Chapter 278
Just looking at the Schneider bodyguards right now, I find their lineup extraordinary.
The lineup consists of Team Leader Hank, Kali Haywood, Eres Shore, and, though it’s embarrassing to say, even me.
Since the Sedouforne Family possessed power that didn’t fall far behind Schneider, I had expected that even if it wasn’t Iron Dog Invincible Maximus, the other bodyguards would also be formidable elites.
But looking at it now, it seems my thought was wrong.
Either Schneider’s Bodyguards are exceptionally high-level, or Sedouforne’s level falls far behind.
If not for that, no matter how outstanding Alexandra’s physical ability was, how could combat-proficient bodyguards - and two of them joining forces at that - be pushed back so miserably by a single immature noble young lady?
“Or maybe Alexandra was actually hiding incredible skill…?”
Coincidentally, Alexandra, who had been cornering the last remaining bodyguard, breathed heavily and looked back my way before running over to welcome me with a face full of delight.
The bloodthirsty aura from when she stood alone in the dark, covered in blood, was nowhere to be found.
“Aaron! Why are you only arriving now! I really almost died from exhaustion! How can a bodyguard be this late!”
Her voice was certainly booming. I spoke, dumbfounded.
“You seem to be overflowing with energy even after beating down the Sedouforne Bodyguards? How impressive.”
“They picked the wrong opponent to mess with, Beggar. Thanks to them, I was able to show off our Schneider Family Martial Arts. How did it taste?”
At this point, I couldn’t get a feel for whether Alexandra Schneider had matured or if she was still the same tomboy from the past. She was serious one moment and reckless the next, completely doing whatever she pleased.
Seeing her vigorously swinging her fists in the air and letting out shouts of exertion, I was stunned and rubbed my forehead. Schneider Head of the Family… just what did you teach your daughter?
The fact that her punching alone generated wind pressure was quite extraordinary. It was entirely plausible that the Sedouforne Bodyguards, who had likely let their guard down, had suffered a severe beating.
At this point, even though I was Alexandra’s bodyguard, I even started to think that maybe Alexandra should be the one escorting me instead.
Especially since I was in a state where it was hard to even put strength into my body due to the aftereffects of the microchip.
As we were talking like that, someone’s large figure walked out from the gap in the wall opposite us.
Just looking at the brute, revealed when the light shone on it, and the sharp impression that looked like carved iron, gave me the answer. It was Iron Dog Invincible Maximus! Furthermore, the other remaining Sedouforne bodyguard was with him.
I frowned. For them to appear right after Alexandra clashed with Sedouforne, of all times! It was cruel timing.
The situation flowed exactly as expected.
“Maximus! You’re finally here! I suffered a terrible ordeal while you were gone! You need to teach that Schneider, a derogatory term for a woman, who is running wild like a wild boar, a lesson. So she can never do something like this again!”
Of course, there was no way that narrow-minded Matilda Sedouforne wouldn’t scurry over and cry for help when her reliable A-rank ronin subordinate appeared.
However, what was a bit unexpected was Matilda’s attitude.
I couldn’t see her characteristic arrogance, that detestable and vicious side of her that sought to trample on opponents she didn’t like, from her grabbing and shaking the waistband of Iron Dog Invincible’s pants while shouting.
Rather, stuttering and rambling while looking like she was about to spill tears and snot… it seemed as if she was terrified of something.
It was strange, but there was no time to think deeply about it.
Alexandra must have threatened her with something like, 'I’ll make you look like this too!' while beating the bodyguard with her fists. It was entirely plausible.
Right now, rather than worrying about Matilda Sedouforne, it was time to think about how to deal with her bodyguards.
Schneider’s Family Martial Arts or whatever - the two of us alone could never take them on.
Just as I was assessing the situation to see whether we should try talking or run away with our tails between our legs, I felt a presence.
Team Leader Hank, who had followed belatedly, revealed himself. Mr. Eres Shore, who had been separated, also popped out from a side gap and joined the companions just in time.
With this, our side had Nothing to Lose. In fact, if we only counted the number of people who could fight, we were ahead.
Iron Dog Invincible Maximus didn’t seem to care about such things, but the other Sedouforne People had no choice but to care.
“Young Lady Matilda, how about we stop here? Didn’t we agree to join forces? There’s nothing good to come from fighting amongst ourselves.”
Team Leader Hank shouted in a voice full of annoyance like that.
