episode_0051

The Duchy of Lehem was a territory of considerable size even within the Cavensire Empire.

The land of the Duke of Rayham, the Emperor’s most trusted subject and possessor of outstanding magical abilities.

Naturally, the city of Verdil, which played a key role in that territory, was one of the largest cities not only in the Cavensia Empire, but also in the entire continent.

Verdil, the city of pleasure. The inspection of that land, which is considered the continent’s best cultural tourist destination, was extremely strict, but Isabel and I were the exceptions.

“It’s the symbol of the Sun Church. I received word from His Majesty the Duke in advance.”

As soon as we showed the text in front of the gate, the security chief appeared. The middle-aged man received our identification badges and saluted us politely.

“Confirmed, Isabel Cedent. And Evan Lane. This way.”

The missions that the Order gave to its priests were of various types, but this time, the mission that I had to carry out was one that was directly requested by the Duke of Rayham.

According to Isabel’s explanation the day before, there was a suspicion that an underworld organization that originated in the slums on the outskirts of the city was connected to black magic.

Basically, any act related to black magic, the underworld, or the devil is considered heresy and must be reported to the Sun Church under Imperial law.

It wasn’t particularly strange that the Duke of Rayham had asked for my assistance before I could handle things on my own.

‘Really, if that’s all… … .’

Having already heard this from Isabel, I carefully laid out my thoughts.

First of all, it was normal to move to the city center following the man’s instructions.

The city was certainly more bustling and lively than the headquarters, but the scenery was not particularly novel.

Is it because I haven’t yet walked through the red-light districts, casinos and auction houses that give this city its name?

Anyway, up until now it was nothing more than a normal, prosperous metropolis of the empire… … .

“You two have arrived.”

“Hmm.”

At the man’s words, I stopped looking around and looked straight ahead.

Right in the center of the city, beyond the iron bars, a bleak castle stood tall.

The man bowed at a 90-degree angle as if his role was over and stepped back, and then the iron bars split on both sides as if they had been waiting for it.

Creak… … .

Although there was no separate instruction, it seemed clear that they were telling us to come in on our own.

I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Isn’t this a quarrel?”

“Evan’s bad point is that he always thinks about things that way first.”

Isabel tried to scold me, but her expression wasn’t very good.

She places her hand on the iron bars and narrows her eyes as if thinking about something.

“… … The treatment is a bit strange. It would be hard to see it as having no other meaning.”

“Is that what you think, Ms. Isabelle?”

“But we can’t just be hostile. Should we go in first?”

Isabel gestured toward the inside of the castle, and I nodded. How could I possibly know the other person’s true feelings from this one petty war of nerves?

As she said, I guess we’ll have to meet face to face and talk to her to get an idea.

bang!!

As soon as I passed through the iron bars and entered, the door at the back slammed shut.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Isabel and I exchanged a look of confusion. Usually, this is when you get that ‘trapped’ feeling in a horror movie… … .

It wasn’t any magical device, and it was just a dirty iron bar and iron gate that could be broken through with force.

I ignored it and went further in, opening the door.

As we stepped inside the castle, a wide lobby, a central staircase, and a cool atmosphere contrasting with the splendid lighting greeted us.

There wasn’t a single one of those common users. On the other hand, there were definitely some signs of life in the area.

“Oh, right.”

At this point, there was really no room for doubt. Duke Lehman, this gentleman is quite incompetent.

I burst out laughing and glanced at Isabel’s expression. She didn’t say anything, but a cross-shaped vein stood out on her forehead.

‘You’re angry.’

I coughed as quietly as I could. It was normal for me to be ignored by nobles, but it wasn’t like that for her.

Isabel, who has lived as the eldest daughter of the Cedent family, is someone who should not be treated this way, even if he is the Duke of Rayham.

I don’t know what kind of confidence it is, but the meaning this space points to has become clear.

