Ch.11A Woman with No Eye for Men (6)

The sunlight fell onto the desk like a discarded corpse. When the desk raised dust in protest, the sun jeered and threw down even more light. Pages of nightmares that hadn’t vanished with dawn fluttered on the desk. Strange, flickering fragments chorused under the beam of light.

– Look. See what happened in your neighbor’s house while you ate, drank, and slept comfortably. Tonight, as you suffer like this, your neighbor will sleep peacefully. Just like you did yesterday.

As if even hearing it was blasphemous, Anna stuffed the documents and sketches back into the envelope. She shoved them into a drawer she had roughly pulled open and closed it with a sharp click.

“So. What do you think?”

Anna asked from the darkness that felt all the more profound for being next to the brightest sunlight. Kain answered based on his intuition.

“It seems like a warning mixed with showing off.”

“In what way?”

“Instead of killing and displaying them, they incapacitated them but kept them alive, while treating them as roughly as possible. As if playing with them, like delicately plucking off an ant’s antennae instead of crushing it. That’s my first impression.”

Kain shook his head. Just as something bizarre can be dismissed as absurd imagination or fiction when it goes too far, he felt not even a needle-point of reality in this. It would be more fitting as a legend, ghost story, or an ancient painting. Therefore, he returned to realistic questions he could better handle.

“Were the drawings and reports prepared by the Royal Guard Bureau?”

“No. The Pope sent them.”

“Where are the survivors?”

“They’re silent about the location of the first victim, Abbot Arius, but they did tell us about Archbishop William and his underlings. They’re at the Otranto Isolation Monastery, east of Count Lorentz’s territory. It should be a place separated from the secular world, one that even the Pope shouldn’t approach carelessly… but I suppose the Pope was desperate. That means it’s urgent.”

Indeed, such patients couldn’t be sent to an ordinary hospital. Most likely, Abbot Arius was also being cared for in another monastery.

“The Pope’s side said they would send investigators too. However, since church power is as intertwined as secular power, like vines and wisteria, they seem to be struggling with personnel selection. They’ll send someone when they’re ready, but honestly, I’m skeptical.

If they had such capabilities in the first place, they wouldn’t have asked us for help. So the person the Pope sends is more likely to be a monitor than an assistant. They probably won’t interfere, but they’ll report what you see and hear—the Pope’s ears, so to speak.”

This was information to keep in mind. At the same time, it showed how vague this mission was. But he had to face it head-on. Until you push against it with your shoulder, you can’t know whether it’s a door that opens easily or a solid wall. It would be shameful to debate what can or cannot be done based on bizarre sketches and preposterous letters.

And Kain was a seasoned Security Bureau agent.

“I understand. I’ll start from the Otranto Monastery.”

* * * * *

Anna explained the general guidelines Kain should follow.

She gave only general instructions because the details needed to be decided with Security Bureau Director Verneith Irovachi, who was waiting at the eastern entrance of the academy.

Therefore, Anna explained matters that the Bureau Director couldn’t decide.

First, not only could Kain use the Security Bureau’s information resources and financial support, but he could also access the Royal Guard Bureau’s resources.

While the Security Bureau and Royal Guard Bureau were similar in many ways, the crucial difference was in their dedication. The Security Bureau worked for the Empire, but the Royal Guard Bureau existed solely for the Emperor and the imperial family. In other words, Anna was essentially providing the best support she could offer.

Second was about regular reporting. Considering the gravity of the matter, Kain would report directly to Anna herself, not to Director Verneith.

This was also why Anna gave him access to Royal Guard Bureau resources throughout the Empire. Once a report arrived, the Royal Guards would deliver it to Anna as quickly as possible, riding day and night.

Naturally, the reports would be encrypted. They would follow the Vigenère cipher method, with the code keys based on each hero’s epithet. For reports about William, the Knight of Chastity, the key would be “chastity.”

Third was an explanation of Kain’s exact scope of duties.

“Do what you think needs to be done. Your decision is my decision. If you believe something, I will understand and accept it as well. You may recruit more colleagues if you wish, or abandon them whenever you want. But remember that your priority is to uncover the truth. However…”

Anna hesitated. It felt like she was committing another sin. But only briefly. Very briefly.

“For the time being, take Lily with you.”

“You mean Lily?”

“Yes. I’m not saying this simply because she’s your subordinate. It’s for a more practical reason. While we have high expectations of you, we don’t want to burden you excessively. For example, with protecting the other five heroes.”

Kain searched his memory. When he arrived, Anna had mentioned that Lily’s father, the White Blood Knights Commander, was on campus.

“Will the White Blood Knights escort the heroes?”

“Not exclusively. They’ll stay nearby in disguise, keeping watch. Like secret bodyguards. The heroes are mainly guarded by the Pope’s Holy Grail Knights and people from the Inquisition.

The knights will be concealing their presence, but at least if you’re with Lily, you won’t be ambushed in alleyways. Of course, that too is up to your judgment. I may know student Lily better, but you know Security Bureau Agent Lily better than I do.”

Anna took out a sealed envelope from another drawer and handed it to him.

“I’ve written down matters I can’t discuss here. Procedures to follow, tasks to complete, methods for contacting the Royal Guard Bureau. Even Verneith shouldn’t know about this. While your companions may inevitably learn parts of the information during the investigation, at the very least, the Royal Guard Bureau contacts and reports must not be exposed.”

Kain understood. The fact that Royal Guard Bureau branches were hidden throughout the Empire was information even he, as a section chief in the Security Bureau, didn’t know. It was information only accessible to director-level officials or higher.

