Defying the Encirclement (4)
“That makes sense. There was a case in the last territory where they used a fake leader while the real one posed as an ordinary merchant running a shop,” Sinclair added.
“But I still don’t understand. No matter how capable a leader he might be, his skill is simply unbelievable. How could someone in a ragtag band of common thieves possibly match Lady Adelia in strength? Five years ago, when Lady Adelia was still a lowerclassman, even the most promising seniors at the knight academy couldn’t lay a finger on her noble person.”
As Sinclair grew visibly agitated, Adelia spoke with her usual haughty air. “There’s no need to be so surprised. We underestimated that demi-human and let our guard down.”
Adelia rose from the tub, water droplets tracing paths down her smooth skin. She stepped out, revealing her flawless naked form, and stood still as droplets fell. A maid approached with a towel and carefully dried every inch of her body with gentle strokes.
“If we meet again, it will be completely different. I intend to make it perfectly clear that today was nothing more than my own mistake.”
“As you say, my lady. Should we cross paths again, please display your true prowess without restraint and teach him a proper lesson. Show him the vast gulf between a noble knight and an uneducated criminal.”
Sinclair continued in a comforting tone. “Today’s incident only happened because we grew careless against mere underlings. Even the legendary knight Sir Clenios’s autobiography mentions battles lost to complacency. So please do not be disheartened, Lady Adelia. Even the greatest knights make mistakes sometimes.”
Adelia’s lips curved into a smile, her mood visibly lifted by Sinclair’s words. “Sinclair.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I was feeling rather humiliated after being thrown to the ground in combat for the first time in ages. Confiding in you has eased my mind. Thank you.”
“I’m glad our conversation brought you some comfort.”
“My thoughts were tangled earlier, but now I’m certain. There can’t possibly be anyone in this backward region who can match me. In a place where culture, lifestyle, aesthetics, and values all lag behind. Today’s outcome was simply the result of underestimating the situation and failing to give it my all.”
“Reflection is what makes a person perfect. Use today’s painful lesson to show your true strength next time and drive your blade straight into the heart of the man who dared throw Lady Adelia to the cold floor.”
“I fully intend to.”
Once most of the moisture had been absorbed, the maid removed the towel and brought clean white undergarments along with her uniform. Sinclair returned to her duties while Adelia sat at the vanity, allowing the maid to tend to her hair. As the time for the branch opening and signboard ceremony drew near, she donned her uniform and was about to leave the office when her gaze fell upon the vase resting on the desk. An ornate, expensive-looking vessel held an assortment of beautiful flowers.
Adelia turned to the maid who had followed her out. “What is this?”
“Lord Orlando stopped by briefly while you were dressing in the bedroom earlier.”
“Lord Orlando?”
Adelia regarded the vase with a puzzled expression. “Why would he give me something like this?”
“He asked me to tell you it was to celebrate the opening of the headquarters.”
“I see.”
“There is also a letter.”
A letter beside the vase caught her eye. She picked it up and opened the envelope. The message began with “To the valiant and wise Lady Adelia” and politely congratulated the Lion Heart Unit on its new headquarters. It then extended a clever yet gentlemanly invitation to dinner, carefully avoiding any overt advances.
“Hmm.”
After skimming the contents, Adelia handed the letter to the maid with a disinterested look. “Burn it.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The maid immediately rolled the letter up and tucked it into her apron. “Shall I move the vase to the soldiers’ office?”
“Do that.”
Adelia grasped the ceremonial sword from its stand and stepped out the door.
***
I followed the soldier who introduced himself as Kelly’s younger brother, Flavio. Though the city was on high alert with increased surveillance, the number of patrolling soldiers seemed oddly low. Since Flavio himself was a soldier, we walked openly without drawing suspicion. Carrying Marcus on my back beneath a robe, I trailed silently behind him without encountering any real threats.
We stopped in front of a fruit shop on a quiet street.
