Chapter 42 -

"First, you should get some rest."

As soon as I arrived at the office, Amon’s first act was to hand me a glass of water. His expression mirrored the same concern he had shown when I’d once nearly tripped over a rock—a worried look reserved for a frail subordinate.

“All I did was carry a book up to the third floor. I don’t need to rest for that,” I replied awkwardly.

But Amon simply held out the glass again.

“Isn’t it the heaviest book in the world?”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

I chuckled softly and took a sip of water. Only then did Amon place the thick book on the table. Not a single sound accompanied the action, which slightly bruised my pride.

“If you went through the trouble of hauling this heavy book up here, does that mean there’s been progress with decoding the cipher?”

I nodded and spilled the paper fragments onto the table.

“And these are…?”

“Something very important to solving the cipher,” I explained, giving him a quick summary of Marvin’s brilliant work. Amon’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“If it’s a puzzle, I’ve solved a few of those myself. There’s always a pattern, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“I knew I came to the right person.”

“Did you come here to work on it with me?”

“Yes. The library is in the middle of a… lover’s quarrel.”

I pushed the paper fragments toward Amon and pulled the book closer to myself.

“If you piece together the puzzle, I’ll find matching symbols in the book. Once we align them, we can decipher the meaning.”

“Understood.”

We got to work immediately. Amon swiftly solved the puzzle while I identified the corresponding characters in the book.

How much time passed as we worked, heads bent in concentration? Eventually, I raised mine abruptly.

“Wait a moment.”

Amon, who had finished the puzzle and was now engrossed in the book, looked at me curiously.

“I think we can stop searching now.”

“Do you understand the meaning?”

“Yes. If I arrange the decoded letters like this…”

I shifted the sequence of the letters, and soon, a sentence appeared:

Suspected ξΩ. Requesting ζμν assistance.

“Being suspected, requesting assistance… That’s roughly what it means,” I concluded.

Amon took the paper with the deciphered sentence and let out a short sigh.

“This is all we’ve got?”

He was right. I’d expected some clue about the true culprit or at least instructions on how to contact them.

“So, Boyd was already aware that the vice-commander suspected him at this point… That’s all we’ve managed to glean.”

“And since this letter was intercepted, it must have deepened the suspicion,” I added.

“Exactly. It seems he began planning his escape from this moment. Judging by the request for assistance, it wasn’t something he plotted alone.”

Amon nodded. “Considering how even his family vanished like a mirage, it’s certain the true culprit provided some sort of help.”

“Did you learn anything about the person who delivered the letter?”

While Carlyle and I focused on deciphering the cipher, Amon and Eloise investigated external aspects of the letter. I asked with hope, knowing they had prioritized that avenue from the start, but Amon shook his head.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t uncover anything. Boyd must have hired someone privately; their name isn’t on any records.”

“None of the knights saw anything?”

“No, except for Eloise. But her testimony didn’t provide any distinct features either.”

“I see…”

Disappointment weighed me down, and I lowered my head. Amon hesitated, then spoke.

“We did find a small clue about the address written on the envelope.”

“Really?”

My head shot up again.

“Don’t get your hopes up—it’s not much,” he cautioned.

Amon retrieved a large scroll and a small postcard from his desk and laid them on the table.

“What’s all this?”

Clearing aside the book and paper fragments, Amon unfurled the scroll, revealing a large map that covered the table.

‘A map of the Nilton Empire.’

I vaguely recall seeing it during my early days here. Amon pointed to the upper part of the map.

“This is the central district where we are now.”

His finger moved steadily downward, finally stopping near the map’s edge.

“And this is the address written on the envelope.”

“What?”

My surprise wasn’t just about the distance. Unlike the detailed roads and buildings in the central district, this area showed only a few mountain ranges.

“But there aren’t even proper roads here.”

“Correct. This region is a desert.”

A desert.

“So, roads can’t exist there?”

“That’s right.”

Carlisle’s earlier mention of barren land suddenly made sense.

“Does that mean no one lives there?”

“Not quite. There’s a small population. So…”

Amon handed me the postcard, which depicted a tiny log cabin standing in the middle of an empty plain.

“We contacted someone nearby and asked them to sketch the area around the address. This cabin is the only structure they found.”

“And the owner?”

“It seems they used a pseudonym. Their identity is unknown.”

I frowned at the oddity.

“That’s strange. If they were an ordinary resident, they wouldn’t need to use a false name.”

“Exactly. It’s suspicious.”

I stared at the sketch of the cabin. It looked like an unassuming family home.

“Could we go there ourselves?”

“It’s not impossible, but as you can see, it’s very far. You’d need to ride non-stop for a long time. The terrain is harsh, so taking a carriage is out of the question.”

“I see…”

Even on horseback, it would be a grueling journey.

“Besides, we don’t know if it’s worth the effort. It could just be a random address meant to mislead us.”

“But there’s always some connection when humans are involved. True randomness is rare. And this is our only remaining clue…”

As I mulled over the postcard, a knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Commander, it’s Marvin.”

“Come in.”

Marvin entered and greeted us, his eyes widening when he saw me.

“You’re still here, Lady?”

His words made me glance at the clock reflexively. Time had flown while we were deciphering the cipher—it was past dinnertime.

“It’s late already,” I muttered.

Amon checked the clock as well. “Would you like to have dinner with me? You’re probably tired of the knights’ meals. How about a visit to the city?”

“I’d love that.”

Smiling at the thought of a delicious meal, I noticed Marvin hesitating near the door.

“Is something the matter?” I asked.

“Oh, right. I came to deliver a letter,” Marvin replied, pulling an envelope from his pocket.

“A letter? Who is the recipient?”

“The Duke of Bolev's household.”

“What?”

Amon swiftly took the letter. I, too, froze mid-action, startled by the unexpected source.

“Who sent it?” I asked.

Scanning the envelope, Amon’s expression stiffened.

“Pamilla Eleonora. It is from her.”

“What?”

A letter from Pamilla Eleonora, who was supposed to be unconscious. A sense of foreboding gripped me.

“Open it quickly.”

Amon tore open the envelope and read its contents. His expression turned bewildered.

“What is it?”

He handed me the letter, and I was struck with shock.

Please come see me. I have something important to tell you. There is no time.

The signature below was chilling.

To Julia Reitz.

At the top of the letter, my name stood out boldly.

|| Prev || Toc || Next ||