episode_0085

000

Royal Capital `El Kerd`.

As the name suggests, it is the capital of the kingdom that practically governs most of the continent.

Reflecting on the past when the kingdom allowed the empire to invade to the doorstep of the royal castle decades ago.

Currently, the city is surrounded by huge white walls that are tens of meters high, transforming it into the strongest fortress with solid defenses.

Many nobles reside in the royal capital, so entry and exit are thoroughly scrutinized.

Each of the eight gates built on the vast plains had a checkpoint to thoroughly prevent illegal entry into the walls.

To pass through the checkpoint, you need an `identification card` or an `adventurer registration card`.

Among them, adventurers needed a letter of introduction from the guild, showing how nervous they were about bringing seeds of unrest into the royal capital.

Lube Ra, who was originally a servant of a noble family, never had to pass through the checkpoint alone, and spent almost all of her time with the damned young master Eustace.

She realized that she did not have an ID card or even an adventurer registration card only after arriving at the checkpoint.

“…This is a predicament.”

Lube Ra stared blankly at the long line to pass through the checkpoint.

She regretted not asking Luti Sions for a letter of introduction from the guild so that she could pass through the royal castle if she had known this would happen.

“What do we do? Are we going to be sleeping outside again today?”

The girl in the small servant’s uniform standing next to Lube Ra, her true identity is Lube Ra’s magic sword `Varisada`.

Because the name is a bit strange to call out in front of other people, she is usually called `Lisa`.

Varisada, both the person (blade), seemed to like the name.

She had not been awakened for long, and thanks to her personality matching her childish appearance.

She has a strong curiosity towards her surroundings and does not express complaints about most things.

However, there is one thing she hates: camping on the road and spending the night.

In other words, she absolutely hated sleeping outside.

Varisada, her face crumpled like a child swallowing bitter medicine, looks up at Lube Ra.

Lube Ra also reluctantly arrived in the royal capital after a month, and was annoyed to go back to Elesia to get a letter of introduction.

“…I have no choice, Lisa. Let’s jump over the wall. Use distortion to make me `inside the wall`.”

“Huh!? But entering the royal capital without passing through the checkpoint is a crime?!”

“You don’t want to sleep outside either, right? I feel the same way.”

Taking Varisada, who was making a `b, but~` kind of voice, she took a step to get closer to the wall where people couldn’t see.

A luxurious carriage with an elaborate design passed by the side of the line for inspection, passing by Lube Ra and Varisada.

It was obviously a carriage with a noble on board, so they could pass through the checkpoint without waiting in line.

Lube Ra glanced at the carriage with some displeasure, and was about to turn her body.

At that moment-

“Lube Ra?”

Upon hearing someone calling her name, she raised her head.

She saw the carriage that had passed Lube Ra and Varisada a moment ago stopped, and a woman getting out of it.

Lube Ra looked a little surprised when she made eye contact with the woman.

The woman looked like a noble of high status at first glance.

The lady of the `Duke` family, the highest position among the nobles.

The restrained splendor and functional beauty of her attire felt a bit plain compared to her status.

However, the undeniable elegance in her gait and demeanor emphasized her nobility.

Her golden hair was neatly tied back in a braided bun. And her clear blue eyes were visible in her smiling face.

Lube Ra slightly lifted her skirt, bowed her head, and greeted her.

“…Mrs. Trommel.”

She was the lady of the Trommel family, who was in charge of defending the vast kingdom territory, including the royal capital.

The reason Lube Ra knew her was.

Before, at a social gathering of nobles, Eustace was hitting on a servant of the Trommel family.

Lube Ra stopped him by hitting him in the back of the head and apologized to Mrs. Trommel who was there.

Perhaps Mrs. Trommel liked that act, she invited her to several tea parties she hosted after that.

At the time, Marquis Hughes did not personally like Lube Ra attending such tea parties very much.

However, he thought that it could be the first step in building friendship with the Trommel Duke family, which he had difficulty building a connection with no matter how much money he poured in.

He had her attend several tea parties.

Of course, Lube Ra knew the marquis’s intentions, so she disposed of all the messages and gifts he told her to deliver without any problems.

Mrs. Trommel got out of the carriage and approached Lube Ra, pausing for a moment with a bitter smile as if choosing her words.

Then, as she opened her mouth again, she spoke with a pitying voice.

“I heard about the Woodnocker family. It’s a pity that those you served have fallen like that.”

“…It’s okay. Marquis Hughes was a bastard who deserved such an end.”

However, Lube Ra answered indifferently as if she didn’t think so at all.

There was no exaggeration or lie in her words.

