Chapter 321
Chapter: 321
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 321
>Chapter Title: Workshop (1)
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>“Hurry to the Pearl Palace, Seongjin. We’re already late as it is.”
“I told you, I’m going for a walk first. So you go ahead and rest.”
“Listen to me. Only once you’re tucked in bed can I head back to the Azure Rose Palace with peace of mind.”
Logan persisted in his coaxing despite Seongjin’s stubbornness.
“So drink a nice warm cup of lullaby tea and get to sleep. You’ve got to wake up early tomorrow and dive back into training. With how busy things have been lately, your aura layers are building up a lot slower than before.”
But the more Logan pressed, the greater Seongjin’s suspicions grew.
*Why is this guy trying so hard to soothe me? He’s always acted like the senior, putting on airs, but he’s never treated me like a kid to this extent.*
And around then, Seongjin sensed the presence of a stranger. A faint aura concealment trailing them from the Azure Rose Palace.
His mind raced.
*There’s no way Logan doesn’t know that presence if I do.*
Which meant it was someone Logan knew.
*Pretty skilled at aura concealment. Keeping distance so even an upper knight wouldn’t notice.*
That left only one possibility. Logan’s exclusive informant, whom he’d only heard about.
*At this range, even Marquis Masain wouldn’t have detected them.*
Considering Seongjin’s aura layer level, it was overly cautious.
The issue was Seongjin’s hypersensitive senses. His perception had long surpassed that of upper knights—even Marquis Masain.
*They’d never dream I’ve noticed...*
Anyway, Logan hadn’t wrapped things up yet. He was about to do something with his informant now!
*Moving secretly alone with a confidential informant means business outside the palace. And not official Saint Bastian Knights duties, either.*
So probably something tied to Ortona? Or the Monster Task Force.
With that conviction, Seongjin pretended to give in and started following Logan.
Logan visibly relaxed and strode toward the Pearl Palace.
“Logan.”
Seongjin spoke up again just as the Pearl Palace walls came into view in the distance.
“Where are you off to this time?”
“Huh?”
“You’re trying so hard to shake me off because you want to sneak out alone, right?”
“...!”
Logan halted abruptly and turned to Seongjin with a look of surprise.
“...That obvious?”
It was true, then. But you’re just going to admit it like that?
As Seongjin stared in disbelief, Logan nodded to himself as if piecing it together.
“Well, you’ve always had a knack for the useless stuff since you were a kid. I did wonder why you’d suddenly take a midnight stroll to the Azure Rose Palace.”
What? It was pure coincidence, though.
Seongjin didn’t bother arguing and waited for Logan to explain.
“You did it back then too. How you always sniffed out those tapestries the maids hid away and wore them everywhere—it was uncanny.”
...What the hell was I—er, old Moreth—like?
Anyway, Logan seemed to give up hiding it and came clean.
“You’re right, Seongjin. I still have some investigating left to do.”
“Not official knight order business, then? That’s why you waited until these overzealous Lilium Knights were completely off your tail this late at night.”
“Yeah. So just pretend you don’t know this time, okay?”
By then, Seongjin had a rough idea of what Logan was up to. He refused flatly.
“No way.”
He enunciated clearly toward Logan’s stunned face.
“I’m. Coming. With. You.”
“Seongjin.”
“It’s Monster Task Force business, right? You’re thinking of sneaking a peek at that ‘workshop,’ aren’t you?”
“...!”
Logan panicked visibly.
Tch. Who do you think you’re fooling with that innocent face and zero poker skills?
“Listen up, Logan. Investigating the workshop is strictly Monster Task Force work. You’re just helping out, but I’m an official consultant for the task force. So of course you have to bring me along!”
“That’s true, but...”
“And you. Don’t even think about using aura to ditch me alone. I’ll have the palace on high alert in an instant.”
“...What?”
“I’ll shout from the rooftops that the Second Prince is missing! The off-duty Royal Guard knights will all get dragged out. Feel sorry for them?”
Hah! Seongjin smirked confidently at the baffled Logan. Taking the Royal Guard knights hostage? It was a pretty forced threat. But he was shameless enough to pull it off!
[...Are you proud of how thick-skinned you are right now?]
The Demon King grumbled lowly in exasperation.
Even so, Logan hesitated with a conflicted expression, so Seongjin drove in the final nail.
“And that’s not all, Logan. Should I run to the Main Palace right now and tell Father?”
“...!”
“How about it? Unless you want to get summoned to the Main Palace in the dead of night for a good whack, you’d better take me along quietly.”
Logan gaped at Seongjin in shock, as if questioning what he’d just heard.
But Seongjin stood tall.
“I’ll tell Father everything. What, you think I won’t?”
“Argh, fine! Fine, just calm down! We’ll go together!”
Only then did Logan snap out of it and frantically soothe Seongjin. From Seongjin’s usual personality, it seemed plenty plausible.
