The only female member of the Black Skull was also called the 'Red Skull' for a very simple reason.
[T/L: 홍일점: Red dot. It is an idiom that means single female in a group.]
'Wherever she passed by, a sea of blood always appeared.'
So it had a notorious reputation even in the mercenary world.
'Did they say she would smash only the skulls with a big hammer? Despite her slender build, she had cruel hands, so there were many rumors even within the Inspection Bureau... I guess she was from the Melvinger side.'
Of course, according to the investigations conducted by the Inspection Bureau so far, there were occasional reports suggesting that the Red Skull might have some connection with the Melvinger family.
The Melvinger family was now nothing more than a faded and tattered family, according to the judgment the Inspection Bureau had been making for a while.
There was a strong tendency not to pay too much attention to mercenaries, judging that no matter how good they were, it would be difficult for them to cause harm to the imperial family.
'But I should report it to the higher-ups at least. Sigh!'
Moreover, the leader had to swallow dry saliva openly as he watched the beasts like lions and cheetahs blatantly swaggering around.
'Even the King of Beasts, Gility Tenz...! What on earth are these guys up to! Are they planning a rebellion somewhere?'
The leader took a sip, pressing down the anger at the thought of the commotion Melvinger would cause.
It seemed that it would be better to leave quickly after finishing the business.
"I will greet you again. I am Patran from the 4th Inspection Bureau."
At that moment, Elric's eyes sparkled slightly.
'The 4th Bureau? That's quite interesting.'
The Inspection Bureau had to be divided into various departments according to its size, and among them, there was a special department called 'Experts.'
The elite only gathered in the 1st Bureau.
The 4th Bureau has very few people who have ever worked in the shadows.
And the 13th Bureau, which was said to have the most outstanding military power.
In addition, there was also a 0th Bureau that only the Emperor could control, but they were only rumored and their existence was uncertain, so they were an exception.
In other words, the person in front of him, Patran, was a skilled individual who had a fairly strong position within the Inspection Bureau, even though his name might be a pseudonym.
'They were by the crown prince's side when there was fierce succession battle within the palace. It seems like this incident caught the attention of the Crown Prince.'
Eliminating remnants of demons would be a considerable achievement. As much, the Crown Prince could also strengthen his position.
Elric was confident that this incident had greater value than initially thought.
"I'm sure you're very busy, so I'll keep it brief."
A noticeably polite attitude.
Yet there was a sense of pride, as if he wouldn't bow down completely.
Though Elric gestured as if to say 'do as you please,' he exuded an air of superiority, reminiscent of someone who's used to giving orders to subordinates, or rather, acting like an old man.
Though Patran felt a surge of anger, he had to suppress it inwardly.
'Let's see what happens! Soon, I'll crush that arrogance of yours, and make you regret crossing me!'
Had he ever experienced such humiliation as an agent of the Inspection Bureau?
"Could you please provide specific details of the circumstances when you discovered the reported totem...!"
"Shouldn't you first provide a brief explanation of the current situation before requesting cooperation?"
"...My apologies. I was distracted."
"You should've known better."
'You bastard!'
Patran inwardly cursed, knowing that anyone associated with Elric would receive the same dismissive treatment.
Of course, the Inspection Bureau rarely provided advance explanations or requested cooperation in its operations.
They simply interrogated and extracted the answers they wanted.
"This... issue has been secretly pursued by our department for a long time."
"Similar incidents have occurred several times?"
Now subtly shifting the conversation.
"That... is correct."
Perhaps out of frustration, Patran's fist trembled throughout the conversation.
Despite undergoing specialized training to suppress emotions in order to operate as an agent, for some reason, conversing with Elric proved to be difficult.
"Three years ago. There was a large-scale incident in the southwestern grassland area where travelers were massacred. Though it wasn't widely known, there were traces of demonic energy penetrating even the marrow of each corpse."
"If there are traces of demonic energy flowing, it must be an incomplete totem. Is it a prototype?"
"...That's correct. Initially, we suspected it was related to black magic research, but as suspicions continued to arise, we began investigating alongside the 'Holy Alliance'."
The Holy Alliance was one of the four major powers that supported the empire alongside the Inspection Bureau.
