Chapter: 128
The main building of the Capital Knights Order was brightly lit even late at night. Incidents know no time, and within the ‘inner circle,’ the chaos even tends to occur more frequently at night.
Assassinations, secret meetings, and affairs are generally more common during the dark hours.
However, tonight was brighter and noisier than any other night that had come before it. This was because an operation was about to be executed to capture the identity-named Blue Rose.
Ronald, the head of Team 3 of the Capital Knights, stood with his arms behind his back and raised his voice.
“Is everyone gathered?!”
“Yes!!”
“I will ask about our target. What is the target?!”
“Blue Rose!!”
The straight-backed knights replied in unison. Today, Team 3 of the Capital Knights had the mission of apprehending the mysterious vigilante group known as Blue Rose.
Blue Rose.
A woman of unknown identity, characterized by her blue hair and overly decorated dress. She had begun her activities a month ago and had subdued about ten informal criminals to date—later transferring them to the local authorities through illegal means.
For instance, she would tie up informal criminal A and hang them in front of the guard post, along with a note detailing their crimes.
Here’s a quick tidbit about informal criminals from the Capital Knights.
Informal criminals refer to wealthy thugs who manage to shed their criminal status through bribes and bail. They are often the younger sons of noble families.
Many of these rascals have been able to sweep things under the rug with their wealth, and thus the term was coined by Ronald.
The reason the Capital Knights are targeting Blue Rose is that she has been suspiciously focusing her wrath solely on nobles. It’s as if all the criminals she knows happen to be aristocrats…
Various complaints had piled up, and thanks to the strong insistence of Commander Lulu of the Capital Knights, the operation was set in motion.
“Have you prepared your gear?!”
“Prepared!!”
“Good!! Then let’s finish our warm-up before we deploy──”
While the knights were busy stretching and clinking their shields, Lulu sat crouched in the corner, donned in her power armor, wrapped up in worries and anxieties. She resembled a child who just heard, “Your dad is Santa Claus,” just before Christmas.
Is he really that guy?
What if he’s not…?
What if I get disappointed? That would hurt a lot.
Still, I want to check. But…
Her thoughts spun in endless loops, shifting from optimistic to pessimistic, then resolute only to crumble like a sandcastle before the waves.
“There’s a slim chance that it could be Odaesu, right…?”
It’s extremely slim. How many coincidences would need to line up? Therefore, Blue Rose is most likely not Pure Knight.
Yet, even knowing she’d be disappointed, she found herself desperately hoping.
Whiiiirrrr. Clink.
Lulu flipped her power armor helmet on and stood up.
Thanks to the thick power armor with all sorts of features, her height increased from around 160 cm to 185 cm magically. The equipped commander of the Capital Knights resembled a steel giant.
“Good.”
Ronald, satisfied with the preparations, declared confidently.
“Tonight, we will capture Blue Rose—!!”
“Yesss—!!”
The knights galloped through the moonlit night.
===============================================================
Lodelus Redburn was punished by being imprisoned in the underground prison after failing an assassination mission. Even now, after serving his sentence and being released from prison, the penance continued.
“Until your body is healed, handle the little chores around the house.”
At first glance, it sounded like he was granting his injured son time to recover, but the true intent was different. It was a demand for him to regain trust from the ground up.
To prove whether or not he was still a useful sword.
In effect, it was no different from a demotion. He had become distanced from the core of the Redburn family and was relegated to trivial tasks.
Tasks such as guarding a bar under Redburn’s distant control or dealing with the unruly organization that had started to become unruly.
For Lodelus, who was once accustomed to elite chef status, this would have incited intense anger and humiliation—a bit like being forced to boil ramen.
But the current Lodelus cared little about such things. Well, perhaps a tiny bit.
“People really consider me a damn fool…”
He felt a bit annoyed at being made a punching bag by the lackey leaders of the fairy tale crew, but in most situations, he could even afford to enjoy the leisure. Easy missions provided a surplus of free time.
Free time he utilized for his magical girl activities.
He kept track of various ‘business’ lists circulating within the family. There were many villains in the world, and Lodelus merely had to go out and reap them.
At first, just a little bit.
He targeted those deeply immersed in addiction, fools attempting to get involved in human trafficking, and pathetic lowlifes running illegal gambling dens—those who were barely connected to Redburn.
It was akin to scraping off the skin of a giant, but surely these small things would eventually add up to something significant.
While he spent his days this way, Lodelus received orders for his next mission. He was to guard an event hosted by Count Benstone, a side gig until the next orders came in.
Count Benstone had plunged into the military equipment business, backed by two iron mines within his territory. His business had succeeded day by day and grown substantially, raking in massive amounts of gold.
