Ch.194Revelation (8)

The document room wasn’t just one room. How many document storage rooms existed and their exact locations were said to be secret.

Each room contained neatly arranged documents spanning two to three years on shelves. There were fewer during peaceful times and more during periods of conflict.

The shelves were quite well organized. Signs like “Regular Training Documents” or “New Recruit Training Progress Reports” made things relatively easy to find.

“They claim to keep diligent records, but the management is a complete mess. That’s why everything just ends up piled like this.”

The genealogist scratched the back of his head sheepishly, but Kain was genuinely impressed.

“This is excellent by any standard.”

“You think so?”

The scholar brightened. Kain ran his finger along the edge of a bookshelf. Not a speck of dust had accumulated.

“The very act of documenting plans, executions, and results is meaningful in itself. It indicates an organization powerful and meticulously managed enough to create, maintain, and preserve such records. When an organization falls apart, the first thing to go is proper reporting.”

Genealogist Huber displayed an expression full of pride.

“Without obedience to order and discipline, the White Blood would have been nothing but troublemakers. Adhering to order and ancestral traditions is precisely what elevates the White Blood name. Our ancestors paved the way, so we just need to follow it. Though even that isn’t easy!”

Looking at the precedent of the bandit knights, his words weren’t wrong. How much a well-trained knight could change the tide of battle was recorded in countless histories and epics.

Particularly in the case of bandit knights, they taught simple yet powerful strategies and tactics to thieves for organized plundering.

Bands of thieves trained this way could even match local defense forces. Even a ragtag group of soldiers becomes a sufficient threat when they move according to orders and form ranks.

That’s why if members of the White Blood Knights had become “bandits,” the harm would have been unimaginable.

The problem was that the White Blood’s stubbornness manifested in both good and misguided matters.

Setting aside whether the Seven Heroes were worth protecting, the Emperor had ordered “escort them secretly,” yet they all withdrew because “the Grand Master was absent.”

But the White Blood hadn’t betrayed the Emperor or disobeyed orders. They were simply following the covenant established long ago between the newly founded Empire and the White Blood tribe, so legally the Emperor had no grounds to challenge them.

‘In non-wartime situations, when the Grand Master is absent or clearly unable to exercise command for an extended period, the White Blood shall cease all combat activities and immediately return to their headquarters, prioritizing the election of a new Grand Master.’

The officials during the Empire’s founding feared the dissolution of the White Blood Knights most of all. If the newly established Empire were attacked by soldier-turned-bandits, it would have collapsed before it had a chance to grow.

One of their worst scenarios was “if the White Blood Grand Master suddenly died for any reason and no successor was designated.” They feared the White Blood Knights would simply become the White Blood Bandits.

But now the situation was different. It wasn’t a matter of fearing the White Blood invading the Empire, but rather the White Blood worrying about the Empire.

Despite the changed circumstances, the White Blood still emphasized only pride, dignity, obedience, and adherence to tradition.

“Our youngest seems to be having a hard time.”

“Of course. The Brynhildr family isn’t exempt from White Blood regulations. But let me tell you, among the top twelve, Lady Liliana stands unrivaled.

I guarantee, regardless of how the tournament progresses, she’ll be the only one standing in the grand arena at the end.”

Huber didn’t seem to be joking. He spoke as if stating an obvious truth like “the sun rises in the east, and ice melts when it gets warm.”

Kain and Maria felt a strange sense of dissonance. Both knew Lily was strong. But listening to the genealogist, Lily seemed not merely “strong” but approaching “omnipotent.”

“So you’re saying she can cut people in half with a single scythe swing, like mowing grass?”

Huber cackled at Maria’s somewhat naive question.

“No. As far as I know, she’s never done that to a person.”

“…What about non-humans?”

“She once cut a horse in half with a halberd. At the age of sixteen. Impressive, isn’t it?”

“That’s impossible.”

Maria’s jaw dropped. Kain was equally stunned. The genealogist continued excitedly.

“Want to know what’s even more impressive? Her opponent was a mounted warrior. A knight in heavy armor. But Chief Liliana was on foot because her horse was so pathetic it had collapsed.

As the knight charged with a lance, the Chief spun her body once and elegantly swung her halberd…”

The door to the adjacent room burst open, and a familiar voice spoke.

“…You talk too much, Genealogist.”

The stern-faced Grand Executor Astrid entered. But Genealogist Huber, far from embarrassed, seemed somewhat angry.

“Isn’t that too harsh? I was just getting to the most important part!”

