The Day of Storm and Wind (1)

Fierce wind and rain swept across the imperial capital, where dark clouds hung heavily.

Whoooosh-!

The bright sun that had illuminated everything had long disappeared.

People expressed their discontent at the sudden weather change and hurried their steps.

“What is this all about? A sudden downpour?”

“Let’s hurry home!”

“That would be best.”

But there were those who walked silently down the road, undisturbed by the howling wind and rain.

Three women in black uniforms.

Their steps were unwavering, heading toward one place.

A roof that seemed to pierce the sky and spires at both ends.

A symbol of authority that had silently watched over the Empire’s history for hundreds of years.

The Imperial Assembly Hall.

That was their destination.

 

Several days had passed since the news spread that Loen Franz had arrived in the capital.

Nothing had happened during that time.

The weather was surprisingly clear and bright.

Under an endlessly high and blue sky, the sun was shining brightly on the imperial capital.

“It’s warm.”

Borel, a seasoned politician and upper house member, stood by the window of his mansion and gazed outside for a moment.

After savoring the warmth of the sunlight on the back of his hand, he turned and left the mansion.

It was no time to leisurely enjoy the sunshine.

Because today was the day of the decisive battle.

Borel immediately took a car and headed to the mansion of one of the neutral upper house members.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet. Assemblyman Chester. It’s truly an honor to set foot in your mansion.”

In the reception room of the mansion.

Assemblyman Borel and Assemblyman Chester sat across from each other at a table with warm tea.

“Hosting the renowned Assemblyman Borel like this, wouldn’t it be more of an honor for me?”

“Hoho, this man.”

Borel laughed heartily and picked up his teacup.

The atmosphere in the reception room was extremely cordial.

However, their inner thoughts were pitch black.

‘After refusing all personal meetings until now…. Now you talk about honor.’

‘Now that the agenda has been rejected consecutively, I suppose you’re getting nervous.’

After exchanging brief pleasantries, they immediately moved to the main point.

Assemblyman Borel spoke first.

“Hmm. The reason I’ve visited you is none other than….”

He led the conversation with skill that reflected his years of experience.

He would lift up the other person and pretend to persuade them, then reveal his sharp claws and pressure them, repeatedly.

“His Highness the Prince places great importance on this agenda to ban corps reorganization. It must be His Highness’ intention that he can no longer watch that arrogant youngster’s rampage that shakes the foundation of the Empire.”

“Is that so..”

Borel briefly paused and gauged the other’s reaction.

Assemblyman Chester’s eyes showed no wavering.

He’s not giving in easily.

“If you make a wise decision, not only will His Highness’ will be fulfilled thanks to you, but appropriate compensation will follow for you as well.”

Borel continued.

“So just this once, vote in our favor. I guarantee, you will not regret it.”

Following his persuasion, Borel lowered his voice and issued a threat.

“And as I’ve repeatedly said… remember this. The cruelty that shows not the slightest mercy to enemies is just as true for His Highness the Prince as it is for that woman Loen Franz.”

In the face of Assemblyman Borel’s persistent persuasion and subtle threats that followed,

Assemblyman Chester finally raised the white flag.

“Sigh.. I understand. I will vote in your favor for this agenda.”

“Hoho, thank you, Assemblyman Chester.”

A satisfied smile spread across Assemblyman Borel’s wrinkled face.

Good. That makes six. We’ve surpassed the majority.

Now the passage of the agenda was a foregone conclusion.

Starting with the resolution to ban corps reorganization, it was time to gradually tie up Franz’s ankles one by one.

“Assemblyman Chester. Since it’s come to this, how about riding in my car together to the assembly hall?”

“It would be my honor. Shall we go right now?”

Exchanging cordial laughter, they left the mansion together and headed to the Imperial Assembly Hall in Assemblyman Borel’s car.

As the carriage began racing toward the assembly hall, the sky began to darken rapidly.

Dark clouds suddenly covered the capital’s airspace.

And finally, at the moment the two assemblymen arrived at the grand entrance of the assembly hall.

Whoooosh.

As if a hole had been punctured in the sky, rain began to pour down furiously.

Assemblyman Chester grumbled with displeasure.

“The weather is quite fickle. Tsk.”

“Hoho, on this fine day, what does the weather matter? Instead of saying that, let’s quickly go inside.”

“Let’s do that.”

Assemblyman Borel headed majestically into the assembly hall, breaking through the pouring rain.

With the loud sound of rain beating against the windows seeping into the meeting hall.

