“You brought them?”
“Yes, right here.”
“I told you not to hurt them.”
“We would never! All we did was call out—they collapsed on their own. Maybe they’ve got some kind of underlying condition?”
“I haven’t heard anything about that. Well, if they only fainted, they’ll come around soon enough.”
……
Truth was, I was already awake. I just figured it’d be smarter to play dead and listen in. Sure enough, they kept talking.
“So, what should we do now?”
“I’ll handle things here. Go check where everyone’s gathering to head to the castle and report back.”
“We’re going too?”
“Of course we are. We’re hunting a monster—we need every hand we can get.”
The monster in the castle.
My heart sank like a stone. I’d always figured this day might come. But tonight? It was way sooner than I’d expected. I had to warn everyone. I couldn’t just sit here stalling. I opened my mouth, ready to take a gamble.
“Then… can you take me with you?”
“This brat—was awake?”
……
No point pretending now. They’d already heard me speak. The voice was unfamiliar, but it wasn’t hard to guess who it belonged to. That cold, composed tone matched the portrait I’d seen at his house perfectly.
“I didn’t expect our first meeting to be like this. Still, you’re my friend’s father. Or should I be calling you Lord?”
“…If you know that much, then there’s no point in keeping quiet.”
So it really was Leon’s father. I’d tested the waters like I was sure, but deep down, I’d hoped I was wrong.
“Leave us.”
“Are you sure?”
“He’s tied up. What could he possibly do? Doesn’t even look that healthy.”
“Understood.”
As their footsteps faded, someone grabbed my shoulder and hauled me upright.
“On your feet. Walk.”
With my arms bound and eyes covered, walking wasn’t exactly easy. Thankfully, the destination wasn’t far. I heard a few doors open and close before he spoke again.
“Just stay here and behave. Don’t try anything stupid.”
“Hold on—why did you kidnap me in the first place?”
“Kidnap? What a nasty word. I simply rescued my poor son’s friend—who just so happens to work in the castle—from the clutches of a monster.”
He knew. He knew about Kalz—and that I lived in the castle.
“You’re not doing this because you’re scared your crimes will be exposed, are you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Playing dumb won’t help. We already have evidence tying you to the disappearances in the village.”
That was a lie. I had no proof—just a gut feeling that screamed he did it. What mattered now was how he reacted.
“That’s impossible.”
“How can you be so sure? Maybe you’re careful, but your goons aren’t exactly masterminds. For instance, the guy who looks like a filefish.”
“……”
The silence that followed was just long enough for him to think, ‘Filefish? Who the hell is that? Wait—does he mean…?’ But even then, he didn’t lose his composure.
“Then I made the right call locking you up. By the time you get out of here, that so-called evidence won’t matter anymore.”
“…Why’d you do it? Leon said he looked up to you. That you were someone who always put the village first.”
“Would you even understand how much can be gained at the cost of just a few lives?”
“Who knows? I am a merchant’s kid—I’m pretty good at doing the math.”
“Fine then. I’ll tell you.”
His voice shifted—sharper now, tinged with something darker.
“Do you have any idea what it feels like to have your rightful position and privileges snatched away? Of course you don’t. People who never had anything to begin with will never understand how infuriating it is to lose everything.”
“You’re talking about the end of the class system, aren’t you? What’s that got to do with any of this?”
“It’s everything. People who used to tremble at my presence now think they’re my equals—crawling around, pretending they’re human. It’s pathetic. And the worst part? I need their trust if I want to crush them. The best way to earn that trust? Take down a common enemy. And if I make a little profit in the process, why not?”
“And that ‘common enemy’—you mean the monster?”
“You’re not as slow as you look.”
So that’s it. He was planning to blame everything on Kalz, then put on a show of capturing him to reclaim his lost power and pride.
Unbelievable. This guy was insane.
“You’re telling me you killed people… over that? Innocent people who’ve lived their whole lives in this village? How many, even?”
