Signs of a Fall (1)

<Side : Lacey Glyss>

『Month of the Cross – 22nd (Evening)』

“Emergency, situation?”

I tried to maintain my composure as much as possible, but the captain of the guard’s voice was trembling slightly.

Even the one who calls himself the captain of the guard is this flustered, so I can only assume that something significant has happened at this point…

But why come to me?

“I don’t know why, but is it something so serious that you need to call an adventurer like me?”

“I’ll explain later. But Lacey, your help is desperately needed…”

“Haa… I’ll get ready and come out soon.”

The figure briefly visible under the hood was a typical guard, worn out from fatigue and overwork.

However, the fact that such an expression was visible even on the face of the captain of the guard, who should be leading the guards, meant that something had happened that even the captain couldn’t handle.

More than anything, the fact that they came to me for help suggests that an unprecedented incident has occurred that the Territory itself can no longer handle.

I put on a cloak over my everyday clothes, grabbed my spear, and left the house.

“Let’s go.”

The captain of the guard, who called himself Francis Wing, turned around as soon as he saw me come out and hurried towards the Lord’s mansion.

“There aren’t many patrols out today.”

“Right now, all the guards and patrols in the eastern district, except for the minimum personnel, have been moved to the western district.”

“The western district…? What happened there?”

West… that’s where I visited today. The area where I went to Alex’s group’s lodgings, met Myrit and Elizabeth in front of the guild, went to pick up Muse, and so on.

But the fact that they’ve drawn more than half the personnel there means that an incident that even the guards can’t handle is currently in progress in the western district.

“A disappearance has occurred in the western district…”

“Disappearance? Who disappeared that you need to ask for help from a mere adventurer, even with that many people?”

Alleys are where the homeless, vagrants, pickpockets, and other figures from the dark side of the city gather.

Thanks to the Wolf Lord’s welfare policies, this area has noticeably fewer vagrants than other places.

But the reason why they’re reaching out to an outsider like an adventurer for a disappearance in an alley doesn’t make sense.

Asking for help from an adventurer is directly related to the tarnishing of the Lord’s guard’s reputation.

“It’s not ‘who’… All the vagrants in the alleys throughout the western district have disappeared without a trace.”

“All of them…? Isn’t that too much of an exaggeration? Even in the eastern district, there are more than 40 alley districts… Surely you didn’t just investigate a part of the western district and make that judgment?”

“That’s absolutely not true! I checked all the western districts from the air, and my subordinates checked them thoroughly on the ground. But there wasn’t a trace of anyone. It was as if no one had been there from the start…”

Francis explained the situation he had witnessed in a trembling voice, just like before.

“But it’s strange. If it’s gotten this bad, does that mean the guards didn’t know until now? Or… surely there are people who have connections with the people in the back alleys. Haven’t any of them come to report the situation?”

A moment of silence flowed as we crossed a puddle in the drizzling rain.

I pondered my own questions and asked the captain of the guard, and he was the one who broke the silence.

“The incident was recognized starting from noon. The guards in charge of the western district came into the office terrified. Then they reported that all the vagrants in the western district had disappeared.”

“So what did you do?”

“A few people disappearing from the alleys is a common occurrence. Even in a Territory with good security… So at first, I was going to just let it pass… But then it occurred to me. When was the last time I received a report about the western district?”

“That’s…”

At that moment, Francis stopped walking, and I stopped in step with him.

Before we knew it, we were standing in front of the mansion. Even though it was time to go to sleep, the lights in the mansion were bright, and many guards were busily going in and out of the iron gate that should have been closed.

Francis took off the hood he was wearing, turned around, and said,

“The Lord will explain the questions you have, Lacey.”

“Wait, where are you going? And what did you mean just now!?”

“I have to go back out to search again. If you go inside, a maid will guide you to the Lord’s office. And your companions are already here. Then I’ll be going…”

With those words, Francis spread the huge green wings hidden behind his hood and soared into the sky.

The ‘omission of reports about the western district’ that he mentioned. That must be the key to this disappearance.

Because… I also had a hunch about that sense of unease.

The raindrops, as if unconcerned with my anxious heart, became even heavier, and I crossed the wide-open iron gate and entered the mansion, which boasted a classic grandeur.

