Chapter 221

-Boom boom boom boom!

The sound of soldiers’ footsteps echoes loudly.

The noise of searching rooms in the corridor was also noticeable, and soon enough, they started banging on this door.

-Bam bam!

“Excuse me. We need to confirm if an intruder has hidden here, so could you please open the door?”

Then, Harnier shouted at the soldiers outside the door with a voice she had never used before.

“You must be out of your mind. You want to interrupt my sweet time for such a reason?”

A true noble indeed has a different aura from the start.

I couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

“One time is all I need. I’ll check quickly and leave!”

“How dare a mere guard try to enter the room of a highborn lady without permission!”

“That is…”

“Shut your ugly mouth and get lost. If you’re still here when this door opens, you’ll have to prepare to face the intruder instead. My patience isn’t very deep.”

After applying more pressure, I could picture the guards fumbling behind the door.

This should be enough to make them back off.

That’s what I thought.

“Hey, you there.”

“Huh?”

“Move aside.”

…Move aside?

I heard muffled voices from outside, then suddenly, the door shook with impact.

-Bang!

“What are you doing?!”

“This is a warning. If you don’t open the door, we will break it down.”

Harnier urgently shouted again.

“With your incompetence, we already missed the intruder. Do you really expect me to open the door now?”

“It’s unavoidable since an intruder has entered. Who knows, they might have accomplices.”

Despite that, they didn’t seem ready to give up easily.

‘A hiding spot…’

There is one. It’s not like this place is safe for no reason; I can see a small passage above.

If I escape through that passage while hiding my appearance, I can end this without causing a commotion. I don’t know where it leads, but I have to run that way.

-Bang! Bang!

“This is your final warning. Next time, I’ll break the door down.”

There’s no time.

I need to move quickly.

But…

As I tried to leap through the upper passage, Harnier suddenly pushed me.

My body fell onto a soft bed.

Now is not the time for this… What’s going on?

“…I’m sorry, Carsein.”

“What… What are you…?!”

“Just bear with it for a little longer!”

“Bear with it? What does that mean…?!”

-Swish.

Hmm? Suddenly, my vision is blocked.

-Splat. Splat.

Then, my clothes began to be stripped off by Harnier’s hands.

“Harnier? What’s happening?”

“Given your refusal to open the door despite our warnings, we had no choice but to suspect you.”

“…”

“…”

-Bang!

Without even asking the reason, a blunt voice accompanied a louder crash.

“We can’t wait any longer. We’ll break in. Please forgive our rudeness.”

-Bang! Bang!

The locked door slowly creaked and almost crumbled, then shattered.

At that moment, buttons from my clothes flew off.

“Interfering with my pleasant time. Are you prepared for this?”

…What? It’s blocked by curtains, so I can’t see.

What kind of situation is this?

***

When Harnier warned the soldiers, they started stuttering.

“Uh, uh…”

“Hmm. Hmm…”

The soldiers avoided eye contact.

It was because they couldn’t meet eyes with that scene.

Through the lace curtains, a silhouette peeked.

Buttons torn everywhere and a rolling sound on the floor.

A shirtless man.

Eyes covered, vision blocked.

Hands tightly bound, lying on the bed.

And a masked woman climbing on top of him.

The chaotic scene in the room…

It made the soldiers imagine plausible scenarios about what happened here.

‘So bold. Must be common in this notorious black market.’

‘Of course. Anything goes in this black market.’

‘From drugs to slave training potions, it’s not surprising to see such scenes.’

‘The man isn’t moving, probably drugged.’

‘If he’s a slave bought from the black market, they’re likely training him. If he’s a noble, maybe it’s an affair or some unique fetish.’

While it may seem inappropriate, this black market is actually well-suited for such scenes.

Thus, the soldiers’ thoughts converged in one direction.

‘An intruder came into this place?’

In this scene, mentioning an intruder is irrelevant.

Yes, here…

A noble lady was buying slaves and training them here.

“Even after our warning, you still broke the door down. I’ll personally inform your master of this fact.”

At the noble lady’s chilling words, the soldiers’ shoulders trembled.

This led their resentful gazes to converge on one side.

‘Because of this kid, we’re the ones in trouble.’

‘Everyone knew what happens here. An intruder? Please.’

‘Getting caught for breaking into a noble’s room… I don’t even want to think about it.’

‘Rather than that…’

It’s clear they’ll suffer the consequences.

They began to act in unison.

-Slap!

“Gah?! What are you…?”

“I apologize. This idiot here is the captain. I’ll report to Baron and have him punished.”

“What? Attacking your superior…!”

“Shut up, you fool!”

“Don’t know your place!”

“Gah?! You…!”

Who’s the superior and who’s the subordinate?

Clearly, a rebellion played out.

The former captain, hit by the mutinous guards who didn’t want to take the blame, fainted.

The rebellious guards swiftly cleaned up and signaled each other with nods.

“I apologize! This foolish guy acted alone, disrupting our pleasant time.”

“Please tell us if you desire any punishment.”

Only one person needs to take the blame.

***

“I’ll leave now!”

The guards dragged away the former captain and immediately bowed before vanishing.

