Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Epilogue: Rendezvous Under the Moonlit Night
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The Capital Knights Order headquarters blazed with lights even late into the night. Incidents didn't care about day or night, and inside the "inner circle," disturbances were even more frequent after dark.
Assassinations, secret rendezvous, and affairs mostly happened under the cover of night.
But tonight was brighter and noisier than any other recent night. It was because the operation to capture the vigilante known as "Blue Rose" was about to commence.
Ronald, deputy captain of the Capital Knights Order's 3rd Squad, stood with his hands behind his back and raised his voice.
"Everyone assembled?!"
"Yes, sir!!"
"I'll ask about our target. Who is it?!"
"Blue Rose!!"
The knights stood ramrod straight, answering in unison. Tonight, the 3rd Squad's mission was to apprehend the mysterious vigilante group—or rather, the individual—known as Blue Rose.
Blue Rose.
An unidentified woman characterized by her blue hair and overly ornate dress. She'd started her activities a month ago, subduing around ten unofficial criminals so far and handing them over to the local security forces in highly illegal ways.
For example, tying up unofficial criminal A with rope and hanging them in front of a guard post, complete with a note listing their crimes.
A quick Capital Knights Order fact: "unofficial criminals" referred to wealthy thugs who'd bought their way out of charges via lobbying or bail money. Mostly second or third sons of noble houses.
There were so many who kept getting off with money that Ronald had coined the term himself.
Why was the Capital Knights Order targeting Blue Rose? Because she'd suspiciously gone after nobles almost exclusively, as if known criminals were all aristocrats...
This had sparked a flood of complaints from nobles, and on top of that, Captain Lulu's vehement insistence had pushed the operation forward.
"Gear checked?!"
"All set, sir!!"
"Good!! Now, before we deploy, let's do some warm-ups—"
As the knights clanked through their stretches,
Lulu huddled in the corner, clad in her power armor, drowning in worries and anxieties. It was like a kid right after hearing "Your dad's Santa Claus," with Christmas around the corner.
Is it really her?
What if it's not...?
What if it's not and I end up disappointed? That'd hurt so much.
Still, I want to confirm. But...
Her thoughts spun like a hamster wheel. Positive one moment, negative the next; resolved, then crumbling like a sandcastle before the waves.
"The odds it's really Daesu Oh... are low, right...?"
Extremely low. What kind of coincidence would stack up for that? So, Blue Rose was almost certainly not Pure Knight.
She knew she'd be disappointed, yet she desperately hoped anyway.
Weeeeng. Clank.
Lulu donned her power armor helmet and stood up.
The bulky suit, loaded with features, magically stretched her 160cm frame to 185cm. The armed captain was a steel giant.
"Perfect."
Deputy Captain Ronald, confirming readiness, declared boldly.
"Tonight, we capture Blue Rose-!!"
"Yes, sir-!!"
The knights charged into the moonlit night.
Roderus Redburn had failed his assassination mission and been thrown into the underground dungeon as punishment. Even after serving his sentence and being released, the penance continued.
"Until you're fully recovered, handle some minor household chores to pass the time."
At face value, it sounded like giving his injured son time to recuperate. But the intent was different. Prove your worth from the bottom up, since we're doubting your abilities.
Prove you're still a useful blade.
It was essentially a demotion. He'd been pushed from the Redburn family's core to handling trivial tasks.
Guarding a loosely affiliated tavern a few degrees removed from Redburn, or disciplining rowdy gangs that had started ignoring orders from their stronghold.
The old Roderus would've burned with rage and humiliation at such assignments. It was like making an elite chef boil instant ramen.
But the current Roderus didn't cling to such things. Or rather, only barely.
"They really think we're dogs..."
He seethed a bit at the gall of making low-level thugs clean up their messes, but most situations let him relax. Easy jobs meant ample free time.
He used that time for magical girl activities.
He had a mental list of the family's various "businesses." The world was full of villains; he just had to reap them.
Starting small.
Drug addicts, fools dipping into slave trading, sleazy operators of illegal private gambling dens—ones connected to Redburn so tenuously the links were barely traceable.
Like gnawing at a giant's calluses. Trivial at first, but piling them up would eventually mean something.
Amid those days, Roderus received a new assignment: Stand guard at Count Benstone's banquet. Ongoing until the next order.
Count Benstone had leveraged two high-quality iron mines in his territory to enter the armaments business. His ventures grew daily, raking in massive wealth.
He invested that fortune in banquets to solidify noble connections, earning a reputation as a power broker even within Crown Hall.
But it was all a front.
His real moneymaker was secretly distributing drugs to nobles.
Different from dreamworld narcotics in definition.
This world could cure most addictions with a priest's help. So opium and marijuana were legal; getting stoned out of your mind wasn't a big deal.
Thus, drugs bad enough to be called "narcotics" here were far more vicious.
Drugs that unleashed mana potential at the cost of instability and explosive temper.
Drugs granting temporary superhuman strength by shaving off life force.