Count Benstone invested his earnings into the banquet to solidify connections with other nobles. Thanks to this effort, he was a notable figure even within Crownhall.
However, all of this was a facade.
Count Benstone’s primary source of income was not from military equipment sales, but rather drugs discreetly distributed to the aristocrats.
The drugs here had a definition different from those in the dream world.
In this world, most symptoms of addiction could be treated by visiting a priest. As a result, poppies and marijuana were legal, and smoking them to drunkenness posed little issue.
Thus, any ‘drug’ deemed so in such a world was likely something far more severe.
Drugs that, instead of merely causing instability and explosive natures, could pull out a person’s true potential.
Drugs that let one temporarily demonstrate extraordinary power at the cost of their very lives.
Drugs that provided pleasures beyond human imagination.
Therefore, Count Benstone’s ‘banquet’ was nothing less than an underground market disguised as an extravagant and glamorous party. Lodelus had been dispatched there as a guard; a low-tier employee, no less.
Amidst the chattering and dancing crowd, Lodelus stood pressed against the wall, wearing a servant’s attire topped with a cap.
If someone were to act rowdy due to drink or drugs, he would subdue them, and if a sword was needed, he would unsheathe it. Essentially, his role was to stand by in a state of readiness.
Count Benstone’s banquet was one of Duke Redburn’s primary income sources. If he could bring this place down… it would certainly deal a notable blow.
While Lodelus recalled the faces of those attending the banquet, someone called out to him.
“Hey, guard.”
“………………”
Lodelus lifted the brim of his cap and eyed the person addressing him. It was Zwiidi Benstone, the second son of Count Benstone. Nicknamed the Drug Addict.
He was also a key member of the ‘banquet,’ assisting his father in peddling drugs. Born with high resistance, he could use both drugs and poisons with minimal side effects.
His role was to sample the products before questioning any effects in front of the skeptical nobles. The nobles became engrossed after witnessing the drug’s miraculous effects, entirely unaware of the hidden side effects lurking in the shadows.
Furthermore, Zwiidi tested the performance of new drugs with his own body, as well as examined combinations for synergy. His utility warranted him a significant role, despite his snooty and twisted disposition.
He knew well that most of the drugs distributed came down from Duke Redburn. Therefore, he also knew Lodelus had been dispatched as a blade from said Duke. He was aware of the punishment Lodelus was enduring due to his mission failure.
“Hey, you’re calling for me, huh? Guard.”
“………………Don’t speak carelessly, mongrel.”
“Mongrel? Haha… do you still not see the state you’re in? A once-favored dog now discarded, yet you still have the gall to speak.”
“Isn’t it the same as you being a half-breed? Though, of course, in a sense, you’re lucky… I’m a noble breed of mongrel, while you are just a mongrel cursed to roam the mines.”
Splaaash!
Zwiidi hurled the wine in his hand at Lodelus’s face. Smirking, he teased him.
“Oh dear, it slipped!”
“I get it. Those working in the mines seem to come equipped with a perpetual cough and palsy.”
“………………Let’s see how long you can keep that cheeky attitude.”
Zwiidi smirked before grabbing a nearby spaghetti plate and tossing it at Lodelus. Splat! Meatballs and spaghetti splattered down his face.
Lodelus held his ground. It would have been simple to turn that brat’s head into a fine dumpling right then and there, but he was currently under punishment.
He couldn’t afford to kill a key member of the drug business.
Duke Redburn would likely be angrier about Lodelus disobeying his orders than about Zwiidi insulting him. That would put him on thin ice and get him further from his goal of cleansing the family.
Zwiidi brimmed with a sense of relief at that.
“Clean up yourself, guard.”
With that, Zwiidi spat phlegm onto Lodelus’s shoe and left. He took a deep breath to contain his anger.
It was at that moment the next target of Pure Knight was being decided.
===============================================================
Night had deepened.
The party concluded, nobles returned to their homes, and Lodelus had also gained a brief moment of freedom. He could now rest until the next party.
“Transform.”
Or perhaps contribute to the public order of Crownhall.
The window of the Benstone mansion creaked open, and a small shadow scaled up the wall. Thud. The shadow, with its agile and light movements, quickly found its footing on the rooftop.
As the clouds that covered the round moon were swept aside by the wind, a blue smiling girl appeared under the moonlight. The magical girl, Pure Knight, glided gracefully while her long ribbons danced in the wind.
“Ribbon Rope.”
Swishhh—!
A blue ribbon formed by magic stretched and coiled around the rail of the next building. Odaesu playfully kicked off and leapt from the top of the roof.
Wheee—!
