episode_0259

The Kingdom’s underworld is rife with various crimes, perpetrated by countless nobles. These cartels, as they could be called, surprisingly thrive.

There are several reasons, but the biggest is that the perpetrators are the privileged class. Having money and power doesn’t grant immunity from the law. However, society flows that way.

Even the Royal Family turns a blind eye to their misdeeds. They might be secretly connected, or the massive underworld is simply too large to easily touch.

My sisters are powerless, and while my brothers have power, they walk on eggshells around the nobles. My brothers, especially, are constantly engaged in suffocating struggles. Invisible hands pull strings from behind, while they sweat, vying for dominance.

‘It’s not worth mentioning.’

I have no interest in such petty power struggles. Fear of the nobles? That’s for those who have something to fear. From now on, I will eradicate the evils rampant in noble society.

The foolish will unite against me, while the clever will cut their losses. Those who fail to adapt to the new world under my rule will be discarded.

Clack- clack-

I dismounted my pure white horse and stood before the gates of Count Hansen’s mansion. Soon, the Count and his servants swarmed out before me.

The Count was a middle-aged man with a long, white mustache. His disproportionately thin limbs compared to his protruding belly showed how sedentary he was. Even standing before me appeared to be an effort.

“My, Your Highness the Princess. What brings you here?”

“You’ll figure it out.”

“…I’m not sure I understand.”

“Oh? Then let me enlighten you.”

At my gesture, soldiers stormed into the Count’s mansion. They were to apprehend and interrogate Count Hansen’s household. They would also collect all remaining evidence within the mansion and meticulously search for any escapees.

“For the past few years, young women have been disappearing in and around Count Hansen’s territory. No witnesses, no traces. Other soldiers are currently searching brothels to cross-reference identities.”

“…Are you suggesting that I kidnapped them?”

“Didn’t it sound that way?”

Count Hansen, barely concealing his decaying expression, stood defiantly.

“Do you have any proof? They were all courtesans I purchased with proper compensation. Some came seeking money, others were sold due to unpaid debts—!!”

“Proof, proof… Criminals do love proof. You seem confident these women won’t speak.”

“Because it’s the truth.”

(A slight chuckle)

I forcefully suppressed the rising corner of my lips and ordered Ren to retrieve the ledger. He soon brought forth a pile of trade ledgers; records of drug deals conducted in the free trade city, Liberty Port.

“Here’s the proof you so enjoy.”

“Th-that is…!!”

“Within Liberty Port, a merchant’s rights are respected. Even a foreign royal doesn’t have grounds to demand access to trade ledgers. So, after the drug dealer left the port, I acquired the ledgers with a suitable payment.”

“That damn Kerry…!!”

Half truth, half lie. I used my connections with the Liberty Port guild leader to gather information on the drug trafficking, and Aspi’s raid on the merchant ship acquired the ledger just as the dealer was leaving port. By now, the ship and its occupants are likely fish food.

‘Eliminating future threats is crucial.’

It was actually a suggestion made by the guild. The narcotics traded by this merchant, Kerry, were so highly addictive that letting them loose in Liberty Port could have devastated the peaceful city. My strategic losses were minimal.

“Count Hansen, you’ve quite the record; drug smuggling and numerous other crimes. I won’t list them all; it’s tedious. Just give up.”

“Y-you think this is the end—!! You’ve made a grave mistake! Do you think I only have a couple of clients?! You seem to be playing the role of a righteous savior… But it won’t go entirely your way—!!”

“Right, right. Thanks for the encouraging words.”

Even the knights surrounding me didn’t resist. Their vacant expressions suggested they may not even know what their master had done. If they’d knowingly assisted, they would have lost their heads, but this showed grounds for leniency.

The implicated individuals were shackled and paraded away. I turned my attention to my next destination.

“To the brothel… Yes, I should go there myself.”

The shadow beneath my feet rippled.

.

.

.

“Ugh, ugh— Wooo—!!”

Tier, who emerged from the shadows with me, immediately doubled over, retching. This is due to her poor compatibility with [Shadow Travel].

It was as the past Leaf— accurately, the persona in Leaf’s form—had described. Eve’s compatibility was good; she could travel with me, but others couldn’t.