Drugs offering unimaginable ecstasy.
Count Benstone's "banquets" were black markets disguised as lavish parties. Roderus had been dispatched as lowly security.
Amid the chatter and dancing, Roderus leaned against the wall in servant garb, hat pulled low.
Subdue drunks causing trouble, draw a blade if needed. Stand by otherwise. That was the job.
Benstone's parties were a key Redburn revenue stream. Toppling this would deal a serious blow.
As Roderus memorized the attendees,
"Hey, guard."
"......"
Roderus tilted his hat brim up to eye the speaker: Count Benstone's second son, Zwidi Benstone. Nicknamed "Drug Fiend."
A core player in the "banquets," helping his father hawk drugs. Born with high resistance, he handled drugs and poisons with minimal side effects.
His role: Demo consumption before skeptical nobles, ignoring side effects. They marveled at the effects, blind to the hidden dangers...
Zwidi also tested new drugs on himself or mixed them for synergies. His utility kept him in a key role despite his petty, twisted personality.
As a core member, he knew most drugs came from Duke Redburn.
Thus, he knew Roderus was Duke Redburn's dispatched blade—and that he'd been punished for failure.
"Hey, I'm calling you, guard."
"......Watch your mouth, you mongrel."
"Mongrel? Ha... Still clueless? The discarded mutt's still got a yapping mouth."
"You're a bastard too, aren't you? Ah, different sires, though... I'm a noble wild hound; you're a mangy mine mutt with consumption."
Splash-!
Zwidi splashed his wine in Roderus's face, then sneered mockingly.
"Oops, spilled it."
"I get it. Mine laborers live with coughs and tremors."
"......Let's see how long you stay cocky."
Zwidi ground his teeth, grabbed a nearby spaghetti plate, and hurled it. Splat—meatballs and pasta slid down Roderus's face.
Roderus endured. Turning Zwidi's head into tanghulu was easy, but he was still under punishment.
He couldn't kill a key drug operation figure.
Duke Redburn would rage more at Roderus defying orders than Zwidi's insults. That'd alienate him, derailing his goal to purge the family.
Zwidi knew that much.
"Clean it up yourself, guard scum."
Zwidi spat phlegm on Roderus's shoe last and left. Roderus deep-breathed to contain his fury.
Pure Knight's next target was set.
Night deepened.
The party ended; nobles returned home. Roderus gained brief freedom until the next one.
"Transform."
Or contribute to Crown Hall's public order.
A window at Benstone Manor opened; a small shadow scaled the wall. Tap. With fluid, light movements, it reached the roof in seconds.
When wind pushed clouds from the full moon, a beaming blue magical girl emerged in the moonlight. Pure Knight, gliding through Crown Hall with fluttering ribbons.
"Ribbon Rope."
Shraaala-!
Mana-formed blue ribbons extended, wrapping the next building's railing. Daesu kicked off the roof peak.
Whoooosh-!
Her petite form arced through the sky. Riding the ribbon, she crossed Crown Hall's streets, wind whispering past her ears.
Night patrol time.
Incidents happened late too. Even minor ones were everything to those involved. This was to help them.
Gliding over the quiet city sometimes felt lonely, but warm memories eased it.
Save people, punish evil.
If that brought her closer to missing friends, made her proud of herself, she'd do anything.
Scanning from above, Daesu's eyes fixed on a dark alley.
There—a fleeing child.
Thief? No, empty-handed. Her eyes burned with longing for freedom. Pursuers: Greedy beggars.
Probably a small gang forcing kids to beg for tribute. In that case.
Whip!
"Guh...!!"
"Wha...?!"
Bind the beggar lightly with ribbon. The magical girl landed softly before the fleeing child.
The kid startled and tumbled back.
Daesu cleared her throat, trying her gentlest Oh Hye-in impression.
"You okay?"
"Ah, uh..."
"No need to freak. I'm only after bad guys."
Daesu smiled, crouching slightly to offer her hand. The kid blinked wide-eyed, then grabbed it and stood.
"Head to the western church. Their priest is decently honest—at least you'll survive till adulthood."
"......"
"Go on."
The child blushed at the magical girl, then bolted. Daesu watched her go, then turned to the beggar.
"Beggar. You're getting hung at the north gate now—"
"Target spotted!! Blue Rose, target spotted!!"
"...?!"
Daesu whipped around frantically. A knight with helmet light pointed at her, bellowing loud enough to wake the city.
"Why are the Capital Knights here...?!"
Have I been too active lately!
Clank clank clank.
Heavy footsteps from all sides. Not just one.
Daesu dove into the alley shadows. Okay. Not that dire. She could shake them...
"Target fleeing!!"
"Form encirclement... She's flying?!"
"Flying vigilante!!"
"It's the dead of night, idiots! People's sleeping—keep it down!"
Capital Knights were no joke individually, but tag was different. They were loud and clumsy.
"Pure Mirage!"
Daesu spawned mana clones, scattering them. Crude up close, but convincing from afar.
"Clone vigilante!!"
