Chapter 61

Joanna was a girl from the slums who made a living by diving in the canal.

Sometimes, during a strong wind, when the transport ships rocked, items that were loosely tied like cargo boxes or the hats of important individuals would fall into the water.

It was Joanna’s job to retrieve those and return them for a reward, or to sell them off for herself.

Five meters deep was not shallow, but it was not too deep to enter, and when she heard stories from her older brothers and sisters about saving their lives by retrieving valuable items, she could not bring herself to quit.

Not long ago, one of the brothers she worked with had found a syringe-like item, and the boss of a major organization in the slums, who appeared like a deity, bought it for an incredible price.

“Ah. Already a fortune.”

The word about it being found near the sluice spread quickly, and dozens of kids doing the same thing as her were already rummaging through the mud near the sluice.

Recently, the crop failures had drawn more refugees from the west where orc groups were stirring, and perhaps because of that, the slums had become more chaotic, and this job had become fiercely competitive.

However, Joanna had no intention of entering that fray.

At the sluice, water kept flowing in and out, so depending on the current, it could have been swept downriver or pushed upstream into the canal.

If it had been swept downriver, she would not be able to find it anyway, so she intended to search thoroughly on the canal side.

Before she jumped in, she carefully splashed canal water on her heart, dipping her fingers and toes into it to acclimatize her body to the temperature.

The November wind was icy, but the ambition for delicious food and the syringe was hot enough to make her forget that chill, and surprisingly, the canal water was quite bearable.

She had heard that there was a magic circle that collected sunlight to warm the water so that it wouldn’t freeze over even in the middle of winter.

‘Thank you.’

Joanna said a silent prayer to the unknown magician who drew that magic circle and dove into the water.

Splash!

‘Huh?’

Was her calculation too accurate?

As soon as Joanna jumped into the water, she found a belt with two fat syringes stuck on it below.

It sparkled under the sunlight, as if begging her to retrieve it.

She broke the surface of the water and carefully stored the syringes in a small bag, making sure no one saw her.

She dried her boyishly short hair and body with a towel she had brought and intended to return to the slums as if nothing had happened.

She felt dazed.

Her heart was racing so fast that she felt like she would collapse at any moment.

She unconsciously approached the crowd gathered in front of the cathedral.

In a place so crowded, one had to be wary of pickpockets, but on a day like today, it was an exception.

Seeing a wyvern floating in the sky meant it was the visit of someone important.

The pickpocket boys who knew that undercover knights and constables were hiding wouldn’t dare to come out.

She sat on a bench and thought of a way to return to the slums without being noticed.

“The Church and the Imperial Court have united to confront a great evil…”

Suddenly, a voice reached her ears, and she lifted her head.

Someone important was speaking difficult words.

From where she was sitting, she couldn’t see the podium well, but she could make out roughly who was there.

On that podium, decorated with fresh flowers for November, stood a young man in black robes, the red-cloaked Bishop Hong, a tall boy in white robes, and someone wearing a golden dress and a crown.

The boy in the white robe must be the infamous Bandit Valenciaunos, so the sister standing in front of him must be the Emperor.

“Wow.”

Joanna flushed for a moment and murmured.

She knew that the Emperor was an incredibly strong and cruel person, but seeing him in person left her speechless.

A dangerous aura flowed around him, making her feel like she shouldn’t be looking any longer, yet she wanted to see him just one more time.

“Ah.”

She couldn’t help but exclaim aloud.

In front of the podium, the Emperor and the young man in black robes were shaking hands with the Bandit Duke and Bishop Hong behind them.

Her voice was drowned out by the cheers, but it seemed the Emperor said:

“I promise that I will actively support the Church.”

The Emperor, with platinum hair neatly tied back like the noonday sun, draped a black shawl over a stiff yellow dress.

As he lightly bent his knees to greet, the young man in black robes bowed in return.

Joanna gripped her bag tightly.

It felt like she might unwittingly spill its contents.

Even from this distance, she could see a smile creeping on the Emperor’s lips, and she felt it would be a memory she would cherish her whole life.

Such a confident life could only belong to someone like him.

