Chapter 199: Do You Believe in Miracles?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: Do You Believe in Miracles?
"Junior, I won't be held responsible for what happens next, you know?"
Anna looked up at Muen from below.
Her unmistakable curves pressed tight against Muen’s chest. From this angle, her faintly visible collarbones, the exquisite arc of her shoulders, and her swan-like neck were particularly captivating.
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes clear and curved like crescent moons. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye lent her an air of enchanting elegance, while a mischievous smile played on her lips—lips as red and inviting as ripe cherries.
Breathing in her familiar scent, Muen’s gaze fell upon Anna’s crimson lips, and his breath suddenly grew heavy.
The sun had only just begun to rise, and the city had yet to wake. Everything was silent. Despite the words he had just spoken, Muen could hear his own heart thundering in his chest.
Anna seemed to sense something, yet she didn't pull away. She remained there, leaning against him, her head tilted back as she closed her fluttering eyelids.
Muen’s throat went dry. He began to regret not showering before coming here, not brushing his teeth, and not chewing a few more mints. He had spent too much time mingling with those "rats," and he was covered in the scent of sweat.
But at a time like this, he couldn't exactly back down.
Muen reached out, gently circling Anna’s waist, and slowly leaned down.
Just as they reached the point where they could feel each other's breath—
Clang—!
A roadside stall nearby opened for business, striking a gong to welcome customers.
The romantic atmosphere was shattered instantly.
Anna opened her eyes, a flash of annoyance and alarm flickering in her beautiful gaze.
Muen’s movements shifted abruptly as well. The arm that had been lightly resting on her waist suddenly tightened, pulling Anna firmly against him as he ducked into the shadows away from the morning sun.
Ignoring the stiffness of the girl in his arms, Muen peered out from a gap in the wall, looking toward the street not far away.
Figures dressed in trench coats were weaving through the alleys, approaching rapidly.
"It’s the Silence Bureau. They’ve found us."
"So soon?"
In Muen’s embrace, Anna’s cheeks flushed a faint red.
"If I could find my way here, they naturally could too. It was only a matter of time."
Muen lowered his eyes calmly. "Fortunately, I made preparations in advance."
"Preparations?"
Anna gave Muen’s arm a sharp pinch, wriggling out of his powerful grip to peer through the gap herself.
Her eyes slowly widened.
As the sun rose, a thin mist still clung to the streets in front of the Academy’s open grounds.
This was supposed to be a deserted, remote area—a gloomy place that even vagrants considered bad luck. Yet at this moment, as if answering a silent clarion call, the entire street suddenly burst into life.
Beggars, prostitutes, vagrants, boatmen, stablemen, street vendors... a massive throng of commoners emerged from nowhere. Most were dressed in rags, their expressions numb, yet they all stepped onto this street they usually avoided.
The area became a bustling, ceaseless flow of people, just like any other busy thoroughfare. Cries of vendors and the general din of a crowd filled the air; in an instant, the place was teeming with life.
The figures in trench coats were quickly swallowed by the surging crowd. Some were intercepted by enthusiastic vendors asking if they wanted a steaming breakfast; others were grabbed by scantily clad prostitutes and pulled toward dark side-alleys.
The formidable Silencers were actually being held back by these ordinary people.
"This is..."
"A little trick. It should hold them for a while."
Muen gave a self-deprecating smile. "A bit despicable, isn't it?"
Muen turned back, bracing himself for his Senior’s potential anger.
But it didn't come.
Instead, he found himself looking into a pair of tender eyes.
"Junior."
Anna suddenly reached out, cupping Muen’s face in her hands. She studied his startled expression closely, a hint of heartache surfacing in her eyes.
"I haven't even had a chance to look at you properly. You seem to have changed quite a bit during this time."
"Have I?" Muen rubbed his chin. "Maybe it’s because I forgot to shave. I probably look a bit old."
"Liar."
Anna pulled Muen’s head into her embrace.
She stroked his hair, her expression soft and gentle.
"Liar."
Muen’s body trembled slightly, and he allowed himself to indulge in the permitted warmth of her soft, fragrant embrace.
Unfortunately, time was pressing.
Muen reluctantly lifted his head from that exquisite, sacred height. "We have to go."
"Mhm."
