A woman got off the stopped carriage.
An elegance layered over ordinary beauty, almost no one in the empire
would fail to recognize her.
Dragon-Blooded, 2nd Princess of the Empire, Hedera.
She set foot at the entrance of the church in the capital.
"Hmm."
In fact, it was something even she hadn't anticipated.
Among the princesses, there existed inviolable territories they usually didn't
interfere with, and the church dedicated to the Sun God was Solana, the 3rd
Princess's domain.
The eyes of the paladins guarding the entrance widened.
"2nd Princess? What brings your grace here…?"
"Stop."
Her dragon words burst forth.
The sturdy paladins instantly stopped moving, but fortunately, the stop
wouldn't last long. Hedera didn't intend to stay here for long.
"Wait for a moment. I'll release you soon."
With those words, Hedera entered the church.
Click. Click.
Normally, she would have explained logically, but at the moment, Hedera
didn't have the leisure to do so. Her mind was filled with a huge question.
Click. Click.
As the sound of her high heels echoed at regular intervals in the church
corridor, she recalled her memories.
—Find that out for yourself.
—Church Archive, Section F, Row 8, No. 323.
—I don't know any more than that.
The Church Archive.
Hedera knew well what kind of place this was.
At its core, it was simply an archive. It detailed when, where, and to whom
the priests had bestowed their divine power.
However, if the treatment target was a special individual.
The treatment records themselves became valuable information. Repeated
treatment attempts could reveal detailed insights into one's constitution and
abilities.
A top-secret space, and Solana had opened it for her.
Solana had even pointed out Section F. It was located in the deepest part of
the archive, and the deeper the section, the more important the information
it contained.
…There would be information about Jaekiel there.
"What on earth…?"
What was recorded there?
Click. Click.
Hedera continued to walk.
Soon, she was in front of the archive.
Luiple.
Anes and Belka looked around in a daze. Luiple was completely different
from what they had expected.
"Uh, there's a festival going on…?"
"This is definitely Luiple, but it's not like the rumors."
A hellscape covered in demons and monsters. That was how they imagined
Luiple, but upon setting foot there, the whole town was in a festive mood.
Everyone was struggling to adjust to the disconnect when…
"We meet distinguished guests? Nice to meet you!"
A slender woman who had appeared out of nowhere greeted Jaekiel and
Valcon's party energetically.
Dust was only now rising in the wake of her arrival. Her footsteps were
truly at a remarkable level, wielding a greatsword many times her size.
It was only after almost three beats that those presumed to be her
companions appeared as a backdrop.
"Everyone, you're distinguished guests sent by the imperial family, right?"
The greatsword woman bowed politely.
"My name is Tirby. I aim to be a hero, exterminating monsters in the Luiple
region. I will show proper respect to the imperial guests!"
"We greet you!"
The greatsword woman's companions also paid their respects together.
Their movements were very disciplined and courteous, making Belka, who
wasn't used to such treatment, feel awkward.
Belka whispered cautiously to Anes.
"Why are they being so polite…?"
"Even if they aim to be heroes, it's difficult without status or position. Since
the Imperial Knights are visiting, they want to make a good impression."
"Can you join the Imperial Knights that way?"
"If you wield a sword very well or have great fame, sometimes they take
you. But it's very rare."
Anes's words seemed to make sense. In fact, Tirby's gaze was always on
Valcon's party.
Tirby smiled pleasantly.
"Oops, it's rude to keep you standing! How about we move inside the
manor? There's a festival going on!"
"…Nonsense."
Valcon, the head of the knight order, rejected her flatly.
He was an Imperial Knight but also the escort knight of the 2nd Princess
Hedera. If he lost this bet, it would disgrace not only him but also the
Princess's honor.
So, there was no time for personal indulgences. They had to search every
inch of Luiple to find even one more monster and raise their performance.
"I can't trust the safety claimed by a mere hero aspirant. Let's move. We
need to check ourselves."
With those words, Valcon turned his back, leading two knights, not even
glancing at Tirby.
Brushing past Jaekiel's shoulder, he added another remark.
"Auditor, you might as well enjoy the festival. It's a bet you'll lose even if
you try your best."
Thud!
As Valcon took off, the air around him split. The nearby spectators were
stunned by his impressive display.
Indeed, the level of an Imperial Knight was that high.
Tirby's gaze finally turned to the Tower's party.
"Um, what about you, magicians?"
A moment of silence.
"You said there's a festival going on?"
The first to break the silence was the only man in white.
"I'd like to look around first."
.
.
.
.
.
"Of course, you're welcome to look around first!"
Tirby personally guided the distinguished guests from the Tower. The
surroundings were just festive, with no sense of crisis.
