Chapter 657: Before Leaving
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 657: Before Leaving
After leaving the orphanage, Muen wound his way through the streets until he reached a secluded alley.
There were no other people in the alley, only a single inn-style building standing solitary behind high walls and tiled courtyards.
Muen didn't head for the main entrance. Instead, he circled to the side wall. Counting to the one hundred and thirty-first brick, he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. Referencing the information on it, he tapped rhythmically on the bricks: seven to the left, three to the right, two up, and nine down.
The wall vibrated, shaking off dust.
Soon, a hidden stone door appeared before him.
However, before Muen could step inside, a man with a standard square face suddenly emerged from the darkness, blocking the way behind the stone door.
"Who goes there?" the man asked warily.
"It's me."
Muen greeted him with a smile. "Long time no see, Mr. Jin Ze."
"Muen Campbell?"
Jin Ze’s eyes widened in surprise. Remembering how badly he had been screwed over by this guy in the past, he immediately scanned the surroundings with caution.
Fortunately, there were no surprises this time.
"How do you know about this place?"
"It wasn't easy to find, but well..."
Muen waved the small slip of paper at Jin Ze, then neatly refolded it right in front of him, looking quite pleased with himself.
"Someone told me, of course."
"..."
Jin Ze’s cheek twitched, but he stepped aside nonetheless, sighing helplessly.
"She’s on the ninth underground floor, Room Zero."
"Underground again? Why do all you secret organizations love putting your headquarters underground?" Muen had heard that the intelligence agency headquarters Seviel and the others attacked was also underground. Add to that the now-shuttered black markets... just how much stuff was buried under Belland?
"What choice do we have?"
Jin Ze rolled his eyes. "Land on the surface of Belland is so expensive. If all our funding went into buying big mansions, what would be left to pay our salaries?"
"..."
Even though he knew Jin Ze was partly joking, Muen was momentarily speechless.
That made way too much damn sense.
"You've changed."
Muen patted Jin Ze on the shoulder. "You used to be such an upright man. I didn't expect you to start telling dry jokes."
"Get lost."
Jin Ze rolled his eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into his head. "No matter how upright I am, seeing a bastard like you come through the backdoor every other day... if I didn't learn to be a bit more flexible and tactful, I would’ve been exiled to some God-forsaken branch office long ago."
"..."
Muen was speechless once again.
That made even more damn sense.
*
After bidding farewell to Jin Ze, Muen made his way through the hidden underground space. Along the way, he brushed past many Silencers in silver uniforms, all hurrying about their business.
It seemed the current turmoil facing the Empire had forced even the Silence Bureau—an organization specifically designed to deal with Evil Gods—to mobilize.
Muen sighed inwardly and arrived at the so-called Room Zero.
Before he could even reach out to knock, a sultry voice drifted from inside.
"Come in."
It was as if she had known he was coming.
Muen gave a wry smile and pushed the door open.
"Oh? What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
Anna was stirring a cup of coffee, sitting provocatively on the edge of her desk with her long legs crossed. Her movements were incredibly alluring.
However, her beautiful, flirtatious face carried a faint "keep away" vibe.
"My, my, Mr. Campbell, soon-to-be Prince Consort... isn't visiting a small place like mine a bit beneath your station?"
"..."
Muen’s mouth twitched. "Strange. There was clearly no one else around at the time. How did you know, Senior?"
"Take a guess?"
Anna winked playfully.
"I can't."
Muen suddenly leaned forward, assertively hooking his arm around Anna’s slender waist.
"Why don't you teach me, Senior?"
"Teach you what? How to handle women?"
"What do you mean 'handle'? I'm being sincere!"
"Oh? Sincere... as in being all lovey-dovey with Her Majesty the Empress last night, then running to me this morning... and I suppose you'll be visiting the Saintess at noon?"
"Ahem! My sincerity is as clear as the sun and moon!"
"Stop trying to change the subject!"
Anna laughed and scolded him, but her waist had already gone soft in his grip.
She reached out her jade-like arms, wrapping them around Muen’s neck, while her long legs hooked around his waist. Her seductive eyes locked onto his.
"You're going to the Abyss?"
"Yeah."
"It's too sudden."
"Can't be helped. Things happened fast."
"I attended the Imperial Council yesterday. Actually, many ministers wanted to simply contract the defensive lines."
"Contract the lines?"
"Yes. To the west of the Empire, there’s the natural barrier of the Morosc Mountain Range. If we pull back, there would be more room to maneuver with troop and resource deployments... Forcing ourselves to support the already crumbling Abyss defense line is too heavy a burden for an Empire currently facing the weight of the Kingdom."
"But doing that would mean abandoning at least three western provinces."
"Exactly. Trading three provinces for a buffer zone that allows the Empire to breathe. From a strategic standpoint, that’s the smart choice. Otherwise, if the line collapses completely under the strain, the Empire will lose far more than just three provinces."
"But that wasn't the final decision."
"Because your Empress is so overbearing. She practically forced her way through the opposition on this one."
