Chapter 205
Hiiing!
The carriage shook violently. In the already dark night, with heavy rain pouring down, the horse’s gallop was unstable. Romandro muttered anxiously, looking out the window where he couldn’t see an inch ahead.
“Is Barsabe really dead?”
“I don’t know.”
“Gosh. We’re not even that close, but I don’t feel good. It’s probably because saving Vivianna was the last thing he did. Beric will be devastated when he wakes up. We should keep it a secret for now. Eesh, tsk tsk. Another young and promising talent gone.” freeweɓnovel.cѳm
“…He probably has no family.”
“Ah. Yeah. He’s been living alone since Petreio died.”
The place where the body was found was not far from the city center, on the outskirts. Judging from the route, it seems he couldn’t get to the Imperial Palace from the <Merry Daily> building and took a detour. He probably ran away only through alleys to prevent innocent citizens from getting involved.
Ian stared at the stream of rain flowing down, resting his chin on his hand. He died for the Empire. Isn’t it quite gloomy for the final night dedicated to such a person?
Splash!
The wheel rolled through a puddle, splashing water. It was a distance that would normally take less than an hour to reach, but due to various unfavorable conditions, it was delayed by thirty minutes. In the distance, a dim light could be seen.
“We’re here!”
“Be careful! The road is slippery from the rain!”
It was the lantern light held by the guards. The coachman slowly tightened the reins, and Romandro got out first and opened an umbrella. Even though it was no use against the rain, his hair and shoulders were instantly soaked.
“Hello. I’m in charge of security for Chatur Zone 2.”
“I’m Ian Hiel from the Ministry of Magic.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. Please come this way.”
The guard politely greeted and walked ahead, holding the umbrella. Familiar faces could be seen under the temporary tent. Knights of the Imperial Guard and Jeirutt. Some had their backs turned, smoking cigarettes, while others were lying next to the corpse. Jeirutt was just staring.
“Captain Jeirutt.”
“……….”
The silence was heavy, cruel, and colder than the pouring rain. Jeirutt greeted Ian, completely drenched. The guilt of having lost his friend and his daughter. That guilt seemed to be tearing him apart.
“Lift the cloth.”
“Well, um, it will be hard to look at.”
“…Lift it.”
At Ian’s firm command, the guard lifted the wet cloth. Romandro closed his eyes tightly as if he couldn’t bear to look, and Ian also frowned.
“This is……”
Terrible. The crushed parts, like rotten meat, particularly caught the eye. It was understandable why they said identification was impossible. There was no shape to the face.
“As you can see, identification is difficult. We only know that it’s roughly a woman in her early twenties. If she wasn’t wearing the Imperial Guard uniform, the body would have been treated as unidentified.”
Drip, drip drop.
The sound of rain filled the gaps in the guard’s words. The sound of rain was so intense that it could even erase someone’s crying.
“Beric was crushed like this too.”
Jeirutt noticed that the external injuries on the corpse were not much different from Beric’s. He eventually turned his back, covering his face. Romandro took out a gold coin and placed it on the corpse as a sign of condolence.
“Mr. Romandro.”
“Hic, huh?”
Romandro was crying before he knew it. He sniffled and turned to Ian.
“Do you remember by any chance?”
“What?”
“When we interrogated Petreio at Hiel Estate.”
“I didn’t see it. Didn’t you and Beric do it together then? Sniff! Knight, your sacrifice is supporting Variel. Thank you. Go well!”
When Petreio’s name was mentioned, Jeirutt reacted. He seemed to not know what Ian was trying to say.
‘The face is crushed, but more than that……’
It would be more fitting to say it melted away. Like when Petreio wore the poisoned ring. Ian nodded to the guard.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Put your finger in the corpse’s mouth.” freewebnσvel.cøm
The guard froze, making a disgusted face at the sudden command. Even a whole corpse is unpleasant, but this gruesome corpse? However, Ian didn’t withdraw the order, and gradually, the Imperial Guards also pressured him with their eyes, so he had no choice. He put on gloves tightly and screamed internally.
“Is this how I put it in?”
“Lord Ian. What are you trying to do? Please don’t dishonor Barsabe any further. It’s a matter of honor.”
One of the Imperial Guards stepped forward and pleaded, but Ian firmly dismissed it.
“Put it in more.”
“Eugh. Like this?”
“Are all the teeth intact?”
“Hmm. Wait a moment.”
The guard suppressed his urge to vomit and checked the corpse’s teeth with his fingertips. Front teeth, lower teeth, canines, and even molars.
“Yes. They’re all fine.”
“The molars are fine?”
Romandro, who had been holding back tears, asked in surprise.
At that unusual reaction, Jeirutt realized something was strange. Of course, he didn’t know the reason. He didn’t know that Barsabe had lost her molars after being beaten by Beric.
Only her roommate knew that fact, but he was on duty at the Emperor’s residence and wasn’t here.
“What does it matter if the molars are fine?”
At the Imperial Guard’s question, Romandro shouted in agitation.
“You don’t know? Well, it’s not something to talk about everywhere! Be-before, Beric pulled out Barsabe’s molars! No. That’s a bit weird, he smashed them! That’s why Beric used to call Barsabe ‘Molar’.”
“Is that true?”
“I swear to God! My wife, who last saw Barsabe, would have heard about those molars too.”
“Then, this corpse is……”
“It’s not Barsabe.”