This would completely eliminate any suspicion that the intruder was in this room.

Indeed, my status window confirmed it.

▶Trap effect has been removed.◀

▶Pursuit has been lifted.◀

I waited silently as the pursuers’ footsteps faded away, even through my mana-enhanced ears. With my eyes closed and mouth shut, I easily freed my hand shackles and stood up.

This was quite a daring move for her, and Harnier sighed in relief.

“My fiancée seems quite adept at threats.”

“Almost got caught for real. Is this the kind of game you play?”

Still, I need to ask.

“So, why were my eyes covered and my hands tied? What was that all about?”

“Of course… Ahh!”

-Pinch!

A sharp gaze shot from Harnier, who was letting out a sigh of relief.

Her fierce eyes scanned me, then she abruptly turned her head.

“Put on your clothes first!”

“No… You tore them off!”

“It was urgent! Here!”

She turned her head and handed me a new shirt.

I scratched my head and took it.

“Why ask if you already know?”

“Huh?”

“You know everything. Why did it happen?”

“…I don’t?”

“Huh?”

“I genuinely don’t know. Why am I lying here, why is my shirt torn, why are my eyes covered, and why is something on my belly? I genuinely don’t know.”

“…”

After putting on the shirt, I asked her this, and her lips quivered as she looked away.

“I was being chased, so we had to pretend to do… that kind of thing together…”

“Doing what?”

“You… really.”

What exactly is she talking about?

She blushed deeply, barely managing to speak.

“Two grown adults… were locked in a room together. What would you think of that?”

“Huh?”

“Plus, this is a black market where drug deals and slave sales occur, and nobles sneak in for sexual relief regardless of gender. So, we had to show a scene like that…”

“…Hmm.”

I can guess what she means, somewhat.

“So, showing a misunderstanding to clear things up… That’s what you meant?”

“…Yes! See, you know everything! You did it on purpose?”

I see. Her reaction confirms it.

But… why go to such lengths?

“If showing a misunderstanding is the method, couldn’t I have just jumped over you?”

“Huh?”

“If I only showed myself, it would explain why I was alone in the room without issues. The confusion wouldn’t arise in the first place. I could have just said they woke me up while sleeping. It would’ve been easier to chase out strangers we’ve never seen.”

Blink. Blink.

Harnier’s purple eyes stared blankly at me.

She needed time to understand.

“Then, you could have told me earlier? I wouldn’t have had to do such embarrassing things…”

“No, it’s because you suddenly laid me down.”

“Huh?”

“You stopped me from speaking, tied my hands, and blindfolded me. You even told me to stay quiet. How could I protest?”

Again, Harnier’s eyes blinked.

She needed more time to understand.

“In any case, I couldn’t say anything. Your famous acting included tearing off all my shirt buttons…”

-Zap!

“Stop right there. Don’t say another word here.”

“Gah… No, why…? It’s the truth–”

“Didn’t I tell you not to speak?!”

“Gah!”

Today, I have two handprints on my back.

***

Since we can’t continue the conversation near the broken door, we moved elsewhere.

While I rubbed my numb back, Harnier asked me.

“So, why are you here, Carsein?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you. But…”

-Pinch.

“Answer first. You lied to me. You said you were going to the Duke House of Bargrand, yet you’re here. Why?”

Oh. There’s nothing to say.

Reluctantly, I explained the recent circumstances.

The problems in the Shatren Territory, the external signs suggesting sabotage, and how tracking Talpon’s scent led me here.

“I see. So the source of the fertilizer that ruined the Shatren Territory is here… Then you came here to gather evidence. The purpose of the Symposium is to prove this.”

“Yes.”

This greatly simplified the complex facts I needed to convey.

Indeed, she’s a smart woman.

“I’ll deal with your reckless actions separately.”

…Ah.

Being smart in both areas is troublesome.

“Sigh. If I knew this, I wouldn’t have hidden it.”

“Huh?”

“I’m also gathering evidence to break free from the Marquis House of Teresia… If I had known, I would have come with you…”

Our goals overlap.

‘I agree.’

Of course, I never imagined it would turn out like this.

-Ding!

▶Episode XI. The Source of Contamination is ongoing.◀

▶Entered the black market. Now, we need to find traces of the Waglew Faction.◀

▶The more proof you have, the more choices you can make.◀

‘Proof.’

I thought I’d gradually increase my rights through the Clue and Prove Event in the territory, but it seems the final solution will also follow a similar approach.

In a game like Tzuku, you’d collect clues scattered throughout and clear sub-episodes or perform gimmicks in emergency missions to gather choices.

It won’t be easy.

I have no information since I haven’t taken this route before.

However,

-Boom boom. Boom boom. Boom boom boom!

“The auction is starting. Looks like it’s about to begin. We shouldn’t stay here to avoid suspicion. Let’s move.”

There is an informant.

The important thing now is to use my wits.

“Understood. Let’s go–”

-Ding!

▶Episode XI. An emergency mission has occurred during the ongoing episode! The Source of Contamination.◀

▶Finding traces of an ancient kingdom can result in rewards.◀

“Carsein?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

…Traces of an ancient kingdom?