Chapter 5
Herta City
This was the city where ‘Romancing Academy’ was set and one of the largest cities in the Ain Empire.
Excluding the imperial capital where the royal family resided, the Empire’s economy and politics were centered here.
Just by walking the streets, one could easily spot mansions and hotels befitting the upper class, making it abundantly clear how vast this place was—something I hadn’t fully realized when playing the game.
Looking at this city, even the mansion where my lady resides would pale in comparison.
Well, in any case, a city of this scale is bound to have its share of incidents, which means more opportunities to earn rewards by solving such cases.
Realizing this, I began gathering information on the streets and eventually arrived at the scene of the case I had my eyes on.
“This area is restricted.”
“Excuse me. I’m interested in the case and would like to ask a few questions, if I may?”
I tried to leave a good first impression with a polite demeanor, but the investigators guarding the perimeter eyed me warily.
Could they suspect me of being the underwear thief?
That wouldn’t sit well with me, considering I was only summoned to the human realm yesterday.
“What’s going on here?”
“Ah, Captain Callie!”
At that moment, a woman approached from the investigation scene toward the investigators.
Through the title “Captain,” I realized she was the person in charge, and the investigators began explaining the situation to her.
“I’ll handle this. You all continue with the investigation.”
“Understood!”
The investigators saluted and withdrew, leaving me face-to-face with the red-haired woman.
Dressed in a thick coat and with a face weary from exhaustion, she reminded me of a protagonist from a crime drama I used to watch during my human days.
“So, you’re the uninvited guest bothering my investigators, huh?”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sebastian. I came here out of interest in this case.”
“I’m Callisto Noxianne, Captain of the Herta City Security Bureau. You can call me Captain Callie.”
“Understood, Captain Callie.”
Though she spoke informally, unlike the previous investigators, she didn’t seem overly wary.
She looked like the perfect person to gather information from, so I decided to test the waters with her.
“Actually, I came here because I was intrigued by the case you’re investigating. Would it be possible to hear a bit about it?”
“That depends on what you want to know. Asking to see the crime scene or requesting investigative reports is obviously out of the question.”
“But I could at least hear a brief overview of the case, right?”
“Well, that much is fine.”
Her gaze shifted toward the scene.
The investigation was being conducted at an impressive mansion, with staff members presumed to be the mansion’s employees providing statements to the investigators.
The process seemed professional, even to an outsider.
All this effort for a mere underwear thief, not a murderer or a thief targeting treasures.
“I heard the case you’re investigating involves an underwear thief. According to the article, even providing testimony could earn a reward…”
“Ah, so you’re here for the reward?”
“Would that make me seem shallow?”
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing. A lot of detectives and problem-solvers work for bounties in a city like this, where incidents are frequent.”
She shrugged, speaking as though it was no big deal, but her gaze grew sharper as she continued observing the scene.
“However, this particular case isn’t as simple as your average petty criminal. This thief is quite skilled, and it’s been challenging to catch them. Nobles residing in the city have been pressing us to solve it quickly, causing quite the uproar.”
“Nobles? Are you saying the underwear thief targeted nobles?”
“Yes. Initially, we thought it was just another pervert stealing housewives’ underwear, but at some point, they grew bolder and began targeting the upper class with high security. You’d think such incidents would only happen in the back alleys, but they found and exploited weaknesses perfectly.”
“I see. So they’re skilled enough to target the upper class…”
“Whoever they are, they sure are gutsy. They’ve even broken into the homes of security officers. With that kind of talent, they’d be better off stealing artifacts from museums.”
“Well, considering their boldness and skills, that might actually be… Wait, security officers?”
Her casual words included an undeniable detail.
When I heard that, I couldn’t help but voice my curiosity.
“Just to confirm…”
“Yes, it’s true. That’s why I was assigned to this case.”
So she was a victim herself.
“For someone involved, you don’t seem very angry.”
“In a city like this, where incidents happen constantly, getting upset over losing some underwear doesn’t really pay off.”
Her tone was calm—almost detached.
As I held back my response with a cough, I mentally organized the information she had given me and focused on the most important question.
“I understand the situation. To summarize, the perpetrator of this case has the skills to bypass tight security.”
“Exactly. That’s why they’re offering rewards just for testimonies.”
“Then, what would the reward be if I were to capture the culprit myself?”
