Chapter 16

“Did His Majesty really say that?”

“Yes. It means not to think foolishly. I thought my heart would burst. I was just worried you might have felt some pressure.”

Having finished training, I sat on the edge of the practice field, expelling rough breaths.

Lady Trentia, sitting next to me, bit her lip as if she found it chilling.

“Actually, I was also called by the Commander and received a similar message. For the sake of prestige, it was said that it would be tolerated since good is good.”

“You both seem to know quite a bit, don’t you?”

“Yes. I don’t understand how you possess such insight while only examining the world through documents from the Main Palace.”

“Aren’t I the youngest Sword Master in history? If my insight is only half as much as my sword skills, that should be sufficient.”

“Administration and governance are not areas of talent. Which faction did you belong to before your ascension, Your Majesty?”

“I was a divinity of the First Prince faction. Though I drew my sword first due to being monitored by both the Crown Prince and the First Prince.”

Trentia and I fell into a moment of silence.

“Your Highness, what will you do now?”

“I must live as I have. Fooling around. I should refrain from romantic relationships. If I accidentally father a child, given Your Majesty’s temperament, that woman will also end up dead.”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“Of course not. You are a knight, aren’t you?”

Lady Trentia rolled her eyes.

“That’s not it. I mean that I don’t think I can live as I have.”

“You’re not suggesting you want me to find the penpoint, are you?”

“It’s concluded that a bounty will be placed. But I’ve been instructed to actively conduct search activities in advance.”

“Isn’t that what I just said? That’s not something for a knight like you to do.”

A raw hand with calluses and short, wine-red hair, a knight with outstanding skill and potential.

Lady Trentia nodded.

“Yes. That’s right.”

A knight’s duty is to take down suspicious individuals illuminated by the results of search activities; it’s not about conducting the search itself.

There was a significant difference between these two.

“How about sending a formal letter to the Chief of Police?”

“He is under the Black Iron Knight Order. Why would he cooperate with us? He’ll probably come in and denounce our incompetence.”

“Isn’t there an information organization under the Silver Knight Order itself?”

“There is, but they’re all out in other provinces.”

“Other provinces?”

“The places where the late Empress’s family resides.”

“They’re probably on watch for any rebellion.”

“That’s correct.”

Lady Trentia did not ask me for help.

She did not say that her situation had become difficult.

She might have thought that, as a knight, she shouldn’t speak like that to a 17-year-old young duke.

As a knight, one must follow orders.

It was a troublesome mission.

I had no idea how much time would be deemed adequate for ‘active search.’

It was essentially a punishment.

I pressed my forehead, overwhelmed by rising guilt.

There had been times I wished for the guilt to disappear, but at the same time, it was a bulwark that kept me from crossing the final line.

It might already be too late, though.

“Lady.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“Since the weather is nice, shall we go on a date tomorrow?”

“Pardon?!”

“So come fully armed.”

* * *

The permit for going out granted by the Emperor was still valid.

I took a carriage and rode outside the Imperial Palace, disembarking in the bustling city.

Lady Trentia, assigned the ‘active search’ task, was already waiting for me.

Passersby averted their eyes at the sight of a knight wearing plate armor inscribed with an Incantation Circuit.

I alternated my gaze between the clear sky and the shiny, stone-paved road.

With such nice weather…

“Your Highness, where do you plan to go now?”

Lady Trentia asked.

I pointed to a large stone building that rose at the crossroads.

As Lady Trentia approached the main entrance, I grasped her wrist.

“Not that way.”

“Pardon?”

We entered the weed-choked, shady path between buildings.

Even if there were a few delinquents around, the capital’s security was still excellent.

I opened a small door at the back of the building.

A damp smell of water wafted up from the dimly lit underground.

I didn’t expect to encounter this smell again, almost nostalgic.

“What is it?”

“How much do you know about the Soleterion underground waterways?”

