Chapter 113
The gates of the Kulnensi Marquisate remained firmly shut due to the monster attacks.
“What is the purpose of your visit?”
“The knights, exhausted from subjugating the monsters, request permission to rest briefly before continuing.”
“Hmm…”
“His Highness, the Crown Prince, is also present.”
“Hm…”
In the Kentri Empire, a Marquisate was a completely independent entity.
This meant that opening or closing the gates of the Marquisate was entirely at the discretion of the Marquis.
Even if the Emperor himself demanded the gates be opened, the Marquis could refuse if he wished.
The Marquis of Kulnensi deliberated.
Should I open the gates for the Imperial Knights or not?
“And the Commander of the Astrea Knights and Duchess Astrea were also present.”
Hearing these unexpected names, the Marquis stopped drumming his fingers on the desk.
He raised his head to look at the knight standing before him.
The Marquis of Kulnensi had a history with the Duke and Duchess Astrea.
The illegal auction house, once a goldmine of profit, had been secretly owned by the Marquis of Kulnensi.
And they were the very ones who had ruined it.
They had imprisoned the Earl of Nen, the Marquis’s younger brother who had posed as the auction house’s owner, and sent his nephew to the guillotine.
Not that the Marquis felt any particular sympathy for his brother—it was his own stupidity that had gotten him caught.
“Let them into the Marquisate.”
At the sudden voice, the knight flinched.
A man, cloaked in a robe, was now sitting on the sofa in the office—a place that had been empty just moments ago.
Despite his abrupt appearance, which startled those present, the man calmly poured himself tea from a kettle, exuding an air of refinement.
“Are you sure about this?”
The Marquis of Kulnensi greeted the intruder without a hint of surprise, as if used to his presence.
He was, in fact, accustomed to the man’s sudden appearances.
The man’s nonchalant smile seemed to say, ‘Why not?’
“The Marquisate is in the palm of my hand. If it comes to it, I’ll just kill them.”
He spoke of death as though it were a trivial matter.
The Marquis of Kulnensi knew the man wasn’t joking.
After all, this dark sorcerer had already dealt with those who had dared to suspect the Marquis’s household.
For the dark sorcerer, killing someone and disposing of the body was the easiest thing in the world.
“They’re walking into the tiger’s den on their own. We might as well devour them.”
“They include the Crown Prince and the Knight Commander. It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.”
“No matter. I know them well.”
The man’s crimson eyes glowed beneath his robe.
The Marquis of Kulnensi simply asked that the Marquisate not suffer any harm, making no further effort to dissuade the man.
The dark sorcerer, bored as he had been, welcomed this opportunity for a little amusement.
***
“Why is this happening?”
Shaterian looked up at the gatekeeper standing atop the wall.
The gatekeeper frowned, looking troubled.
“As I’ve said, the Marquisate is in a state of emergency due to the monster attacks, so all external access is restricted.”
“So, what are you saying? That we’re monsters?”
“No, it’s just… If we open the gates, monsters might get in…”
“Are you deaf? Didn’t I just say that the monsters have already been eradicated by the Imperial Knights?”
It wasn’t entirely true—the subjugation wasn’t yet complete.
But at the very least, no monsters remained that could threaten the Kulnensi Marquisate.
Shaterian cast an unimpressed glance at the firmly shut gates.
“The Marquis is being informed as we speak, so you should receive a response shortly.”
“I’m pretty sure I heard the same thing thirty minutes ago.”
“…”
And an hour ago. And an hour and a half ago.
The gatekeeper avoided Shaterian’s gaze, unable to respond.
At this point, she was beginning to doubt whether the report had even been sent.
Their refusal to open the gates gave the impression that they were hiding something.
“Terry, stop wasting your energy and come sit down.”
Orgon’s weary voice called from behind her.
It wasn’t just Orgon—every member of the Imperial Knights had collapsed onto the dirt ground, drained of energy.
What these exhausted knights needed wasn’t a patch of dirt but warm food and a comfortable bed.
Shaterian pointed at Orgon. Since the “Our Crown Prince is here!” tactic had already been used, she decided to try something else.
“Our Crown Prince is unwell! If he collapses and dies here, will you take responsibility?!”
“What?”
The gatekeeper, startled, looked at Orgon.
Shaterian shot Orgon a look, urging him to play along.
“Terry…”
Though he looked at her as if she were incorrigible, Orgon obligingly placed a hand to his forehead and pretended to faint. Eched, standing beside him, caught him as he slumped over.
