SOTBW - 86

At Rockbell’s words, Maximón’s enjoyment was shattered. He stared at Rockbell dryly, as if urging him to continue speaking. The perceptive Rockbell noticed the shift in Maximón’s mood, sensing irritation.

Could it be that Maximón holds a grudge against Luna? Lowering his gaze, Rockbell cautiously spoke up.

“According to the person who bribed them, Lucas seems to care for Luna quite a bit. Of course, ‘care’ might not be the right word... but the fact that she’s survived for months without dying, surely that implies something, doesn’t it?”

“Is that certain?”

“I heard it from a maid who cleans Lucas Elgort’s bedroom. I swear it’s true.”

Rockbell spoke sincerely, without any intention to lie to Maximón.

His connection with Maximón was invaluable to Rockbell, who was already a fugitive from the king. As long as the Serith continued to threaten Bastronia, Maximón was a solid lifeline Rockbell could rely on when things went wrong.

“If you plan to eliminate Luna Powley, you’d better hurry. She’ll become a problem for Najane Schnicks soon enough.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Lucas Elgort is also digging into Dame Schnicks’ background.”

At those words, Maximón’s expression instantly darkened.

“Perhaps Lucas will use Luna as leverage to cause trouble for Dame Schnicks. You know what kind of man Lucas Elgort is, don’t you?”

Rockbell’s words were on point. If it were Lucas, he would certainly use Luna as a hostage to blackmail Najane. When weighing Luna and Maximón, it was clear who Najane would choose.

Najane would hesitate for no more than a moment before choosing Luna. No matter how much Maximón begged, even kneeling and pleading, Najane would return to Luna. The thought of it made Maximón’s blood boil, and he pressed his palm to his eyes in frustration.

“Can he cause confusion in gathering information?”

“It’s possible, but the effect won’t last long. He also hired a capable informant for quite a sum.”

“What’s the probability he’s figured out the relationship between Najane and Luna?”

“If the informant has given any interim reports, he might know.”

It wouldn’t be difficult to break into Lucas’ estate and drag Luna out. There were few people here who could oppose Maximón’s will. But causing a commotion would surely alert Najane. If Najane found out where Luna was, handling it wouldn’t be easy. The moment she reunited with Luna, it was clear she would do anything to protect her sister.

This needed to be handled in secret—quietly and carefully, without anyone knowing.

“We’ll change the direction of the request.”

Maximón poured the Serith eyes he had brought onto the table. There was no need for a careful evaluation; they were genuine. Rockbell smiled as he picked up the largest of the Serith eyes.

“As you wish, my lord. Please instruct me.”

“Find out any weaknesses Lucas Elgort has that would allow him to be expelled from the Elgort family.”

“Another troublesome request.”

“Is that difficult?”

“It wouldn’t be hard. There aren’t many nobles with as many crimes as Lucas.”

Just a slight poke, and the sack would burst, spilling his sins. Tax evasion, bribery, illegal slave trading, and the women who had died because of him. Rockbell carefully transferred the Serith eyes from the table to his palm. But there were quite a few gems for the requested fee. Feeling puzzled, Rockbell looked at Maximón.

“Do you have any additional requests for me?”

Maximón spoke as if he had been waiting for that question.

“Najane is looking for Luna.”

“That’s likely. She’s probably the only family left to her.”

“But you don’t know where Najane came from, what her real name is, or what she plans to request.”

“Are you saying...?”

“Never reveal that Luna is with Lucas.”

Rockbell was curious about why Maximón was so wary of Luna, but he never asked the question outright. Whatever future Luna faced because of Maximón’s involvement was none of his concern. As long as he could maintain his current relationship with Maximón, who would continue to rule the Noctis Fortress, deceiving just Najane seemed like a trivial task.

Rockbell smiled kindly, clutching the glittering jewels in his palm.

“I will remember your request, so please don’t worry.”

Maximón, trusting Rockbell’s words, stood up from the sofa. Rockbell carefully tore up the postcard Maximón had placed on the table and threw the pieces into the fireplace. While the outcome of the day hadn’t been as fruitful as he had hoped, he was satisfied to have learned that Luna Powley was important to Najane.

In fact, Rockbell was curious about who had cast the curse on Najane. It was no easy feat to inscribe a curse that would last for months. He had considered capturing the culprit, cutting off their limbs, and handing them over to the Holy Church... but...

