Clack─!
A woman stepped down from the halted carriage.
With a touch of elegance layered over her ordinary beauty, nearly no one in the Empire would fail to recognize her.
Bearer of Dragon’s Blood, 2nd Princess, Hedera.
She set foot at the entrance of the Holy Temple.
“Hmm.”
In fact, she hadn’t anticipated this herself. There existed an untouchable zone among the princesses, as the temple dedicated to the Sun God was the domain of the 3rd Princess Solana.
The eyes of the paladins guarding the entrance widened.
“2nd Princess? What brings you to this place…?”
“Halt.”
THUD.
The Dragon Speech was unleashed.
The burly paladins froze in place instantly, but fortunately, the halt wouldn’t last long. Hedera had no intention of lingering here.
“Wait a moment. I’ll release you shortly.”
With that, Hedera entered the temple.
Click-clack─ Click-clack─
Normally, she would have logically explained the situation, but right now, Hedera didn’t have the composure for that. An enormous question filled her mind.
Click-clack─ Click-clack─
As the sound of her high heels echoed at regular intervals in the temple corridor, she retraced her memories.
—Find out for yourself.
—Temple Archives, Zone F, Row 8, 323.
—I don’t know any more than that.
The Temple Archives.
Hedera was well aware of what this place was.
It was, literally, an archive. At face value, it was simply a location where details were meticulously recorded about when, where, and to whom the priests had bestowed Holy Power.
However, when it came to special individuals as healing targets,
The records of treatments conducted on them would be an immense source of information. It would allow for detailed inferences about their constitution and abilities through repeated treatment attempts.
A top-secret space, opened by Solana.
Solana even indicated Zone F, the spot located deepest inside, where the information contained became ever more vital the deeper one went.
…There should be information about Ezekiel in there.
“What on earth…”
What is recorded there?
Click-clack─ Click-clack─
Hedera continued her steps.
Before long, she stood before the archives.
Ruiple.
Agnes and Belka looked around in a daze. Ruiple was completely different from what they had imagined.
“Uh, it’s a festival happening…?”
“This is definitely Ruiple, but it’s nothing like the rumors.”
A hellish expanse covered in fiends and monsters. Ruiple had been in their minds a place of horror, yet upon setting foot here, the whole area radiated a festive atmosphere.
While everyone struggled to adapt to the dissonance, a woman with a slender figure appeared, cheerfully greeting Ezekiel and Valken’s group.
The dust finally began rising where she seemed to have dashed through. Truly a remarkable technique, wielding a weapon several times larger than herself.
Almost three beats later, companions that rumored to belong to the large weapon woman appeared in the background.
“Everyone, you are the distinguished guests dispatched by the Imperial Family, right?”
The great sword-wielding woman greeted them politely.
“My name is Tirbi, aiming to be a rogue, actively clearing out monsters in the Ruiple region. I present my respects to the distinguished guests of the Empire!”
“I extend my greetings!”
Tirbi’s companions also paid their respects.
Their actions were precise and respectful, leaving Belka, who wasn’t used to such treatment, at a loss.
Belka gingerly whispered to Agnes.
“Why are they being so formal…?”
“Even if they aim to be rogues, it’s hard to act without a high status or position. Since the Imperial Knights have come here… they probably want to make a good impression.”
“Is that how one gets into the Imperial Knights?”
“They sometimes recruit those who wield their sword exceptionally well or have a formidable reputation. Very rarely, though.”
Agnes’s words seemed plausible. Indeed, Tirbi’s gaze was fixed upon Valken’s group.
Tirbi smiled cheerfully.
“Oh dear, it would be rude of me to continue speaking while standing here! How about we move inside? The festival is in full swing!”
“…Nonsense.”
The leader of the knights, Valken, flatly rejected her offer.
Although a knight of the Imperial Family, he was also the escort knight for the 2nd Princess Hedera. Losing this bet would not only disgrace himself but also tarnish the honor of the princess.
So he had no time to spare for casual invitations. He needed to thoroughly search Ruiple and find at least one more monster to boost his performance.
“I can’t trust safety claimed by a rogue. We must investigate ourselves.”
With that, Valken turned away, leading two knights with him. He didn’t even spare a glance at Tirbi.
As he brushed past Ezekiel, he added one more comment.
“Inspector, enjoying the festival isn’t a bad idea. After all, I’m bound to lose this bet anyway.”
BANG!
As Valken took off, the atmosphere around him split. The residents watching nearby were left gaping in amazement.
Indeed, the level of an Imperial Knight was quite something.
Now Tirbi’s gaze turned towards the Mage group.
“Hmm, what do you mages intend to do?”
A moment of silence.
“It seems like there’s a festival in full swing?”
The first to break the silence was the lone white-haired man.
“I’d like to take a look around first.”
GASP…
“Of course, a look around sounds delightful!”
Tirbi personally began to guide the mages of the Magic Tower. The surroundings were simply festival-like, devoid of any sense of crisis.
