Ch.105Insurance (1)

Meanwhile, at the Mayshall mansion, just as the performance was about to begin.

The knights dispatched from the imperial palace were maintaining tight security around the Mayshall mansion. Since the exhibition was being held in Mayshall territory, it was natural for some to harbor suspicions, so they were prepared for any contingency.

The knights were deployed as follows: two knights stood guard outside each family member’s bedroom door, and the same applied to entrances of offices and cellars where important documents and items were stored.

Though few in number, these knights had been personally selected and dispatched by the Leort and Rina siblings.

Even Hawk, who was said to have once slain a dragon, praised their abilities, so everyone expected there would be no problems.

“Ah, I wish I could go to the festival too. I’m confident I could enjoy myself better than anyone.”

“What can we do? When they say guard, we guard.”

But being human, they couldn’t help wanting to participate in the festival. Though military discipline demanded absolute obedience, sometimes they wished they could refuse orders.

Especially with a festival happening right before their eyes while they had to guard the mansion—it was like a feast they could see but not touch.

“When is our shift change?”

“It’s only been 10 minutes since we started duty.”

“Ah, damn it.”

The junior knight sighed at his senior’s response. It felt like they’d been guarding this door for 30 minutes already—time was crawling by painfully slowly.

“But what’s in this mansion that we need to guard anyway?”

“Well, since the exhibition is being held in this area, some might think there’s something valuable here. We’re preventing that possibility, though it’s unlikely. I’d rather just see Lord Hawk once.”

“Is Lord Hawk really that strong?”

At the junior’s question, the senior knight crossed his arms, thought deeply, and then spoke.

“You’re young, so you might not know. Have you ever seen someone defeat a dragon single-handedly? You should have seen it yourself. Many people, including myself, wanted to become knights after witnessing that.”

“And you regretted it?”

“A little.”

People are similar wherever you go—if Isaac saw this scene, he would have found it familiar. Senior and junior knights chatting to make time pass faster while on duty.

Of course, this wasn’t neglect of duty—they were using detection techniques while conversing. If any stranger infiltrated within a certain range, their senses would immediately detect them, so there was no major concern.

However, this only applied to “humans.” The story would be different for other races, especially demons or elves. Using magic, they could not only deceive the knights’ senses but also move between spaces, passing through walls.

“Not this one… not this one either…”

Inside the office where Hawk, the head of the Mayshall family, handled his affairs.

In the room illuminated only by moonlight, a figure was rummaging through the desk.

Despite two knights standing guard at the office entrance, they hadn’t noticed the intruder inside.

This was natural because the intruder wasn’t human but a different race—a dark elf, a species not widely known to the public. While elves are naturally specialized in magic, dark elves are several times more proficient in stealth.

If an ordinary thief tried to hide, they would at least be detected by tracking techniques or magic, but dark elves’ stealth abilities are on an entirely different level.

Rather than merely hiding their bodies, they become one with space, making it seem as if they don’t exist at all. This is one of the powers and blessings bestowed upon dark elves by Mora, the goddess of darkness and rest.

To detect a skilled dark elf’s stealth requires at least mid-level knight abilities by human standards.

But even this only allows “detection”—dark elves are each seasoned warriors who have weathered countless battles, so most opponents are helpless against them.

“Not here either?”

Rain, the dark elf who had come as Arwen’s escort, expressed doubt as she returned all the documents she had examined to their original places.

Surprisingly, what she was looking for was the original manuscript of the Biography of Xenon.

Just before the performance began, the words of the red-haired man who had approached Arwen lingered in her mind.

‘Xenon is the pen name of the author who wrote the Biography of Xenon. And that redhead said he was Xenon.’

This was when Isaac and Marie were conversing. Though Isaac had whispered, the dark elf’s naturally enhanced senses had heard it clearly.

At first, she had been wary, thinking he might have approached Arwen with impure intentions, but she had gained unexpected information.

‘As I thought, he’s not an ordinary human.’

Though he had a decent appearance and impressive knowledge for a human, he wasn’t worthy of Arwen. But the demon who seemed to be acquainted with Isaac concerned her most.

What could this seemingly ordinary human possess that would attract such a powerful being—a demon who had been discriminated against until the Biography of Xenon was published?

He appeared completely ordinary, but if he was the author of the Biography of Xenon, everything would change. If he truly was Xenon, it would explain why that female demon was fond of him.

This would mean the female demon also knew Isaac was Xenon. Though still a conjecture, the puzzle pieces were fitting together so perfectly that she was becoming increasingly convinced.

‘I need evidence. Evidence.’

Therefore, Rain had infiltrated this mansion to find proof that Isaac was Xenon.

If she found the original manuscript in this mansion, it would prove Isaac was Xenon, and she could then report to Arwen.

Last time, she had stolen the manuscript without understanding its significance, earning a severe scolding from Arwen and harsh words from the elder. She had only acted to please Arwen, but the result had backfired.

So Rain needed to find evidence as a form of repentance. If she found evidence, she could return the stolen manuscript and have various options.

