Ch.109Then the Devil Came Through the Front Door (3)

No matter their first impression, the White Blood Knights couldn’t treat Kain’s group carelessly.

Even though Lily was openly breaking tradition, she was still family of the White Blood and a top-tier warrior.

And it was the custom of the White Blood to give preferential treatment to exceptional warriors, which extended equally to their companions.

Thanks to this, while Lily received treatment to stitch up the wound on her back, Maria received a massage to loosen her muscles and joints from a large female knight.

The massage looked so aggressive that it seemed like revenge for their rude greeting, but after receiving it, Maria fell asleep as if she had fainted.

Lily also couldn’t regain her composure, her face flushed—likely due to the strong liquor she had drunk instead of anesthetic. Knowing that Lily had strange habits when drunk, Kain ordered her to “sleep well since it’s a rare chance to rest,” and Lily gratefully collapsed into sleep.

This sight greatly irritated Chief Executor Astrid. She was displeased that the supreme warrior they all looked up to was so obedient to the orders of an “Imperial bureaucrat.”

Therefore, the Chief Executor started with a threat during her private meeting with Kain.

“Agent Kain. Just because you have Liliana Brynhildr as your subordinate doesn’t mean you can act as if all of the White Blood are your subordinates. That would be a grave mistake.”

Kain understood what the Chief Executor meant, but he didn’t agree with her confrontational attitude.

“It’s Agent Lily.”

A vein popped on Astrid’s forehead. Kain gave her a slight smile.

“I’ll respect you as much as you respect us. Anyway, I think we both have things to tell each other. Information exchange. What do you think?”

“Is it information valuable enough for us to know?”

“Roberta was attacked.”

“Is she dead?”

“Her neck was cut, but she was still alive when her head was embedded in a beast’s body and flew into the sky.”

Outwardly, Astrid appeared completely calm. But Kain saw her hand twitch. Noticing Kain’s gaze, she angrily stood up and called out to a knight outside.

“Tell everyone to prepare to withdraw from here after lunch! We’re returning!”

The knight disappeared with joy. Astrid sat back down and wiped her forehead.

“If our protection target is gone, we have no reason to stay here. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“How can you be so calm when your mission failed?”

It was meant to provoke Astrid, but it didn’t seem to have much impact, judging by her snort.

* * * * *

The White Blood Knights’ journey had not been smooth.

The Holy Grail Knights had an order from the Pope: “The canonization process for Roberta is underway, so please cooperate with related matters.”

The Elector of Reinhardt and Count Bördem couldn’t really refuse that order. Even though Roberta had been granted autonomy over this place.

Thanks to this, the Holy Grail Knights were able to pitch their tents inside the village. But not the White Blood.

“Our mission was strictly confidential protection. The protected subject shouldn’t even know they’re being protected. So we couldn’t consult with either the Elector or the Count. Our attempt to enter Berta Village also failed. They’re very sensitive about outsiders there.”

“Did you speak with Roberta?”

“I did.” Astrid was irritated.

“I even revealed my identity to her. But she flatly refused. Since the protection target actively refused protection, we have no reason to take any responsibility for the matter.”

“When was this? About three weeks ago?”

“Around that time.”

“Were there any conflicts with other bandits?”

“There were frequent conflicts in the first week, but after we dealt with them harshly, no one bothered us afterward. We just guarded our camp and didn’t bother anyone unnecessarily.”

Kain thought that wasn’t the only reason. It would have been enough for Roberta to order the other bandits, “Don’t mess with them.”

“Did you notice anything strange while staying here? For example…” Kain recalled what he had heard from Albin.

“Suspicious people wearing black robes?”

“If you’ve been in the Black Forest, you’d know everyone here is suspicious. No one is particularly more or less suspicious than others. There were no distinctive individuals.”

“Any rumors?”

“We’ve mostly just been here. We wouldn’t have heard any rumors.”

“I don’t understand.” Kain rubbed his chin.

“Then why were you here? Chief Executor, from what you’ve said, there seems to be no reason to establish a base here. You didn’t provide protection, you didn’t patrol around, you just stayed fixed in this spot?”

Astrid raised her finger in displeasure.

“I warned you. Don’t act as if we’re your subordinates. Why should we report everything about our work to you?”

“I’m not asking for a report, I just don’t understand. Didn’t you even hear what happened to the Holy Grail Knights?”

“You mean those fools who pitched their tents under a half-cut tree? My subordinate who went scouting told me about them.”

“Didn’t it occur to you that something suspicious might be happening in the village?”

“I’ve been listening to you go on and on… Are you reprimanding us, Imperial bureaucrat?”

“No. I’m too disappointed to even think about reprimanding you.

At least the White Blood Knights I met in Emmaus weren’t like this. They were stubborn, but they weren’t the kind to blindly follow orders without thinking.

Or… are you the type who, befitting your position as Chief Executor, only moves according to predetermined decisions?”

