Chapter 193: Unlawful Disturbance
Inside the Knight Orders office, Arwyn walked through the corridor leading outside, her steps light, while her long ponytail gently swayed behind her. Two knights clad in silver armor, one male and the other female, held a wounded bald man between them as they followed behind her.
Though her expression seemed neutral, there was a hint of exhaustion written across her beautiful face.
Her teal-green eyes appeared a little more unfocused than usual, though it wasn't the result of tiredness. There was more to it, as if she had been lost in deep thought, searching for an answer that she had no way of finding.
'Did I... truly make the correct decision? Did I? Was there nothing else I could've come up with? Nothing?'
The questions filled her mind like a rising tide, making her heart ache while leaving her suffocated for a moment.
'What if I made the wrong choice? What if there was a better way to handle this situation, one that I failed to consider?'
Coming to a sudden halt near the doorway, she raised her hand and pressed her fingers against the sides of her forehead, which was partially covered by the curled locks of her mint-green hair, as though the slight pressure could help her clear her mind.
'No, don't bother. What's the worst that could happen if things didn't go as presumed? More or less, nothing would be the same anymore, that's all. Perhaps I will have to compromise... but... but...'
She was unable to find peace no matter how much she tried to convince herself that everything would be fine.
Her thoughts grew heavier, dragging her deeper into the same uncertainty. Yet before she could dwell on them any further, a familiar voice echoed in her ears, pulling her attention away from the doubts that had been occupying her mind.
"Our lieutenant is not some benevolent lady... she is both cruel and merciless when she chooses to be. So, it isn't us who should be wary of the Captain's absence, it's you. After all, she's the only one who can tame this wild beast."
Arwyn remained silent for a moment, her expression unchanged, but the slight twitch of her brows soon betrayed her thoughts.
'In what way do I look like those insufferable things to her? Am I that bad at giving people a good impression of me?'
A hint of solemnity appeared on her face as she lowered her hand, putting aside her personal concerns.
She took a deep breath.
'Indeed, this is no time to worry about anything else. My good friend gave me a job to do... so, I have to fulfil it wholeheartedly.'
With that thought in mind, she resumed walking, passing through the open doorway before heading toward the stairway. There, a woman with short red hair stood behind the frontline of the defending soldiers.
Upon hearing Lyra's warnings, the gathered crowd, which had been growing increasingly impatient and violent, fell silent at once, their resistance coming to a temporary halt.
Arwyn's lips parted as she spoke, "Who are you referring to as wild beast again? And who is supposed to tame whom now?"
Lyra froze for a moment, her body stiffening as the familiar voice reached her ears.
'Th-This voice...'
She looked over her shoulder, only to find the Lieutenant approaching her with a forced smile playing on her lips, her expression carrying a hint of displeasure.
'S-she... heard me! I'm as good as dead.'
Cold sweat trickled down her neck as she almost took a few steps back without realizing it, but after a moment of panic, she managed to calm herself down and maintain her composure.
Arwyn stopped beside her and gave her a dubious look, seemingly waiting for an explanation. But when Lyra remained silent, she decided not to pursue the matter any further for now, at least, and left her standing there in confusion.
Her gaze swept across the gathered people, many of whom returned it with open hostility, their expressions making it obvious that they had little interest in listening to anything she had to say.
After observing them for a moment, Arwyn sighed softly before addressing them, "I'm not sure whether you've heard the news yet or not, but our town is currently grappling with the threat of a Dungeon Break, one that could wipe out its existence. Its scale remains unmeasurable, but I can assure you that it would be a thousand times worse than what Velhart weathered before. We lacked the time to prepare for such a disaster, so our Captain chose to venture alongside the guardians of Velhart to delay its outbreak."
She paused for a moment, allowing her words to settle among the crowd, noticing that some appeared surprised while others remained unconvinced, their hostile gazes showing little sign of changing.
"Even in the midst of this horrible situation, the peace of our town is being disrupted, with all sorts of crimes occurring throughout the streets, while five murders have taken place just this morning. So, let me ask you all this... don't you find these sequences of events way too suspicious?"
Some of the people in the crowd fell deep into thought, quietly considering her words as they began to connect the events, while others showed little interest in her explanation, almost as if they had already known about it all along.
For a while, silence prevailed among the gathered people, with no one seeming willing to speak up.
After a moment, someone among the crowd finally broke the silence, raising his voice to demand an answer.
