Chapter 115
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Missing Diamond Necklace
"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing!?"
A shrill, piercing voice echoed through the train car where Jeon was riding.
The high-pitched yet loud tone drew the attention of everyone inside the car.
And there, a flamboyantly dressed woman faced off against an elderly gentleman in neat but unostentatious attire.
From the looks of it, the old man was repeatedly bowing to the woman, suggesting she was the source of that sharp voice—a noblewoman dressed in all her finery.
"I-I'm sorry. There are so many people, I must have bumped into you accidentally."
"Do you... have any idea how much this stuff is worth?"
On the floor near the commotion lay a dropped bag, its contents spilled out in a messy pile.
'Looks like he bumped into her and she dropped her bag.'
It seemed that amid the rush of people boarding the train, the two had collided, causing the noblewoman to drop her bag.
Given the expensive-looking items scattered on the floor, her irritation wasn't entirely unwarranted.
"Let me pick them up for you right awa—"
"Forget it! Don't touch my things!"
That said, regardless of who was at fault, the woman appeared to be on the prickly side.
'...Well, that happens.'
Having quickly sized up the situation, Jeon averted his gaze and leaned back in his seat.
In the meantime, her attendants rushed back and forth across the car, gathering the spilled items.
Just as things seemed to quiet down...
"What? One of the diamonds is missing!?"
The shrill voice rang out again, filling the entire car.
Irritated by the grating tone, Jeon turned his eyes back toward the scene despite having settled into his seat.
"Did you search everywhere thoroughly!?"
"Well... we checked every inch of the floor first."
Evidently, something had gone missing during the cleanup.
'Can't they look quietly?'
But her shouting it loud enough for the whole train to hear made Jeon furrow his brow involuntarily.
The noblewoman, unconcerned, kept up her high volume.
"Search again! No—while you're at it, check anyone suspicious in here too!"
And then she crossed a line.
Tickets on the train to the Imperial Capital weren't cheap.
Which meant the passengers were all people of wealth and influence.
'And she's just going off like that?'
Jeon glanced around at the reactions to her outburst.
But contrary to his expectations, no one openly showed their discomfort toward her.
'Why not?'
There were definitely other nobles aboard.
Yet even they only let subtle annoyance show on their faces—no one confronted her or voiced complaints.
'Must be someone important.'
That implied her status was quite high.
"Isn't that Kirilen, famous for her antics?"
"This is why the Imperial Capital nobles are..."
"Shh. Get involved and you'll regret it. Just stay quiet."
Whispers did circulate among some who looked like nobles.
'Noble from the Imperial Capital?'
The name Kirilen caught his ear, but "Imperial Capital noble" stood out even more.
Unlike nobles tied to their territories, these operated from the capital itself.
'Closer to power, huh.'
He couldn't say for sure, but she seemed troublesome enough to deter even other nobles.
Anyway.
As Jeon gleaned info on the troublemaker...
Her attendants, under the pretense of searching for the lost item, gradually narrowed their scope.
'...Look at these guys.'
They'd initially dashed everywhere noisily but avoided other nobles.
Soon, they hovered only near easy marks, eventually zeroing in on one spot.
"Hey, mind if we check your luggage?"
The target: Jeon's group.
"Us?"
"Yes."
Jeon let out a hollow chuckle at the attendant's brazen demand, as if he had the authority.
"And if we refuse?"
"...Do you know who we serve?"
"Do you know who we are?"
The attendant scanned Jeon, Lena, and Risar once more.
"Of course not... but knowing wouldn't change anything."
Yet he didn't back down.
The ridicule in his eyes remained.
'These bastards...'
At a glance, they might seem unassuming.
Lena was in casual clothes, not flashy, with only Jeon and Risar—also casually dressed—as her attendants.
"Judging people by appearances can get you in trouble."
"Hmph, that's not your concern. If you won't do it, I will."
The attendant reached for their luggage on the overhead rack.
"Insolent fool."
Snap.
But it wasn't Jeon who grabbed his hand—it was Risar.
Having watched the ignored insults pile up, Risar moved faster than anyone when the man crossed the final line.
'Oh.'
Years as Lena's knight showed in his swift action.
Jeon was mildly impressed as Risar beat him to it.
"I am Harten, knight in service to Lady Kirilen. Are you daring to use force against me?"
"I am Risar, knight in service to Lady Lena. Aren't you the one who crossed the line first?"
The standoff between the two men drew all eyes.
Kirilen's attendants gathered too.
"What are these guys doing? Refusing to cooperate?"
"Suspicious. If they didn't take it, no need to act this defensive."
The group glared and hurled baseless threats.
'...These idiots are insane.'
Not content with accusing them of theft without proof, they tried touching their stuff—then painted them as the guilty ones.
Their seamless gaslighting nearly made Jeon step in.
"What's going on over here?"
Kirilen herself approached their seats, having spotted the disturbance.
She glanced at the situation, then fixed her gaze on seated Lena.
"Pfft, first time in the capital, country bumpkins?"
Her words dripped with mockery.
Risar's face twisted in fury.
As Lena's knight, he couldn't stomach their belittling of his lady.
"Scraped together every coin for a trip to see the capital sights, huh? Still can't shake that beggar mentality—stealing others' things. What a shame for such prime seats, wasted on the wrong people."
Kirilen ignored Risar's glare and kept spewing rudeness.
Finally, Lena stood.
"I don't know who you are, but that's rude. I am Lena Silvermont of the Silvermont Family from the Langley Kingdom. Who might you be to act so disgracefully?"
Lena rose and stared her down, even naming her house.
Kirilen's face stiffened briefly, then twisted into a sneer.
"Sounds familiar... so what?"
"...Pardon?"
"Doesn't change that you're capital newbies."
"How rude!"
Risar exploded at her persistent mockery.
He shook off the hand restraining him and drew his sword.
Kirilen's knights drew theirs in response.
"Ha! Drawing steel now?"
"You crossed the line first with your insolence."
Hummm.
Risar poured aura into his blade and growled at Kirilen.
"Ridiculous. All this over checking your things."
Harten, who'd drawn in kind, stepped forward with aura blazing.
Seeing their shamelessness, Risar deemed them beyond words.
Tension peaked, ready to erupt—
"Just to be sure, what exactly is the lost item?"
Jeon, who'd hung back, stepped forward.
"...What?"
"What material is it made of? What shape?"
Calm amid the aimed aura blades, Jeon rose and wedged between them, eyeing Harten.
"A necklace with a hexagonally cut diamond."
"Hm... enchanted with magic too?"
"...Yes. Infuse it with mana, and it makes the gem glow softly. Quite valuable."
Despite the odd question, Harten answered, even describing it in detail—as if it truly existed.
"Then... I think I found it."
"...What?"
"You have it."
"Nonsense...!?"
Harten scowled at Jeon's words.
"It's in your pocket."
"Absurd!"
"Is it? Let's check then. Stay still—if you didn't take it, no issue."
Jeon threw Harten's own words back and reached out.
Harten swung his sword to threaten—
"Stay put."
Halt!
One word from Jeon froze Harten like a statue.
'Wha... what's... happening...!?')
Mute and rigid, Harten stood helpless.
Jeon rolled up his sleeve, revealing the diamond necklace near his elbow.
"Found it. See? Just like I said—this guy's got it."
He dangled it toward Kirilen triumphantly.
Her face contorted upon seeing it.