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The mansion was as busy inside as it was outside. At this evening hour, when they should have been resting after a long day, the servants inside the mansion were running around with various documents and items in their arms.

Among them, a maid came up to me as soon as I entered the mansion and spoke to me.

“Lacey Glyss. The Lord is waiting for you. Please come this way…”

This maid also looked exhausted and led me to where the Lord was. It seemed like she had been working for a long time without rest.

After walking along a corridor with a red carpet for a while, I saw a woman with long purple hair in front of a door.

“This is where the Lord is. Please wait here with your companion. Then I’ll be excusing myself…”

The maid bowed lightly and left her spot. After that, two people were left in the silent corridor. Me and Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth, you were here too.”

“I was about to say the same. I didn’t think the Lord would call you too.”

We both felt puzzled about meeting in this place. And from the point of view that two high-ranking adventurers were urgently called to one place, I already had a feeling that this matter would not end easily.

Besides, if Elizabeth came, her partner would have come with her. But the fact that he’s not here means…

“Is Myrit talking with the Lord?”

“Yeah. The Lord said he wanted to talk to him first. We were just about to go to bed, but suddenly some guy who said he was the captain of the guard came and said there was an emergency and that he needed help.”

It seems that Francis went to call Elizabeth before coming to me.

She was wearing a thick leather cloak over her wine-colored pajamas and carrying a huge gun. Anyone could tell that she had been called urgently.

Not long after listening to Elizabeth’s grumbling, the door she was facing opened.

“Liza, you can come in now… What, did you call Lacey too, Lord? Anyway, come in, both of you. I was going to talk about it later anyway, even if the Lord hadn’t called you.”

Myrit also seemed surprised that I had come, and his tired eyes widened for a moment, but soon returned to normal.

As if all the actions he was taking in this space were bothersome, he let us into the room with slow movements.

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As soon as I entered the Lord’s room, I saw a stuffed wolf’s head and silver chains wrapped around it.

The symbol, which was also the Lord’s emblem, was hanging on the wall, and below it was the Lord, with a solemn expression, looking at documents.

A man with a trained physique and neatly arranged silver hair. His name is Edward Silverlight.

In the past, he was a famous Monster hunter who was known for slaughtering Monsters like a ferocious wolf. And he was recognized by the king for his achievements, received this Territory, and is said to have grown it this big with his excellent management skills.

“I’m sorry for the late hour. Lacey. And Elizabeth. I hope you’ll forgive this rudeness, as the situation is what it is.”

The Lord, seeing us, didn’t even have time to exchange greetings, kept his eyes on the pile of documents on his desk, and welcomed us with a dignified voice.

Elizabeth and I each sat in the seats in the center of the room and joined the heavy atmosphere.

“Then, Lord. Can you tell us properly what happened? You didn’t call people who were about to go to bed in the middle of the night just to use them without any explanation, did you?”

Elizabeth crossed her legs and leaned her arms arrogantly on the armrests, looking at the Lord and speaking.

At first glance, it was an extremely rude gesture, but the Lord didn’t even glance at it and continued to speak.

“About 200 vagrants in the western district have disappeared. The alleys are as clean as if they’ve been swept, without leaving any traces.”

The Lord, who was telling the whole story of the incident calmly, mixing sighs in between, was as tired and worried as the faces of the servants I had seen passing through the mansion.

Eventually, he put the documents he was looking at back on the mountain of paper and turned his eyes to us, who were gathered in the center of the room.

Despite the distance, his spirit and dignity were revealed without filtration.

“First of all, I apologize again for this rudeness. Incidents that occur within the Territory are originally matters that the guards should handle, but the matter is so serious and dangerous that it was difficult for us to handle it alone, so we had no choice but to ask for help from you, high-ranking adventurers.”

The Lord bowed his head to us in apology. The Lord’s guards, who are respected by the citizens for their excellent performance and outstanding skills, have a great reputation in the city.

But an incident that even they couldn’t handle had occurred, and they even asked for help from our party.

“Next, I’ll explain. Liza. Lacey. Is that okay, Lord?”

“Yes, please explain.”

