Chapter 144
Chapter 144
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Diplomatic Corps Escort (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, morning.
I headed to the central Guardian Bureau to request leave.
As I stepped into the hallway, juniors from other departments stared at me openly.
“Suho.”
They snapped crisp salutes my way, brimming with respect.
‘What’s this? We don’t usually salute across departments...’
“Suho.”
I returned them casually and entered the defense office.
Inside, familiar senior faces were hard at work.
They spotted me and grinned, giving me nods. A few even thumbs-upped encouragement.
“Come on in, Veil.”
Miya was among them.
She peeked over her partition with a soft smile.
“Been busy?”
I flashed a grin back in response.
The black-bobbed officer beckoned me inside.
“Nah—I’m slacking compared to you out in the field.”
I stepped into the senior’s cubicle.
And faced a desk piled high with paperwork.
“You’ve been through a lot, huh?”
Miya spoke as she neatly stacked documents.
I leaned back casually at her question.
“What’ve I even done?”
“Oh, plenty. Guarding Princess Tina, entertaining the elders—one report after another came across my desk.”
Miya grinned like a cat, waving a single sheet.
It detailed every mission I’d handled so far.
“Haha... all just orders.”
‘No clue when the Guardians started handling this stuff...’
Somehow, the job scope felt broader than in my past life.
If I’d known, I might’ve picked somewhere else...
“Came to request leave from the Commander General. He in?”
“Nah, skip it. He’s at the central palace for the diplomatic party briefing.”
No superiors around—I let out a relieved sigh.
Then stretched, savoring the rare downtime.
“Nice. Would’ve been a pain if he piled on more work.”
Miya watched with an amused glint.
Then chuckled.
“You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Huh?”
I asked, and she tapped her temple with a finger like a fan.
“Everyone else sees big events as golden opportunities. You? Always a hassle.”
Miya’s voice dripped with envy at being stuck in the office.
I mustered a weary look for her sake.
“Don’t get me started—always on edge something’d blow up.”
Past events flashed by: trapped in the closet with Irina, the hot springs fiasco with Lydia...
Why’d I draw those gigs?
“Fair enough. Even guaranteed promotions wear you down if they stack up.”
Miya nodded sympathetically.
‘Promotions are guaranteed, alright. Right alongside the death penalty.’
Irina’s sly smile and the Emperor’s thunderbolt—I shut my eyes tight.
“So, big jobs done—time for leave?”
“Yeah. Diplomatic corps heads out tomorrow. Gonna sleep a full week.”
I pictured my cozy bed just thinking about it.
“Yeah, HQ should calm down after tomorrow too.”
Miya flipped open the leave roster, relaxed.
She scanned the list of names.
“Alright, Veil, Veil... where’s your name...?”
She hummed like a cat working magic.
Then froze when she found it.
“Huh...?”
She tilted her head.
“Veil, didn’t you have regular duty tomorrow?”
“Yeah, just patrol, right?”
Miya pointed to “Leave on Hold” next to my name.
“No leave for you.”
“What...?!”
I scowled and shoved my face toward the list.
Stared holes through “Inquire at Admin for details.”
“What the hell...?”
“Dunno. Probably hit up Admin.”
Miya stood.
Pointed toward the window.
“Wait here? I’ll send a messenger bird.”
“Yeah, thanks...”
‘Probably just holding it over from the elder reception...’
As Miya headed to the window,
I shoved complicated thoughts aside and glanced around her desk.
She’d cut back on smokes—her ashtray was spotless today. Candy wrappers instead.
‘Lemon flavor.’
Various work docs scattered about.
She’d caught Camilla’s eye—extra workload piled up.
Four unfinished coffee mugs sat uncleared.
“Must be rough.”
Still, a good sign—promotion knocking.
‘Who knows.’
Maybe Camilla’d take her to the Imperial Knights when she returned.
That’d be huge—enough to save her fallen house.
Top-ranked order, after all.
‘They skipping training? She’ll need personal combat boosts to fit in.’
I flipped through docs.
Spotted one crumpled page.
‘Training log.’
Packed with extra sessions under Camilla.
She’d hit upper Sword Expert threshold.
To raise her realm, Camilla advised elixirs.
But...
‘Defense knight pay won’t cover it.’
Sure enough, under Camilla’s note: Miya’s cost breakdown.
She sent most of her salary home.
Scraps left? Months for even low-grade elixir.
“...”
I quietly closed the log.
Last, skimmed the duty planner.
My work record caught my eye.
「Veil Mikhail: Northern Palace deep clean lead. (Exempt)」
「Veil Mikhail: City volunteer service. (Exempt)」
Reasons all “Misc.”
Grunts like me usually ate those chores.
But she’d deftly exempted me from every one.
‘That why no calls from above...?’
I eyed where she’d scratched my name off the roster with a pen.
Grinned and closed the file.
“...”
Realized she’d been quietly looking out for me all along.
“Veil, Western Admin says come by.”
The bird-sending senior strolled back.
“They want you in person. What a hassle.”
