[Waiting time expired, a new Scenario Note has been assigned.]
Take 1. Inn (Night/Interior). Leonardo, looking into a mirror.
Leonardo: (sighs) "Just the look of a plain thief."
The innkeeper laughs. Leonardo secretly slips out through the window.
Take 2. Baron Roald's Manor (Night/Exterior). A shadow moving beneath the wall, illuminated by moonlight. The guest room in the eastern annex. Leonardo approaches the window of Viscount Lopez' room. Through the curtains, the silhouette of the lord can be seen moving. Then, the screen goes dark.
Take 3. Baron Roald's Manor Annex (Night/Interior). The guest study in the annex. While rummaging through the study, Leonardo finds something in a drawer.
Leonardo: (inner voice, confused) "This is from the Count of Bermont's family… Why would the Count of Bermont order the retrieval of my corpse? Is there someone behind him?"
Viscount Lopez shifts in his bed. Soon, Leonardo quietly slips out of the annex.
Main Characters: Leonardo, Lord Lopez
Scenario Clear Condition: [Leonardo searches the guest room where Viscount Lopez is staying and discovers Viscount Lopez' plan.][Viewing Personal Information]
Rank: Minor Character (Script Weight 5.11%)
Role: Suspicious Innkeeper of Sinistra
Script: [Conveys the structure of the Baron's manor to Leonardo], [Sneaks into the Baron's annex with Leonardo], [Notices the movement of Viscount Lopez as he tosses and turns.]
Dialogue: "Are you awake?" / "Let's get out of here."
He unintentionally covered his mouth and smiled.
Done. Though not everything I intended was fully reflected, this is still a success. A few casual words I dropped made the scenario move in the direction I wanted.
It stung a bit that I wasn't included in the 'main characters,' but…
Oh well. With the thought that things will get easier from here on out, I smiled in satisfaction. However, through the translucent scenario note, Leonardo's unreadable gaze met mine. In his gray eyes, a vague emotion swirled.
'Why is that?'
Leonardo asked. As I stared at him with a puzzled expression, Leonardo hesitated slightly before speaking again.
"For me, I don't understand why you're so concerned with matters related to Leovald."
Ah. That part.
Now that I think about it, it could seem strange that the innkeeper is so fixated on Leovald's affairs.
I paused for a moment, thinking about how to explain myself, then smiled faintly and replied.
"And what about you, young master? With all the rumours about you being a reckless fool, falling out of favour with the head of the family, and even running away. Suddenly, you're so concerned with these matters? I wonder why."
Deflecting a question with another question. The most annoying way to argue, but nothing beats it for avoidance.
Without the option to blatantly say, "I'm really Leovald, and it's my body, so of course I'd be concerned," Leonardo couldn't come up with a proper answer.
I smiled and gave his back a light tap.
"What's so complicated? Sometimes, on a whim, you just want to do a good deed for no reason. Of course, the fact that Viscount Lopez bothers me plays a part too."
Leonardo knew this wasn't a real answer, but since he couldn't come up with anything better himself, he didn't press further. I easily shut down his doubts, humming to myself as I walked past him. He was so easy to handle.
"We're back."
When we arrived at the inn, Vittorio spotted us and hurried out to open the door. While Leonardo carried the basket full of herring to the kitchen, I gestured for Vittorio to come closer. Vittorio gave a quick glance at Leonardo before approaching quietly.
"What is it?"
"Are any of the chimney sweeps here ever been to Baron Roald's manor?"
"Yeah. At the Baron's place, they usually give the dirty work like chimney cleaning to the kids. One of the kids always gets on the housekeeper's good side and goes there all the time."
Understanding the layout of the manor wouldn't be too hard. Since the script already includes instructions to get and deliver the map of the Baron's manor, there was no need to go around in circles.
I unwrapped a candy and popped it into Vittorio's mouth. He had gotten used to it by now, accepting it quietly and rolling his eyes a bit.
"Can we meet him?"
"Yeah… I'll call him."
With his cheeks puffed up from the candy, Vittorio answered and headed out through the back door. Watching him walk, it seemed his legs were healing well. While that was good news, there was a hint of regret. Recently, I'd been loosening my guard, starting to feel a bit of affection for him.
Just then, Leonardo returned after moving all the herring, washing his hands carefully, and approached from behind.
This guy, too, was clearly becoming quite the servant. I don't know if I have a talent for bossing people around, or if it's just that Leonardo naturally has a submissive side. I unwrapped another candy and, as a sign of appreciation for his hard work, slipped it into his mouth as well.
