YOU CAN READ UP TO CHAPTER 7 ON MY PATREON, JUST BECOME A FREE MEMBER!!!!
[Start of the chapter]
Lynn's tone rose and fell with perfect rhythm, pacing every beat just right. Paired with the dim, hushed stillness of the surroundings, his words carried an oddly compelling weight. The Captain followed along without realizing it—then, at that final question, nearly blurted out on instinct, "Obviously something's wrong."
But precisely because it sounded too convincing, the Captain snapped back to reality right after.
The content was far too absurd—like a real story.
No… it should be said it was a real story!
Certain of that, his expression darkened sharply. He lunged forward a step as if to charge in and settle accounts—only to halt the instant one foot crossed the threshold. He enunciated three words, slow and cold:
"You… played… me?"
Lynn's expression didn't change, but the sword in his hand was already out of its scabbard. The blade pointed downward, hovering steadily above the pile of cargo beside him—
And that was exactly why the Captain stopped.
He believed he could take down Lynn and Escoffier, but the stacked crates—and the bottles sealed inside them containing Les—wouldn't survive the sword's sharp edge. One mistake, and at least thirty percent of the shipment in this hold would be lost.
And from the Captain's point of view, this ship was his turf. Absolute home advantage. As for the other side—right now they were caged beasts. In a cargo hold like this, they couldn't even jump overboard and gamble on the sea. Naturally, he didn't want to incur major losses, so he figured dragging things out a little wouldn't hurt.
Lynn understood the Captain's thinking just as well. But whether it was the situation or the "data," he had no interest in correcting the other man's misconceptions. As for buying time—
Funny thing. That was exactly what he wanted too.
"Played you?"
In the darkness, Lynn lowered his eyelids slightly.
"Alright. Alright."
"Actually, I have a special kind of perception. Ever since I boarded the ship, I've known everything you and your men have been talking about. How's that explanation?"
The Captain's expression twitched.
That explanation sounded far more plausible—but after the earlier "nonsense," he didn't take it seriously.
"Oh, really?"
He answered noncommittally.
"Then you should also know why I set my sights on you, right?"
If he believed it, that rhetorical question could be read as probing. But he didn't, so it was just idle talk.
And yet—
"Of course. Escoffier, right?"
Lynn casually said the very thing the Captain was convinced he couldn't possibly know, then added with a thread of mockery:
"I didn't expect that running into a bunch of scum smuggling Les would also connect to the serial missing girls case from back then."
Crack—
It was the lantern in the Captain's hand.
He hadn't expected Lynn to be telling the truth—nor that he'd uncovered this much. His focus slipped for a moment, and the noise escaped him.
But someone reacted even harder than he did:
"The serial missing girls case?!"
Escoffier, behind Lynn, went pale with shock.
In Fontaine, the case was widely known and had caused a massive stir. But after years with no news, it had only ever come up occasionally as gossip—no one expected to run into suspects here.
And what's more, they'd taken her as a new target.
"Lynn… you're saying he's the culprit behind the serial missing girls case?"
Relying on Cryo to keep her calm, Escoffier didn't act rashly. Her first move was to confirm the accuracy of the information with Lynn.
"Mm…"
After a brief pause, Lynn shook his head.
"Not the culprit. At most, an accomplice."
"As for the one calling the shots… I'm guessing he doesn't know."
Escoffier's eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful.
With the tacit understanding between her and Lynn, she felt there was more beneath those words—
"I'm guessing he doesn't know" didn't mean "I don't know."
But since Lynn wasn't saying more right now, she didn't press. She simply gathered Cryo in silence, ready to unleash a freezing strike at any moment.
On the other side, the Captain felt a wave of relief—then immediately found it ridiculous.
All he'd done was tell his men in the captain's quarters that Escoffier was on the "premium list" from the higher-ups, and that she had to be captured intact and handed over. That was all.
He must've said a few extra lines, and Lynn had inferred a connection to the serial missing girls case from certain details. As for the mastermind's identity?
Even he didn't know it—so how could Lynn possibly know?
But once he steadied himself, his patience was gone.
Given how seriously the higher-ups treated secrecy, no matter the reason, this counted as a leak. If he mishandled it, he'd face an unimaginably brutal punishment when he returned.
So—no more "the longer the night, the more trouble." He couldn't drag this out. He had to take them down fast.
"Lynn-san. Most of the time, knowing too much isn't a good thing…"
His voice was low as he stepped forward another half-step, resolve taking shape.
Lynn, as if he hadn't noticed, didn't move his sword hand at all. His tone remained relaxed, almost leisurely:
"Thanks for the warning. But I already know it, and I can't exactly forget it. What can I do?"
"Besides, I'm a cautious person. Tight-lipped. I know what I should say—and what I shouldn't."
The Captain sneered.
"Oh? I didn't notice."
A faint, almost regretful note slipped into Lynn's voice:
"Because your level's too low, I guess. Like what we were just talking about—honestly, it's not even a truly high-impact secret. Saying it is just… saying it."
"What, you don't believe me? Then there's nothing I can do. If your name were Zandik… or Il Dottore… something like that, I wouldn't mind reciting something interesting on the spot to prove it."
"But unfortunately, there's no 'if.' Which, for me, is something worth being grateful about. Maybe for you too, I suppose? Oh—don't ask me who Zandik or Il Dottore is. Trust me. You don't want to know."
The Captain didn't respond right away.
He was waiting. His men had already arrived and were finishing the last bit of preparation.
A dozen seconds later, the preparations were complete, and the Captain finally spoke again:
"Since you know so much, you should also know what kind of end you're about to meet, right?"
"One last piece of advice: put down your weapon and come out quietly. I can consider letting you and that Escoffier-san suffer a little less. Otherwise…"
Lynn let out a soft sigh.
"Otherwise what?"
The Captain's tone didn't change.
"Then it seems you've decided to refuse the easy way and take the hard one…"
"Eh, hold on—"
In the split second before the Captain could give the order to strike, Lynn suddenly lowered the sword and raised his other hand in a stopping gesture.
"Oh? What—changed your mind?"
Seeing what looked like a surrender, the Captain's mouth curled into a cruel smile.
"That can wait."
Lynn, utterly unconcerned about what would happen next, had already sheathed his sword again as he continued:
"Just like I know you were buying time to let your men get ready… you've probably noticed it too, right? I was buying time as well."
"Want to guess what I was buying time for?"
(End of Chapter)
If I see that this fanfic has support, I will upload 20+ chapters to Patreon!!
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]