Chapter 75

Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to take a stroll through the garden inside the Imperial Palace. Wasn’t it open to guests invited to the palace? For something like that, it was surprisingly clean and quiet. Personally, I don’t really like being in the sunlight, but the sunlight I receive while walking in a place like this is an exception. Ah, so I am the son of the Sun God Surya.

As I walked through the garden, blessed by the Sun God Surya, I saw Lorcha. She was admiring the flowers, unaware of my presence. As the son of the Sun God, I couldn’t resist playing a little prank.

“What are you doing there, Lorcha, Tower Lord?”

Lorcha jumped in surprise and turned around.

“Ah, geez! You scared me! Can’t you make some noise or something?”

“Ah, sorry, it’s a habit…”

It seems that after fighting those commie bastards yesterday, my old habits came back without me realizing it. Damn commie bastards, because of them, I’m even getting scolded by Lorcha. Truly useless scum, next time I see them, I’ll turn them into Ultra Red Masks, not just Super Red Masks. I’ll tear their bodies in half.

“So, what were you doing here?”

I was curious why the Tower Lord herself had come all the way to the Imperial Palace garden to admire flowers. Did she bury some treasure here or something? In movies, they often hide treasures in places like this, right?

What kind of treasure could be hidden here? Sulfuras? The sheath of the Knight King? What the hell could it be? Surely not Hitler’s gold bars, right? Wait, thinking about it, that’s actually quite possible. If I see any neo-Nazi scum here insulting me with their discriminatory remarks, that is. Could it be that the Nazi scum transported Hitler’s gold bars to this other world? It’s worth considering.

“Did you bury something here?”

“…No, I didn’t!”

Judging by her reaction, it’s definitely Hitler’s gold bars. But even if it’s loot buried by neo-Nazi scum, the ownership belongs to Lorcha as the discoverer. I have no intention of claiming ownership of someone else’s loot and starting a mud-slinging fight.

“Alright, if you say so.”

“I absolutely did not bury anything, so don’t get the wrong idea! And don’t tell anyone about this, got it?!”

“Yeah, I got it. I won’t tell anyone.”

I can keep the fact that you’re hiding Hitler’s gold bars a secret. As a friend, of course.

“Oh, by the way, I have something to give you.”

“Something?”

Is she planning to give me a gold bar as hush money? I, the son of the Sun God and the heir to the Allied forces who defeated the Nazis, am not someone who can be swayed by just one gold bar. If Lorcha tries to bribe me like those cowardly Nazi scum, my righteous fist of love and justice will not forgive her.

“Here’s your first assignment.”

Instead of a gold bar, she handed me a mission order. Thankfully, it wasn’t a bribe, but… I felt strangely annoyed. If it had been a bribe, I wouldn’t have been this irritated. Should I just throw a one-inch punch?

The mission order read:

[To Imperial Sorcerer Werner.]

Damn, it’s so stiff and formal. Couldn’t they write it more casually? Do they grow thorns in their mouths or something?

[Recently, there has been a sharp increase in child abduction incidents in the capital.]

Holy crap, how messed up is the security that innocent children are suffering? This seems like something the capital’s security force should handle, not me. Hey, you guys, how badly are you doing your jobs that abduction cases are increasing? You’re probably just drinking and partying with women at night…

[Therefore, we have increased the number of guards and their training, and deployed them for patrols. However, yesterday, four guards were found dead in a gruesome state.]

Ah, young guards, I, Werner, believe in you. There are those who risk their lives for the security and people of the capital. If anyone dares to tarnish their honor, my righteous fist will not forgive them. I’ll deliver a River Blow, followed by a one-inch punch to the solar plexus, and then a high kick combo to the temple to judge those bastards. How dare they insult those who fight for the nation? What kind of scum would do that?

[Therefore, we entrust you with the investigation and resolution of this matter. If you need anything for your activities, request it separately from Knight Commander Ricardo.]

That was the end of the letter. In short, there’s been a recent surge in abduction cases, and since the guards can’t handle it, they’re dumping it on me. Damn bastards, the guards should handle their own problems, not bother me with this. Honestly, the guards who died on patrol would want their own force to solve this, not some random archmage.

And damn, this is it? If this were a game, they’d at least give me experience points, money, or even an item. What kind of ridiculous quest is this? I should punch the guy who designed this quest in the face with a capitalist punch.

“Who the hell came up with this damn order…?”

“It’s an order approved by His Majesty the Emperor. If you say the wrong thing, you could lose your head.”

Damn this damn monarchy.

“I can curse the Emperor when he’s not around, damn it…”

“Yeah, but this is the Imperial Palace garden, you idiot.”

Ah, damn, that’s right. Even so, cursing the host in their own garden isn’t right. I should reflect deeply. The difference between humans and beasts is the ability to reflect. Behold my shining character, admitting and accepting mistakes when pointed out. I am truly an Arhat, a saint who has cut off all worldly desires and attained enlightenment.

“By the way, Tower Lord Lorcha, do you know anything about these recent abduction cases?”

“Well, I only know that abduction cases have increased, but I don’t know the details. But there’s a strange smell.”

Damn, I just washed my hands after using the bathroom. Do I smell? Even if I do, it’s very faint, right? I should’ve known from the moment Lorcha’s hair turned slightly blue. Lorcha, with her blue hair, must be a descendant of a gourmet with a keen sense of smell, skilled with forks and knives, and capable of delivering nail punches. So even my faint smell…

“The Black Round Table.”

Ah, those guys.

“I think they’re directly involved… or at least somewhat related.”

Where could those commie bastards be? Given their nature, I suspect they’re hiding in tunnels. Damn it, let’s look for tunnels.

“Tower Lord Lorcha, are there any tunnels in the capital?”

“No, there’s no such thing. Oh, but there is a sewage system.”

Only alligators live in the sewers, not commie bastards. So where could those commie bastards be hiding…

“Come to think of it, there are rumors of strange noises coming from the sewers lately.”

“That’s because of the alligators.”

“Why would there be alligators in the sewers, you lunatic?!”

She’s denying basic ecology again. It’s common knowledge that alligators live in sewers, right? Maybe she’s lacking in biology because she only studied magic.

“Ah… if not alligators, maybe turtles.”

“Why would there be turtles, you crazy?!”

She’s ignoring ecology again? It’s common knowledge that sewers have alligators, ninja turtles, and the rats that train them. It seems the mages in this world only study magic and neglect other fields.

Sigh, to reach the pinnacle of true knowledge, one must study all fields without discrimination. I genuinely worry about their pitiful state.

“It’s common knowledge that alligators and turtles live in sewers, Tower Lord Lorcha.”

“Common knowledge, my ass! Why would there be alligators and turtles there in the first place?!!”

Lorcha started shouting at the top of her lungs. Shouting in someone else’s house, how rude.

“Lorcha, lower your voice. It’s not polite.”

“Do you know why I’m so angry right now?!!”

Ugh, she’s as loud as a boiling train whistle.

Then, a voice called out from afar.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is approaching!”

See, Lorcha’s being loud and foolish, and now the Crown Prince is coming.

But damn, if the Crown Prince comes, I’m screwed. Thanks to Lorcha, everything’s going to hell.