At such blunt words, Mrs. Trommel was slightly surprised, then covered her mouth and smiled modestly.

“I guess words of comfort weren’t necessary. I’ve already heard what kind of misdeeds he committed. So, you’re free now? And this girl here?”

At Mrs. Trommel’s question, Lube Ra looked down at Varisada.

And she answers calmly without blinking an eye.

“This is Lisa. She’s my younger sister.”

“Lube Ra’s younger sister… But why is she wearing a servant’s outfit?”

“This is the only one among the clothes I have that fits her size.”

[Wow, you didn’t buy me any.]

[Be quiet.]

Lisa is expressing her dissatisfaction inwardly, but on the outside, she shows a bright smile.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Trommel! My name is Lisa! I’ve been apart from my sister for a long time, but I’m going to live with her now!”

“Hehe, she’s a very smart child.”

While the two were exchanging greetings, Lube Ra’s eyes were fixed on the carriage she was riding in.

“Mrs. Trommel, I have a sudden request.”

“Oh my. What is it?”

At Lube Ra’s truly sudden words, Mrs. Trommel looked at her.

“I was trying to enter the royal capital, but I have no means of proving my identity. If it’s okay, can I join you in the carriage and pass through the checkpoint?”

It was a bit rude to ask a lady from the Duke family, who was like the heart of the kingdom, and not just an ordinary noble.

Mrs. Trommel’s eyes were still smiling, but the sharp insight hidden inside momentarily scanned Lube Ra’s body.

“That kind of request is fine. Of course, it’s fine. Please, get in the carriage.”

However, she smiled kindly as if nothing was wrong and guided her to the carriage.

Lube Ra bowed her head to thank her and got into her carriage.

Then- contrary to expectations.

It could be seen that another person was already riding inside the carriage.

A person wearing a cheap grayish-brown robe, not saying anything.

A presence that was too out of place to be riding in the Duke family’s carriage.

Lube Ra felt a slight embarrassment, but she didn’t show it and sat down first.

If Varisada were to sit next to her, the structure of the four-seater carriage would naturally.

She would be sitting in a seat facing that person.

Suddenly, the scent of perfume wafted from the woman sitting across from her.

It was probably something so luxurious that Lube Ra could never dream of.

When Mrs. Trommel got into the carriage, the door closed and the carriage started moving again.

Was it a mistake to get in her carriage? The same question echoed inside Lube Ra.

But in reality, the Duchess was talking to Lube Ra as if nothing was wrong.

“So, are you going to live with your younger sister in the royal capital now?”

“…Yes. I suppose so.”

Lube Ra answers that while somehow maintaining her composure.

“Then you’ll have to find a place to work again. Do you have a place in mind?”

“Ah, no…”

What was it, the Duchess’s question that seemed to be probing her.

Even when they had met a few times before, she had never bombarded her with questions like this.

“That’s good. We happen to be looking for a new servant at our house, and if Lube Ra applies, we can hire you with just a simple interview?”

Surprisingly, what came out of her mouth was a scout offer for Lube Ra.

Lube Ra thinks, there’s no way the Duke family would be looking for a servant so coincidentally.

Her purpose is to keep herself by her side. Perhaps, she had been interested in her from before to make her her person if she saw an opportunity.

Lube Ra’s idea was not a far-fetched guess.

Such rumors had been heard among the servants of noble families from before.

Female adventurers with brilliant careers and women with unknown power were being hired as servants of the Trommel family one after another.

There were even rumors that those servants were the Duchess’s private army.

Lube Ra had no intention of filling her position as a sword wielded by nobles again.

Besides, she had other things to do.

“Thank you for your kind words, but I will try to find it on my own first. I would feel sorry for others if I were hired through connections.”

“I think connections are also a great skill… But it can’t be helped. If you ever change your mind, please let me know.”

She still said kind words to Lube Ra without erasing the smile from her face.

However, Lube Ra could not help but feel an aversion to the inherent deviousness of nobles that she felt from her.

The carriage did not stop and passed through the checkpoint at the castle gate.

Thinking to herself, ‘Is this the power of the Duke family?’, the carriage moves along the main street inside the royal capital.

It was the royal capital that she had returned to after a month, but there were still so many people coming and going that it could not be compared to Elesia.

Including merchants, soldiers, adventurers, and clerics, various human groups were forming crowds.

After the story about the scout was over, natural daily conversations with no real substance passed between the two.

Even in the midst of all this, the woman in front of Lube Ra (although her face and body were covered by a robe, her gender could be guessed from the feeling and perfume).

