Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: I Will Teach You Fear (5)
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Clunk!
A woman stepped down from the halted carriage.
Her ordinary beauty was overlaid with an air of elegance; there were scarcely any in the empire who wouldn't recognize her.
The Dragon Blood possessor, 2nd Princess Hedera.
She set foot at the entrance to the capital's temple.
"Hmm."
Truth be told, even she herself hadn't anticipated this.
Among the princesses, there existed an unspoken territory they avoided encroaching upon, and the temple devoted to the Sun God was 3rd Princess Solana's domain.
The eyes of the paladins guarding the entrance widened.
"2nd Princess? What brings such a noble guest to this place..."
"Halt."
The Word Command erupted.
The sturdy paladins froze in place in an instant, though fortunately, the stop wouldn't last long. Hedera had no intention of lingering here.
"Wait a moment. I'll release you soon enough."
With those words, Hedera entered the temple.
Click-clack. Click-clack.
Normally, she would have logically explained the situation, but the current Hedera lacked the leisure for such formalities. A massive question weighed heavily on her mind.
Click-clack. Click-clack.
As the sharp echo of her high heels resounded at steady intervals through the temple corridor, she retraced her memories.
─Look into it yourself.
─Temple Record Keeper, Section F, Row 8, Number 323.
─That's all I know.
Temple Record Keeper.
Hedera was well aware of what sort of place this was.
To begin with, it was a record office in the literal sense. At first glance, it was merely a repository detailing which priest had bestowed Holy Power upon whom, where, and when.
However. When the treatment subject was a special individual.
Those treatment records became invaluable intelligence in themselves. Repeated attempts allowed for detailed inferences about their constitution, abilities, and more.
A top-secret chamber, one that Solana herself had opened for her.
Solana had even specified Section F. It was located in the deepest part, and the deeper the section in the Record Keeper, the greater the importance of the information stored there.
...There, surely, lay information on Zekiel.
"What in the world..."
Could be recorded there?
Click-clack. Click-clack.
Hedera continued onward.
Before long, she arrived at the Record Keeper.
Luiple.
Anes and Belka blankly surveyed their surroundings. Luiple was utterly unlike what they had inwardly anticipated.
"A festival's in full swing, huh...?"
"This is definitely Luiple, but it's nothing like the rumors."
A hellscape overrun by demons and beasts. That was how Luiple had lodged itself in their minds, yet upon setting foot here, the entire area buzzed with festive cheer.
As they struggled to reconcile the discrepancy,
"What an honor to meet such esteemed guests! Welcome!"
A slender woman who had appeared out of nowhere greeted Zekiel and Balton's group with spirited enthusiasm.
Dust now rose in her wake, as if she had just dashed over. It was footwork of remarkable mastery, all while wielding a greatsword several times her size.
Nearly three beats later, those presumed to be her companions finally caught up, materializing like background extras.
"You're the VIPs dispatched from the Imperial Palace, right?"
The greatsword woman offered a polite bow.
"My name is Tirvi. I'm aiming to become a knight-errant, sweeping away beasts in the Luiple region. Allow me to extend proper courtesies to the empire's honored guests!"
"Greetings!"
Her companions followed suit with precise, respectful motions.
Their movements were so disciplined and courteous that Belka, unaccustomed to such treatment, floundered in bewilderment.
Belka whispered cautiously to Anes.
"Why are they being so overly polite...?"
"Even if you aspire to knighthood, without status or rank, it's hard to make it happen. With the Imperial Knights visiting, they'll want to catch their eye."
"Do the Imperial Knights recruit like that?"
"If you're exceptionally skilled with the sword or have great renown, they occasionally take you in. Very occasionally."
Anes's words rang true. Indeed, Tirvi's gaze remained fixed on Balton's group.
Tirvi flashed a friendly smile.
"Oh, right—standing here chatting is rude in itself! Why not head inside the manor? The festival's in full swing!"
"...Nonsense."
The knight captain, Balton, rejected her outright.
He was an Imperial knight, but also 2nd Princess Hedera's personal guard. Losing this wager would tarnish not just his honor, but the princess's as well.
Thus, he had no time for frivolities. He needed to scour every inch of Luiple, hunt down even one more beast, and rack up as much achievement as possible.
"We can't trust the safety claims of some mere knight-errant. Let's move—we have to inspect it ourselves."
With that, Balton turned, leading two knights away without so much as a glance at Tirvi.
As he brushed past Zekiel's shoulder, he added,
"Inspector, you lot might as well enjoy the festivities. It's a bet we're doomed to lose even at full strength."
Boom!
Balton kicked off with a powerful step, splitting the air nearby. The onlookers among the locals gaped in awe at his profound mastery.
Truly, that was the caliber of an Imperial knight.
Only now did Tirvi's gaze shift to the Magic Tower group.
"Well, what about you mages?"
