Chapter 61

On the morning of the second day of the expedition, Lukas, who had just finished the morning assembly with the divine beast knights, received an urgent message. He read the card, but could not fully understand it.

"Viera was kidnapped?"

"Yes. She didn't show up at the meeting place this morning, so we went to check her room. It was severely ransacked, and only Viera was missing. They are currently searching the area around the hotel."

"This is the kidnapping of a royal magician. The knights will be dispatched, right?"

As the leader of the divine beast knights, Lukas, who had cultivated a calm demeanor, confirmed this with the palace knight who delivered the message in a composed manner.

"They have already departed. Viera's parents are not in the capital, and her younger sister is still a minor. We would like to ask Lord Herring, her fiancé, to act as her guardian."

"Of course. Please lead me to the investigation headquarters."

Lukas entrusted the rest to Deputy Leader Jackson and followed the palace knight. His usual cool and expressionless face showed no signs of anxiety, and the palace knight looked at him with admiration.

However, his mind was overwhelmed with thoughts of Viera, and he was barely holding onto his rationality, telling himself, "That won't solve anything. Gather information first," and "Losing your composure and making a mistake will cost you."

(Please be found safe... Viera... Viera...)

He clenched his fist tightly and made his way to the investigation headquarters set up in one of the palace rooms. There, he listened to the conversations of those communicating with the site, but it seemed that no substantial information was being obtained.

After the group dispersed in front of the restaurant after dinner, no one had seen Viera until Clement, the first to discover her absence, visited her room. The room was ransacked, but nothing was stolen, indicating it wasn't a robbery. The other expedition members were safe. Checkpoints were set up on the main roads, but no suspicious carriages had been found yet.

The only clear fact was that Viera was the target.

(What is the purpose? Is it to eliminate the one who can solve the same incident as the magic ritual that summoned the monsters the other day? If a neighboring country is involved, is it revenge against me? No, if those were the goals, they would have killed her on the spot. If they took her alive, it proves she has value. They must be planning to demand a ransom from the Ambrosch family using the fact that she is my fiancée. I'll pay anything. Viera is alive, so please send a message for negotiations.)

He could only pray for the safety of his beloved fiancée, holding the charm. But that day, there was no further progress, and time just passed.

When he returned to the Ambrosch family's house late at night to explain, Viera's younger sister, Emma, was waiting. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, showing her concern for her sister.

Emma repeatedly bowed, saying, "Please save my sister," and Lukas felt powerless, unable to reassure her with a simple "Leave it to me." He only said, "I'll do my best," and left Emma with her parents, returning to the palace to wait for new information.

Three days passed, but there was no substantial information or ransom demand. He spent his time praying to the gods and waiting in the room.

(What can I do... I can't even imagine a life without Viera... God, please give me a chance. A chance to find and save Viera!)

While praying to the gods, Clement, who had returned from the expedition hotel, entered the investigation room.

As the first to discover Viera's absence, he was called to verify the accuracy of the reports, checking the hotel layout, the position of the back door, the number of stairs, the time they parted, and the situation when he searched for Viera in the morning.

Looking at Clement's side profile, his complexion was terrible, and he showed no signs of hiding his agitation, clearly worried about Viera.

Usually, Lukas would have scolded him for thinking about Viera, but this time, he felt a sense of camaraderie with someone who was also concerned about a loved one.

As he thought this, his gaze met Clement's, who had just finished his report. Clement stood in front of Lukas, who was sitting on a sofa at the end of the room, with a slightly tense expression.

"Can I see that?"

Clement's gaze was directed at Lukas's lightly clenched hand. When Lukas opened his palm, a charm containing a pink diamond earring in a glass tube was revealed.

The red-haired young man's eyes widened slightly.

"Lukas, can you take a break with me?"

Lukas didn't want to leave his seat, as new information could come in at any time, but Clement's behavior was unusual. His amber eyes were wary, and he avoided eye contact with Lukas.

"Alright."

Lukas rubbed his temples, showing signs of fatigue, and left the room. Clement led him to a small empty room down the hall, which looked like an infrequently used interview room with a table and chairs covered in cloth.

After locking the door, Clement cast a spell on it.

"Clement, what's this?"

"I've cast a soundproofing spell. More importantly, the earring attached to that charm—wasn't it the one Viera was wearing? Can I see it?"

Reluctantly, but moved by Clement's earnest gaze, Lukas handed it over.

Clement examined it closely in his palm, and his expression softened.

"Is the magic contained in this pink diamond Viera's? There's no other person's magic mixed in, right?"

"Yes, I saw Viera infuse it with magic the day before the expedition."

"Ha, the best material, this size, and saturated with pure magic... Lukas! We might be able to locate Viera!"

The hope he had been longing for made Lukas's calm facade crack.

"What do you mean!? How can we find Viera!? Where is she...!"

He grabbed Clement's shoulders and raised his voice.

Clement, surprised by Lukas's reaction, quickly became serious.

"We'll use the stalker spell."

Lukas frowned at the ominous words.

"It's a spell used to monitor someone's location. With a specialized magical tool, a magician can track the location of an object they have infused with magic. It was developed to protect children by overprotective magician parents, but it became more commonly used to secretly place it in the clothes or bags of someone they have a crush on, leading to its reputation as a stalker spell."

Indeed, what a terrible spell, Lukas thought, deepening the lines on his forehead. But he was the one who received it from Viera, so he was in the position of being stalked.

"Viera probably gave it to you without thinking. By the way, I haven't fallen that low to use it."

"I understand."

It was clear that Viera had given it to him to keep during the expedition, as they already lived in the same house. He thought it might not be a bad idea, but kept it a secret.

If Clement was using it, he would have found Viera already.

Lukas, who had calmed down a bit, released Clement's shoulders and asked a question.

"However, with the stalker spell, we can track the earring if Viera is with it, but if we only have the earring, we can't track Viera's location from our side, right?"

"Normally, that's true. The magical tool needs to be continuously infused with magic during tracking, so only the magician can track it. But this earring is made of the best material and contains enough magic to power the tool for several hours."

"Then, we should use the magical tool to track her immediately—"

But Clement shook his head.

The method of use was different from the norm, and the magical formula of the tool needed to be modified. Moreover, the magician's own magic would interfere, so they couldn't use the earring method.

"The only people who can use the magical tool without worrying about interference are those who have completely sealed their magic through a contract with a griffin—divine beast knights or griffin riders. The tool works like a compass, and you follow the direction the needle points while infusing it with magic."

"Considering that the kidnappers are experienced criminals and Viera is a hostage, it would be best to have multiple divine beast knights for the rescue. I'll prepare the magical tool with a trusted collaborator by tomorrow morning. Lukas, you should discreetly arrange for the divine beast knights to be dispatched."

Lukas sensed something amiss in Clement's words.

Even the current situation. Why didn't Clement suggest this in the investigation headquarters and instead took Lukas outside to talk in private? And he cast a soundproofing spell on the door, showing his wariness of the surroundings.

"Clement, is there an informant among the palace staff?"

In response to Lukas's question, Clement nodded with a serious expression, saying, "Probably."