109 – Then the devil came in through the front door (3)
No matter what the first impression was, the White Blood Knights could not treat Cain and his group carelessly.
Even though Lily is blatantly breaking tradition, the fact that she is a white-blooded family member and a top-level warrior does not change.
And it is the custom of the White Blood to give preferential treatment to better warriors, and this also applies to the warrior’s companions.
So while Lily was receiving stitches for the wound on her back, Maria was given a massage by a large female technician to loosen up her muscles and joints.
It was a massage that seemed so extreme that she thought it might be retaliation for her rude greeting, but after actually receiving it, Maria fainted and fell asleep.
Lily also couldn’t come to her senses, her face red, and it seemed like it was because of the strong liquor she drank instead of the anesthetic. Cain knew that Lily was acting strangely when she was drunk, so she ordered him to sleep well, ‘it’s been a long time since you rested,’ and Lily was grateful and fell asleep.
That sight was extremely annoying to Grand Executor Astrid. They were displeased with the fact that the greatest warrior they looked up to was so obedient to the orders of an ‘imperial official.’
That is why the Grand Executor first threatened Cain during his private meeting.
“Agent Cain. “Just because you have Liliana Brünnhild as your subordinate, it would be a great mistake to act as if all White Bloods were your subordinates.”
Cain understood what the Grand Executor meant, but did not agree with his patronizing attitude.
“This is Lily ‘Agent.'”
Veins rose on Astrid’s forehead. Cain smiled.
“I will respect you as much as you respect us. By the way, I think we might have something to say to each other. Information exchange. “What do you think?”
“Is the information valuable enough that we need to know it?”
“Roberta was attacked.”
“Is he dead?”
“Her throat was cut off, but still alive, her head was stuck in the body of the beast and flew into the sky.”
On the outside, Astrid seemed perfectly calm. But Cain saw her twitch her hand. When she noticed Cain’s gaze, she got angry and jumped up, shouting for the knight outside her.
“Tell it to everyone. Prepare to evacuate from here as soon as lunch is over! “I’m coming back!”
The knight disappeared happily. Astrid sat down in her seat and stroked her forehead.
“If the object of security is gone, there is no reason for us to be here. Why do you look at me like that?”
“How can you be so cold-hearted even when your mission is a failure?”
It was meant to provoke Astrid, but it doesn’t seem to have been a big blow. When she sees her snort.
* * * * *
The journey of the White Blood Knights was not smooth.
The Knights of the Holy Grail had an order received from the Pope. ‘The canonization process to canonize Roberta as a saint is in progress, so please cooperate with the related work.’
Elector Reinhardt and Count Wördem could not particularly refuse the order. No matter how much Roberta was granted her autonomy over this place.
Thanks to this, the Holy Grail Knights were able to pitch a tent inside the village. But it wasn’t white blood.
“Our mission is secret escort. Even the person being escorted must not know about it. So we could not consult either the Elector or the Count. Attempts to enter Bertha village also failed. “The place is very sensitive to outsiders.”
“Have you talked to Roberta?”
“We shared it.” Astrid was annoyed.
“I even revealed my identity to her. Still, she refused with every word she said. “Since the subject of security actively refused security, we have no reason to take any responsibility for that matter.”
“When was that? “Has it been about three weeks?”
“That’s about it.”
“Have you had any conflicts with other bandits?”
“There was a bit of conflict the first week, but we pushed hard and then no one touched us. “We just guarded the camp and didn’t really bother anyone.”
Cain thought that wasn’t the only reason. It would have been enough for Roberta to give the order to the other bandits, ‘Don’t touch them.’
“Have you seen anything strange while staying here? For example… ” Cain recalled the story he heard from Alvin.
“Are they suspicious people wearing black robes?”
“If you’ve been to the Black Forest, you’ll know that here, everyone is suspicious. In particular, no one is more or less than anyone else. “There were no distinctive characters.”
“What about rumors?”
“We were almost always here. “You must have heard a rumor or something.”
“I don’t understand.” Cain stroked her chin.
“Then why were you here? From what I have heard, Grand Executor, there is no reason for us to take up camp here. “I wasn’t providing security, I wasn’t moving around, I was just stuck in this spot?”
Astrid raised her finger in displeasure.
“I should have warned you. Don’t act like we’re your subordinates. Why should we report everything to you about our work?”
“I’m not asking you to report it, it’s because I don’t understand it. “Didn’t you hear what happened to the Holy Grail Knights?”
“Are you talking about those idiots who set up a tent under a tree that was cut down and then harvested? “A subordinate who was out scouting told me this.”
“Did you not think that something suspicious was happening in the village?”
“I heard it earlier and decided to listen… “Are you scolding us now, imperial official?”
“No. I’m so disappointed that I don’t even feel like reprimanding him.
At least the White Blood Knights I met at Emmaus were not like this. Although they were stubborn, they were not the type of people who simply listened to orders and carried them out without thinking.
Or… “Are you the type of person who, befitting your position as Grand Executor, only moves on matters that have been decided?”