Anna suddenly tightened her hold on Muen, whispering wistfully, "Her Majesty really does believe in you."
"And what about you, Senior?"
Muen lowered his head, nuzzling against Anna’s forehead. "Do you believe in me?"
"Who knows?"
Anna tilted her head and giggled. "Take a guess?"
"I guess... I'm not guessing."
Muen nipped at Anna’s lip. "There’s no need to guess a question like that, because I already have the answer, don't I?"
"Hmph. Men."
Anna bit back hard in retaliation.
Their teeth clashed.
And then... it turned into a fierce kiss.
Both of them took greedily from the other, for they didn't know when the next time would be.
When the kiss finally broke, Anna’s eyes were clouded with desire.
Muen swallowed hard.
An office... black stockings... a professional beauty... why did things suddenly get so stimulating?
But just as Muen was waiting patiently... Anna ultimately didn't go any further.
She gave Muen’s chest a light pat and stood up.
"Forget it. I'll let you save your energy. I wouldn't want your legs to go weak before you even reach the Abyss."
"Senior, you really are worried about me."
Muen wasn't annoyed; he just chuckled.
"Smooth talker."
Anna wanted to give Muen a sharp jab... but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She simply reached out and gently smoothed his collar.
"Stay safe."
"I will."
"Come back soon."
"I will."
"And one more thing..."
Anna suddenly leaned into Muen’s ear, her voice a soul-stirring whisper:
"I'm not giving up yet. After all, my little sister the Empress... hasn't called me 'Big Sister' yet."
"..."
So that was the answer from that night?
Muen was slightly surprised, then gave a complicated smile.
Sure enough, once the flags were raised, a peaceful "marriage ending" wasn't going to be that easy to achieve.
*
"This... this is real?"
"Yes, Saintess. According to intelligence from the Holy City, the Kingdom and the Empire are indeed on the brink of war."
"Why now? Isn't this just kicking someone while they're down? And why would the Demon Race move all their troops from the Kingdom's border to the Empire's? Has the Kingdom actually colluded with the demons?"
"Your Highness, given your status, you shouldn't say such things lightly."
Archbishop Canterbury looked at the fuming girl before him and sighed helplessly.
"There is no concrete evidence yet. Even the Church cannot accuse the Kingdom of anything."
"But... but isn't it obvious? That despicable Kingdom."
Liya puffed out her cheeks like an angry little pufferfish. "To use such cowardly tactics... can I just stop recognizing the people of the Kingdom as believers of the Goddess?"
"The Goddess is selfless. Of course you can't do that."
"Then can I mobilize the Choir to attack the Kingdom?"
"Certainly not. The Church cannot involve itself in conflicts between nations. The treaty signed by His Holiness the Pope and the kings of various nations clearly states that, barring exceptional circumstances, the Church cannot interfere in mortal affairs. It was that very treaty that secured the faith of those nations in the Goddess. We cannot be the ones to break it."
"Curse them, curse them! Then can I draw circles on the ground and hex those bastards?"
"...Your Highness may do as she pleases in that regard, provided you aren't seen by the believers."
Archbishop Canterbury suddenly stood up, glanced behind Liya, and sighed.
"Well then, I shall take my leave. While the Church cannot actively participate in the war, we must still fulfill our duty as mediators. Though, I suspect the Kingdom has been planning this for a long time and won't listen to a word we say."
"Go on then! Remember to curse that old King for me!"
"...I'm sure someone in the Empire will do that for you, Your Highness."
Archbishop Canterbury shook his head helplessly and turned to leave, leaving Liya to stew in her anger.
She had grown up in the Empire. Aside from the years she spent studying in the Holy City, she had spent most of her time here. Naturally, her affection for the Empire far outweighed her feelings for a Kingdom she had never even visited.
But she truly could do nothing for the Empire. She was the Saintess—the Saintess who was supposed to treat all believers with motherly love. And the believers of the Kingdom were, of course, included in that.
Liya once again felt the weight and the shackles that came with the title "Saintess."
"Are you angry?"
"Yes!"
"Want a hug?"
"I do!"
Liya’s body went soft as she instinctively dove into the arms of the scoundrel who had appeared out of nowhere.
The familiar scent finally made her feel a bit better.
"How long have you been here?"
"Just got here."
"I don't believe you."
"What can I do if you don't believe me? I really did just arrive."
Muen pointed to the damp hem of his coat. "See? I rushed here to see you, and my clothes are soaked with dew."
"Really?"
Liya sniffed at him like a little puppy, her face full of suspicion.
"There’s no scent of other women... Did you really come straight to see me?"
"I swear, the moment I stepped out the door, I came looking for you!"
Muen vowed solemnly.
As for which door he had stepped out of... as the Good Man's Handbook says: Some things must not be spoken, some things must not be told.
"Then... are you here to say goodbye?"
Liya nuzzled against Muen’s chest, her lips pouting.
"..."
Muen paused for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her with immense tenderness.
"I'm sorry. I am here to say goodbye."