Plus, the aura pulsing from Seongjin rang utterly sincere.
[What a shameless guy...]
A low sigh from the Demon King echoed in his head.
Shut it!
You outsider Demon King racing laps in my brain!
* * *
“The workshop location the prisoner confessed to is in the suburbs of the capital. Even hustling now, we’ll probably arrive around dawn.”
Logan explained to Seongjin as they moved at a brisk pace.
They had to stick to walking. Even sneaking horses past the guards, they couldn’t fully mask the horses’ presence.
“You could run faster, right? Don’t hold back for me—just go at your max speed, Logan.”
*I’m pretty fast myself.*
To prove it, Seongjin bounched! upward using aura like springs in his feet. His goal was to assist Logan’s investigation, not hinder it.
Logan looked at Seongjin in surprise.
“Fancy footwork. Concentrating aura in your feet? That’s a new aura technique I haven’t seen.”
“It’s called spring-step. Picked it up in Sigismund Territory this time.”
“...The spring-step I know isn’t like that.”
Of course, the Orden or Wolf Knights would gawk and argue if they heard. This wasn’t standard spring-step.
But the knack was similar. Just shape the aura-guiding intent from skis to springs. Super simple!
[Seongjin.]
He was feeling smug inside when the Demon King whispered cautiously in his head.
[There’s a soul orb tailing us now. A small relay orb that can’t communicate.]
*Ah, as expected.*
Arenza had come. He’d figured she might once they left the palace.
Their every move was probably streaming live to Father’s ears right now.
*That threat about telling Father was useless anyway...*
He already knew everything.
Seongjin eyed Logan pitifully, but the clueless guy signaled lowly.
“Alright, let’s go?”
Logan gradually picked up speed, mindful of Seongjin. Seongjin followed effortlessly.
Soon they were sprinting through the capital streets faster than horses.
Dodging the occasional night patrol guards, they blew past Deste Street and hit the suburban road in a flash.
*At this pace, we’ll be out of the capital soon.*
It probably wasn’t a sword master’s max, either. Seongjin had some reserve left, but he didn’t suggest speeding up.
Logan’s informant was trailing them precariously. Decent skill, but that was their limit.
*Dasha would’ve kept up better. No informant beats Dasha. Gotta tell her later!*
[You serious? She wouldn’t be thrilled by that praise.]
Seongjin winced inwardly at the Demon King’s point.
Why wouldn’t she?
—Your Highness. Out of the palace without a word again? I didn’t teach you aura concealment for this! Are you really trying to give me a heart attack?!
Yeah, Dasha’s resentful face was already vivid.
*...Gotta keep it from her to the end.*
[Good call.]
Mid inner banter with the Demon King, they reached the capital’s west gate area.
Beyond the capital, buildings thinned sharply, giving way to vast fields and scattered farmhouses.
By then, Arenza’s soul relays tailing them had multiplied to three.
“Logan, do you know the workshop’s exact spot?”
Seongjin asked cautiously as they dashed between fields. The testimony he’d seen daytime was awfully vague on the ‘workshop’ location.
It wasn’t the prisoner’s or interrogator’s fault. Rural sheds like that didn’t get precise addresses.
But Logan nodded without looking back.
“Of course. I’ve already cross-checked the testimony against all registered nearby farmhouses. Not many abandoned buildings without residents. We’re heading to one now.”
Huh. All that boasting about handling the investigation, and he’s efficient.
“But with how aggressively we’ve been raiding the Vornak Millo Merchant Group, they’ve probably all pulled out by now. Might be zero evidence left.”
“Even if evidence is gone, it’s fine. If anything shady went down there, faint residual intent will linger.”
...Residual intent?
Seongjin blinked.
“You can pinpoint the workshop from leftover intent alone?”
“Yeah. More than enough for me. Shady intent always carries traces of demonic energy. And as you know, I never miss even the tiniest demonic energy...”
Logan trailed off there, pausing to inhale sharply as if something caught him.
“Logan?”
“...Yeah. I never miss even the smallest suspicious presence.”
Hm.
Felt like a hasty change of words, but Seongjin let it slide. Logan seemed deflated, glancing warily at Seongjin.
After a long run, they arrived at an isolated farm’s rundown barn. Before they could even stop, both sensed something off.
“...Didn’t you say it was empty? There’s someone inside.”
“You felt it too? Familiar presence, too. Someone we’ve met before.”
No way the workshop was still running.
Seongjin and Logan exchanged glances, then crept toward the building in sync.
A quick nod as signal—
They flung the barn door open!
“Eeeek?!”
The hider let out a deflating squeal, then flailed and crawled deeper into the barn.
“...!”
In the pitch-black night without moonlight.
With aura-enhanced vision, Seongjin clearly made out the face in the dark.
“...Belinda?”
Indeed.
Shockingly, there huddled the battered remnants of the Order of Penance, cowering in terror.