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Enrique said and flipped over the body of the young guard. It was hard to tell from the dark blood, but the hole in the back of his shirt was visible.

“And this one…” (Enrique)

She began to examine the maid’s body.

“The cause of death is the neck.” (Enrique)

She twisted the maid’s neck.

“It looks like someone grabbed her head and chin from the front and snapped it.” (Enrique)

The neck was twisted at an odd angle, indicating a broken cervical vertebrae. It was something Enrique could deduce from the state of the neck. I couldn’t tell that just by looking.

“The perpetrator is a man. Not a short one, either. Snapping a neck from the front requires both strength and a height difference, so unless the attacker was a child, it’s a viable method.” (Enrique)

“I see.” (Yuri)

“This woman is still a bit warm. Naturally, she was killed shortly after the man.” (Enrique)

Lily-san is in the custody of people who would easily kill someone.

When I thought about what terrible things they must be going through, my heart began to panic.

“We need to find out who did this and rescue Lily-san as soon as possible.” (Yuri(

“Absolutely.” (Enrique)

“Isn’t Tillet here yet? Where is she?” (Yuri)

We desperately needed the mobility and investigative prowess of the Queen’s Sword right now.

“Yuri-kun, calm down. We need to stay composed to save Lily-san.” (Myaro)

Myaro cautioned me.

“Tillet-san is on her way here as quickly as she can. Rushing won’t make her arrive any sooner.” (Myaro)

“I understand.” (Yuri)

… Myaro was right. I need to stay calm. Panicking and getting angry wouldn’t help us find the kidnappers or rescue Lily. We need to identify who they were first.

I tried to focus and think, but my anger and anxiety kept unraveling my thoughts. The frustration only grew.

“Damn it.” (Yuri)

“Wait.” Enrique said, stepping in front of me. She placed one hand on my cheek and, before I realized what was happening, slapped me hard with the other.

“Hey, you bastard—” (Yuri)

I instinctively grabbed her collar, ready to lash out, but her mischievous smile disarmed me. She seemed almost delighted by my reaction. The urge to hit her subsided, and the slap had a strangely calming effect.

What am I doing…?

“Haah… Thanks. I’ve calmed down.” (Yuri)

I released my rough grip on Enrique’s collar.

“That’s boring” (Enrique)

Ignore her. Just ignore her.

“Alright. Is that all the information we have for now? An experienced assassin, a large man, left about three hours ago.” (Yuri)

“…Yes, that’s about it. Enrique-san, anything else?” (Myaro)

“That’s about all I can gather from here.” (Enrique)

While waiting for reinforcements, I had searched the house but found no other useful clues. We had to start from here.

“There are very few clues. Let’s think step-by-step about how to rescue Lily-san. First, what information do we need to save her?” (Yuri)

“To be blunt, if we knew where Lily-san was, we could rescue her. Besides that, analyzing the perpetrator’s identity and motive might provide us with some leads.” (Myaro)

We might not be able to determine her location, but if we could figure out the perpetrator’s identity, it could lead us to where they’re hiding.

“Let’s start by considering who the perpetrator might be. An individual? Or an organization?” (Yuri)

“Lily’s a beautiful woman with a large chest and she’s a scholar, right? Maybe a colleague is suspicious?” (Enrique)

A colleague, huh?

“If they’re getting paid a lot, they could hire skilled kidnappers. Scholar-type men often save money and tend to become obsessive when they fall in love.” (Enrique)

An older man’s stalker. It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem likely.

If someone wanted to fulfill a desire to keep Lily confined at home due to unrequited love, they’d want to make it look like she disappeared to prolong the investigation. Killing someone would only draw attention to the crime.

Even if the perpetrator didn’t mind killing, they should have hidden the bodies better. If they could kill without spilling blood, they should have buried the bodies. The guard was killed outside, and the maid was killed by breaking her neck, so the house could have been kept clean.

If that had been the case, there wouldn’t have been any blood smell, and I would have been significantly delayed in finding the bodies. If Lily-san didn’t show up for work, people would come looking for her. Hiding the bodies in the storeroom would have only delayed the discovery until the next morning, at best.

The perpetrator was skilled in killing but was careless in handling the bodies.