Anes turned her cube and asked.
"I heard monsters always appear without warning."
"When I first settled in Luiple, it was like that. It was definitely such a land!
I had to deal with monsters and demons without a moment to rest."
Tirby showed a smile that was hard to dislike.
Meanwhile, Anes cautiously examined Tirby's energy. Her upright character
was notable, but her well-refined energy stood out even more.
She was surely a strong person who never neglected training.
"That was Luiple… but now?"
Tirby confidently opened the manor's door.
Bang!
"Drink! Drink!"
"You can leave all your worries behind!"
It was a noisy atmosphere, and the residents were enjoying the festival
without a hint of fear. Tirby looked at Jaekiel's party and smiled as if
asking, "How is it?"
"Look! My efforts have finally borne fruit."
"Wow…"
Belka blinked.
"It's true… No one seems worried at all. If there was any anxiety, they
couldn't enjoy the festival so genuinely…"
"It's an honor that someone of your status recognizes it. Yes! The
expressions of the residents never lie!"
At that moment.
"It's Tirby!"
"Ah! The hero of Luiple, Tirby!"
The residents who recognized Tirby began chanting her name. She just
smiled shyly.
Anes quietly blinked.
"…It seems you have the people's support firmly."
"It wasn't what I intended, but it turned out this way somehow. It's a bit
embarrassing. Hahaha…!"
Tirby continued with a healthy voice.
"You distinguished guests were sent by the imperial family, right? It's a
great honor that you're interested in this area, but you can rest assured! I'm
here!"
"Hmm…"
"Oh, right! Since you're here, why not enjoy the festival a bit?"
Smiling brightly, Tirby thought to herself.
'The knights who left earlier will have a fruitless search.'
All they would find were traces of monster exterminations.
The reason was simple. Tirby, the creator of the monsters in the Luiple area,
had planned it that way.
It was just a matter of time before anyone visiting here acknowledged Tirby.
This place was a stage for that meticulously crafted play.
'It would be perfect to keep these guys as connections.'
The Imperial Knight Order, the Imperial Tower.
For Tirby, infiltrating either place would be a great gain. High-quality
individuals would yield high-quality fear.
'I will definitely succeed. They've already fallen for it.'
Tirby was convinced.
The first piece of evidence was that the man from the Tower had been
staring at Tirby intently from the beginning. Tirby herself knew well of her
own charm.
When men saw Tirby, they usually felt lust, and women wanted to befriend
her. That man, no matter his appearance, was just an ordinary guy in the
end.
"Hahahaha…!"
Tirby burst into laughter, pretending to be embarrassed.
"Ahaha, it's just that the distinguished gentleman has been staring at me…
I'm not used to dealing with distinguished guests, so I don't know how to
behave."
"Oh, it's nothing."
The man said nonchalantly.
"I'm interested in you."
"Ah… I don't know what to do."
Tirby was convinced. As expected, this guy was falling for it.
He was more direct than she had thought, but it didn't matter. It was still
according to her plan.
The woman now clung to Anes.
"If you need achievements or performance, you don't have to worry at all.
I'm a hero aspirant! I don't need any performance records. I'll give you
everything I've achieved."
"Thank you for your offer, but we don't intend to take credit for others'
achievements. We don't know when monsters might appear, so we must do
our duty too…"
"My companions are stationed throughout Luiple! It's fine to enjoy the
festival for a while."
Tirby carefully examined Anes's face.
Elegant features, seemingly exceptional magical skills, and an upright
demeanor… Anes was a more solid and honest auditor than Tirby had
expected.
But in the end, it didn't matter.
'What's this woman playing hard to get for…?'
Even if she was resistant to bribes, Tirby had never seen a distinguished
guest refuse achievements and performance. This time would be no
exception.
Tirby grabbed Anes's hand.
"Auditor! It's been this small hero aspirant's lifelong wish to serve
distinguished guests. Please allow it!"
A slight hint of discomfort appeared on Anes's otherwise expressionless
face.
Good, she's almost fallen for it…
At that moment.
"…What should we do?"
Anes's gaze turned to someone else.
Tirby's gaze naturally followed. It was directed at the man who had made
the direct remark earlier.
'Why is she asking her companion's opinion? Is the Auditor interested in
this man? They're really funny.'
But.
The next words Anes uttered were simply shocking.
"I think the Auditor should decide."
"…?"
Tirby's expression turned dumbfounded in an instant.
The man still stood there casually with his arms crossed.
"There's no Sun Grass here; just a lot of alcohol. Is this really a festival?"
…
…That man was the auditor?
Tirby couldn't believe her ears.