12 O'Clock Marionette-Chapter 66

There was a significant presence of people inside.

With my senses fully open as I descended, the details became clearer.

Deep within, there were also a considerable number of highly skilled dark magicians.

“……They’ve really gone all out.”

But that wasn’t the only problem.

I pulled out the communicator from my coat and checked inside.

However, just like before, I couldn’t pinpoint Gavotte’s location.

Even though I had already scouted most of the area on my previous visit.

Well, they did say that no one would know Gavotte was there for thirty minutes, so it was unlikely he was being held in an exposed location.

I needed someone who knew the temple well.

Meeting Dylan would have been convenient, but would Nigellia have really left him alone?

“…….”

I pulled my hood further down and hesitated before removing my hand from the iron door.

Instead, I headed further down—to the underground prison.

If there were any secret investigators infiltrating the cult, they would likely know more about hidden spaces than I did.

However.

“Damn it, it's empty.”

The only thing left in the iron-barred cell was bloodstains.

Whether they were dead, escaped, or taken away by someone else, there was no answer.

But ultimately, it was a waste of time.

There were no shortcuts left.

Suppressing my frustration, I returned to the iron door and opened it.

“…….”

Just as I had sensed earlier, the room was filled with people.

At least they didn’t immediately attack, as I had braced myself for.

I exhaled lightly as I stepped inside, weaving my way through the crowd.

I wish I could borrow Pianissimo right now.

No, but seriously—if Gavotte was being taken hostage, shouldn’t they at least leave behind some sort of clue?

Begging to be rescued, yet not even putting in the slightest effort.

I grumbled internally, easing my tension as I discreetly surveyed the building’s interior.

I should have read more architecture books.

I had no clue where any hidden spaces might be.

In the end, I had no choice but to hesitantly make my way toward the room where Dylan had been held.

My slave—he might still be alive!

He was bound by an oath, so if he was still breathing, I could make full use of him.

There was no harm in checking.

“Oh.”

Luckily, there were no guards posted at the door today.

Of course, that could just mean Dylan was already dead.

I cautiously moved toward Dylan’s office.

But just as I was about to step inside, I stopped.

A group of people was approaching from the opposite direction.

They were all dressed in priestly robes with heavy cloaks, complete with goat masks.

The person at the forefront seemed to be of high rank, as the others centered their conversation around him.

I considered kidnapping him for information but quickly lowered my head.

A scoff almost escaped me.

“So, Lord J, if you could visit more frequently…”

J? That’s such a lazy code name.

At least hide that pink hair peeking out from under the goat mask.

Julian Minerva.

There weren’t many people with that tall frame, pink hair, and sky-blue eyes in the cult.

Though it wasn’t surprising to find him here at the Black Serpent Cult’s base.

Even if this was the first time we had run into each other like this.

“The Elders would be quite disappointed, you know. They care about you more than you think.”

I kept walking, acting as though I was just passing by.

With everyone dressed the same way, there was no reason for me to stand out.

So just let me go. Keep walking and don’t notice me.

I muttered internally as I walked past Julian’s group.

And, as I hoped, he didn’t seem to recognize me.

I almost cheered in relief.

“Hey, you. Stop.”

The words were clearly directed at me.

I pretended not to hear and continued walking naturally, but my shorter legs gave me away.

With just a few strides, Julian blocked my path.

“Lift your head. Take off the mask.”

“Um… Lord J? Our believers are a bit sensitive about their identities, so suddenly demanding that…”

“I heard the Sunflower has been letting rats in these days. Can’t be too careful, can we?”

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Sunflower?

For a moment, I thought there was a third faction I wasn’t aware of, but then a realization hit me like lightning.

That’s an insult directed at the Imperial Family!

Since their symbol is the sun, they call them that mockingly.

Quite bold for a mere informant.

“But there was nothing suspicious…”

“They lowered their head the moment they saw me. Now, take off the mask.”

Ugh, for someone so unremarkable, his instincts were annoyingly sharp.

I had no choice but to raise a hand to my mask.

But my mind was already racing.

They say crisis is opportunity.

Fine, if it’s come to this, I’ll just take Julian Minerva hostage.

As I pretended to remove my mask, I gathered my divine energy.

And at that exact moment—BOOM! One of the doors exploded.

Thick smoke filled the entire area.

“Ugh!”

“What the hell?!”

“Is that the research lab?”

I had no idea what just happened, but—thank you, whoever caused it.

Using the smoke as cover, I slipped toward the outskirts.

Running away now would be the coward’s move.

Instead, I changed my voice and shouted.

“Lord J! Please check what’s going on! You’re an outstanding magician, aren’t you?!”

I made sure to mix a bit of divine power into my voice.

The only high-level dark magicians were over at the prayer hall—Julian wasn’t one of them.

Still, I was a little nervous.

“Are you a high-ranking magician?”

“Please, check! The Elders aren’t even here right now.”

“What if it’s dangerous? What if it explodes again?!”

“W-Wait… could it be an attack from the temple?!”

Perfect. The chaos had begun.

