Chapter 74
Chapter 74
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Surprise Visit (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A 20-year-old female swordsman with red mana seeping from her body.
Thanks to that, her golden hair was starting to look reddish too.
And those murderous crimson eyes.
They burned with madness, just like me when I was slaughtering black mages up north.
But.
She hadn't quite reached the level of fully concealing her presence yet.
In other words, she was at the entry level of Swordmaster.
A cocky young Sword Saint who couldn't gauge her own strength or her opponent's.
"Yes, I'm Veil. Vice-Captain Camilla."
I gave a light bow in greeting.
"You look like you knew I was coming, Veil Mikhail."
Camilla tilted her head, arms crossed over her chest.
Her eyes screamed heavy suspicion.
One wrong move, and she'd tear into me.
"With mana this strong pouring off you, how could I not notice?"
I clasped my hands together.
Then, flashing a sly merchant's grin, I said,
"Please, come in. Let me show you to my office."
I extended my palm gracefully, trying to guide her inside.
But the ambition-fueled swordswoman shook her head firmly.
"No, we'll inspect the exterior first."
'This girl...'
No reaction even to praise about herself.
Maybe from too much time on the battlefield—zero humanity.
Let me think.
About Camilla, who this girl really is.
Find some common ground with her.
Use it to send her off without any nitpicking.
"Hmm."
Camilla eyed the office's outer walls intently.
Like she was inspecting the front lines.
'It's just an office... not some battlefield stockade.'
Her Sword Saint ego on full display—infuriating.
"The exterior looks relatively clean. But there are lots of cracks in the building. Safety hazard."
"The Water Management Division's finances are tight..."
I put on my saddest face.
Camilla nodded in agreement.
"I get it. I lived in rundown places like this too."
"You too, Vice-Captain?"
"Yeah. When I was briefly off the front lines, I hid out in refugee hideouts with them."
A bitter expression crossed her face, like old memories surfacing.
"Already injured, the wind whistling through those shoddy buildings felt freezing."
"I see..."
I placed a hand over my heart, offering deep condolences.
"I'll report this upstairs and get funding sent. Fix it up properly."
"Understood."
Camilla, white imperial jacket draped over her shoulders.
She walked solemnly toward the back of the office.
"..."
I paused, silently watching the vice-captain's retreating figure.
Maybe because we'd only ever fought tooth and nail in the past.
Up close like this, she seemed more human than expected.
But.
That thought vanished like the wind.
The moment Camilla spotted the Torman clansmen in farmer's clothes.
Her face twisted into a scowl.
"Veil Mikhail. What the hell is this?"
The knights tensed under her killer glare—even the burly uncles.
They all looked to me with pleading eyes.
I shot them a relaxed smile to ease them.
Then stepped up beside Camilla and said gently,
"Oh, just what you're seeing. Garden plots and farmers."
"So why are they in a sacred Empire office?"
Eyes like she was ready to drag me to a disciplinary board.
I answered in my most pitiful voice.
"They're immigrants from the North."
Just like when she mentioned refugees earlier.
"Wandering with nowhere to go, I hired them to turn the trash heap into a garden."
Nowhere to go—victims of the conquest wars too. Camilla cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Even immigrants—you didn't hire them without permits, did you?"
Of course no permits.
The Torman clansmen gulped in unison, knowing it.
But.
I kept my wistful, sympathetic face and continued.
"Truth is, yes, no permits. They're illegal residents right now."
Camilla's lips curled up at my frank admission.
She was about to grill me to boost her record.
But...
She soon heard.
"But I couldn't just ignore them. I've been helped by immigrants before too."
Eyes hollowed out from battlefield ordeals, just like hers.
"I barely broke through a siege in the war, but ended up collapsing injured in a refugee village."
And the same expression she'd had—pitying the refugees and victims.
"But the enemy refugees took me in, even nursed me back to health."
Camilla looked up at me steadily.
I'd thought Water Management knights were all parachute dropouts—trash.
But battlefield survivor like her, helped by refugees too? Surprising.
I placed a hand over my heart, leaning into her emotions.
And humbly declared with pride,
"I'm repaying that debt—teaching them farming skills and caring for them until they get Empire residency...!"
Camilla let out a deep breath.
Understanding my intent, she nodded plainly.
We gazed pityingly at the Torman clansmen together.
Their leader, Orn, stared back at me with a bewildered look.
I quietly pressed a finger to my lips and shot him a cold glare.
'Shut up and look sad.'
Orn got it instantly, face crumpling.
He nudged his subordinates' sides, ordering them to mimic.
"We're always grateful to Sir Veil."
"Without him, we'd be..."
Camilla inhaled deeply.
Then looked up at me steadily and said,
"Touching story. But if it's all unauthorized, I have to discipline you."
Firm tone.
But not a total loss.
"You can't house or settle that many alone, right?"
Her voice softened a bit.
Good—most of her guard down now.
One finishing blow, and done.
And my prepared finisher was...
"I've already reported this upstairs. And right on cue, someone offered to solve it."
