I Just Wanted Revenge, But Everyone Loves Me - Chapter 62

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 62
“Hyacinth.”
Meanwhile, Sis spotted the Imperial Palace knights in the distance and called out to her companion. Her eyes narrowed sharply behind the deep hood of her robe.
Hyacinth, sitting in the driver’s seat, nodded and gripped the reins with one hand. She also wore a deep hood, and with her free hand she wrapped it around her neck.
Soon a pure white light seeped into her skin.
“Halt there!”
Before long, an arrogant command rang out.
Hyacinth moved her lips as the knights approached.
“Remove your robe at once and identify yourselves.”
“Why do you want us to remove our robes? Last time you let us pass without asking.”
“A traitor is currently fleeing.”
“A traitor, you say……”
“Bancadium.”
His voice carried deep irritation and exasperation.
It seemed he’d grown weary of inspecting everyone one by one, what with so many people arriving from the provinces for the Birthday Celebration.
“Hurry and remove it, and hand over your signet. We haven’t got time.”
The knight gestured impatiently for the item.
Ahem!
Hyacinth cleared her throat as if displeased by such conduct, then produced a ring from her breast.
It was a forged family seal prepared in advance.
While the knight who received it examined the seal, another companion beside him gestured toward the two with his chin.
“Remove your robes as well. We need to see your faces.”
At those words, Hyacinth glanced at her companion. Sis, having exchanged looks with her, nodded.
The two pulled back the deep hoods they had been wearing.
“……!”
The knight’s eyes widened upon seeing their faces. Was it merely a moment’s illusion that he glimpsed a young man’s face?
Soon two wrinkled, middle-aged faces entered his field of vision. The knight, blinking his dry eyelids slowly, nodded his head.
“That will do. You’re free to go.”
The knight waved his hand dismissively, then turned his gaze toward the carriage.
“I’ll need to check the passengers inside as well.”
“The passengers inside too?”
Hyacinth asked as if at a loss. The knight let out a deep sigh.
“It can’t be helped. We’ve been ordered to inspect everyone entering the Capital lately.”
He added that no exception could be made even for nobility, then walked toward the carriage. The other knight examined the seal from various angles before handing it back to Hyacinth.
“Wait, just a moment!”
Hyacinth stopped the knights as they approached the carriage.
“Inside are the Baron and his wife, along with their granddaughter. Surely you wouldn’t presume to open such a person’s carriage.”
“Didn’t I just say so? It’s the Emperor’s command, so it can’t be helped. Please cooperate.”
The knight flatly rejected the objection and stationed himself at the carriage door nonetheless.
Knock-knock.
The knight who knocked spoke in a grave tone.
“Baron Collins. I apologize, but we’ve just come from the checkpoint. Would you mind opening the window for a moment?”
“…….”
“It’s just a brief inspection. Once confirmed, we’ll issue you a pass and you may proceed immediately.”
His request for cooperation followed naturally.
Hyacinth shot a sidelong glance at the adversaries standing before the carriage. Knock-knock. The knight knocked again.
“Baron. If you delay cooperation further, we’ll have no choice but to open the door by force.”
Normally he wouldn’t have wanted to go that far, but this happened to be the Emperor’s order.
It was a disagreeable necessity. The knights needed to complete this quickly and move on to questioning others.
“Baron.”
After a moment.
Another knight’s patience began wearing thin, and he furrowed his brow.
‘Do we have to resort to force?’
He was of noble birth himself, so he was reluctant, but if cooperation wasn’t forthcoming soon, he would have to act regardless.
“My apologies, Baron. I’ll open the door.”
At last, the knight grasped the sword at his waist.
His companion beside him immediately adopted a serious expression.
In that instant, the window that had been firmly shut burst open with a creak.
“!”
The knight flinched at the unexpected sound. But only briefly. Now that he could finally see inside, he craned his neck forward.
And what he saw within was……
‘What?’
Just an elderly couple and a child? That was all.
He’d thought they were hiding some treasure, the way they’d kept it so tightly sealed.
The knight scanned the interior quickly, then withdrew.
Clack.
The window closed again.
Only then, stepping away from the carriage, did the knight look back at Hyacinth.
“The inspection is complete. You may proceed now.”
“……Thank you for your trouble.”
Hyacinth, now wearing her robe again, bowed her head slightly. Simultaneously, she pulled on the reins and kicked the horse’s belly.
“Hyah!”
With the short cry, the horses whinnied loudly.
“……Hmm?”
The knight, belatedly struck by an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, tilted his head.
He felt as though he’d seen a familiar face just now, though he wasn’t entirely sure.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Oh, nothing at all.”
Leaving his still-oblivious companion behind, the knight turned with a flustered expression to look back.
The carriage they’d just inspected had already receded far into the distance.
‘Did I see something wrong?’
Perhaps from seeing so many people, he’d caught a glimpse of something illusory. The knight scratched the back of his head, continuing to tilt his head in confusion.
* * *
“I, I thought we were about to be discovered.”
I’d thought the knight might peer inside the carriage, but when he actually arrived, I felt my heart might burst.
If Hyacinth hadn’t cast her spell in time, I shuddered to think what would have happened.
Yet on the other hand, I was amazed.
I’d heard that Illusion Magic rendered everyone unable to recognize you, but even seeing two people who were Bancadium from head to toe, the knight simply passed by as if nothing was amiss.
“The child seems a bit odd, but her skills are solid.”
“Of course they are at this level.”
The older sister opened the praise, and the Duke finished it.
“I heard Hyacinth was in the Mage Tower.”
“That’s right. She was quite skilled even there.”
If the older sister spoke like that, it meant Hyacinth was stronger than I’d thought. Suddenly curious, I asked.
“How strong is she, then?”
“Hard to say. Still, since she was the Next Mage Tower Master, I’d say she’s somewhat above average?”
“The Next Mage Tower Master……?”
‘Isn’t that incredibly high?’ I thought.
I didn’t know much about the Mage Tower in detail, but I’d at least heard the name before.
The Imperial Court and the nobility.
And the Temple and the Mage Tower.
If you had to pick the most closed-off organization among these four, it was undoubtedly the Mage Tower.
The Temple had so many visitors coming to pray that it was generally open to the public, whereas the Mage Tower was the exact opposite.
It was extremely wary of outsiders.
The mages took great pride in their craft, showing interest only in related scholarship, and staying completely uninvolved in all other matters.
In short, they were impossibly narrow-minded.
Of course, not all mages went to the Mage Tower. Some lived as wanderers, and the skilled ones could even enter the Imperial Palace.
But in such cases, they became enemies of the Mage Tower. For abandoning magic in favor of material pursuits, they were completely ostracized by their former peers.
Yet Hyacinth had been the Next Mage Tower Master.
She was a person of tremendous accomplishment and ability.
“Why did you leave? You could have become Mage Tower Master.”
At that, the older sister smiled broadly.
“Money.”
Ah.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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