She did not say anything, nor did she react to any words, as if she were an invisible person.

Lube Ra also felt that asking her questions was like a taboo, so she was careful not to even accidentally look at her and talked with the Duchess.

“…Ah, this place is fine.”

In the meantime, when the carriage passed in front of the inn that Lube Ra was heading to, Lube Ra told the Duchess.

“Oh my, are you going to stay at an inn? That’s quite expensive…”

“It’s okay. I earned a little money on the way here.”

In fact, Lube Ra, while walking to the royal capital with Varisada.

She had defeated bandits and thieves who had looked down on them and attacked them several times, and had been living off their bounties.

In other words, money was rolling in even when she was just walking down the street.

Recently, Varisada had been calling those who recklessly attacked them names like the `golden goblins` in legends.

Eventually, the carriage slowly stopped, the door opened, and Varisada got out first.

And as Lube Ra was about to get out after her.

“Lube Ra.”

She turns her head at the sound of the Duchess calling her.

“There were only three people in this carriage: me, you, and your younger sister. Got it?”

“… …”

The tone of her voice was still gentle. That’s why this warning felt even heavier.

Lube Ra slowly nodded and got out of the carriage. As she landed on the ground, she fixed her slightly crooked fedora, turned her body, and greeted the Duchess once again.

The carriage quietly closed the door and continued forward.

“Hoo… She’s a scary person.”

“…She is the highest-ranking woman in the kingdom, excluding the royal family. She needs charisma worthy of that position. More than that, let’s get a room and take a shower first.”

Saying that, she took her luggage and moved her feet to the inn in front of her.

001

That night, perhaps because she slept in a bed for the first time in a long time, she had a pleasant dream.

In the dream, Lube Ra was looking up at the sky with a boy.

She felt strangely about her childhood self, just like Varisada.

But the clear sky did not show the grotesque Wyverns that were trying to take their lives, nor the cliffs of the valley that were blocking their view with shadows.

The countless lights adorning the night sky were the group of free stars that she longed for.

Lube Ra liked the stars.

They were shining in a place so high that no one could reach them.

She desperately hoped that one day she could become free like them.

“—”

Turning her head at the sound of the boy calling her name.

There sat the young man who gave her her first freedom.

Before she knew it, her body had become that of an adult like now, and the two people’s hands were naturally touching.

For some reason, she felt a little resentful of herself for always saying mean things to him.

If only she could be a little more honest with the young man.

But she clearly thinks that such a thing does not suit her.

But- in a dream.

She calls his name in a small voice that will not reach him in reality.

It was a sweet, affectionate voice that even surprised herself.

And slowly, she puts strength into the hand she is holding with him.

Closer to the young man’s face-

-She suddenly jolts up!

The next moment, Lube Ra raises her body.

It was still the middle of the night, before the dawn sun had risen above the horizon.

With a dazed head, she reconfirms that what had just happened was a dream.

“Ugh… Lube Ra…?”

Varisada, who was definitely in the form of a sword when she went to sleep, had somehow returned to human form and was in her bed.

As she gradually regained her sense of reality at the sound of her calling her like a sleep talk.

Lube Ra screams silently, grabs her head with a flushed face.

`What was that just now…!? A wet dream!? Even though it’s been a month since I last saw him…! As soon as I felt relieved… Keuk…!`

Feeling the shame and agony of midnight turning inside out as if her stomach was boiling.

Lube Ra ended up tossing and turning.

002

There is also a `back alley` in the royal capital El Kerd.

Like the ones located in `Elesia`, it is a place that serves as the royal capital’s trash can.

It is a dangerous area where various bad things that have fallen out of everyday life gather in one place and dig into each other’s interests.

That’s why not only ordinary people but also the kingdom’s soldiers. Even nobles don’t easily set foot here.

The quality was so ugly and violent that it could not be compared to the back alleys of Elesia.

Even if someone accidentally stepped into this place and lost their life, it’s that guy’s fault.

It is also a place where 100 out of 100 people would say that.

And at the entrance of such a back alley, there is a luxurious bar that creates an atmosphere that does not fit.

However, due to the location conditions, it is really rare for customers to come.

Even if someone sets foot in it out of curiosity, customers who do not meet the owner’s picky tastes are kicked out and never allowed to come back.

It was a store that didn’t seem to have any intention of doing business.

The small bell on the entrance door rang and the door creaked open.

Although it was still early, there was always the same woman standing in front of the counter in this bar, which was open 24 hours a day.

She had a unique appearance with silver hair and silver eyes, and she opened her eyes wide and looked at the visitor to the store.