As if to ease the Lord’s burden, Myrit volunteered to give a detailed explanation of the incident.

Perhaps the reason why the two of them had been talking alone until just now was because they needed to have an important conversation as the current leader of this party, and he must have heard about the details of the incident from the Lord.

“This disappearance is estimated to have occurred at least since yesterday morning. We recognized the incident starting from noon today. Immediately after that, we started the investigation. The number of missing people is about 200.”

“Wait a minute…!? You started investigating the incident from noon? Isn’t that too late? I don’t know who the culprit is, but it seems like the guards, who didn’t take any action for a day, made the incident worse?”

Elizabeth, hearing the whole story of the incident, scolded the Lord in an annoyed tone. Of course, I also wanted to express my complaints like her, but I felt a strange sense of unease.

Besides, I’m not the only one feeling uneasy. At least one… no, two people probably know about this sense of unease.

The first is the man in front of me, who is surprised by Elizabeth’s remarks and trying to calm her down.

“Myrit. You feel it too, don’t you? That strange sense of unease that’s bothering us.”

“I thought so too.”

“What…? Is there something that only you guys know again?”

He knows it too. That sense of unease. Yesterday, when I looked at the ‘alley’ on the way from Alex’s group’s lodgings to the guild, I ignored that alley.

At that time, I thought it was nothing and passed it by, but now I realize that that act was deliberately manipulated by someone.

“We were probably affected by a Cognitive Interference Barrier. Probably.”

Myrit was thinking the same thing as me. Clearly, my thoughts about the ‘alley’ were forcibly changed by the mysterious Barrier hanging in the alley.

Myrit, who was going to the tea house after meeting at the guild, mentioned ‘alley’ before mentioning the tea house, and as a result, his interest in ‘alley’ was forcibly cut off.

And judging from the Lord’s appearance, who is not flustered even after hearing my and Myrit’s conversation, it is clear that he heard about this sense of unease from the second person who knew about it.

“Indeed, it’s the same story I heard from the captain of the guard. He said something similar. Perhaps the guards in charge of patrolling the alleys were also affected by that Barrier and couldn’t pay attention to the alleys.”

Omission of reports about the western district. Is that what Francis meant before he left?

Wait a minute…! Then the Lord has started investigating the Barrier… maybe he’s already finished. If so, it would be easier to find the culprit.

Before I could bring it up, Elizabeth spoke first.

“It seems like you already know about the Barrier, Lord, but have you investigated the Barrier? I don’t think you would have called only us for this kind of incident, you called Herry too, didn’t you? Right?”

“That’s right. At that time… well, it was only a few hours ago, but the Barrier was in the realm of speculation. Still, in order not to miss even a shred of possibility, I immediately sent a messenger to the Guild Master. She also immediately sent a Familiar to investigate the alleys and detect traces of the Barrier.”

“The result?”

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t find it. There wasn’t even a trace of Magic, let alone traces of a struggle or fragments of the missing people’s belongings in that alley.”

The Lord clenched his fist as if he was resentful and revealed that the Barrier detection had failed.

However, the Barrier is just a hypothesis. It wouldn’t be strange if it didn’t exist, and the fact that the Guild Master, who is called a great mage, directly detected Magic and it didn’t come out means…

It could mean that the Barrier is an illusion… but I had a feeling that the method of detecting it with Magic might be wrong.

“Lord. I have something I want to suggest.”

“Something…? Do you have something in mind?”

“As you know, Barriers are divided into Magic and Divinity. And although it’s not widely known, the two are opposites, so it’s difficult to detect Divinity with Magic and Magic with Divinity. It’s just a guess… but if that Barrier was made of Divinity, it makes sense that the Guild Master couldn’t find it.”

“Are you saying that a priest may be involved in this disappearance?”

“I can’t say no. And you said it earlier, Lord. That you wouldn’t miss even a shred of possibility. If traces of the Barrier come out with Divinity detection, the scope of the culprit can be greatly narrowed.”

Myrit and the Lord listened to my words and fell into deep thought. It’s a natural reaction.

The fact that a priest, who outwardly claims to be clean and advocates equality for all, is involved in a crime is a big ripple in itself.

