BL999DP

Chapter 12

"If you're one second late, I'll kill you."

"Don't worry. I don't like to be late either."

Emerging from the basement, Karman activated a compact teleportation stone.

The destination matched the one he had recently shared with the butler, and fortunately, it was just a short distance from the basement.

With urgency, Karman retrieved another piece of paper from his pocket and discreetly buried it beneath a tree adorned with vibrant red leaves.

Despite the need for a swift departure, his body trembled with the magnitude of wealth he had acquired.

Sitting beside the tree, he couldn't contain his laughter and muttered to himself,

"Ha, hahaha! Hahahaha! To amass such wealth so effortlessly!"

After a brief moment of planning and reflection, the success of his scheme was so gratifying that he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Sporting a wide grin, Karman retrieved the compact teleportation stone from his pocket.

It was time to bid farewell to the desolate north and take these magnificent gold coins with him.

'Farewell, North! May I never see you again.'

And that was his final thought.

Suddenly, someone who appeared out of nowhere near Karman swiftly took his life.

It was the small man who had been with the butler just a little while ago.

He retrieved the paper Karman had concealed beneath the tree and efficiently packed his bag, making use of the compact teleportation stone once more.

Upon his return to the cellar, the man handed over the retrieved paper to the butler.

"Tsk, tsk. He didn't realize I placed a tracking spell on the bag and attempted to steal it. How foolish."

This had been the plan all along. Since anyone who possessed knowledge about Reina had to be eliminated, it was merely a matter of course.

The butler unfolded the paper, verified the location, and found himself marveling in solitude as he gazed into the void.

"Given that we can't eliminate her directly, this commissioned letter was sent with the hope of infiltrating like a moth and exposing her death... It's almost unbelievable that it's actually working."

This method was devised because continuously maintaining surveillance would result in ongoing expenses.

Although the adage "no news is good news" didn't perfectly apply to the current situation, there was no surveillance method as foolproof as one in which those who accepted the commission were effectively cut off from contacting Reina due to their subsequent elimination.

This also allowed the remaining funds to be diverted to their own benefit.

'I had no inkling that the approach I chose would yield such outstanding results.'

Of course, the identity of the body still needed to be confirmed, but the mention of black flames lent credibility to the story.

The butler leaped out of his seat, determined to investigate further.

The matter of dealing with the coachman's family who had transported Reina still lingered, but with Reina herself gone, there was no longer a need to concern himself with them.

All that remained was the gratifying prospect of identifying Reina's body and receiving a substantial reward from the Duke.

***