Chapter 42 – The Purpose of Mask Z
“Excuse me…”
Menew…Z, entered the now quiet mansion. And while he remained cautious, he could sense that there was hardly anyone close by.
To be precise, there were about three figures moving on the first floor. But two of them would be Y and X. And he could easily manage one person.
After all, if having a minor influence on the Knights Guild was the best they could do, it also suggested that they did not have much power to begin with. Perhaps they were unrelated to the Wind House. But even if they were, there was no need to annihilate them. The only person Z was concerned about was the lord.
Z’s purpose was to retrieve Totto’s mother, as well as ensure that Totto remained free. He cared little when it came to the illegal potions.
He did not understand the mentality of anyone who would use them. And Z was not quite brazen enough to go and help people who he had not even crashed into while traveling.
However, when it came to Totto’s freedom, he did not trust this lord to keep his word. No promises or contracts would be honored. And so this lord must be taken down.
He must not have any power left to pursue Totto. He must make it so that the Wind House felt that pursuing Totto was not worth the cost. And so it would have been convenient for them to come out. However, it seemed like they had probably gone to X and Y first.
As planned, he ignored the rooms where he could hear people snoring, and climbed the steps that led to the second floor.
If it was as Y told him in advance, then the room he was looking for would be on the far right side.
“That is the intruder with explosives! Catch him!”
Obviously, the remaining soldiers and Adventurers were there, but Z neutralized them without issue.
“There were explosions, but they were just for show.”
A soldier thrust his spear out, but Z simply grabbed the shaft and wrenched it from the man’s hands. Then he swung it like a club, smacking the Adventurer behind him, and then knocking down the soldier in front.
Then he caught a bolt unleashed by an Adventurer and his crossbow. And after landing a kick to the jaw, he turned to the knife wielder behind him, kicking him into the ceiling.
(That’s everyone on the second floor… Ah, there will be more around the target. I suppose the Wind Blast Gang?)
Z did not know them unconscious, or attack them until they could not move. After all, he had a job for them to do.
While holding his arm up, he had one man pushed to the ground while he kept a knee on his back.
“Yes. Now listen carefully, all of you. I am going to have a little talk with your master. And then I am going to burn this house to the ground.”
“!?”
“Wh-what are you saying…are you mad!?”
Z pulled the man’s arm back even further. The man let out a scream.
“You knew all about the illegal operations when you took this job, didn’t you? Even you soldiers. I don’t think I’m the one who is mad.”
“…”
“Well, regardless, his house is going to be burned. And so I need you to take the sleeping occupants outside.”
“Why should we…”
“If you don’t they will die. I gave you fair warning. But here, you can use this.”
Z took out his sketchbook with one hand and created three things that he had prepared in advance.
It was a flying carpet. Large red carpets with golden tassels were floating near the entrance of the first floor.
“There is not much time, but you should be able to manage it with this. Also, don’t even think about taking them and running away. The carpets will disappear once the fire starts. Now hurry along. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for their deaths, would you?”
This was a ridiculous argument from the person who was going to burn the house, but with such overwhelming power in front of them, they could not object.
Besides, in spite of being an enemy, the mysterious masked man showed no signs of wanting to take their lives.
He had charged in and was still this bold. And so they knew that even the most desperate attack would not matter. And they were truly afraid.
“…Fine. We’ll take them out.”
“Good. And make sure to check every room, so that you do not miss anyone.”
Z then let go of the soldier, and walked casually to the master’s room and opened the door.
The remaining soldiers and Adventurers picked themselves up and went to gather the sleeping men on the first floor.
While they busily worked, Menew met with the lord of the mansion.
He was sitting behind a large desk, backed by an extravagantly decorated window. And there was a man from the Wind Blast Gang sitting on a sofa. They both looked calm, as if they were expecting Z to come.
“What is it? You…suppressed the house all by yourself.”
Three. But he said nothing.