Maximón, who was about to leave, paused and reflected on Najane. He still couldn’t figure out how or when Najane had entered the Noctis Fortress. But something felt off. Maximón had gotten Didina to make Najane swear an oath to serve as a knight, which was then submitted to the authorities.

After confirming it, the authorities would have recorded Najane Schnicks as a knight and raised her status as a citizen of Noctis Fortress. But if Rockbell had done his investigation correctly, there should be no record of Najane’s illegal entry into the fortress.

Had the authorities ever raised any objections regarding Najane? No.

They had no issues with Najane becoming a knight. That meant the authorities would have a portrait of Najane, a record of her ten swirling fingerprints, and details about when she entered the Bastronia Kingdom.

Maximón felt a cold shiver run through his mind as he turned to look at Rockbell.

Either Rockbell had provided false information, or the Noctis authorities had failed to do their job... Standing frozen in place, Maximón stared at Rockbell’s face. Throughout their conversation, Rockbell hadn’t lied even once. If there had been any sign of deception, Maximón would have noticed it.

“By the way, is it true there is no record of Najane at the authorities?”

Maximón asked quietly, as he was about to be escorted out by Rockbell.

Rockbell tilted his head, as if questioning why Maximón was asking again.

“I didn’t find any record of Najane Schnicks, but why do you ask?”

“If there is no record of Najane, why didn’t the authorities raise any questions?”

“Excuse me?”

“Think about it. Najane is a knight of Romsoa.”

Rockbell immediately understood what Maximón was suggesting, and his expression darkened. Knights, regardless of their origin, status, or nationality, could obtain citizenship in Noctis Fortress.

The authorities were clever enough to carry out the king’s absurd decree to register every resident of Noctis in detail. If there truly was no record of Najane Schnicks at the authorities, they would have raised doubts.

Rockbell’s face quickly turned pale, his mouth sealing shut.

“...I’m embarrassed to admit, but I didn’t investigate under the name ‘Emaydis.’ I assumed she had hidden her real name, since she goes by Najane.”

“It looks like I need to visit the archives after all.”

Maximón muttered coldly, recalling the fake Zelter that Najane had encountered. As he became aware of the oddities, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been manipulated. The paper tied with a red ribbon and the ancient writing on it still bothered him. Perhaps he should have asked scholars to decipher it.

Rockbell repeatedly apologized, clearly ashamed. Maximón looked down at him quietly and left the study. Although disappointed, he knew he needed Rockbell to gain Najane’s favor.

Maximón’s mind continued to churn with scattered questions.

What if, by some chance, there was a record of Najane Schnicks not in the Noctis archives, but under the name ‘Emaydis Powley’?

Just as Maximón was about to furrow his brow at the thought, his eyes met Najane’s. She had been sitting on the sofa in the reception room, nibbling on raisins, and jumped up when she saw him.

Najane’s face lit up like never before. It seemed to be because she thought she might be able to find Luna. Maximón put on a natural smile and approached her. The two stared into each other’s eyes, both lost in completely different thoughts.

He didn’t want to look at Najane’s hopeful face for too long and quickly turned his gaze away.

The woman who had escorted them into the reception room approached Najane’s side. Najane, unaware of the thoughts running through Maximón’s head, held his large hand briefly and then let go with a bright smile.

“I’ll be back soon, Maximón.”

________________________________________

Najane looked at Rockbell with a nervous expression. Expecting him to be a strict, meticulous old man, given his background as a former court butler and information broker, she was surprised to find that aside from his slightly lean build, he appeared to be an ordinary grandfather you could find anywhere.

She had assumed Rockbell would know some of her background and gave him a brief nod. Rockbell smiled warmly, like a grandfather who cherished his granddaughter. However, there was a subtle dryness in his eyes, making the smile feel somewhat unsettling.

“I’ve heard you’re a capable information broker. I’m...”

“You must be Dame Schnicks, the talk of the fortress,” Rockbell interrupted. “Lord Elgort mentioned you in advance. You need my help?”

Rockbell thought he needed to make up for the mistake he had made with Maximón. Though he knew what Najane was searching for, he played along, pretending to be clueless as Maximón had instructed. Having once charmed various nobles at court, this was hardly a challenge for him.

“I’m looking for someone. But I only have their name—no portrait. Is that enough to find them?”

Najane spoke with a hint of worry.

Rockbell smiled more gently than usual to reassure her.

“Finding people is my specialty. Who are you looking for?”

“Ah, before we proceed, I’d like to discuss the cost. I don’t have much money, so if it’s too expensive, I’d have to borrow from Maximón,” Najane said seriously.

