Ch.38Devotion Offered by the Sword (13)

The bathroom floor was laid with square stone tiles, and the bathtub was made of marble. It was spacious enough to fit four people, with corners carefully smoothed to be gentle to the touch. It wasn’t very deep—sitting on the bottom, the water would just barely cover one’s shoulders.

The bathing followed the Southern Kingdom style. Servants would regularly enter the bath to replenish it with hot water carried in wooden buckets. Guests simply had to wear full-body robes and sit comfortably to enjoy themselves. Snacks were also provided, placed on long wooden boards that stretched across the tub, holding refreshments, tea, or wine glasses.

But neither of them seemed interested in eating or drinking anything.

“Hmph.”

Lily sat with her head sharply turned away, clearly furious, while Kain fidgeted uncomfortably on the opposite side.

Lily’s robe was made of red cotton—quite thick and dark enough that there was no embarrassing visibility of skin.

Kain’s robe was deep blue, and despite her anger, Lily couldn’t help but glance sideways and think regretfully, “It would have suited him perfectly if the color were just a bit darker.”

“I’ll add more water.”

The servants were experienced in this routine. They already knew when the water would cool down. Every 20 to 30 minutes, they would slowly pour in hot water. They couldn’t pour it all at once, or customers might get scalded.

The servant quietly closed the door as they left. Kain swallowed hard.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

“Do you even know what you did wrong?”

“…Telling you to stay awake all night?”

Lily didn’t even want to speak anymore. Her insides were boiling so much that she would have jumped into a cold bath if one were available. Seeing that Lily wasn’t saying anything, Kain mistakenly assumed he’d guessed correctly.

“Alright. Just get some good sleep. It’s not great for handling unexpected situations, but it’s unlikely anyone would attack us anyway…”

Jingle, jingle. Lily rang a small bell. She couldn’t bear it sober anymore. A waiting servant carefully opened the door and entered.

“Did you call?”

“Alcohol, something strong and cold.”

“Right away.”

“Oh, wait a moment…”

Kain called to the servant. As the servant approached, he whispered something quickly in the Southern Kingdom language. It was a language Lily knew how to use as well, but his accent was a bit peculiar.

“I’ll prepare it.”

The servant closed the door and left. Lily was very curious about what Kain had said. He seemed to speak at length. But the moment their eyes met, her indignation surged again, and she turned her body slightly away.

Shortly after, three servants entered. Each carried a tray—one with a bottle of alcohol and two pewter cups with honey-glazed pastries, another with a plate containing steaming towels, and the last with a jar whose contents were unknown.

The jar was quite large, big enough for a servant to put both hands inside. The servant grabbed a handful of the contents and sprinkled them into the bathtub.

They were flower petals and buds.

The closed flower buds stretched open as they met the warm heat and energy.

Colorful petals frolicked on the surface of the water like children playing in a field. Red, white, yellow, blue, pink, and purple petals surrounded roses that bloomed fully.

Even after the servants had quietly bowed and left, Lily couldn’t take her eyes off the sight. It felt like being immersed in a flower garden.

“Want a drink?”

Kain approached Lily and poured her some alcohol. He poured some for himself too, but just enough to wet his lips. Lily pretended not to notice as she accepted the cup.

As the alcohol entered the water, the flowers danced. Her anger seemed to subside a little. But her hurt feelings remained, so she had to eat some honey-glazed pastries.

“…What did you say to them earlier?”

Her tongue curled slightly, but it didn’t matter. Kain didn’t seem to mind anyway.

“When I listened carefully, I noticed they spoke a Southern Kingdom dialect. It’s a minority ethnic dialect, and they really appreciate when you speak their language. So I asked for flowers and heated towels. Want to smell them?”

Kain picked up the plate himself. Lily smelled the still-steaming towel. The sweet, gentle fragrance made her mouth water.

“They’re heated with desert fruit extract, which is supposed to be good for the skin. If you place it on your shoulder, it’ll feel nice.”

“My shoulder?”

“Yes. Your… chafed spot.”

The spot where that serpent’s tongue had touched. Lily shook her head. It was terrible to recall that. She moved from the corner to the center seat of the bathtub. She slightly opened her robe to expose her shoulder.

“Put it on for me.”

Of course, Kain didn’t just slap it on. He first wet her shoulder with water from the tub, then carefully placed the towel. Just then, a servant entered to add more hot water.

It felt a bit too hot at first, but soon it clung comfortably like someone’s flesh. Lily closed her eyes at the soft, gentle fragrance. She wished she could slide all the way down into that warm, soft embrace.

