Chapter 1391.2 |
MacGuff's hometown was near Lyndis.
He had come to the Rowane Kingdom to earn money, ultimately dispatched to Heins Territory with Davey O'Rowane.
Willow and Rinne quickly pinpointed the location of the loan sharks suspected of kidnapping MacGuff’s son and murdering his brother, MacGuffen.
Rinne had already caused chaos while searching for them, not needing to work very hard to find such a notorious criminal network.
They approached the Gelup Merchant Group in Verdarium Territory. It was a huge organization, especially large among the loan shark companies within Lyndis, with its leader operating dozens of massive gambling halls. Its foundation was solid, with connections even to the Lyndis Imperial Family, but its reputation was rotten.
Clearly, they did absolutely anything as long as there was money to be made. They even kidnapped and sold people into slavery. All sorts of rumors went around.
For Willow, the Gelup Merchant Group was a literal den of demons.
“So this is it.” Sighing, she walked toward the enormous gambling hall, accompanied by Rinne. She treaded softly by her side with her usual expressionless face while munching on a chicken skewer. The robe covering her head hid her identity, but her height, which hadn't grown despite her heart evolving, made her look like a child.
Surprisingly, Darian was strapped to her back. Back at Heins, Darian, who had been sound asleep, somehow sensed Willow was about to leave and wailed as if the world was ending, so they’d been left with no choice but to bring him along.
Willow tried to put on a pair of sunglasses, looking all serious, but Rinne leapt up and confiscated them. “Rinne states attire as highly suspicious. Rinne analyzes drawing attention as not advisable.”
“...You don't get it,” she grumbled, but Rinne wasn't wrong. There was no benefit to drawing unwanted attention. She sarcastically added, “Then I guess you'll have to show me what's considered proper.”
Rinne proudly puffed out her chest and snorted. Then, she used her unique ability to condense particles and create something familiar.
Clang.
When she casually pulled out a crowbar made of dark light, Willow thought that what Rinne did was even crazier than her trying to put on sunglasses.
“You told me not to draw attention, Rinne. What’s this then? Put that away right now! We're not thugs.”
“Rinne analyzes that if they are found to be the main culprits in leaking the secret, they must pay the appropriate price.”
“Well, we have to get inside and confirm that first, don’t we?”
“Rinne states the method for getting the truth from them is very simple. Go in, subdue them, and threaten them to elicit a satisfactory answer.”
“Wait, you’re not making any sense. You told me not to draw attention,” Willow snapped back irritably.
Rinne kept her poker face and spouted nonsense, saying, “Rinne states this is a common tool you see every day.”
“You're full of it. Put it away already.”
Darian groaned and stirred, making Rinne flinch. She moved the crowbar in her hand back and forth, then flicked it into the air.
Bzzt.
Instantly, the crowbar dispersed into light particles.
Afterward, Willow stretched and took off her robe, changing her appearance to look like a noble young lady out sightseeing. She then composed herself, cleared her throat, and stepped into the gambling hall.
The antique-style gambling hall was so luxurious it was hard to believe it was run by thugs.
Naturally, the main clientele were nobles. Therefore, no one found it strange when Willow, who looked like a noble young lady, entered.
“Alright. Shall we sneak in and catch the tiger?”
A person immediately called out to her, “Welcome, Grand Duchess Willow. We will escort you to the VIP room.”
“Huh?”
Unable to hide her dismay, her brow furrowed as she exchanged glances with Rinne, suddenly wary.
“Wait… You knew I was coming here?”
“Yes, well... we couldn't not know.”
The person guarding the entrance was speaking. Now that she looked closely, he wasn't a simple doorman.
“Who are you?”
“Ah. Forgive my late introduction. I am Trickster, working in the Gelup Merchant Group’s finance department. I'm not sure what brought you here, but we'll escort you quietly, as it's best not to draw any attention.”
“No way. Who looks more ordinary than I do right now?”
“Haha. Grand Duchess, you sure have jokes,” the doorman said with a look that screamed ‘just look at yourselves.’
Willow and Rinne looked at each other again. Willow was wearing a dress meant for a leisurely outing, while Rinne was covered in a robe.
It was clearly the getup of a young lady and her escort. It wasn’t unusual, but the sight of a two- to three-year-old child sleeping soundly on the escort’s back was more than enough to draw attention.
“Darian... you're getting in the way of your big sister’s work,” Willow grumbled.
“Above anything, noble young ladies usually don't frequent this place.”
