Chapter 98: The Falling Thief (4)

Page’s world ground to a halt.

Her eyes darted around in confusion.

Th-this can’t be happening…!

How did things end up like this? Having lived undercover on the Autumn Continent for nearly twenty years, she knew all too well how cruel the world could be to the weak. She had believed that as long as they wanted something from her, asserting herself forcefully was the only way to ensure her safety.

But the situation had taken an unexpected turn.

How is Kai speaking through his voice?!

A voice materialized out of thin air—it was clearly conveying Kai’s thoughts verbatim. Its accuracy when revealing information known only to Page and Kai proved it was indeed some form of telepathic translation.

Though absurd, unfortunately, this development worked against her interests—no, it made matters worse.

In desperation, Page urgently cried out:

“W-wait!”

But Louis ignored her words.

“Pablo.”

“Yes?”

“Hand that over to the guards. We don’t need it anymore.” Louis gave a subtle nod only visible to Pablo.

Pablo immediately caught on.

I see, he just wants to scare her.

Understanding Louis’s intent, Pablo strode towards Page.

As soon as Pablo slung the tightly bound Page over his shoulder, Louis added another command.

“Oh, and while you’re at it, rip out her tongue too. Make sure she can’t tell anyone about us.”

“I… I’ll do that,” Pablo replied, slightly taken aback but quickly nodding in compliance.

Meanwhile, Page’s face turned pale at Louis’s brutal order. She desperately cried out again:

“Wait! Wait… wait! I have something to say too! I know more than this damn weasel!”

The bound figure writhed on the page.

Louis hesitated slightly before raising his hand. “Hold it, Pablo.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bring that back here,” Louis commanded.

Pablo set the page down in front of Louis once more. With a hint of relief, she looked up at him pitifully.

“M-my lord?” The tone of Page’s voice had changed; belatedly realizing who held ultimate authority despite Louis’ youth, she forced an awkward smile. “A-anything you want to know, I’ll answer honestly!”

“Good, now we can finally have a proper conversation. What about the stolen goods?”

“Oh, those? Naturally, I hid them away.” Her voice was calm, but Louis’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“What do you mean ‘naturally’? Are you sure they’re safe?”

Seeing Louis’s sharp gaze, Page grew anxious.

“W-wait a moment! I’m serious! It’s true! I hid it well, so if you let me go, I’ll bring it to you!”

“Heh heh.” Louis chuckled softly.

Who does she think I am?

Louis was too seasoned to fall for such an obvious lie. He sprang from the bed and approached Page.

“Well then… Shall we check?”

”…Excuse me?”

“Whether your words are true or false.”

In that instant, Louis’s hand glowed as he unleashed a mental attribute sacred scripture towards her.

The mental attribute Louis had mastered was still only tier 3. Obtaining confessions or conducting strong brainwashing were beyond his current capabilities. However, there was a similar effect available:

Lie Detection.

As soon as Louis used this sacred scripture, panic flashed across the woman’s face.

”…A mage?!”

She hastily tried to muster her elemental powers to resist him.

But Louis’s magic was faster than she could react.

Whoosh.

A red light shot from his hand and enveloped her body. The corners of Louis’s mouth curled up as he looked at her glowing form.

“I’m going to ask you some questions now.”

“…Yes?”

“If you refuse to answer, I’ll turn you over to the guards. Of course, I’ll make sure you can never speak again first.”

“…”

“And if your answers contain lies more than three times, I’ll also hand you over to the guards.”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“I’ll consider it understood. Now then… First question: Did you really hide a voodoo doll here?”

“O-of course not!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the light on her body flickered out.

The smile on Louis’s face twisted coldly.

“Still don’t understand? You’ve been lying from the start, haven’t you?”

“Oh…”

“One chance gone… two remaining.”

Page realized that Louis meant her body flickering was a sign of lying.

She swallowed nervously as Louis continued questioning her while she was tense.

“What news do you have about Lord Samuel?”

A conflict showed on Page’s face.

Should she continue lying and risk being handed over to the guards?

Or should she reveal everything and choose safety?

After much deliberation, her choice was ‘safety’.

”…I have none.”

The red light remained steady.

It meant her answer was true.

Louis asked with doubt, “None?”

“Yes.”

“But why are Samuel’s soldiers chasing you?”

”…Because I let them catch me.”

“You deliberately got caught?”

Page nodded her head.

“Why?”

“I had to make them believe that I failed in my theft.”

Once he decided to spill everything, it became easier for Louis.

Page started revealing the truth without any resistance.

Seeing the unchanging red light, Louis realized everything she said was true as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

She made them think she failed?

At that moment, a glint flashed in Louis’s eyes.

He had caught on to something lurking beneath the surface of this affair.

Louis quickly fired another question at her.

“Why did you enter Lord Samuel’s castle if it wasn’t to steal anything?”

”…I did some stealing.”

“Stealing? What did you take?”

Page trailed off at the end of her sentence.

She hesitated for a moment, clearly struggling with whether or not to continue speaking. After much deliberation, she finally spoke in a low voice:

”…It’s information.”