“Ugh, gah—”

“Slowly, slowly.”

Tier had described it as a twisting sensation in her gut. During the initial test, it was tolerable, and we traveled together, but moving such a long distance while remaining within the shadows seemed to bring on nausea.

I patted her back, waiting for her to calm down. After catching her breath and drinking some cool water, her condition improved considerably.

“Like I said earlier, I think I’ll need your help this time.”

“U-uh… Receiving news of work after so long is a bit much, but I do owe you a lot.”

“After it’s over, you know?”

“…Yes!”

We walked together down an alleyway.

Soon, we came upon a street overflowing with red lanterns—the brothel of Count Hansen’s territory. But the atmosphere was different from the back alleys of the Naphrantz Kingdom. The latter was filled with the smells of sweat and alcohol; here, a pungent, unfamiliar odor permeated from the entrance.

‘Drugs.’

I drew forth Aether and created a soft yet powerful wind.

[Brave Wind].

A current of air swept through the stuffy street, circulating the air. The pungent odor quickly dissipated, making the air significantly fresher.

“Just in case, let’s use purification magic first.”

“Okay.”

As Tier gathered her energy and focused, her eyes began to glow, one gold, the other violet. The contrasting light and dark mana coalesced, drawing forth divine power.

[Grand Purification].

The large-scale purification magic that saved the people of the Luminus Holy Kingdom from the Pope’s curse. Back then, due to my inexperience, I had to help, but this time, she was activating the spell entirely on her own.

A verdant twilight infused the brothel. The lingering drug smoke dissipated, replaced by clean air. The street’s purification was effective, but the people were not.

“We probably need to check each woman individually. They’re all gathered in one place, so let’s go there.”

Pai had reported that the prostitutes had been gathered. Some were already working, even though the sun hadn’t fully set. I instructed her to not leave out a single person.

Soon, Tier and I arrived at that place.

“Ugh—”

“…This is serious.”

There wasn’t a single woman who was okay. Some were physically unwell, others were half-mad. Everyone’s condition was different, but they all shared the loss of normal minds and bodies.

Before I could even speak, Tier took the lead, approaching the fallen women and beginning her examination. Some were covered in filth or semen, yet she examined them without hesitation.

I faced everyone.

“Count Hansen said you all worked here legitimately. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“…”

“…Ugh, ugh… uh…”

The woman who confirmed had no life in her eyes, her expression utterly resigned. The woman who was silent had a large scar near her neck. The one who couldn’t properly answer had damaged eyes and body.

But then a change occurred. Women healed by Tier began to return to normal, confessing the truth as they regained their senses. The moment they recovered, the extraordinary presence of me gave them an understanding of the situation.

“This brothel is closed as of today. Count Hansen, and all those involved, will receive proper punishment. Even the clients aren’t off the hook, so let’s tell them to take care of their ‘entertainment’ privately for now.”

The woman who had affirmed regained a spark in her eyes after Tier’s treatment. She stared intently at my face before bursting into tears.

“U-ugh… Why me… ughh…!!”

“Your bodies can be healed. Your minds can also be healed. But memories and hearts are areas beyond my reach. If you wish to lose all those memories and return to your past selves, I can call those who can manipulate memories.”

Soon, all the women were crying. On closer inspection, there was also a young man with a delicate frame. They had all returned to their state before the trauma, but a painful scar remained in their hearts.

I offered to erase even those scars, but no one responded.

“Are you forgetting the kindness you showed us…?”

“That would happen. Without memory, kindness does not exist.”

“…We don’t want that. I—No, we must live out our lives thanking you…!!”

I smiled wryly. They too must have been someone’s loved ones. If my loved ones had been treated like this, I wouldn’t be satisfied even if I turned the perpetrators into hamburger.

“Now that the brothel is closed, you’re all out of work. Come to the Royal Palace. The head maid often complains about the lack of staff. Learn and work. Beyond striving forth into a bright tomorrow, I desire no repayment.”

I maintained my smile as I looked at them. They all responded with the brightest expressions they could manage. After entrusting Tier with the aftermath, I turned toward my next destination.

Simultaneously, my expression twisted into a frown.