“I think it’s highly unlikely. If someone helped kidnap a person as important as Lily-san, we’d hunt them down thoroughly. Whether it’s an organization or an individual, no professional would take on such a job considering the aftermath. Depending on the price, of course, but it’s not a job that can be done with a sum that an individual could afford.” (Myaro)

Myaro argued from another angle.

She had a point. Unless they were a major shareholder like Lily-san, employees wouldn’t have vast amounts of wealth.

“So, could it be a robbery targeting Lily-san’s wealth?” (Yuri)

Lily-san is wealthy, so that’s a plausible motive. According to Enrique, it was a professional job. Considering her assets, it’s not surprising that a highly skilled group of robbers targeted her.

“In that case, I think the house would be more of a mess. If they could clean up this well after making a mess, they could easily switch careers to housekeeping right away.” (Enrique)

Enrique said.

Indeed, the state of the house didn’t seem like it had been ransacked by a group of thugs.

“Maybe Lily-san just told them where her valuables were, so there was no need to search the house?” (Myaro)

“There would still be signs of interrogation… Hmm.” (Yuri)

I muttered, finding it difficult to piece everything together.

“Lily is a shareholder of Hou Company, right? Is that why she’s so wealthy? Were those shares kept here?” (Enrique)

Enrique asked.

That was a critical point.

I had introduced the concept of a stock corporation for smoother entrepreneurship and investment soon after becoming regent, and the relevant law was enacted a year and one month ago. However, it was a novel concept, not yet widely understood by the public. Stock certificates, unlike currency, do not simply change ownership through possession. The issuing company records the owner, linking the stocks to individuals.

A stock certificate was essentially a proof of ownership, not something that could change hands like money. Stealing a stock certificate didn’t transfer ownership to the thief, just as stealing a qualification certificate didn’t grant the thief the qualification. However, robbers might not understand these details.

“Lily-san’s stock certificates are kept in the executive safe in Hou Company’s secure storage room. Entry requires an executive’s presence, and it’s unlikely they could have reached it during business hours. The storage room is heavily locked at night, and even an executive wouldn’t be able to access it then.” (Yuri)

“So, they took her to force her to open the safe tomorrow? Otherwise, there’d be no reason to kidnap her. If they were satisfied with her home assets, they would have released her here, or killed her and these two if they didn’t want witnesses.” (Enrique)

Her blunt assessment sent a chill down my spine, but she was right. There must be a reason they kidnapped Lily instead of killing her. If it was a robbery, taking her for the stock certificates seemed the most plausible motive.

“…We can’t entirely dismiss the robbery angle, but it feels like we’re forcing it.” (Yuri)

The house being so tidy was odd. It was hard to believe that those behind such a bold act wouldn’t have done more research about the stock certificates before committing the crime. The possibility that they took Lily-san to rape her also seemed unlikely. People driven by such desires wouldn’t have left the house in such an orderly state.

“Honestly, I agree. But we should send some soldiers to the company just in case. If Lily-san shows up, we can easily protect her.” (Myaro)

“Right. Do it.” (Yuri)

Myaro placed a lamp on a nearby desk, took out a notebook from her inner pocket, and scribbled a note before tearing it off.

“You heard it. Leave four riders here as contact personnel and take the rest to Hou Company to assist them.”

“Understood.” (??)

The leader of the knights Myaro had brought saluted and accepted the orders.

“Is it really okay to send everyone off?” (Yuri)

“It’s fine. Reinforcements are already on their way.” (Myaro)

Impressive. If the people who kidnapped Lily-san were that foolish, Myaro’s men would surely capture them. But reality isn’t always so convenient. It’s probably not that simple.

“If we rule out individuals and common thieves… then if it’s the work of an organized group, the possible suspects are the Witch households, the defeated General households, or the Kuran nations, right?” (Enrique)

The idea of it being the Rube household crossed my mind, but that seemed highly unlikely. There wouldn’t be any benefit for them.

“Yes… perhaps it’s the work of those who hold a grudge against us, like the Witch households or the remnants of the General households?” (Myaro)

“But then, targeting Lily-san seems strange. Lily-san is…” (Yuri)

Um…

“She’s just an acquaintance or friend of mine. Even if I exaggerate, she’s more like a close friend. If those groups wanted to hurt me, they’d target my family or children.” (Yuri)

That seems like the natural thought process.

