“Today, besides me from the Security Forces, knights from the Knight Templars have also decided to join for the escort.”
“…Greetings. I am Clara Weyburn, the Captain of the Ruby Knights.”
“Hello! I am Lan Maple, a member of the Ruby Knights.”
Ludger narrowed his eyes for a moment before smiling gently.
“I am Mark Baker. I will be in your care today.”
It seems that pretending not to know him was the right thing to do. I wonder why a person who was the Young Duke of the Empire and also the director of a management office would disguise himself and come out to investigate.
As soon as that thought occurred to me, Ludger gestured to the security officer.
“Oh, may I briefly discuss today’s escort duty with the Captain?”
“Yes. Sure.”
I approached Ludger with a queasy feeling. He maintained his bright smile as he spoke.
“I’ll make it clear from the start, I didn’t intentionally name Captain to be here.”
“…Yes. I also thought Your Highness wouldn’t do that.”
Generally, that should be the case. The fact that the Security Forces urgently requested our cooperation indicated that it was an unexpected situation.
However, knowing that Ludger was the mastermind behind everything, I couldn’t help but be cautious.
“Is today’s work related to Your Highness’ role as the ‘Director’ of your division?”
“For now, I guess we can say that.”
‘As expected….’
It seemed like he was plotting something again today. The expression ‘for now’ was particularly unsettling.
However, since he was doing the part of his job as the Director of the Imperial Treasure and Relics Management Office, and had put hold on Heilbronner’s activities, I wouldn’t be able to stop him or report him. Therefore, I decided to leave it as it was.
“But why use a pseudonym…?”
“Well, if I, the Director, were to appear for investigation, there would be a lot of fuss about protocol and such. I hate inefficiency.”
“Couldn’t Your Highness just have his subordinates do it….”
“I wanted to inspect this place with my own eyes.”
He answered that point and took out the measuring instruments and other items from the bag he had brought and began checking them. Strangely enough, he really looked like an officer who had come out just for the investigation.
‘Come to think of it, it was unusual for a small-time magnate like him to be in charge of the Treasure and Relics Management Office.’
In the political world, certain positions are considered ‘prestigious’. Generally, these are roles that involve managing the national treasury or overseeing the military.
The Imperial Treasure and Relics Management Office is quite different from the core powers of the nation. To put it in extreme terms, it was not a department that would hinder the country’s progress even if it were to disappear immediately.
Thus, when the Duke Kassen took charge of the Treasure and Relics Management Office, there was quite a bit of discussion and debate about it.
In conclusion, it seemed that Duke Ludger Kassen was not interested in the battle of power and has long been passionate about cultural heritage and art. (I read all this in the newspapers.)
‘I thought that he simply chose this position because it was useful for his activity as a thief….’
Now I’m not sure anymore.
“Ultimately, it’s an act extremely necessary for the Empire… Let’s just put it that way.”
“…Extremely necessary for the Empire?”
“Yes.”
The words he spoke during the meal yesterday vaguely came to mind.
I couldn’t remember the original story completely, and my knowledge was fragmentary. The words he said didn’t match the image I had of Ludger Kassen.
Therefore, the reason he was involved with the Treasure and Relics Management Office might be something entirely unexpected.
“Nevertheless, you seem to be in good condition.”
“Huh?”
“I was concerned because you seemed to be quite drunk yesterday.”
As soon as I heard that, I felt my ears flush with heat. The shameful memory of my embarrassing behavior suddenly flashed back.
“I’m fine…! I’m perfectly fine! Really!”
“Hmm, well. You do look energetic.”
“Please forget about what happened yesterday! I apologize for being rude….”
I almost raised my voice without realizing it, but I desperately kept it down, fearing that Lan or the security officers might hear. Still, my earnestness must have been conveyed.
But the response I received wasn’t what I had hoped for.
“Well, I don’t really want to forget it.”
“Pardon?”
The eyes behind the glasses softened.
“You were cute.”
“….”
I could only gape at his unexpected comment. Ludger chuckled while looking at my face and simply said, “Well then, I’m counting on you today,” before walking away.
‘Wow, simply. Wow!’
How could he say something like that without changing his expression? Doesn’t he feel embarrassed?
‘He’s handsome, so he can get away with it smoothly.’
For example, if Lionel had said something like that, I’d imagine a punch would follow immediately.
Though Lionel is handsome, comparing him to Ludger Kassen is still unreasonable.
