After he killed Tony lair, the vice-leader of the alchemical organization 『Angel of Death』, Lambert retraced the passage where he came from along with Kreuz, his subordinates, and the six youths that used to be slaves of Tony Lair.
They had also made sure that there were no other hidden sorcerers left.
「Armored Swordsman, I’ve been checking this passage along with my subordinates, but it’s just an empty room.」
Kreuz and Co., who had been left to explore the area after Tony Lair made the passage collapse back then, told Lambert about their findings.
「…I see」
Hearing Kreuz’s report, Lambert then turned around and asked one of Tony Lair’s former slaves, Robic.
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「In addition to Tony Lair, someone else should be in charge of this place too, right?」
Robic nodded lightly.
「Yes… There was a mysterious person who appeared from time to time, whose figure was always covered with robes. And rather than human, that person’s shadow always looked like some sort of beast… And that figure always said that they were one of the Eight Wisemen, 『Spinner of the Truth』 , the leader of 『Angel of Death』… But me included, none of us ever talked to or saw them. Some even say that it’s just a rumor and that person might not even exist. 」
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Lambert crossed his arms, pondering for a while after he heard that.
Currently, Robic and Co. were guiding them.
Although each of the youths had combat prowess rivaling that of the kingdom soldiers in their youth, it didn’t change the fact that they were currently under protection.
He thought that he had to entrust the youths’ protection to Kreuz and Co. and move on his own if he had to explore the area.
But the last thing spoken by Tony Lair made Lambert think that the 『Spinner of the Truth』 had always been watching their movements from somewhere.
『That mighty person is unfathomable even for me… They just told me to guard this place. Meaning that their focus isn’t here. But, rest assured. I’m sure that 『Spinner of the Truth』-sama should have chose you as their playmates.』
Those remarks… It was as if Tony Lair was hinting that the 『Spinner of the Truth』 had already been hiding so close to Lambert.
Those words might have been a lie to trick him, but it was hard to consider that considering the timing.
But then, he could hardly believe that the 『Spinner of the Truth』 would abandon their subordinates and escape first.
‘If that leader isn’t in this place, if I consider another reason to temporarily leave the underground research institution aside from escaping…’
Lambert, who had been pondering in silence for a while, suddenly shook his head as he unfolded his arms.
「I guess it’s useless to waste my time on this. The other party is a sorcerer after all.」
Considering the fact that the other party was a sorcerer who had crossed the line, Lambert felt that he shouldn’t treat them the same as normal humans.
That was something that Lambert understood the most during the Eight Countries Unification War.
There was a saying: “You mustn’t let the head escape when you kill a sorcerer.”
Including Domiliune, the former alchemist of Regios Kingdom, all sorcerers who researched using their own bodies were aberrations, both in mind and body.
…Naturally, though not one of them was a mass-murdering madman, since some of them evaded death by means of burying magic circles in their bodies, even the rule of thumb about destroying the head wasn’t absolute either…
「Though I wanted to curse them when I saw those people, I’m afraid that proper sorcerers will go mad when they hear this.」
Kreuz spoke with a wry smile on his face.
「Uh… Well, that’s right.」
Lambert wanted to retort, but then, he swallowed back the words that were about to leave his throat and just heaved a sigh.
Although it wasn’t given a special definition and explanation, during the Eight Countries Unification War Era, sorcerers who crossed the line as humans and became closer to immortality had gained some sort of admiration.
Due to that, sorcerers had also received the same kind of treatment.
It was an era during which a sorcerer of that level was the only useful kind.
At that moment, the soldier who explored another area returned.
「Kreuz-sama! We… discovered something suspicious. The stone wall turned out to be the entrance to a hidden room, and inside the room are suspicious things… or should I say, something like a living being!」
「Guide us there immediately.」
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Lambert had already replied before Kreuz and urged the soldier to guide them.
Although Kreuz could only stand with a dumbfounded look on his face for a moment, he snapped back immediately and followed after Lambert.
「What is the living being that you mentioned before?」
Lambert asked that question as he ran.
「U-uh, about that…」
「Tell me in detail. If you have no idea what to say about it, just tell me what you saw as it is. How dangerous did it look? Depending on your answer, you, Kreuz, your comrades, and those youths might have to go back to the surface first.」
「It doesn’t seem to be that dangerous… Uh, it leapt away when I tried to kill it, and just like that…」
The soldier seemed to recall something as he had a hard time describing what he saw. He covered his mouth as if trying to suppress his nausea.
「Did you kill it? If yes, you did a good job.」
「I killed it… I think.」
「Did you crush its head?」
「Eh…」
He followed the soldier and went under the stone door to enter the room.
Inside the room was a bloodstained corpse surrounded by mountains of documents and medicines.
The corpse was made from two upper halves of humans, sewed together by their waist.
The two corpses’ heads had their ears and noses cut off, eyeballs crushed, and tongues ripped out of their toothless mouths.
Blood flowed from the place that was slashed by the soldier.
There was a bloodstained robe peeled off by their side.
It seemed the robe was removed by the soldiers who attacked them.
Surely, since they were unable to stand, covering them with a robe would make them look like some sort of strange creature.
This was definitely the work of the one who call themselves the 『Spinner of the Truth』 along with Tony Lair.
But it was clear at glance that the creature before him wasn’t a sorcerer.
A sorcerer wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave their defenseless body in front of their enemy.
「Damie…? No, but…」
…Because they concealed their existence so thoroughly to the point that no one had ever seen them.
At this point, Lambert came to two possibilities: either the 『Spinner of the Truth』 was trying to conceal their identity as another sorcerer, or they simply never stepped foot in the research institution.
If it was the former, the other members should have had some doubts about the contents of the research.
Just to be sure, Lambert destroyed the two heads of the creature and then turned around to face the youths and the soldiers.
「I have some questions for you guys. They’re about 『Spinner of the Truth』.」
Lambert asked Robic and Co.
「What is it? Honestly speaking, we barely know about the research institution…」
「Whether it’s many or just one… Are there any sorcerers that you know of who often stay by Tony Lair’s side? It doesn’t matter what that person normally does, even if that person is someone who you never find.」
「…There’re many people who always follow that man, but I don’t think he is supporting any of them.」
Robic shook his head.
「That man is the epitome of cruelty and selfishness, after all. In fact, no sorcerers like him either. He only spoke with a disgustingly effeminate voice to us once in a while or when he was with Alante-san… That person is a young and good-looking sorcerer after all. That’s why he might be…」
The other youth supplemented the explanation, and the other five also supported that.
「…Alante?」
「Yeah, he’s different from the rest. He was forcibly brought to this place… Thus, he isn’t used to the research of the other sorcerers. It seems he only experimented on frogs… or something other than humans in separate rooms… 」
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