“I’m an orphan, and Yuri-kun only has Satsuki, Shamu-chan, and Her Majesty Shulika as close relatives, right? Her Majesty is, of course, under the strictest protection, and the other two are guarded by the Hou household, so they aren’t as unprotected as Lily-san. Maybe that’s why?” (Myaro)

“No, revenge or vendetta usually has a more direct motive.” (Yuri)

For the past week, I had kept today’s meeting a secret, and Lily-san had done the same. Even Shamu didn’t know, so there’s no way anyone else did. The Witch households or the General households wouldn’t know about our special relationship. And even if they did, they’d likely see her as just another lover. Targeting Lily-san doesn’t make sense.

“No one aiming to make someone suffer would settle for kidnapping a friend just because taking a daughter was too difficult. It’s not likely they targeted Lily out of a grudge.” (Yuri)

Saying it out loud strengthened my conviction. That theory is out.

“So… the remaining possibility is that it’s the work of the Kuran nations? The Papal States, or the Galilia Union?” (Myaro)

“Could a small elite force have infiltrated Sibyaku? It would be an incredibly difficult operation, and targeting Lily-san doesn’t seem right. They would likely go after me or Eisa-sensei.” (Yuri)

“You’re very strong yourself, Yuri-kun, making assassination difficult. Even when I tell you repeatedly, you still go out alone, but you do take guards when your route can be predicted.” (Myaro)

I do sleep in safe places and take guards when visiting pre-scheduled locations. I also change routes at the last minute. Acting on impulse or going to places only I know minimizes the risk of an ambush, and I stay vigilant about being followed.

“Also, while Eisa-sensei is extremely important in the long term, she doesn’t currently influence the outcome of wars. Maybe they’ve deprioritized him?” (Myaro)

“…Well, she does have a substantial number of guards and they are quite diligent.” (Yuri)

Eisa-sensei isn’t the type to travel frequently, making it easier to protect him. She tends to stay indoors, which increases the difficulty of any assassination attempt. Moreover, even if Eisa-sensei were assassinated, it wouldn’t make the Holy Scriptures of the Watashi Sect disappear or make them impossible to print. For the Papal States, it would be a bitter decision, but it’s quite possible they have temporarily lowered the priority.

“But… even so, targeting Lily-san… Certainly, she is an important figure, but basically, the ideas are proposed by Yuri-kun, and Lily-san’s role is to realize them, right? She may be unfamiliar with the technical fields, but she doesn’t seem to be an irreplaceable person…?” (Myaro)

“Hmm.” (Yuri)

Lily-san is indeed not a genius endowed with heavenly brilliance like Shamu. However, she possesses a rare talent that is highly practical in a different direction. Moreover, Lily-san, having spent years with Shamu at the Silver Berch dormitory, grew into a rare individual who can understand the scientific content I discuss. Such individuals might increase with school education in the future, but as of now, there are none other.

In other words, Myaro’s understanding is mistaken. In reality, Lily-san is not only a special person to me but also an irreplaceable individual in terms of work. However, there is some merit to what is being said, and targeting Lily-san as a one-in-a-lifetime mission for the Papal States or similar organizations seems to have an exceptionally well-placed focus.

Normally, one would straightforwardly target me or Myaro. After all, being at the core of national functions, killing us would deliver a significant blow to the state. The most plausible explanation might be that, after evaluating the difficulty of assassination or kidnapping and the damage it would cause to the country, Lily-san happened to be the target with the highest expected value.

It’s entirely possible for such a conclusion to be drawn, but… it seems a bit too capable. Considering the reverse situation, even if Myaro and I work diligently, accurately analyzing the internal conditions of an enemy country is quite challenging. Perhaps if a highly skilled think tank organization was tasked with planning, such a strategy might emerge, but it seems nonsensical.

“But they might have only wanted the technology on our side. Even that alone is a considerable achievement… which explains why they didn’t kill Lily-san but kidnapped her. Lily-san knows everything about our weapons, from fire bombs to other technologies.” (Myaro)

That is indeed the case. However, if they wanted technology, they could have targeted other people in the technology department. Such employees don’t have mansions with guards, and they wouldn’t immediately check on their safety if they didn’t show up for work.

