Chapter 159 – Gold of the Basement
There were several obstacles when it came to finding the location of the hidden room.
The first was the butler who was waiting in front of the library.
“Hey. Come in.”
Luke called him into the room.
And then he moved swiftly. Restraining the man’s arms and covering his mouth.
“Sleep.”
When the butler fell asleep, he hid him in the far back of the room.
And then we exited the library and searched the hallway.
“Be bold even if someone sees us. We’re just walking in my father’s house. Alright?”
“I understand.”
I nodded back.
And so we walked down the lengthy hallway.
Every time we passed one of the soldiers, my heart nearly stopped.
Would they see through me?
Would they notice some mistake I had made?
I desperately pushed away such rising feelings of anxiety.
However, it was almost surprising how little interest the soldiers took in us.
I suppose it was because we were together.
The Royal Magician who had escaped should be alone.
On top of that, if I was running for my life, then why would I come back to walk around the mansion like this?
So it was working quite well for us.
That being said, there were still over a hundred soldiers on high alert. This was still a severe situation.
“I think it should be close to that painting of the Epteowers Cathedral. The way the dust rests on it is different compared to the others.”
Luke whispered.
“Yes, and there are two people guarding it.”
The guards were on both sides, but at just enough a distance to not give away the secret of the hidden room.
And since it was a long hallway with a clear view, you would be seen quite easily if you did something suspicious.
“What should we do?”
“We don’t have much time. Forced breakthrough it is then.”
He whispered. And then he continued in a loud and rough voice.
“Hey! You two! Carry this statue to my room.”
Luke turned into a different person in an instant.
It was so impressive, and I was sure to assist him with my own performance of a composed, mature lady.
“We cannot do that, sir. Our duty at this time is to ensure the security of this mansion.”
Said the soldiers with troubled expressions.
“This is a direct order. Take them away.”
“But, sir…”
That was when Luke acted.
While they were off their guard, he went around and cast Sleep on him.
By the time the other soldier jumped in alarm, I was behind his back as well and activating my magic.
And then he too crumbled weakly to the ground.
“Well done.”
“We’ve known each other for a long time.”
We quickly concealed the two bodies and then inspected the painting of the cathedral.
Luke tapped on the walls and listened until he discovered the structure of the hidden wall.
It did not take him long to open it.
Then we went inside and closed the door.
There was a small carpeted room that smelled of incense.
And there was a dim bulb of magic light.
The three walls were covered by bookshelves, which contained thick volumes and various documents.
(There must be something here that can save the prince…)
We did not have much time left.
And so I used Spell Boost while checking each book and document.
However, I could not find anything that would give me a clue.
Not only that, but what I could find regarding the Count’s misdeeds were all very minor.
“Luke. This might also be a trap.”
“A trap?”
“Something to buy him more time. I have a feeling…”
“It is possible.”
Luke put a hand to his mouth and looked around the room.
Then he squatted down and his eyes widened a little as he pulled up the carpet.
“Bingo. There is a trap door leading to a basement.”
He opened the square-shaped trapdoor and there was what looked like the hole of a well.
A metal ladder extended from it deep down.
Luke was about to climb down, but then he stopped.
“You should go first, Noelle.”
“Why?”
Luke silently pointed at my skirt.
I see. Yes, it would not do for him to go first.
And so I climbed into the hole and went down the ladder.
There was a warm breeze blowing up.
And the smell of mold.
The rungs of the metal ladder were cold to the touch.
Once I was close enough to the bottom, I jumped down.
And when I looked up again, I was stunned by the sight.
There was a mountain of gold.
Bricks of gold were tightly packed together, reflecting the light eerily.
“A hidden fortune. And so much of it.”
“Do you think I can take some back with me?”
“No.”
It was enough to live in luxury for at least two thousand years. And while I was overwhelmed and nearly in a state of panic, Luke remained calm.
“There is a shelf in the back. That should be where the evidence is kept.”
“That’s right!”
We were here to find something that could help the prince.
I rushed to it frantically and inspected the documents.
Here, there was a horrifying mountain of records of misdeeds. Bribery and corruption… It was like seeing all of the darkness of society condensed into a pile.
What was most alarming was the records of bribery towards the court and judges.
After receiving so much money, there was no way they could make fair decisions.
I felt dizzy at the number of crimes that were swept under the rug.