"Damn, illusion mage?!"
"Got one... Clone!!"
Slipping through the confused knights was easy. Simpler than expected. Knights couldn't just smash buildings in pursuit.
Had they chased shortest path regardless of property or lives, she'd be caught. But now? No chance.
"Hmph, a century too early to catch me..."
That instant.
Daesu felt the sun at her back.
Cold sweat; muscles tensed. A being who could erase her with a gesture... was right behind.
Roooaaar-!!
Beast-like engine roar.
"There."
Mana-modulated voice, like a threat from hell's rift.
"Show your face."
"......!!"
Daesu hurled herself away desperately. Full speed escape.
Kim Lulu stood frozen, watching the fleeing magical girl. Similar. Close. Some matches. But no certainty.
Couldn't believe without seeing her face. Even reassuring herself, her heart pounded. Could it be... really?
If real.
If real... what to say?
"No, stupid Lulu. Catch first, then check...!!"
Lulu smacked her helmet. Poured mana into her body.
Weeeeeeng──!!
Boom!!
She rocketed up, leaving a crater.
Walking sun, immense power felt through skin, power armor. That must be the infamous Capital Knights captain.
Swear, if she handled her body half-decently, Daesu would've been nabbed ages ago.
Shwoooom──!!
"Not this way...!!"
Crashing into wrong spots.
"Hey, stop there—overshot...!!"
Fumbling acceleration, zooming past Daesu.
Every blunder imaginable, yet pursuit continued due to overwhelming power gap. But... why?
Why was a transcendence-level chasing her.
Identity blown...? No, impossible. She checked surroundings dozens of times per transform...!! Daesu floundered in confusion.
The captain doggedly pursued.
"Hey!!"
"......Why's the Capital Knights captain after me! How bored are you?!"
"Stop!!"
"Would you?!"
Kim Lulu thought: Voice matches too. That rising inflection when mad. But not certain, not certain!
A butterfly fluttered to Lulu's spinning head. It whispered like self-talk. Lulu thought it was her own idea.
-Idiot. Easy way to check. Call her name?
"......Right! B-but. What if it is?!"
-Weren't you hoping it was?
"Yeah, but... not mentally ready. How long's it been... Damn, should've asked my adjutant to fix my hair today..."
Wish she'd worn something cute. Late regret.
Butterfly giggled advice.
-Daesu was lonely too. Waiting for you.
"......Too op, op—optimistic."
-Not optimism. Close eyes, call her.
"Then, if right... what do I say?"
You know best. Butterfly dispersed.
Lulu squeezed eyes shut. Miss Blue Rose now, no sleep ever. No more delaying like summer homework.
"Da, Dae..."
She wanted to see her so bad. So, even if disappointed, go for it!
"Daesu Oh-!!"
"......?!"
Halt.
On a mansion roof, both mid-leap feet stopped. Roderus faced the captain, drawing his rapier.
His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
Eh, wrong reaction. Lulu brain-froze solid.
"How do you know that name."
"......Huh?"
"How do you know that name? And what happened to the girl who said it? Speak-!!"
"Ah, aaaah. Whew... Scared me..."
Did she think isekai friends got tortured by knights? Lulu clutched her chest, calmly hit undress.
Psssh──!!
Steam from armor seams; pieces released. Lulu hopped out, struck a pose.
"Ah, helmet..."
Properly removed it, tucked under arm, "Ta-da!" again. Roderus gawked, eyes max wide.
"Illusion magic...?"
"Hey, Daesu. I told you."
"You, no..."
"I'm actually super strong...!! Remember?!"
Thud thud thud. Boom!
Kim Lulu's tackle connected. Roderus toppled with a "Guh." His brain raced. Butterfly whispered hints.
Kim Lulu's old line.
'And Hyein said magical girls fighting together double pure energy! No need to hoard mana.'
She said mana.
Everyone else said pure energy, but mana!
"......You're alive."
Roderus deflated in relief. Relief, overwhelm, joy—emotions stabbed his head. He tried to speak...
Then felt his chest dampen from her buried face. Instead, he stroked her hair. The night sky looked stunning tonight.
And for a while, they basked in joyful reunion silence—
"Trail leads this way!!"
"......Damn it."
No time to enjoy.
Even if Kim Lulu was the captain, the knights below might not see Blue Rose kindly. Best case, capture meant wasting time.
Could arouse Duke Redburn's suspicions. Better promise future meet, withdraw now.
"Kim Lulu."
"......Sniff, Daesu."
"See you next time. No crepes or tanghulu here... but cakes. Eastern market bakery, day after tomorrow, 1 PM. And..."
Roderus pinched her cheeks, hesitated, then pecked her forehead. Like Oh Hye-in with crying kids.
"......!!"
"Don't cry. I'm off."
Daesu leaped into city shadows, knights' clamor behind. Blushing-frozen Kim Lulu told late-arriving Deputy Captain Ronald:
"Did we lose Blue Rose?!"
"No, seems we caught her..."
In heart.