“Information?” Both Louis and Pablo, who had been observing the situation, looked puzzled by this unexpected revelation.

“What kind of information?”

“About Lord Samuel’s illicit trade operations.”

The red glow on Page remained unchanged, indicating that what she said was true.

This newfound fact piqued Louis’s interest. “Tell me more.”

“Lord Samuel has been using his control over the fastest trading route between the Summer and Autumn Continents—the airship Passage—to run the Black Market.”

As soon as Louis finished speaking, Page’s interest rapidly waned from his face.

Ugh, what a waste of time… This information is utterly useless.

Whether Lord Samuel was running the black market or committing treason had nothing to do with him. In just a few days, he would be departing from the Autumn Continent for the Summer Continent. He couldn’t change his plans now; he’d already purchased tickets on the airship ferry, even if staying longer in the autumn lands might have been an option otherwise.

However, Louis’s expression drastically shifted upon reading the next page:

“The smuggling operation involved disguising cargo ships as ordinary passenger vessels. And…in three days, Lord Samuel intends to use one such ship to trade large quantities of contraband with black-market merchants on the Summer Continent.”

“…?!” Louis’s eyes flashed with intrigue.

What?! This changes everything.

The situation was truly fortuitous.

A cargo ship departing for the Summer Continent in three days—that was…

Isn’t that the very same ship we’re supposed to take?

And this airship had been used in an illegal transaction involving contraband goods? With said loot still on board?

It was as if…

They’re practically handing it to me on a silver platter!

He felt destined to have learned about all this before embarking on his journey.

A perfectly prepared meal served right to my doorstep!

Louis suppressed his mounting excitement and asked:

Stolen goods, did you say?

In other words, items acquired through nefarious means.

Louis’s eyes sparkled as he pressed on.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘stolen goods’?”

“A year ago, in a small village called Dopa, an ancient royal tomb was discovered. By the time the excavation neared completion… a band of thieves swooped in and absconded with all the artifacts.”

“You’re saying it’s Lord Samuel behind this?”

“The thieves were mercenaries working for Lord Samuel’s Black Market. They plan to sell these stolen treasures not on the Autumn Continent, but on the Summer Continent. It’s simply safer that way.”

“Hmm…” Louis nodded thoughtfully.

Though he’d heard of Lord Samuel’s shady dealings, it wasn’t his place to concern himself with such matters. In fact, quite the opposite—it suited him just fine. After all, any opportunity to assuage his conscience, however slightly, was welcome.

Stealing from Lord Samuel’s stolen goods…

Louis chuckled as he asked, “Is that information reliable? Where did you get it?”

“I can’t reveal my sources, but I’m certain about this. I even confirmed it with my own eyes—”

“Oh, so that’s what happened.” Louis nodded, his voice softening as if he’d grasped something new. “So sending the warning was just a diversionary tactic. They took advantage of our distraction over the false report to gather intel on their real target. And when they achieved their goal, they deliberately got caught to hide their true intentions?”

“…?!”

“Well, had you managed to steal anything there, they would’ve pursued you relentlessly. By leaving some traces behind and pretending to fail, they figured they could cut off any further pursuit.”

“Oh…?!” Page’s mouth hung open as if Louis had given her the correct answer on a quiz. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Although she’d revealed the truth only because he’d threatened to kill her family, his ability to piece together just a few bits of information was astonishing.

Where did this monster come from…?

His strength and judgment were so impressive that it was hard for her to believe how young he was.

This is…dangerous.

Cold sweat trickled down Page’s back. She had an ominous feeling that something wasn’t right here.

Just then, Louis spoke up again.

“What kind of loot did you find?”

“I-I’ve heard there were about a hundred ancient relics involved…and some medicinal herbs too. There were rumors when they were first discovered.”

Louis’s eyes lit up at the mention of medicinal herbs.

“Medicinal herbs?! Are you sure they exist?”

“I’m not entirely certain, but it wasn’t just a baseless rumor either.”

He smiled contentedly.

Great.

They had acquired some during their previous winter on the continent, so he still had plenty left over. But when it came to medicinal herbs, more was always better—and the older, the better. Plus, if this relic truly was from a royal tomb, any medicinal herbs found inside would be especially valuable.

After doing some quick calculations in his head, Louis nodded.

“That sounds promising.”

“So what do I expect now?” she asked cautiously.

“Don’t worry; I won’t kill you.” Louis chuckled as he continued, “However, we’ll need your help for a while.”

“What—what did you say?!” It felt like being struck by lightning out of clear skies. She cried pitifully, “Why?! Why else do you need me after all that I’ve told you already?!”

“That’s why I’m asking you this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can you guarantee that you won’t tell anyone else what we discussed today?”

“…” Page closed her mouth.

Her eyes betrayed anger, bewilderment, and wariness.

Seeing this, Louis rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Hmm… Have I been too harsh with my whip approach?

It was time to offer a carrot now.

He smiled warmly at her.

“I have a suggestion for you.”

“A suggestion?”

“Yes, one that shouldn’t be bad for you either.”

“…”

“Would you like to hear it?” Louis’s eyes twinkled with amusement beneath their lashes.