His small body traced an arc. Odaesu rode the ribbons across the starlit streets of Crownhall, the wind brushing past his ears.
It was time for the night patrol.
Even late at night, incidents occur. Even if they seem trivial from a distance, they may mean everything to those involved. This was a purpose to help those people.
Traversing the silent city… sometimes made one feel lonely, but reflecting on fond memories made it alright.
To save people and punish evil.
If by doing so he could draw a step closer to the cherished friends he missed, there would be nothing that could stop him.
As Odaesu observed the ground from above, his eyes caught sight of a fleeing child in a suspicious back alley.
A thief? No. The child possessed nothing. He could read the yearning for freedom in the child’s eyes. Behind him pursued a beggar, tainted with greed.
Perhaps… it was a beginning of sorts, small organizations using children to collect tribute for them. If that’s the case…
Whoosh!
“Cough…?!”
“Ugh…?!”
The pursuing beggar found himself lightly bound by a ribbon. The magical girl landed softly in front of the running child.
Surprised, the child fell backward.
Odaesu cleared his throat and tried his hardest to be gentle, just like Oh Hyein.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, ugh….”
“There’s nothing to be scared about. I’m only interested in bad people.”
Odaesu smiled brightly, slightly bending his knees and extending his hand. The child, wide-eyed and stumbling over themselves, took her hand and stood up.
“Go to the church in the west. The priest there is decent, and you should be safe until you grow up.”
“………”
“Now, hurry.”
The child flushed at the sight of the magical girl and hurriedly fled. Odaesu silently watched the child’s retreat, before turning his attention back to the beggar.
“Beggar. You’re about to dangle at the north gate──”
“Target has been spotted!! Blue Rose, target has been spotted!!”
“………..?!”
Odaesu turned around in a panic, glancing around. A knight, whose helmet was fitted with light magic, pointed at him shouting loudly as the city became uproarious.
“Why is the Capital Knights here…?!”
Have I stirred the pot too much?!
Clap, clap, clap.
Heavy footsteps echoed from all directions. It was not just one.
Odaesu dove into the shadows of the alley. It was fine. This isn’t overly dangerous. He could definitely shake them off…!
“Target is fleeing!!”
“Establish a siege… he flew?!”
“Flying vigilante!?”
“It’s nighttime, you idiots! Lower your voices; everyone’s asleep!”
The Capital Knights were not to be underestimated; each knight was formidable, but in a game of tag, their performance would differ. They were loud and clumsy.
“Pure Mirage!”
Odaesu conjured copies of himself with his magic and scattered them all around. When viewed from a distance, they wouldn’t stand out much, albeit up close they costed too much in detail.
“Clone vigilantes!!”
“Damn, does that mean the opponent is an illusionist?!”
“Caught… it’s a clone!!”
Amidst the confusion of the Capital Knights, Odaesu slinked away effortlessly. It was simpler than expected. After all, how could the knights that just crashed buildings hope to pursue him?
Considering they risk property damage and potential civilian casualties to chase in a ‘shortest route’, they would have inevitably been caught, but at present, it was virtually impossible.
“Hmph, to catch me, you’ll have to wait a whole century…”
In that moment, Odaesu felt as if the sun was behind him.
Cold sweat dripped down, and every muscle in his body tensed. The presence that could erase him with a single gesture… was right behind him.
WWWWooo—!!
An engine’s roar echoed like a beast’s howl.
“Hey there.”
The voice was magically distorted, resonating with a threatening tone, as if echoing from the depths of hell.
“Let’s see your face.”
“………..!!”
Odaesu desperately leapt away. He had to run with all he had.
Kim Lulu stood, staring at the fleeing magical girl’s back. Similarities, specifics that matched. But she still couldn’t be sure.
She couldn’t believe it until she saw the face. No extent of assurances could calm her racing heart. Could it really be…?
If it’s real.
If it’s real… what should I say?
“No, no! Silly Lulu, catch her first and see…!!”
Lulu thumped her helmet. She infused magic into her whole body.
Whiiirrrrr──!!
Boom!!
And with a loud crash, she launched herself into the air, leaving a crater behind her.
===============================================================
A walking sun, the overwhelming power felt through the skin, power armor. This was undoubtedly the infamous commander of the Capital Knights.
I swear, if this commander knew how to manage her body a bit better, she would have caught him by now.
Whoooosh──!!
“This isn’t the right direction…?!”
She crashed into an unintended location.
“Hey there, stop! You’ve passed me…?!”
Failing to adjust her acceleration and shot past Odaesu.
Lulu had been messing up in every conceivable way, yet she was still in pursuit due to the vast disparity in power. But… why?
