Flynn brought his nose close to the soil in Hugo's outstretched hand and sniffed. His eyes widened in surprise.

"The smell of oil...!"

When Hugo nodded, Flynn asked quickly,

"Then... someone else set the fire?"

"Yes, that's what it looks like."

Hugo stood and brushed the dirt off his hands as he continued,

"Leonardo Blaine is known to be highly skilled with fire. It could be a trap, but honestly, I doubt he’d need something as basic as oil to start a blaze. And judging by his recent behavior, it’s unlikely he’d do something this reckless."

"I see... I thought it was odd when the embers suddenly scattered earlier while you were putting out the flames, Commander. Turns out, it was because the water hit oil-soaked soil."

Flynn nodded, finally connecting the dots.

"I'll report to the northern branch right away."

Without delay, Flynn sprinted out of the smoky scene. Hugo used magic to cleanse his hand, but the unpleasant, greasy residue of oil still lingered on his skin.

He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that the cause of this sudden fire was somehow connected to him and Flynn, who had been wandering nearby towns and only arrived here yesterday.

It felt as if some unknown thread of causality was tangled around them.

****

Before long, the Council members from the northern branch, whom Flynn had contacted, arrived at the scene. There were only seven of them, being part of an investigation team. Among them, the person in charge recognized Hugo’s face, his eyes going wide as he bowed at a sharp 90-degree angle.

"C-Commander! I had no idea you were here..."

"I came quietly, so keep it that way."

"Y-Yes, of course!"

Flynn shook his head, watching the flustered officer draw even more attention despite being told to stay discreet. He turned to the lead investigator for a status report.

"Around 2 a.m., Frost territory time, the fire had already spread when I woke up. The commander personally suppressed it. During that process, when water hit the ground, embers scattered unexpectedly. On closer inspection, the soil was saturated with oil. It was a significant amount, and there’s no facility nearby that would store or use oil, so we suspect deliberate arson."

"I see... You’ve already determined that much? Thank you. We’ll begin the investigation immediately, Adjutant Levernil."

The lead investigator jotted down Flynn's words, visibly impressed by how quickly they’d pieced things together.

As Council members set up barricades and launched their investigation, the atmosphere in town grew tense, even though it was still dark and the sun had yet to rise. Flynn, observing from a distance, spoke to Hugo,

"Who would’ve started this fire? I heard forest fires have been happening more often lately. You think those are arson, too?"

"It’s possible."

"Should we tell the lead investigator that?"

Hugo paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, not yet. I need to confirm something first."

****

Around dawn, the Frost territory guards arrived to assess the situation. At the same time, Hugo instructed Flynn to remain in town while he headed into the mountains.

He pulled out a thermal detector and flew over the area, searching for patches of ground retaining heat. Without fail, wherever heat remained, signs of fire damage were visible.

Hugo landed to inspect the scorched soil up close. He sifted the dirt through his fingers, smelled it, and poured water over it, watching to see if an oil film would surface.

But none of the burnt patches reeked of oil, nor did any oily residue appear. Though he'd suspected the recent spike in forest fires, like the one in town, was due to arson, the link now seemed broken.

Hugo scanned his surroundings warily. Soon, he noticed faint signs of the earth having been disturbed. Still, it was hard to say if it was suspicious—it could’ve happened during firefighting efforts.

He debated digging further but decided against it. The northern branch was already investigating, and disturbing the scene might hinder their work.

"Phew..."

Exhaustion from the sleepless night weighed on him, frustration tightening his chest as the clues to arson slipped away.

Raising his head, his breath curled into the frigid air. A faint mist drifted between the trees, and a subtle current of air stirred around him.

Hugo brushed his hands clean and stood still, facing forward. He could clearly sense another presence nearby.

A withered leaf clinging weakly to a bare branch finally gave way, drifting down. As it fluttered, Hugo vanished in an instant—so fast the person tailing him never noticed.

Before the leaf even touched the ground, Hugo reached them.

"Ack—!"

"You followed me all the way here."

With one hand, Hugo seized the stalker's neck and slammed them against a thick tree.

The impact rustled the remaining leaves from the branches.

"Ugh—, ah... S-Spare me..."

As the dark cloak slipped from the stalker's shoulders, their face was revealed. They squirmed, clawing at the large hand constricting their throat.

But Hugo’s grip only tightened, slowly cutting off their airflow. Blood vessels bulged in their reddening eyes as their oxygen dwindled. His hand pressed mercilessly against the jugular vein, threatening to rupture it.

Desperate, the man reached toward Hugo’s face, muttering an incantation as a faint magic circle formed on his palm. But Hugo casually seized his hand and froze it solid with mana.

"Aaaaargh!"

The man’s screams echoed through the trees as his hand turned pale blue with ice. Hugo released his grip, letting him collapse onto the ground, trembling with pain and terror, clutching his frozen hand. Hugo stepped closer.

"If that ice shatters, your hand goes with it. So stay still."

"Agh, p-please, spare me!"

The man’s complexion turned deathly pale as he knelt and begged, his frozen hand darkening at the fingertips, as if about to rot and fall off.

Hugo gazed down at him coldly. He recognized the same mana as the figure who’d been spying on him the night before. Judging by the spell just attempted, the man was a water mage, using water as his primary element.

Watching him sob in panic, Hugo's voice turned icy.

"Why were you following me?"

"T-That's..."