Isabel strode forward first, and I followed her up the central staircase. Without getting lost, I reached the top floor straight away.

That is, I went straight towards the master of this castle who had been steadily showing off his momentum.

Boom! Without a moment to speak, Isabel threw open the door to the office, and with a loud noise, the doorknob was pitifully crushed.

“Ah, you’re here?”

“… … .”

Still, the owner of the office remained calm. An old man with a monocle over one eye, reading an unknown book, turned his head.

Duke Dietrich Aulos Leihem. The former chief wizard of the imperial family and the man who rules this territory.

His hair was white, but the wall between his wrinkled eyelids was as steady as a castle wall. It felt like looking at an old man.

‘Strong.’

The momentum that was actually felt was not weak. As a single wizard, he was probably a strong person who had reached the limit of what a human could reach.

“… … .”

I narrowed my eyes and collected my energy, assessing the extent of the work.

Wouldn’t it be good if they knew that I was trying to measure my abilities?

Anyway, now wasn’t the time for me to open my mouth and lead the conversation.

“… … ha.”

It was Isabel who spoke first, laughing. She roughly ran her hand through my golden hair and spat out her words in a chewed-out tone.

“Duke Rayham, you’ve done something really childish. Do you find this kind of thing funny?”

“I suddenly don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you mean, childish?”

“… … .”

And then, at the return of his shameless evasion, Isabel was speechless and her expression distorted.

I was also dumbfounded as I stood behind her… … .

“Anyway, I thank you, Sir Isabelle Cedent, for coming to resolve the unfortunate incident that occurred in my domain. Even though I am being used for your evaluation tests.”

Duke Rayham continued speaking, oblivious to our blatant changes of expression.

The gentle smile on her lips was somehow uncomfortable to look at for too long.

“Well, it’s late today, so how about we rest for a night at my castle and start moving tomorrow? They’re just back-alley thugs, so it’s not a big deal to fight over time, right? ”

“… … .”

Isabel didn’t answer. She just gave a cold, crumpled expression and her eyes widened.

It was quite surprising that such a ferocious expression could be made on someone who looked even younger than Elijah.

While I was inwardly amazed, I slowly chewed on Duke Rayham’s words.

‘It’s not a big enough issue to fight over time, La.’

It was a very uncertain statement. If it were truly nothing more than an attempt by underworld criminals to practice low-quality black magic, then it wouldn’t be an exaggeration─.

If that had been the case, I would never have come to this city. To be exact, Isabel would never have come.

Instead, they would have dispatched a suitable candidate and a suitable supervisor. Since the higher-ups had insisted on sending a special heresy inquisitor, there was a necessity to the order.

In other words, the fact that the Solar Church received this request in the first place was not at the Duke’s request.

Instead, a dispatch to find out what he was hiding.

Isabel probably knows that fact better than I do.

“After… ….”

That is why she controlled her emotions despite the Duke of Leicester’s blatant provocations.

Her eyes regained their calm as a faint golden aura rippled beyond her shoulders.

“… … I’m sorry, Duke Rayham.”

Isabel, who had calmed down in an instant, looked up at the Duke and answered him.

“Once suspicious circumstances related to black magic have been discovered, this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the church. Of course, we will handle the matter at our discretion.”

Although he did seek out Yeongju Castle as a courtesy, he said he had no intention of following its instructions.

The peacock’s eyebrows twitched once.

“… … Hmm, is that so? If that’s what you’re saying, I have no reason to object.”

“I will decline your generous offer. We will find our own lodging, so please do not worry, Your Highness. In a big city like this, how can we not find an inn?”

“… … .”

This time the Duke did not answer. He simply picked up the book he had put down and opened it, and Isabelle asked again in a nonchalant voice.

“Can I just go now, Duke?”

“… … Please do so.”

The duke nodded. Isabel grabbed my wrist and spun me around, leaving the old man behind who no longer looked at us.

