Chapter 35 -

 The place where the arsonist's corpse was stored was a building on the outskirts of the city. It exuded a somber atmosphere, reminiscent of a prison, with a chill in the air colder than the outside.

“This is where the bodies of those unidentified or unclaimed are kept,” Amon explained as he led the way down the corridor.

We had come straight here after leaving the hideout. Following a few procedures, we easily obtained a set of keys.

“Usually, Carlyle handles matters like these… It’s been a while since I’ve come here myself,” Amon muttered as we stopped in front of a steel door. He seemed to be talking more than usual, perhaps to ease my tension.

After fitting the appropriate key into the lock, he glanced at me briefly before turning the doorknob. A rush of cold air swept out from inside the room.

We entered slowly. If I were to compare it to a place I knew, it resembled an operating room in a hospital. Everything was sterile, linear, and cold, the air feeling even chillier than the actual temperature.

Despite claiming it had been a while, Amon moved with familiarity, retrieving a gown and gloves from the wall.

“These are the minimal precautions to prevent contamination,” he said as he handed me a gown and gloves.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? It might be a disturbing sight.”

Though his tone sounded like a final warning, I quickly nodded. While I was certainly scared of seeing a corpse, I had come too far to turn back now.

Amon approached a wall of drawers. They were surprisingly small for holding human bodies, but he opened one without hesitation.

With a click, the lock released, and he pulled the drawer forward. It slid out further than I had anticipated, revealing a body shrouded in white cloth.

I swallowed hard. Even though the silhouette was covered, a chill crept up my spine. The only relief was the lack of a foul smell.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said with feigned confidence, though I instinctively stepped back. Amon, pretending not to notice, continued.

“This is the arsonist from that time. If your suspicion is correct and the poison was externally administered, this person would have died almost instantly after being injured. The wounds wouldn’t have had time to heal and should still be intact.”

I nodded silently in response.

“I’ll handle the body, so don’t worry,” Amon said as he removed the white cloth with the ease of unwrapping candy.

The cloth revealed the man’s upper body. Though naked, there were no visible bloodstains, and with his peaceful expression and closed eyes, he almost seemed to be asleep.

The sight brought back memories of Russell’s corpse, which I had seen when I first arrived in this world. I recalled the pool of blood and countless wounds, and oddly, those memories steadied my nerves.

“We’ll start by examining the back of the knees and the nape of the neck,” Amon said.

“Go ahead, don’t worry about me,” I replied.

Amon carefully flipped the body over, exposing the pale skin under the harsh white light.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I moved closer to the corpse, praying silently.

'Please, let there be a mark… anywhere.'

I scanned the body and finally noticed a faint bruise on the back of the right knee.

“Could this be something?” I asked, pointing at the spot, hesitant to touch it.

Amon leaned in to examine it closely.

“It looks like a recent bruise, but… it might’ve been caused when Eloise subdued him. We can’t be certain it’s from poison.”

That left the nape of the neck as the next area to check. Amon brushed aside the arsonist’s hair with his gloved hand, revealing another bruise.

“Seems he was struck with the flat of a blade here, too,” Amon murmured, furrowing his brow as he examined the area more closely. The hair kept falling back, making it difficult to discern anything definitive.

“Let me help,” I offered.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I replied, suppressing my unease as I reached out. I helped hold the hair aside and stretched the skin taut.

Then—

“Wait, is this…?”

I leaned in closer, and my eyes met Amon’s over the corpse.

“This is it, isn’t it?”

After a moment of disbelief, Amon nodded.

“Yes… it seems so.”

There was a distinct puncture mark on the nape of the neck, unmistakable and separate from the pores. It was as if someone had used a thick needle to inject something.

We had found it. The spy had struck the arsonist from behind—Boyd Huron.

We left the mortuary in silence and didn’t speak a word until we returned to Amon’s office. After sipping a cup of tea, I finally broke the silence.

“We need to find evidence.”

Amon didn’t respond. His expression was troubled, understandable given that Boyd wasn’t just a subordinate to him, but a trusted comrade. It wasn’t easy to believe that Boyd had betrayed him and the Blue Order.

“We won’t find traces. Even if we show them the puncture wound, it won’t prove he injected poison. We’ll need other evidence to confirm that he’s the spy and is in league with the true culprit.”

After a pause, Amon nodded slowly and spoke decisively.

“We need to find the sword.”

“The sword?”

“Yes, Boyd struck the arsonist with his sword. That’s the only point of contact.”

“Then it’s possible he attached something to it, like a needle coated with poison.”

If we found that needle, it would be irrefutable evidence.

“But Boyd isn’t in the Order anymore. How will we confiscate his sword?”

“That won’t be an issue. For knights, swords are as vital as their lives. He’ll have it on him. Once we summon him and subdue him, taking the sword will be simple.”

I glanced at Amon’s waist, where his own sword always hung. It struck me that he had never once been without it, not even when he’d dozed off at his desk.

“Then let’s—” I started to say, but a knock at the door interrupted me.

We both turned to the sound.

“Commander, it’s me,” Eloise’s voice called from outside.

I glanced at Amon, startled. Did he have a meeting with Eloise this early? He shook his head, signaling that it was unexpected.

'Why is she here…?'

Though I no longer suspected Eloise, her presence still unsettled me. As I hesitated, Amon walked to the door.

“What is it?” he asked curtly.

“I have something urgent to report.”

“Apologies, but I’m occupied. Please return later—”

Bang!

The door swung open mid-sentence, revealing Eloise’s stern face.

“What’s the meaning of this? Can’t you see I have a guest?” Amon said icily, his tone sharp.

“It’s urgent,” Eloise insisted, ignoring my presence entirely.

“What is it?” Amon demanded.

“Boyd Huron has escaped,” she said.

“What?”

I shot to my feet, startled.

Boyd had escaped? Did he realize we suspected him? And how had Eloise come to know of his movements?

“What do you mean by ‘escaped’?” I asked urgently, stepping forward.

Eloise hesitated, looking at me as though unsure whether she should speak in my presence.

“It’s fine. Tell us what you know,” Amon reassured her.

Just as Eloise opened her mouth to answer, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.

“Huff… Huff…”

It was Carlyle, out of breath as he leaned on his knees.

“Sir Yuste?”

“Carlyle?”

All eyes turned to him as he gasped for air and shouted:

“Boyd… Boyd is the spy. I just confirmed everything. The Deputy Commander has the evidence!”

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