Ian denied it firmly. Then her colleagues unknowingly let out a small cry of joy.
Barsabe is still, still not dead!
This corpse is not Barsabe!
They patted each other’s shoulders, sharing a small relief, looking like people who had momentarily died and come back to life.
The guards who were listening on the side properly lifted the cloth and asked.
“Then who is this?”
“I think it was Barsabe who made the face like this. The poison from the ring Petreio used when he committed suicide shows this kind of reaction. Moreover, isn’t the uniform itself hers?”
“That’s right. Barsabe’s name is engraved on it.”
“She mutilated the corpse and put the clothes on it.”
One by one, Barsabe’s tracks became clear. Jeirutt, who had been quietly pondering, muttered a question.
“Why?”
“To end the pursuit.”
Ian looked around. It was a place where manual factories were densely located, being on the outskirts. Houses were rare, and it was a suitable place for storing goods. The Imperial Guards’ gazes also moved, following Ian’s gaze.
“There were four squads of the Black Armor. Barsabe must have known she couldn’t face them and kept running away. To stop the pursuit, her death was necessary. Where was the corpse found?”
“Yes. It was buried in a pile of garbage over there.”
“It’s not immediately visible, but it’s a location that can be easily exposed. If the enemy had killed her, there’s a high chance they would have hidden the body so it couldn’t be found.”
Boom! Boom!
Flash!
The rain intensified even more. Thunder and lightning struck, and the dark surroundings momentarily brightened. Ian’s smooth features glistened even more, soaked.
“But the corpse was found before a day passed, and we are here.”
“Are you saying Barsabe called us?”
“What is here that……”
It’s Barsabe’s signal. A signal implying that she can’t move easily, that she’s in a critical situation. Ian muttered, looking at the smoke rising from various places.
“That’s what we’ll find out from now on. Do you think Barsabe killed an innocent citizen and made them a corpse to escape danger?”
“No way!”
She was a knight. A knight who pledged her sword to the Imperial Palace and her beliefs. She would rather be trampled by the enemy than kill an innocent person and dissect them to seize an opportunity. That was something everyone present could be certain of.
“Barsabe isn’t someone who would do that!”
“Yeah? Then the answer is out. This corpse is someone who deserves to die by Barsabe’s standards.”
Someone who deserves to die. That would mean a subordinate of the opposing Hayman. Digging deeper, it can be seen as a subordinate within the Black Armor. One of the members was confused and kept wiping away the rainwater.
“I, I don’t know. What on earth is this……”
“I don’t know either. How it turned out, until we hear directly from Barsabe. To roughly summarize-“
Romandro coughed and slyly retrieved the gold coin he had placed on the corpse, wringing out his drenched handkerchief. The rain was now pouring so heavily that the umbrella was meaningless.
Swoosh.
“Barsabe is not far from here. And there’s something here, in Chatur Zone 2.”
Unlike the guards who swallowed their saliva in embarrassment, the expressions of the Imperial Guard hardened in an instant. They understood that their colleague was still alive.
Jeirutt, who had been bowing his head, muttered in a low voice.
“Everyone.”
“Everyone!”
Snap!
The drenched Imperial Guards placed their hands on their chests and took the Imperial salute. They all felt their hearts pounding under their palms. The hopeful beating that Barsabe is alive.
“From now on, we will conduct a search from Chatur Zone 1 to Zone 4. The top priority is securing and rescuing Barsabe.”
Snap!
Splash!
Water splashed at their disciplined steps. The guards stepped back, holding spears, and covered their mouths, exclaiming.
They are not just any Imperial Guards. They are the divine warriors who serve the Emperor most closely and are in charge of defending the Empire.
Zzing. Zing.
Even if there is a difference in abilities, they are all swordsmen. Jeirutt added an order, unofficially acknowledging that the Black Armor is associated with Hayman.
“If it’s related to the Hayman family, report even the smallest detail, and if anyone hinders the way forward, subdue them without hesitation. Keep in mind. We are the heart of Variel.”
As much as they protect the Emperor, they are the Imperial Guard who add dignity to dignity. If they thought they could touch their family member Barsabe and get away with it easily, it’s the height of arrogance. Those who pierced the heart will pay with that heart.
Snap!
Tap tap! Splash!
After the final salute, they dispersed as fast as light. Only the streaks of water drawn on the roadside proved their traces. The surroundings were instantly engulfed in silence.
The guards awkwardly called out to Ian.
“Well, Minister. Shall we request support too?”
“…No. You stay here and guard the corpse.”
If Hayman is using this place as a hiding spot for the armor, even the security guards can’t be trusted. Judging from their reactions, it doesn’t seem so, but… Anyway, isn’t it best to move as secretly as possible?
Ian brushed his wet hair back and turned to Jeirutt.
“I will send a request for support to the Imperial Palace.”
“Please do.”
Riama, one of the three captains, was also attacked. Of course, he smashed more than a dozen armors while dying, but anyway, it meant that the enemy’s power was that strong. It would be safe for Beors to join as well.
Shing.
Jeirutt drew his sword and slowly walked into the dark alley. The sound of footsteps was drowned out by the sound of rain. It was like watching the back of an eerie ghost.
Ding- Dong-
Tap tap!
Then, in the distance, the clock tower quietly rang. It was an alarm signaling midnight. And so, on the night a day passed. The Imperial Guard ran through the rain.
To save their colleague, Barsabe.
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