<Chapter 138>
#16. Hidden Purpose (2)
Melty Crosel had disappeared.
Despite the brief report, Calix quickly grasped the situation. Though they used the expression “disappeared,” it was clearly an “abduction.” The more he heard about the report, the colder his mind became. Calix dispatched people to catch those who had kidnapped him. Then he hurriedly made his way to the last place Melty had been.
Pel, who had thrown himself to protect Melty in the central area, was in quarantine with Malek. His condition was better than Malek’s, but naturally, he couldn’t be entrusted with Melty’s protection. That’s why Calix had already assigned someone else as his escort.
He wanted to assign more personnel, but he didn’t want Melty to feel uncomfortable. Above all, there was a serious shortage of manpower due to increased patrols to calm people confused by the epidemic, to prevent those hiding their infected status, and to monitor those who gathered at the mansion and caused disturbances.
‘Moreover, I didn’t expect unauthorized visitors at a place with epidemic patients…’
But no matter what reason he attached, there was no excuse that could forgive the situation where Melty Crosel had been kidnapped. Calix ran his tongue along the edge of his lips and assessed the situation.
“…It’s not just one or two people.”
The situation was easy to guess just from the pool of blood soaked near the main entrance and the white powder scattered on the first floor beneath the central staircase.
“That bastard of an escort…”
Calix muttered a curse in a low voice and roughly swept his hair back. It would have been enough to have his subordinates assess the situation. However, as it was a matter related to Melty, he had to move personally to satisfy his anger.
Calix’s brow furrowed as he recalled the escort and guards found as cold corpses at the entrance. It was outrageous that the one who should have been sticking close to protect his charge was at such a distance, but what made him even more irritated was the pathetic skill level that led to death with a single slash.
The white powder scattered on the floor was mixed with light pink powder. Calix rubbed the floor with his toe to assess the situation and took a deep breath. Looking at the traces of powder, it had clearly been poured from above. And if someone had been directly covered with it, even an Ollua wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.
“With this much sleeping powder poured, even Naru would have been useless.”
After finishing those words, Calix’s gaze turned upward. He could easily guess why Melty had come here without having to ask. Recalling Melty’s tear-soaked eyes and tightly closed, trembling lips, Calix moved with a heavy sigh.
Upon opening the door, the first thing that caught his eye was Malek, still lying on the bed. The fever had subsided a bit, but that didn’t mean he had regained consciousness. After bowing his head deeply in a respectful greeting, Calix moved into the room.
As he slowly moved his gaze, Calix’s eyes fell on a temple model he had bought for Melty some time ago. Melty’s voice, chattering that the Beast God would solve everything, echoed vividly in his ears. Unconsciously reaching out, Calix slowly caressed the model. And soon a notebook nearby caught his eye.
‘Torn…?’
Originally, this place was a villa used when someone wanted to rest a bit away from the mansion. Therefore, having a notebook for easy note-taking in a guest room was common. However, the notebook he picked up showed traces of the first page being roughly torn out.
– So maybe… if I use my gift on someone with a strong will to live, I might see the cure. Since I can recall the entire composition, we might be able to solve this faster.
The image of Melty speaking with sparkling eyes flashed through Calix’s mind. At the same moment the thought “Perhaps…?” occurred to him, Calix became certain. Melty, who had come here, had definitely used his gift. And he must have written it down here, and then torn out the page he had written on.
‘But I can’t know the content…’
As Calix frowned and hesitated, he froze at the bumpy texture felt under his thumb holding the notebook. He slowly turned his gaze to look at the notebook again. Quickly picking up a pencil lying around nearby, Calix slowly rubbed it over the notebook where the first page had been torn out.
As the pencil lead passed over, the white paper gradually turned black. And what appeared to be Melty’s rounded handwriting and cute drawings were etched onto the paper.
“…The cure.”
Calix’s eyes suddenly grew wide. At the same time, his gaze fell on Malek lying next to him. Calix hadn’t been certain about Melty’s gift. And because he was more concerned about his safety, he had consistently opposed Melty’s ambition to go to the outskirts to meet infected people.
But perhaps this treatment formula he had left behind could save countless lives. And at the same time, Calix could draw one more inference related to his abduction.
“Angel!!”
“Yes! I’m here.”
At Calix’s loud call, Angel, who had been waiting in a corner on the lower floor, hurriedly climbed the stairs. Without even giving Angel a glance, Calix opened his mouth while staring at the notebook in his hand.