Just escaping the trap activated by Phantom Thief Zodiac was exhausting enough, so he couldn’t help but be displeased when our supposed allies were not only untrustworthy but constantly thinking of stabbing us in the back.
“Eek…! That Schneider, a derogatory term for a woman, attacked me first! My bodyguards only stepped up to protect me! You shameless and brazen bitch! Don’t pretend otherwise!”
Matilda Sedouforne shouted wildly with a flushed red face, but it didn’t sound convincing at all.
Considering who had been harboring a grudge the entire time, there was no way Alexandra would have attacked first.
Even her own ally, the Sedouforne Security Team Leader who appeared later, had an awkward expression. He clearly knew his young lady was being unreasonable.
“Um… Young Lady, please calm down for now. Escaping from here is our top priority, so I think it would be best to put aside what happened before and cooperate first. Everyone from the Schneider Family agrees, right?”
Only after being coaxed and soothed like that did Matilda Sedouforne reluctantly nod her head.
However, the problem wasn’t her, nor was it escaping this trap.
Team Leader Hank asked in a serious voice.
“Young Lady, what happened to Prezen Meredith?”
That’s right. Prezen Meredith!
The Raver, who was the escape ticket of the Mirror Castle itself and held Meredith’s massive assets within his body, was nowhere to be seen.
When the trap was activated, Alexandra and Prezen Meredith were definitely together.
Alexandra spoke with a dark expression.
“He disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yes. The lights went out, and when the trap activated, didn’t the Floor suddenly shake as if it were going to collapse? He seemed to stumble then, but suddenly he started running wildly to one side like a madman. I tried to catch him, but I couldn’t because walls shot up from the Floor.”
Sighs flowed out. It was a shame to lose Prezen Meredith so vainly. Phantom Thief Zodiac’s declaration, “If you won’t give him to me, I have no choice but to take him with my own hands,' had ultimately become reality.
It was an urgent and dangerous situation, so we couldn’t even blame Alexandra.
“Lies! I saw it! Didn’t you willingly let that Meredith Family member go!”
…Though it seemed there was someone who thought differently.
Regardless, no one paid any attention to Matilda Sedouforne’s words.
In my opinion…
“It seems Prezen Meredith had other ideas in mind.”
Team Leader Hank said in a low voice.
I agreed.
“Not just that… he might have been an accomplice with Phantom Thief Zodiac from the very beginning.”
The very existence of this trap we were stuck in made no sense.
If this was a Mirror Castle Trap, there was no way Prezen, who was among the direct family members of Meredith, wouldn’t know something that even Phantom Thief Zodiac knew.
Yet he dragged us all the way here without a single word of warning. And as soon as the trap activated, he ran away alone as if he had expected it.
It meant that everything was intended by him from the start.
Of course, it could be that he wasn’t an accomplice with Phantom Thief Zodiac, but that they just coincidentally synced up well. But wasn’t it too much of a coincidence to see it that way?
“I did think he was listening to us a bit too obediently…”
Prezen Meredith was truly no ordinary person. I knew it from the moment he brought in the communist high-ranking ninja to kill the Head of the Family and succeed to the position.
There was no way a person who calmly committed such a crazy act would be satisfied with merely receiving Schneider’s protection.
Look at him now. Didn’t he disappear leisurely, taking advantage of the moment our attention was drawn to Phantom Thief Zodiac?
“Just what is he thinking?”
The escape pod is here anyway, so what’s the point of going anywhere else?
The Meredith Family is ruined, and the Mirror Castle is being trampled by terrorists. Escaping is the best option.
Yet Prezen Meredith chose the exact opposite. Instead of quietly escaping together, didn’t he make an even bigger mess?
I felt like I knew why Prezen Meredith felt so uncomfortable to deal with.
The secrets he held were a problem, but more than anything, his purpose was unknown.
Matilda Sedouforne is annoying, but she isn’t a particularly fearsome existence.
Because in the sudden action she commits, her sense of purpose to “repay the humiliation I suffered” is clear.
Not to mention the others, for instance, Team Leader Hank, whose head is completely filled with “Escort Mission success”.
Like this, if you know a person’s purpose, you can understand that person.
However, I couldn’t figure out what Prezen Meredith’s purpose was at all. It was like looking at a mountain covered in layers of fog and clouds.
People I know are not scary.
But people I don’t know, existences I don’t know, can’t help but be unsettling. Humans are always bound to fear uncertainty.