episode_0091
by fnovelpia
This place, the back alley, wasn’t really a back alley.
Because it was not located on the edge of the Montrea Islands.
Nevertheless, we can know the mindset of the people of the system from the fact that it is called this way.
Geographically, there is a ghetto on the outskirts of Montrea.
The fact that there are underdeveloped areas hidden behind the prosperous cities was not much different in the world I lived in or here.
New York, Paris, London, Montreal, Let’s go.
… .
Well, anyway!
The area called Back Alley refers to the area between Montrea and the Ghetto.
So, it would be more correct to call it a middle ground rather than a back alley.
However, people living in the empire perceive the world centered around the system of Montrea.
Perhaps that is why, although there are ghettos clearly on the outskirts of the system, ghettos in back alleys are not included.
Just past the border of the system is a back alley.
The world beyond the back alley is treated as if it does not exist, because it is unpleasant to recognize it as the same empire.
In other words, back alleys can be seen as a breakwater that blocks out impure areas called ghettos.
In order to prevent direct contact with the ghetto that was undesirable to approach, an area called the back alley was created.
So here you can experience a variety of mysteriousness, a mixture of the brilliance of the system and the rawness of the ghetto.
As you can see, it is easy to come across scenes of nobles who have no regrets drinking until they become drunk at a cheap tavern, or of them becoming regulars because they unexpectedly like the food they tried for the first time in their life.
At the same time, there were so-called houses where one could bet on all sorts of things, brothels that tempted hot-blooded young men, and various suspicious-looking commission offices… It was full of such impurities that it was hard to believe it was an empire.
It’s a wonder that a place like this has survived until now, when the church is wide open.
This is a place where you can enjoy a little escape, but if you let your guard down, you can end up in an irreversible escape.
“You look excited.”
David, who came with us, said.
To solve Henri’s problem, David and I went together. Scarlett decided to stay at the Academy and prepare for any eventuality.
As I looked at him as if I didn’t understand what he meant, he added an explanation.
“Look around with curious eyes.”
“Oh, I’m just curious.”
“Don’t let your guard down.”
“… Okay.”
Of course, you shouldn’t relax. Because Henri, who came with you, still has a stiff expression. No, rather than being stiff, should I say lifeless?
“… Henri, are you okay?”
“……”
Without answering, he stares blankly into space.
It definitely doesn’t look good.
“Where is the meeting place that woman mentioned?”
“Oh, yes! I, I’m over there… .”
When David asked, only then did he regain some of his energy and point to the point of contact with his finger.
The place he pointed to was an old tavern. It looked shabby, even dirty.
Ah, I really hate dirty things. There’s a bathroom, but it’s useless, right? Ha… I have to hurry up and finish up and go back to the academy.
I felt a physiological aversion.
I felt eyes passing by, glancing at the three of us standing in the middle of the street.
“It looks like we’re getting some attention.”
“Isn’t that what you were aiming for? You came in uniform, that’s why.”
“If there are three academy students hanging around, everyone will be careful.”
“Well, I guess so.”
The significance of the Academy uniform in the Empire is considerable. Even in the back alleys, it is no exception. Even in this place full of raw atmosphere, if you are an Academy student wearing the uniform, you will be treated with consideration.
It’s more like avoidance than consideration. I don’t want to give them an excuse. I’m afraid of the repercussions that might come from provoking them.
“Hurry up and solve it and go back. There’s a lot to do because of the Christmas Eve festival.”
“Christmas Eve… .”
In the world I lived in, when we say Holy Night, we mean Christmas. December, when the cold winter wind blows, the most romantic day to end the year.
But here, ‘Christmas Eve’ is in May. It is a harmonious weather where coolness and heat coexist.
It’s been quite some time since I became Beatrice, but it’s one of the things I still haven’t gotten used to. It’s not Christmas, the holy night that fills the cold winter with warmth…
How will we spend this unique anniversary?
What will it mean to me to be the first to experience such a grand event that will get everyone on the continent excited? How will it change me?
I suddenly became curious.
*
The tavern’s door was as old as its exterior.
The door, which was questionable as to whether it could even function properly, creaked open. It seemed that its days as a door were numbered.
It was quiet inside the tavern.