Agnes twirled her cube and asked.
“I’ve heard monsters appear without warning, though.”
“That was indeed the case when I first settled in Ruiple! It was definitely that kind of land! I had to face monsters and fiends without even a moment’s break.”
Tirbi flashed an endearing smile.
Meanwhile, Agnes cautiously gauged Tirbi’s energy. Her upright nature shone through, with a refined aura that stood out.
Definitely a strong individual who didn’t neglect training.
“Ruiple was like that… but what about now?”
Tirbi confidently swung open the door to the manor.
BAM─!
“Drink! Drink!”
“Leave all your worries behind!”
A raucous atmosphere, the residents enjoyed the festival without a hint of fear. Tirbi looked at Ezekiel’s group, smiling brightly as if to say ‘look!’
“See! My efforts have finally borne fruit!”
“Wow….”
Belka blinked in amazement.
“This is real, isn’t it? Everyone seems utterly untroubled. If there were even a hint of anxiety, they couldn’t enjoy the festival so sincerely….”
“I’m honored that a distinguished guest noticed! That’s right! The expressions of the residents are no lie!”
It was at that moment.
“Tirbi is here!”
“Oh! The hero of Ruiple, Tirbi!”
Residents who recognized Tirbi began to chant her name. The subject merely smiled shyly.
Agnes silently blinked her eyes.
“…It seems you’ve got a firm hold on the people’s sentiment here.”
“I didn’t intend for it to happen, but it’s turned out this way somehow. It’s a bit embarrassing, haha!”
Tirbi continued with her healthy voice.
“The distinguished guests have been dispatched from the Imperial Family, right? Your interest in this region is an immense honor, but you can rest easy! I’m here!”
“Uh….”
“Oh! While you’re here, why don’t you enjoy the festival a bit?”
With a bright smile, Tirbi secretly thought.
‘The knights who left earlier are bound to come up empty-handed.’
They’d probably only find traces of monster extermination.
The reason was quite simple. After all, Tirbi, the creator of the monsters in the Ruiple region, had planned it that way.
Though there would be a time gap, all who visit here would inevitably acknowledge Tirbi. This place was a stage where such plays were intricately performed.
‘If I can hold these guys like this… that would be just right.’
The Imperial Knights, the Imperial Magic Tower.
For Tirbi, it was a huge benefit to hide away in either place. After all, from high-quality individuals, one could extract high-quality terror.
‘I will definitely succeed. I’ve already crossed over.’
Tirbi was confident.
“….”
The first piece of evidence was that the mage from the Magic Tower had been staring intently at Tirbi for a while now. It was a charm that Tirbi knew all too well.
When men looked at her, they often harbored lustful thoughts, while women tried to butter her up for a closer friendship. This man, no matter how he appeared on the outside, was, in the end, just an ordinary man.
“Hahaha…!”
Tirbi chuckled awkwardly.
“Ahaha, it’s just that the distinguished gentleman is staring at me so intensely… I’m not used to handling a guest like you and don’t know how to behave.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
The man replied nonchalantly.
“I just found myself interested in you.”
“W-whoa…. I’m at a loss for words.”
Tirbi was convinced. This guy had definitely taken the bait.
While she was a bit surprised at how forward he was, it didn’t matter. Everything was proceeding as Tirbi planned.
The woman now turned her attention to Agnes.
“If you need results or achievements, there’s no need to worry. I’m a rogue! I don’t need accomplishments. I’ll transfer all that I’ve accomplished to you.”
“Thank you for the offer, but we don’t plan to snatch away someone else’s accomplishments. We too must fulfill our duties, as we never know when monsters will appear….”
“The inside of Ruiple is filled with my companions! It’s perfectly fine to take a break for a bit.”
Tirbi scrutinized Agnes’s face carefully.
Elegant features, impressive magical prowess, and an upright mindset… The inspector was even more solid and virtuous than Tirbi had expected.
But in the end, that didn’t matter.
‘What are you holding back, you brat…’
While she might resist bribes, Tirbi had never seen a noble who disregarded fame and achievements. This time would be no exception.
Tirbi seized Agnes’s hand firmly.
“Inspector! It’s been my lifelong wish to host a distinguished guest. Please, grant me that wish!”
A slight hint of distress appeared on Agnes’s expressionless face.
Alright, almost there….
It was at that moment.
“What do we do?”
Agnes’s gaze shifted to someone else.
Naturally, Tirbi’s gaze followed. It landed on the man who had made that forward comment earlier.
‘Why is she asking for her group’s opinion? Could it be the inspector has feelings for this guy? What a funny bunch.’
But.
What Agnes uttered next was simply shocking.
“I think it should be up to the Inspector to decide.”
“…?”
Tirbi’s expression momentarily turned blank.
The man remained casually crossing his arms.
“There’s no sunweed, just plenty of booze. Is this really a festival?”
“….”
…This man is the inspector?
Tirbi doubted her ears.
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