Chapter 149: Dissonance (7)
The air in the lounge froze over in an instant.
It was a cold, sticky kind of silence, distinctly different from the tense atmosphere just moments ago.
The only sound to be heard was the rough breathing of the man from the Capital Guard.
He trembled like a leaf, his face deathly pale.
Selendis furrowed her brows but did her best to remain composed.
She instinctively understood that this situation needed to be handled swiftly—and that only she could do it.
Perhaps because of that—
Her voice came out even colder and sharper than usual.
“Commander.”
“H-Hrr… Urgh…”
“...Commander of the Capital Guard!”
At her piercing shout, the man’s eyes, which had been unfocused and darting through the air in terror, finally regained some light.
“Ah, yes! N-No… Wh-Why are you shouting, Vice-Commander Everglenn? Y-You startled me!”
“First, calm down. You said the Guard Captain was murdered—what do you mean by that? Is the information certain? Please explain calmly.”
But the man didn’t seem capable of listening to Selendis’ words.
Instead, he shouted as if in a fit, his voice bordering on hysteria.
His voice was cracked, laced with both fear and rage.
“Calmly? Do I look calm to you?! And certain, you ask?! Tell me, who in the world survives after being decapitated?!”
He practically screamed, his entire body trembling.
His cries bounced off the lounge walls, echoing hollowly.
With shaking hands, he clutched at his hair and let out a choking sob.
“Just now... A delivery arrived at my office. And, I—I opened the box… inside… inside it was a head—the Guard Captain’s head…!”
He couldn't continue beyond that, his lips quivering uncontrollably.
It was clear he had fled here in a panic after seeing the gruesome delivery.
“……”
“……”
At that moment, the gazes of everyone else in the lounge turned frigid.
Though they all harbored different emotions and thoughts, not a single one of them was sympathetic.
Professor Shagas silently closed his eyes, but a deep crease formed between his brows.
Anguster's eyes filled with open contempt, even disgust.
Selendis' face remained cold as ever, and even Lian frowned slightly.
‘What in the world…’
Of course, it was a shocking and horrific event.
But wasn’t he the man in charge of the Capital Guard?
It was questionable whether someone like that could make sound judgments or lead properly in a crisis.
Setting aside the fact that he had carelessly opened an unidentified package, the sight of the so-called commander of the Capital Guard losing his mind in fear and flailing about...
It was nothing short of pathetic.
‘More importantly…’
The very act of sending the victim’s head to his office was a blatant provocation and warning.
In such a situation, rather than preserving the scene and formulating a countermeasure, the fact that he ran away in fear left everyone speechless.
It went beyond carelessness—this was pure incompetence.
How someone like that had ever attained his position was baffling.
“Haa…”
In the end, it was once again Selendis who stepped up to take control of the situation.
Realizing she could expect nothing from the man, she let out a short sigh and stood up.
“...This is what happens when clueless and incompetent fools are placed at the top.”
Anguster muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for Lian beside him to hear clearly.
Professor Shagas and Selendis likely heard it too.
Yet none of the three reacted, pretending they hadn’t heard his remark.
“...First, we must inspect the scene. Lead the way.”
Her voice left no room for refusal.
Professor Shagas slowly stood with the aid of his cane, followed silently by Anguster.
Lian naturally followed after them.
“R-Right now…?”
“……”
“F-Fine then. Let’s go. Let’s…”
The pudgy man was still trembling, but as if unable to withstand the weight of their cold stares, he reluctantly got up.
He began staggering ahead, his face on the verge of tears.
The office they arrived at was needlessly spacious and luxurious.
It stood in stark contrast to the lounge they had just been in.
A gleaming desk, an expensive-looking carpet, obscure paintings and statues adorning the walls…
And in the center of the large desk, the box sat wide open.
That box—left open and unattended.
“……”
Selendis approached it without hesitation and looked inside.
Her expression was rigid, but her eyes showed no sign of wavering.
Anguster stepped up beside her and peered into the box.
A look of grief quickly spread across his face.
“...You shouldn’t look.”
Professor Shagas grabbed Lian’s arm and spoke softly.
Lian nodded slightly and stood by him in a supporting stance.
“It’s confirmed.”
Selendis murmured quietly, swallowing her grim expression.
Anguster let out a deep sigh.