* * *

Jeilliris’s office was located on the upper floor of the audience chamber, decorated with red carpets and golden chandeliers.

In the spacious room, there was only a desk facing away from the windows, which could be described as simple; however, the carpet was luxurious, and the jewels on the chandelier were large, making it far from lavish in terms of decorations.

She spent most of her days here and in the training grounds, either signing documents proclaiming someone’s execution or practicing execution herself.

I, having returned from the event, pulled off the shawl that Jeilliris had carelessly tossed and handed it to her maid.

…It had been quite a long time since I first entered this place before my return, so it felt fresh.

“Damn those Church bastards. They called me and made me pray under the cold sky for three hours together?”

“Excuse me, Your Excellency, but did you not attain the realm of Hanseobulchim?”

“It’s a matter of mood and principle! Yes. Let the proud Duke talk. I cannot for the life of me understand why they scheduled it like this. I have absolutely no idea, nor do I care to know.”

If you don’t wish to know, then why do you ask?

Of course, I had no intention of voicing that thought.

“Perhaps they think that Your Excellency wants to show your devout side to gain the people’s trust. Thus, they keep showing you praying together with the Saint.”

“You are gravely mistaken. I merely wished for a comrade who would lend a hand at the Infiltrators’ front.”

She sat down in her chair and muttered as if lamenting while looking out of the glass window.

I straightened my voice and continued.

“And they likely needed a major event to quell the rumors of chaos from the recent Bishop Hong meeting, showcasing a close relationship with Your Excellency to suppress any backlash.”

Jeilliris’s golden eyes glinted with boredom.

“Devout believers will not likely take a liking to me; what benefit does it bring the Church for me to appear friendly? They cooperated with me not out of goodwill but out of fear of a meteor strike, didn’t they?”

I couldn’t bring myself to shake my head.

Jeilliris was smart, but at the same time, she didn’t need to make use of that intelligence.

If one’s body is well, there is no need for the brain to struggle.

“…From the perspective of the believers, the Church may seem like it has reformed you.”

I thought she would snap back, but thankfully she just laughed.

“Ha, let them think whatever they want. Illusions are free.”

“How wise of you.”

Jeilliris smiled faintly.

“By the way, I made a big mistake.”

I declared as if I were stating an eternal truth.

“Your Excellency does not make mistakes.”

“That is nice to hear. However, the mistake I made was forgetting the reward I had prepared for the Duke.”

“…You almost made a colossal mistake. Since you’ve remembered, it hasn’t turned into a real one.”

She burst into hearty laughter.

“I sometimes wonder what’s inside your head. But to see it would be akin to cutting open the belly of the goose that lays the golden eggs. I would not make such a mistake.”

Jeilliris turned her body and pushed a wooden box that was on her desk towards me.

“Open it.”

Inside was a liquid that resembled slime, made of metal.

It was about the size of two fists, shining like mercury.

“You never know when you will have to fight, so you can’t wear armor all the time. However, you can’t just let your precious blood spill anywhere.”

She looked at me with shining golden eyes.

“Thanks to the new technique developed by me and your half-sister, many magic guild masters have found motivation, and a land magician has worked day and night to create this. Make good use of it and provide feedback.”

This couldn’t have been developed already, could it?

I received the box in confusion.

This was the magical armor known as ‘Aquateg,’ made by allowing liquid metal to permeate clothing.

Its strength was superior to tightly woven chain mail, easily capable of withstanding medium-sized ballista bolts.

When it was time to wash the clothing, it could be separated and returned to a liquid state to be absorbed by new clothing.

For someone like me, who wandered through various dangerous places in uniform, this was an essential item.

“Sister, no, Duke Sorelazie, I am glad you have provided the sorcerers of the Imperial Magic Guild with a worthy competitor. The grace of His Majesty, who has bestowed such items, is as great as the heavens. I will wear it every day.”

Jeilliris smiled in satisfaction.

“Then do so.”

“Your Excellency, could you tell me how to wear this armor?”

I pretended not to know anything, and fortunately, she kindly explained.

It was the same as in my previous life; it recognized its owner by drinking blood and detached itself with a command word.