She didn’t have much money, so if the cost was higher than she could afford, she was prepared to borrow from Maximón. However, when Rockbell saw her earnest expression, he couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Normally, Rockbell’s slaves bought and sold information at various shops he owned. The fees were, of course, high. There were clients who paid in healthy slaves—three or four of them—for a single transaction. Reliable information came at a high price, and Rockbell’s primary customers were those willing to spend large sums to slander others, uncover secrets, or use people.

“It seems Lord Elgort didn’t explain. As for the cost, he’s already taken care of it. All you need to do is tell me who you’re looking for, Dame Schnicks. You need to leave for the field with Lord Elgort before sunset, don’t you? He’s a busy man, so it’s hard to meet with him often. I’d prefer to know the details of your request soon.”

Rockbell didn’t want to waste time and gently urged Najane. She wanted to know the exact cost, but as Rockbell said, she had to return before the sun set. Najane hesitated for a moment before speaking up. She didn’t distrust Maximón, but she worried that whatever she shared here might leak out elsewhere.

Fortunately, Rockbell had extensive experience dealing with people like Najane—innocent but fearful individuals—and he quickly picked up on her concern. He folded his hands neatly and gazed at her.

“If I were a loose-lipped person, no one would trust me,” Rockbell said, his voice calm. “Although I’m in hiding now, I once served distinguished people from the Bastronia royal family. No one else but you and I, Dame Schnicks, will know what we discuss here, so you needn’t worry. Please, feel free to speak.”

Najane stared at Rockbell for a moment, then lowered her gaze. She knew she wouldn’t be able to find Luna by searching the black market on her own. For now, she could only hope that their conversation wouldn’t leak elsewhere.

“I’m looking for my younger sister. Her name is Luna Powley. She has platinum blonde hair and eyes like mine, dark red. She came to Noctis Fortress with me, but now I don’t know where she is. Is it possible to find her?”

As expected, Rockbell nodded as if this was new information and asked a few more questions.

“Are there any other distinguishing features? A mole on her face, a peculiar manner of speaking...?”

“There’s a red mark behind her right ear. She doesn’t have any peculiar speech patterns, but since she’s from the south, her accent is probably rounder than mine.”

“What about her height and build?”

“She’s a bit shorter than me and her body is a little thinner.”

“Did you part ways while she was still a resident, or...?”

“…She’s probably a slave. Probably.”

Najane spoke cautiously, unsure of how much to reveal.

Rockbell stroked his chin and pretended to think carefully.

“Hmm, if your sister is beautiful, she’s likely been sold to another region. But since slave trading isn’t as active as it used to be, she might still be here. Dark red eyes are rare, so if we’re lucky, we should be able to find her soon. If she’s been sold elsewhere, there should be traces of the transaction, so it will be easier to investigate. I’ll start the search immediately, starting today.”

At Rockbell’s words, Najane’s expression brightened. She repeatedly thanked him and sighed in relief. If Luna was still in Noctis Fortress, she would see her soon. No matter what Luna looked like, she didn’t care. If they were reunited, she would hug her tightly, blaming herself for everything, and promise never to let go again.

Najane clasped her hands together as if praying, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. Rockbell asked in a soft tone.

“Is there anything else you’d like to request?”

Najane was about to answer no, but then she remembered Kieron Vieto, whose name she had seen on the list of sponsors for the Romsoa Knights.

“Is the name Kieron a common one?”

“Kieron? Of course, it’s very common. It’s one of the most common male names in Bastronia. It’s sometimes used as Kieron or shortened to Kiel. It seems like you’re from another country, Dame Schnicks?”

Rockbell asked nonchalantly, even though he already knew the answer.

Najane nodded, looking slightly surprised.

“In countries where the Church of the Sacred is the state religion, children are taught the Bible from a young age. Kieron is the name of the older brother of Sir Sylin Bastronia. According to the Bible, he was a very intelligent and wise man. That’s why the name is widely used for boys.”

Rockbell continued, drawing from old memories.

“Especially in southern countries, where there are so many gods worshipped, spreading the teachings of the Sacred Church was particularly difficult. So, aside from Astrun, they would change the names of historical figures to local ones and spread the faith through novels and songs. If it’s not too rude to ask, which country are you from?”

“Kalonosia.”

“Let me think, Kalonosia…”

Rockbell pondered the songs of wandering bards.

“Ah, Kieron would have been changed to Mikael there. Mikael is a very common name in your country, isn’t it?”