“Whatever. Just lead the way,” Willow growled, her pride hurt.
De let out an awkward chuckle and escorted her into the gambling hall. The man walking ahead asked her, “By the way, what can we do for you?”
She looked around before responding, “You tell me. Do you guys kidnap people?”
“...What are you talking about?”
“Fine. There's nobody around here now, so we may as well start.” She stopped walking and approached a table in a small room.
With an alluring smile, she crossed her legs. “I just came to confirm something. Bring the leader of the Gelup Merchant Group. No, better yet, why don't you take a seat? I have something to discuss.”
Trickster's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her. “Grand Duchess, I am not sure what you are talking about…”
“Stop trying to trick me and just sit down.”
Outwardly, she seemed truly delicate. However, the aura she gave off made the secret guards hidden throughout the area unable to even consider moving.
After all, she was a goddess. Every action she took was imbued with favor. Being hostile to her wasn’t an option in their minds worth even considering.
“Let's not make this difficult,” Willow said to Trickster, maintaining her arrogant posture.
“Where is Chef MacGuff's son, MacGuffin?”
He frowned upon hearing her question. “MacGuffin? Chef MacGuff's son? I apologize, but I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Don't play stupid with me,” she snapped. “You forced MacGuff to steal Heins's secret technology to pay off his brother MacGuffen's debt, right? Am I wrong?”
“What...”
“You either kidnapped his son and forced MacGuffen to write a letter, or you made MacGuffen kidnap him himself. Well, I don't know the details, but I already heard from one of your subordinates that you guys are involved in this.”
She cocked her head, urging him to explain.
Trickster replied with an uneasy expression, “With all due respect... we're not crazy enough to mess with Heins Territory. Can't you tell from how extremely favorably I'm treating you right now, Grand Duchess?”
She frowned at his final remark. “Even when you know you shouldn't mess with Heins Territory, you made someone steal classified information?!”
A heavy surge of aura began pouring out of her. It was a reckless display of pressure, but its effect was outstanding.
“W-wait a minute, Grand Duchess! I think there's a misunderstanding!”
“To hell with misunderstandings! I'll dump you all in Earth's Dead Sea!”
“I-I’m being honest, Grand Duchess! All we asked MacGuffen to do was contact Chef MacGuff and ask him to pay off the debt with his salary!”
She didn't know quite how to respond to that. “...You didn't try to leak the information?”
His soul was completely steady. He didn't seem to be lying.
“I’m sorry to say this, but we would be crazy to do such a thing. We don't even look at Heins in our line of business. We thought this much was fair to ask, so we did request that he ask Chef MacGuff to pay off the debt with his paycheck, but...”
Willow’s eyes narrowed at his absurd reply.
‘Then who kidnapped MacGuffin?’
She was sure a subordinate of the Gelup Merchant Group had mentioned they kidnapped the son and planned something to get MacGuffen to pay off the debt.
Just as Willow was about to think it through again—
“Chef MacGuff heard that you guys killed MacGuffen, kidnapped his son MacGuffin, and then demanded the secret,” Rinne informed him.
“Did you come to confirm that?”
“I was originally planning to smash everything,” Willow admitted. “But there's no harm in being a little cautious.”
Trickster sighed in relief and lowered his head. “That's a relief. We only have one thing to say. We never told him to steal classified information, and we didn't kill MacGuffen. His body was simply found in an alleyway one day.”
Willow found that hard to believe. “You didn't kill him?”
“Why would we kill a guy who owes us money, Grand Duchess? Even if we started as thugs, in order to grow this big, we’ve at least always followed the basic rules. There are rumors about human trafficking and such, but if that were true, do you believe the imperial family of Lyndis would have left us alone? We would've all been dragged away and had our heads graciously separated from our bodies.”
He mimed cutting his neck with his hand and then snapped his fingers. At the same time, the surrounding presences faded.
“Since it's come to this, I'll tell you everything,” he said with a sigh. “That rumor is probably the work of a rival faction trying to slander us.”
“A rival faction?”
“Yes. The kidnapping of MacGuffen's nephew was probably their doing too—cough!”
Trickster couldn't finish his sentence, as heavy battle energy instantly poured out from Willow. She coldly told him, “I'll believe what you just said. You're definitely not the type to lie well if your soul shakes like that every time you do.”
“Agh.”
“Now you’re trying to use me to eliminate your competitors?”
“P-please... s-spare me.”
