Volume 5 Chapter 49, Part 2 The Contrast from Sweetness
Randy sighed once more, and finally, Cedric seemed to calm down, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Sir Cedric... there's something I'd like you to take a look at──"
What Randy pulled out of his magic bag was that full-body suit.
"What is this...?"
As Cedric tilted his head in confusion, Randy explained how he had been attacked and that the assailant had been wearing this outfit.
"This part... it's faint, but there's something like an emblem──wait, huh?"
Randy showed the inside of the suit, but Cedric and everyone else froze, staring at the black suit.
"You've been attacked by some outrageous people..."
"Yes. I never expected this──"
From the shocked expressions of Cedric and Miranda, Randy guessed that these people must be quite significant.
"You said they were wearing this, right? A group in full-body suits? I've never heard of them, but they're probably──no, definitely──weirdos."
"How should I put it? My condolences."
Cedric and Miranda's shock seemed to be coming from a completely different angle.
Randy had only said, "This is what they were wearing."
Still, Randy probably wanted to ask where on earth assassins running around in full-body suits could be found.
By the way, Randy himself was running around in a full-body suit, but in his mind, it didn't count.
"A group in full-body suits... Miranda, have you heard of anything like that?"
"No. Not at all──"
Randy cut off their conversation, still in shock, and continued, "I didn't explain it well enough."
"This is the outfit they were wearing, but I remade it."
"Remade it? For what purpose?"
"Well, obviously, to wear it."
As Randy furrowed his brow, Cedric let out a small gasp.
The idea of stripping someone of their clothes and remaking them into a full-body suit to wear──without knowing the context, imagining the scene alone would surely make anyone react like Cedric.
"Randolph...are you the type who would have withdrawal symptoms if you were separated from Liza?"
Finally, even Randy understood the awkward misunderstanding that had caused Cedric to recoil.
Randy quickly denied it and began explaining in detail the incident of being abducted by a mysterious group and the subsequent massacre.
"...I see. So that's how it ended up like this."
"That's unfortunate."
Both Cedric and Miranda wore expressions of sympathy, but it seemed like they were more sympathetic about Randy wearing this tights and posing than about him being abducted.
"Even if your clothes burned, would you really remake them into this?"
"I don't know. Sir Randolph is beyond the understanding of someone like me."
It sounded like a compliment, but it also felt like an insult.
Faced with such a mixed evaluation, Randy forced a bitter smile and cleared his throat to draw their attention back to him.
"Can we get back to the topic?"
"Ah, right. Sorry."
As Cedric nodded, Randy pointed to something resembling an emblem on part of the tights.
It was almost faded, but faintly visible...
"That's the imperial crest. And there's also the emblem of the Marquis Waldner family."
"Just as I thought."
...A double-headed eagle with a sun on its chest.
Even Randy knew it was the imperial crest, and the other was a griffon holding a shield.
Randy didn't recognize the griffon emblem, but he had a hunch it belonged to the Marquis Waldner family.
"Two emblems. They're from different pieces of clothing, but it's like they're flaunting, 'Marquis Waldner and the empire are getting along.'"
With a sigh, Randy spoke, and Cedric sighed back, "That's probably the point."
Normally, assassins wouldn't wear something that reveals their affiliation.
They live in the shadows and are destined to die in the shadows.
They wouldn't make a mistake that could bring trouble to their master.
So, under normal circumstances, this evidence should be dismissed as, "What is this?" But...
Cedric brought up the information he had obtained about 'Waldner and the empire joining forces.'
"At this timing?"
"Too convenient, right?"
Cedric shrugged and continued, sharing the analysis he and Miranda had discussed.
The timing was way too perfect.
It wasn't the kingdom government behind this.
And Waldner's side might be hearing lies too.
Plus, the evidence was just too *obvious*.
"When it's this *obvious*, it makes you wonder if it's a double trick," Cedric said, frowning.
The rumor about Waldner and the Empire working together made the obvious evidence seem like it was fake but actually real.
Normally, people don't leave evidence.
If there is evidence, it looks like someone's trying to frame them.
But with the rumor of their alliance, it makes you wonder—are they pretending to be framed but actually working together?
On top of that, the evidence had both the kingdom's and Waldner's crests.
If this was a fake setup, and either side found out, it would be risky. This sloppy trick made it look like both were involved.
"Is someone trying to cut off Marquis Waldner from the kingdom...?"
Randy muttered, but something felt off about his own words.
It seemed more like there was another hidden goal.
"We don't have enough info yet... but—"
Cedric looked down at his black tights and muttered again, "But."
"In the end... it might've been better that Randolph got taken by them."
Cedric looked serious as he explained: if their bodies had been left on the streets, the crests on their clothes could've triggered a trap, giving fake info to the government.
"So either way, the attackers would've won?"
"Pretty much. If the dark side got hold of the bodies..."
If that happened, the fake rumor about the Empire and Waldner would seem more believable.
The dark side usually deals in secrets, so leaving evidence would just make them suspicious.
"Getting this evidence was a big win, but..."
"Maybe they *wanted us to get it*."
Randy sighed deeply, and Cedric nodded.
They went over their guesses so far.
The mind games being played.
It seemed like their enemy was trying to mess with their heads.
"When it's like this, let's clear our heads. Preconceptions are the enemy."
Cedric silently nodded at Randy's words.
"Meeting Marquis Waldner in person should make things clearer."
"Hope they haven't *fallen* for the lies about us."
And with that, Randy joined Cedric, feeling the chilly northern wind as a sign of the tough negotiations ahead.
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