Additionally, the Shanti are well aware of the bad reputation of those involved, and thinking they could safely take Lily-san and utilize her seems too convenient… After all, many cases involve individuals like Queen Jacoba Tuni Chartres of Kilghina, who, after becoming pessimistic, ended up committing suicide.

If she died before they could extract the knowledge, the entire operation would be a loss. Therefore, from their perspective, the effect of losing a skilled technician from the Shaalta Kingdom would be no greater than the phenomenon of them being gone. They should also understand that after this incident, we would take measures making it difficult to use similar methods.

As a target for a potentially one-time operation, it seems inappropriate. While it is difficult to know exactly what they prioritize, attempting to assassinate either me or Myaro seems more natural. Even after thinking for a bit, as for an enemy country’s crime, I can’t see a motive for Eisa-sensei’s side targeting Lily-san. To be precise, while motives come to mind, the reason for prioritizing Lily-san from the list of high-value targets, which includes me, is unclear.

After all, maybe the line of the enemy country’s involvement is slim…? Hmm… Lily-san has been a member since the early days of when I started the Hou Company, so they might think she’s useful for analyzing me or something…? Ah.

“…Could it be that they think Lily-san did everything herself?” (Myaro)

That seems possible.

“Like the technology. Everything from the inventions onwards.” (Yuri)

“? Not Yuri-kun?” (Myaro)

“Yes. They might have the mistaken belief that Lily-san is a genius who took care of everything from generating ideas to practical implementation for all of Hou Company’s inventions… What do you think?” (Yuri)

“…Ah, that could be possible. It’s hard to believe that Yuri-kun handles all state affairs, wars, and inventions by himself.” (Myaro)

The things Lily-san made for us started from the paper-making frame, and included sextants, chronometers, the mechanical parts of the movable type printing press, combat carriages, incendiary bombs, and more. However, she hasn’t been involved in everything at Hou Company. The production of standard glass bottles was handled entirely by a different female glass craftsman who liked alcohol, and Lily-san has never been involved in the shipbuilding department from the start. For the movable type printing, while she was responsible for the machine parts that press the type onto the paper, the development of the type metal was entrusted to Shamu, and the production of the type was managed by another man skilled in casting.

However, it’s true that Lily-san has taken on many difficult tasks as a core member of the technology department. If the enemy side thought that someone other than me was doing it, then that talented person would have been collaborating from the founding of Hou Company, and there is only one such person. That is Lily-san. Shamu has never been an employee of Hou Company.

If they believe that Lily-san was the key person who conceived and oversaw all the technology from ideas to production, they would think that the damage caused by her absence would be immense. After all, if they can at least prevent new weapons that have been tormenting them from appearing in the future and if everything goes well and they can bring her back, there is even a possibility that they could use her talents. Therefore, she would be a worthy target.

“Tsk, this is troublesome.” (Yuri)

My thoughts accelerated rapidly, causing me to click my tongue involuntarily.

“…Ah, damn it. This is incredibly troublesome.” (Yuri)

“Yuri-kun? What’s wrong?” (Myaro)

Myaro asked worriedly.

“Enrique. Has Tillet not arrived yet?”

When I said this, Enrique, who had been waiting against the wall for a moment, took out his pocket watch and checked the time.

“They should arrive within the next three minutes.” (Enrique)

Even though I am extremely anxious, it’s better to wait if it’s just that long.

“Yuri-kun, could you give us a brief explanation?” (Myaro)

“If their goal was that, then even if they killed Lily-san here, most of their objectives would have been achieved, right?” (Yuri)

“Yes.” (Myaro)

“Not killing her means they’re aiming for a twofold effect, to both abduct and utilize the genius. However, that’s merely an additional goal.” (Yuri)

“—Ah.” (Myaro)

It seemed Myaro understood.

“The minimum success condition is to eliminate the genius who continuously produces new weapons from this country. That goal would be on hold as long as they are in a state where it can be achieved at any time. If there’s even a slight risk of Lily-san being rescued, they would try to achieve it immediately. Given the situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if they stabbed her just for being stopped by a patrol.” (Yuri)