“Not too hot?”

“No. It’s nice.”

She almost fell asleep. She felt slightly tipsy too. They say when you think you might be drunk, you already are—the thought perched like a sparrow on a branch before flying away.

“Can you remember this sensation?”

“…Yes.”

“Good. Let’s cover the bad memories with good ones.”

“Give me more.”

“Huh?”

Lily decided to be greedy. Hadn’t Professor Anna said it? Happiness is something you seize for yourself.

“Sensations. Give me more. Give me plenty. Give me an overflow. I’m hungry.”

Lily didn’t think she was drunk, so she didn’t notice her slightly curled tongue.

Kain hesitated for a moment, then gently placed both hands on Lily’s shoulders.

And he lightly massaged her shoulders. Lily felt reassured by his large, warm, thick hands. Her head drooped slightly.

“I’m curious about something.”

She almost slipped away again. Lily raised her head, as if she hadn’t just dozed off.

“Ye…es?”

“Were you that upset about not sparring? Enough to hold a grudge?”

Lily nodded.

“I actually found it surprising. I wondered if it really bothered you that much. Does it have some special meaning?”

“Sparring is…” How frustrating. He doesn’t even know this. Lily decided to teach him a lesson.

“You shouldn’t be deceived. No matter who your opponent is. What they’re holding. How well they fight… all that is useless. Just. That person and me. You have to see them as they truly are.”

“That’s a bit difficult to understand.”

“You’re an idiot. I knew that already.” Lily took another drink. She didn’t even realize Kain had poured it for her.

“Just me as I am. Just the opponent as they are. Whether it’s the Knight of the Scabbard or the Shadow, it doesn’t matter.

I strike, block, and thrust with what I hold. Whatever weapon the opponent has, I thrust, dodge, and deflect.

Sparring is a conversation with bodies… listening to what the opponent says… and letting them hear what I have to say…”

“Still difficult to understand.”

How frustrating. Lily really disliked this idiot. Why couldn’t he understand something so simple?

“It’s because we’re using words… if we clash with our bodies… you’d understand right away… words are always difficult. It’s a conversation shared through body, weapon, and gesture… not with the mouth…”

“You’re drunk.”

“No, stupid. I’m not drunk.” Of course she wasn’t drunk. Lily’s mind was clear. “Cheek!”

“Cheek?”

“Do my cheek too. I get goosebumps every time I think about it. That thing licked my cheek too. Erase it. Wipe it away. Quickly. You said you’d cover it with good memories.”

Perhaps grabbing him by the collar would be faster. That seemed like a good idea. Lily turned her body. She could see Kain was flustered. Trying to escape again? Not a chance. She climbed onto his lap.

“Got you…”

She couldn’t understand why he kept trying to escape. He couldn’t get away by swaying back and forth.

Lily thought Kain must be drunk. Or perhaps her arm strength was strong enough to make him sway back and forth.

That’s right. Kain wouldn’t be able to escape.

“You’re not going anywhere until you do it, you jerk. Just try to actually spar with me. I’ll make sure you can’t move from your bed for a month.”

She felt strong arms wrap around her waist. That’s more like it. Now things were going properly. Lily was satisfied.

In the happiness of everything going well, Lily closed her eyes slightly.

He’s trying to escape again. Does he think he can get away? From me?

Lily pulled him closer.

Something hot and moist touched her cheek. What is this? What’s so… Lily opened her eyes slightly.

She couldn’t see clearly.

What am I looking at? Lily blinked.

She saw a familiar profile. Too close.

Just like when they had kissed openly in front of the farmers…

“Hic.”

Hiccup.

Her body trembled. A tingling sensation ran down her spine and spread throughout her body.

Hiccup! Hiccup!

Her fingertips and toes grew cold. That’s impossible. The water is so hot. Had she been out of the water too long? Lily tried to throw herself backward.

Until something solid, warm, and grateful supported her back.

“You’re surprised, aren’t you?”

Hiccup! Kain’s face trying to hold back laughter.

“No, I’m not!”

She really wanted to hit him.

“You are. Well.”

Hiccup! Hiccup! Her body wouldn’t listen. Her body jerked helplessly with each pounding of her heart. Her whole body tingled as if struck by lightning.

“I, I know everything! I know enough!”

“Oh, really? What do you know?”

“I’ve read it all in books!”

Hic! Hic! Her heart was beating too hard, too fast. It became a little difficult to breathe. Now her whole body was trembling.