I clasped hands behind my back leisurely.
Then invoked the name of the Empire's second-strongest royal.
"The Empire's First Imperial Princess, Lea Andalusia."
Camilla's lips parted at the familiar name.
The one authorizing all this was the Crown Prince's sister—her lord's.
"She personally granted her own territory for these immigrants. They're set to transfer to the Empire's west today."
First Imperial Princess approved? The vice-captain cleared her throat.
Beyond her authority now.
"Ahem... If Princess Lea says so..."
In the end, she let this slide.
But.
The healthy-tanned men weren't so easy.
She eyed the Eastern knights suspiciously in the capital's north.
"Who's that? Why's an Eastern knight here?"
Tau, repeatedly picking up and setting down water-filled barrels.
In training clothes, ignoring Camilla, focused on his workout.
I introduced him proudly.
"Ah, that's the vanguard captain Third Imperial Princess Lydia assigned me to train."
"A defense knight training an Eastern vanguard captain?"
Camilla looked up at me suspiciously.
I met her gaze with shameless blankness.
"Yes. I'm not as strong as you, Vice-Captain. But I train well."
Fully suppressing my mana presence.
She couldn't gauge my strength at all.
"Hah. Top of commissioning exams, but shit results. Tutoring in the office, huh."
She thought I was getting separate training pay from Lydia.
"Teaching other knights on duty and taking money?"
Camilla walked plainly to Tau.
Glaring distastefully at his training.
"And such primitive methods. Basically extortion!"
I said nothing, just listened quietly.
But Tau, who reveres me, was different.
Thud!!
He carelessly dropped all the huge water barrels.
Stood up and strode toward Camilla.
"Did you say primitive training?"
Overwhelming height difference.
Tau tilted his neck side to side, loosening up.
"Yeah. I'd rather join the front lines than do stupid shit like gardening."
Camilla rested a hand on her waist.
Red aura flared intensely as she spoke.
"You know one thing, ignorant of the other."
But Tau wasn't to be underestimated.
I'd taught him basic farming and mana control—pushing him to near Swordmaster.
"My master's training is never wrong."
He unleashed solid, deep-blue mana boldly.
"I'll not let you insult my master with baseless prejudice anymore."
Not same unit anyway.
Eastern and Imperial Knights don't get along—he bantered back bluntly.
"Oh? Wanna test if it's prejudice?"
Camilla shrugged off her uniform jacket.
"Hey, Veil Mikhail. Training time, so I'll join your fancy system."
Tossed it over the garden fence and started warming up.
"No complaints?"
Her question had a set answer. I smiled.
Sat on the fence, watching their spar leisurely.
"Of course. Do as you please."
Perfect timing to check their skills anyway.
Battle-hardened Camilla beckoned leisurely.
Tau advanced steadily in response.
"I'll let you strike first. Come on, arrogant Eastern punk."
Tau ramped up speed.
Focused mana in his arm for a swift head strike.
The swordswoman ducked fast.
'Probably plans to rush in and pin me—'
But...
I'd fed Tau that trick plenty.
As she lunged from the crouch, Tau mana-loaded his knee.
Blocked her fist with an upward knee strike.
"...!"
Fist blocked, Camilla retreated fast.
Tau charged without missing the beat.
Great tactic to pressure a retreating foe.
But Camilla regained composure quick.
Higher realm than Tau—she dodged his fists with red afterimages.
Left fist? Right thigh kick.
Right fist? Left side hit.
Stacking damage bit by bit.
"Urgh...!"
Tau faltering.
Panting hard, he fell back.
Now Camilla's counter.
Lightning-fast barrage, hammering Tau relentlessly.
Eastern knight tiring.
To finish, she mana-loaded her arm.
Struck the unguarded chest center.
"...!!"
Tau's face twisted.
Staggered, dropped to one knee.
"Damn..."
I watched him quietly.
Holding out that long against a Swordmaster? Plenty impressive.
Plus...
"How does a regular knight have this skill..."
Even winning, Camilla looked deeply unsatisfied.
She'd drop most foes in one or two punches.
This Eastern grunt tanking her fists so long? Infuriating.
'Even she has to admit it now. My training works.'
"As expected, amazing, Camilla."
I laughed heartily, approaching her.
Time to soothe her like a sulky little sister.
"Adjusting your power to teach my disciple. Truly admirable!"
Reached to hand her jacket back.
"Now, let me guide you to the warm office. You've seen enough results."
As I offered politely.
Crimson eyes flashed—she slapped my hand away.
"No, more to check."
Glared coldly at me.
"Now, you and me."
She'd clocked Tau as near-Swordmaster.
Pride wounded bad.
"I'm just a lowly defense knight. How could I beat the Vice-Captain?"
Awkward grin, shrug.
But the 20-year-old strode up.
Grabbed my uniform shirt collar, yanked my face close.
Scowling furiously, she barked,
"Quit yapping and strip off that jacket!"
Her eyes blazed like fire.
Pissed that I'd leveled a regular to her match.