me is because you have business with Calliope again, right? I’d like to cooperate, but the situation isn’t favorable.”

“…Has something happened to Calliope?”

“Rather than explaining with words, it would be faster to show you. Follow me.”

Gerald Fork rose from his seat and led us to a large room in a corner of the mansion’s first floor.

It was a guest room converted into something like a hospital room, where Calliope lay neatly positioned on a luxurious queen-sized bed.

With a large needle pierced right through the center of her chest.

“This is…!”

“Is she dead?”

“No. Her life isn’t in danger, and the bleeding was minimal. According to the doctor, it’s a coma induced by sorcery, but of a completely different system from those of settlers or elves.”

“Then that needle must be some kind of magical tool… It might be dangerous to forcibly remove it.”

“Could you explain how this happened?”

“Of course. As far as I can remember.”

The circumstances of the incident, as explained by Gerald Fork, were as follows:

About a week ago.

Gerald visited the Wellord Salt Mine with several slaves to finalize some contracts related to reconstruction projects.

Having successfully completed the contracts, Gerald, eager to return to Moon Lake as quickly as possible, chose a direct route that bypassed Leatherwork.

Since the adventurers who had gathered during the Dungeon Overflow incident had cleared out the surrounding monsters before dispersing, the carriage carrying Gerald should have been able to return safely without encountering any danger.

However, a day before reaching Moon Lake, a masked man accompanied by undead beasts attacked their campsite.

Thanks to the combat-trained slaves accompanying him, they were able to defeat the undead beasts without much damage, but the masked man shot Calliope with a gun and escaped at an unbelievable speed.

The large needle embedded in Calliope’s chest was fired from that masked man’s gun.

“A masked man and a needle-firing gun…!”

“Could it be that guy?”

“It seems you have some idea about the perpetrator?”

“Yes, we encountered someone with a similar description when we fought a gang in Korkas Gorge. He was a drug criminal operating with separate objectives from the gang.”

Behind the Black Heart Gang incident, which we got caught up in while returning to Northern Fortress after completing our business in Nidavellir, was a masked man who used the name “Gentleman.”

He had used drugs to enhance the physical abilities of outlaws and incited the gang’s leader and key members to attempt the serious crime of stealing magic cores. When cornered, he even went so far as to use drug-addicted gang members as human bombs.

His identity was that of a race called “Third Eye” that had been active in Grantis for a long time.

While much about his motives and principles remains unclear, his mention of “taboos” and his overwhelming power to create dungeons suggests he might be part of a “Demon Lord” faction different from Anastasia or Royce Reich.

Of course, I couldn’t share such detailed information with Gerald Fork.

“But I don’t understand. Gentleman was clearly plotting against humans… I can see why he might target Mr. Gerald or his employees, but why target Calliope, a Dark Elf?”

“The needle didn’t have any magic on it when we met him before, so maybe it’s not Gentleman himself but someone else from the same organization.”

“The perpetrator’s identity doesn’t matter to me. What I want to know is whether there’s a way to treat Calliope, or if her survival can be guaranteed until a treatment is found. What do you think?”

“Well, the tools and drugs Gentleman used were completely unfamiliar to us too… Anyway, I’ll examine her. But in return—”

“I promise. If you help treat or sustain Calliope, I’ll instruct her to cooperate with your request as much as possible when she wakes up.”

“Good. And one more thing, I don’t want anyone besides our party members to see the magic I’m about to use to examine Calliope. I guarantee it won’t worsen her current condition, so could you take your servants and leave the room?”

“…Alright. I’ll wait in the reception room. Come there when you’re finished.”

Gerald complied with Jessica’s request and left the room with his maids.

“Sigh… It’s difficult to identify the type of sorcery even with the Fragment of Omniscience. I’m not sure if this will work.”

“We have no choice. If Jessica can’t do it, finding someone else who can would be nearly impossible.”

“It’s ironic, isn’t it? When we first came to Moon Lake, I tried to kill Calliope on sight without thinking of the consequences, and now here we are trying to save her.”

“Phillis. You too—”

“Honestly, I haven’t completely let go of my resentment toward Calliope. Fortunately, we were able to safely recover Iris, but it doesn’t change the fact that she killed many elves from the Willow Sanctuary.”

The look in Phillis’s eyes as she gazed at the comatose Calliope could not be described as friendly, even in jest.

To Phillis, Calliope was a mortal enemy who had harmed countless kinsmen before her eyes.

Perhaps it was natural for her to harbor deeper resentment than even Iris, who had been the kidnapping victim.

“But I promised. I won’t let my personal feelings get in the way and cause trouble for everyone again. While it’s difficult for me to completely forgive Calliope, if saving her life is the best path for all of us… and for Iris, I’m willing to endure it.”

“I’m relieved to hear you say that. What about you, Iris? Are you also reluctant to save Calliope?”

“I’ll go with ‘no comment’ on this one. I was stabbed by the Dark Blade right after the sanctuary was attacked, so I don’t remember much of what happened afterward. Besides, I can’t guarantee that my current feelings toward her completely align with those of ‘Elf’ Iris Eidra.”

Iris took a step back and assumed an observant stance as she said this. Jessica silently nodded before approaching Calliope and activating the Fragment of Omniscience.

From now on, we would be completely dependent on Jessica’s capabilities.

Unless someone invaded the room or Calliope suddenly woke up and caused a disturbance, there was nothing for us to do.

I could only hope that today’s decision to save an enemy’s life wouldn’t lead to an outcome that would hurt the elf sisters’ hearts in the future.