Treatise Of A Failed Knight-Chapter 269: Eerie Realization

"W-what?"

It takes me a while to fully digest what Klein has just told me.

On one hand, it is a relief.

After all, my biggest worry was that Seraphina had died or that she was gravely ill with an incurable illness—both of which are largely out of my capabilities to solve.

’But missing, huh?’

A few thoughts immediately come to mind.

Perhaps it’s because of how steeped I am in the criminal underworld, but I don’t think of this as much of a problem.

Not only do I run the operations of the Dark Guild within the Randalorion Kingdom, but I also have access to the Supervisor responsible for my territory through his subordinate, Snake.

Our relationship thus far has been rather positive.

With all of my connections, I don’t believe it will be difficult to investigate this matter and bring Seraphina back in no time.

A Noble Lady like her has likely been abducted for one of two reasons.

Ransom or Sex Trafficking.

There are very powerful people—the wealthy elite—who prefer to have delicate women like Seraphina in their service, rather than cheap slaves.

It’s likely she was taken for that purpose.

If not, there will be a Ransom Note arriving for Klein at some point, which will force him to pay a certain fee to have his lover back.

Now that I think about it, there is a third and far more unpredictable option.

—An act of malice.

’Does Klein have any enemies? Or could this be the act of an enemy of mine?’ I secretly wonder as I start crossing names off my list.

To prevent the atmosphere surrounding us from being a vacuum, I begin to ask Klein some questions regarding Seraphina.

"How did it happen? Tell me everything. Have you investigated the Lindester Household?"

He answers all of my questions with ready diligence.

It’s clear that this man has thought about all of these in great detail, reflecting on them constantly in order to derive clues and find his wife.

I’m not surprised.

Klein Mornantte is a brilliant man.

The reason he appears so shabby is likely because he has been actively conducting his own personal investigation. He very likely been gathering clues and fitting the puzzle so he can get even a little closer to the answer.

But Klein has very little to no experience with actual criminal frameworks.

The closest he has gotten was during the period when he had his Potion Dependency Syndrome.

Even then, he wasn’t closely associated with criminal syndicates.

Unlike me.

’With my past life’s knowledge, my experience as a wandering mercenary, and my current position within the Dark Guild, finding out the truth about what happened is only a matter of time...’ My thoughts flow confidently, yet I retain some caution.

I am also deeply worried.

Seraphina is my friend, and I care very deeply about her.

While there is no doubt in my mind that I will find out the truth of what happened, the problem is that this is a race against time.

We have no idea the damage that can be done during the period before her rescue.

And if I am to assume the third option as a possibility, her life could also be at risk. This means any delay could come at a terrible cost.

The urgency is not lost to me.

Finally... there is another very worrisome matter here.

"Klein... have you been consuming Potions yet again?" I glare deeply at the man before me.

"I-I... I had to..." He mutters to me, appearing solemn. "My wife is missing. I rushed here to tell you, but you were not yet around. I had to start without you. I had to find her. We’re running out of time. I’m sure you realize that as well. I... I can’t lose her, Javier. Please... help me."

I sigh deeply.

It’s not like I don’t understand Klein’s worries.

He must have taken so many Potions that he would have enough cognitive abilities to deduce the situation more effectively. He also hasn’t been sleeping and has instead used Potions to compensate for this fact.

However, just because I understand this doesn’t mean I have to condone it.

"This is a slippery slope. I don’t want you to fall into your old habits any longer. So, if you really want me to help you... No more Potions for you, is that clear?"

"I... understand."

Klein hangs his head on his shoulder shamefully.

He must also recognize his deep error.

I used a Grade 5 Potion to cure him last time, and he promised to do better from that moment on.

Even he must recognize how costly that second chance I gave him was.

"T-The truth is... I am very anxious, Javier. No Ransom Note has been sent. I have also investigated all my potential enemies, but nothing seems to come up. The Lindester Family is under constant surveillance. They have alibis, and Seraphina’s father has even confessed that he had nothing to do with the abduction. I have run out of clues already!"

"...."

"That’s not all!" At this point, Klein’s bloodshot eyes widen with crazed passion. "Even if we find her, I’m also worried about what will become of her mental health. She hasn’t even fully recovered from the Magivore Beast Tide and the many deaths she experienced back then. For something like this to happen now... I can’t even imagine how scared and lonely she must feel."

’I understand his worries...’

A deep sigh echoes within my mind as I calmly assess the situation.

It is a rather strange occurrence.

’According to Klein, he and Seraphina decided to visit the Academy City among the many places they planned to see during their honeymoon. They found a luxurious hotel to stay in. Seraphina went upstairs with the key to their room while Klein remained in the reception hall to make some arrangements regarding their night there. By the time Klein returned upstairs, he found an unlocked door and noticed that Seraphina was missing.’

