“Who is this young lady?”
Kiers asked.
“Don’t you know? She’s quite infamous……”
“Why? Is she an exceptionally skilled swordswoman?”
“No!”
Er watched as Orun and Revil, for once completely in agreement, both turned serious.
“Don’t you remember? At the victory banquet held after the conquest of the Nirm Duchy. There was a young lady who was staring at Your Highness and then fell right onto the champagne tower.”
Only after a long while did Kiers manage to remember her face.
A vague impression. Since Kiers had little interest in whether other people were beautiful or ugly, that was all he had ever thought of her.
“She sounds like the typical village idiot.”
“……But that village idiot has caused quite a few incidents in this situation.”
And Revil’s reaction upon hearing about the fake funeral was……
“Gasp! That sounds pretty convincing. I should audition for the role of a funeral priest in advance, too. She’s a genius!”
Orun suddenly felt an urge to smack Revil across the mouth.
“This is intelligence we acquired recently……”
Orun continued his report.
“That village idiot apparently purchased contraband related to demon-god worship.”
Kiers spoke.
The Empire worshipped the Main God and shunned demon gods.
In particular, performing rituals to offer sacrifices to a demon god and pray for wishes was a grave crime.
“Yes. And apparently she purchased a very rare ancient dagger. Her name appeared on a list recovered from a smuggler who was recently arrested.”
“To commit such a serious crime at a time like this. She will have to be punished.”
Kiers spoke indifferently while stroking the sheath of his sword.
“I’ll deal with that village idiot personally.”
“You will, Your Highness?”
“There are several more people on the blacklist who need to be punished as examples. So I’ll have that woman arrested and interrogate her. And, if possible……”
“……”
“I’ll have her publicly executed.”
Orun’s mouth fell open.
“No, that’s a bit much……”
Orun understood what Kiers meant.
An example.
Kiers hadn’t personally allied himself with the Chancellor, but he intended to punish a member of one of the prestigious noble families that had shown him an insolent attitude over the years, sending a clear warning to the others.
Even a member of one of the Ten Great Noble Families can have their head cut off in an instant before a new ruler.
That was the warning he intended to give.
“Keep an eye on the Medina family for the time being.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Orun answered.
Revil shrugged and mourned the poor half-wit young lady.
Once you get interrogated by His Highness, the tears just come pouring out…….
That was the expression on his face.
“My money! I should’ve brought it with me!”
Erne’s eyes flew open.
“Oh my, Lady Erne. Are you all right?”
Milla jumped up in surprise.
“Ah, no. I’m just not feeling well.”
Erne looked around.
She was in the familiar, chilly room in the Medina family’s detached residence.
Beside the bed was the fan she had carefully brought home with her.
“Lady Erne, are you really all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re getting up already? You should rest a little longer.”
Milla became serious when she saw Erne getting out of bed.
“Something urgent has come up. I need to go to the Information Guild right now.”
But Erne staggered.
Ah, this body really has terrible stamina!
It genuinely felt as though someone had strapped weights to her body.
“Lady Erne. This is really dangerous. If the butler finds out, you’ll be in serious trouble. Besides, I heard from some of the maids that the young master is supposed to be returning soon.”
“I have something more urgent to deal with.”
Erne opened a drawer.
Inside was the silver dagger Erne had purchased.
“What is this sword? It looks old.”
Erne clicked her tongue.
“Milla. Have you ever heard the expression, ‘This is the real thing’?”
“The real thing? ……It looks like a fake sword that doesn’t even have a proper edge.”
“Even if I sold everything I own, I couldn’t afford to buy this one.”
This dagger was a sacred relic of the ancient Demon God religion, an object that had actually succeeded in summoning a real demon god—more or less by accident.
“It’s a genuinely disgusting object that members of the Demon God religion prayed over for three whole years while offering living sacrifices.”
“What? Th-then if someone finds out about this……”
“Yes. It could even result in immediate execution.”
Milla began trembling.
“Throw it away!”
