Chapter 6 - Intrigue

"Hyuk, Hyuk..."

I only felt a sense of relief after finding myself within an alleyway far from the Knights Building's reach. No one seemed to be following me, which meant that Amon had kept his promise.

The voice that had been giving me instructions until just now had gone silent.

It was the voice that helped me sneak into Amon's office and informed me that poison was the cause of Russell's death.

'It was as if it were watching the whole situation from above.'

Someone is coming from the end of the hallway, so hide in the cleaning kit. Don't rush down the stairs and wait quietly in the next room.

Its instructions were perfect. From the secret passageway to what happened just earlier today, I couldn't refute its abilities anymore.

'The question is, what is its intention?'

[Julia mentioned the true cause of Russell Bolev's death.]

I recalled the voice that had been echoing in my head. I had no choice but to blindly follow the voice's instructions after I had stormed into Amon's office, but thinking about it again, the whole conversation was strange.

The fact that Russell's 'true cause of death' was poisoning made it seem like I wasn't the actual culprit. Although I was holding a bloodied dagger before the decaying corpse.

If true, why did it instruct me to confide with Amon Spencer?

Amon could achieve what I want. What I wanted was to return to my original world. That meant...

'Does this imply if I join hands with Amon and find the real culprit, I can return to my original world?'

After all, the purpose of the voice was to find the real culprit? It was a tempting reason. It was my little hope of returning to my original world. However, the conditions for this whole dilemma weren't clear.

'What if the real culprit is Julia Reitz?'

My right calf holding the dagger weighed me down. The memory of last night's nightmare and the sensation of the dagger piercing through a man's flesh was still vivid in my head.

I still couldn't fully trust anything. Not the unknown voice, not Amon Spencer, not even my own innocence.

Upon returning to the inn, I changed out of my dress and lay down on the bed. I was exhausted after having circled a few times to make sure I wasn't being tailed.

I picked up the book I had bought during the time I was wandering around the shopping district. As I didn't have a proper desk, I decided to lie down on my bed and open the book.

The book was more of a biographical dictionary detailing the knights of the Nilton Empire than a history book. As I skimmed through the pages, I came across the Blue Knights and spotted the name of Amon Spencer, the sole reason why I had bought the biography.

Amon Spencer: The second son of Duke Spencer and the youngest Knight Commander. He was noted for his great work as a knight during a young age.

(Omitted) His principled personality is a key factor in solving numerous cases. However, upon first impression, he may become a target for those who seek to undermine him.

"You were the son of a duke.”

How unusual. On the previous page, it was mentioned that high-ranking nobles were often hesitant to become knights despite the honorable nature of the job and the power it came with.

Nobles did not consider the monetary compensation earned from such work to be valuable. Therefore, even if one is born as the second son and does not inherit the title, it is common for him to govern inherited territory rather than becoming a knight.

Then, was it because of Amon Spencer's unique sense of justice that he took on the role?

After conducting further research, I discovered that his parents, the Duke and Duchess Spencer, had passed away around the same time.

Although the possibility of foul play was considered due to the abrupt timing of their deaths, no charges were ultimately filed and the cause of passing was attributed to a heart attack.

'So that's why he was like that.'

I finally understood Amon's attitude when I mentioned the words 'heart attack.' It must have reminded him of his parents' death.

However, even if Amon's parents were truly murdered and the same untraceable poison was used, it would be difficult to conclude that the two incidents were related.

'A man who committed murder decades ago now commits another murder?'

There was no point of relation between the victims.

But what if the voice had a reason to pinpoint Amon? If both cases were indeed caused by the same criminal...

After contemplating for a while, I continued reading.

Under his profile, the cases he solved were listed all the way, and I took a quick glance and found a familiar name among them.

I skimmed through the lists of cases under his profile when I recognized a familiar name.

“Abduction of Duchess Bolev?”

Duchess Bolev was the wife of the deceased Russell Bolev, aka the heroine of Trap and Swamp.

Russell Bolev, like many main characters in stories, was targeted by countless enemies. His one and only vulnerability, the female protagonist, was bound to be targeted as well.

'She's definitely been kidnapped before.'

And it was Amon Spencer who solved the case.

“…Ah!!"

It was only then that I recalled what Amon had been mentioned in the original work. He had been introduced in passing during the one kidnapping case.

Amon was described as 'righteous at best and inflexible at worst'. This was evident during Russell's numerous attempts to take revenge on the kidnapper while Amon repeatedly obstructed his efforts.

'He stated they must adhere to the protocol, regardless of whether Russell spared or tortured them. He also emphasized the need to obtain tangible proof of their guilt before proceeding any further.'

There was even a portion where Russell had a hard time dealing with Amon because he would not be pursuaded by wealth or power. My eyes glazed at Amon's profile.

'A principalist...’

Does this mean that he is not someone who is instigated to move? Does this imply that he is just and only seeks the truth?

I gazed at the letters of his name as if it were the man himself.

'Can I go by the original?'

Russell Bolev was already dead. With the male protagonist gone, I couldn't trust that the original work perfectly corresponded to this world.

It was uncertain whether Amon would support me even if I were to be honest with him. Claiming to be righteous was akin to admitting that I would be apprehended without mercy if I were the true perpetrator.

‘The fountain in the central square, tomorrow…’

I remembered my promise to Amon.

The following day, the shopping district square's fountain was filled with people taking advantage of their leisure time to enjoy the sunset.

Amon Spencer stood amongst them, dressed in comfortable attire rather than his formal uniform. He sat alone, gazing ahead. Without any escorts or attendants alongside him, he appeared like an ordinary aristocrat or commoner.

Soon, a woman approached him. She casually took a seat beside him and asked in a subdued tone.

“Are you sure you came alone?”

Amon nodded slightly, his gaze unwavering.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Rather, you...”

Amon's brow furrowed slightly. It happened the moment he turned his head and inched closer to the woman for a closer inspection.

A sharp dagger flashed in the woman's arms.

“Ah!”

The woman let out a scream in pain as she clutched her wrist. Amon's blade had struck her before she could react, although she was the one to initiate the attack.

In an instant, her position was reversed and the dagger fell to the ground with a loud clank.

"Hmm."

Amon let out a 'hmm' sound as he took in the current situation.

“I came because I understood you wanted to talk.”

He didn't seem surprised or upset by the sudden turn of events. He simply stepped on the dagger that fell to the floor as if it were a natural procedure.

'This should be enough.'

I stood up from my crouching spot behind the bush. As I approached the bench, Amon's gaze shifted from the woman to me.

Amon stared at my half-concealed face, and then at the woman before him. He let out a laugh.

"The voice was different from the one yesterday."

I pulled a silver coin from my pocket and tossed it to the woman.

"Sorry. Please use this for treatment.”

The woman snatched the silver coin and bolted away. I took the seat beside him in place of her while Amon nodded in understanding.

“So you've hired a substitute."

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