“I call the Imperial Assembly to order.”

The assembly began.

After several formal agenda items quickly passed by, the chairman’s voice finally resonated.

“Next, we will begin the lower house vote on the re-proposal of the Resolution to Halt the Southern Corps Reorganization.”

Originally, agenda re-proposals require procedures and additional review.

However, due to the strong demand of Assemblyman Borel’s faction, the agenda was exceptionally raised quickly.

Result of the lower house vote.

“Passed.”

Now only the upper house vote remained.

Assemblyman Borel looked at the upper house members with confident eyes.

There were as many as six who had agreed to vote in his favor.

The outcome was a foregone conclusion.

“Next, we will proceed with the upper house vote—”

It was at that very moment as the upper house vote was about to begin.

Thud! Stop! Kwang!

Suddenly, an enormous commotion erupted from the corridor outside the assembly hall.

The sound of something colliding and breaking, urgent shouts, sharp screams, and footsteps.

“Someone has invaded….”

“What… check immediately….”

The soldiers guarding the interior of the assembly hall whispered among themselves with flustered faces, then hurriedly ran out the door.

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

The assembly members began to stir with anxious eyes.

The chairman too stared at the door with a hardened face and deeply furrowed brows.

An ominous premonition enveloped the entire assembly hall.

And finally.

Kwang!

The heavy main door of the assembly hall opened roughly, and the culprits of the commotion revealed themselves.

Immediately, the assembly members’ eyes widened to the point of bursting with fear and disbelief.

Black uniforms soaked and clinging with rainwater.

Vivid bloodstains on them that until just moments ago would have belonged to someone.

And… three women shooting cold and ominous gazes that seemed capable of freezing everything.

There was no one present who didn’t recognize their faces.

“L-Loen Franz?!”

Someone muttered the name of the woman standing at the very front.

Rumble!!

Just then, a massive lightning bolt that pierced through the dark clouds flashed behind them like a spotlight. The thunder sound that followed shook the interior of the assembly hall like a beast’s roar.

The entire assembly hall froze.

Why was she at the Imperial Assembly Hall?

“Chairman! What are you dawdling for!”

Borel, with a face turned deathly pale, urgently shouted.

“Continue! Continue the upper house vote immediately!!”

But the white-haired chairman had already made direct eye contact with Loen’s ice-cold red pupils.

As if under a curse, he could only move his mouth without taking any action.

Ah.. uh..

“Damn it!”

Assemblyman Borel shouted frantically.

“Imperial Knights! Tryne! Remove those women from here immediately!”

At his desperate cry, the door opposite to where Loen had entered, next to the chairman’s seat, opened.

Dozens of fully armed white knights poured in. They instantly formed ranks and blocked the path of Loen’s group as they walked in.

The sharp blades of the knights all pointed toward Loen.

Everyone held their breath and watched their confrontation.

At the moment when the tense atmosphere reached its peak.

Loen slowly opened her mouth.

Her cold voice resonated throughout the assembly hall.

“Assemblyman Licker… Assemblyman Morton….”

As the names of several assemblymen flowed from her lips, the faces of those named turned pale blue.

“The aforementioned individuals are hereby placed under immediate emergency arrest on charges of various illicit solicitations, embezzlement, bribery, and more.”

The Inspection Corps’ emergency arrest declaration.

The assembly hall stirred once more with shock.

But Loen’s words weren’t over yet.

Her cold gaze was precisely fixed on Assemblyman Borel.

“And, Assemblyman Borel.”

Borel swallowed hard. His heart raced madly.

“In addition to all the aforementioned charges, for obstruction of Inspection Corps duties, attempted forgery of imperial orders, abuse of assembly member authority, and more….”

As everyone looked at Loen’s mouth with eyes that seemed to say ‘surely not’.

She delivered the final sentence.

“I will execute you summarily, right here and now.”

Everyone in the assembly hall doubted their ears.

To summarily execute an upper house member with immense influence, and in the Imperial Assembly Hall with hundreds of years of history? This was unprecedented.

But they only exchanged glances, and not one dared to refute Loen’s declaration.

Except for one person.

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Assemblyman Borel, having emerged from the shock, shouted with a trembling body full of anger.

“Aren’t you the one who’s rushing into the sacred Imperial Assembly Hall, abusing the authority of the Inspection Corps, and persecuting assembly members!”

He pointed his finger at Loen.

“You’ve truly gone too far, Loen Franz! No matter how much you rely on His Majesty the Emperor’s favor, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed! How dare you!”