There were no signs of struggle, and no security measures were alarmed by the intruder.

A small amount of Trace Elements were detected as well.

There are a few ways this can be done by an organized criminal unit, so I can’t rule out that possibility. The absence of Trace Elements would have perhaps indicated the involvement of a Leviathan, but since there exist Trace Elements, the chances of that are very slim.

The Trace Elements, however, appear to be a dead end.

They’ve also vanished due to the passage of time, which means the investigation is back to square one.

At least for Klein.

"I’ll start my investigations, Klein. You should have some much-needed rest. Stay away from Potions and relax your mind. I’ll come look for you after a few days with a report. You must promise me that you won’t exert yourself during this period, or I won’t involve you in my investigation." I tell him plainly.

Although Klein doesn’t know I am a Leviathan, he surely understands that I have deep influence in the Kingdom and I have some extraordinary abilities.

The mere fact that I was able to procure a Grade 5 Potion to resolve his problem is enough of an indicator that I have some mysterious means that he has yet to explore. If he wishes to be a part of my process, he has to be clean off Potions.

I’m sure he understands why.

"O-okay..."

"Good." I nod at him, leading him to the bed in his very messy room. "Just wait a few days. I’ll have some results by then, I promise."

***********

A few days have passed.

Much to my devastating surprise, I have no results whatsoever.

I had to report this shameful thing to Klein, apologizing for my incompetence in the matter.

But I haven’t given up yet.

It’s just that this investigation will take far longer than I initially anticipated.

My investigation into Seraphina’s missing case has led me down a rabbit hole of multiple crimes ongoing in the Academy City, many of which involve other missing cases.

That’s right—Seraphina is not the only one!

The facts of all the other cases vary, but they share the same similarities with one another.

A sudden disappearance when one party is alone, and small Trace Elements left behind. The Trace Elements vanish after a brief moment, which makes it difficult to track the perpetrator within the period.

They also seem to have Anti-Divination Barriers, since a few more influential people have reportedly used Divination to try to narrow down their search.

Nothing has come up yet.

The one thing I am certain of is that this is likely the operation of a large group.

A sophisticated organization.

Many of these abductions occur very close to one another.

The timing is strange.

It could have only been done by multiple individuals.

The fact that they could make the Trace Elements left over from either their Armaments or Potions so problematic to investigate means they are exceptionally crafty in their work.

Their use of Anti-Divination also makes them very formidable.

I am at a loss for words.

With nowhere else to turn to, it appears I will have to use my last resort.

—The Dark Guild.

I already sent a message to Uncle Damon and Leon to assist in this investigation, but it appears they have no knowledge of these activities.

Based on their reports, they and the teams the network of Dark Guild operations have steered away from the Academy City and have limited their transactions in the regions around it.

This, I understand.

But without any other avenue for answers, I will have to contact the Supervisor and ask if his own operations or the operations of the other Leviathans in the surrounding Kingdoms have somehow caused this to happen.

Even if they aren’t indirectly responsible, they should have some connection somehow.

I see no other way such an organization would be so elusive.

I can only wait for their response.

One week passes.

Two.

Three weeks have gone by since Klein first gave me this report.

I have gone all around the Kingdom investigating this situation, all to no avail.

The matter has become even more worrisome.

Students have begun to go missing as well!

It’s nearing February, which marks the end of the Winter Term, and I have gotten reports of at least ten students missing from the Royal Academy.

This situation has gotten too severe.

Something has to be done about it—and fast!

I have tried my best to mitigate the dangerous effects of these abductions.

Protocols such as strengthening security, introducing and enforcing a stricter curfew, auditing all the staff—particularly security officials—among other airtight arrangements have been made to curb the rate of danger that our students are experiencing.

This is no longer a small issue.

Something sinister is happening, and I feel the undercurrents rising at an alarming rate.

Trace Element or not, without the ability to properly capture the perpetrators, I am beginning to have an eerie realization. This could all be a machination meant to misdirect from the reality of the cases being investigated.

I ask myself: What’s the difference between this case and one without Trace Elements?

None, really.

They all lead to dead ends.

Are there really multiple perpetrators or a single one with the ability to be in multiple places with very little time in between?

What about the Anti-Divination? Could that truly be what is stopping the Divinations, or is there a more obvious answer tied to the existence of this malefactor?

More and more questions swirl in my mind.

I find myself finally awake to the awful truth that has eluded me for far too long.

This scheme is deep.

The problems arising are far too mystical to be conceived by a mortal.

Such sophistication is too abnormal.

The closer I get to the truth, the further away it seems, which makes me all the more certain.

This is likely the work of a Leviathan!