The alcohol seemed to flow through her veins rather than her mouth. The room was spinning, and the flower petals seemed to laugh out loud.

Embarrassingly, her large chest kept pushing forward.

“You were fine kissing me in front of the farmers?”

“Th-that was me initiating it…! A-and we were pretending to be a couple! But now…”

Attacking unfairly like that. Without warning. Who told him to kiss her on the cheek? He should have given her a chance to defend herself. He really is a jerk. So unfair.

“You bastard…”

Lily nodded. She couldn’t hold back her laughter. Her trembling body felt like it was scattering like flower petals.

She couldn’t tell if the dying gasp came from her own mouth or someone else’s.

All she knew for certain was that Kain was falling into the darkness below.

That jerk. I knew it.

Lily felt at ease.

* * * * *

Kain, holding the limp Lily in his arms, rang the bell. The sharp-witted female servants entered, trying hard to suppress their smiles, as if they’d heard her drunken rambling.

“Please dry her well and take her to bed. She… drank a bit too much. And some honey water near the bed… I’m sorry.”

An older-looking servant smiled.

“The lady seems very happy. Look how adorably she’s smiling.”

Kain shook his head.

“She’s not usually such a heavy drinker. I don’t know why she keeps being so stubborn.”

The servants lifted Lily. They seemed used to this kind of situation. Kain stood up to let the servants work comfortably.

He went to the adjacent room to dry himself and changed into the male servant clothes that had been prepared. He didn’t forget to take Haspel’s emblem.

The night was reasonably deep. The moon was somewhat bright, but that wasn’t a bad thing. At least he wouldn’t get lost.

This wasn’t his first time walking the night streets of Magdeburg, but he had never infiltrated the Inquisition building before.

Kain walked toward the servants’ quarters. A man with an impressive mustache was waiting.

The two went down to the basement of the quarters without a word. Here and there, burly servants could be seen—clearly agile men capable of using their strength.

“Is everyone at the Imperial Security Bureau so rude?”

The mustached man reproached him. Apparently, the earlier incident had bothered him quite a bit.

“Don’t you think the Royal Guard Bureau’s contact method is outdated? What era are we in, talking about kebabs and whatnot? Say that anywhere else these days and you’ll get smacked.”

“It’s a method that works well in Magdeburg.” The mustached man snickered. “Well, anyone would be angry if someone claimed shawarma was the original souvlaki. Anyway, let’s look at the plans first.”

The basement was full of rolled-up blueprints.

“Where are you trying to break into?”

“The Inquisition building.”

The man unrolled one of the blueprints on the desk.

“These are the design plans for Magdeburg’s inner fortress. The Inquisition building extends from here to here. They’ve used part of the fortress wall as their own wall. The rest is an extension, but… they wouldn’t have changed the wall’s basic structure.”

“What about security?”

“Guards at the main gate, the fortress walls, and at each building entrance. There are fixed guard posts. The more heavily guarded areas are near the guard barracks and the prison, but you’re not going there anyway, right? So you don’t need to worry much about the guards. The problem is actually the monks.”

“The monks?”

“Yes. As you know, the Inquisition people are quite strict, aren’t they?” The man twisted his mustache slightly.

“They’re known for adhering to strict traditions. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but even though they’re not military, they take turns standing night watch every night.

They walk the corridors with a lamp in one hand, reciting prayers or hymns in a steady rhythm and tempo to keep time, and when they feel enough time has passed, they wake the next person on duty.

High-ranking inquisitors take turns serving night duty, and apprentice inquisitors or trainees stand watch. The problem is that the routes these fellows take change every time.”

This was an unexpected issue. He could easily get past the guards, but avoiding monks whose numbers and locations were unknown would be challenging.

“They definitely carry lamps?”

“That’s certain.”

“Then avoiding them shouldn’t be too difficult… though avoiding and getting caught are different matters.”

The mustached man pulled out another blueprint. This one showed the Inquisition headquarters.

“How about this? See this tall tower on the outer wall? Notice how this tower connects to the Inquisition building’s roof. You cross the roof toward the central garden… then infiltrate through the balcony facing the garden. If you place a grappling hook and rope on the roof beforehand, escape should be easy too. Can you do it?”

Kain examined the plans carefully. It had some difficulty, but it was a relatively safe route.

“I can do it.”

“The equipment is in the next room.”

Forty minutes later, at the inner fortress entrance, a Magdeburg guard supply wagon broke down in front of the gate leading up to the Inquisition headquarters.