That night, Gaion led Liz to the supposed hideout.
“This is the hideout?” she muttered in astonished confusion. The place was in a ruined area of the city that had been wiped out by a plague, situated between the city district and the slums. “Are you sure this is the right place?”
“Right? It’s weird, isn’t it?” Gaion said as the two exchanged glances.
Before them was a skewed building, with thin glass window panes rattling in the wind and faded outer walls. It blended in so well with the rest of the ruins that one would walk past it without batting an eyelash.
Gazing at the seemingly crumbling house, Gaion said anxiously, “I-I’m sure that this is the building Loewe went into. M-Maybe I’m wrong, though.”
“This could be bad.”
“B-Bad?”
“Gaion. When you think about the hideout of a mastermind, what do you picture?”
“U-Uhm, big, spooky, with lots of guards...”
“Exactly,” Liz replied, casting a wary glance at the mansion. “But look at this place. It’s a deliberately inconspicuous place in an already ruined area. Take a guess as to why that is.”
“Uhh, he’s broke?”
“No, you moron. If my guess is correct, it means he operates strictly from the shadows.”
“Th-The shadows?” Gaion echoed, gulping.
Liz bit down sharply on her thumbnail. If the man had set up base in a place like this, it could only mean he was purposely hiding. He’d been manipulating the slums from behind the scenes, making a conscious effort to avoid his enemies by staying out of the spotlight. Now that she knew this, the building’s slight slant took on an eerie aura.
“Our opponent may be stronger than anticipated,” Liz concluded. “How much malice swirls inside that house, I wonder?”
***
As Liz and Gaion gazed upon the house, within it, Zenos and Lily sat leisurely around the dinner table, the atmosphere tranquil.
“Good work today, Zenos,” Lily said. “Have some tea.”
“Ooh, thanks, Lily,” Zenos replied.
It was a quiet moment of relaxation after a day’s work, with the aroma of citrus wafting from the cups and gently enveloping the table.
Lily blew softly at her teacup. “By the way, what did Loewe say?”
“Oh, that. Apparently one of her men passed out while on patrol. Zophia and Lynga also came over and said the same thing.”
“I wonder what happened.”
“Who knows? Either way, they all were more than happy to eat lunch together before they left. I swear they think this place is a cafeteria or something.” Zenos brought the cup to his lips, looking around. “Where’s Carmilla, by the way? She always shows up for tea.”
“She said she had a feeling and was going to wait on the second floor.”
“Is she back on her horseshit again?” Zenos asked. He sipped on his tea, then lifted his head. “Hmm? I thought the tea smelled different, but it tastes different too.”
“Does it? I tried some new tea leaves today. How is it?”
“It’s good. Refreshing, and it goes down easy.”
Lily chuckled. “Yay!”
The mastermind’s hideout remained enveloped in an endlessly cheerful atmosphere.
***
Outside the clinic, Liz and Gaion’s foreheads glistened faintly with sweat.
“Wh-What do we do, Lady Liz?” Gaion asked nervously, peering at Zenos’s home from a distance. “Do we raid the place, now that we know where it is?”
Liz glared coolly at her lackey. “You’re serious?”
“Y-Yes. I mean, the place’s falling apart, so we can crush it.”
“Are you daft? The man who controls the slums from the shadows is in there. That appearance must be a bluff. The exterior is most likely just an entrance, leading to a vast underground base.”
“I-I see...”
“And besides,” Liz continued, loosely crossing her arms, “our objective isn’t to kill him.”
“It’s not?”
“How many times do I have to explain it until you get it? Is your head just for decoration?”