The violence, threats, murder, assaults, abuse towards servants and orphans.
And there were innocent people blamed for those crimes.
Like this, he had gotten rid of enemies and maintained his power.
(What a villain…! I want to punch him…!)
My fists shook as I searched for anything related to the incident with the prince.
However, I could not find anything.
And the effects of the transformation potion were starting to wear off.
My blonde hair was returning to its original color.
At this rate, I would be back to my normal self in a few minutes.
(We have to find it soon…)
It was just as I was flipping through the pages.
(The assassination of King Cleomenes…)
Writing and magic formulas that were lost from the ancient civilization.
And so I carefully deciphered the writing and the formula structure.
(A special relic for creating poisons infused with magic and a magic formula that inhibits recovery…)
I gasped.
This is what we were searching for all of this time.
With this much details on the formula, Mr. Vicente should surely be able to save the prince.
(If I can take this back, we can save him.)
“Luke! I found it! Let’s go!”
“Understood.”
Luke had tied up the papers with string so as to make them easier to carry.
It was too bad we could only take some of the evidence, but we had limited time, and our priority was to save the prince.
Luke then climbed up the ladder and I followed him.
The problem was, the effects of the transformation potion had worn off.
Now we could no longer pretend to be the tyrannical son and his lover.
But even worse, there were no traces of my once voluptuous figure.
(This is ridiculous… I don’t think my chest was like this before. This must also be the Count’s fault somehow. I shall beat him to a pulp for this.)
I needed an outlet for all of this anger, and so I swore to unleash it all on that villainous Count Wilhelm.
“Hey! Find the intruders who attacked me! Now!”
“He is disguised as Lord Baldur! Search the area!”
The angry voices and footsteps echoed
“The soldiers are asleep!”
“It’s the hidden door! That is where they went!”
…They knew.
As I scratched my head, Luke said,
“Hurry. I’ll prepare a trap so we can go behind them.”
He said calmly.
“Protect my back, Buddy.”
I couldn’t help but smile. He trusted and relied on me.
More than anyone, Luke had high expectations for my ability.
And so I could not let him down.
Making sure he did not notice my grin, I answered.
“Leave it to me.”
Chapter 159 – Gold of the Basement
There were several obstacles when it came to finding the location of the hidden room.
The first was the butler who was waiting in front of the library.
“Hey. Come in.”
Luke called him into the room.
And then he moved swiftly. Restraining the man’s arms and covering his mouth.
“Sleep.”
When the butler fell asleep, he hid him in the far back of the room.
And then we exited the library and searched the hallway.
“Be bold even if someone sees us. We’re just walking in my father’s house. Alright?”
“I understand.”
I nodded back.
And so we walked down the lengthy hallway.
Every time we passed one of the soldiers, my heart nearly stopped.
Would they see through me?
Would they notice some mistake I had made?
I desperately pushed away such rising feelings of anxiety.
However, it was almost surprising how little interest the soldiers took in us.
I suppose it was because we were together.
The Royal Magician who had escaped should be alone.
On top of that, if I was running for my life, then why would I come back to walk around the mansion like this?
So it was working quite well for us.
That being said, there were still over a hundred soldiers on high alert. This was still a severe situation.
“I think it should be close to that painting of the Epteowers Cathedral. The way the dust rests on it is different compared to the others.”
Luke whispered.
“Yes, and there are two people guarding it.”
The guards were on both sides, but at just enough a distance to not give away the secret of the hidden room.
And since it was a long hallway with a clear view, you would be seen quite easily if you did something suspicious.
“What should we do?”
“We don’t have much time. Forced breakthrough it is then.”
He whispered. And then he continued in a loud and rough voice.
“Hey! You two! Carry this statue to my room.”
Luke turned into a different person in an instant.
It was so impressive, and I was sure to assist him with my own performance of a composed, mature lady.
“We cannot do that, sir. Our duty at this time is to ensure the security of this mansion.”
Said the soldiers with troubled expressions.
“This is a direct order. Take them away.”
“But, sir…”
That was when Luke acted.
While they were off their guard, he went around and cast Sleep on him.
By the time the other soldier jumped in alarm, I was behind his back as well and activating my magic.
And then he too crumbled weakly to the ground.
“Well done.”
“We’ve known each other for a long time.”
We quickly concealed the two bodies and then inspected the painting of the cathedral.