“What do you want?”
“Ah, are you from the Wind Blast Gang?”
Z said, ignoring the lord.
The man had black hair, glasses with thin frames, and a black robe. His eyebrows narrowed as he glared at Z.
“Why do you wear a mask?”
“To stay anonymous.”
It seemed that he had tried to resist the recognition obstruction, but realized that it was futile.
“I see. I am Argus. From the Wind Blast Gang. I was put in charge of this area. What do you want?”
“This lord is going to be removed. And so I want you to withdraw from this city.”
“What the hell are you saying?”
Before he finished, Argus threw a dagger without hesitation. However, Z caught it between his fingers without breaking a sweat.
“It’s just a personal thing for me. Having this man in this position will be a headache. Besides, it seems like he is threatening the Knights Order, and saying that he is backed by the Wind Blast Gang… I could just go to the royal capital and deal with matters directly, but that will take time… So, since it is inevitable. Why don’t you just withdraw now?”
He had considered just visiting once, and then going to the capital with Harnes, X and Y as witnesses. And exposing the Knights Guild for working as mercenaries.
However, that would take too much time.
He had gone through the trouble of registering as an Adventurer. He wanted to explore dungeons in peace.
“You’ve been ignoring me…!?”
However, Argus threw another dagger. This one grazed the cheek of the lord. It was a warning for him to stay silent.
“This fool was really doing that?”
“Yes. Every time there was trouble, he would silence them with that claim.”
Argus kicked the table in anger. It was made of glass, and was smashed into countless pieces.
“I knew that having this fool selling it was a bad idea. But my brother kept talking about low costs. And now look where it’s led us…”
Had they sold the potions themselves, the Knights Guild would not have been able to trace them.
There would be no need to crush any unlawful activity. Because it would never have come to light in the first place.
And though it may have cost them less, having the lord sell them was practically the same as advertising their connection.
The Knights Guild had a network that ran across the whole world. If they didn’t cut off this fool quickly, it could make it difficult to sell the potions in other towns as well.
And so even Argus’s brother would decide that this operation was too costly.
As Argus had little interest in the doings of a little lord in a little country, it had taken time to realize what was happening. But perhaps the brother knew…perhaps it was a test.
“We will withdraw. This whole thing was just an experiment, anyway. Though, we will miss the skills of the alchemist that he found.”
“Yes. We will be taking that alchemist’s body and her son. As for the rest, I have no interest in it.”
Z said. Argus was not going to fight for the alchemist against an enemy he could not win against.
“Fine. We already have the recipes and materials anyway. It’s not worth the trouble.”
“Good. Well, it’s time I start burning this place down then.”
“What!?”
the lord shouted, but Argus threw another dagger to silence him.
Z felt that the conversation had bought the others plenty of time. They should have finished with the evacuation by now.
“By the way, what is your name?”
“Mystery Mask Z.”
“Alright, Z. Don’t provoke us too much. Otherwise, we might have to send an assassin…or hire you.”
The mystery figure with the magic mask was so bold, that Argus had taken a liking to him.
It would be good to have someone like Z join them. Though, he doubted it would happen. He also suspected that no assassin would be able to kill Z.
In any case, the time may come when the Wind House would have to deal with him more thoroughly.
And then Z would die. At least, they would continue until he did.
But that sounded so boring to Argus. He wanted Z to live. And maybe one day, they would meet again. Without a mask.
“Hmm. As long as you stay out of my way. But I won’t make any promises.”
Z doubted he would attack them if he was left in peace. And so he gave this vague answer. Argus laughed.
“Very well. Godspeed, then.”
It was clear that this farewell was directed at the mystery man, and not the lord he had used for years.
And then Argus left the room, through the same door that Z had entered.
“Time to set this place ablaze.”
Ignoring the lord, Z summoned five red magic circles. They surrounded the mansion, creating four walls of fire. And then in the center, a single fire storm.
