Chapter 46: The Princess and the Guards

Tepno, a city under Re-Estize's banner, sits on the border with Baharuth, one of the closest cities to Sheep Horn.

Constantly on war footing due to its hostile neighbor, Tepno's heavy taxes and relentless preparations choke its economy. As a result, adventurer gigs here pay less than in other towns.

EeDechi's crew planned to head north next, toward the Sorcerer Kingdom's territory. They figured they'd crash in Tepno for a day, sniffing out any quick adventurer jobs to pick up before moving on.

The Last Defender of the Way, a four-person adventurer squad, rolled into Tepno with four brown horses in tow, alongside Kuuderika and Ureirika, a pair of twin sisters. After coughing up a steep entry tax, they stepped into the city.

At the gate, the twins drew some heat from the local sheriff, who grilled the group, suspecting them of being human traffickers. After all, adventurer teams hauling around two little girls weren't exactly common.

EeDechi, convinced she was in the right, geared up for a long-winded spiel about how she'd saved the two blonde girls from a brothel in Baharuth's capital, dragging them through a grueling trek—climbing mountains, crossing rivers, and slipping over the border into Re-Estize.

Barrett knew what these gate-blocking sheriffs were really after. He slipped two gold coins into their hands, and just like that, they were waved through.

As for Kuuderika and Ureirika, the adorable twin sisters, Barrett's go-to advice was to send them back to their parents' place or, failing that, drop them off at a temple or orphanage.

But the little brats had other ideas. They didn't want to find their parents—they were hell-bent on tracking down their sister, Arche. It was a childish, half-baked plan, but Captain EeDechi, for whatever reason, went along with the kids' whim, set on storming the Great Tomb of Nazarick to rescue their sister, whose fate was anyone's guess.

Barrett couldn't wrap his head around what kind of crazy conviction drove EeDechi to pull off such a stunt. He wanted to mimic her habit of summing things up after a team huddle, but his piss-poor way with words left him grasping for the right term to describe her grit.

Oddly enough, EeDechi barely paid attention to the twins. It was always Stella who looked after them.

Stella, with her bleeding heart, had fallen hard for the blonde twins' sweet and innocent act, practically treating them like her own little sisters. She fussed over them the whole journey, making sure they didn't suffer the slightest hardship.

After settling into a small inn, Stella took Kuuderika and Ureirika to the local church for prayers. Sean, worried that Stella, a Baharuth native, might get hassled in Re-Estize, insisted on tagging along.

EeDechi was about to point out that Sean, also from Baharuth, would face the same prejudice and hostility, so there was no need to escort Stella to the church, but Barrett quickly yanked her back.

…

EeDechi and Barrett strolled through the streets, heading toward the Adventurer's Guild to check for any decent jobs.

As they cut through a filthy alley reeking of sewage, they turned a corner and spotted a crowd of ragged figures gathered on a rundown street ahead.

In the center stood a fat noble-looking bastard, swinging a whip down on what looked like a heap of dirty rags.

With each crack of the whip, the noble's shouts, the snap of leather, and piercing screams filled the air.

As the two got closer, they realized the "rags" were actually a scrawny beggar, skin and bones.

It was early winter, the air biting cold, and the poor wretch had scavenged tattered clothes and burlap from some trash heap, layering them on until he looked like a grimy bundle of cloth from a distance.

Each lash of the leather whip made the beggar curl tighter into a ball, letting out gut-wrenching cries.

The grimy, greasy clothes the beggar had painstakingly gathered offered no protection. The noble's sturdy leather whip tore through the tattered fabric, ripping bloody gashes across his filthy skin.

"You dare beg from me? You even grabbed my pants, you filthy rat! My good luck's ruined because of you! I'll beat you to death!" The short, stocky noble cursed, swinging the whip with every word.

Seeing this, EeDechi's brows knotted in fury. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to charge into the crowd.

Barrett grabbed her arm.

EeDechi's eyes blazed. "You trying to stop me?"

Barrett flinched under her fierce glare but held firm. "Captain, playing hero's great and all, but go easy. Don't kill the guy, or we'll be on wanted posters again."

EeDechi shook him off. "Relax, kid. I know what I'm doing."

As the adventurer captain shoved through the crowd, just as the noble's whip cracked down on the beggar again, a sweet yet furious voice rang out from the other side of the street: "Count Kurar, you sure don't hold back when picking on the weak, do you?"

Count Bashir Kurar paused his whip mid-swing, his fat neck twisting to see who spoke. It was a young woman in a pink corset dress, topped with a white wide-brimmed hat.

The brim dipped low, shadowing her face, hiding her features in the gloom.

Used to throwing his weight around, Count Kurar was about to let loose a string of curses when his eyes caught the blonde, blue-eyed guard in gleaming silver full-plate armor standing beside the hat-wearing girl.

His pupils shrank, and the word "bitch" he was about to spit out got swallowed hard. He dropped the whip, tugged at the hem of his gaudy robe, and half-knelt, hand on chest, head bowed in a hasty salute. "Princess Renner… Your Highness, you… how are you here? Failing to greet you is my disgrace!"

The girl, addressed as "Princess Renner," gently lifted the brim of her hat. Beneath the elegant headpiece spilled flowing golden hair, framing a face even more delicate and striking.

She smiled faintly, a smile that could steal hearts.

"Count Kurar's busy juggling ledgers, so how could he have time to roll out the welcome mat for me? I get it, no need to beat yourself up."

Her voice, sweet as an angel's, sounded to Kurar like a devil whispering in his ear.

Does she know everything? I'm just a lowly count, for gods' sake! All I did was send a few measly gifts to the second prince, just to cozy up a bit. She wouldn't come after me for that, would she? That line about "picking on the weak" earlier—was that a dig? Have they caught on to my family skimming relief funds or pocketing taxes? What about the other stuff…

Count Kurar, kneeling on one knee, felt sweat bead on his forehead. He recalled the grim fates of the minor nobles who'd openly backed the second prince, the ruthless political plays—both overt and underhanded—of Princess Renner, and the rumored cunning behind her angelic face. His legs nearly gave out from under him.

In the biting chill of early winter, cold sweat soaked through his fancy silk-padded robe, staining it dark.

No, our family's centuries-old legacy in this city can't go down like this. Maybe there's still time to destroy the evidence. Gritting his teeth, Kurar forced himself to look up at Princess Renner. "Your Highness, I just remembered some urgent business I must attend to at once…"

Renner's smile was warm and disarming. She nodded gently. "Well, if it's more pressing than whipping a beggar, you'd better get to it."

Kurar stumbled to his feet, his bulky frame wobbling as he turned and bolted. His two groveling lackeys scrambled to keep up, fleeing in a panic.

Renner watched the piggish noble scurry faster than a rat, her gentle smile unwavering.

She knew exactly what Kurar was up to do, but he was already out of time. Every scrap of evidence of his crimes against the kingdom's laws was already in hand, and the nobles and officials with grudges against him were all lined up.

In a matter of days, Kurar would lose his lands and title, and this city would fall into the hands of a noble loyal to her.

At the thought, Renner's smile grew even sweeter. She glanced at the gold-haired, blue-eyed guard who never left her side. The young man in gleaming silver armor, as always, gazed at her with eyes full of awe and admiration.

Beneath those sapphire-clear eyes, a deeper affection simmered, hidden beneath his devotion.

Renner chuckled inwardly. Oh, my dear Climb, you must think I've pulled off another noble act of sticking up for the weak, don't you? The most loyal boy in the world, yet so adorably naive. I'm truly blessed.