Hugo glanced at Flynn, who was still inspecting the detector, then turned to Count Servia.

"That’s enough with the gratitude. But, Count Servia, as the lord of this region, with jurisdiction over the nearby towns, delayed responses like that should never happen again."

"Y-Yes, of course, you’re right. We’ll need to overhaul our fire response system—"

"Your detector is terribly outdated. Why not apply to the Council for a new mana-powered thermal detector?"

"Pardon...?"

The count responded with a dull, awkward noise. But Hugo didn’t seem interested in hearing an answer. He rose from his seat, clearly done with the conversation.

"I apologize for the sudden visit and any discourtesy. Thank you for your cooperation."

"No, not at all. I should be the one cooperating. It concerns the Council, after all."

"Indeed." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Hugo offered a faint smile as he looked at the count. But to Count Servia, that smile was nothing short of terrifying. He thought he had handled the situation adequately, yet Commander Agrizendro’s expression carried a far more ominous undertone.

"Flynn, put that down. We’re leaving."

"Ah, yes. Count, thank you for showing me the detector. I had a good look."

Flynn returned the device with a polite smile. But the count’s discomfort only deepened—the two of them had barged in, interrogated him, and now smiled as if nothing happened. Yet, he couldn’t afford to linger in their company.

He needed to inform the grand master of the merchant group immediately and firmly warn that hooligan to stay out of sight.

"We’ll be on our way. No need to see us out."

"Of course. Safe travels. If there’s anything further I can assist with, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll fully cooperate to find the arsonist."

"Excuse us."

The count bowed politely, but Hugo merely gave a curt nod. Flynn, feeling slightly awkward, bowed more properly to the count.

At that moment, Flynn noticed black footprints imprinted on the headrest of the sofa where the count had been seated.

Footprints?

It was strange to see footprints on a noble’s furniture, as though someone had stepped on it. No one should behave like that inside the count's mansion. But before Flynn could dwell on it, Hugo had already stepped outside, so he followed, leaving his brief suspicion behind.

A servant escorted them to the entrance, and the heavy iron doors shut firmly behind them the moment they stepped through. Flynn pouted, grumbling under his breath.

"Slamming the door like that as soon as we leave? Isn’t that basically throwing us out? Even if it’s me, what does he think of the Commander?"

"Flynn, calm down. The count's probably losing sleep with anxiety right now."

"Hmm... that’s fair. So, should we look for the grand master of the Delberg Merchant Group next?"

At Flynn’s question, Hugo glanced back at the tightly closed mansion and spoke.

"Before that, tell me why you asked the count to show you the detector."

"Oh, that? When you mentioned the outdated detector, Commander, I thought you already knew."

"I had a rough idea. Just guessed."

"The model the count had was ancient—an HD-197, designed only to detect natural heat sources. It’s obsolete in the central and southern regions. I was surprised they’re still using them here."

"In other words, that detector can only sense naturally generated heat?"

"Exactly."

"Since it can’t register heat created by mana, it missed the fire last night, even after it spread."

Flynn nodded at Hugo’s deduction, then paused. Turning the thought over, he asked with realization.

"Wait... are you saying last night’s fire was magical?"

"Yes."

Hugo retrieved his own thermal detector from his artifact, holding it up. His model was an advanced version issued exclusively for investigation and unavailable to the public—only those authorized by government agencies like the Council could use it.

It detected both natural and mana-generated heat. The downside was that it couldn’t always clearly differentiate between the two, as it prioritized sensitivity.

At that moment, the detector was registering strong heat energy, its sensor light glowing brightly. Flynn’s eyes widened, fixed on the device.

"Why is it detecting heat now? The count’s detector didn’t react at all earlier..."

"It probably can’t detect mana."

"Then if your detector's reacting now, Commander..."

"When we were # Nоvеlight # inside the mansion earlier, the signal was even stronger than it is now. Which likely means there’s someone with fire-element mana still inside."

Flynn swallowed hard and glanced toward the mansion. If someone with fire mana was present, one person immediately came to mind.

"Then... Blaine's inside?"

