Chapter 227
“Aah~.”
“Master, did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, for the first ti in a while. Maybe because I had so sweet cake.”
When I turned my head, Luri was reading a book, and Adela was playing Nine Kingdoms one-on-one with Anette.
Even at a glance, Anette was at a disadvantage.
“It's over, Crow Empress.”
“Nngh, no way! My empire!”
Adela flashed a satisfied, villainess-like smile, and Anette scread and slamd her face onto the Nine Kingdoms table.
…If soone said those two were the mad Golden Princess and the Crow Empress, who would believe them?
“…Everyone's having a good ti.”
Then I suddenly wondered what Lilac had been doing all this ti.
“And Lilac?”
“Yes? ?”
Just then, a strange atmosphere settled in.
Adela and Luri flinched.
“Ah, I… was reading a book. too.”
“I see.”
Sighs of relief escaped from Adela and Luri.
Anette just laughed.
‘Sothing definitely happened.’
If I were to pry, Lilac would keep it a secret too…, let's just leave it be as she wishes.
After traveling a while longer, we were able to arrive soon.
The lawless zone near the border.
“Is that it?”
“Yeah! That's the lawless zone near the border.”
A shabby village was built on a desolate field.
Beyond it, the border, stained black by a Ti Chaos Dungeon, and the giant Heavenly Pillar Mountains could be seen.
‘The border, huh.’
Beyond that was the Cosmos Empire.
The place where all this trouble began.
Luri's explanation continued.
“We're going to pass through here to the Humanity Alliance barracks at the border. It's the closest living branch.”
Well, that was a given.
Even for Elidore, there were things they could and couldn't do.
What would be the point of building a rchant guild branch in a lawless zone with nothing?
‘Humanity Alliance barracks.’
The full force of humanity blocking the border.
I wonder how magnificent it will be.
“Oh, did I ntion this? The Elidore Ducal Family has decided to take this incident very seriously. Because it might shake the entire continent's economy. The elite rcenary corps contracted with Elidore has agreed to wait nearby and support us when we give the signal.”
Just as I had requested support from the Peacemaker, the Agency, and the Academy, the others had also agreed to gather their forces.
This incident was no ordinary matter.
“…I have also requested support from the Peacemaker.”
“My Defardly Knights have also agreed to be on standby not far from here.”
“I, too, have received a promise from the emperor for the dispatch of Duke Tauforos and Duke Amulrent.”
The imperial family had intervened as well.
With two of the Four Great Ducal Families dispatched, the scale had beco larger than I thought.
After confirming the size of the support troops, Luri nodded and said.
“Good. We are the wedge that opens the path. Let's complete our mission for the powerful forces waiting behind us.”
Looking at it this way, it was amazing.
To think that forces so powerful that just hearing their nas would make one's jaw drop were waiting for our signal.
Know-It-All (Master) says it's only natural. The achievents you have made in the past year are countless and great. If you offer to be the vanguard, anyone on the continent will trust and entrust it to you.
Hearing that, it made sense.
I was the only one who didn't know my own standing, but I was surely a hot topic among the gossips.
“We will be arriving shortly, Lady Luri and distinguished guests.”
The Humanity Alliance barracks could be seen in the distance.
It was getting closer.
Looking out the window, I noticed the corpses of giant monsters and huge relics.
There were so many knights and mages that you could trip over them.
In fact, one of them had a rather fancy uniform, and upon closer inspection, it was one of the Platinum Knights, of which there were only 35 on the continent.
“We have arrived.”
At the coachman's report, we got off the carriage, and a large-scale Elidore rchant guild branch ca into view.
Outside, people were moving monster carcasses, relic fragnts, and magitools.
“They look busy.”
“Yeah! Of course! The by-product industry from the border is huge!”
Well, if monsters appeared, they could be subjugated and used for research data or equipnt materials, and if a Ti Chaos Dungeon was cleared, the magitools or relics that were the dium would co out, so even just bidding on those and collecting the fees would bring in an inco comparable to that of a major rchant guild.
“Excuse !”
As Luri stood in front of the guild, guild mbers poured out from inside as if they had been waiting.
Several executive-level talents were also visible.
They lined up on both sides and then bowed deeply.
“Welco, my lady!”
As they shouted in unison, Luri proudly puffed out her chest and replied.
“Yeah! Long ti no see, everyone! and my friends are coming in!”
“Welco!”
Muscular n were holding a large sign.
Upon closer inspection, it read ‘Welco, Lady Luri’ scrawled in pink letters.
“…Good heavens.”
Receiving the welco, we entered the guild building.
As we went up the stairs and were alone, I whispered to Luri.
“Hey, Lady Luri.”
“Hye?! Huh?!”
Luri's face turned beet red, and she jumped in surprise.
‘…Hmm….’
Yes, it was my fault.
“Uh, huh? Why? Martin…?”
“No. It's just… I heard we were coming openly, but I was just wondering if this wasn't a bit too grand.”
“Mmm…. Is it? Hmm, no. This is better.”
Luri had already caught corruption in two branches near the lawless zone.
The fact that we were watching was already exposed.
So it was better to co openly.
There was a high possibility that if we ca secretly, it would only fuel the enemy's delusions, thinking, ‘why aren't they doing anything?’ and increase the variables.
“When we leave for the lawless zone, decoys imitating us will be active here.”
“So this is possible because you have a lot of capital.”
“Of course! Shall we go see the rooms first?”
It was common sense and natural for a rchant guild to invest heavily in places that generated large profits.
The guild branch established at the Humanity Alliance barracks at the border even had lodging facilities for guests who had traveled a long distance.
“Alright, this is Princess Adela's room!”
“Hmm, not bad.”