"Are you trying to say that a criminal group might be pulling all the strings from behind the scenes, deliberately stirring up trouble to throw our town into disorder?"
Arwyn's lips curled up at the question, but she didn't give a definitive answer.
At that moment, the citizens who had been drawn into the rebellion began to question their choices, with some reconsidering their actions while others struggled to decide whether they should believe her words or remain loyal to the cause they had supported until now.
They were now caught in a difficult position, unable to determine which side they should trust or support, whether it was those who were supposed to protect their town or those who were suffering because of the former's failure to fulfill their duties.
Amidst all the whispers, several fireballs, spheres of rock, and sharp-tipped shards of ice suddenly sliced through the air as they were launched at the lieutenant.
Arwyn, however, didn't even bother to move a muscle, let alone attempt to defend herself.
'What a bunch of fools! They are revealing their true nature when I haven't even tried to expose them.'
Just as the spells were about to strike her, Lyra appeared in front of her in an instant, unsheathed her sword, and swung it up and down, cutting through the spells or throwing them aside as though they were nothing.
Not a single piece of stone or ice managed to get past her figure and reach her superior.
After sheathing her sword, she stepped back and glared at the crowd, where some people wore looks of surprise.
Yet, none of them were willing to leave.
Lyra sighed deeply.
'This... what else are they waiting for? Isn't it enough to prove that this rebellion is nothing but one of their schemes?'
Arwyn raised her hand and gestured with her fingers, silently commanding the knights to bring the leader out of the office.
Soon enough, the two knights dragged the bald man beside her, holding him tightly. His clothes were torn in several places, and blood was pouring from the wound on his chest.
Without wasting any time, Arwyn reached out and grabbed the man's neck, lifting his entire body high into the air as though he weighed nothing.
As the man gasped for air and threw his limbs around in an attempt to break free, she loosened her shoulders and said, "I do not have enough time to deal with all of you, so I will keep this brief. Among you are those who have lost their loved ones to these frequent murders and have gathered here in search of justice. As one of the lieutenants of the Velhart Knight Orders, I offer my sincere apologies for our failure to conduct proper investigations and deliver the results you rightfully deserve."
The smile disappeared from her face.
"I am well aware that a simple apology will do little to alleviate your bereavement, nor will it bring back those you have lost. Nevertheless, I ask you to place your faith in us and grant us the opportunity to uphold our responsibilities. No matter how long it takes, I assure you that we will apprehend the criminal accountable for these murders. And I ask you all to be patient until then."
She was silent for a moment, but then added with a dark tone.
"If possible, I would prefer that you withdraw from this rebellion. I do not wish to harm those who are grieving. However, those who choose to remain will be arrested for participating in an unlawful disturbance conspired by an unidentified criminal organisation. So, it's up to you to decide what you want to do."
Hearing her words, some men and women with somber expressions began to back away, their eyes occasionally shifting toward the battered man in her grasp.
When the lieutenant had brought their leader before them in such a manner, they needed no further explanation to understand that she possessed sufficient evidence to arrest them. As much as they wanted justice for their deceased loved ones, they had no intention of becoming entangled in criminal activities or risking being thrown into prison themselves.
Had this been any other peaceful day, perhaps they would have dared to remain and continue their protest, but with the situation taking such a turn, they no longer felt confident enough to remain.
Still, even after some had begun to leave, many people remained in place, unwilling to abandon the rebellion despite the warning they had received.
After observing the crowd for a moment, Arwyn swung her arm and hurled the bald man straight toward them.
Several people stepped aside to avoid the incoming body, leaving the man to crash onto the stone-paved floor. He rolled across the ground before finally coming to a halt a short distance away, with drops of blood staining the stones beneath him.
Arwyn took a step forward, her hands resting at her sides, while green flames danced in her eyes as she hissed, "You have five seconds. Leave."
The moment her words fell upon their ears, countless tendrils erupted from the stone beneath their feet, twisting their way upward before spreading out in front of the crowd, surrounding them from the front. Each tendril was as thick as a man's arm, with its tip curved into a sharp point that glinted ominously in the bright sunlight.
Those who looked at them felt as though numerous snakes were staring back at them, waiting for the right moment to bite.
Shivers ran down their spines as they involuntarily staggered backward, looks of fear appearing on their faces.