"So, what's the plan?"
Leonardo seemed to find the lemon candy a bit too sour, as he rolled it around in his mouth and slightly furrowed his brows. Maybe I should switch to plum candy instead. I reached out and pressed gently between his eyebrows, slowly massaging it.
"You'll get wrinkles."
Since taking care of one's face was important, I often did this for the people around me as well.
"Mm."
"That's right."
Only then did Leonardo seem to relax, his furrowed brows softening. His face, which usually carried the look of a thug, regained a bit of its gentleness. Just a little, though.
Smiling subtly, I explained the plan to him. Since not everything I had in mind was reflected in the scenario notes, I added more details, fleshing it out as I went.
Soon after, Vittorio returned, leading the little chimney sweep boy with him.
He said he had found him in the square, looking for work, and brought him over quickly. Since I had called him, the boy might have missed out on earning his daily wage, so I asked him how much he would've been paid and handed him the equivalent amount.
"There's a fireplace in the guest room, too."
It wasn't too difficult to figure out the layout of the Baron's manor. After sending the child away, I tousled Vittorio's hair lightly and then smoothed it back into place.
If I had asked directly, I probably wouldn't have gotten the manor's layout so easily. The little cleaner seemed to hold some gratitude toward the Baron for always giving him work, and I doubt he would have wanted to do anything that might cause harm to the Baron.
But since it was Vittorio, the leader of the street kids, who brought him, I trusted him and told him the truth. I couldn't help but praise him for that. If he had said he didn't want to, I would've stopped immediately, but Vittorio remained silent while I tidied his hair.
"We're going out for a bit tonight, Leonardo and I. Can you watch the inn for us?"
"What for?"
At Vittorio's question, Leonardo and I exchanged a glance. I pulled the corners of my mouth into a careless smile and replied.
"Umm… to enforce justice?"
That was the only answer that seemed fitting. Vittorio gave me a confused look, clearly puzzled by the response, but then simply shook his head.
For dinner, we used the herring the captain had given us. Salted herring, with its thick fatty layers, tasted great whether grilled over fire or deep-fried crispy in oil, so the cooking wasn't too complicated.
The preparation was a bit of a hassle, though, but fortunately, this inn had a fine worker like Leonardo. His knife skills, clearly improving day by day, became almost remarkable as he deftly separated the fish's bones from the flesh.
I watched him work for a moment before asking,
"If you were to fight someone who could take on six grown men alone, do you think you could win? Oh, assuming they were armed."
Leonardo paused in the middle of gutting the fish, awkwardly freezing his arm at an odd angle. He raised an eyebrow and responded with a question of his own.
"Why that question… at least with this kitchen knife, it would be difficult."
"If you had a sword?"
"Possible."
His response was matter-of-fact. Hmm, I drew out a long hum and gave his arm a playful poke.
"Seems like it's gotten a bit bigger. Well, the muscles, I mean."
"I've been working every day without rest, so that's probably why."
"Hm, strange. The rumours say your swordsmanship is devastating. Does that mean there's martial blood flowing in you after all?"
"Hmm."
Leonardo chose to remain silent on that difficult question.
Anyway, this should ease some of the worries I might have about potential threats to my safety. If anything were to happen, I could just hide behind this guy. Though I've pushed him hard, I trust he won't turn his back on me, right? The favours of feeding, clothing, and sheltering him should be repaid, don't you think?
Regardless of the situation, the salted herring, evenly soaked in brine, was delicious. The crispy, salty skin and the soft, cheese-like tender flesh melted in my mouth.
After dinner, we received guests as usual. Of course, there were no lodgers that night, and, as per routine, I closed the inn's door sometime after midnight.
I shook the black cloak that I had packed away and put it back on. I carefully wrapped the hood around my head. The fabric was all black, and the size of the clothes—both in width and height—were so loose that it was impossible to tell who had worn it before. I threw it on casually. It wasn't like it was my undergarment, so who cares?
Leonardo sighed briefly as he looked at our suspicious appearance in the mirror.
"Just the look of a plain thief."
"We're going to do something similar, so it fits."
Ah, and this was something I couldn't forget. I fumbled and pulled out what I had prepared earlier. It was a moonstone necklace, one I had bought from a merchant. I had been waiting for the right moment to use it.