“You make it sound so trivial. People who’ve never had anything always say things like that. Acting like they know what it means to lose something they’ve never possessed.”
“Honestly? That sounds more like someone who barely had it and couldn’t stand watching it slip away.”
I fully expected a slap for that one. But instead, he just scoffed—like I wasn’t even worth taking seriously.
“I wonder what Leon would say… if he found out what his father really is.”
“Funny. I was wondering the same. But he already knows.”
“…Liar.”
I tried to sound confident, but my voice shook. He was bluffing—he had to be bluffing.
“Don’t look so betrayed. Leon figured it out himself, just like you. If he’d known sooner, he wouldn’t have stayed quiet. But he’s still young. The truth rattled him. Still, it’s only a matter of time. Sooner or later, he’ll understand. He’ll realize I had no choice.”
No. No, he won’t. Not even if he had a hundred years.
It’s not about being young—Leon knows what’s right. He’s stubborn, reckless, and a pain in the ass, but he’s got a clear sense of what really matters.
He’s nothing like you. And now I felt ashamed for ever doubting him, even for a moment.
“Anyway, I’ve talked too much. Time for me to go. Big night ahead. Sorry the hospitality was a bit lacking on your first visit as my son’s friend. Make yourself at home. There’s not much, but enjoy what’s here.”
With that, I heard the door close. I thrashed my arms and legs, checking if anyone was still nearby.
“You really just left me? Like this?”
“…Seriously? You’re gone?”
I kept calling out, just in case—but when no one answered, I finally tugged off the blindfold.
Ugh, damn—hurts like hell.
I hadn’t shown it earlier, but the contract backlash was still burning through me. I’d only imagined the pain before, but now I knew. No idea how Leon stayed conscious through this. What a tough bastard.
But there was no time to complain. I had to get out of here and warn the castle.
“If only I could see…”
Even with the blindfold off, everything was pitch-black. He must’ve turned off the lights on his way out. But then—there. At my feet.
“My bag! He left it? Man, sloppy villains really are a blessing.”
The poker, the dagger, the lantern—gone. But the important stuff was still there. I pulled out my fountain pen. Or more precisely… my fountain pen–shaped lighter.
“Alright… fire’s working.”
I held the flame to the rope around my wrists, burning through it. I tried to be careful, but still ended up with a mild burn. Great—guess I’ll be asking Jack for some aloe later.
“So… where the hell am I?”
I raised the lighter, casting flickering light across the room. A desk. A chair. Bookshelves. A safe. For a place used to imprison someone, it looked surprisingly ordinary—just your average study.
One wall was completely covered with bookshelves, packed tight with volumes. I pulled one out and checked the cover.
“This is… Swalter Village’s resident registry?”
A record from decades ago. And on that same shelf were more books—dozens, maybe hundreds—all with the same cover. The oldest one—
“The 696th year registry?!”
Over a hundred years old.
No wonder his personal study seemed so empty—he’d stashed everything important here. He probably learned about Kalz from these records too.
There might even be a clue in here about how to break the magic. But now wasn’t the time. Escaping this place came first.
“Where’s the damn exit?”
Aside from the bookshelves, none of the other walls looked like they had a door. But I heard one open when he left. There had to be a way out.
“This one? …Nope.”
I knocked. I pushed. Nothing. No response.
Don’t tell me it’s one of those secret passage setups, like in the castle—something hidden in the bookshelf.
If that’s the case, I might be stuck in here all night.
As I poked around the room, my eyes landed on a frame hanging on the wall. Inside it was a small copperplate shaped like a mountain. I was sure I’d never seen it before… and yet it looked so familiar. Like I’d seen it a hundred times.
That ridge line… the shape of that slope…
“The Witch’s Copperplate?”
It had to be. That was the final piece—the missing fragment that completed the set.
My breath caught. I yanked the frame off the wall and pulled out the pieces I’d been carrying with me.
Good thing I never listened to Kalz and kept them with me anyway.