“While I keep the shopkeeper distracted with conversation, sneak up to the attic on the second floor. At this hour the shopkeeper’s wife should be out picking grapes with the neighborhood ladies, so the house will be empty. I can’t be entirely certain, though… If you run into anyone, just say you’re my friend who came to visit for a bit.”
A short while later, Flavio flung open the shop door with its bell, exchanged a few cheerful words with the owner, and disappeared inside with him. Now was my chance. I slipped quickly into the store and climbed the stairs. Wetting my dry lips, I reached the second floor in an instant. The living room with its fireplace came into view. Confirming no one was around, I continued up to the attic like a ghost.
When I opened the door, warm sunlight greeted me. The small wooden room was efficiently furnished with no wasted space: a bed, a table, a rocking chair, a wardrobe, and a window set into the ceiling through which sunlight streamed. Very much an attic.
After carefully laying Marcus on the bed, my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud.
“Haa…”
I lay there staring blankly at the ceiling, basking in the sunlight, when Flavio entered. Back on Earth I would have been taught to stand up in this situation, but after carrying Marcus the whole way, I was too exhausted to move. I simply followed him with my eyes while remaining prone. After all, this incident had branded me a bandit for good, so I might as well throw manners out the window.
“I’m going to lie down a bit. I’m exhausted.”
“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
Even while asking for permission, my ingrained politeness refused to die. “Is this your house?”
“I used to live here with my sister when I was younger, but after becoming a soldier I moved out and stayed at the barracks. Now it’s more like my sister’s place.”
He leaned the spear he was carrying against the wall and pulled out a chair to sit. As Kelly’s brother, he looked remarkably like her—except for the nose. He also seemed close to my age, early twenties.
“Where did Kelly go?”
“She’s probably still out looking for you. She doesn’t know we’re here yet.”
“Shouldn’t we go out to her?”
“If she waits long enough, she’ll come in on her own.”
He smiled while bouncing one leg restlessly. He seemed bright and cheerful by nature.
“You’re a soldier, right? Are you sure this is okay? Even if it was Kelly’s request, helping dangerous people like us is risky.”
“Ah, don’t worry. There are soldiers who collude with criminal organizations and leak internal information all the time. Plenty in our unit, actually. Life’s hard, so they team up with crime syndicates on the side to make some real money. Compared to that, this is nothing. No one’s going to say anything just because I helped some bandits. They can’t say it out loud, of course.”
Unexpected. This city must be full of soldiers corrupted by money. For a newly minted bandit like me, that was almost comforting.
“Since my sister hadn’t come home for several days, the shopkeeper came to our unit to report it. He said she seemed to have gone missing. So I took a day off to search for her. When I got tired, I came back here to sleep, and then last night she suddenly showed up out of nowhere.”
While speaking, Flavio removed his military boots and socks and began massaging his toes. “I was in the middle of hearing the whole story when an emergency assembly order came from the unit. After going back, I returned here and asked if this was about catching the people who helped her. She said it probably was, so the two of us have been searching together ever since. Debts must be repaid. Even beasts understand gratitude.”
Just as Flavio finished speaking, the door clicked open. Thinking soldiers had come to arrest me, I bolted upright. When my eyes met the person who entered, we both froze in surprise.
“Kelly!”
“Master!”
First, I had to correct the form of address. “Master” felt awkward and cringeworthy. I told Kelly my name and asked her to call me Hyun-woo from now on instead of Master. Then I explained everything that had happened.
After listening to the full story, Kelly burst into tears—tears for Harry and Phelton, who had actively helped her.
“They must have gone to heaven. Sob, sob…”
“I believe that too.”
In the somber atmosphere, Flavio crossed his arms and asked, “Do you have a way out of the city?”
Not really. As a fresh bandit with no connections in the city, I was at a loss. After a moment of thought, I answered.
“It’s looking pretty bleak, but there is one place I’d like to try.”
The inn with the prostitutes.
“I need to go there and see if they can help us escape.”