I gestured for Leonardo to lower his head, and I draped the necklace around his neck. The rough black cord held a gray-brown stone, swaying lightly against his chest. I took out a bracelet, made in a similar style, and put it on myself.
"What's this for?"
What else? It's just a fun little disguise game.
Baron Roald's manor was located on the outskirts of Sinistra, far away from the city. I had heard it was used more like a villa, a kind of retreat from the bustling town.
Drunken guests used to ramble on about everything, from trivial matters to things I wondered if I should even hear. But, thanks to that, I had accumulated a lot of miscellaneous knowledge about the world in this setting.
Cutting through the cool night air, Leonardo and I moved forward silently. The streets were as quiet and deserted as they had been the night I had watched the world solidify its shape. The only difference now was that I had company by my side.
We moved without stopping, and soon the white walls of the manor, its signature fence, appeared in the distance. Bathed in moonlight and swaying gently in the breeze, it seemed almost ethereal, as if the walls themselves were emitting light.
Leonardo and I had no trouble bypassing the fence. Though there was a guard posted at the main gate, we managed to avoid him without issue.
[The Baron is a good man, but the guy on guard duty isn't. He's not a proper knight, and whenever he gets the chance, he excuses himself to pee or sneak off for a drink…]
All we had to do was wait for a gap in the guard's attention.
As soon as the opening came, Leonardo nimbly scaled the wall. He slipped in without even brushing the hem of his cloak and gave a quick signal for me to follow, flicking his fingers.
I too easily vaulted over the wall. The cloak fluttered in the air before settling snugly around me.
When guests visited the Baron's manor, they were usually given rooms on the second floor. The light spilling from the room's windows cast shadows that flickered across the balcony, the curtains swaying slightly in the breeze.
Leonardo and I crouched between the rose bushes nearby. The thick cloak shielded us from the sharp thorns, making it easy to stay concealed.
Our target, Viscount Lopez, seemed to be drifting off to sleep. We couldn't attempt our infiltration while he was still in the light sleep stage, so we had no choice but to wait a couple of hours. That was the hard part, the waiting.
Time passed, and soon the moon had shifted significantly in the sky. I stretched my aching legs and stood, massaging my stiff joints. This time, unlike when I had climbed the wall, Leonardo made a platform with his hands, letting me step on them to reach the balcony first.
Once I had safely climbed over, Leonardo gave a few quick leaps, easily propelling himself off the wall and landing with silent precision. It was a flawless entry.
From inside, I could hear the soft sound of the Viscount's snoring.
Leonardo moved silently. The guest bedroom and study were connected, separated by a heavy door. As he carefully turned the doorknob, it clicked, refusing to open. Clicking his tongue in frustration, I pulled out the dagger I had brought along as a precaution and used it to unlock the door.
I never imagined that my experience breaking into the supply room, which had been malfunctioning for years and was often locked, would come in handy like this.
While I could have searched for a key nearby, I didn't have the luxury of time. Fortunately, the difficulty of unlocking this modern lock wasn't much different from what I was used to.
I opened the door wide with a smile, and Leonardo, looking as though he had a lot to say, shifted his gaze between the dagger in my hand and the door. I ignored his questioning look and casually walked toward the bed. We had already divided up our roles before coming here.
[There should be a letter in the study drawer. Check that first. While you search the study, I'll keep an eye on Viscount Lopez.]
[How can you be so sure there's a clue in the drawer?]
[There's always a way.]
I had already dropped plenty of hints, of course. Smiling lazily, I twirled the tip of the dagger in my fingers. Above all, I had a strong feeling that this would work out.
Viscount Lopez—a flat character with little depth, more of a disposable antagonist who serves his purpose early on before being replaced. In this scenario note, with the focus shifting to the "Count of Bermont," Lopez is reduced to a mere passing villain.
In the story, characters like him are often referred to as "supporting roles." Sadly, my own rank and level are the same right now.
'But at least I can still use my insight.'
I directed the innkeeper's keen sense toward Viscount Lopez.
[Viewing information.]
Rank: Minor Character (Scenario weight 4.90%)
Role: Viscount Lopez
Script:
[Third son of the Count of Bermont. He harbours feelings of inferiority toward his older brother, who inherited the headship of the family, and despises commoners.]
[Visits Sinistra City with the goal of retrieving the corpse of Leonardo Ertinez.]
[Provides Baron Roald with a clue regarding the whereabouts of 'Leonardo Ertinez'.]
