A few days later.
“Mm…”
Leje let out a low groan as she looked out at the bustling streets of the Royal Road.
“Got any worries?”
“No, nothing to worry about…”
She answered Rudell’s inquiry in a voice that was clearly uncomfortable.
It wasn’t an inexplicable matter.
The two were on their way to meet someone of the highest rank in the kingdom: the royal family.
No matter how much she was a Duchess of a Duke’s House, she had to lower her head in front of someone of a higher rank.
Given that, it was natural for her to show discomfort.
“See? I told you to just stay at the Academy.”
“I don’t wanna. It’s unsettling to send you off alone.”
“So what exactly is unsettling?”
After the incident in the slums, Rudell had been invited by Jade to visit the royal castle along with Kaylee.
Having had a brief discussion about his identity and a concise report on the events, Rudell returned…
[Why did you go alone without telling me!? I’m coming with you next time, so know that!]
And that’s how it happened.
Meanwhile, the carriage they were riding in began to slow down.
Before long, the carriage stopped, and accompanied by Rudell’s escort, the two stepped out.
In front of them stood a shabby tavern.
It seemed that there were numerous people drinking there even in the daytime as loud noises emanated from inside.
“Are you sure this is the place? It just looks like an ordinary tavern.”
“Well, the princess must have her reasons.”
Rudell nodded as he looked at Leje, who squinted her eyes in disbelief.
Of course, Rudell already knew this tavern’s true identity.
It was a base and hideout used by Jade’s informants.
In the original work, Jade was assassinated, and since it was all cleaned up, it had nearly zero importance, but now that Rudell had prevented the assassination attempt on Jade, the facility was still operating just fine.
Slowly, they moved forward and opened the dilapidated door…
Clang!!
“…”
A glass flew beside them, shattering with a sharp sound and scattering shards on the floor.
“Oops, I’m really sorry! My hand slipped…!!”
“…”
A man sitting a bit further away at a table grinned and apologized.
However, Leje’s expression was crumpling in real-time.
And it made sense, considering that if they factored in her identity, it wouldn’t be strange if someone rushed in and shouted for a summary execution right now.
“Leje, don’t pay any attention, let’s go.”
Of course, if that were to happen, it would be troublesome for them.
What seemed to be drunken patrons on the outside were all informants under Jade.
Taking Leje, who looked displeased, Rudell walked towards the nearby counter.
“Welcome~ What can I get for you~”
“Orange juice, please.”
The indifferent staff asked, and Rudell replied while handing a gold coin to the attendant.
“We don’t serve that.”
“What room should we go to?”
“Please go to room 302.”
Upon saying the code he received beforehand, the attendant placed a key with a number on the counter.
With a gentle smile, Rudell picked up the key and headed upstairs with Leje.
As they went up the creaking old stairs, they soon reached the third floor…
“Let’s see… 302… 302… Ah, here it is.”
Checking the number on the door, Rudell stopped in front of the door marked 302 and inserted the key into the lock.
Click. The door opened, and Rudell cautiously pushed the handle.
What unfolded before his eyes was a long hallway with a dozen knights positioned on either side.
“Good to see you again, Rudellheit Weinstein, and Leje El Lagrind.”
And there was Paris, the guard knight for the princess.
“Good to see you, Paris.”
“Long time no see.”
Bowing his head in greeting to Paris, Rudell took a small seal from his pocket.
It was a seal given to him by Jade, acting as identification.
“The princess is waiting inside.”
As Paris moved aside upon seeing the seal, the two walked down the hallway.
Arriving at the end of the corridor, Rudell carefully reached for the doorknob and opened the door…
“Welcome, Count Weinstein. And Duchess Lagrind.”
Bright light spilled from the other side, where Jade was waiting for them.
*
The atmosphere beyond the door felt so different one could doubt if it was the same building.
Warm sunlight streamed in from outside, and the room maintained a perfectly moderate temperature—not too hot, not too cold.
The walls and floors were marble, exuding luxury at first glance, and tranquil music flowed from magical tools on one side of the room.
And there, sitting at a table sipping tea, was Jade.
“Greetings to the princess.”
Almost simultaneously, Rudell and Leje knelt.
Jade gave a light nod in acknowledgment, and the two stood and approached the table.
“Welcome, The One Who Steals Lives.”
“Could you drop that nickname, please…”
Looking at Jade with a subdued smile, Rudell spoke in a hesitating tone.
After revealing his identity as The One Who Steals Lives, Jade began calling him that.
For Rudell, each time, his face would turn so red he felt like dying, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He was just a Count now, and there was a vast difference in status compared to Jade, who was royalty.
“It’s also been a while since I’ve seen Duchess Lagrind. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well. How about you, Princess?”
“I’m doing fine. Though I’ve had many worries recently.”
Indeed, signs of fatigue were clear on her face.
The king’s condition was worsening day by day.
This meant she had to prepare to lead the kingdom soon.
Additionally, having to face the Church of the Eaters of Death, her burden was surely overwhelming.
“What do you think about the current situation in the Royal Road?”
“It’s quiet. There are no signs of them.”
After the incident in the slums, the kingdom began an extensive purge of the church.
Numerous people were arrested, and several nobles who collaborated with the church were captured for treason, turning into slaves or facing execution.
They might not have been completely eradicated, but it was true that their activities were greatly diminished due to this incident.
“That’s a relief.”
“But we can’t let our guard down.”
Since it was the time when an event from the original story was about to unfold, Rudell said this to Jade.
That event was the final exam.
It was an incident where the church mobilized a large force to ambush the protagonists, believing they were a hindrance to their plans.
If things went according to the original work, it wouldn’t need to be a major concern. However, the problem was that this world already differed significantly from the original:
From Rudell’s mere existence, to Leje’s personality, the attack on the Lagrind Dukedom, the assassination attempt on Jade…
The timeline had already diverged enough that it would be risky to expect future events to unfold like the original.
“I think I may have good news regarding that.”
“Good news?”
At that moment, Jade, having been listening intently, set her teacup down and said this.
Was there an event that would warrant such a statement of hers at this point?
Reflecting on it, Rudell couldn’t recall an event that could justify Jade’s claim.
“Some factions within the church have expressed a willingness to cooperate.”
“The church, you say?”
At those words, Rudell’s eyes widened in shock.
In the original, the various churches had been fragmented due to hidden spies within them.
In fact, in some instances, the regional leader was a spy, which spoke volumes about the churches’ conditions…
“Yes. It seems their influence had penetrated even within the church. Rumor has it there’s been an inquisition going on in each faction…”
“Inquisition… you say.”
At those words, Rudell let out a low groan.
Inquisition.
It was a term that anyone with normal reasoning would naturally dread.
Even among the fundamentalist factions in the church, it involved being imprisoned and subjected to weeks of rigorous verification and interrogation by deeply devout priests.
It was horrific enough to break even an ordinary person.
In fact, the protagonists had endured serious aftereffects after being subjected to an inquisition because of the church’s machinations.
“So how did they plan to lend their support?”
“They said they would dispatch one priest.”
“One priest?”
Not a squad of holy knights, just one priest?
The unexpectedly minimal scale of support left Rudell looking flabbergasted.
And observing his reaction, Jade chuckled softly.
“You’ll see.”
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