Episode 63 – Report

*

Edward and Jennifer faced each other across a translucent barrier of shimmering, sacred blue mist.

Both were too stunned by the sudden appearance of the blue wall to speak.

Edward was lost in thought.

Did my last prayer reach the Goddess?

Why was I granted the sacred power of protection instead of the healing power I so desperately desired?

Perhaps the Goddess foresaw this situation and withheld her sacred power until now to save me.

At that moment, Jennifer’s magic seemed to dissipate, and the brick wall blocking their path rumbled and slid back into place.

Without a word, Edward immediately turned and ran.

Jennifer’s terrible secret, the sacred power that manifested in me, though not as I’d hoped.

He banished it all from his mind, dragging his limping leg and running like a madman.

I must live.

There’s time to think about it all after we survive.

“No!”

“Oh, shit!”

With a crash, the sacred power of protection shattered.

Well, it was probably inevitable that the newly manifested sacred power of a mere apprentice priest would only buy a little time against a great wizard like Jennifer.

Edward could see the magical bookshelf that served as the entrance to the secret passage he had entered.

Thinking he was almost there, Edward gritted his teeth and ran.

The pain from his skinned leg felt like running on thorns, and his feet kept slipping in the pooling blood, but he didn’t stop.

Jennifer couldn’t let him get away either.

If Edward escaped, he would surely report what she had done.

In regions under the influence of the Goddess Church, even an apprentice priest commanded a significant level of social trust.

If a priest, especially a member of the same household, accused her, it would become a huge scandal even if she destroyed all the evidence.

Of course, if he went straight to report her, she wouldn’t have any time to destroy the evidence.

A scandal caused by the wife of the Knight Commander would be a major weakness for Robin, and she might end up killed by his hand.

No, even if Robin didn’t harm her, the things she had already done were enough to warrant the death penalty under imperial law.

“Goddamn it! Edward! Get over here right now!”

Jennifer waved her staff again.

“Keuk!”

Edward groaned in pain.

With a rumble, the walls were closing in again, and the strong headwind made it difficult to stand on his injured leg.

But the exit was right in front of him.

Edward pushed forward, enduring the sharp headwind that whipped across his face.

The shrinking walls were about to crush Edward.

If he continued forward, he might be crushed before he could escape.

But Edward moved forward with determination, as if he didn’t care if an arm or leg was crushed between the walls.

“No! Edward!”

“Mother-nim!”

Edward barely reached the bookshelf entrance and tumbled out.

Jennifer’s room was in sight again.

Edward immediately ran out of the room, calling for Mela.

The servants might be killed or silenced by Jennifer, but surely she wouldn’t dare harm Mela, who, as a former Saintess of the Hero Party, had earned the trust of the people and the church.

“Mother-nim! Mother!!”

Edward’s desperate cries echoed through Jennifer’s secret passage.

Hearing his voice calling for his mother-nim, Jennifer quietly murmured.

“…Daniel… Mom is sorry.”

*

We, except for Mena, all got into the Imperial family’s carriage that Ellie had brought and headed for Robin’s mansion.

As the carriage rattled along, hurrying, I asked Ellie about the situation.

“Reporting Jennifer? What’s going on?”

Ellie tapped her temple with her fan and replied.

“I don’t know exactly yet. Maybe the Saintess’s son found that terrible secret room Edgar mentioned and reported it.”

“Even so, this quickly? He only left this hotel a little over two hours ago.”

“Ah, I deliberately stationed Imperial soldiers near the mansion.”

“What?”

“Well, Robin’s position is Knight Commander. If reported through normal channels, Robin could easily bury it.”

“How much did you anticipate?”

“Anticipate? I just prepared for it. Even I didn’t expect the results to come out this quickly.”

The carriage arrived a short distance from Robin’s mansion.

Ellie ordered the coachman to stop the carriage.

Lara, who was familiar with the area since it was near the mansion, asked curiously.

“We haven’t arrived at the mansion yet, why did you stop?”

“Shh.”

Ellie raised her index finger to her lips, silencing Lara, and carefully pulled back the window curtain to look outside.

Outside the window, Robin’s carriage was stopped by Imperial soldiers, and Robin and a soldier were arguing.

Everyone in the carriage held their breath and focused on Robin’s voice, which suddenly became audible.