“Hey. Look me in the eye.” Willow looked down at him with an astonishingly cold gaze, and Trickster trembled. “Do you think I’m just a lackey who follows your orders if you just lead me on? Did you take me for a fool?”
“I-I'm sorry. J-just... once... cough!” Trickster trembled painfully, and as soon as Willow withdrew her energy, he gasped for breath and collapsed on the floor.
“There won't be a second chance.”
“I-I'm so sorry.”
“Since it seems like you guys weren’t the ones responsible for the technology leaks, I have no more business here. Oh, and you're saying you didn't kill MacGuffen?”
She saw the man’s blank expression, too out of it to answer. “Seriously...”
“It's really not us! We're victims here too!”
She thought roughing up the criminal group would have solved the problem. However, seeing that wasn't the case at all, she sighed and stood up.
Trickster cautiously asked, “Are you leaving, Grand Duchess?”
“I might come back again.”
“I’ve told you everything we know.”
Having his assurance, she simply lifted her middle finger up behind her back and vanished.
* * *
Once Willow left the Gelup Merchant Group, she felt a rare sense of frustration and looked for a dessert shop nearby. Given it was a fairly large city in Lyndis, it seemed to have everything.
“Well, looks like we're back to square one. The guy who killed MacGuffen and kidnapped MacGuff’s son is the one who leaked the secret. I thought the Gelup Merchant Group was the key culprit, but they were just scapegoats with no connection...”
“Rinne reminds you to consider the possibility of falsehood.”
“It's not easy to disguise the color of your soul while lying unless you're truly something special. From what I could tell, Trickster really seemed unaware,” she grumbled in annoyance.
‘I wish Dad had allowed me to use my divine power for this.’
Rinne, who had been lifting Darian above her head after he woke from his nap, spoke up. “Rinne states no traces. Rinne states the culprit is formidable, whoever they may be.”
Willow didn't think a single individual could have pulled off such a big plan. After all, there was only so much one individual could find out on their own. Moreover, MacGuffen, who could’ve given them crucial clues, was dead.
Just then, Darian, who had been quiet, started yelling toward someone, drawing attention. He acted as if he recognized the mystery person. The robed figure, startled, stepped closer to them and said, “He’s dead, they say… Are you certain that he’s dead?”
Rinne and Willow, who had been paying attention to Darian’s sudden actions, were surprised at the figure suddenly talking to them.
They saw a familiar face underneath the robe. It was Emperor Deorte el Lyndis.
“G-Grandpa!” Willow rushed over and hugged him with a show of delight.
“Oh my!” He patted her with a pleasant laugh.
“Yes, yes. I saw Eva last time, and now I see you, Willow. I heard the story from your father. You're investigating something, right?”
“Yes! Grandpa, why are you here...”
“I'm simply touring the city. But just in case, please keep my identity a secret.”
She pulled his arm and sat him down, charmed by his benevolent smile.
Since he was wearing a face blindness robe that made him hard to notice until you were aware of him, virtually no one recognized him.
“Grandpa, try this too.”
“Giggle!” Darian, happy to see Deorte, stretched out both arms, and he hugged him with the happiest look on his face.
“Oh dear, you enchanting little thing. You sure know how to capture your grandpa's heart.”
Darian giggled and rubbed his face on Deorte, making his expression soften even more.
Deorte turned to the girls and continued, “However, after hearing your conversation a moment ago, it seems the situation is taking a strange turn.”
“Well...”
“Willow, try to take a step back and reconsider the circumstances.”
“Take a step back?”
“That MacGuffen. Is he truly dead?”
“He’s dead, according to—”
“What about his body?”
She was suddenly speechless, having realized she hadn't actually seen his corpse herself.
ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts
Editorb’s Thoughts
Why name one character MacGuff, with his family including MacGuffin and MacGuffen? My tired-out stress ball would like the answer if you've got one.
Also, a MacGuffin is a narrative device that drives a plot along while having absolutely zero actual utility or narrative significance. Think having to find a golden idol in order to find a crystal skull that leads to a forbidden necklace and opens up the Tomb of Riches where you get a magic decoder ring that reveals the final secret within a Captain Crunch cereal box. Then that final secret is something you sell to a dude in order to buy information that directs you to the nearest Taco Bell so that you can purchase your long-awaited chalupa. All that shit in the middle is just to waste time and create artificial conflict with other people.
Speaking of artificial conflict with other people, someone called me something other than nice the other day. Can you believe it? The gall of some people, smh…