Of course, she would only verify the manuscript’s existence, not steal it. Having been severely scolded, she had personally experienced the impact the Biography of Xenon had, and would not make such a foolish choice again.

‘Fortunately, the defenses are more lax than I expected.’

Fortunately, the mansion’s security was lax by Rain’s standards. There were anti-intrusion spells in place, but they were like scarecrows against a dark elf’s powers.

Instead, she was careful when using magic to pass through walls. A human with keen senses might detect it.

‘I’ve searched everywhere here… there are so many rooms, it’s confusing.’

Rain scratched her head in frustration.

Though she was gaining experience thanks to Arwen’s patronage, this was her first time infiltrating a human mansion, so she was completely unfamiliar with its structure.

After meticulously searching room after room with no success, she grew increasingly frustrated.

‘Next is…’

She looked toward the wall, not the door. Since she could simply pass through walls, there was no need to go outside.

Eventually, after thoroughly examining the documents and confirming there was nothing related to the Biography of Xenon, Rain walked slowly toward the wall.

An ordinary person would be stopped by the wall, but as a dark elf, she could pass through it effortlessly with a simple spell.

Flash!

Blink—a spell for short-distance movement, unlike teleport or warp which are for long distances.

With a single blink, Rain moved through the wall and surveyed the entire room. If the previous room was an office, this appeared to be a lounge for guests.

‘There’s probably nothing here.’

She quickly scanned the room with her eyes and moved to the next. Continuing to move from room to room, she finally arrived at someone’s bedroom.

It appeared to be a room for one person, not a couple, characterized by its simple appearance. Additionally, the lingering musty smell of books and the distinctive male scent stung her nose.

‘This is the redhead’s room!’

Women’s rooms typically have a pleasant fragrance. However, this place had no such scent.

Rain had only met Isaac, not his brother Dave, but she could be certain from the overwhelming smell of books. Especially since this was the same scent she had detected from Arwen.

She excitedly surveyed the room’s interior. The bed, dressing table, and desk were small, but there were countless bookshelves.

Naturally, there were far more books than in other rooms. Recognizing that Isaac, like Arwen, loved books, Rain approached the desk.

‘This is definitely the redhead’s room.’

Rain reaffirmed her certainty upon discovering a book on the desk. It was a book Arwen had recommended at the bookstore.

All that remained was to search the desk for the manuscript. She began rummaging through the desk drawers, completely unaware that she had been detected by some magic.

She first examined the exposed drawers but found nothing, as expected. Most were even empty, as if nothing had been placed in them.

‘Then what’s left is…’

Only the drawer securely locked with a padlock. Rain stared intently at the drawer with a skeptical look.

She couldn’t believe that the manuscript—considered a national treasure or even a sacred relic by people, especially demons—would be sleeping inside. It seemed too careless.

This made her doubt whether it was really here, but she couldn’t ignore the possibility. Besides, the padlock was easy to unlock.

Rain crouched down and grabbed the padlock. No key or magic was needed. It was such a flimsy lock that it could be unlocked simply by channeling mana.

Click-

In less than 10 seconds, the padlock securing the drawer was unlocked. Rain checked several times for other mechanisms before carefully removing the padlock.

The drawer was now completely defenseless. She looked around and slowly opened it.

Upon discovering the stack of manuscript paper, a smile spread across Rain’s face. She had been skeptical, but her skepticism had been proven wrong.

‘Is this real? Is this really the original manuscript?’

Rain excitedly pulled out the top manuscript. It matched perfectly with the introduction of Kayre’s side story that had been recently published.

This proved that Isaac was the author of the Biography of Xenon. The handwriting was identical to the manuscript of the first volume, so there was no need for further verification.

‘That’s a relief. This could ease the Queen’s mind.’

Though she might be scolded again for trespassing in someone else’s mansion, she could at least lift a burden that had been weighing on her.

Just as Rain sighed with relief and was about to return the manuscript to its original place—

Grab!

“Kuhk!”

Without warning, someone grabbed the back of her neck like a sickle and pinned her to the floor. Rain, unable to even register what had happened, could only let out a death cry as her face kissed the ground.

Startled, Rain struggled to break free, but strangely, she couldn’t muster any strength. From the moment her neck was grabbed, her entire body had been subdued.

The neck is the connection between the brain and the body. Whoever it was had undoubtedly paralyzed her neck using mana.

‘Im-impossible. Who could…’

This level of ability could only be performed by a skilled warrior even among dark elves. Rain, with almost no worldly experience, couldn’t help but be shocked.

As she tried to turn her head to identify the person who had subdued her, the person quietly murmured.

“So it’s the one who was with that elf.”

“Kuuuh…”

“Do you people have a hobby of breaking into others’ mansions?”

It was Gartz, Cecilly’s knight escort. Though wearing a mask, he was currently in a very bad mood.

First, he was angry because an intruder had entered the place Cecilly had designated, and second, he was angry because he had missed the highlight of the performance because of Rain.