“Why are you blocking me from entering my own mansion! Is this the Emperor’s doing?!”

“I apologize, Knight Commander Robin-nim. A report has been filed, so you cannot enter.”

“Good, you said it well. I am the Knight Commander. I am the head of the knights in charge of security in this area! And you dare to insult me like this? Does the Emperor have no shame in doing this?!”

“Watch your words, Knight Commander-nim! It is your wife who is being arrested!”

“My wife? Who are you talking about?”

“The Great Wizard Jennifer Boldiras, Countess-nim.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? What are the charges?”

“Kidnapping, murder, unauthorized use of unapproved magical tools, engaging in heretical forbidden arts prohibited by imperial law, and performing black magic prohibited by the church’s ordinances, among others.”

“…What?”

Robin was so taken aback that his voice trembled as he stammered.

Ellie had only slightly pulled back the curtain to avoid being noticed, so I couldn’t see Robin’s face from my seat, but I could clearly tell that he was losing his mind in dismay and anger.

“What is your name… Do you think you can give me such humiliation and get away with it?”

“…”

“…I asked what your name is.”

“I am Armand, of the Imperial Second Knight Order.”

“Very well, I will remember that.”

“…Threatening a knight performing official duties is…”

“I am the Knight Commander!”

“…I apologize, Knight Commander-nim. However, the identity of the reporter is very clear, and their credibility is also very high, so I had no choice.”

“Who is the reporter!”

“…That is,”

“Who is it, who is so great that they can have my mansion trampled by lowly things and allow my wife to be taken away at will!!”

“…Th-that, well, that is…”

“Who is it, I said!”

“…It is Mela Boldiras, Countess-nim, your wife-nim.”

Robin made a sound like he was choking.

I had a hard time holding back my laughter and covered my mouth.

Mela.

Did Edward tell her everything?

Well, if she knew about those things, she wouldn’t have stayed still.

Mela was the Saintess of the Goddess Church, after all.

I smiled, remembering her telling me to pursue a virtuous life according to the teachings of the Goddess Church and even forbidding me from cursing.

That’s when it happened.

A knight came running breathlessly from afar to Robin and the poor knight named Armand who was being reprimanded.

“Something terrible has happened!”

“What is it, Richard?”

“…Jennifer-nim… Jennifer-nim attacked the knights and escaped!”

“What!”

“…Jennifer did?”

Right, it couldn’t be that easy.

I looked at Ellie.

Ellie carefully ordered the coachman to turn the carriage around so as not to attract the attention of Robin and the knights.

As the carriage began to move, Ellie put her finger to her chin and pondered.

Lara, Lily, Deborah, and I all looked at Ellie.

Regardless of our opinions of her, we all acknowledged that she was the fastest at assessing situations and making plans.

After a moment, she slowly opened her mouth.

“If a Great Wizard goes on a rampage or deliberately hides, we have no way to stop her. We have to catch her. So, let’s do this.”

“How?”

“Everyone except Ed should chase Jennifer in the direction she disappeared. And Ed, I want you to go into the mansion alone and rescue Banata-yang from that secret room.”

“Banata? Wouldn’t it be better to leave it to the soldiers?”

“Since Mena-ssi isn’t here, I’ll be honest. Are you confident that she’s still okay?”

“…”

“Just in case… And while you’re there, if there’s anything important, any crucial evidence that she or the servants might destroy, pick it up too.”

“…Ha, but, will you be okay without me?”

“There are plenty of strong people here besides Ed.”

“Besides, Ed is the only one who can sneak into the mansion past those soldiers.”

I nodded and looked at Lara, asking.

“Lara, will you be okay? You might have to fight Jennifer. You and I, who were in the same party, know best how terrifying a wizard she is.”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing, rather.”

“What is?”

“…She’s no longer my comrade or friend. She’s just a bitch who’s responsible for your death. Besides, I feel like shooting my bow like crazy today.”

Lara glared at Ellie as she spoke.

Ellie scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

I looked straight at Lara and said.

“Remember, Lara. Don’t kill her.”

“Why?”

Lara looked at me with a truly clueless expression.

Everyone in the carriage, including me, looked at her as if she were ridiculous.

“Obviously, Jennifer has to die by my hand.”

This time, everyone’s eyes were fixed on me.

Why, what.

.