It looked much older than the other stores in the back alley, but it was still so run-down that it made you wonder if it was possible for flies to fly around like this.
At a table in the middle of a dirty-looking tavern, a woman was sitting. She noticed us—Henri, who had come to us under duress—and greeted us with a satisfied smile.
“Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you! Yeah… ? You’re not alone? ”
“……”
In contrast to the radiant woman, Henri, with a heavy expression, remained silent.
The position of First Class in the Imperial College seemed colorless and weak. Sometimes, eloquence is more frightening than a sword… It seems that he has completely forgotten his abilities as an Imperial College student.
I felt so pitiful that it made me feel suffocated just watching it. As a fellow academy student, and as someone from the same Kingdom of Primira.
No, from the perspective of someone who was once a man… I just want to say something. Wake up! Be a man.
“You brought more colleagues to join us? That’s great.”
The woman looked over our uniforms and said with a curious look.
“Henri has no business with you anymore.”
“What are you talking about? Rather than that, wouldn’t it be polite to tell the lady your name before talking to her?”
David announced bluntly on behalf of the frozen Henry. But the woman laughed and asked for her name in a playful tone. It was a scene you would see in high society. It was completely out of place in this tavern.
“David de Leon. Henry’s senior.”
“Huh… Who is that beautiful girl next to you? Your lover? Or, Henri’s?”
“Neither.”
Startled by the wrong guess, he corrected it. Who dared… .
“Beatrice de Dahlia. Henri’s… hometown friend?”
Is she really a friend from my hometown? Well, I don’t know, but she might have been friends with the real Beatrice, so I guess it’s okay to introduce her like this for now.
“Yes, precious children have come to this shabby place. It’s a bit awkward to stand here, so come and sit down. My name is Rosalind. My last name is a secret!”
“It looks like this is going to be a long conversation, so don’t hesitate to sit down.”
David obediently approached the table where the women were sitting. Henri and I followed him and sat down around the round table.
KRUK – When the sound of chairs being dragged stopped, there was a moment of silence.
“Do you want something to drink? Don’t worry, I’ll buy it for the Academy students.”
“I don’t feel like borrowing money, because I’m afraid they’ll ask me to pay them back with something ridiculous later.”
“Oh my, what on earth do you think of me?”
“It’s not like there’s no such power already, right?”
“Hmm, I think there was a misunderstanding because of our cute Henri.”
“Oh, a misunderstanding? How can someone be so shameless-!”
“Calm down, Henri.”
Rosalind’s every word turned Henri’s stomach. In the end, David calmed down the angry Henri and looked at the woman in front of him with his characteristically cautious eyes.
“I don’t know what kind of connection Henri has with you, but he’s got the guts to threaten a student at the Imperial Academy. And he did it by bringing up the rebels.”
“Are you talking about it?”
“If not, does that mean you’re really a recruiter for the rebels?”
“If so?”
I looked at the woman smiling meaningfully, wondering if she really was a rebel.
Even though I am at the top of the rebel army, it is impossible for me to know everything about the organization, which is large enough to be called large, thanks to the efforts of Matthias and the Count couple.
The woman doesn’t look that old. At most, she’s in her late twenties. If you guess correctly, she’s probably in her thirties. She doesn’t look bad, but that makes you wary. You never know what kind of evil might be hiding behind that smile.
David also looked at Rosalind, who was wearing a luxurious dress that seemed out of place in a dirty tavern or in a back alley, for a long time before speaking in a low voice.
“Then, as a member of the Imperial Academy, I can’t just sit back and watch.”
“Are you going to the Academy? Or the Imperial Intelligence Service?”
“I guess I should take her somewhere. ”
“Is it really possible to treat a lady so carelessly?”
“There is no such thing as a lady or anything before the sin of treason.”
“No, no. Did you say David? That’s not what I meant.”
Rosalind chuckled. Like someone who was trying to hold back laughter but couldn’t. Like she was finding this situation funny.
“I mean, is it possible to ‘take’ me away like that, you greenhorns?”
“!?”
In an instant, the atmosphere inside the tavern changed. The empty hall was filled with signs of life. Strangers began to appear from all directions, including the stairs, the back door, and the storage room.
