Ch.56Chapter 56. The Imperial Princess Wears Thongs

Today, all my external tasks are finished.

Arsil’s visit was unexpected, but I was able to learn about the whereabouts of the magician Tigria through Naidrian.

The conclusion is that I won’t be able to meet her today.

Things were still following the broad outline from Mr. Lee the reincarnator’s memories.

At least in the imperial palace, events were likely to proceed according to the predetermined sequence.

However, to ensure everything went perfectly, Lin returned to his room and made the following request to Rabin:

“Provoke the Imperial Princess.”

“You want me to meet that Lina girl?”

That would essentially announce that Rabin, a survivor of the Sewage Alley, still existed.

Rabin was about to argue but quickly changed his mind.

Meeting Linasienn was already part of his plan anyway.

Besides, if he participated in the Grand Council as the ruler of Valtercrua, she would find out regardless.

Half the reason he came to the islands was to see Lin, and the other half was to make a move on the Imperial Princess.

It wasn’t just Rabin’s plan, but their plan.

“What’s your purpose, Lin?”

Rabin’s question contained both concern and wariness—concern for him and wariness about the scheme he was plotting.

Lin shrugged and replied calmly:

“To prevent Rainfold from interfering.”

Then Lin conveyed what he wanted from both Rabin and Lucy.

“We know too well what kind of person Linasienn is.”

“Of course.”

“Stimulate one of Linasienn’s biggest flaws—her impatience.”

“She has too many major flaws. They hang like a bunch of grapes.”

Even Lin, who once had a crush on Linasienn, couldn’t refute this fact.

Anyway, he obtained Rabin’s agreement.

“Lucy.”

“Yes?”

“No matter what happens from now on, the culprit is the one who tells you to stop.”

“Huh?”

As Lucy tilted her head in confusion, Rabin snickered and added:

“That’s Lin’s way of giving Zen-like instructions. He does that when explanations would be complicated.”

“I see.”

Whatever the case, Lucy just needed to faithfully carry out Lin’s instructions.

While she was memorizing his directions, Rabin pressed Lin:

“If you’re coming out like this, I should assume you want me to keep going no matter what happens, right?”

“That’s right.”

“No matter what happens?”

“No matter what happens.”

“Does that ‘no matter what’ include situations where you might get hurt?”

After searching through Mr. Lee the reincarnator’s memories, Lin denied it.

Strictly speaking, it was difficult to consider that he would get hurt.

“I won’t get hurt. Besides, I have the charm you gave me.”

When he tapped the necklace pouch containing the ponytail, Rabin’s face turned red.

Conversely, shadows fell under Lucy’s eyes.

“Alright. I’ll go right away.”

“Now?”

“Is there any reason to drag this out? It’s not like I’m meeting Lina because I want to. I need to finish the job quickly.”

He’s really reliable.

Rabin took out goggles from his inventory and put them on.

In sync with this, Lin threw open the window of the room.

“You’re not going through the door?”

When Lucy asked, Rabin disappeared like an illusion with a grin.

“That’s what an unofficial visit is all about.”

Lin and Lucy marveled at Rabin, who vanished as if someone had pressed a delete button while he was still smiling, without making any sound of movement.

“Rabin’s skills are quite impressive.”

“Yeah, even that rabbit-eared girl couldn’t match him at concealing his presence.”

Well, now that Rabin has left, it’s time for us to get to work too.

“Lin, are you going to keep moving?”

“Of course.”

The main event is in two days, and the imperial palace is a place with many rooms and hidden spaces.

Both the timing and location are perfect.

“Today’s mission is 100% map clearing.”

He intended to search everything thoroughly and collect every single item.

That’s the proper attitude of a true player.

—

The Imperial Princess was reading a book on imperial studies.

Though it was very thick, she was nearly finished after just three days.

Even in Sewage Alley, reading was something she never gave up.

Her belief that accumulating knowledge would allow her to stand above power and people was always firm.

As she neared the end of the book, Linasienn increasingly wanted to show off the knowledge she had gained to Rainfold.

But Rainfold had temporarily returned to his family to inquire about methods to repair his divine item shield, “Rockwithout Wounds.”

Their reunion would only be possible in two days, at the Grand Council.

Yes, here’s a revealed fact.

If Lin had just pushed forward without hesitation, he could have met Tigria even today.