“Hoo… I guess it was the right answer to call you guys. I’ll send someone who can detect Divinity right away to investigate. Then it’s very late today, so you guys should go and rest.”

“Wait, are you just calling us here like this, talking, and ending it? Weren’t you calling us to order us to do something more?”

“I was going to, but a new clue has appeared, so investigating it is the top priority. The weather is bad, the sky is dark, and there are still many areas to look at. I’ll tell you the details when we meet tomorrow.”

The direction of the incident has changed greatly once again.

The fact that 200 vagrants have disappeared would be newsworthy enough to be featured in the newspaper, but if the fact that someone who can use Divinity is involved is also announced, the world will be greatly stirred up.

At least the Lord will try to resolve this incident as quickly as possible before that happens. That’s why he called us.

We got up from our seats one by one according to the Lord’s order to leave. And just as we were about to leave the room, a dignified voice filled the room again.

“This incident is entirely our fault. I am truly sorry to burden you all with this. However, the missing people are also a precious part of this territory. It’s not for me to say, having neglected them and driven them to become vagrants, but I, too, need your strength. So, I am sincerely grateful to you for coming here willingly.”

The Lord bowed to us as we were about to leave, placing his hand on his chest in a gesture of respect.

The sight of the man who should be commanding his subordinates from above bowing to us, mere adventurers, seemed to genuinely reveal his upright character, even before his position as Lord.

We also bowed lightly to him before finally leaving the room.

Wait a minute… If the incident happened yesterday morning, Alex and his party were away at that time…

Also, Clarice’s behavior of not coming to church for a whole month…

Could it be… Could it not be? The possibility of all of this being connected is extremely low… Probably…

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<Side: Elizabeth Pendragon>

“Tch… What is it? Making me feel awkward for no reason. What does that make me, after saying such harsh things…”

“That’s why I told you to think before you speak. How can you get so angry just because you were called out late?”

“Well, I didn’t know there was such a background… I won’t be able to face the Lord later, geez.”

My husband, Lacey, and I left the Lord’s room and walked side by side down the mansion’s hallway towards the outside.

Should I have been more restrained with my words…?

Haa, it’s already done, what’s the point of saying more? I’ll just rest well today and work hard tomorrow.

After our conversation just now, we left the mansion quietly amidst a somewhat solemn atmosphere.

Unlike us, the maids and guards who have been busily moving since I entered the mansion are truly pitiful.

By the way, where is that bitch doing at a time like this that I can’t even see the tip of her nose?

Her husband is working hard…

“Elizabeth! Wait a minute!”

“Haa… Speak of the devil. Where have you been until now?”

“What? I’ve been working hard too! I just finished reporting the progress of the investigation to my husband, and he told me that you guys just left, so I came to meet you.”

The clumsy bitch with a blank face, panting as she ran up to me. Anidiat Silverlight, my former colleague and the Lord’s Wife, with her neat brown hair and a whip at her waist.

“So, why did you come to meet me? I don’t think we can take on personal requests right now, given the situation.”

“W-What…! Elizabeth. I know how to read the room, okay?”

Every time I see this woman, a severe collector who constantly requests High-ranking monster capture missions, I get the urge to blow her head off.

Last time, I ended up breaking a table while listening to her brag about how she went with Herry and cleaned out some store.

“It’s not like I would ask for a request to satisfy my own desires when my husband is struggling with a headache… No, that’s not it! I really have something to say!”

“Lord’s Wife. It seems like this doesn’t concern me, so may I excuse myself?”

“Ah, Lacey? It would be nice if you could listen together, but it’s okay if you leave. Elizabeth will tell you tomorrow anyway.”

“Haa? Why would I…”

“I’ll be going now. Lord’s Wife. See you tomorrow then. Elizabeth, Myrit.”

Lacey left those words and quickly left the scene.

What’s wrong with her again? She’s making it so obvious that she’s thinking about something…

“Ah, then I’ll be going first too. I’ll hear about it from Liza tomorrow as well.”

“O-Oh…!? Y-You wait…”

Why are you suddenly backing out!! My husband disappeared behind the mansion’s iron gate in an instant, into the heavy rain. In the end, only Anidiat and I were left.

