Episode 46 – Truth and Mercenaries

Grace SIDE

After waking up in the morning, I was immediately escorted to the Imperial City by a member of the family.

Composing myself, I warmly gazed at Ian, who came to see me off, and got into the car.

I felt like I was being dragged off to a battlefield.

The smoothly moving car was silent, filled only with the sound of my heart pounding roughly due to the tension.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried my best to relieve this tension.

I kept telling myself that my worries were excessive, and that if many people from previous lives had already come, they would manage to some extent, but not eliminate them.

And then the car stopped.

The door opened, and I composed myself and stepped outside.

The Imperial Palace was filled with huge and extravagant buildings, just like the Forbidden City in my previous life.

The man who opened the door was wearing a uniform.

He told me to follow him and began walking towards a pure white building, different from the other ornate structures.

I obediently followed him.

Inside the pure white building, people who looked like researchers were walking around in white gowns.

The scene was like a research lab from my previous life, a place I had little contact with even in my previous life, so I scanned my surroundings as I followed.

After walking deep inside for a while, the man soon reached an iron door.

On either side of the iron door, two men in uniform with swords at their waists were stationed.

Without saying a word, one of the men held out his hand, and the man who had guided me took something the size of a business card out of his pocket and handed it to the person who appeared to be a guard.

The uniformed man carefully looked at the business card-like object, seeming to verify something.

After a few seconds of verification, he handed it back to the man who had guided me and opened the door.

And the moment I saw the man return to attention, the man who had guided me stepped aside and spoke.

“I will guide you again when you are finished. I will wait outside until then.”

“Yes.”

Answering his words, I stepped into the room.

And it felt like I had returned to Earth.

Other places were still somewhat foreign compared to my previous life, so I was just curious, but this room was different.

Perhaps this is what a researcher’s room looks like on TV. The bookshelves were lined with various books, and each desk was cluttered with documents, various kinds of books, and reagents, as if someone was conducting research.

And the room was filled with a strange, bitter yet salty smell that tickled my nose.

As I looked around, indulging in a strange nostalgia, I could see a man with messy black hair sitting on the floor in the center of the room, reading something.

He smelled musty, as if he hadn’t showered in days.

I decided that he was the person who could answer my questions and spoke to him.

“Excuse me…”

My voice echoed in the room, and the man finally seemed to notice and raised his head.

And he realized that I, like him, had crossed over rather than being born here.

The man, clearly exhibiting the characteristics of an East Asian, scanned my body with a sullen expression and replied as if throwing it away.

“Seriously, aren’t you ashamed to dress like that?”

“…Huh?”

“Haa, anyway, you’re the person who was supposed to come today, keueueue…. Let’s get this done quickly, I’m not a person with a lot of free time.”

“………”

The man, who only said what he wanted to say, scratched his messy hair, picked up a crystal lying among the junk in the corner, and approached me.

And without saying a word, he held it out to me, shaking it nervously as if telling me to grab it quickly.

Confused, I reflexively placed my hand on the crystal.

Then, a faint light emanated from the crystal once before completely fading away.

As soon as he saw that, the man began to examine the crystal.

The man nodded, placed it on the desk, took out a piece of paper, and began scribbling something.

“Ah, what’s your name?”

“… It’s Grace.”

“Um, um, Grace… Okay, done. Here, take it. And goodbye, bye bye.”

The man placed the document in my hand, pushed me out as if I were a nuisance, and slammed the door shut.

I stood there blankly, holding the document in my hand, bewildered.

The man who had been waiting outside saw me like that, sighed deeply, and spoke to me.

“It seems like he didn’t explain properly. Haa… Follow me, the proper explanation will be given there.”

“Y-yes…”

With those words, the man started walking ahead.

I glanced back with a bewildered look and immediately followed.

The man’s footsteps stopped only after entering a room.

In that room, a woman with sharp eyes and striking reddish-brown hair was sitting in a chair, processing various documents.

And as soon as the woman sensed our presence entering the room, she raised her head.

“Excuse me, Director-nim, I have brought the newly discovered Stranger.”

“Is that so… Thank you for your trouble. Please come here, Stranger.”

She politely gestured to the chair in front of her.

I held the document and sat quietly in the chair.

Then, the man standing next to me said to me.

“The document…”

“Ah… Yes.”

As I handed him the document, the man immediately handed it to the Director.

“……… The explanation… Hmm, of course you wouldn’t have heard it.”

She slowly read the document, glanced at my face, and continued.

“First… I should explain everything.”

She gently massaged her brow and opened her mouth.

Stranger was a term used to refer to those who, like me, had crossed over from another world.

They said that they come here with various knowledge or special abilities, either benefiting the world or causing chaos.

However, they said that they are helpful, and that unconditional oppression would endanger the Empire, a lesson learned from the past, so I could rest assured.

She then asked me if I had a higher level of technology than the current era.

I naturally said no, and she nodded, scribbled something on the document, and returned it to me.

“Please read it slowly.”

Nodding at her words, I began to read from beginning to end.

The document was a contract.

The contract stated that I should not use modern knowledge recklessly, and that if I intended to create something using that knowledge, the copyright should be registered and produced under the control of the Empire.

And my unique ability was also written there.

The ability of Adaptation was written, and it was recorded that the details of the ability had not yet been discovered.

As I continued to read, I found that the Empire’s basic policy towards Strangers was laissez-faire.

They were helping them adapt to the current world and find jobs, as they came over like accidents.

Prominent researchers have not been able to clearly explain the sudden birth and arrival of Strangers, and there is no way to send them back.

I let out a sigh of relief after reading everything.

The Empire does not persecute Strangers.

Realizing that, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my heart.

The Director opened her mouth, thinking that I had finished reading the contract.

“Basically, the Empire provides support for Strangers, but… have you already decided what you will do?”

“… I’m thinking of being a mercenary.”

“I see. Then I will register you right here. Please sign the contract and hand it to me.”

“Yes.”

I picked up the pen she handed me and signed.

The Director received the document file and placed it in one place, then spoke.

“Is it possible to register my… husband as well?”

“Husband?”

“Y-yes…”

“It doesn’t matter. If you tell me his name, I will register him in the same way.”

“It’s Ian.”

“Um, I understand. Please wait a moment. I will process it right away.”

The Director opened a drawer, took out a few documents, filled in the items with a pen, and then handed them to me, asking me to write down where Ian and I were born and our basic physical records.

After I filled in all the items and handed them over, the Director checked to see if anything was missing, stood up, opened the door located in the corner of the room, went inside, and came out a little later with two bronze plaques in her hand.

“Here you are. Grace-ssi, and if you are thinking of working as a mercenary, I recommend the fortress city of Line near the Spine Mountains of the Serpent rather than the capital.”

“Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it, please guide her.”

As the Director spoke to the man, the man nodded and said to me.

“I will guide you. Please follow me.”

“Yes.”

The Director and I bowed slightly to each other and left the room.

Guided by him, I came outside, looked at the blue sky, and once again let out a sigh of relief, Puuuh!, and returned to the mansion.

Finding Ian, I immediately told him to leave and packed our bags together before leaving the mansion.