Before Arwyn could even begin the countdown, the crowd began to scatter, with people desperately running in every direction to save their lives, unwilling to remain in the presence of someone who could threaten them so effortlessly.
Within a matter of seconds, the entire area had been cleared, and even the bald man had been carried away by some of the fleeing people.
Arwyn remained silent for a moment, watching the now-empty space. She turned toward the knights and ordered, "Return to your posts immediately."
The knights straightened their backs and saluted her before responding in unison, "Yes, Lieutenant."
Once the soldiers had departed and the surroundings had fallen quiet, leaving only the two of them standing outside the office, Lyra kept staring at her superior.
After hesitating for a while, she extended her hand out of habit, as though she were about to say something.
But just as her lips began to part, she abruptly closed them again, unable to bring herself to utter a single word.
Her expression turned a little awkward.
'W-what do I say?'
She wasn't sure if anything she said would be able to make up for her earlier insults, but she tried to come up with something, only to find herself at a loss.
In the end, she didn't need to do so.
Arwyn shot her an odd look and asked, "You haven't answered me yet."
Lyra swallowed hard and blurted out, "Lieutenant... I-I can explain."
Arwyn shook her head, "No need. Lyra, no matter how good your intentions are, disrespecting a superior is still an act of transgression in itself. As such, I'm assigning you to serve as my personal maid for the next few weeks. Oh, this will be outside your duty hours, of course."
"..."
Lyra's mouth fell agape.
Huh?
"WHAT?!"
Arwyn smiled faintly.
Lyra's eyes darted around, as if checking whether anyone had overheard them or not, but luckily, there was no one nearby.
She almost became restless after hearing such a thing.
Although she was quite used to seeing these unusual types of punishment because of how the Captain often used them to teach the knights a few lessons, she had never expected someone like the Lieutenant to do the same to her, of all people.
She fell silent for a moment.
'But why does she want me to be a maid? Come to think of it, didn't she seek a housekeeper to make dinner for her not long ago, only because she felt too lazy to cook late at night? Is that why? So, she's exploiting my indirect offense to fill her daily vacancy. Rude!'
She wanted to pout, but she held back the urge.
She took a soft breath, trying to keep herself calm, before asking, "Lieutenant... can't you forgive me just this once?"
Arwyn glanced at her from the corner of her eyes, "I'm not such a benevolent lady."
Lyra was dumbfounded for a moment.
In the end, Lyra didn't argue with her, not that she would've stood a chance even if she did, and reluctantly accepted her penalty.
After a while, she changed the topic and asked neutrally, "L-lieutenant... that captive, what did he reveal?"
She was sure that the interrogation had been a success because it had been conducted by the Lieutenant herself.
Arwyn chuckled, "The name of the main culprit behind most of this disturbance. But he's the least of our concerns at present. First of all, we need to pay an immediate visit somewhere else. Let's go."
Confused, Lyra tilted her head slightly and asked curiously, "To where?"
Arwyn shrugged, "The Sanctum of Beauty."
With that, they left the office behind and walked along the stone pavement leading to their destination.
---
After landing inside the massive crater, Kael had found himself with two choices to escape from the swarm of monsters.
One was the orifice among the stones, while the other was the cave.
However, he had chosen the fissure instead of heading straight for the cave, despite knowing that the latter could lead him out of the mountain. It was simply because the minions were dwelling all over the hill itself, so there was no assurance that a monster, if not dozens, wouldn't be waiting for him outside.
Even if there truly weren't any, these creatures could still easily pursue him deep inside the cave, where there was a chance of him getting trapped between both groups, leaving him with nowhere to run.
It would then turn into one of those situations where he had to constantly fight to ensure his survival, but he had hardly any strength left in him to do so.
So, what would be the point of doing it?
Besides, what he badly wanted was to find a place to hide himself instead of having to keep running from the monsters again, so would there be a safer place than this underground hidden space, which was buried, or rather protected, beneath layers upon layers of jagged stones, no less?
That wasn't to say that he wasn't worried about it at all.
Even though he had noticed that there was sufficient space deep inside for him to somehow squeeze through, he still couldn't be entirely sure whether he would be able to make it, especially considering the small size of the opening and the fact that he had only been able to examine it from afar.
So, it had been a desperate gamble, where either he would succeed in hiding or his spell would go to waste. Then again, it was a small price to pay, at least when another path still lay before him.
Still, he had prioritized the best opportunity available to him...
And succeeded.
---
(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...