…If she called me over to tell me some trivial story, I’m going to smash her head this time for sure.

“What do you have to say that you’re holding up a busy person? If it’s nothing important, you’ll get a beating.”

“Geez, listen to what people have to say until the end. It’s really important. In the first place, those two might not understand this very well. You, as a former colleague, might understand.”

“…What do you have to say? Just say it all at once without hesitating.”

Only I, a former colleague, can understand what Anidiat is saying now? Could it be… that?

“My gut is screaming. The real goal of this disappearance case is to lure someone out. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”

A means to lure someone out? Could that be me or my husband?

“I don’t know exactly what it is. It’s probably not targeting ordinary guards or citizens. At least people with names. Like you said, it could be you, your husband, or Lacey. Or maybe me or the captain of the guard.”

Even when I was in a party with Anidiat in the past, the only thing I could trust about her, despite her unreliability, was her intuition.

Like animals that avoid places before a disaster occurs, she would warn me about danger if she saw any signs.

The fact that Anidiat is emphasizing her intuition and telling me this story, is it because of her affection for her old colleague?

Haa… If she acts like this, what does that make me, who was just cursing at her until now…?

“I’m mobilizing everything I can and searching every corner of the Lord’s territory, but I can’t see even a shadow of the missing people. I don’t think they’re in the territory, at least. If not, it means they managed to deceive the eyes of numerous guards and move the missing people out in just one day…”

“…I understand. Thanks for the advice. I’ll tell the others tomorrow. Well, good luck to you too. We’ll definitely find out. The culprit and the missing people.”

“Ah, okay… You guys too. …Ah, but Elizabeth. If this case ends well, this time, can you get me that monster I mentioned last time…”

“Get lost! You crazy bitch! Geez, I feel like an idiot for feeling grateful to you even for a moment!”

“Eh! Eeh!?”

People don’t change, and I really felt pathetic for cheering on that woman just a few seconds ago.

I left Anidiat with a dumbfounded expression and left the mansion as it was.

The rain is getting heavier than before, and I’m glad I wore a Cape. Otherwise, I would have looked like a drowned rat. By the way, my husband just left me behind? I’m definitely not letting him off the hook when I get home…

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“Liza, are you done talking with the Lord’s Wife?”

“…Oh, oh!? What, weren’t you supposed to go home first?”

Why are you there? I definitely saw you going home first. Could it be… you waited until Anidiat and I were done talking?

“I’m not a heartless husband who would abandon his wife in the middle of a scary night and go home first.”

…Haa, I don’t know how many times this is today. Whenever I curse at someone first, there’s always a story behind them, and I’m the only one who looks like an idiot…

Should I just not curse at people? But what am I supposed to do if I feel like I’m going to die of frustration if I don’t curse?

“I don’t know what you heard, but let’s go home quickly, take a shower, and get some sleep before the rain gets heavier. Tomorrow will be even busier than today.”

My husband gently swept my bangs back and whispered sweetly.

That’s why I can’t hate my husband. There’s no woman in this world who hates a man who always takes care of the weak and treats them kindly. I’m one of them too.

“It’ll be busy tomorrow too. Let’s go quickly… Ah, what did I hear from Anidiat…”

I linked arms with my husband and headed home through the rain.

No matter how fiercely cold the weather is, I’m not cold at all when I’m with you. It’s actually kind of hot.

Our couple walking intimately in the middle of such heavy rain. If there was a painter, I would definitely want them to paint this scene!

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<Side: Lacey Glyss>

After parting ways with Myrit and Elizabeth, I headed straight home.

It was because of one possibility that came to mind quite by chance as I was about to leave the mansion.

Was it really a coincidence, or was it a rational deduction that arose from layers of suspicion?

With that question in mind, I arrived home and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

[Ah♥ My love Muse♥]

[Glaceia♥ Grace♥ I will love only you forever♥]

What is…?

Just as I thought I had fallen asleep, I suddenly saw the figures of two women.

With pink and blue skin, they were revealing only their naked upper bodies in a lake, devouring each other’s lips.

What… is this?

