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Chapter: 20
Not the Cult Leader, but the Baby Head of the House
“The target’s secured. Everyone, get out of the mansion.”
Carina, pulling the cart, updated Ariel and Isabella on the situation.
Hesitantly, Ariel asked,
[What about Isaac’s team? Is it okay to just leave them?]
Carina furrowed her brow at Ariel’s casual tone.
“They’re the enemy right now.”
[B-but… they’re only competitors for this exam, right? They’re also adoption candidates like us…]
“Why don’t we just get caught together, then?”
Ariel fell silent at Carina’s blunt remark.
[This time I agree with Carina. Is now the time to worry about others? If you’re hesitating, I’ll leave the mansion first.]
“See you at the rendezvous point.”
With that, Carina ended the transmission and pulled the cart toward the back door.
However, guards were now stationed at the back door, which had been empty until just a moment ago.
Cheh—
Carina, who had stopped in her tracks, tried to turn her body as naturally as possible.
But the guards recognized her and spoke up.
“Hey, kid. Everyone else probably evacuated to the shelters. What are you doing here?”
Carina hesitated briefly before answering as casually as possible.
“Oh, I didn’t realize anything had happened, so I was just gathering the laundry.”
“You were gathering laundry?”
The guard, suspicious, stepped closer to Carina.
“Mind if I take a quick look at that pile?”
Carina’s shoulders stiffened. She could hear the soldier’s boots approaching closely.
Biting her lip in thought, Carina whispered to Alvin, who was hidden in the laundry pile, just loud enough for him to hear.
“Alvin, hold the box with the seal tight.”
“Huh?”
Before Alvin could fully process her words, the laundry pile was lifted.
It wasn’t the soldier—it was Carina herself who had lifted it. Alvin barely had time to glance at her in confusion before she grabbed the back of his neck.
Her movements were so natural that the soldier, still focused on the laundry pile, didn’t notice Alvin until it was too late.
“What… what is this! What were you hiding?!”
Before the guard could react, Carina was already faster.
Holding Alvin by the nape, she channeled her internal energy into her legs and leapt straight off the ground.
“Ahhhhh!”
Alvin flailed in the air, screaming, as Carina landed atop the outer wall of the mansion and clicked her tongue.
“Don’t struggle. Just hold onto the box.”
The guard, watching Carina rise like a bird and land on the high battlements, finally shouted belatedly.
“Intruder! There’s an intruder here too!”
Despite the guard’s shouting, Carina calmly soared above the walls, holding Alvin securely, moving gracefully through the trees. Alvin screamed helplessly as he dangled in the air.
“W-waaahhh—!”
She normally speaks quietly, but in situations like this, her voice was impressively loud.
When they reached the pre-arranged rendezvous point, Ariel and Isabella soon joined them.
Ariel’s expression was still dark. Without looking at her, Carina asked Alvin,
“Alvin, can you open the box right away?”
“J-just a moment!”
Alvin pulled out his tools from his bag and unlocked the artifact in under five minutes. Perhaps because he was less tense here than in the mansion, he worked even faster.
Carina opened the box and confirmed the seals that the Count had used were neatly inside.
“Evidence of Count Frederick’s corruption.”
Carina muttered to herself, and all eyes turned to her.
“Since we secured it safely, let’s head back to the Duke’s residence.”
Alvin hesitated, seeming like he had something to say.
“What is it? Say it quickly if you have something.”
Noticing his hesitation, Carina asked impatiently. Alvin stammered.
“Th-they’re already… nearby…”
Before he could finish, a strange hand suddenly took the seal from the box.
Carina, caught off guard by the unnoticed presence, turned her head. Xavier was examining the seal with an indifferent expression.
W-what is he doing here? When did he even arrive?
Xavier checked the seal, which bore the serpent emblem encircling an apple, and spoke casually.
“It’s Adam’s emblem.”
“Adam?”
Carina asked in confusion, and Alvin kindly explained.
“It’s the emblem of the Southern Dark Guild. Some say it was a guild raised by Duke Ludovico.”
Xavier gave Carina a cold look.
“You took it without even knowing that?”
Carina frowned at his condescending tone.
“Regardless, we got it, didn’t we?”
Carina’s confident rebuttal silenced Xavier.
He then turned his head and spoke to the shadows behind them.
“Now that we have evidence of Count Frederick’s corruption, take control of the Count’s residence as instructed.”
From the shadows, Eric of the Red Hawk Mercenary Group, who had been there all along, nodded.
Carina raised her internal energy to sense the presence around them.
There were about a hundred presences approaching, including Largo.
Did they bring the Red Hawk Mercenary Group?
Well, the Duke had already announced he would send the Red Hawks as reinforcements. Carina hadn’t expected Xavier to come along.
While Carina checked the surroundings, Xavier continued indifferently.
“You may return to the Duke’s residence.”
Carina frowned slightly.
He wants to take credit for our work? The hard part is done by us, but Xavier will take the glory.
“If you’re arresting the Count, I’m coming too.”
Isabella’s eyes went wide in surprise.
Ariel, however, still seemed concerned about leaving Team 1 behind, showing agreement.
Xavier scowled in annoyance.
“The exam only required you to steal the evidence of corruption. You’ve already passed.”
Sure, the exam was passed.
But sharing the rewards is a different matter.
“Inside the mansion, we know the layout best. We’ve memorized it thoroughly during the two weeks we posed as maids.”
Then Eric quietly spoke up.
“Knowing the internal layout will help block the Count’s escape routes.”
Xavier hesitated, then finally spoke indifferently.
“Not all of you need to go. Only Carina will join.”
Isabella breathed a sigh of relief, while Ariel remained uneasy. Probably worried about Team 1.
Carina calmly addressed Ariel and Alvin.
“Go to the Duke’s residence first. We’ll finish things here and come back.”
“C-Carina… what about Denian?”
“I’ll bring him along. Don’t worry.”
If he’s still alive.
“Red Hawk Mercenary Group? What is this madness!”
Frederick’s face turned pale at the sight of Xavier leading the Red Hawk Mercenary Group, said to be the strongest force aside from the Duke’s knights.
As a prominent heir of the Batius family, Xavier’s arrival meant Duke Batius had noticed something.
“Count Frederick, as a vassal, you are hereby arrested for betraying the Batius family and colluding with other factions.”
“W-what do you mean?!”
Frederick protested, and Xavier, as if expecting it, produced the seal.
Frederick frowned as he saw it and froze in shock.
“Th-that’s…!”
“Still going to deny it?”
“Ugh…!”
Cornered, Frederick suddenly ran toward the opposite corridor.
Xavier didn’t chase him but watched calmly.
Frederick ran toward the underground prison.
A secret passage connected the prison to the underground waterways.
Frederick ran toward it, intending to escape, only to stop abruptly.
There stood Bessie, the maid he had seen before, staring blankly.
“Y-you… why are you here…”
Carina smiled kindly at the flustered Count.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?”