A resolute and dignified voice.

A thundering reprimand imbued with a politician’s experience honed over many years.

At this momentum, a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of some assembly members.

But Loen’s expression didn’t change at all despite his passionate speech.

Rather, as if half-listening to his words, she simply moved her steps toward the knights blocking her way.

Thud, thud.

The tip of the lead knight’s sword reached just below Loen’s chin.

The knight holding the sword warned with a trembling hand.

“If, if you come any closer..”

The overwhelming presence emanating from the woman before him was too much for even an elite knight to handle.

Let alone for an inspector who had the Emperor’s trust.

Loen spoke coldly.

There wasn’t a trace of emotion in her voice.

“I’m conducting an inspection execution, please step aside.”

Swoosh.

One step.

As Loen moved forward, the knight, overwhelmed by her presence, unconsciously took one step back.

Seeing this, other knights also hesitated, glancing at each other.

That was the beginning.

Like the parting of the sea, the white knights began to make way on both sides.

“Those, those crazy fools..!”

Seeing this sight, Assemblyman Borel bit his lip and looked at one knight with desperate eyes.

Perhaps his desperation got through.

Three knights standing at the very back stepped forward.

Without yielding to Loen’s murderous presence, they firmly blocked her path.

Golden emblems on their shoulders and red capes on their backs.

They were beings of a different caliber from ordinary knights, shown by their entire appearance.

One of the knights, who looked the most formidable, stepped forward and spoke in a voice filled with iron will.

“I am Tryne, Senior Knight of the Imperial Palace Guard under the Imperial Guard, currently escorting Assemblyman Borel at the request of His Highness the Prince.”

The Imperial Guard.

The supreme military group standing at the apex of imperial power alongside the Inspection Corps.

Among them, the Imperial Palace Guard was responsible for the defense of the palace and the capital, the only ones who operated with their identities revealed.

Loen’s eyebrow twitched slightly at the weight of that name.

Tryne said.

“I’m sorry, Inspector Loen. Before the summary execution of Assemblyman Borel, you’ll need to present clear evidence for the charges you’ve brought forward.”

He finished his words with a smile.

Then Loen retorted.

“Due to the risk of flight, execution must take precedence.”

But Tryne refused to back down and answered by placing his hand on his sword hilt.

The two members of the Imperial Guard standing behind him also gradually raised their presence and began to emit murderous intent. It was a warning that they would block her by force if necessary.

“…”

Loen suddenly fell silent.

Seeing this, the corners of Tryne’s mouth raised slightly.

He caressed the golden emblem on his shoulder with his left hand.

As if to reinforce once more where his allegiance lay.

The surrounding assembly members watched Loen with bated breath.

Some of them exchanged whispers with hands covering their mouths.

“This time, even she won’t be able to do anything.”

“Surely she won’t attack the Imperial Guard.”

Assemblyman Borel, relieved at the sight of Loen who seemed to have lost some of her edge, exhaled in relief and glared at her with burning eyes.

Insolent woman, seems like you’ve finally realized your place.

“What will you do, Inspector Loen?”

Tryne’s provocative question echoed throughout the assembly hall.

Before his voice could even finish.

Psyche, who had been swaying her tail, now raised it stiffly, and Seraphine, who had been keeping her arms crossed, uncrossed them and stepped right next to Loen.

The moment the footsteps of the two stopped beside Loen.

Loen, who had been alternately staring at the Imperial Guard blocking her way and Assemblyman Borel standing behind.

Finally opened her mouth.

But what flowed from her lips was not an answer to Tryne’s question…

“Judgment.”

It was a magic activation word.

“!!”

Before the Imperial Guard knights, who had widened their eyes, could react.

Three enormous gray magical spears appeared in the air above Loen’s head and pierced downward, cutting through the air.

Simultaneously, deep blue lightning branches burst from Seraphine’s fingertips and enveloped them in a fan shape.

Kwa-gwang! Pazizik! Ugrr..

Eventually, the entire assembly hall was engulfed in a thunderous roar and blinding flash that seemed about to burst.

Outside, the fierce downpour continued to pour fiercely, swallowing all the noise in the world.

Whoooosh-.

At some point, a dazzling stream of rain broke through the assembly hall windows and leaked outside.

It was a short and intense light, like lightning in dark clouds.

But no one paid attention to that momentary flash.

People passing by the surrounding streets merely hurried their steps with deeply furrowed faces, trying to avoid the pouring rain.