“Of course I have to go outside and throw it into the river. But that’s not the end of it. The problem is……”
The demon-god summoning ritual.
It was a serious crime in the Empire.
Someone might say, As long as you don’t get caught, what does it matter?
But……
“A large-scale summoning ritual leaves traces.”
It was true.
Even if I throw away every piece of evidence, the traces remain.
Those traces were magi.
In other words, evil magical energy.
When cleaning up the site of a demon-god summoning ritual, the only way to erase the magi was to use Mage Grass.
Burning Mage Grass eliminates all the magi. It’s the only way.
The problem was that Mage Grass was extremely rare, meaning she would have to obtain it through the Information Guild.
“Lady Erne, are you all right?”
Milla asked.
“You suddenly seem like you’re on guard against someone…… What’s wrong?”
Erne smiled faintly, amused by how surprisingly perceptive Milla was.
“I know my opponent well.”
The wild instinct that had saved Erne dozens of times in her previous life was shining brightly.
Anyway, the Medina family’s name was mentioned in front of the Crown Prince last night.
Apparently, Kiers was hunting down everyone who had been connected to the Chancellor.
If the young master of this family really had connections with the Chancellor……
There was a possibility that the entire Medina family was being watched by the Crown Prince.
Then the magi filling this house will definitely be used against us by the Crown Prince.
It could become an excuse to destroy the entire family.
Kiers was more than capable of doing that.
In any case, she had no intention of finding herself another identity just yet……
First, this family needs to avoid being destroyed. Only then will I have a chance to survive, too.
And the following evening.
Erne was walking through the capital’s nighttime streets with a pale-faced, hesitant Milla beside her.
“Hey, pretty ladies! How about having a drink with me?”
Whoosh, whoosh!
Milla’s face turned white when she saw the drunken men whistling at them.
“Lady Erne. Are you sure this is all right? Sneaking out at night……”
“Where did that spirit go? The one that made you try to rob the house when you thought I was dead. Straighten your back and walk with dignity.”
“Dignity……? Dignity?”
We already threw dignity out the window the moment we crawled out through that hole in the wall in the middle of the night!
But Milla had already begun to grow accustomed to Erne.
All she could do was answer, “Yes.”
“But why did you bring me with you?”
“I’m not feeling well today, so I need you to assist me.”
“Understood.”
During this time, Milla had been learning to read from Erne and occasionally receiving what could only be called financial motivation.
Thanks to that, she was now eager to take on any task.
Erne stopped in front of a tavern.
—The Drunken Fish.
“Seriously, whoever named this place has some terrible naming sense.”
Erne clicked her tongue at the tavern sign and pulled her robe tighter around herself.
“Come on. Let’s go in.”
Erne quietly entered the tavern.
“Welcome.”
The bartender, who had been polishing glasses, greeted them quietly.
The place was packed with mercenaries loudly chatting away.
Erne walked straight up to the counter.
“Bartender. Flaming cocktail. Don’t stir it. Shake it.”
The bartender’s eyes wavered.
“I’ll show you to a private room.”
The corners of Erne’s mouth curled upward.
Yes.
This tavern was a secret branch of the Information Guild.
“Account number 325181585-153.”
“Yes. Confirmed. I’ll ask additional questions to verify your identity. Your first love’s name?”
“I never registered a question like that. I failed at my first love, so even hearing the first letter of the word ‘first love’ makes me furious.”
“Correct. What is your preferred type of man?”
“A man who will become even more handsome when he turns thirty.”
“All answers are correct. Customer, you are a special VVIP, so additional authentication is required, but……”
Erne casually held out her fan to the man.
The bartender gasped when he saw the fan shimmering with magical power.
“Verification complete. What do you need today?”
“I have a deposit stored here, right?”
“Yes. You deposited quite a substantial amount.”
Erne nodded.
“I’ll use that deposit to buy information. First, five bundles of Mage Grass. And information and movements regarding Count Raizen Luo. Those two things should use up my entire deposit.”
The bartender looked troubled.