“Report.”
“…There’s been no contact yet. We heard from the entry inspection that no carriages or personnel have left for the outside.”
“Is that so? Then kill all those bastards.”
“……”
Angel glanced at Calix in response to his emotionless, flat answer. When the immediate reply he usually heard didn’t come, Calix finally took his eyes off the notebook and looked at Angel.
“They might not have escaped yet, don’t you think?”
“Then we should kill those bastards patrolling inside.”
After finishing his words, Calix smiled with his eyes curved. Unlike his curved eyes, his pupils were coldly frozen gold, and his lips were fixed in a straight line.
“How can I trust this place to people who can’t properly use the eyeballs attached to them? Don’t you agree?”
Angel quietly drew in a false breath. It felt as if his entire body was stiffening in the thick killing intent. Looking at Angel, who had frozen unable to move even a finger, Calix tilted his head to the right with a slow movement.
“I have no need for bastards who can’t handle even one task properly. That’s not why I raised them. I’m not a philanthropist.”
Realizing what Calix’s words meant, Angel belatedly sought the Beast God. Though he hadn’t sought the deity even once recently, at this moment, he desperately needed the grace of the Beast God.
‘Originally, Calix-nim prioritized ability.’
Though Calix’s demeanor had rapidly changed since Melty entered the mansion, he had always prioritized ability. He employed people with outstanding abilities by paying them large sums, and rewards always followed abilities. Conversely, this also meant that incompetence was not tolerated.
Though Calix certainly hadn’t shouted, Angel could easily tell how angry he was. It would have been less frightening if he had thrown objects or yelled. After muttering “Oh Beast God” a thousand times inwardly, Angel hurriedly opened his mouth to change the subject.
“Wh-why are you holding that notebook?”
“……”
In response to Angel’s attempt to change the subject, Calix narrowed his eyes and looked at him. Under his gaze, which seemed to be gauging the other’s character, Angel felt his hair standing on end. After staring at the extremely tense Angel for quite some time, Calix opened his mouth.
“Melty left it. It’s probably the cure.”
“What? The cure? What…?”
Angel’s widened eyes shifted to Malek on the bed. Just from that, Calix could tell what he was thinking and nodded lightly.
“How did Melty-ssi figure out the cure? Weren’t we all working on it and still couldn’t figure it out?”
“…Well, that’s because our Melty is special.”
Calix’s eyes dangerously gleamed as he murmured in a low voice. After scanning the cure in his hand once more with his eyes, Calix muttered softly.
“I thought both the drought and the epidemic were aimed at the Padrians.”
Though he didn’t particularly agree, the Padrian family had been cornered by these two incidents. To be more specific, they were being pointed at as suspects by several other families. While he was sick of the suspicion, it was true that the Padrian family was benefiting from these incidents.
But if that had simply been the goal, there would have been no need to kidnap Melty. No, there was no reason for Melty to be kidnapped in the first place. Though he was from the Crosel family, that was rather a reason not to touch him. As for Melty’s gift being the reason, not many people knew about it. Even when he had opened a restaurant without knowing what his ability was, and especially after entering the Padrian mansion, the instances where he had used his gift could be counted on one hand.
“What about Pel?”
“Fortunately, he avoided a fatal wound, but it seems it will take time for him to fully regain consciousness.”
At Angel’s answer, Calix quietly nodded. Like Malek, Pel, who was in quarantine for treatment, had apparently come out of his room at the moment of the commotion. It seemed he had tried to do something without even carrying a weapon, but he had let the perpetrators escape while suffering a critical wound.
“The person found dead was a vagrant from the slums.”
At Angel’s explanation, Calix pressed his temples forcefully with a deep sigh. There was only one body found dead in front of Malek’s room, dressed all in black. It was good that they had found something in such a short time, but he couldn’t simply be pleased with insubstantial content. Calix, sighing deeply from fatigue, opened his mouth.
“Find out everything from where they recently lived to where they’ve been.”
“Yes. I will take measures immediately.”
Due to Calix’s almost overprotective concern, Melty had never once set foot in this place. The reason he had risked coming here was clearly because he had heard that Malek’s condition was very bad. And the person who had mentioned this to Melty was…
“Angel Fryce.”
“Yes.”
As the memory flashed through his mind, Calix’s expression hardened. Looking directly at Angel, who was waiting for his instructions, Calix opened his mouth.
“Johaim Kun Sarvie. Where is that bastard now.”