He would burn it thoroughly.
“Wait! What do you think you’re doing… What about the Wind Blast Gang? Why didn’t they kill you…!?”
Dealing with fools was tiring. After listening to that conversation, how had he not realized that he was merely a tool that had outlasted its use?
Z let out a tired sigh and continued to work. All it took was a few touches of the brush, and the magic circles moved into position.
He didn’t feel the need to answer the fool. He just walked towards the lord, grabbed him by the collar, and as if holding baggage, carried him as he jumped through the glass window.
“Gaaaahhhh!”
And like that, he landed in the back garden. Then he dragged the man by the collar to the front of the house.
It must have been quite the sight. A masked man dragging a struggling old man across the gravel while his stomach was showing.
The silk pajamas were no match for the environment, and he was covered in scrapes and scratches as he was pulled to the front garden. And then Z tossed him towards the soldiers and Adventurers who were waiting.
“Bah!?”
He landed face first into the gravel. And then Z walked up to him and pulled him up by the hair so that he could look at the mansion. As for the others, they had no intention of resisting now.
And like this, Z snapped his fingers. Walls of fire erupted and enveloped the house in an instant. A pillar of fire burned high into the air.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”
The lord let out a maddening cry.
Strange.
Up until this evening, he would never have imagined such a future. He thought that even if his ruin would approach, he would have a way of escaping. Of minimizing the damage.
However, in reality, it had come so suddenly. It was like being thrust off the edge of a cliff.
“Wait one moment.”
Z put a hand on his sketchbook, and created the mic and voice amplifier that he had prepared. There was no electricity in this world, and so he had made something that used magic energy.
By then, the explosions had been heard. And so members of the Knights Guild, who had been alerted, as well as nearby residents were on their way to the house. Though, the lord did not see them.
Z put the mic in front of the lord, and said calmly,
“How unfortunate for you. Being abandoned by the Wind Blast Gang.”
“It is your fault! Without a demon like you appearing…! And just as my supply of potions is running low!”
The voice amplifier was held high above on a pillar that was taller than the mansion. And his voice echoed throughout the town.
Even the usual clamor of the night was hushed by his screaming.
“The alchemist is coming with me.”
“Give him back! Why do you think I held them both! It was so it wouldn’t matter if she was worked to death!”
“The Knights Guild will have something to say.”
“Curse the Knights Guild! I can claim to have the Wind Blast Gang’s backing, and…”
“But you don’t.”
“I can always convince them otherwise!”
“Do you really think so?”
“I have done it up until now! Of course, I can!”
Apparently, he was so consumed by rage, that he did not even realize that his voice was being amplified. And so Menew pointed to the knights who had arrived. They too were filled with murderous rage. And it was all directed at the lord.
“Ah…haaa!?”
His head moved like a squeaking doll. And then he took a step back. But behind him, there was only a wall of fire. The air alone was hot enough to burn.
And then one of the knights stepped forward.
“Marquis Muzeria. You have said your piece. And we all heard.”
The whole town, in fact.
He could not erase it. And the Knights Guild had no reason to help him erase it.
As the lord stood there, pale as a ghost, the mansion started to crumble behind him.
And so Z left the rest to the knights. Without even introducing himself, he climbed onto Stan, who had been circling the air above, and they flew away. Earlier, Stan had carried X, Y and the mother back to the inn.
The amplifier and mic also vanished, no longer needed.
And so the whole incident came to a close.
As for the burning of the mansion, it was a warning to the Knights Guild, who had scared Totto and listened to the fool. There was probably a mountain of other crimes, and they would have to work hard to investigate them.
“Ah, they don’t even know my name…”
In the shadows of the night, Mystery Mask Z, also known as Menew, muttered as he took off his mask and flew back to the inn.
But for Menew, giving Totto’s mother a proper burial was more important than the face and name of the person who had brought them destruction that night.
Nice.
Thanks for the justice!