Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Limno Mission
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The old emperor was a crafty old fox who knew exactly how to manipulate people.
Creak—thud!
The audience chamber door slammed shut with a forceful shove laced with emotion, leaving me alone with Eclair, just as always.
"Must be tough dealing with those rascals in the Knight Order."
I wasn't sure if calling a bunch of burly, bearded men "rascals" was the cutest way to put it.
But ignoring the process and accepting an apology at face value meant the Adventurer's Guild had openly insulted the knights, leaving no room for rebuttal.
"In a large group, not everything can go my way, so I have to let it slide... It's simply a failure of my leadership."
"Enough with the self-deprecating gloom. Want some grapes?"
Eclair shook her head at the bunch of grapes dangling in front of her.
"More importantly—mind lowering your arm now?"
"Oh, sorry. Was it heavy?"
As I lifted my elbow from her pauldron, she moved in her armor as if it were a second skin, carefully sitting on the sofa without letting her back touch it fully.
At her urging glance and gesture to sit, I took a seat facing her.
"I should start with the request details as per procedure, but... I want to thank you first."
"For that?"
My finger pointed toward the door, but Eclair neither confirmed nor denied it.
"If the Adventurer's Guild had pressed the issue of my knights' conduct and words, we wouldn't have had any defense—we'd have had to bow our heads. On the day of the incident, Leo even drew his sword in a fit of excitement... I'm deeply grateful that you kept it from the Guild and accepted today's apology instead."
Knowing she'd probably give them a minor reprimand later anyway, I leaned forward and asked,
"Picked a good friend, huh?"
She met my gaze steadily, then nodded solemnly with a straight face devoid of humor.
"Can't deny that. If it weren't for you just now... even imagining it is dizzying."
This was the perfect moment—I'd earned a bit of goodwill.
Time to push for a change in that stiff way she addressed me, to boost Eclair's social skills.
"You've always called me 'you' or whatever. You know my name, right?"
"Of course... It's Roman, isn't it?"
"You know it well. So why not use my name?"
"Well, that's...! Don't you do the same?"
Her knightly poise vanished as a flustered Eclair shot back.
"Eclair."
Her body jerked in her armor at the sound of her name.
"...Speak."
"Friends call each other by name—it's common sense, right?"
My tone was shady, like something out of a brainwashing cult or mind-altering scheme, but the point was undeniably true.
Once I'd laid the groundwork, Eclair averted her eyes slightly.
Just like her sister Chloe, her lips rippled faintly as she mumbled.
"Ro...man! I'd like to talk about the request now..."
Pushing further might backfire.
This seemed like her best effort anyway.
Expecting it'd become natural over time, I decided to call it here for today.
"Alright. Let's hear it."
-
Eclair unfolded one of the two letters she'd brought.
"Before we get to the main point—do you know of a city called Limno?"
"Every adventurer does. Never been there myself."
It was known as the city of pleasure, where massive amounts of cash and rare artifacts circulated daily.
Limno had rulers and an organization in charge, but it wasn't an officially recognized noble territory of the Empire.
It bowed to neither the Empire nor the Federation's influence.
A rare independent city that had endured.
Its longstanding reputation was so immense that neither side would let the other have it—if one couldn't claim it, better no one did.
If the Empire eyed it, the Federation checked them; if the Federation lusted after Limno, the Empire pressed the front lines.
"Not in a bad way, but... I hear most high-rank adventurers visit at least once."
From organized gambling dens to exotic liquors and luxuries imported from both the Empire and Federation.
Open brothels regardless of race. Slavery thriving where it existed nowhere else in either nation.
If you had the strength and coin to avoid street beatings, it was a haven for twisted lusts and selfish desires.
"Some stay for good after one visit. Not me, though."
"...I see."
I could guess where the Imperial Family wanted to use me right now, but I asked her anyway.
"Does this request require prior experience in Limno?"
"No. To explain from the start... You're aware that entry to certain places in Limno has conditions, right?"
"No weapons allowed? Yeah, I know."
From common taverns to casinos and brothels, weapons were banned in specific areas.
Only shop staff or guards could carry them.
But they didn't equip the whole city with weapon-detecting magic tools—that'd be insane.
Just pat-downs or basic bag checks, which couldn't catch bound weapons or inventory items with ordinary manpower.
It was a hollow rule that ironically couldn't even stop bare-fisted fighters.
Still, it served its slogan of suppressing violence in the city well enough.
"So the Imperial Family must've been scouting for someone suitable. Someone with enough skill to wield real force bare-handed."
"Sounds like you've seen me throw punches?"