“Mage Grass is extremely rare, and it’s a prohibited item within the capital, so I can’t provide it immediately.”
“I need it right now.”
“But……”
Milla stood behind Erne, clutching her skirt tightly as she watched the negotiation nervously.
How on earth does Lady Erne know places like this?
Before they had come here, Milla remembered what Erne had told her.
“Milla. Remember what happens today. It will be useful to you throughout your life.”
“Yes, Lady Erne.”
“Today, I’m going to teach you how to negotiate. When you want something from someone and absolutely refuse to lose to them…… tighten your jaw into a square and repeat only one thing.”
Erne looked at the other party and tightened her jaw.
“It’s really difficult, miss. First of all, you’ll have to give us at least a week to obtain the Mage Grass. And as for Raizen Luo…… he’s quite the…… person. If we investigate him and something goes wrong, our guild could get into trouble as well.”
“Four Dalro.”
Erne said it.
Dalro was slang used by the Information Guild.
One hundred gold coins were called one Dalro.
Erne had deposited no less than four hundred gold coins that would mature within the year.
In other words:
I’ll burn through my entire deposit. Give me the information.
“That’s not a matter of money. Of course, it’s an enormous amount, but you really shouldn’t do this.”
“Four Dalro.”
“All right. Then I’ll give you the Mage Grass cheaply. So how about just the information……”
“Four Dalro.”
“You’ll regret this. Getting involved with someone like Raizen Luo is……”
“Four Dalro.”
After an intense battle of wills……
The bartender eventually let out a deep sigh.
“All right. I lose.”
Milla was deeply impressed by Erne.
Our young lady, who I thought was simply insane and who everyone calls the half-wit young lady……
She had no idea why.
But she’s actually pretty cool these days.
Having obtained everything she wanted, Erne left the Information Guild humming to herself.
“Lady Erne, how did you know about a place like this?”
Erne thought for a moment before answering.
“You didn’t know that I used to visit some suspicious establishments where men were involved? Some bad friends I met there told me about this place.”
“Oh, I see!”
Erne discovered another useful quality in Milla.
This girl……
is extremely easy to convince.
A subordinate who constantly talks back is a source of worry for any master.
“Now, let’s find a carriage.”
Erne said.
Oh, and she had thrown the dagger into the river long ago, right after leaving the house.
“Yes, Lady Erne.”
Just as Milla was about to move, Erne suddenly stopped.
“Wait.”
Erne frowned.
She slowly stepped backward.
“Milla.”
“Yes?”
“From now on, run in the opposite direction from me. And I’ll give you the Mage Grass. Take it and burn it in the basement of my room exactly the way I taught you. You have to handle it very carefully.”
Erne whispered rapidly.
“If you don’t want to die, hurry!”
Erne whispered again.
Milla, startled, began running without even realizing it.
Erne entered a narrow alley in the opposite direction.
“Huff, huff……”
Someone was watching them.
I sensed a faint killing intent.
The evidence in the basement needed to be dealt with immediately.
Erne instinctively understood that.
Her pursuer quickly followed her.
Fast.
Erne thought.
Then she found herself blocked by a dead end.
At that moment—
Fwish!
A white blade of vacuum shot past Erne’s cheek.
Erne instinctively moved her head and dodged it.
Barely.
The vacuum passed within the width of a sheet of paper from her cheek before striking the wall.
The wall was slightly gouged.
Sword aura?
And not just any sword aura.
It had been refined to such a sharp degree that it could knock someone unconscious without killing them.
Someone capable of using this kind of technique……
Gulp.
Erne swallowed and turned around.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Someone was approaching her.
The pale blue moonlight illuminated the stranger’s broad shoulders, while the streetlamps reflected off his long black military uniform adorned with silver cords.
I’m screwed.
That was Erne’s immediate thought.
“Are you Erne?”
Kiers asked.
“Erne de Medina.”
“……”
“Under Imperial law, I am arresting you tonight on charges of demon-god worship.”
Kiers whispered.
Damn it.
She had finally been caught by the one person she absolutely should never have encountered.