A prolonged silence.
"The festival's in full swing, right?"
The first to break it was the sole pale-skinned man among them.
"For now, I'd like to take a look around."
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Take a look around? Of course, you're more than welcome!"
Tirvi personally guided the Magic Tower's VIPs. The surroundings brimmed with festive energy, devoid of any tension.
Anes spun her cube as she asked,
"I heard beasts appear without warning."
"That was true when I first settled in Luiple—it was definitely that kind of land! We had to fight beasts and demons nonstop, without even a moment to rest our eyes."
Tirvi flashed an endearing smile.
Meanwhile, Anes subtly probed Tirvi's aura. Her upright character was one thing, but the remarkably refined energy stood out even more.
Undoubtedly, a powerhouse who never neglected her training.
"Luiple was like that... but now?"
Tirvi confidently flung open the manor's gates.
Bang!
"Drink up! Drink!"
"Forget all your worries!"
The raucous atmosphere enveloped them; the residents reveled without a trace of fear. Tirvi beamed at Zekiel's group, as if to say, See?
"Look! My efforts have finally borne fruit."
"Wow..."
Belka blinked in astonishment.
"It's real... They don't seem worried at all. If there was even a hint of anxiety, they couldn't enjoy the festival this genuinely..."
"I'm honored that such a noble guest recognizes it. Exactly! The people's expressions never lie!"
At that moment,
"It's Tirvi!"
"Ahh! Luiple's hero, Tirvi!"
Residents who recognized her began chanting her name. The woman herself smiled bashfully.
Anes blinked quietly.
"...You've got this place's public sentiment firmly in hand."
"It's not what I aimed for, but somehow it turned out this way. It's a bit embarrassing, haha!"
Tirvi continued in her hearty voice.
"You're dispatched from the Imperial Palace, right? It's the greatest honor that you've taken an interest in this region, but rest easy! I've got it covered!"
"Hmm..."
"Ah, that's right! Why not enjoy the festival while you're here?"
Tirvi smiled radiantly, thinking inwardly,
'Those knights who left earlier are in for a wild goose chase.'
They'd be sniffing around for traces of beast subjugations at best.
The reason was exceedingly simple. Tirvi, the creator of Luiple's beasts, had designed it that way.
All visitors ended up acknowledging her—it was merely a matter of time. This place was a meticulously staged theater for that very purpose.
'If I can latch onto these guys as connections, it'll be perfect.'
Imperial Knights, Imperial Magic Tower.
For Tirvi, infiltrating either would yield massive gains. High-quality individuals yielded high-quality fear, after all.
'It'll definitely work. They've already bitten.'
Tirvi was convinced.
"..."
As the first proof, the Magic Tower's man had been staring piercingly at her since earlier. It was the very allure she knew she possessed.
Men who saw Tirvi invariably lusted after her; women fawned to befriend her. That man was no different, whatever his facade—he was just an ordinary guy.
"Hahaha!"
Tirvi let out a feigned awkward laugh.
"Ahaha, no, it's just... the noble gentleman has been staring right through me. I'm not used to dealing with VIPs, so I don't know how to act."
"Nah, it's nothing."
The man replied nonchalantly.
"I've taken an interest in you."
"Ugh... I don't know where to put myself."
Tirvi was convinced. Yep, he's hooked.
He was bolder than expected, which mildly surprised her, but it didn't matter. It was all proceeding according to her plan.
The woman now clung to Anes.
"If you need accomplishments or results, no need to worry. I'm a knight-errant! I don't need credit. I'll hand over everything I've achieved."
"We're grateful, but we have no intention of stealing others' merits. Beasts can appear anytime, so we must fulfill our duties..."
"My companions are stationed thick throughout Luiple! Enjoying yourselves a bit is perfectly fine."
Tirvi scrutinized Anes's face.
Elegant features, impressive magical prowess, impeccable integrity... She was even more steadfast and incorruptible than Tirvi had imagined.
But in the end, so what?
'Playing hard to get, huh...'
She might resist bribes, but Tirvi had never seen a VIP turn down achievements and merits. This time would be no exception.
Tirvi seized Anes's hand.
"Inspector! Entertaining VIPs has been this humble knight-errant's lifelong dream. Please, grant me this!"
A flicker of distress crossed Anes's impassive face.
Good, she's almost there...
That was the moment.
"...What should we do?"
Anes's gaze turned to someone else.
Tirvi's eyes naturally followed. It was toward the man who had spoken so boldly earlier.
'Why ask her companion's opinion? Could the inspector have her eye on this guy? What a joke.'
But.
Anes's next words were pure shock.
"The inspector should decide."
"...?"
Tirvi's expression turned dumbstruck in an instant.
The man remained casually, arms crossed.
"No Sunweed, just booze everywhere. This a festival?"
"..."
...This man was the inspector?
Tirvi doubted her own ears.