I left Duke Rayham’s office and left the castle without hesitation. Fortunately, the iron gate opened automatically without much resistance.

“… … Are you okay, Miss Isabel?”

“It’s okay.”

I asked her as we crossed the main street of the city, and Isabel answered. She said she was fine, but her cold expression said otherwise.

She glanced at the top of the castle with eyes that saw something disgusting.

“I don’t know how much the author is involved, but it seems clear that the purpose of calling us was to cover up. At this point, I wonder if there really was a problem in the slums.”

“… … Before the Duke’s request, you said that several suspicious signs had already been detected in Verdil.”

“Yes. And none of those signs had anything to do with slums. Rather… … .”

She didn’t continue talking because she was conscious of the stares she might receive, but her golden eyes, which were still bright even in the late evening hours, were shifted to one side.

The eastern part of the city. The area where the red-light district, casinos, and auction houses are located.

Isabel looked back at me with a low sigh, silently touching my lips.

“… … Anyway, let’s find a place to rest today. The city is so big, finding an inn shouldn’t be too difficult. ”

“Oh, yes.”

I nodded obediently. Whether it was the slums or the pleasure district, I needed a base to dig into the strange things about this city.

Choosing to stay outside the city for a while was probably the right decision.

Personally, it is true that I found the Duke’s proposal somewhat unsettling.

‘But… why did that gentleman try to scratch me so blatantly? If his intention was really to deceive, he should have avoided any actions that would arouse unnecessary suspicion in the church.’

After carefully considering the parts that bothered me separately, Isabel and I set out to find a hotel in the city where we could stay for a long time.

As it was a large tourist city, it was only natural that there were inns scattered throughout Verde.

In fact, I thought it would be easy to find two rooms in any building I entered.

It took less than two hours to realize that it was a mistake.

“I’m sorry. All single rooms are fully booked today… … . There is only one room left, but if it’s okay with you, I’ll help you find a room there.”

“… … .”

It was already the ninth time I had heard such an answer. I pressed my throbbing forehead and thought about that damned old man’s face.

Obviously, they were all different buildings, but the comments I got back from the receptionist in the lobby were exactly the same, with a little exaggeration, without a single word being different… … .

There was only one person in this city with the power to commit a low-level prank on this scale.

How can a gentleman like the Duke be so lowly?

I looked around with a slightly sleepy and anxious heart.

“… … This, Duke Rayham, you crazy author. Such childish and sloppy things… … .”

As expected, Isabel was summoning the Unwoldo and clutching it as if she was going to crush it, along with harsh words she usually didn’t use.

The lobby staff noticed it half a beat later than me and let out a startled ‘Eek!’ and I had to stop her while sweating profusely.

“Calm down, Miss Isabel. Getting angry like this won’t change anything.”

“… … I’ll come back and check if you can hold out the same attitude even if I break your head. So let go of this, Evan. I told you not to stop me? Ah.”

“Oh please, Miss Isabel.”

When I put my arm between her armpits and held her from behind, the picture became really strange.

In any case, Isabelle is as short as Elijah and looks quite frail, so she is not considered an adult.

Even here, not on the mountains of Hispania, where her face was well known.

If this was my past life, I might have been reported as a man with a minor at a motel counter and locked up in a detention center… … .

Thinking about it that way made me feel sad for some reason, but I somehow managed to calm Isabel down.

She clenched her fists with a bubbling expression. I suddenly wondered if it would feel hot if I put my hand on her reddened forehead right now.

“After.”

Soon Isabel blew a gust of wind and pushed her bangs up. She felt a little calmer, but was it because she had been wandering around the city for nearly two hours looking for a place to stay?

She spoke firmly, pressing hard on the corners of her eyes, which had darkened with fatigue.

“Anyway, let’s find another solution. A man and a woman sharing a cramped single room… … . It’s absolutely impossible. Especially if the other person is a married man.”

*****

Got in.