In her black uniform, she rolled her stiff shoulders.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, some glitch. Just check it out.”
Miya yawned, tired.
Her catlike fangs gleamed.
“Wish I could tag along, but swamped.”
“No worries. Your desk tells me plenty.”
I chuckled and patted her shoulder.
She narrowed her eyes.
“Was gonna tidy it. You know how brutal admin is?”
Miya half-hid her messy desk with spread hands.
Embarrassed at losing senior dignity.
“Tell me about it.”
Her cuteness cracked me up.
I waved and headed out.
“Catch you later.”
Turning the knob, I eyed her dark circles.
Grinned slyly.
“Won’t see you for a week. Hold down the fort for me.”
Laughed like leave was locked in.
The weary black cat sulked.
“You barely do anything anyway.”
As I shut the door, Miya eyed her desk.
Sweet break over—back to reality.
“Sigh... I want leave too...”
She sighed wistfully.
Tidying with tired hands.
“Hm...?”
Among cold coffee mugs gleamed a glass vial.
“What’s this...?”
Miya tilted her head catlike.
Faintly glowing purple liquid.
Unfamiliar hue—she gripped it carefully.
“No way...!”
The officer realized.
Top-tier elixir, elite-only purchase.
20x low-grade price.
Needed high-up recommendation even to buy.
“Who left this...?”
Miya frantically scanned around.
“...!”
Then it hit her.
With superiors at central palace today.
Only one visitor: the guy just now.
“Veil...”
Miya stared blankly at the door.
Then smiled softly, corners lifting.
「――――――.」
Long time since leaving the north for capital west.
Still as quaint and dripping luxury as ever.
‘Never get used to this place.’
Uniformly trimmed street trees.
Opulent carriages, elegant ladies strolling.
Everything screamed intimidating wealth.
But I was no broke nobody anymore.
Owned prime farmland and a mansion here.
“Been a while—maybe tour the estate.”
I sauntered casually to the watermelon farm.
“...”
Arms crossed, gazed from afar.
Summer bounty: watermelons hanging heavy.
Sole farmland in this flashy rich hood.
“Kuuh... that’s the stuff!”
Plump, round melons.
Burly northerners hauled the hefty fruits.
“Our chief’s packing muscle now.”
Orion, beer-bellied back in Norton loan shark days.
Farm work honed him—sharp jawline now.
Pro farmer: hefted giant melons two-handed.
“Hey, check that out...?”
Farmer loaded cart—shy woman nearby offered juice.
“Thanks, pretty miss.”
The brute turned refined gentleman.
Knelt gracefully to accept.
For that moment, Orion was imperial gent.
“...”
Never-seen smarmy face furrowed my brow.
But soon chuckled fondly.
‘Fully westernized in my absence.’
Lazily eyed estate again.
Irina’s auction-win mansion this time.
“Hoo...”
Brick skeleton up—experts at work, full crews.
Done by year-end, they said.
‘Could move in already.’
Beats my current villa.
But...
Lea’s adjacent villa gave me pause.
‘Reconsider moving...’
Fondly surveyed my growing achievements.
Turned toward my goal: Western Admin Office.
Entered the stately building—lobby counter lady with long hair and glasses.
Our eyes met; she smiled greeting.
“What brings you, knight?”
Bright Knights Order vibe—no snobbery like others toward us defense grunts.
Pure meritocracy, Lea-style.
“Guardian’s Veil Mikhail. My senior messaged about leave earlier.”
“Oh, Sir Veil...!”
She clapped excitedly.
“Pleased to meet you—heard so much.”
Famous-person surprise on her face.
Then telepath-messaged someone.
「Yes, he’s here. Sending up.」
Done, she stood.
Politely indicated second-floor stairs.
“Director’s office, second floor.”
“Director...?”
Sudden high-up summon—I tilted my head.
She beamed innocently.
“Yes, the one handling it’s waiting inside.”
I shot a suspicious glance.
Then nodded.
“Alright then.”
Not Western HQ, at least.
That’d be obvious who.
Up the stairs.
Knocked director’s door politely.
“Come in.”
Gruff male voice—relief, entered.
But...
My eyes bulged.
“...!”
As expected, hulking admin director stood in the office.
But he held at-attention stance like a lowly knight again.
Because...
“You’re quick, Veil.”
A far higher-ranked woman sat in his chair.
“Craving leave that badly?”
Radiant golden locks.
Sensual curves hugged by white uniform below.
“Y-Your Highness...”
Monocle on, sipping tea elegantly: Empire’s Commander Lea.
She eyed me languidly.
“But sorry. Duty still calls, unfortunately.”
The princess smiled faintly, like a hunter trapping wild game.
“What duty, exactly?”
I asked; the First Imperial Princess pointed to a badge on her desk.
It read:
「Diplomatic Corps Exclusive Escort」
Lea rose from the leather chair.
Each step swayed her luscious hips.
“The elders and Princess Christina want you for diplomatic corps guard.”
Her mature gaze implied no choice.
“So, you’ll escort alongside ‘me’.”