As I softly whispered “Aquateg,” the liquid metal spread and absorbed into my uniform.

For a moment, my jacket, shirt, and pants felt like they had become wet, but soon they returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

The weight had increased slightly, but it was nothing significant.

“You’ve been working hard to mediate between me and the Church.”

Looking at me, Jeilliris muttered.

It was not a voice seeking a response.

“Not a single one of the Bishops Paolavan and his holy knights were turned away. They probably feared being stoned by the citizens of the capital. Indeed, purging is a self-consuming act.”

I listened to her without saying anything.

“They will fight against the Infiltrators roaming the provinces, and the Saint will close and purify the magical realms. None will be left out.”

She laughed as she loosened the hair tie keeping her platinum locks in place, letting her rich hair cascade down to cover her nape, back, and shoulders.

“Good job.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency. I am at a loss for words at such unexpected praise.”

“I heard from the constables on the way back. They say a series of murders are happening again in the slums. Since we just made an agreement with the Church, we should also demonstrate some results, shouldn’t we? At least show your face and come back.”

“I understand, Your Excellency.”

* * *

The next day, I headed to the slums accompanied by Lady Trentia and Rudi.

Since this liquid armor had not yet been mass-produced, I couldn’t prepare one for Rudi, but fortunately, thanks to the red sash I had received, I could now openly buy magic tools.

Thus, through Lady Trentia, I found a good magic artifact shop and bought leather armor that I could wear under my maid outfit.

It was made from orc leather that had been oiled and dried, engraved with the ‘Dolphin Skin’ magic in silver, costing 120 gold coins.

It was a significant amount, but combining the reward money gifted by Jeilliris, the bribes from the red-light district, and the jewelry money siphoned off from Wyvernfit, I could afford it easily.

“120 coins? You might as well just give me that money and let me figure it out! With that amount, I wouldn’t even be able to die in injustice. My life would be worth less than that! Ugh, Lord Valen. Are you… angry?”

“Rudi. Don’t ever say something like that again. I am angry. How can you weigh a person’s life with money?”

Rudi and Lady Trentia exchanged glances, looking at me as if they were witnessing something bizarre.

I realized that my words contradicted my actions.

The rumors about Duke Valenciaunos harshly executing innocent prisoners while extorting hefty ransoms from wealthy ones must have reached them too.

“I misspoke. Your life cannot be measured by money. If your life, which serves me, is cheap, then my dignity becomes cheap as well. It was a mistake due to the tight budget I’ve been managing lately. Please don’t say such things anymore. From now on, I’ll be making a considerably larger budget available.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Ah, Your Excellency, I was surprised at how reasonable you were being.”

This was one of the side effects of my reckless behavior.

Whenever I showed a sensible reaction, everyone was surprised.

“It seems my drink hasn’t worn off yet. Forget it.”

As we bantered, we headed towards the slums.

However, as soon as we entered, we simultaneously closed our mouths.

“Kill!”

“Attack!”

The slum dwellers were fighting fiercely with makeshift knives made from scrap metal in every direction.

Corpses were strewn everywhere in the alley, some missing body parts, with bizarre symbols and markings etched in blood around them.

It was undeniably the mark of the Infiltrators.

We were momentarily speechless at the sight where even the slightest order had vanished.

“Your Excellency, what should we do?”

“It seems we can’t just show our faces and leave, can we?”

I took a moment to look around.

A fierce battle raged on, with hundreds tangled up against hundreds.

“I think so too. Let’s try approaching them. They are likely the largest organization here.”

“How did you know that?”

“One side is all wearing necklaces, while the other is all wearing bracelets, right? It’s rare to have a faction that can mobilize hundreds.”

Rudi pulled out his magical rifle, and Lady Trentia gripped the hilt of her sword.

I stopped both of them with a bewildered expression.

“Why are you trying to jump in already?”

Both looked at me in confusion.

“We need to gather information or understand the situation first, don’t we?”

“Isn’t that so?”

“Once the fighting is over, we can ask then. Why would we get caught up in the bloodshed in the meantime?”