The Herbert Clan’s action leader, Jonathan, thought.
‘It seems everything is going according to the clan’s plan.’
A sudden commotion was heard from inside the interview room.
Soon after, an employee appeared and apologized to the applicants.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to wait a little longer.”
That implied something had gone wrong with the Vault Keeper’s personal safety.
At the same time, it meant the issue wasn’t serious.
At first, the applicants nodded nonchalantly.
But as the wait dragged on, complaints began to surface.
“When exactly will the interviews start?”
“If this place can’t keep its promises, I don’t need this job!”
The outcry grew louder with each passing minute.
Eventually, when the complaints became audible through the door,
the employee returned with new news.
“We will now proceed with the interviews. In place of the president, who had to leave due to unavoidable circumstances, I will serve as the interviewer. Applicants number 1 through 5, please come in.”
It was the employee with the green bow tie.
‘What happens next is obvious.’
A story so common it was boring.
None of the applicants who went in now would pass.
The successful candidate was already as good as decided.
About ten minutes passed, and the applicants came out.
“Next. Applicants number 5 through 10, please come in.”
“I’ll be going, big brother!”
“Go ahead.”
All his companions filed into the interview room.
Now only two people remained in the waiting area.
Number 11, Jonathan himself.
And number 12.
‘I’d better not associate with that guy.’
Showing up as a guest and demanding to take the security guard interview out of the blue, then suddenly jumping up to swap numbers.
Best to steer clear of such a weirdo.
But that was only Jonathan’s intention. The other person seemed to think differently.
“Excuse me.”
Number 12 spoke calmly, as if trying to strike up a light chat.
“You’re the action leader of the Herbert Clan, aren’t you?”
“…! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Startled, Jonathan pretended to be furious while his mind raced.
‘Who is this? Someone who knows me well? Either way, I’d better get out of here.’
But before he could even lift his butt off the chair, the lead cane moved.
The handle of the cane hooked onto the armrest opposite Jonathan’s seat, while the shaft crossed over both his thighs.
Holding the other end of the cane, the man smiled brightly.
“Why the rush? Let’s talk first.”
Jonathan, wrapping his instinctive fear in anger, shouted.
“Take this off!”
He’d just push the damn cane away!
“Hnngh!”
Jonathan gripped the cane with both hands and shoved with all his might.
Thick veins bulged on his muscular forearms, a former sailor’s build.
But the cane didn’t budge, like a firmly anchored ship.
“I said take it off!”
Gritting his teeth, Jonathan twisted his body while pushing the cane.
That was the moment.
—Crack, screeeech!
A chilling sound.
It wasn’t the cane.
It was the final scream of the chair leg, unable to bear the weight transmitted through the cane. The leg bent grotesquely.
‘Damn it, what strength…!’
Jonathan ground his teeth as he slumped in the tilted chair.
This wasn’t human strength.
“What rotten luck! To be stuck alone with a monster like you!”
Jonathan lamented, thinking that if his companions had stayed, the situation would have been different.
“Rotten luck? On the contrary, Mr. Jonathan, we’re both very lucky. If we hadn’t ended up alone like this, I would have had to create the opportunity physically, and then you and I would have had a much more exhausting time, wouldn’t we?”
What was he talking about?
Was he implying he would have kidnapped me?
He wanted to shout, “Don’t talk nonsense,” but looking at the other’s calm, unwavering face, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
Maybe that nonsense would actually have come true.
“So? What do you want from me so badly that you’d go this far?”
Jonathan called out in resignation.
“If you’re seeking revenge on the Herbert Clan, you’ve got the wrong target. You might not believe it, but I—”
“I know.”
Number 12 cut him off.
“You’re not loyal to the Herbert Clan, are you? That’s why you didn’t take part in that cheap plan to poison the Vault Keeper.”
“…! How do you know that?!”
“There are ways to know everything.”
As if that weren’t surprising enough, number 12 wasn’t finished.
“Also, I know that five days ago, in the park in front of the Grand Duke’s Mansion, you deliberately let the man disguised as a gravedigger go.”
“…! That was because talking to a gravedigger is bad luck…”
“No. You’re not that superstitious of a man.”
Jonathan felt as if he were possessed by a ghost.
This lunatic number 12 knew everything.
“How did you…?”
“You were a sailor, weren’t you? Looking at those arms, it must be true.”
And there was no profession more superstitious than a sailor’s.
After all, they had to survive the treacherous sea where nothing was certain.