A question naturally arose.

“Why did it have to be me specifically?”

“There are several reasons, but only one I can tell you. Because no one knows about your hometown.”

Kain smiled bitterly.

To people, even to Anna, he was known as “the eldest son of a free farmer with an orchard.” Other Security Bureau agents were children of nobility, and nobles were inevitably entangled in various interests. Anna wanted someone exempt from all that.

“That’s also why I’m telling you to take Lily. The White Blood Knightly State is the most closed armed independent group in the Empire. You might call it a sword monastery… While they may have internal factions that quarrel with each other, they don’t have deep connections with external nobles. That makes them more trustworthy.”

“Do you think the Electors are involved in this incident?”

“I’m keeping all possibilities open. But, although it’s a somewhat premature outlook… I don’t think it’s likely. If they really could do this, they would have used this powerful force against other Electors or the imperial capital instead. Rather than harming the Empire’s heroes who they have no reason to target.

But whether it’s an Elector, a duke, or even a nameless rural baron, someone will try to turn this misfortune to their advantage. I don’t want to see that happen.”

As if thinking it had seen enough, the sunlight hid behind clouds. When the light that had been separating the two disappeared, the shadows reappeared, connecting them once more.

Kain nodded. He reached out to gather the documents Anna had provided. Anna’s pale, delicate hand lightly covered the back of Kain’s hand. Soft, but warm.

But her lips, her throat, hesitated. Not because she had nothing to say, not because she didn’t know how to say it, but perhaps because there was too much she wanted to say and convey. Yet among all those countless words, only one came out.

“Take care of yourself. Always. Everywhere.”

Only after a long while could Kain stand up with his cane. As Kain grasped the doorknob.

“Kain. The cane…”

Anna barely mustered her courage. As always, she couldn’t bring up the main point.

“The cane, does it fit your hand well?”

“Yes. It fits better than I expected. It’s comfortable too.”

“Really? In what way?”

“In that I can swing it around freely.”

Anna said nothing more. Kain greeted her and left the room.

“Haah…”

The sun, tilting slightly askew, illuminated the spot where her former student had been.

Suddenly, Anna thought her room might be too spacious. She had never thought so before.

What filled the vast space was emptiness, and looking at that emptiness, Anna felt hungry. Without realizing it, Anna stretched her lips and then put her finger to her mouth with an “ouch.” The bitten spot had reopened and was bleeding.

Knock. Knock-knock-knock. Knock. Knock.

A knocking sound. A knocking sound Anna knew well. Only one person in the Empire knocked like that.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a well-built man entered. Like someone who had been muscular but stopped exercising, he carried a moderate amount of flesh and a heavy presence. But if he wanted to, returning to his youthful physique would be no challenge. Even now, with some gray hair showing.

But at present, all he did was sit before his wife with sunken eyes.

“What happened to your lip?”

“I bit it. No, don’t get up. There should be ointment in the infirmary. I’ll go later. I said don’t get up.”

“What if it scars?”

The former Imperial Commander-in-Chief, current Imperial Chancellor, and Anna’s husband whether as Commander or Chancellor, Niki Brien reluctantly sat down. Anna thought she should change the subject.

“Did the talk go well?”

“It went well enough. The White Blood Knights Commander promised to dispatch more troops than I expected. But the reason isn’t very pleasant. The knightly order seems to be in turmoil.”

“The knightly order? What happened?”

“The successor issue.” Niki rubbed his brow.

“I don’t understand. Even if we exclude the eldest daughter because she’s married, they could just give the succession position to the second daughter and be done with it.”

“Darling. I know you’re tired, but are you saying this in front of me? You know perfectly well what happens when siblings are given equal succession rights?”

Anna pretended to be angry. Of course, it was to lift her husband’s spirits a little. But Niki seemed deeply concerned.

“It’s different from you two. At least neither of you got sick. The Knights Commander’s son Yehu isn’t doing well.”

“What? I thought he was getting better. That’s what the Royal Guard Bureau reported.”

“That’s what I thought too, but apparently his fever hasn’t broken for three days. And his wounds aren’t healing at all. The problem is, the son is the only successor. If the Commander dies without designating a successor, the White Blood Knights select the next commander through their own tournament. And the White Blood Knights Commander… I’m worried. Honestly, I can’t believe he came all the way to the capital. In that condition…”

The White Blood Knights Commander is already old. Older than ordinary people. This is also why there are rumors that only his sick son is keeping him alive.

“Anyway, the knightly order is in turmoil. They can’t help but think about the tournament. The White Blood Knights Commander noticed this situation and tried to dispatch his knights wherever possible. That’s why I said it was unpleasant.”

Anna understood Niki’s words.

If they were thinking about the next commander position, they must be experienced knights. To order such people to continue boring guard duty in disguise is almost like punishment. Especially when those they’re protecting are heroes who defeated the Demon King, giving them no grounds to refuse, which would only increase their discontent.

“That’s concerning. I told Lily to meet her father, but her reaction was quite poor. Could that be why?”

“…Huh? What did you say? Was that woman the White Blood Knights Commander’s daughter?”

Niki seemed quite surprised. Anna couldn’t understand her husband’s reaction. Niki sighed again as if he understood something.

“My goodness… You know that large plaza in front of the cypress pavilion? The one with the central library and dining hall where many students and professors pass by. And it’s lunchtime now… Right in the middle of it, the White Blood Knights Commander was hurling insults at some tall blonde woman. In front of his own subordinates!”