"Based on the situation, yes. But too many pieces are still missing."

As Hugo spoke, he recalled the energy he had sensed inside.

In the reception room earlier, he had deliberately cooled the air to extinguish the fire, ensuring nothing interfered with detecting traces of fire mana. Afterward, when he sensed faint fire mana, he briefly considered it might be Leonardo Blaine—especially since that name had come from Count Servia's own mouth.

Yet, if the mana truly belonged to Blaine, it was disappointing. The energy was far weaker than expected, and poorly concealed at that.

Moreover, the count's claim that he heard about Blaine from the grand master of the Delberg Merchant Group was questionable. Hugo’s instincts told him the count was lying.

From the absurd story about the monster corpses being livestock to nearly everything else—the count's words reeked of dishonesty.

As Hugo pondered the conversation, Flynn spoke again.

"Commander, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"If last night’s fire was caused by magic, wouldn’t the oil have been unnecessary?"

"..."

"If they used magic alone, they could’ve disguised it as a natural fire. But pouring oil made it obvious it was arson, right?"

Hugo, quietly listening, spoke in a low voice.

"Even without oil, arson would’ve been suspected. Forest fires are common here, but they originate deep in the dry, brush-covered mountains. Fires near residential areas? Extremely rare. Pouring oil likely wasn’t to frame the fire as arson—but to divert suspicion away from anyone capable of fire magic."

"Ah!"

Flynn’s eyes widened as the realization hit him. He thought for a moment, then continued.

"Then... was the fire set because of us?"

"Yes. Considering the limited outsider presence here, the count likely knew strangers were in town, even if he didn’t know who we were. If Blaine is working with the count, whoever set the fire wouldn’t be unaware of us."

"Then the fire was to test our response, Commander..."

"That’s one possibility."

"But... setting a fire like that..."

Flynn’s expression darkened, frustration simmering beneath his words. Last night’s fire, accelerated with oil, could have reached the town. And all for what—gauging the identities of those chasing him?

Flynn had tried not to judge based on rumors alone, but if that arsonist was indeed Blaine, any sympathy evaporated. Anger welled up.

Hugo, too, was disappointed by the thought that Blaine might truly be hiding inside the mansion—and that he had set that reckless fire. Blaine had always been meticulous and strategic. Pouring oil to misdirect suspicion? It was beneath him.

"Flynn, remember—we’re not just chasing Blaine."

"Ah, right—the monster corpses. But the count acted so casual... Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. If those were really livestock remains..."

"Think back to the man at the tavern yesterday."

"Of course. The guy who claimed he saw the corpses firsthand. Right, he said someone confirmed they were monster corpses! Wait—that guy’s part of the Delberg Merchant Group? He saw Blaine’s photo too!"

At Flynn’s words, Hugo nodded.

"You know what you need to do now?"

"Yes. I’ll track him down and question him."

"Good. I have other matters to handle."

"Where are you headed, Commander?"

Hugo looked toward the quiet mansion.

"The water mage we caught at dawn. I suspect he’ll prove... enlightening."

****

While Hugo headed for the northern branch headquarters, where the water mage was being held, Flynn set out to find the brown-haired, brown-eyed man from the tavern.

This was the central town near Servia County, while the place they’d met yesterday required crossing a mountain.

The trek would take time for anyone traveling without mana, so Flynn assumed the man was still in town or en route.

Just as he considered flying over to search the neighboring town, a horse-drawn cart emerged from the mountain road, coming to an abrupt stop.

The cart bore the words: Delberg.

"Huh?"

Flynn approached instinctively as a man hopped lightly from the back of the cart. It was the same brown-haired young man he’d shared drinks with the night before.

"Hey! You there!"

Hearing Flynn’s call, the man paused as he was unloading a box, then looked up in surprise. Recognition flickered across his face, followed by a bright, easy smile.

"Ah, the investigator from yesterday! What a coincidence. Did you manage to find the person you were looking for?"

His demeanor was cheerful, free of any suspicion or wariness. He genuinely seemed glad to run into Flynn again—as though their meeting here was pure happenstance.