Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Disappearance
Aurora was reviewing documents in her office when she asked Harry, who was standing by her side.
"Harry, the young master only makes civilian goods, but do you think he could make weapons?"
When Aurora says "the young master," she means Steve. She has been calling him that for a long time, but now that their positions have reversed, she can no longer call him that to his face.
"I believe he can."
Harry answered without hesitation. At the same time, he wondered why his master was asking such a question.
"Is there something troubling you?"
In response to Harry's question, Aurora nodded.
"Recently, a researcher from the Royal Research Institute resigned. It seems this researcher had urged their superior to develop new weapons, but judging by the current situation, the superior deemed new weapons unnecessary and did not grant permission. The report we received is that the researcher resigned out of dissatisfaction with this."
"If they resigned from their post, it seems like that would be the end of it."
"Yes. Advanced research is difficult without national budget funding. However, if His Highness Alex appears as a patron, the situation changes."
"His Highness Alex?"
Harry naturally knew about Alex's recent financial prosperity. If they used their rights in the south, paying research funds would be easy.
"The problem is that the researcher's catchphrase was 'to create a fire that can burn people to death, far surpassing something like a match.' We only recently obtained the match, but if a weapon that produces a stronger fire is created, naturally, the young master could also make it. After all, he invented the match, which no one could have imagined. Don't you think he can do something like that?"
"Yes. It is natural to think that the Lord simply does not make them because he dislikes taking lives. However, it is very concerning what he might create if that restraint is removed."
Harry also knew well that Steve hated killing. Steve's previous groundbreaking inventions, while leading to weapons, were not direct weapons themselves, except for the initial spring-loaded launcher. Even that had been used more as a hunting tool than a weapon.
Steve would never willingly make weapons. However, both Aurora and Harry found themselves interested in what kind of weapon Steve would create if he really tried.
"If such a weapon is made, what can I do? Should I equip it in my territory as soon as possible to intimidate the surroundings, consider a way to turn it into money, or enter the Lord's protection?"
"Is the last option even available?"
"Of course. Weapon development has no end. The opponent will surely find a countermeasure if we develop new weapons. There is no end to it. And the budget poured into that research and development will grow larger and larger. A lord cannot last forever."
Harry saw that Aurora seemed to be enjoying this. Harry, who had watched Aurora for a long time, understood that Aurora was enjoying the situation Steve created, even if it was a difficult situation.
"Then, shall we also monitor that researcher?"
"Yes. We should keep track of the chemicals and ores we purchase. It will be easier to investigate what was used when the weapon development succeeds."
"I understand."
Harry answered, but in his heart, he thought that Aurora probably had no intention of seeking protection under Steve's umbrella. After all, she was investigating the materials needed to make that weapon.
Now, while various organizations were monitoring Gaster, suddenly one day, Gaster and Nils disappeared. This news reached Alex.
"What! Gaster disappeared along with a mage!?"
"Yes."
The messenger who brought this report was terrified by Alex's anger. The anger was so fierce that it seemed they might be punished as a scapegoat.
To Alex, there was a panic that letting Gaster, the researcher he had surrounded, escape had created a major flaw in his own career.
"State the detailed situation."
"Yes. Gaster and Nils entered the laboratory as usual, and there were guards outside.
Outside meant just outside the door and outside the window. Even though it was daytime, the two did not come out. Since they often get absorbed in research, I thought it was the same today, but when evening came and they still hadn't come out, we entered the room and found no one there."
Hearing this, Alex shouted.
"Why didn't you conduct the regular check!"
"I apologize. Gaster extremely dislikes being disturbed during his research, so we did not conduct regular checks."
At first, the guards checked on Gaster's existence at regular intervals if he did not come out of the room. However, Gaster disliked being disturbed during experiments or thinking, and began to refuse regular checks.
The guards, fearing that if Gaster got stubborn and quit his research, His Highness Alex would get angry, thought that if he tried to escape, they would know anyway, so they stopped the regular checks.
"Idiot! Is there no possibility they escaped through the roof or underground?"
"Yes. We checked the room, but there were no passages for people to enter or exit. It is likely they were taken away by teleportation magic."
"Teleportation magic?"
Alex also considered the possibility of magic based on the messenger's report. Indeed, with teleportation magic, taking away two people would be easy.
"Prioritize that possibility and investigate the traces!"
"I understand."
Although he gave that order, he thought that if they were taken away by teleportation magic, retrieving the two would be difficult. And he began to wonder who had taken the two away.
"Your Majesty, my older brother? Or a foreign country? No, there is also the possibility of Archibalt."