“I know they dig deep tunnels underground and channel river water to drain sewage.”

“That’s sufficient.”

“But why here…?”

“…….”

The address on the package sent by Rudi was this building.

Naturally, they wouldn’t send Urglim’s penpoint to this commercial building.

I had used underground waterways for various purposes in my past life.

As soon as I heard the address where Rudi sent the package, I knew.

They must have used this location to smuggle the penpoint.

Of course, explaining that to the valiant knight was a different matter entirely.

While I was lost in thought, Lady Trentia spoke first.

“I heard from my seniors that they smuggle illegal drugs and heterogeneous women through the underground waterways in the red-light district.”

“That’s right.”

“It seems you know how to explore such places.”

I responded with a sly smile.

Lady Trentia hesitated momentarily.

“You could have at least brought an oil lamp or a magic stone lamp.”

“There’s no need.”

“Excuse me?”

I stepped ahead and walked into the underground waterway.

Lady Trentia followed in with a small sigh.

“It’s quite deep.”

She remarked.

“It should be deeper than the basement and deeper than the water supply.”

We turned the stairs down about four times.

“Welcome to the underground waterway, Lady Trentia.”

“I didn’t expect it to be this spacious.”

She looked around in surprise.

It had been a while since I had come down, and nostalgia washed over me.

The sewer was only wide enough for a leap if one took a running start.

The sidewalks on either side were too narrow for two people but wide enough for one.

The ceiling was high enough that one needn’t bow their head.

“It’s not a dirt wall.”

Lady Trentia said, her tone full of clear astonishment.

“I know that it was built with the help of several earth magicians.”

“And it’s not as dark as I expected. The walls and floor emit light.”

While it wasn’t bright enough to distinguish colors, it was at a good brightness, equivalent to moonlight.

“I heard it’s moss created with magic. They mixed in the blood of a Glowfish.”

“That’s impressive.”

I began to walk along the sidewalk.

“The slums of the capital are over there, right next to the red-light district.”

“Then we could have just moved to the slums by carriage?”

Lady Trentia expressed her confusion.

“If we did that, we wouldn’t even have time for tea, and ten thousand slum dwellers would know that a knight of the Silver Knight Order had come. The gang that smuggled the penpoint would scatter and run away.”

“But… I don’t think they bribed any palace attendants. What slum organization could afford such money, and how could they connect with the imperial court?”

Lady Trentia lowered her voice.

“I think so too. They’re only the middlemen confusing the tracking efforts.”

“It seems the hunt for the real culprit is out of reach.”

“Think positively. By finding the penpoint and interrogating their leader, we might achieve a good outcome.”

It was still a date that had not yet completed delivery.

Though it was precarious, there was still time.

I could hear her delighted laughter.

“Okay. Let’s proceed as far as we can.”

“Yes, that’s the reaction I was hoping for.”

After walking in the direction of the slums for about three hours, Lady Trentia spoke up.

“By the way, it’s strangely odorless.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is a sewer, right? I expected it to be filled with waste and feces.”

“Back in the day, I also thought that way. Now that I think about it, I don’t see a single one.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, there’s one right there. Take a look.”

I pointed with my fingertip at a jelly-like creature that had just crawled up onto the sidewalk.

Its size was about that of a large hunting dog; due to the darkness, I couldn’t distinguish its color, but I knew it was green.

It slowly moved, stretching and contracting its body.

“Isn’t that a slime?”

Lady Trentia exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s a creature modified by court magicians to consume waste, mold, wood scraps, and slime. It’s probably not from the capital, right? I’ve heard it’s been around for quite a while.”

“I think I’ve heard of it. When I was young, my sister scared me saying it would crawl out of the toilet and eat me if I misbehaved.”

She made a brief expression of disgust.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny, Your Highness?”

“I’m sorry. I thought you wouldn’t even blink in front of an ogre.”

“I was just a child back then.”