“They say the most famous sailor superstition has to do with the number 11. Isn’t 11 an unlucky number?”
This was from the story of Hayes’ past, when he smuggled Christine out.
Back then, Hayes had to hide in a boat repair shop for days.
With him were two sailors who were bored to death because they couldn’t drink.
Thanks to that, Hayes heard all sorts of stories.
‘10 means perfection. 11 means greed that goes beyond perfection.’
So if eleven fish get caught in one net, you let one go.
They say they never put eleven sailors on a ship.
Because excess always invites the sea’s wrath, and you’ll be swallowed by waves more than what overflowed.
“If you were truly a superstitious man, you would have changed your number tag—number 11—by any means necessary. It wouldn’t have been hard for you, right?”
The employee handing out number tags was bribed, and beside him stood your subordinate who received number 10, the number of perfection.
Yet you stayed silent with number 11. That means you’re not a man swayed by superstition.
“A man like you would never mess up an important mission just because you didn’t want to talk to a gravedigger. So you already knew, didn’t you? That Walter Bell was in that gravedigger’s cart.”
“…!”
“You knew, and you let him go.”
Hayes’ voice was full of conviction.
He had already guessed the man’s motives.
“You’re the Herbert Clan’s action leader. That position belonged to someone else until recently. Someone who was your direct superior, and therefore someone you must have spent a lot of time with.”
To explain Jonathan’s actions, this person was necessary.
The one Posha still couldn’t forget—her lovely fool.
“Utu Sha.”
Hayes saw the face of the man that the shadow hadn’t swallowed.
He saw his eyes trembling wildly, unable to hide his agitation.
“The day before he died, you were the one who sent him a letter warning him of danger. Isn’t that right?”
Jonathan’s face hardened coldly.
‘…Did I misread?’
As Hayes hesitated, hot tears streamed down the man’s face.
“I haven’t heard my younger brother’s name in a long time…”
Hayes’ heart pounded with a pleasant thrill.
‘Found it.’
The final key to robbing the Princess’s vault through the Herbert Clan.
“Now I think I know who you are.”
The man spoke, tears flowing freely down his stoic face.
“Yes. I’ve heard rumors about you. A genius rookie detective with amazing exploits. Someone who’s been repeatedly thwarting our Herbert Clan. A hero who saved my sister-in-law. Yes, your true identity is…”
With certainty, Jonathan declared.
“The Eastern Janus, Walter Bell, isn’t it?”
‘…It’s not.’
“I’ve heard you’re a master of disguise, but I didn’t know your martial prowess was this great. Truly worthy of the title ‘next great detective.’”
“Excuse me, I think you’re misunderstanding something—”
“Shh. The interview will end soon. We don’t have time, so just listen quietly.”
Before Hayes could clear up the misunderstanding, Jonathan spoke rapidly.
“I’m sure you know you’re being chased.”
“I do, but no—”
“If the Grand Duke catches you, you might at least save your life. But if the Boss catches you, even your bones won’t be recoverable. You know why.”
Talking frantically, Jonathan looked around.
Then, finding nothing suitable, he tore off his own sleeve and hurriedly scribbled letters on it.
“I have a rough idea why you’re here, and I’ll cooperate as much as I can. That way, I can avenge my younger brother. But you must make sure never to fall into the Boss’s hands. I don’t want to lose a sturdy meat shield who can protect my sister-in-law.”
Jonathan tossed the cloth with the note as if throwing it away.
Before Hayes could examine its contents, the interview room door opened.
Black shadows poured out.
“Next applicant—”
“Brother! What the hell happened to you?!”
A black shadow shouted in surprise.
“Why are your eyes so red? Why is your sleeve torn? And what happened to the chair?! What’s going on?!”
Both their minds raced.
Looking suspicious would be bad.
In an instant, Hayes jumped to his feet and shouted.
“How disappointing! I had some expectations, you know!”
At that moment, Hayes’ mind was filled with a scene from a muscle-bound fighting manga.
For a second, he doubted he could pull off such a humiliating act, but quickly steeled himself.
‘It’s fine! It’s not my face anyway!’
Trusting the thick makeup on his face, Hayes shouted.
“To be taken down by such little force! You are no match for me!”
Jonathan’s eyes quivered as he belatedly grasped the situation.
A man of his standing, the Herbert Clan’s action leader, had suddenly become someone beaten up by a madman and reduced to tears.
‘It’s fine. Better than being suspected as a spy.’