The man faltered, eyes darting nervously. Hugo didn’t hesitate. Cold, crystalline ice formed in his hand, shaping into a sharp spear. Dawn light gleamed off the spear’s deadly edge.

Hugo pointed it straight at the man’s throat. The stalker gasped, nearly choking on his own fear, before shouting,

"I was just following orders!"

"Whose orders?"

"Count Servia... Count Servia told me to monitor the outsiders who arrived at the town near the mountain base. That’s all I was doing!"

Hugo’s brow furrowed. Count Servia—the lord of Frost territory—had ordered surveillance on him directly? That made little sense.

Reviewing his actions, all he’d done was ask questions about Leonardo Blaine. Nothing that should’ve drawn such attention.

If there had been concerns, they could’ve sent guards to verify his identity. Sending a mage to tail him seemed excessive—irrational, even.

"Count Servia? For what reason?"

"I-I swear I don’t know! He only said to report anything suspicious, that’s it!"

"The one in the cloak spying at the tavern yesterday... that was you too, wasn’t it?"

"..."

"And were you the one who set the fire?"

"Huh? The fire? No, that wasn’t me!"

The man frantically waved his hands in denial.

"I wasn’t even in that town when it happened! I only started following you at dawn. That’s when I found out about the fire!"

Hugo stared down at him, his cold gaze radiating pressure that made it impossible to lie.

"Then why didn’t you use teleportation to escape today? You had the chance."

"Teleportation... I wasn’t using my own mana. I had a teleportation device, but there wasn’t enough time to recharge it... so I left it behind."

Faced with Hugo's intense glare, the man’s eyes filled with tears, his voice cracking as he spoke. Hugo decided not to continue questioning him here, in the middle of the forest.

As he stepped closer, the man let out a startled yelp and curled himself into a tight ball.

With one hand, Hugo grabbed the back of his collar and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. The man dangled helplessly, half-suspended by his clothes.

"I’ll question you properly after I’m done with my business."

The mage squeezed his eyes shut as a blinding white light engulfed the area, forcing him to brace himself.

Moments later, he opened his eyes to the sounds of commotion and nearly collapsed in shock. He was no longer in the cold, quiet forest. Instead, they were back in the center of town.

Flynn, mid-conversation with the lead investigator from the Council, froze in surprise as Hugo appeared out of nowhere, holding the half-collapsed mage by his collar.

The man Hugo dragged along looked completely disheveled—his face streaked with tears, bruises blooming along his neck from Hugo's grip, and his right hand frozen solid, frostbite creeping across his skin.

Hugo tossed the man to the ground at the feet of the investigator and Flynn.

"The lord ordered him to tail us. He was also the one spying at the tavern yesterday."

"What? The lord of Frost territory?"

"Yes. Lead investigator, detain him and transfer him to headquarters."

"Understood!"

"Flynn, you’re coming with me to Servia County."

Flynn glanced at the sobbing mage clutching his frozen hand, pity flickering in his eyes. His voice was dazed.

"Y-Yes, Commander!"

****

Count Servia paced back and forth in frustration, unable to sit still.

"Why did the Council suddenly show up? What did you do?!"

Chewing his nails, the count stormed around the room, his noble dignity completely forgotten. The grand master of the Delberg Merchant Group, lounging on the sofa, forced a polite smile and tried to soothe him.

"Count, you’re overreacting. Didn’t they say they came because of the arson? That area isn’t linked to our business. Once they catch the culprit, they’ll leave."

"You say that so easily! Don’t you realize the outsiders wandering around lately are mages? They used magic to put out the fire!"

The count’s anxiety spiraled as he lashed out irritably.

"Mages suddenly show up and cause a stir, now the Council is here too. You expect me to stay calm?! If this goes badly, I’ll hold you responsible!"

The grand master clenched her fists in her lap, anger simmering beneath her polite smile. But she held her tongue, determined to ease the count’s nerves.

No matter what, the situation had to be handled smoothly. If the Council uncovered anything and it damaged Delberg’s reputation, her life wouldn’t be worth much in front of the chief grand master.

She’d thought partnering with the count would be useful, but he was constantly panicking and trying to shove all the blame onto her.

This is why I hate nobles... They want the profits but never dirty their hands. Cowards.

The grand master bitterly regretted involving Count Servia in the deal. She hadn’t had many choices for partners to begin with, but his constant paranoia made everything worse.

But that wasn’t her only concern.

"Why did the fire break out so suddenly? Isn’t it because of that man you brought here?"

The count gestured wildly toward someone leaning against the door.

The man had yellow-blond hair streaked with faint brown, dark green eyes, and bronzed skin. His arms were crossed, his posture dripping with annoyance as he stared at the count.

"I told you already—it wasn’t me. You’re seriously pushing your luck, Count."

"If not you, then who? Who else started that fire?!"

"Beats me. But it wasn’t my doing."

With that, the man casually stepped onto the sofa, sprawling like a delinquent. His eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare as he tapped the count’s forehead.

"One more complaint out of you, and I’ll deal with you myself. Understood?"

"Y-You...!"

The count’s face flushed a deep crimson as he clutched the back of his neck, choking on his fury. Yet the mage’s icy threat sent a chill through him, silencing his rage.

Watching the man laugh in the count’s face, the grand master of the Delberg ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Merchant Group wrinkled her nose in distaste. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Blaine, is that how you speak to the count? Show some respect."