“Think what you like.” Astrid leaned her body back. “One thing is correct. I am the Grand Executor. If I make a move before an execution decision is made, that alone becomes arbitrary. No matter how good your intentions are, no matter how good your intentions are!”
“I don’t mean to argue.” Cain gently raised her palm. “But at least, shouldn’t we know what happened in Berta Village? “The commotion that occurred in Berta Village must have been difficult to ignore.”
“I heard reports that the trees were moving. There is also loud news coming from Berta Village. But we couldn’t move on our own.”
This was the question Cain really wanted to ask.
Bandits and thugs were afraid of Bertha village and did not try to come close. But the White Bloods are a group of arrogant warriors. If there was an uproar in Bertha Village, it would have been right for the White Blood Knights to have come.
But they didn’t budge. Why? Why was it so close?
“Why? No. I hope you don’t look at me like you’re uncomfortable. I am an official of His Majesty the Emperor. Therefore, it is my job to report on what happened here.
So, even though there was a commotion in Berta Village where a tree was overturned, the White Blood Knights who were close by did not even raise their hips… This means that there is no choice but to include the phrase.”
“How.” Astrid now looked at Cain openly hostilely. “How can you say something so obnoxious every time you open your mouth?”
“Because I almost died.” Cain also fought back.
“Because I died and came back alive. I don’t care if I die alone. My colleagues almost died. However, in words only, ‘warrior.’ “Wouldn’t it be even more strange if a group that talked about ‘warriors’ and such, and those who were given the task of protecting heroes, are acting proud here without even blinking an eye, and are not angry?”
Unexpectedly. Astrid lifted one corner of her mouth. It is unclear whether it is the older woman’s experience or her intuition.
“… Ah. It seems like she cares deeply about her subordinates and colleagues. And that too with great affection. It’s fun. Why not join the White Blood Knights? “In these days, no one would care if a wanderer like you came in.”
After answering, Astrid tapped the side of her chair with her hand.
“Let me start with the conclusion. Liliana Brünnhild must return to Valhalla. This has nothing to do with the Imperial Security Service. “It is a higher concept than that: the treaty between His Majesty the Emperor and the Knight Commander.”
“That’s funny.” Cain shook her head. “What treaty is more important than your Majesty’s mission?”
“She is Valkyria. She has to participate in the tournament. “Without her, the tournament doesn’t happen.”
It was an unexpected story. Cain looked at Astrid with her questioning eyes. The twisted smile from earlier disappeared and the Grand Executor calmly continued speaking.
“The Commander of the Knights collapsed and has not regained her consciousness. It seems correct to say that there is little chance of waking up. His first son, whom he designated as his successor, is in no way capable of commanding the knights. So, a tournament will be held to select a new knight commander.”
“Why should that take priority over Lily’s mission?”
“The White Blood Knights are under the command of the White Blood Knight Commander. That was the treaty between the old emperor and the old chieftain. If the leader of the White Blood Knights is not present, the knights will stop all activities and return quickly.
It was the old emperor’s deep intention that the knights should not lose their senses and cause bloodshed in the empire. “The ‘mission’ you speak of. Is it higher than the treaty between the Emperor and the Knight Commander?”
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Cain clenched his fists. If he wanted to say anything more important, he would have to tell us what he was in charge of.
But that is not possible. You can’t just freely reveal that you are investigating the truth about the seven heroes.
“I can’t reveal that.”
“Really?” The Grand Executor seemed to have won the victory and even smiled.
“Now you understand why we were here. We were waiting for Liliana. She knew she was moving around her empire, but she had no idea where she was.
Therefore, orders were given to the knights outside the Empire to stop all actions, immediately restore Liliana Brünnhild, and collect information about her.
That’s why we’ve been here all this time, and why we didn’t really care what happened in Berta Village. “If Liliana had been there, we would have gone immediately.”
“And?”
“He must have returned with her.”
“What about Berta Village and security duties?”
“That’s none of our concern.”
Cain wanted to say something. Do you know what’s going on right now? Do you know what kind of crisis the world is facing? But I can’t say. You shouldn’t say it.
If you think about it, Astrid is just quietly doing her job. To ask the Grand Executor of the White Blood Knights, who has no idea about the overall situation, for being insensitive to the fate of the empire and the world…
Cain suddenly felt goosebumps rising on his back. It was because of the familiar look she saw on the older woman in front of her.
“Just like you do. “I also just follow orders.”
It was none other than her own self.
No. One thing was different. She still has pride in herself. Pride that she is following a noble command. Her pride that she was on the right track. The sense of stability and solidity felt by those who have not yet deviated from the path, who have not been thrown off the path.
Things that Cain once had, but has now lost.
But before I could say anything, a knight approached me from outside at a hurried pace.
“Grand Executor.”
“What?”
“The herd is approaching. The number is more than thirty, to put it mildly. “They are approaching secretly, but military discipline does not appear to be strict.”
Bandits were coming.