Anna nodded gently, then stood up first and stepped out of the shadows.
She spun around once, shaking off all her negative emotions. Then, she extended a hand toward Muen, offering an invitation just as he had done earlier.
"Let’s go."
Muen paused. "Where to?"
"Didn't you ask me to 'conquer' you, Junior?"
In the soft morning light, a captivating smile graced Senior Anna’s lips.
"We’re going on a date."
*
"Master, have mercy. I haven't eaten in three days."
In the middle of the flowing crowd, a beggar in tattered clothes grabbed the hem of a middle-aged man’s trench coat, holding out a cracked bowl and pleading piteously.
"Dammit!"
The middle-aged man, whose skin was pale as if he hadn't seen the sun in years, stared at the beggar. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his fists clenched tight.
Interfering with the official business of the Silence Bureau... you low-born filth...
The man pulled several banknotes from his coat, stuffed them into the beggar’s bowl, and growled impatiently, "Scram!"
"Yes, yes!"
The beggar hobbled away, disappearing into the crowd with surprising speed.
"I thought you would just kill him."
A cold voice drifted over from the side.
The middle-aged man turned his head toward the stunning, silver-haired figure leaning against a wall. "Her Highness the Princess must be joking. No matter how cold-blooded the Silence Bureau is, we wouldn't go so far as to slaughter ordinary civilians."
"Is that so? Even when they interfere with your mission?"
"That’s a different matter. Besides, our current priority is still those cultists hiding in the depths of Belland, isn't it?"
"Fair point."
Celicia looked up, her gaze calmly fixed on the building in the distance.
At the gap on the top floor, two familiar but blurry figures seemed to flash by for an instant.
"Speaking of which, I don't even know your name."
"Jin Ze," the middle-aged man said after a moment of silence.
"Jin Ze... a good name. It doesn't suit your temperament at all."
"Is Your Highness complimenting me or mocking me?"
"Complimenting you, of course."
Celicia turned back and continued, "Since you’ve told me your name, why not be generous and tell me the Silence Bureau’s next plan as well?"
"..."
"Do I, as a temporary Overseer, not even have the right to know?" Celicia asked coolly.
With the Imperial Palace’s tacit approval, the Silence Bureau held nearly unlimited power when dealing with Evil God factions.
However, to balance that power, the Palace would appoint an Overseer to supervise the Bureau’s actions during major operations.
As the only bystander at that meeting, Celicia had naturally become the Overseer for this mission.
"For that, Your Highness will have to ask that one personally." Jin Ze didn't seem to appreciate her role as Overseer.
"That one?"
Celicia turned her head toward the pitch-black carriage at the end of the street, her eyes shimmering.
An Overseer did indeed have the special monitoring rights granted by the Royal Family, but in front of that old man... those rights seemed rather inconsequential.
*
Inside the carriage.
An old man who looked as though he already had one foot in the grave, his skin covered in age spots, raised his weary, clouded eyes to look at the deeply respectful Jin Ze standing before him.
"How is it?"
"She escaped."
"Is that so?"
The old man showed neither joy nor sorrow. He closed his eyes again, appearing half-asleep.
Jin Ze, however, kept scratching at his knees, looking restless and uneasy.
"Is there a problem?" the old man asked.
"My Lord, I don't understand. We had so many opportunities to capture Anna Kabulin. Why did we intentionally go easy and let her leave? She is clearly a key figure in the Evil God’s plan."
"..."
After a long silence, the old man suddenly sighed.
"Jin Ze, do you believe in miracles?"
"Miracles?"
Jin Ze was stunned. He never expected to hear such a phrase from the mouth of the Sword Bearer, a man famous for his cold-blooded ruthlessness.
After a moment of confusion, Jin Ze replied, "I don't believe in miracles. I only believe in things I can touch."
"...I don't really believe in them either. But when one gets old, one tends to dream impossible dreams."
As he spoke, the old man tapped the table. A silver sealed box, about half a meter tall, appeared before Jin Ze.
"This is..."
"This is your new mission. On the Lunar Eclipse Night, you don't need to follow the main force to wipe out the evil believers. Instead..."
The old man shifted into a more comfortable position, speaking as if in a trance.
"Use this to kill Anna Kabulin before everything is settled."