Since there was no reason for the magician to stay by Rainfold’s side after he returned home, she was planning to seclude herself in her room until the Grand Council.

“Sigh, if only I could send a letter…”

Linasienn’s sigh contained more than simple longing.

She needed to discuss what needed to be done, including how to handle the Grand Council proceedings and other major issues.

Among these, the timing of her engagement to Rainfold was particularly important.

Rainfold and Lucy’s engagement had only ended yesterday.

Even Rainfold had no idea the hero would return alive, so he assumed their engagement was automatically terminated by Lucy’s death, and with the demon appearance and other matters, he hadn’t paid attention to it.

After various complications, they secured the hero’s safety, and as soon as the hero arrived at the imperial palace, she officially declared the engagement terminated.

She liked that part about the hero, who typically just forced things through with brute strength.

But Lucy immediately killed the knight who had struck her porter, irritating the Imperial Princess.

Anyway, Rainfold was now free in the marriage market.

It was only proper that she, who had already established a romantic atmosphere with him, should set a suitable date for their engagement ceremony.

Knock knock

The knocking sound woke Linasienn from her various thoughts.

However, the knocking came from the window.

‘Could it be Rainfold’s crow?’

Hoping it might be a messenger, the Imperial Princess looked up expectantly only to discover Rabin, who had removed his goggles and was hanging on the large window, grinning widely.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHH-!!!!”

Our dignified Imperial Princess fell backward with a scream.

Showing Rabin everything under her skirt in the process.

“Wow, are those T-back panties?”

Always a prepared woman.

Rabin was impressed.

“I learned something new.”

Sincerely.

—

Servants and knights came running at the scream, but Linasienn, not wanting to be seen in such an unseemly state, sent them all away saying it was nothing.

“How are you still alive?”

After hurriedly letting the thief in, the Imperial Princess asked without even offering him a seat.

At those words, Rabin’s grinning face suddenly hardened.

“You strike a painful spot right from the start.”

“Painful spot?”

“Nearly dying is more than just painful.”

He deliberately crossed his arms with an exaggerated gesture and put on a displeased expression.

“With one order from you, all the comrades I’d been with for over ten years died. Even Lee…”

“Lee?”

“Ha, surely you haven’t forgotten?”

From Rabin’s reaction, Linasienn realized that she didn’t know about Lee, or Lin.

A bit clumsy, isn’t it?

Well, she wouldn’t have thought Lee would be alive.

Realizing she had a useful card in her hand, the Imperial Princess relaxed and responded confidently:

“So? Have you come to avenge Lee?”

“As much as I’d like to, the world isn’t so accommodating.”

“And so?”

“Who would have thought you were a woman with imperial blood? I thought you were just some country noble at best.”

His frustrated appearance was extremely pleasing.

Yes, this is how it should be.

You should feel despair and frustration yet powerless under my status and strategy.

And Rabin, who knew this sense of superiority all too well, closed his eyes tightly and spat out miserably:

“I admit it. In battle, Rabin the Thief always won, but in the end, you won the war, Linasienn.”

It wasn’t just submitting like a puppy rolling over; it was a statement implying he had once been her formidable opponent, while still giving her the satisfaction that she had won despite that.

If Lin had seen this, he would have recognized it as a phrase that had been used quite often in his past life and would have been impressed.

This declaration of defeat greatly satisfied Linasienn.

“Ha, loser. I’ve heard that you’ve become the ruler of Valtercrua. I was rather looking forward to our meeting, but why have you come first? Surely not just to talk about old times.”

Even a rotten fish is still a fish—the fact that someone who had troubled her in Sewage Alley was now a proper ruler of a city elevated the Imperial Princess’s own status for having opposed Rabin.

“Valtercrua is in a precarious state with two of the three guilds collapsed. We need powerful authority to protect us.”

“You would bow your head to an enemy for that protection?”

At the mockery, Rabin gritted his teeth.

“The massacre was already a foregone conclusion once the Church discovered the alley. The Empire and the Church were just the ones who directly finished it. And would the world even care about cleaning up one alley full of sewage? If anything, they’d applaud.”

“You understand well. Yes, ending it by my own hand was the greatest mercy I could bestow as a member of the imperial family.”

This really provoked Rabin properly.

He was incredibly angry and his pride was hurt.

All because of this woman—the alley’s destruction, his own disturbed composure, everything.

