Ch#122
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Inside the carriage bearing the Lumenen Family crest.
Veil spoke while looking at the Holy Knights surrounding them.
"They really came to pick us up. That great Lumenen family for us......"
"I told you, didn't I?"
Enzo stepped forward with an excited face.
"The master roster of the Holy Knight Order isn't something just anyone can view. It makes sense they'd want to bring us in quietly."
Curiosity appeared on Basto's face.
"Not something just anyone can view?"
"Exactly. The master roster of the Holy Knight Order contains the faces and personal details of every Holy Knight across the continent. It's a special document, and by principle, it's stored at Holy Knight HQ."
Holy Knight HQ was a core institution located within the Imperial Palace itself.
In other words, it was the Holy Knight Order's high command, a place even the highest nobles couldn't enter freely.
"That's why it can never be taken out of HQ under normal circumstances. Because it has the personal info of everyone blessed by the Holy Kingdom. So that's why I was puzzled at first."
When Tie told them about it in the Weapon District, the twins had been greatly flustered.
'Is that true? The Lumenen Leader really said he'd let you view the master roster?'
'Yup! If Tie tells him my secret!'
'No, even if you were curious about the Captain's identity......'
They couldn't believe that Valentis Lumenen had made such a deal with Tie, even breaking military law.
Valentis was the Grand Commander commanding the entire Order, after all.
Because of that, Enzo and Raoul had urged the entire mercenary corps at the time.
It might be best to keep quiet about what they'd agreed to see at the Grand Commander's house, just in case.
And now.
"Look."
At Enzo's gesture, the members stared out the carriage window.
"Whoa, there are over ten horses outside!"
As Tie said, over ten Holy Knights were deployed outside at this moment.
As their flags fluttered in the wind, they blocked the view inside and outside the carriage.
"More importantly, how far have we come?"
"Can't see well. Still in Rosewbelga, I think......"
As the members crowded the windows to gauge their position,
"Give up. I think they've put up a barrier."
Nordics, who had been quiet, spoke up.
He pointed to the empty air beyond the Holy Knights, where a faint film-like membrane shimmered.
"Looks like a barrier made with holy power."
"A barrier? You mean the commander......"
At Raoul's words, Tie tilted her head.
"Why Bird Poop Uncle?"
Raoul stared at Tie.
"Why? Didn't he say it before putting us in the carriage? That he's Leonardo Lumenen."
Veil nodded.
"Yeah, he did. Said he's the Lumenen Duke's second son, sent by the Grand Commander."
"Yes. He's actually the current commander of the Capital's Central Battalion. As expected from the Lumenen family—even at a young age, he's awakened quite a useful holy power."
Holy Awakening.
It was a special power Holy Knights could awaken through long training or innate holy power once they reached a certain realm.
Like how the Lumenen Leader wielded "Holy City's Awakening."
"The power Leonardo Lumenen awakened is probably 'Sanctification.'"
"Sanctification?"
"It envelops the surroundings with holy power to create a sanctuary, then visually and audibly isolates inside from outside. Think of it like a barrier."
But for some reason, Raoul's expression turned serious.
"Of course, it's not a power you can use anytime. Casting Sanctification burdens the user too. So, in other words, something feels a bit......"
Basto spoke up.
"......Yeah. We can't take this invitation too lightly."
Tie looked puzzled.
There were too many difficult words for her to understand fully.
Meanwhile, Veil glanced at Tie before leaning toward Basto and Nordics.
"Why is the Grand Commander going this far to invite us?"
Actually, besides Enzo's explanation, something else bothered Veil.
"Have you ever seen nobles casually invite mercenaries to their homes? The more I think about it, the weirder it gets."
Basto and Nordics exchanged silent glances.
Because they knew too.
How rare it was for a noble—especially a power noble residing in the Capital—to invite mercenaries into their home.
"The Emperor too. Doesn't the Lumenen Duke's family care about his gaze?"
It all stemmed from the Emperor's deep-seated disdain for mercenaries, really.
The Emperor had long viewed mercenaries as little more than mongrel dogs without pedigree.
Meanwhile, what of the Lumenen Duke's family?
The Emperor's favor toward them was immense.
He regarded all of them, including Valentis, as his closest confidants and valued them dearly.
"From what I know, the Emperor even keeps an eye on the people close to the Lumenen Duke's family."
Yet the Grand Commander was bringing an entire mercenary corps into his mansion?
And then showing them the secure master roster?
"This is totally illegal. Even for the Grand Commander, wouldn't he get in trouble if caught?"
Veil muttered suspiciously.
"I get that the kid made a deal with the Grand Commander. I get trading info for the roster access. But even so......"
"Enough. Let's watch for now."
Nordics cut Veil off then.
"At least the Lumenen Duke's family doesn't seem hostile toward us."
Veil shut his mouth before reluctantly nodding.
As Nordics said, the Lumenen Duke's family appeared quite friendly toward Agavert.
They'd sent the second son personally to greet them, the carriage was comfortable, and the escort was polite without excess.
Basto chimed in.
"The old man's right. It wasn't even a formal invitation to begin with, yet this level of treatment."
The invitation Tie received was, strictly speaking, a verbal one.
Meaning the Grand Commander could cancel it with a single notice anytime.
Yet he hadn't.
Instead, he'd chosen to secretly bring Agavert at great risk.
"Ha...... So the kid was just too cute that night, and it turned the Grand Commander's head?"
Veil asked seriously.
Basto nodded as if it made sense.
"Honestly, that's the most likely."
For members who didn't know exactly what happened between the Grand Commander and Tie that night in the Weapon District, it was frustratingly vague.
Meanwhile.
Inside another carriage behind Agavert.
Leonardo, sitting alone, propped his chin and stared out the window.
"......That kid was the Sovereign King."
Recalling the face of the child he'd met once in front of the reward bureau brought a hollow laugh.
He hadn't expected to see her again.
Least of all like this.
Leonardo suddenly recalled the previous night.
'Someone will be invited to the mansion.'
The dinner where the whole family gathered for once, and Valentis made the abrupt announcement.
'A mercenary corps will visit. I made a promise to them.'
The three sons had set down their utensils on the spot.
Leonardo had even asked his not-so-close father, 'Have you gone mad?'
The Emperor extremely disliked his favored nobles having private contact with mercenaries.
And Valentis knew that best.
So the three sons couldn't believe it even after hearing the full story.
Valentis meeting the Sovereign King in the Weapon District.
Making some deal and learning the Sovereign King's hidden background.
But the problem didn't end there.
'They possessed an unauthorized holy relic. Didn't seem to know the activation conditions. Since they tried memory manipulation on me.'
By that point, even Edmund—the most open-minded of the three sons—had been shocked.
A mere mercenary possessing an unauthorized holy relic.
And Valentis had let it slide?
Even after that mercenary tried memory manipulation on him?
Yet Valentis remained nonchalant.
'Well, no issue. My memory's intact in the end.'
Holy relics don't work on those with holy power greater than their inherent amount.
So it was natural that Valentis, one of the continent's greatest in holy power, was unaffected.
But,
'Does the Church know about this?'
To Leonardo's trembling question, Valentis replied.
'No. They don't.'
Then added,
'And I intend to keep it that way.'