“Oh my, Lube Ra. You’re back in the royal capital.”

Her name is `Sus`. Lube Ra had heard before that her species was named with two repeated syllables, even though it was a unique name.

The bar `Shape Shifter` was like an information dealer in the back alley that Lube Ra had found while working in the royal capital.

Whenever she had time, she would stop by here to gather information about the brothel where the Black Magic clan members were working.

“I came back yesterday. You’re in that form today…”

As the name of the bar shows. `Sus` was a shape shifter, that is, a being who could transform her body into any form she wanted.

She said she opened the bar for her daughter who was studying at the academy, but Lube Ra had never seen a customer other than herself.

Sus greeted Lube Ra with joy, but asked about her well-being as if she was worried about the dark circles under Lube Ra’s eyes.

“You look very tired, are you okay? Should I give you a glass of something fizzy to wake you up?”

“No… I’m okay. I just didn’t sleep well.”

Lube Ra entered the store with Varisada at her waist and sat down in a seat in front of the counter.

“As Hughes Woodnocker died, the family collapsed. Of course, that would have had a huge impact on the back alley businesses he was supporting.”

Lube Ra calmly looks at Sus and speaks.

Sus nodded at Lube Ra’s words and handed her a cup of cold water.

“Because of that, dozens of bodies were buried in the back alleys yesterday. The organization that was at the top of the back alleys with the support of Marquis Hughes lost 90% of its members in a month and is now on the run.”

“The power struggle is always ugly. I don’t sympathize with the status they gained with money earned from businesses that were established on the misfortune of others.”

Sus smiled bitterly at Lube Ra’s answer and put her hands on her hips.

“Well, thanks to that, information about the brothel where the `Black Magic clan` that Lube Ra wanted to know about has flowed into my ears.”

Lube Ra nods with a sleepy face as if she had expected it.

The Black Magic clan’s brothel definitely exists somewhere in the back alleys.

Because she remembers working in that brothel for only one day.

However, it was impossible to accurately remember the location of the place where she had spent her childhood living among adults.

The back alleys are intertwined like a spider web, and most of them are decorated so that you can’t tell what kind of store it is from the outside.

“It seems that the owner has changed in the last month. Perhaps the original owner was someone who was influenced by Marquis Hughes, so he was either dead or kidnapped. It must be one of the two.”

“The new owner is…?”

At Lube Ra’s question, Sus takes out a small piece of paper from her chest pocket.

It was engraved with a magic circle with a geometric inverted pentagram, a circle, and a pattern resembling a heart.

“You can think of the back alleys as almost entirely under these guys’ control now.”

“I’ve never seen this pattern before.”

“Astaroth… Crazy bitches who believe in hedonism. They even told me to join their sphere of influence. Of course, I’m in a neutral position, so I refused on the spot.”

Lube Ra frowned. It was the first time she had seen the pattern, but she had heard the name before when she was investigating the back alleys.

At one time, she even suspected that she was managing the brothel where the Black Magic clan was located.

But at the time, they were still small and only operating a few businesses in the form of a small, almost cult-like organization.

“Recently, the atmosphere deep inside the back alleys has been very strange. How should I say it… Compared to before, it’s like the number of women has noticeably increased…”

“Thank you. I’ll go investigate.”

Lube Ra says that and gets up from her seat.

Sus looks at Lube Ra and says with a worried expression.

“Be careful. If you need it, I’ll provide a hideout at any time.”

“…Thank you. Sus. I’m glad you’re here.”

Once again, the small bell hanging on the door rings and the door opens and closes.

Lube Ra, who had left the store, leans her body against the wall and organizes her thoughts for a while.

[Are you okay? Lube Ra.]

[I’m okay. I expected the owner to change due to the power struggle.]

She takes a deep breath at Varisada’s worried voice.

The next moment- the scent of perfume tickles her nose.

Unknowingly, she opens her eyes and sees a person wearing a robe walking fearlessly down the road towards the inside of the back alley.

She walks quickly, then turns at the fork in the road and disappears from Lube Ra’s sight.

“That is…”

Lube Ra recalls what happened yesterday.

Her existence that the Duchess was trying to hide so much that she warned herself.

Perhaps, she is not a person of ordinary status.

More than anything, without any weapons or armor, to go into this place barehanded.

The back alleys were too dangerous.

Lube Ra puts the investigation of Astaroth and chasing after her and taking her out on the scales.

“…Keuk… Did I get infected by Cleon…”

Then, she presses down on her black fedora, holds Varisada tightly.

She starts chasing after the woman in the robe.

There was a slight anxiety mixed in her footsteps.