“What’s so proud about that story that you’re blabbering in front of guests? I asked you to help with ‘rat catching’ since you’re acquainted from Emmaus, but you’re just chatting away. Are you all that idle?”

But Astrid too seemed more like she was venting rather than truly scolding. Her long sigh made that clear.

“So, what do you think of the document storage? How does it feel to face an adversary that makes even the greatest White Blood warriors kneel or turn and flee?”

“It’s more impressive than I expected,” Kain answered firmly. “However, the information we’re looking for is insufficient, so it might take a while.”

“What are you trying to find?”

Kain hesitated briefly but made a quick decision. The information was in their hands anyway. If a friend said, “I’ll find a book at your house,” and when asked “Which book?” replied “Just any book,” wouldn’t you feel annoyed?

“His name is Laios. I don’t know his exact birth date, but he’s probably around my age. He joined the Children’s Crusade at sixteen, so he wasn’t an apprentice knight, at best a squire or trainee.”

“Even excluding today since it’s getting late, it will take three or four days.”

Kain carefully asked:

“Are all the rooms in the fortress identical for security reasons?”

“That’s right. The rooms need to look the same to confuse attackers. The document storage is no exception. The rooms storing documents are scattered throughout and cleverly locked to prevent unauthorized entry. That’s why someone familiar with the room structure must always accompany visitors.”

“Not everyone in the White Blood would know, right?”

“Genealogist Huber here knows. And the Brynhildr family too. They’ve been Grand Masters of this fortress for generations, so naturally they should know everything about it.”

That meant Lily would also know exactly about the document storage. But Astrid shattered that expectation as if she had anticipated it.

“So what I’m saying is, it doesn’t have to be me or my niece who guides you. Do you understand? Now, go find what you’re looking for. Talk to Huber about the rest. And needless to say, don’t wander alone. If you get lost, there won’t be many people to guide you.”

* * * * *

After Astrid left, the three prepared for their investigation.

“To summarize, we need records about a man named Laios. He’s presumed to have been a White Blood trainee squire, and his current age is estimated to be in his late twenties. Genealogist, what documents would contain names, affiliations, and hometowns?”

“Well, they do record that in the recruitment application register, but those books are destroyed after recruitment ends, so they won’t be helpful. The best option is to check the member registry. In case a knight dies, they need to be able to send belongings and condolence money to the hometown. Do you know his surname?”

“I don’t know his surname. But we should start by looking for the name ‘Laios’ just in case.”

However, they needed to narrow the scope further. How long would it take to read through all the member registries?

“Is there a separate book recording personnel changes? For example, cases of resignation, disappearance, or death?”

“Those are also recorded in the member registry, so they’re not documented separately. And about this Laios person, didn’t you say he was a trainee squire?”

“Yes.”

“Then it might be difficult to find him that way.” The genealogist scratched his chin.

“As you know, Valhalla is the main fortress of the White Blood, and there are many more regional fortresses. The number of apprentice knights and squires per knight varies, and if the knights themselves aren’t diligent, records often get omitted.

This is especially true for fortresses with harsh weather and intensive training. The squire desertion rate is so severe that some don’t even add them to the roster unless they’ve served for a certain period.”

“So it comes down to the member registry after all.” Maria sighed deeply as she examined a sample registry. “At least this document should be accurate. It even records salary payments. The most accurately kept records are always those tracking money spent.”

At least they wouldn’t need to search the entire room, which was some consolation.

The Fifth Crusade was formed ten years ago, and Laios was about 15 to 17 years old during it. He certainly wasn’t an adult. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been allowed to join the Children’s Crusade.

“So we need to look back at documents from about 24 years ago. We don’t know when Laios joined the White Blood Knights, but we have a relatively clear idea of when he left.”

“That gloomy guy wasn’t just boasting, was he?” Maria’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Watching him fight, he’s like a wooden doll. He just pushes through with brute force and uses strange magic. By the way, Genealogist?”

“Yes, Sister?”

“Do apprentice knights or squires ever leave the White Blood of their own accord?”

“Well… there’s a case we all know well. Though it wasn’t an apprentice or squire.”

“Ah.”

Maria pretended not to hear. It must have been shameful for the genealogist that one of the top twelve had deserted.

“But that’s a bit ambiguous, so it’s hard to call it desertion. It’s the story I was about to tell earlier.”

“Really?”

“Well, for the sake of the lady’s honor, I should make this clear: Chief Liliana didn’t just run away. It wasn’t a simple duel. It was a duel for a position among the top twelve.”