[Uses the joint investment in the trading port as an excuse to secretly send his subordinates to search the underground waterways.]
[Delivers the body of Leovald to the Count of Bermont.]
[Fails to burn the Count of Bermont's confidential letter and, instead, keeps it hidden. He is eventually caught and killed by the Count, his death ruled as an accident.]
Dialogue: "Mm…"
Is the script just mumbling in his sleep?
The fact that the weight of the one-use villain was the same as mine irritated me, but I ignored it, thinking that if I worked harder, I could surpass it.
Anyway, the answer to how to handle Viscount Lopez was clear.
Somehow, the script had me skip even the basic step of burning the confidential letter that ordered the secret task, only to have Leonardo discover everything immediately. It seemed like Viscount Lopez had built up quite a bit of resentment toward his brother, the current Count of Bermont.
Leonardo, who had disappeared into the study, came back holding a stack of thin letters, quite layered and dense. I thought I heard something cracking, maybe he broke something?
Anyway, with the props and the background ready for the play, all that was left was the lead's entrance.
I gave Leonardo a subtle nod and moved toward the fireplace. Drawing a line with a match to light the fire, the dark room instantly brightened.
As the light spread, Viscount Lopez' eyelids, which had been firmly shut, twitched and moved.
"...!"
Viscount Lopez slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing Leonardo, cloaked in black, standing under the bed, he almost screamed. But in a flash, Leonardo shoved the mattress into the Viscount's mouth, muffling the scream.
Mmm, good. Nice assist, Leonardo.
Originally, the script probably had me checking only the letters and then making a quick exit from the Baron's mansion. But, if the script is flexible, I have no intention of following it exactly.
Watching the squirming Viscount, I leisurely walked over to the bed. As I sat down with some weight, the bed shifted slightly. I gave a light wave of my hand in a mocking gesture to taunt the Viscount.
"Awake?"
Dialogue cleared.
The line I was supposed to say when Lopez fidgeted and nervously responded probably meant I was supposed to sound like a confused intruder in the middle of the night. But now, it had transformed into a more sinister threat.
It's all in the nuance, you see.
I smiled slyly, bringing my hand to my lips.
"Calm down. If you make too much noise, all this trouble of sneaking in will be wasted. Keep resisting, and I'll paralyze you, you know?"
I slowly waved the dagger I had brought for show, threatening the Viscount. Of course, I didn't have any real paralyzing poison, so it was 100% bluff.
Originally, it's all about the atmosphere. As soon as the dagger moved close to the Viscount's face, he stiffened and shrank back, his throat dry like a lizard's.
I acted like I was controlling the situation with ease, but a lot went into setting this scene up. I had to consider things like whether a nobleman like him might have personal guards nearby.
However, as it happened, the Viscount's underlings were away, busy searching the underground passages at this hour. There was no numbering of his subordinates like "number one" or "number two," meaning there was only one lackey. The Viscount was at his most vulnerable, which is why I had chosen this moment.
"See? It's so much easier when you behave. Let's talk like civilized people, shall we?"
I reached out and waved the letter that Leonardo had brought from the study in front of the Viscount's face. His pupils dilated, and his reaction was full of tension. Good. Let him know that I already know everything about his schemes. I relished his response, pretending to be nonchalant while tightening the pressure on him.
"Your poor older brother, huh? Your brother entrusted you with something important, and this is how you handle it? Did you really think you could blackmail him with just a few letters? You didn't think about how you'd lose your position as Viscount, did you?"
The Viscount's breath became ragged. It was clear he had imagined what would happen if his betrayal were discovered. Or perhaps, he had already assumed Leonardo and I were agents sent by the Count.
Seeing him tremble like this… it seems even the Count of Bermont isn't easy to deal with. From what I've already seen in the script, his ruthless nature, even willing to kill his own brother, tells me a lot.
As I kept the Count of Bermont in mind, I took another step closer to the Viscount.
"Don't worry. We're not from your brother's side. If that was the case, I would have cut off your head a long time ago."
I extended my index finger and lightly traced a vertical line across the Viscount's neck. Even this harmless, simple motion made him tremble in terror.
The neck is inherently tied to one's life, so his reaction wasn't unexpected. It was a primal defense, a reflex to protect his most vulnerable spot. It worked perfectly.
I lowered my voice, adopting a gentle tone as I whispered.
"I'm here to make you an offer you might find enticing."
Of course, it would be a win-win proposal for both of us.