I confirmed that people were gathering around Julian and quickly slipped into Dylan’s office.

The open space had a simple structure, making it impossible to hide unless I entered somewhere.

Of course, I had also been hoping that a still-alive Dylan would welcome me.

“…This place is empty too.”

There weren’t even any traces of recent movement.

If Dylan were truly alive, he would have shown himself during that commotion.

Letting out a sigh, I was about to crawl under the desk when something caught my eye.

“Huh. Was it always like that?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

A portrait hanging on the wall stood out.

I had seen it during my last visit, but its angle was slightly different now.

It might have just been my imagination, but there was no harm in checking.

I walked up and lifted the portrait.

And then—

“Found it.”

A rectangular opening, carved precisely into the wall.

A hidden passage revealed itself.

***

A noble teacup. Pale amber liquid released a soft floral fragrance as steam curled upward.

The old man leisurely lifted his teacup, savoring the moment.

Across from him, Cruello leaned sideways against the backrest, his own tea pushed away long ago.

“So.”

Cruello tapped his fingers against the teacup handle, his voice laced with impatience.

“Isn’t it about time I heard what this urgent business is?”

The elder lifted his sunken eyes and gazed at Cruello.

“Do not be so hasty, Head of the House.”

“It almost feels like the Grand Elder is deliberately keeping me here.”

Cruello’s fingers idly drummed against the porcelain.

“So many things have been happening lately. The Bonetti family suddenly started moving to expose the crimes of their former Count. Then, there’s this ridiculous attempt to introduce my fiancée’s so-called real parents.”

“……”

“And handling all of this is exhausting. Oh, and it turns out the arsonist responsible for the Velvet family fire is still alive. He should have been executed ages ago.”

“Were these not all matters of your own doing? I was under the impression you enjoyed such things.”

“They were merely harmless acts of defiance. When someone forces an unwanted marriage on me, I think I’m entitled to at least that much.”

A smile curled Cruello’s lips.

At a glance, it was a beautiful smile.

And yet, his twisted mood seeped through, undistorted.

“You only scolded me with a few mild words back then. Why are you suddenly so sensitive now?”

“You do realize that what you feel is not love.”

“Oh? Then what is it?”

“A clumsy sense of rebellion.”

Rebellion?

Cruello stifled the urge to laugh.

If the Grand Elder wanted to downplay things with mere words, he should have handled them more passively from the start.

“Impulsive urges come and go. You’ve had many fleeting distractions. I’ll overlook them until your marriage.”

“If I even decide to go through with it.”

“All things inevitably proceed as they should.”

“What a dull conclusion. I’ll be on my way.”

As he stood, an inexplicable unease settled in his chest.

The conversation lacked any real substance, and the elder’s calmness was unsettling.

For all his sage-like demeanor, the Grand Elder was surprisingly hot-tempered.

Given how much the Second Elder had provoked him, Cruello had expected more hostility.

What was he thinking?

It felt like he was deliberately stalling for time.

Cruello decided to stop by the Bonetti estate for a moment.

Just as his fingers brushed against the door handle—

“Do you know why I turn a blind eye to your reckless actions?”

“Because there’s no replacement for handling Morion.”

“You don’t even bother hiding it anymore, do you?”

The old man let out a hollow laugh.

“Well then, since you’re being so honest, let me ask you something. Do you also know the method of reaching Morion?”

“That question makes it sound like there’s a special method.”

Cruello narrowed his eyes as he studied the elder.

‘So, the Grand Elder doesn’t share all information with the Second Elder.’

He still believed Cruello was in the process of collecting the keys.

What the Second Elder took as an undeniable fact was merely a suspicion to the Grand Elder.

For a moment, Cruello considered how he might exploit this gap.

The elder held his gaze before naturally steering the conversation in another direction.

“You will soon hold everything in your grasp. In the grand scheme of your life, you have suffered for barely twenty years.”

“So, should I be grateful for my luck?”

“One day, you will regret this foolish period of your life.”

“Hah.”

“This old man will make sure of it.”

His voice dripped with an unrelenting, sticky desire.

Not worth listening to any further.

Cruello opened the door.

However, just before stepping out, he paused.

“Oh, right. I heard Ares was found dead.”

The Grand Elder’s face twisted.

Cruello chuckled, amused.

“Take care of yourself as well, Grand Elder.”

Bang. The door slammed shut.

The elder’s furious voice simmered beneath it.

“…Impudent brat.”

***

I had thought the secret passage during the Harvest Festival was the worst.

This one was worse.

The passage was so narrow that I couldn’t even straighten my back.

With no other choice, I crawled forward on my hands and knees.

Now I understood why the cult’s uniform was all black.

But there was no time to complain.

“The portrait is open.”

My heightened senses picked up the sound from further down the passage.

Julian Minerva’s voice.

What? There was an explosion, yet he’s already free instead of being detained by the cultists?

And even if he had escaped, isn’t it common courtesy to wait a bit before launching another attack?

Fuming at Julian’s complete lack of etiquette, I increased my crawling speed.

Ahhh, my knees! My knees are going to break!