“…Oh?”
Callie paused briefly before letting out a sound of admiration.
Her weary eyes now showed a faint glimmer of interest as she stared at me.
“You’re saying this in front of a security bureau officer. Are you confident?”
“It’s not confidence, but rather my poor finances. If I don’t do something, my lady will scold me.”
“Ha, you must have a hard time serving someone important.”
Perhaps finding common ground, she gave a faint smile and offered some advice.
“If you catch the culprit yourself, you could earn several times more than the testimony reward. But be careful. This city may be prosperous, but not every corner is under the watchful eye of the security bureau.”
“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”
It seems that in a prosperous city, shadows grow darker.
In the game, incidents never stopped occurring, and nearly every choice led to a bad ending.
Of course, even so, it wouldn’t be as bad as the battles I faced in Hell.
Thinking this, I stretched my fingers toward her coat pocket.
“Well then, I shall take my leave. But before I go…”
Magic radiated from my fingertips in response to my will.
As the magic-infused fingers lightly brushed against her pocket, she frowned and glared at me.
“…Hey.”
“My apologies. It seems there was a thread stuck here.”
I tried to be subtle about it, but did she notice?
“Well, if that’s the case…”
No, fortunately, it seemed she didn’t notice.
That’s all that mattered.
Thinking so, I bid her farewell and immediately made my way to a secluded alley where no one was around.
Once I was sure I was alone, I retrieved the item I had slipped from her pocket.
“This really tests my courage. Stealing from a security officer’s pocket…”
The item I pulled out was Callie’s handkerchief, which had been in her pocket.
It was a trivial item, so it would likely take her some time to realize it was missing.
And since she was a victim in this case, this handkerchief would be a crucial key to locating the thief.
“…Alright.”
After ensuring there was no one around, I extended my hand forward and focused my strength.
To summon my loyal “servant,” who had been resting within me.
“Baskerville, it’s time to awaken.”
-Squelch.
Dark crimson blood poured from my hand onto the ground, expanding and taking form.
In the end, what emerged from the darkness of the alley was Hell’s guardian, the Hellhound, my loyal servant.
-Growl…
Flames ignited below its sharp fangs, and as its jaws opened, the fire spilled out, ready to melt anything in its path.
Sensing that the flames might soon turn toward me, I smiled and extended my hand toward Baskerville.
“Oh dear, has it been so long that you’ve forgotten who I am?”
If it has forgotten, a reminder will suffice.
My outstretched hand could cut its body in half in an instant.
“Baskerville. It’s improper to bare your teeth at your master.”
-…Whine.
At last, it let out a whining sound and lowered its head submissively.
Seeing the murderous glint in its glowing red eyes vanish, I smiled in satisfaction and withdrew my hand.
“Baskerville. I summoned you because there’s something I need you to do. Are you ready?”
-Gruff.
“Good, then… Wait a moment.”
Just as I was about to begin the search with Baskerville, I realized something.
This wasn’t Hell; this was the human realm.
Observing his form carefully, I shook my head.
“This won’t do. Baskerville, can you shrink your body?”
At the moment, Baskerville’s body was large enough to fill the narrow alley.
If he wandered the streets with that size, it would surely cause chaos and draw countless enemies.
-Gruff!
Fortunately, Baskerville seemed to understand my concerns and began the process of shrinking himself.
His body gradually diminished until it was about my size.
However, even at that size, he had only reduced from a monster to a beast.
“That’s still too big. Smaller.”
-Gruff!
“Smaller!”
-Gruff… Whimper.
“That’s still not enough, Baskerville. I know you can do better. Your potential isn’t limited to this!”
Encouraging the whining Baskerville to shrink further took a few minutes.
When his size was finally appropriate, I knelt down to look at him closely.
His body was now no bigger than my ankle, and his eyes radiated an innocence that made him seem pure.
“Yip?”
Tilting his head, he looked up at me, as if to confirm whether he was doing well.
Feeling pleased, I patted Baskerville’s head and praised him.
“Well done, Baskerville. I knew you could do it.”
“Yip!”
Baskerville barked energetically.
I handed him Callie’s handkerchief and gave him a command.
“Now, Baskerville, track the scent from this handkerchief.”
The Hellhound, a being with a sense of smell capable of tracking across horizons.
Wherever Baskerville headed, the thief’s trail would surely follow.
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