“Elaine… What am I supposed to say to you in the afterlife…”
Meanwhile, Selendis' gaze fixed on the box—more specifically, on the forehead of the severed head.
Something like writing was inscribed there.
“What is this…?”
Selendis voiced her doubt, and Anguster answered.
“It’s in the language of Garusol.”
“Can you read it?”
“Somewhat.”
“What does it say?”
“It’s a curse. ‘Filthy imperial pigs, feel our wrath.’ ...That’s the gist of it.”
His expression darkened further.
“This might not be a simple incident. It’s practically a declaration of war.”
The air in the room grew even heavier.
At that moment, Selendis let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.
“I regret having to say this under these circumstances…”
She glanced around at those in the room before continuing.
“Outposts on the outskirts of the capital are currently being attacked in succession. Several guards have already been killed, and some documents appear to have been stolen… I had just returned to deal with the matter.”
Her words made the atmosphere even more oppressive.
Anguster’s eyes sharpened as he spoke, as though he had been waiting for this.
“A warning written in Garusol’s language, and the murdered Guard Captain muttering ‘Garusol’ and ‘woman’ repeatedly before his death… This cannot be taken lightly.”
He said that while subtly glancing at Professor Shagas.
“Now that I think of it, wasn’t your assistant from Garusol, Professor? And wasn’t she also known to have a grudge against the Guard Captain?”
“……”
Professor Shagas didn’t answer.
Anguster quietly muttered.
“Above all, it’s quite the coincidence that she’s not here right now. She hasn’t appeared before either you or me in over a week… To disappear at such a critical time…”
His voice was calm, but the implication was clear.
He was cleverly weaving circumstantial evidence to make Yuran a prime suspect.
Though Professor Shagas said nothing, his face stiffened with anger.
He glared at Anguster, barely hiding his displeasure.
As the tension mounted—
Lian quietly stepped forward.
“...Excuse me, but may I speak?”
Everyone turned their gaze to Lian.
He began to speak in a calm yet resolute voice.
“I understand your concerns, but I think your conclusion is far too biased.”
“Hah. In what way?”
Lian took a moment to catch his breath.
“First of all, I must say—she’s incredibly skilled. Not only in sorcery but also in martial arts.”
“Hm, incredibly skilled, you say.”
Anguster replied with a mocking tone.
“You mean skilled enough to easily kill a few guards and even sever the Guard Captain’s head?”
“Not just that.”
Lian answered without backing down in the slightest.
“Not only regular guards—even properly trained soldiers would struggle to take her on.”
“Hm…”
“But when I first met her, even though she was mistaken for an illegal immigrant and surrounded, she made no active use of her power. She did resist, but only with minimal defense.”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“If she had wanted to, she could have killed or maimed everyone there and escaped. But even so, she tried her best to appeal her innocence and resolve the situation peacefully.”
Lian spoke with a calm yet resolute voice.
“This proves that she—Yuran—has a deep understanding of the Empire’s laws and order, and is fully aware of their weight and authority.”
“……”
“A person like her wouldn’t be ignorant of how grave a crime it is to kill someone—especially guards, who represent state authority. So why would she now, with her identity and residence fully known, go out of her way to attack guards and even commit murder?”
It makes no sense.
Saying so, Lian looked around as if appealing to everyone.
“And about the so-called grudge—there was only an unfortunate incident at their first meeting, and it ended with the Guard Captain receiving disciplinary action. If anyone had reason to hold a grudge, it would be the victim, not Yuran. …The idea that she suddenly did something this extreme over an event that happened months ago is simply unconvincing.”
“……”
Anguster remained silent for a moment at Lian’s rebuttal.
“…Hah, how very clever of you.”
He muttered with a sneer but said no more.
Instead, he turned to Selendis.
“Anyway, the fact remains that she’s not here. Shouldn’t we first determine her whereabouts and begin an investigation?”
Selendis remained quiet, seemingly lost in thought, before she spoke.
“…It is true we must keep all possibilities open.”
However—
Her following words made Anguster press his lips together in displeasure.
“He has a point. Given the current circumstances, identifying Yuran as the prime suspect is indeed premature. More importantly, during times like these, when outsiders are flowing in, all kinds of crimes tend to occur… I believe it would be wiser to place more weight on that side of things.”
She then turned to Professor Shagas.