Why would a sublimation-level individual be chasing him?
Had his identity been revealed…? No, that’s impossible. He checked dozens of times every time he transformed…!! Odaesu was lost in confusion.
The commander of the Capital Knights pursued persistently.
“Hey!!”
“Why is the commander of the Capital Knights chasing me!? What do you have to do that’s so important?!”
“Stop!!”
“Would you stop if you were in my shoes?!”
Kim Lulu thought about it. The voice was similar. The way it rose in pitch when flustered also lined up. But she wasn’t 100% convinced.
A butterfly fluttered close to Lulu, whispering softly, like it was merely in her mind. Lulu considered it her own thoughts.
– “You silly. It’s simple to figure out. Just call their name, and you’ll know.”
“… I get that! But what if it’s real?!”
– “Aren’t you the one who hoped it would be true?”
“That’s right, but I’m just not ready. How long has it been since we saw each other… crap, I should’ve asked my deputy to do my hair today…”
She lamented the missed opportunity of presenting herself in prettier attire.
The butterfly tittered and offered advice.
– “Odaesu has missed you greatly. They’ll surely be waiting for you.”
“…That’s way too optimistic.”
– “It’s not just optimism. Just close your eyes and call out.”
“Then, if it’s him… what should I say?”
You might know better than I. The butterfly scattered.
Lulu shut her eyes tightly. She could not afford to lose Blue Rose this time; she couldn’t delay any longer, like writing a summer vacation diary.
“O, O….”
She had missed him so much. So, if she was let down, she’d just go big!
“Odaesu—!!”
“…………..?!”
Thwack.
On the rooftop of a mansion, the feet of the two busy figures came to an abrupt halt. Lodelus drew his rapier as he faced the commander of the Capital Knights.
And within their gazes lay a fierce killing intent.
“W-What is this reaction? This isn’t what I expected!” Lulu froze, momentarily paralyzed.
“How do you know that name?”
“…W-What?”
“I asked how you knew that name! And what happened to the girl who mentioned that name? Tell me—!!”
“Ah, ahhhhhh! Agh… I’m surprised…”
Did the Capital Knights capture her friend who had accidentally fallen into this world and was torturing one of their own? Lulu clasped her astonished heart and calmly pressed the unfasten button.
Hissss──!!
Steam released from the seams of her armor, one after another detaching. Lulu jumped down from the power armor and struck a pose, exclaiming, “Ta-da—!”
“Ah, the helmet….”
After properly taking off her helmet and placing it aside, she said “Ta-da!” once more. Lodelus’s eyes widened fully in shock.
“Could it be… did you fall for an illusion spell?”
“Hey, Odaesu! I told you I’d come back!!!”
“Y-You…!”
“Did I say I was really strong?! I did!!”
Uhhhwwww… Boom!
Kim Lulu’s greeting tackle struck Lodelus head-on, sending him stumbling back. His brain activated at high speed. The butterfly beside him whispered hints.
A line once spoken by Lulu.
“And I heard from Hyein that if magical girls fight together, they can double the Pure Energy! So, there’s no need to fight over magic!”
She had said magic.
While everyone else referred to it as pure energy, she called it magic!
“…You’re alive.”
Lodelus felt drained as vitality washed over him. Relief, excitement, and joy swirled together, pounding in his head. He went to say something but…
Then he noticed Kim Lulu, burying her face into his chest, and realized she was slowly getting wetter. He simply began to stroke her head. The night sky above was breathtakingly beautiful tonight.
And for a moment, they enjoyed a blissful silence of reunion──
“Tracks leading this way!”
“…Damn it.”
They weren’t given the chance to enjoy it.
Even if Kim Lulu’s true identity was the commander of the Capital Knights, how her knights would perceive her was uncertain. If everything fell into place, they could indeed catch him, but this would consume a significant amount of time.
In that case, it could draw the suspicions of Duke Redburn. Thus, it would be wiser to retreat and promise to meet again.
“Kim Lulu.”
“…Kuh, Odaesu.”
“Let’s meet again. There’s no crepe or Tanghulu here, but I can get cake. The pastry shop at East Intersection, day after tomorrow at 1 PM. And….”
Lodelus clenched Kim Lulu’s cheek, kneaded it for a while, then pondered before kissing her forehead. This was something he had seen Oh Hyein do for a crying child.
“…!!”
“Don’t cry. I’m leaving now.”
Odaesu leaped into the shadows of the city as the sounds of the Capital Knights chased after him. Kim Lulu, her face flushed from embarrassment, turned to the approaching Ronald, the head of Team 3.
“Did we lose Blue Rose?!”
“No, I think we caught her…”
Her heart.
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