"And we managed to locate an unidentified group. They..."
"And they would be the 'Gregori.'"
"Exactly. And... how did you know that?"
Patran's eyes widened involuntarily for a moment.
Elric chuckled.
"Did the Inspection Bureau forget who I am?"
"...Melvinger. The nemesis of demons."
"Bingo."
"Hmm!"
Patran's face fell into disappointment as Elric seemed to be too well-informed about the organization they had been chasing for three years.
"In any case... we've been quietly tracking them down. Without finding their headquarters, rashly meddling could lead the snake to hide in the grass."
"So by suddenly making the incident public, we brought trouble upon ourselves?"
"...To put it bluntly, yes."
Patran suppressed his rising anger again and asked.
His eyes grew cold.
"In that case, I request your cooperation in the investigation."
"Must I respond to a direct summons?"
"There's no need to bother with that. I'll just ask a few questions."
"Feel free."
"Could you briefly describe the circumstances when you discovered the totem?"
Though Patran said 'briefly,' his questions were detailed and persistent.
As if determined to expose any hidden agendas down to their roots,
"I heard there were a total of 10 totems discovered, but only 3 were submitted to the administration bureau. Where did the remaining 7 go?"
"We have them."
"According to the 11th clause, 2nd paragraph of imperial law, items related to demons are kept by the imperial family as evidence...!"
"According to 8th clause, 1st Paragraph of the possession law, acquiring demon-related items for the purpose of research for sweeping out demons is permissible with permission from the administrative bureau. I have already obtained the permission."
The ownership of the totems had already been obtained through Augustine. Of course, they were all devoured by the Seal of Ferocity.
'Thanks to that, it has reached 6-stars. Well, whether it's right to grow steadily even without doing anything, I don't know.'
Even Mephisto's face twisted with anger... Well, what could they do? The Seal of Ferocity snatched it away before Elric could even lay a hand on it.
In truth, for Elric, it didn't matter much either way.
And so,
The subsequent interview was not much different.
As Elric had nothing to hide, there was nothing to be concerned about.
Being eloquent, the interview proceeded smoothly and ended in less than 30 minutes.
"...Then, I'll ask one more thing."
"What is it?"
"How did you know the exact location where the totems were hidden?"
Patran's gaze was very sharp.
Since the previous questions were mostly blocked, this was the only thing he would persistently pursue.
However,
"I already said. I am a Melvinger."
"...That vague answer isn't satisfactory...!"
"Then should I reveal the secrets of the Melvinger family to the Inspection Bureau?"
...!"
Patran sealed his lips.
If they continued the investigation like this, it would lead to trouble.
He was already caught in 'persecuting and ignoring the duke'. It was easy to make a ridiculous case that 'the inspection bureau persecuted the duke'.
'You slippery bastard!'
Looking at Elric's smiling face, Patran felt like his stomach, which had just settled, was bubbling up again.
『Poor guy. Tsk tsk! Should've started off on the right foot.』
Mephisto, the only one with a sympathetic view, just shook his head as if in solidarity.
"… Thank you for your cooperation."
In the end, Patran folded his notebook without much gain and had to step back.
If he wants to ignore the name value of the fallen magic family, he can ignore it as much as he wants.
But with the White Knight and the Beast King present and being friendly with Elric, conflict wasn't ideal.
'We can't collide with the Magic Tower over something like this.'
It wasn't time yet, not yet.
Eventually, Patran and his entourage disappeared.
"Hahaha! Those stiff Inspection Bureau folks, seeing them like this makes me feel so refreshed!"
Augustine clapped Elric's shoulder heartily, praising him for handling things well.
The Magic Tower, which represents the nobility, and the Inspection Bureau, which serves the imperial family, had a bad political relationship from the beginning.
"I felt dizzy the whole time I was watching it! How satisfying! You did well, my disciple."
Gility, who had been chased by the Inspection Bureau while being part of the Revolutionary Army, was also in high spirits.
But...
"It's not over yet."
"Huh?"
Elric calmly raised his head, and Augustine and Gility looked at him, puzzled.
Hehe!
Elric smiled wickedly at his mentors.
"I can't just let those who set me up go. They'll come back to bite me later, so I have to do something about them."
"And?"