Kissing lewdly and whispering sweet nothings, the two women, embracing breasts that were so swollen that the word “voluptuous” was not enough to describe them, exuded an indescribable lewdness in themselves.

And among them, I felt a very familiar feeling from the one with pink skin.

None other than Muse… the being I love dearly. My eternal love, my light…

[Ahah♥ You saw it♥]

Intense magenta hair that can be recognized at a glance even from afar, and a sweet, melodious voice.

But my fiancée was now embracing another person intimately, completely naked, and touching their body without hesitation.

[Watch a little more. Lacey…♥ I want to see it♥ The sight of your icy expression distorting♥ Muah♥]

Muse’s skin dyed pink, eerie horns protruding from the knot of her tied hair, and her left arm, which should have been wearing a Prosthetic arm, was filled with black flesh, taking on a grotesque shape.

Moreover, her body had grown so explosively that I wouldn’t have recognized her if it weren’t for her face and hair color.

She had Muse’s face, but it didn’t feel like her.

Muse smiled slightly in my direction and began to kiss violently again.

[Slurp♥ Muah♥ Smooch♥ Glaceia♥ Violate my mouth more fiercely♥♥]

[Smooch♥ Slurp♥ Of course♥ Muse♥]

The being with blue skin, declaring love to Muse as if she were her lover.

Even if this scene wasn’t reality, I couldn’t help but feel anger towards the vile being who was coveting someone else’s lover.

[Haa♥ Glaceia♥ I, I can’t take it anymore♥]

[Hehe♥ Hehehe♥ I’m at my limit too♥ Muse♥ Because we promised to love each other forever♥]

The woman with blue skin had her back to me, so I couldn’t see her face, but she also possessed a body as violent as Muse’s, or perhaps even more so.

To the point where she covered Muse’s already large breasts with her own…

As if flaunting it to me, the two’s love affair became even more daring.

Long tongues licked the inside of their mouths in a sticky way that made even the viewer’s face burn, and slender hands violently massaged each other’s backs, buttocks, and breasts.

Then, just as their hands were about to reach for their Yonis, the two of them turned to me at the same time.

[Glaceia♥ I knew I shouldn’t have been dating a human male after all. I love you the most in this world, you who recreated me♥ I only have you♥]

[Hehe♥ Muse is so cute♥ Of course, I love Muse the most too♥]

I watch the two of them confess their love sweetly, like an old couple, and lightly kiss each other on the cheek.

I clenched my fist, which could not be clenched, gnashed my teeth, which could not be gnashed, and shed tears, which could not be shed.

Muse continued to whisper sweet nothings, as if mocking me.

I wanted to close my ears, but I, who could only watch without substance, couldn’t even do that.

In the end, I had no choice but to continue watching their love affair with eyes that could not be closed.

[Puhah♥ Glaceia’s saliva is so sweet♥♥]

[Muse, you’re the one who’s licking me so much that my mouth is going to disappear♥ I really love you… Muse♥]

“Kuh…”

I just hoped to wake up quickly.

I also knew very well that Muse would never commit infidelity while having a lover.

The fact that I, who knew that, was dreaming of Muse’s affair was nothing more than disrespect towards Muse and a pathetic delusion.

[Now… you pathetic male who separated our love. And you disgustingly incompetent male. Lacey Glyss. It’s time to wake up from your dream♥ Let’s meet as one next time we see each other♥]

The woman with blue skin smiled evilly, and at that moment, I was enveloped in bright light and lost consciousness.

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『Month of the Cross – 23rd (Morning)』

“…Ha, Ugh!”

Sweat was flowing all over my body, and I was gasping for breath. The terrible experience that could not have happened felt like reality.

“…Hoo, hoo. Muse…”

I pushed aside the sweat-soaked blanket and sat on the bed, catching my breath. And I engraved Muse’s image in my head again.

My proud fiancée, who ties her magenta hair in pigtails and is good at playing musical instruments.

“Damn it… Morning, huh…”

The sunlight streaming in from the window and the clear metallic sound told me that morning had come.

“I have to hurry… Haa… I had an unpleasant dream from the morning.”

I had to go to the guild in the morning for the investigation of yesterday’s disappearance case.

I put aside the unsettling feeling and started preparing to go to the guild.

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