Hayes rationalized internally and continued his act.
“I could have cut your throat today, but I’ll settle for taking this sleeve with me! Train harder!”
With that, he turned around and tried to make a quick exit.
“You bastard, how dare you lay a hand on brother!”
The black shadow, finally catching up, charged at Hayes.
Hayes slid his leg out toward the plate, a sliding motion.
“Guh!”
The other man went down.
There was a cracking sound from the ankle.
‘Oops, I didn’t mean to go that far.’
Because the black shadow was lumped together and his body wasn’t clearly visible, Hayes had struck the ankle squarely.
Hiding his fluster, Hayes shouted like a maniac fresh out of a sports manga.
“Ah, every single one of you is boring. I’m sick of meaningless victories! Is there no martial artist who can gift me a defeat?!”
No one stood in the madman’s way anymore.
As he left the storage facility, Hayes resolved.
‘I will never use this face again.’
Mr. Walter, I’m sorry.
Give up on finding that necklace I left in storage.
—
However it happened, he decided to focus on the fact that he had escaped safely.
‘Let’s pretend the method of escape never happened.’
Though he didn’t know how long he could keep the secret from Walter, who had a supernatural intuition, or from Posha, a master of information gathering.
‘At least Lure must never hear about this.’
He had the pride of a detective, damn it!
“So, how did your trip go?”
“I’ll explain from now.”
I told Walter and Posha everything except the last part.
From how tight the security of the valuable storage was, to the Herbert Clan members infiltrating as disguised guards, the bribery of employees, the poisoning attempt on the Vault Keeper, and finally the Herbert Clan’s action leader who was secretly helping us.
“I see. Jonathan…”
Posha’s eyelid twitched.
“Do you know him?”
“As Mr. Hayes guessed, he was Utu’s direct subordinate.”
“It seems he and Utu were close.”
“As if.”
Posha twisted her lips.
“That man was one of many who took advantage of Utu.”
That was completely unexpected.
“Not just once or twice. He betrayed Utu three times. Each time, Utu listened to his story, patted him on the back, and forgave him. He was practically a saint, but did that ever make him repent? Jonathan would shed tears, say he was sorry, and promise never to do it again, but then he’d betray Utu again. Just like all the other people who saw Utu as a pushover! When he was forgiven for the third betrayal, he said he would truly turn over a new leaf, that he wanted to repay his brother’s unwavering trust just once… but I didn’t believe him. I thought it was just talk, as always. But…”
With a complicated expression, Posha sighed.
“Still, in the end, that fool Utu’s goodwill managed to inspire someone. At least one person was touched by his sincerity.”
Posha hadn’t imagined that Jonathan was the one who sent the letter.
Or perhaps she thought sending the letter was a momentary impulse, and he would soon forget Utu.
But there was still someone mourning Utu.
That fact seemed to unsettle Posha’s feelings.
“…I’m sorry, but may I go in now?”
“Of course. Please do.”
I nodded readily.
Perhaps this was for the best.
I actually wanted to speak with Walter alone.
“I think I know what you want to say.”
Truly, he could read people well.
“That Mr. Jonathan told me that if you’re caught by the Grand Duke, you might save your life, but if you’re caught by the Boss, even your bones won’t be recoverable.”
He added that Walter himself would know the reason best.
“The Boss… is a title referring to Herbert.”
“I figured as much.”
What I wanted to know was why Herbert wanted to kill Walter.
Until now, I had thought of Herbert simply as the Grand Duke’s subordinate.
A being who carried out the Grand Duke’s orders without any will of his own.
But according to Jonathan, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“It’s not that big a story.”
Walter readily spoke.
“When I was held captive at the Grand Duke’s Mansion, it was Herbert who loosened my restraints and provided me with various conveniences. But then I escaped, so his position became quite awkward, don’t you think? He must feel betrayed by me. So he wants revenge. In the underworld way.”
One question was resolved, but a bigger one arose.
“Why did Herbert show you favor in the first place? You were a detective who had been chasing and bothering him all this time.”
Walter gave a bitter smile and slowly began to speak.
“Similarly, it’s not that big a story. Back when I was a common soldier on the Eastern Front, Herbert was my closest friend.”
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
I realized I had never really known why Walter was pursuing the Herbert Clan.
Surely it wasn’t some soft reason like a detective’s sense of duty.
What exactly was Walter Bell after, moving his base and risking his life to hunt down the Herbert Clan?