Eclair's gaze flicked toward whoever was standing rigidly outside the door.
She'd seen it once, but clearly.
"Leo Floyd gives his superiors headaches with his antics, but his talent and skill are acknowledged even by the knights he lives with."
"...Really?"
I swallowed the "That guy?"
Eclair herself could bisect him in a heartbeat if she wanted.
That one comment made the Empire's future feel bleak.
"Purely in terms of raw power... he'd rank mid-tier among the Imperial knights."
"..."
"Ahem! Ignore the preamble. It's just my personal opinion without authority. The cautious Imperial Family chose you—er, Roman—for good reason."
Thinking we'd strayed from business, Eclair cleared her throat and returned to the point.
"So, what's the request in summary? If the timing doesn't work, I might pass from the start."
"On timing: We'll set a date later, but it'll be at least a week scouting Limno. A day to get there, a day back—not a full seven days invested."
There were no gates inside Limno.
Not owned by Empire or Federation, so no gates allowed.
Usually, you'd detour to a nearby territory and take a carriage or similar.
"A minimum week scouting Limno? Not indefinite... and no start date, but why a week?"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I drummed my fingers on the table at the bizarre condition that made no sense even knowing the outcome.
Heading out immediately for a week would inconvenience me.
Limno's vibe intrigued me, but I hated missing Rike's promotion ceremony.
"Because the maximum is seven days. The time someone can stay in the capital guarding the Imperial Family."
"...You're coming along?"
Imperial requests sometimes involved escorts or aides like with the swamp whale.
But Eclair, who'd been the go-between so far, jumping in was new.
That turned my suspicions about the request into certainty.
'Good thing I read the setting docs... would've been confused otherwise.'
In the original story, this was Eclair's solo job—now I was the unwanted intruder.
"For this mission, yes."
"Won't it be a problem if the Knight Order Commander vanishes for a week?"
Eclair shook her head at my question.
"The Covert Knights aren't that sloppy... The vice-commander has enough experience to handle my duties flawlessly. I trust him."
Not satisfied with just the immediate outcome, I shifted to probe the aftermath.
"Not that. I want the valid reason for sending one of the Empire's rare asymmetric assets all the way to Limno."
"...It's not that we doubt a Platinum adventurer who's flawlessly completed missions so far. It's just that this request's target is—"
Eclair's intel was concise yet covered all essentials.
An incident few remembered now.
The target: a man who'd plotted rebellion against the Imperial Family over a decade ago, failed an emperor assassination right before success, and fled.
"Capture" meant find and kill.
"Considering the traitor's strength, sending anyone but elites is impossible. Rookies would just get detected and poke holes in the encirclement..."
Eclair knew his face as both knight and noble heir, but he'd never seen her grown-up self—that was another reason for her deployment.
Rumors placed the traitor in Limno, triggering the emperor's trauma from that near-death brush. The old man was now sleepless just knowing he existed.
For a frail geezer supposedly at death's door, he sure cherished his life.
From the emperor's view, it was simple: launch his prized sword Eclair to snuff the rebellion's embers quick and enjoy his remaining years in peace.
"And with me gone, the Palace guard... will be covered by the Empire's top knight."
Whether Asen Premiller holed up in his territory or danced in the capital for a week meant nothing to me.
Top knight or whatever—fetching for a crowned geezer? Zero interest.
What mattered most to me was elsewhere.
"The reward?"
She handed me the remaining letter of the two she'd brought.
"Like last time, I haven't read this one and have no idea what's in it. He said to give it when compensation comes up and assured it'd please you."
Money? I didn't need it anymore.
The Imperial Family knew that.
Even in famed Limno, only one hidden piece was worth grabbing.
Did the emperor's wrinkled hand hold something to fix my sole demerit?
Slide.
I unfolded the letter from Eclair and read it closely.
Skimming the pompous fluff.
[...Thus, should Adventurer Roman successfully complete the request, the Imperial Family pledges to remain neutral in any future disputes with the Skadi Marquess House.]
Crumple—
My shocked fingers clenched, crumpling the letter halfway.
It couldn't be from Eclair's reports on Rike.
Even if... thinking ahead, it was an opportunity.
A paranoid Palace tasking me meant they'd been watching my every habit, including women—I'd expected that.
'Per the settings, the Skadi Marquess House doesn't openly fawn over the emperor.'
Overwhelming Imperial might didn't mean all nobles backed him blindly.
Bats drifting without overt allegiance often ended up discarded like this.
This clause showed how much it rattled the emperor's nerves—I inwardly applauded.
If handled well despite the unease, it'd smooth Rike's future immensely.
"...Send word by post once the start date's set."