I slapped my flushed cheeks. Huuu, he was too much of a stimulus for someone who was a lifelong single.
“Captain, did you hear something unpleasant? Your face is red.”
Lan asked, approaching me with a look of concern. Her words made me feel even more embarrassed.
“Oh, it’s nothing like that. Um, I think I’m feeling a bit hot because of the cloak.”
“Is that so…? But the weather is still cold these days, so be careful not to catch a cold.”
“…Yes.”
After letting out a breath, I lifted my head. Regardless of who the person was, it was time to focus on the work at hand.
‘Oh, speaking of which, I should probably let her know that he’s Duke Ludger Kassen… he might run into Lan later.’
However, if I mentioned it now, it would just make things awkward. It’s better to explain on the way back later.
Anyway, the important thing right now is work.
As I approached the security officer to confirm today’s escort duty, he received an urgent call.
“Yes, it’s me. Yes…Yes?”
The security officer seemed flustered and stammered as he finished the call.
He then glanced at me and said.
“Um, Captain Clara.”
“Yes. Is there any urgent matter you must attend to?”
“Yes…. They say they need additional manpower support, and asked if I could go and help….”
Judging from his pale face, it seemed there was an urgent issue that the Security Forces needed to address immediately.
Since Lan and I alone were more than enough for the escort, so I thought it didn’t matter much.
‘Ludgar doesn’t need an escort in the first place, though.’
The fact that he requested an escort was probably to hide his identity as a high-ranking mage…
“Yes, we’re fine on this end. If it’s urgent, you should go quickly.”
“Thank you!”
The security officer hurriedly mounted his horse. I turned toward Ludger with a somewhat sour expression.
“Um… Mr. Mark Baker?”
“Yes, Captain.”
His overly polite response sent a shiver down my spine, but I managed to keep my composure.
“Firstly, I apologize that the security officer who was supposed to escort us now has to leave urgently. Please understand that this is not a reflection of any neglect towards the Treasure and Relics Management Office. (Translation: the officer wasn’t aware that you’re Duke Ludger Kassen so I hope you don’t take this as an offense…….)”
Ludger seemed to understand the underlying meaning of my words and responded with a look of amusement, albeit acknowledging it. Well, As long as he understood, everything was fine.
“Shall we depart right away? If possible, I’d like to finish the investigation quickly.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
Indeed, he wouldn’t want to waste time, given that he’s someone who values it.
I decided to split up with Lan and take our positions. Lan would take the front, Ludger would be in the middle, and I would cover the blind spot at the back.
Ludger used the magical key he brought to open the firmly sealed door. Behind it, a long staircase leading down to the underground waterways was seen.
Although the name underground waterways might suggest a foul stench, it didn’t actually smell that way.
The sewage facilities were separate, and this was literally just a path for water to flow through. In other words, it was like an underground stream.
The unfamiliar ancient architectural columns and the pathway alongside the waterways, seemingly designed for walking, looked beautiful… Looking at it again, it was a magnificent structure that was hard to believe was built in the past.
‘Moreover, making such a wide waterway beneath while supporting the surface above… It’s impressive in many ways.’
It was my first time entering the underground waterways, so the surrounding scenery was fascinating to me. But I decided to focus on my job of escort duty.
My first priority was to sharpen my entire body’s senses to prepare for any possible attacks by demonic creatures.
“Are you aware that the structure of the underground waterways change intermittently?”
Ludger asked, while holding the measuring instrument at his side. Lan responded to him.
“I’m embarrassed to say this, my knowledge isn’t deep enough to know about the changes in structure.”
“Well, it’s not a widely known fact unless you’re a specialist. The pattern of change is intermittent, so even the academic world hasn’t figured it out yet. However, the structure did change just recently.”
“I see… So, you came out for today’s investigation because of that?”
“Yes. We received a report that a previously unexposed section was revealed, so I came to inspect the unusual things inside.”
Ludger added that today’s investigation was more of a preliminary check, and that he actually planned to dispatch a large-scale investigation team in the future.
“The massive sluice gate ahead was originally closed to the east. However, since the last new moon, it has been partially opened. This should allow us to check the interior.”
“Oh, is that where we’re headed today?”
“Precisely. It’s an unknown area. I trust your skills, but if there’s any sign of danger, retreat immediately.”
‘He did mention the possibility of monsters appearing….’
I narrowed my eyes.
Thanks for the chapter