“Professor Shagas, while she may not be a prime suspect, your assistant must still be questioned.”
“I understand.”
“Also, since she’s a foreigner, she may face certain difficulties during the investigation—issues of identification, among others. I ask that you accompany her for the inquiry as soon as possible.”
“I will.”
Next, she addressed Anguster.
“Sir Anguster, would you assist with notifying the bereaved family? From what I gather, you seem to have some connection with them, and your personal involvement would be helpful.”
“Naturally, I will.”
Finally, Selendis’ gaze turned to the pudgy man still standing there dazed.
“It’s time for cleanup now. Call the others and gather everyone.”
“…Huh? M-Me?”
As he asked in a fluster, Selendis shot him a cold glare.
“Then who should do it? Me?”
“N-No…”
Under her piercing gaze, he could only nod reluctantly.
Professor Shagas and Lian exited the Guard Headquarters building.
The moment they stepped outside, the two spoke in unison.
“…We need to meet Yuran first.”
“I agree.”
Professor Shagas pulled out a charm from inside his robe.
“It’s one Yuran gave me.”
“A tracking charm, isn’t it?”
“How did you kno… Ah, right, she gave you one before too.”
Professor Shagas nodded in understanding.
“I honestly didn’t think I’d have to use it like this, but it can’t be helped. Delaying this will only make things worse for the girl.”
With that, he took the charm in both hands and tore it apart with force.
The charm crumbled into ash and scattered into the wind with a faint glow.
A slight frown crossed Professor Shagas’ brow.
“Hmm… She’s not at the Academy.”
“You mean… she’s outside?”
He nodded.
With a firm tap of his cane, he began to walk.
“She wasn’t as far as I thought. We should go find her.”
“…I’ll come with you, Professor.”
Without hesitation, Lian followed behind him.
Professor Shagas didn’t object.
And before long, Lian realized where they were headed.
It was the same abandoned, old orphanage where he had first met Yuran.
“This place…?”
“You know it?”
“Yes, it’s where I first met Yuran.”
“I see…”
Lian nodded as he looked at the orphanage.
In the past few months, it had become desolate, as if ravaged by fire.
There were no signs of life.
“…She’s inside.”
The moment they stepped in, they were greeted by an unpleasant stench and dust.
Leftover food waste and miscellaneous junk were scattered in a corner, as if someone had briefly used the place as a hideout.
Most likely vagrants.
“……”
Professor Shagas silently followed the direction indicated by the charm.
Lian quietly trailed behind him.
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at any moment.
Soon, they stopped in front of a dead-end wall.
Without hesitation, Professor Shagas placed his hand on it.
A faint glow and ripple of mana spread from his fingertips.
“An illusion spell…”
Professor Shagas muttered with a sigh.
It was a spell that had no business being here.
He swept his hand through the air, and the crumbling wall shimmered like a mirage before revealing a staircase.
It led into a dark, underground space.
“I’ll go first.”
Lian stepped down the stairs.
The deeper he went, the more a chilly air wrapped around him.
Then came the stench—pungent, ominous, and metallic.
Lian took a shallow breath and bit his lip slightly.
‘…No, it can’t be.’
The basement was damp and dark.
The musty scent of mold stung his nose.
But stronger than that was another, far more intense smell.
The smell of blood.
“……”
One hand remained on his sword, the other ready to invoke a miracle at a moment’s notice.
Amidst this, he felt a faint presence ahead.
Swallowing dryly, Lian called out cautiously.
“…Yuran?”
The presence flinched at his voice and froze.
Then slowly, very slowly, turned its head.
It was Yuran.
“Yu…?”
But her usual appearance was nowhere to be found.
“Wait, what…”
Her midnight-colored hair was messy and tangled, and her once-elegant, mesmerizing face had turned deathly pale.
But the most shocking of all were her eyes.
They were stained blood-red—no, ablaze—as if she had cried tears of blood.
And that wasn’t all.
From her forehead protruded a pair of thick, dark-red horns, sharp and menacing.
Between her slightly parted lips, fangs gleamed—jagged, like those of a beast.
And the floor beneath her feet was soaked, slick with blood.
It had to be.
It was no wonder—
“Ah.”
At her feet lay a ‘something’—so mangled it was barely recognizable—collapsed like a lifeless corpse.