Alex's thoughts spun around in his head. He was thinking about which organization or person had a reason to take Gaster away now.
And the more he thought, the wider the list of suspects grew, becoming unmanageable.
"Could it be that Cutter betrayed us and sold information?"
At this point, he was already in a state of paranoia, unable to trust anyone. The suspicion reached Count Cutter, and Alex could no longer consult anyone.
Meanwhile, a report about Gaster's disappearance was also sent to the King.
Upon hearing that report, the King and the Chancellor turned pale.
"Gaster is missing? Did Alex hide him because he noticed the surveillance?"
The King asked the reporter.
"However, a report has come in that Alex's camp is also anxious because they cannot grasp Gaster's whereabouts."
"So Alex has also lost track of Gaster? Then, who is the culprit?"
"We are currently searching for the culprit, but we have not yet grasped any clues."
"If you need more personnel, say so! Gaster must not be sent out of the country."
The Chancellor advised the King who gave that order.
"Your Majesty, if a teleportation mage is involved in Gaster's disappearance, it may already be too late even if we increase the investigators. However, if we are searching for the organization that took him away, increasing personnel would be effective."
"If the culprit is a foreign country, it means they have already left the country."
"Probably. There is also the possibility of a domestic culprit, so having too many preconceptions is not good either."
Thinking about what the Chancellor said, the King organized his thoughts.
"First, I want to prioritize securing the person, but if that is difficult, it is searching for the culprit. I will ask Alex myself. Summon Alex. Increase the investigators. We must grasp Gaster's whereabouts no matter what."
Thus, Alex was summoned before the King.
The King did not even try to hide his bad mood and asked his son, Alex.
"Alex, I know you employed Gaster, a former researcher of the Royal Research Institute. That Gaster has disappeared. Do you have any idea?"
Seeing the King's attitude, Alex panicked internally. He himself did not know Gaster's whereabouts, but depending on his answer, he might be branded as incompetent by the King. If that happened, his chances of becoming the next king would be desperate.
"I do not know Gaster's whereabouts either. We are currently searching. We have stationed soldiers at the ports and stations, and distributed Gaster's description to checkpoints on other roads. We have blocked the routes to leave the country."
"But what if magic was used?"
Alex thought about the King's question. The King had already reached that possibility, and the appeal that they had not left the country had failed. How to recover from this?
"There is that possibility, but it is almost impossible for a teleportation mage to come alone, abduct Gaster, and take him away. There must be an agent who acted as a guide. We are also investigating that."
This was the answer he came up with after thinking hard. After reporting this, he looked at the King's face. He still looked grumpy, but he did not seem disappointed. He wondered if this was the correct answer.
However, even if it was the correct answer, this was not the end. He needed to grasp Gaster's location faster than anyone else. Only then could he return to the struggle for the throne.
Originally, it was a bad gamble, but failing with Gaster instead of Steve... He recalled what happened in the south.
And, tracing it back, he thought it might be Steve's fault. Steve's invention of the match had stimulated Gaster's research enthusiasm, causing him to resign from the Royal Research Institute. And the financial power to reach out at that time was because he had obtained territory ceded from Meizack due to Steve's activities. Without that, this failure would not have occurred.
Although it meant he had no chance at all.
Alex asked himself whether he lacked ability.
While he was doing this, the King and the Chancellor decided Alex's fate.
"The search for Gaster will be conducted by the state. Do not interfere from now on."
Hearing this from the King, Alex nodded.
Thus, in the southern territory of the former Kingdom of Meizack, the state would conduct the search for Gaster.
Naturally, Aurora also caught this information.
She conversed with Harry in her office as usual.
"It seems the researcher Gaster, whom His Highness Alex had surrounded, has gone missing."
"Yes. We have also received a report from our surveillance. It is highly likely that he was taken away by a third party, not that His Highness moved to conceal him."
"That is likely. His Highness Alex is effectively under house arrest. If he went to such lengths to conceal Gaster, it would mean he developed a weapon capable of a coup, but so far, checking the procurement side, there is no such movement."
Aurora analyzed this. If the amount of material purchases had skyrocketed, the coup theory could not be discarded.
Aurora smiled fearlessly.
"I wonder who plotted this kidnapping. I think it is an enemy country, but I wonder which country has the courage to do such a thing."
"At least, no country has been defeated by Lord Archibalt."
"In that case, it must be a country even further outside. It seems to be getting interesting."
"I hope our southern rights are not damaged."
"If damage occurs, we will return it double."
Saying that, Aurora looked toward the direction of the Archibalt Territory.
Thank you always for your typo reports.