“Of course. Just to add, living humans don’t attack, so you can relax. Naturally, they won’t crawl out from the toilet.”

“Your Highness!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Lady Trentia was indignant.

If she weren’t the young duke, her attitude seemed like it would throw me into the waterway.

“Be quiet. It resonates well underground. Shall I start playing the marching trumpet?”

“You grasp sarcasm surprisingly well, Your Highness.”

“Who’s your older brother? Of course, I should be good at it.”

“That statement may constitute a blasphemy.”

“I’ve already committed a near act of treason; do you think I’d bat an eye over something like blasphemy?”

“You’re impressive.”

As we turned a corner, I spotted a rope ladder ahead in the waterway.

A faint pillar of light was visible through the hole where the ladder came down.

Clearly, someone in the basement was lowering the ladder.

“Your Highness.”

Lady Trentia spoke in a tense voice.

“Yes, it seems we’re finally arriving.”

“What kind of individuals are we looking for?”

I recalled the memories from my past life for a moment.

This incident of palace attendants smuggling royal artifacts through the slum organization.

The organization involved in this case must be…

“The ones wearing red leather bracelets on their left wrists. They must have a knot.”

“Do they have a name?”

“What do names matter to those who change their leaders frequently? Just let them be called the knot faction for now.”

“You’ve managed to find them exactly. I have no idea where we are right now.”

If one used the waterway for about five years, they’d get a sense of distance, I almost said it aloud.

* * *

Valenciaunos was the first to grab the rope ladder.

Trentia looked back and forth between him and the hole in the ceiling.

Her brows knitted together.

The young duke had never properly left the Imperial Palace from childhood until now.

Yet he seemed natural and familiar with the passage used by the underground waterway maintenance workers.

I had heard that he had been captivated by flight for the past couple of months.

But his bright eyes and calm movements as he quietly ascended the rope ladder did not seem like the work of someone who had merely been obsessed with flying.

It was akin to witnessing the movements of a knight experienced in siege warfare or a skilled assassin.

Valenciaunos moved on the rope ladder without making a creak or a sound.

‘Who knows what kinds of people are up there?’

No matter how much he might frequent the underground waterway as if it were his home, and despite his connections with individuals unfit for his status during his reckless days, he could not possibly know the strength and hideouts of all the slum gangs.

Yet, it was certain that they would know someone connected to him.

Moreover, Valenciaunos was accustomed to dealing with slum gang members.

Upon reaching the top of the rope ladder, he paused for a moment before extending his hand and listening intently.

“When is he coming?”

“He said he’d arrive this afternoon. Just wait. It’s not just a couple of coins.”

“The whole neighborhood was turned upside down recently, yet they still have supplies left?”

“They must have gathered whatever they could. It looks like they’re in quite a hurry. They’re scraping every penny, even down to the well-worn copper coins of this neighborhood.”

“Is it white or red?”

“White.”

Valenciaunos understood their conversation based on his long experience.

‘About three individuals, each affiliated with different gangs. They’re in the middle of dealing drugs. The source is the red-light district. After the Madame Laviecia incident, many have been investigated and fined.’

He cast a glance at the sword hanging at his waist.

‘Originally, they sold small amounts only to noble guests. It seems they’re facing significant financial troubles now, crawling out beyond the red-light district.’

Having listened to the sound of voices, he determined the direction in which the three were seated.

‘I need to inform the team. Just in case, I’ll let them know not to get involved.’

With a quick motion, he dashed outside of the hole.

Three men were huddled in a corner.

Contrary to their shabby and plain clothing, their eyes glistened with bloodshot intensity.

One had a tattoo of a name on his neck, another had a cross tattooed on his face, and the last was wearing a leather knot bracelet on his wrist.

“I found them.”

Valenciaunos moved according to his extensive experience.

Without asking questions, he drew his sword first.

‘A little blood can be beneficial in constructive dialogue, like the oil sprinkled on a rusty blade.’