The hall was filled with an unknown hostility towards us.
“Oh, I’m not the type to go around and brag about the academy, but… .”
David looked around, straightening his glasses that had fallen down. Then he smiled. It seemed as if he found this situation interesting.
“Threatening the students of the Imperial Academy. Rosalind, you are truly a rebel.”
“Well? Not yet. Well, our captain said he’d be joining soon. Even so, I guess it doesn’t matter.”
‘Captain’… .
“Aha, so that’s the mercenary you were going to introduce to Henri? I thought he was just a connection, but he was originally a mercenary.”
“You’re quick to understand, pretty girl. How about you join us when you have something nice to say?”
“I will give up.”
“I think the captain will really like it… .”
Rosalind licked her lips as she spoke. She didn’t like the way she stared at me, her lips licking her lips.
Sling-
But before I could answer, David gently pushed the hilt of his sword back into its scabbard with his fingertips, revealing the blade. It was a sign that he was ready to fight.
“It seems like you follow the captain very much. Even though you decided to throw the mercenary group into the ant hell called the rebels.”
“We fear the captain more than the empire. It’s better to die than to disobey him.”
“Then stop talking nonsense and play among yourselves. Don’t touch Henri and Beatrice.”
Before I knew it, I was being treated like Henri. It was so annoying.
“Hehehe. You are a talented young master, you should probably learn manners first. Don’t think that the academy uniform will protect you.”
Rosalind was still smiling, but her eyes were sharp as sharp swords. In them, you could see traces of her having lived between life and death. She was strong.
“We have one more guest coming, so let’s finish this quickly before they come.”
“Guest?”
“Yeah, I’m a student at the Imperial Academy like you.”
Was there anyone else who was dragged in like this besides Henri?
“You Academy kids are so obvious. Because of that petty pride you call self-esteem, you don’t even let the outside world know and try to solve it among yourselves, right?”
“……”
“Look at that now, you bring your friends to dangerous places. Do you think we’ll be scared if you keep going around like that? That’s what I hoped for.”
The young men who entered the hall gradually approached and surrounded the central table where we were sitting.
“If you throw bait to one person, they’ll bring you gifts one after another like this. How wonderful.”
Starting with the gaze that had been looking at Henri, he looked over me and David. He stared particularly intently at the Academy emblem engraved on the uniform.
“Let’s get along well from now on. Of course, etiquette training comes first!”
“This is ridiculous.”
I burst out laughing at the ramblings that I was making without even understanding the topic. Rosalind glared at me and then shouted at the men.
“Take them all. Don’t kill them. Especially, be careful not to hurt this young lady.”
With those words, the men each took out their weapons. Unlike David, who remained calm, Henry stamped his feet in fear.
I too watched the approaching men and reached for the scabbard on my waist.
I didn’t want to destroy the mercenary force that was coming to the rebels, but Rosalind’s attitude was very unpleasant. Judging from her appearance, I guess the captain is also quite an annoying type.
So, let’s knock her down a bit, catch Rosalind, and hand her over to the intelligence agency-
Boom-!
At that moment the tavern’s door was smashed down.
At the unexpected event, both we and the mercenary group turned to look at the entrance.
“The appointment time will be a long time later? Are you a hot-tempered child?”
“……”
Rosalind said, looking at the intruder standing in the doorway.
He was clearly a guest, but he broke the appointment time and arrived early, so he became an uninvited guest. He revealed his identity earlier than planned and showed a fierce appearance, so he is now an uninvited guest.
He too was wearing the same uniform as us. He was definitely another Academy student Rosalind had mentioned.
But I was so surprised that I could only stare blankly at him.
“The customers in front aren’t listening, can you please wait a moment?”
“… Step back.”
“Huh?”
A man standing blankly where the broken door used to be, a man with an intense aura that seemed to fill the space as solidly as the door spoke.
“Get away from Beatrice, you fucking mercenary bastards.”
A murderous gaze was shot from beneath the golden hair that flowed down her forehead.
My heart sank at that strong gaze.
Why, why are you here?!
A sense of tension came over me, as if I had been caught in the act of deviating.
This is so unexpected….
I really didn’t know that I would meet Carl here… .
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