The gatekeeper began to panic.
While this wouldn’t immediately get the gates open, it might at least speed up the process.
Contrary to her expectations, however, the gates opened almost immediately.
The suddenness of it, after being shut so firmly, was almost anticlimactic.
A knight clad in armor stepped out from within.
He briefly furrowed his brow at the sight of the knights sprawled on the ground like vagabonds before returning to a neutral expression.
“The Marquis has granted the knights permission to enter.”
“Ha…”
“I will escort you to the hotel where you will be staying during your time in the Marquisate.”
The knight’s attitude was openly hostile.
It wasn’t as though they had done anything to warrant such treatment.
Following the knight, the group passed through the gates.
Beyond the archway, a bustling city unfolded before them.
The city was lively and untouched, as if unaware that a monster crisis had ever taken place.
“So the wyverns didn’t reach this area?”
“Not at all.”
The knight’s curt response made it clear he found the conversation tedious.
They followed the knight in silence, though Shaterian couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
“Don’t you think they’re staring too much?”
She whispered to Eched, who was walking beside her.
When he merely hummed in response, she realized she had chosen the wrong person to ask. Turning to Orgon, who was walking ahead, she nudged him.
“I think so.”
His immediate reply suggested he had been paying attention.
Eched, scanning the surroundings with his sharp hearing, tilted his head.
“I don’t hear anything suspicious.”
Perhaps the stares were simply due to curiosity about the new arrivals.
After all, the knights’ capes bore the emblem of the Imperial Knights, which no citizen of the Kentri Empire would fail to recognize.
The knight leading them eventually stopped in front of a rather luxurious hotel.
“This is the finest hotel in the Marquisate. You should have no trouble staying here. However, I must ask that you refrain from causing any inconvenience to the Marquis.”
As he spoke, the knight pointedly looked at Shaterian.
“You are guests here, so please remain quiet and leave peacefully.”
With a curt nod, the knight disappeared.
The blatant hostility left them bewildered.
“Do the Imperial Knights have such a bad reputation?”
Shaterian wondered aloud if the knights had secretly been harassing people.
It was the only explanation she could think of for the hostility they were facing.
Regardless, they were in no position to cause trouble.
Their purpose for entering the Kulnensi Marquisate was to capture Masetike. Until then, they needed to avoid any conflicts with the Marquis.
As an independent territory, the Marquisate could expel them at any time.
Dragging their tired bodies, the group entered the hotel.
“Welcome!”
Fortunately, the hotel staff greeted them warmly.
After being shown to their rooms, they gathered in the first-floor dining hall.
Having informed the staff in advance, their meal was quickly prepared.
The freshly baked bread and warm soup were enough to bring tears to their eyes.
The soft beans, perfectly grilled fish, and other dishes were satisfying without being overly heavy.
The knights, thrilled by the rare feast and drink, became lively, their earlier exhaustion forgotten.
As the hours passed, their energy only seemed to grow.
Shaterian, unable to keep up with their stamina, excused herself and headed to her room.
Eched followed shortly after.
“Do you want to bathe first?”
She asked out of courtesy as she gathered the clothes provided by the hotel staff.
“You go first.”
“Okay.”
Predicting his response, Shaterian didn’t ask again. She bathed quickly and claimed the bed before he could.
Tomorrow promised to be another busy day, so she needed to rest while she could.
The comfort of the bed, combined with the meal, left her deeply satisfied.
The hotel, the finest in the Kulnensi Marquisate, lived up to its reputation.
Though it might have felt even better simply because it had been so long since she’d enjoyed such luxuries.
Unable to wait for Eched, Shaterian fell asleep.
***
Since morning, Shaterian had been moving diligently.
The knights, under the guise of sightseeing, were secretly observing the Marquisate, while she, along with Eched and Orgon, was on her way to the Marquis’ residence to meet with the Marquis of Kulnensi.
It was the Marquis who had first invited them for lunch.
However, upon arriving at the residence, he suddenly excused himself, claiming he was busy, and postponed their lunch to dinner instead.
For Shaterian and her group, this unexpected turn of events worked in their favor.
Turning a crisis into an opportunity, so to speak.
With the excuse of passing the time, they made their way to the library of the Marquis’ residence.
There was a reason for this.
They needed to investigate those who had relocated to the Kulnensi Marquisate after the incident two years ago.
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