“And this is Lilac's, this is Anette's, this is mine. And this is Martin's room!”
“…?”
Adela's expression crumpled.
“You Elidore wench, my room and Martin's room are far apart.”
“It's just your imagination.”
“Has your imagination gone mad?”
The two of them were growling at each other again.
“Ah, I….”
“Hmm?”
Lilac raised her hand and said.
“You don't have to give a room…. I used to stay in the sa room as Master in the old days. It's more convenient for serving him that way.”
“Aah.”
That's right.
Was it in the early days of my possession?
It was when we had just left the Ulvhadin mansion and were wandering between inns and shantytowns with nowhere to go.
Looking back, it was a fond mory.
“That's right, there were tis like that.”
“Yes, even though the Elidore family has a lot of money, I can't be indebted for every little thing….”
“That's true too.”
I gently agreed with the apologetic Lilac.
Then Luri, with a ‘wait, this isn't right’ expression, hastily interjected.
“No, no, no! I, I want to give Lilac her own room! Yes! I like Lilac! I want to get close to her!”
“Oh my, yes…? How could a re maid like ….”
“Hey, why are you like that?! We're fellow Masamo!”
“Masamo… what is that…?”
“Martin-saranghaneun-moim! (A gathering of people who love Martin!)”
I covered my mouth and turned away.
“I-I'll go to my room first.”
If I stayed here any longer, I might die of embarrassnt.
***
Satisfied with the high-quality hospitality provided by Elidore, we spent the day recovering from our journey.
It was foolish not to be in optimal condition when we didn't know what might happen.
“And for today, everyone, please morize this!”
We even had to morize the script Luri handed out.
The next day, after changing into the shabby clothes Luri had prepared, we got on a dilapidated carriage.
It was a cart pulled by a mule, not even a horse.
“…It stinks.”
“Just bear with it, Your Highness. Please.”
Adela sniffed her sleeve with hawk eyes, then turned up her nose in disgust.
I turned my head to look at Adela and Luri.
Although they had changed their appearances with a magitool, they couldn't fool Wild Instinct and Know-It-All.
It was a cheap disguise magic employed because there would be no one well-versed in magic in the slums.
“Excuse , Master.”
“Hmm?”
“When we arrive at the slums, what should I call you, Master?”
At Lilac's words, everyone's ears perked up.
“Just call Martin.”
“Yes, Martin…, no, no! Master!”
“Fe-feel free.”
It's fine to start using it now to get used to it.
“Hmph hmph!”
Just then, I heard a cough.
It was Adela.
“Now, Martin. Call my na.”
“Adel.”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“My na is common, but if we use your full na, we'll be found out quickly. So let's call you Adel.”
“…Alright.”
Adela, for so reason, shut her mouth with an angry expression.
‘Co to think of it, she's right, so I can't argue.’
Adel.
Adel.
Mulling it over.
‘It sounds like a pet na.’
Her cheeks flushed red.
As we reached the hill overlooking the lawless zone, Luri cleared her throat, drawing our attention.
“Alright, we are the vanguard.”
The briefing began.
“Major organizations like the Imperial Family, the Elidore Ducal Family, Defardly, and the Peacemaker are waiting for our signal from behind. Our goal is to identify the enemy as quickly as possible. The King of the Underworld, the Apostle of Chaos, their objective. The mont we secure these, our goal is to send a signal and annihilate the enemy.”
Although a powerful support force was waiting, we, the self-proclaid vanguard, were no ordinary people.
Adela, the master of the Desert Hierophant of the Nature Five, Anette, the Crow Empress who fought on equal terms with Kragach, Luri, the contractor of the now-forgotten Fire Spirit King, and and Lilac, the Peacemakers who handle Stellar Force, the antithesis of chaos.
“It won't be easy. According to the report of an agent who infiltrated beforehand, that place is like the inside of a dragon's mouth. Think of it as being watched from everywhere inside. The mont we enter, we are actors on a stage. We have to be cautious, but also fast. Because if the enemy notices our movents, it's over. One to two days. At most, three days. We have to finish the job within that ti.”
Soon, the carriage slowly ca to a stop.
“Alright, we have to walk from here.”
At Luri's words, everyone got off the carriage.
As agreed upon beforehand, the act began now.
The coachman spat loudly, kaak, ptooey!, and then.
He roughly threw our luggage onto the ground.
“Damn it, so filthy. I'll have to clean this cart. Goodbye, you criminal bastards.”
This coachman was actually a high-ranking executive who had served the Elidore family for three generations.
As the branch manager of the Humanity Alliance barracks branch, it was only fitting.
Luri had apparently spent two long hours persuading him to deliver that line with gusto.
As the carriage turned back, we also began to move.
“Phew, let's go in. I hope we can find a place to settle down in there.”
“I know, right.”
Draped in rags, we pushed forward through the black wind blowing from the border.
Towards the lawless zone visible in the distance.
‘Hmm?’
As we were all walking towards the lawless zone, I felt an unexpected presence.
I turned my head and looked back at the desolate field.
In the distance, three more groups were visible.
It seed they were also heading to the lawless zone.
‘Four including us… it’s hard to explain this with just good timing.’
The first thing I saw upon arriving at the lawless zone were people lying scattered on the roadside.
There were three of them.
‘One of them has starved to death.’
I couldn't hear a heartbeat or anything.
Only the fading warmth could be faintly felt.
‘The other one was beaten.’
The signs of a beating were clearly visible even to the naked eye.
‘The rest… a trap.’
I could faintly sll blood and rusted iron from the man who seed to have lost consciousness.
Wild Instinct warned that I could feel malice from that man.
He was surely a vicious person who deceived innocent travelers and robbed them of their belongings.
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