Though his mouth was covered by a mask, his furrowed brow clearly showed how displeased he was.

[Princess. There’s an intruder in the mansion, a dark elf. How should I handle this?]

Having easily subdued Rain with a surprise attack, Gartz sent a telepathic message to Cecilly. Cecilly had instructed him to handle any intruders as he saw fit, but dark elves were a different matter.

The relationship between demons and dark elves could neither be described as good nor bad. But the moment one meddled with dark elves, things inevitably became troublesome.

Dark elf warriors were each as strong as Reapers, and for Helium, which needed to focus on both diplomacy and internal affairs, they were quite an uncomfortable presence.

Although dark elves were said to be exiles who had broken away from Alfheim, seeing one by Arwen’s side was concerning.

[…Is that the child who was with the elf queen?]

Cecilly, who had been focusing on the performance, responded to Gartz’s report. She had also noticed that Arwen was the Queen of Alfheim.

Gartz, gripping Rain’s neck more tightly as she struggled to break free, answered.

[Yes, that’s correct.]

[Find out why they infiltrated the mansion and what their purpose was, then let Lord Balack handle it. This is clearly their fault, so they can’t say anything.]

[Understood.]

[Ah, but don’t handle it inside the mansion. Take care of it outside. If blood splatters, that person might become suspicious.]

Cecilly completely trusted Gartz, so she gave simple instructions and returned her focus to the performance. The highlight was about to unfold, so unless it was truly urgent, she had no reason to go to the mansion.

As soon as communication with Cecilly ended, Gartz looked down at Rain. She had now stopped resisting, all strength drained from her body, and was trembling in fear.

The sight of a young child trembling pitifully was enough to evoke sympathy, but it meant nothing to Gartz. Beings ostracized by others, like demons and dark elves, often committed acts of killing from a young age.

So Rain should not be seen as a child but as a warrior. Unfortunately, her lack of experience had led to this predicament.

“I’ll ask you. Why did you infiltrate this place?”

“… …”

At Gartz’s emotionless question, Rain could only tremble and say nothing. The fear of death, which she was experiencing for the first time in her life, dominated her body.

But Gartz, undeterred, pressed harder and threatened with a voice full of killing intent.

“If you don’t answer from now on, I’ll cut off your fingers one by one.”

“I-I was looking for something…”

“Looking for what?”

“The manuscript…”

The manuscript… Gartz shifted his gaze to the manuscript paper clutched in her hand.

It looked like an ordinary manuscript on the surface, but considering she had risked infiltrating the mansion, there must be something significant about it. Gartz, while firmly pressing down on her neck with one hand, took the manuscript.

After reading the manuscript line by line, Gartz couldn’t help but widen his eyes. Having read Kayre’s recently published side story, he recognized what kind of manuscript this was.

‘…I understand why the Princess is fond of that human.’

But what could he do? Though he was a fan of the Biography of Xenon, he was currently on a mission.

Still, recognizing it as a treasure precious to demons, he placed the manuscript neatly on the floor. He planned to return and respectfully put it back after dealing with this dark elf.

“What were you planning to do with this manuscript?”

“Well…”

Rain hesitated, seemingly reluctant to answer this particular question. Simultaneously, Gartz’s eyes grew fiercer as he drew the dagger hanging at his waist.

Seeing the dagger reflect the moonlight, Rain panicked and began to confess everything. Despite her harsh training from a young age, it was all useless in the face of the fear of death.

“I-I was trying to return the manuscript I stole! I-I’m telling the truth!”

“…So it was you who stole it after all.”

This had the opposite effect. The dark elves’ theft of the manuscript had been a suspicion without concrete evidence.

But Rain’s testimony confirmed it. Whether it was done independently or orchestrated by Alfheim, the fact that the manuscript had been stolen was what mattered.

‘What an immature brat to be an escort… seems close to the queen though…’

She was clearly inadequate in many ways, even if she had come unofficially and secretly. She had abandoned the monarch she was supposed to protect and acted independently—a complete failure as an escort knight.

Gartz looked at the trembling Rain with a contemptuous gaze and sheathed his dagger. He planned to leave the mansion first and then deal with her in a secluded place.

Just as he momentarily let his guard down to use magic—

Shing-

Without any warning, a silver dagger was pointed at Gartz’s nape. The blade reflected the moonlight, emitting a brilliant light.

Who could have evaded both Gartz’s protective magic and his senses? Gartz looked at the dagger approaching his nape and quietly murmured.

“I see…”

He slowly turned his head. Even as he turned, the dagger pointed at his neck didn’t move at all.

Soon, Gartz met golden eyes that shone brightly even in the darkness. Like him, the newcomer had covered their mouth with a mask, but he could tell it was a beautiful woman with exquisite features.

Not only that, but her dark skin noticeable even in the darkness, white hair, half-cut ears, and mature figure unlike Rain’s all stood out.

The reason Arwen could feel at ease bringing Rain, her insurance—

“The queen wouldn’t be crazy enough to bring a child as an escort.”

Gartz smirked at the appearance of another dark elf.