“Think what you will.” Astrid leaned back. “One thing is accurate. I am the Chief Executor. If I move before an execution decision is made, it becomes insubordination, no matter how good the intention or purpose!”

“I don’t mean to argue.” Kain slightly raised his palm. “But shouldn’t you at least know what was happening in Berta Village? The commotion that occurred there must have been impossible to ignore.”

“I heard reports that trees were moving. And that there was noisy news from Berta Village. But we couldn’t move arbitrarily.”

This was what Kain really wanted to ask.

Bandits and ruffians feared Berta Village and wouldn’t come near it. But the White Blood is an arrogant warrior group. If there was a commotion in Berta Village, it would make sense for the White Blood Knights to have responded.

But they didn’t move at all. Why? Being so close, why?

“Why? No, please don’t look at me as if you’re uncomfortable. I am an official of His Majesty the Emperor. Therefore, it’s my duty to report on what happened here.

So, I’ll have to include the line that when trees were overturned in Berta Village causing a commotion, the White Blood Knights, who were nearby, didn’t even lift a finger.”

“How.” Astrid now openly looked at Kain with hostility. “How can every word you speak be so irritating?”

“Because I almost died.” Kain confronted her.

“Because I came back from the brink of death. I don’t care if I die alone. But my companions almost died. And yet, a group that talks about being ‘warriors, warriors’ and was given the mission to protect a hero didn’t even bat an eye and just sat here acting superior. Wouldn’t it be stranger if I wasn’t angry?”

Unexpectedly, Astrid raised one corner of her mouth. Whether it was the experience of an older woman or a woman’s intuition was unclear.

“…Ah. It seems you think ‘deeply’ about your subordinates and companions. Quite affectionately too. Interesting. Why don’t you just join the White Blood Knights? In times like these, no one would care if someone like you joined.”

At the end of her response, Astrid lightly tapped the side of her chair.

“Let me get to the point. Liliana Brynhildr must return to Valhalla. This has nothing to do with the Imperial Security Bureau. It’s because of a treaty between His Majesty the Emperor and the Knight Commander, which is a higher concept.”

“Ridiculous.” Kain shook his head. “What treaty could be more important than His Majesty’s mission?”

“She is a Valkyrja. She must participate in the tournament. Without her, the tournament cannot be held.”

This was unexpected. Kain looked at Astrid with suspicious eyes. With the twisted smile from earlier gone, the Chief Executor continued calmly.

“The Knight Commander has collapsed and hasn’t regained consciousness. It’s right to assume there’s almost no possibility of recovery. And his first son, whom he designated as his successor, is in no position to command the knights. Therefore, a tournament will be held to select a new Knight Commander.”

“Why should that take precedence over Lily’s mission?”

“The White Blood Knights take orders from the White Blood Knight Commander. That was the treaty between the old Emperor and the old chieftain. If there is no Knight Commander, the knights must cease all activities and return promptly.

It was the deep intention of the old Emperor to prevent the knights from losing their reason and causing bloodshed in the Empire at will… Is that ‘mission’ you speak of superior to the treaty between the Emperor and the Knight Commander?”

Kain clenched his fist. To say it was more important, he would have to reveal what mission he was on.

But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t arbitrarily disclose that he was investigating the truth about the Seven Heroes.

“I can’t reveal that.”

“Really?” The Chief Executor, seeming to have gained the upper hand, even smiled.

“Now I understand why we were here. We were waiting for Liliana. We knew she was traveling around the Empire, but we couldn’t know where she was.

Therefore, knights outside the Empire were instructed to cease all activities, immediately recall Liliana Brynhildr, and gather information about her.

That’s why we’ve been here all this time, and why we didn’t care much about what was happening in Berta Village. If Liliana had been there, we would have gone immediately.”

“And then?”

“We would have taken her back.”

“What about Berta Village and the protection duty?”

“That’s not our concern.”

Kain wanted to say something harsh. Do you know what’s happening right now? Do you know what crisis the world is facing? But he couldn’t say it. He shouldn’t say it.

After all, Astrid was just quietly performing her duty. To question the Chief Executor of the White Blood Knights, who knew nothing about the overall situation, about being insensitive to the fate of the Empire and the world…

Kain suddenly felt a chill down his spine. It was because of the familiar sight he saw in the older woman before him.

“Just like you say. I too am only following orders.”

It was none other than his own image.

No. One thing was different. She still had pride. Pride in following noble orders. Pride in being on the right track. The sense of stability and solidity felt by someone who hasn’t yet strayed from the path, who hasn’t been thrown off the path.

Things Kain once had, but has now lost.

But before he could say anything, a knight approached urgently from outside.

“Chief Executor.”

“What is it?”

“A group is approaching. At least thirty in number. They’re approaching stealthily, but they don’t seem to be very disciplined.”

Bandits were gathering.