Luke tapped on the walls and listened until he discovered the structure of the hidden wall.
It did not take him long to open it.
Then we went inside and closed the door.
There was a small carpeted room that smelled of incense.
And there was a dim bulb of magic light.
The three walls were covered by bookshelves, which contained thick volumes and various documents.
(There must be something here that can save the prince…)
We did not have much time left.
And so I used Spell Boost while checking each book and document.
However, I could not find anything that would give me a clue.
Not only that, but what I could find regarding the Count’s misdeeds were all very minor.
“Luke. This might also be a trap.”
“A trap?”
“Something to buy him more time. I have a feeling…”
“It is possible.”
Luke put a hand to his mouth and looked around the room.
Then he squatted down and his eyes widened a little as he pulled up the carpet.
“Bingo. There is a trap door leading to a basement.”
He opened the square-shaped trapdoor and there was what looked like the hole of a well.
A metal ladder extended from it deep down.
Luke was about to climb down, but then he stopped.
“You should go first, Noelle.”
“Why?”
Luke silently pointed at my skirt.
I see. Yes, it would not do for him to go first.
And so I climbed into the hole and went down the ladder.
There was a warm breeze blowing up.
And the smell of mold.
The rungs of the metal ladder were cold to the touch.
Once I was close enough to the bottom, I jumped down.
And when I looked up again, I was stunned by the sight.
There was a mountain of gold.
Bricks of gold were tightly packed together, reflecting the light eerily.
“A hidden fortune. And so much of it.”
“Do you think I can take some back with me?”
“No.”
It was enough to live in luxury for at least two thousand years. And while I was overwhelmed and nearly in a state of panic, Luke remained calm.
“There is a shelf in the back. That should be where the evidence is kept.”
“That’s right!”
We were here to find something that could help the prince.
I rushed to it frantically and inspected the documents.
Here, there was a horrifying mountain of records of misdeeds. Bribery and corruption… It was like seeing all of the darkness of society condensed into a pile.
What was most alarming was the records of bribery towards the court and judges.
After receiving so much money, there was no way they could make fair decisions.
I felt dizzy at the number of crimes that were swept under the rug.
The violence, threats, murder, assaults, abuse towards servants and orphans.
And there were innocent people blamed for those crimes.
Like this, he had gotten rid of enemies and maintained his power.
(What a villain…! I want to punch him…!)
My fists shook as I searched for anything related to the incident with the prince.
However, I could not find anything.
And the effects of the transformation potion were starting to wear off.
My blonde hair was returning to its original color.
At this rate, I would be back to my normal self in a few minutes.
(We have to find it soon…)
It was just as I was flipping through the pages.
(The assassination of King Cleomenes…)
Writing and magic formulas that were lost from the ancient civilization.
And so I carefully deciphered the writing and the formula structure.
(A special relic for creating poisons infused with magic and a magic formula that inhibits recovery…)
I gasped.
This is what we were searching for all of this time.
With this much details on the formula, Mr. Vicente should surely be able to save the prince.
(If I can take this back, we can save him.)
“Luke! I found it! Let’s go!”
“Understood.”
Luke had tied up the papers with string so as to make them easier to carry.
It was too bad we could only take some of the evidence, but we had limited time, and our priority was to save the prince.
Luke then climbed up the ladder and I followed him.
The problem was, the effects of the transformation potion had worn off.
Now we could no longer pretend to be the tyrannical son and his lover.
But even worse, there were no traces of my once voluptuous figure.
(This is ridiculous… I don’t think my chest was like this before. This must also be the Count’s fault somehow. I shall beat him to a pulp for this.)
I needed an outlet for all of this anger, and so I swore to unleash it all on that villainous Count Wilhelm.
“Hey! Find the intruders who attacked me! Now!”
“He is disguised as Lord Baldur! Search the area!”
The angry voices and footsteps echoed
“The soldiers are asleep!”
“It’s the hidden door! That is where they went!”
…They knew.
As I scratched my head, Luke said,
“Hurry. I’ll prepare a trap so we can go behind them.”
He said calmly.
“Protect my back, Buddy.”
I couldn’t help but smile. He trusted and relied on me.
More than anyone, Luke had high expectations for my ability.
And so I could not let him down.
Making sure he did not notice my grin, I answered.
“Leave it to me.”