“You could have at least spared Lee. He followed you until the end.”

The Imperial Princess found Rabin pitiful.

Neither you nor Arsil are useful beyond the level of action leaders because of that damned sentiment.

But as it happened, Linasienn needed her own action leader.

“Aren’t you seeing me as too heartless?”

“What do you mean?”

The negotiator, lost in vanity, immediately revealed her only card.

“Lee is alive.”

“What…?”

“I offered him the position of my head servant, but when he refused, I stabbed him with a silver dagger about two finger joints long to make it look like he died.”

“Where is he?”

“Well, where could he be? At least he’s within my sight, but out of yours, that’s for certain.”

“Tell me where Lee is. Then I’ll be your eyes and ears.”

The head of the thieves’ guild, the information hub, and the ruler of a commercial city becoming her eyes and ears—it was quite appealing.

“The order is wrong. You become my eyes and ears, show sufficient sincerity, and then I’ll tell you where Lee is.”

“Kuk.”

“It’s better not to have foolish thoughts. Otherwise, I might have to do now what should have been done five years ago.”

“You mean kill Lee?”

“Oh my, was that also something that should have been done five years ago?”

Rabin decided to acknowledge it.

Despite having all the information, he had been properly scratched by Linasienn.

“Fine, and that includes protecting Valtercrua too.”

“Of course. It would be troublesome for me if the base of my eyes and ears were to collapse.”

“…Keep your promise.”

Deliberately, with slow, heavy footsteps, he heads toward the window.

Ask, Linasienn.

You’ve always been insatiable, wanting more.

“Wait.”

That’s right!

Turning back with a hardened expression, he saw the Imperial Princess covering her mouth with a fan, assuming an arrogant posture.

“I want to confirm if you’re useful as eyes and ears.”

In other words, she wanted him to provide some useful information right away.

And this was exactly the moment Rabin and Lin had been waiting for.

With a deep sigh, Rabin whispered two pieces of information quickly and quietly:

“The hero Lucy Ena Estel has somehow fallen for the porter. As you probably know, she’s completely attached to him, even letting him stay in her room.”

“Yes, that’s quite well-known gossip after yesterday’s incident.”

How fitting for someone so lowly to fall for a porter.

Birds of a feather.

“But the hero seems very concerned about having been engaged to Lord Rainfold. She’s worried the porter might be upset hearing romantic city songs all over the empire.”

“Hmph, I don’t care for that song either.”

Nothing special.

But at the next words, Linasienn quickly corrected her indifferent attitude.

“So she wants to kill Lord Rainfold.”

“What?!”

“She actually almost killed him in the Zramun Archipelago, but the porter stopped her. In other words, to tame Lucy, you need the leash called the porter.”

“That lowborn dares…!”

She needed to call Rainfold immediately.

What if that crazy woman ran to Rainfold’s mansion with a sword, acting with impunity against a central noble?

She needed to bring him to the imperial palace where swords couldn’t be wielded so freely.

And Rainfold was secluding himself in his mansion, unaware of this situation!

“Oh, and Lord Rainfold became perfectly single as of yesterday. I hear noble families’ matchmaking and marriage proposals haven’t stopped coming.”

That was the decisive blow.

“Is that… true?”

Linasienn confirmed in a voice dripping with coldness.

“Just today, right before I came to see you, five carriages carrying noble ladies entered Rainfold’s mansion.”

“And… Rainfold didn’t even inform me of this…?”

The Imperial Princess trembled with anger, completely disregarding Rabin’s presence.

“I…! Linasienn Karrun, despite being his fiancée!”

“You’re not his fiancée yet.”

“What!”

“Don’t you need to declare an engagement to be a fiancée?”

“How dare a lowborn like you presume to know about etiquette!”

“Of course I don’t know. But your eyes and ears just gave you two pieces of information that seem important to you.”

Rabin leaped to open the window.

“Hurry and resolve this, then help our Valtercrua. And leave Lee alone.”

As he jumped silently, Rabin gave a final greeting:

“I’ll contact you regularly.”

After Rabin disappeared, Linasienn opened her imperial studies book with trembling hands.

Where was I? Certainly something about the relationship between strategic marriages and power…

CRACK

“Damn it!!”

Unable to contain her anger, the Imperial Princess slammed her fist down on the book.