"At least pull out their teeth and have a good feast on their spine to sleep well at night. Isn't that right?"
"...."
"...."
Augustine and Gility were left speechless by Elric's unexpected response.
『That's right.』
Mephisto, with folded arms, nodded as if he had expected this turn of events.
***
The Inspection Bureau agents, including Patran, only stopped their steps after completely leaving the mountain range.
After using their magic devices to check for any possible eavesdropping.
Click!
Patran knelt down and bowed his head in front of an agent who maintained an especially stiff attitude among the agents.
A posture typical of a master-servant relationship.
Compared to the other agents, he was tall and well-dressed, so he naturally took a back seat.
The gaze that looked down on Patran was chillingly cold.
"...I have no face to show, Your Highness."
"Raise your head."
"I apologize."
"It's fine, I said, raise your head."
With a hint of irritation in his voice, the man sighed lightly before Patran could finally lift his head.
"It's just unnecessary regret mixed with emotions. The one who is ashamed is not you, but me, the crown prince."
The man's tone and demeanor were filled with the dignity that only those who ruled over others could exude.
"I was so blinded by jealousy that I didn't even think about understanding the other person properly and just looked down on them. Huh! So I ended up in this sorry state."
"Your Highness, how could you say such things...!"
As the man continued to blame himself, Patran and the other agents couldn't help but feel uneasy.
The title 'Your Highness' alone was enough to show that the man, with just a change of heart, could easily take their lives.
Prince Jericho.
He was the one who had come closest to becoming the next emperor among the countless princes, princesses, and members of the imperial family.
Especially considering that he had the support and loyalty of the 4th Inspection Bureau, to Patran and others, he was almost like the highest authority.
Of course, as much as they were loyal to him, it was also evidence of their exceptional skills and position.
'...I have brought disgrace upon someone who has lived a lifetime as a significant figure...! It is a grave sin, worthy of immediate self-execution.'
When the Crown Prince first expressed his desire to meet Elric in person, Patran and others tried their best to change his mind.
While Elric was indeed the current head of the Melvinger family, known for their longstanding loyalty to the Empire, his character as observed by the Inspection Bureau did not seem particularly loyal.
Rather, his sudden cure of an incurable illness, his exceptional use of magic, and the praise he received as a hero in Lacente were all filled with suspicion.
So, until his loyalty to the Empire could be confirmed, they had refrained from bringing the Crown Prince close to him...
'...Who would have guessed that Lady Isabelle would be involved?'
The problem lay in the fact that the Crown Prince still harbored feelings for his former fiancée, Isabelle Weyl.
Isabelle, the daughter of the Blue Lion, was beautiful.
But more than that, she possessed a warm personality and exceptional knowledge, making her the kind of woman any man would love.
However, the political strife surrounding the throne was so intense that maintaining a relationship seemed impossible, and the Crown Prince eventually chose politics over love.
But that didn't mean he had completely given up on his feelings.
Even after several years, a lingering regret remained in his heart.
That was the reason why the crown prince went out of his way to see Elric.
The Crown Prince had only recently learned about the incident Isabelle had faced in Lacente months ago.
At that time, he was so heartbroken at the thought of almost losing her.
And yet, the fact that Elric had saved her triggered jealousy.
I should have been there instead.
I should have saved her from danger and placed her by my side...!
As much as he wanted to rush to Isabelle's side, his status as the Crown Prince prevented him from acting recklessly, knowing that it could cause a significant backlash.
Then, in the midst of this turmoil, Elric became involved once again.
'Is fate truly a thing?'
Patran had always been by the Crown Prince's side, so he could observe all these psychological changes.
'This mission is simply about eradicating the remnants of the demons and returning all credit to His Highness the crown price to bolster his political stature...!'
Patran gritted his teeth.
He had made a grave mistake this time.
He was trying to put Elric down in order to appease the crown prince's feelings, but instead, he only gave Elric an excuse to humiliate them.
'But now, it must not go any further. No matter how great His Highness's anger about his love interest, we must absolutely avoid further entanglement with that bastard!'
In fact, if a report reached the higher-ups about the Crown Prince being here, he would be subject to immediate disciplinary action.
'So, it's time to somehow get rid of the Melvinger family!'