The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 167

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

“Done!”

Seeing the sprinkler system activate, I let out a sigh of relief and released my grip on the valve.

I was standing in front of the underground water tank.

Since I had confirmed it on the blueprints, I was able to come straight here without wasting time.

“By now, everyone should be awake. Since they’ve been doused with holy water, the magical devices won’t work anymore either.”

Tesagh, who had set fire in the corridor right in front to trigger the sprinkler’s heat sensor, swept back his wet hair.

Tesagh kicked away the empty glass bottles that had contained holy water and asked.

“But how did you know there would be holy water in this building?”

“I saw a dealer drinking holy water. Since they distributed it to employees at the gambling den, I thought it must be hidden somewhere.”

It was Tesagh’s achievement to find the location of the room with holy water.

Due to the incense’s effect, everyone was crowded only in the gambling den, so there was relatively no security personnel at other facilities.

‘They must have thought it wasn’t necessary.’

Thanks to that, he was able to easily capture a wandering employee.

“I won’t ask twice. Where is the holy water?”

“Uh, uhh, in underground warehouse 2…!”

He was able to simply knock out the employee who was begging for his life and find out the warehouse location.

Since the strategy was already decided, the fate of other employees who encountered Tesagh, who thought there was no need to hold back anymore, was the same.

The holy water brought this way was all poured into the water tank.

“I didn’t know there would be this much quantity though.”

It was similar to the amount discovered at Malcolm’s Pawnshop.

How could the gambling den secure such a large quantity?

Of course, thanks to it we were able to wake people up, but something felt suspicious.

‘…All holy water should be purchased through the Temple. Don’t tell me there’s a broker in the Temple?’

However, there was no time to delay further.

The task of securing the Ruby Tablet remained.

“You said the sacred power was connected to Count Hestian’s office?”

I nodded and ran with Tesagh toward the office where we had found Edwina.

“About that woman from House of Hestian we encountered earlier.”

Tesagh threw away the receiver that no longer worked due to the holy water’s influence and asked.

“Do you think that woman is innocent?”

“No. She lived enjoying the fruits of crime anyway. But if she says she’s not at fault because she didn’t know, that she’s also a victim! that would be an insult to the real victims.”

“Quite resolute.”

“I don’t have the right to make that judgment either. That’s something for the victims involved in this matter to decide.”

I caught my breath and added.

“But the opportunity to repent should be given to such people too.”

Tesagh seemed to be mulling over those words.

As we got closer to the office, the surroundings became more chaotic.

‘Come to think of it, is Ailren okay? Even though the symptoms of mana poisoning have been greatly alleviated, he must be suffering because of the holy water.’

It was when we arrived at the corridor where the office was located.

“It looks like Count Airen and the knights have already suppressed them!”

I could see Count Hestian being dragged away by knights, slumped over.

Thank goodness, I was about to let out a sigh of relief.

“Ah, Father…”

I also saw Edwina being captured by knights while shedding tears.

Don’t tell me Edwina witnessed the entire arrest process?

‘Tesagh had instructed to secure Edwina first.’

The risk of her fleeing was a secondary concern.

It was because of the worry that Count Hestian might act impulsively if he knew Edwina was in this building.

But they captured Count Hestian first?

I was tilting my head in confusion and about to enter Count Hestian’s office where Ailren was, when I heard the knights murmuring.

“…The Captain is different from usual…”

“…He was originally someone who showed no mercy to criminals, but today he’s even more…”

What does this mean?

It was when I stepped into the office. I was shocked.

“Count Airen! Are you injured?”

Ailren’s clothes had sword cuts here and there.

The wounds had disappeared, probably having received healing blessings from the Knights, but the bloodstains remained.

I asked in surprise, and Ailren answered in his characteristic composed tone.

“I’m fine. More importantly, are you uninjured, Lady Elisha?”

“I’m perfectly fine, but…!”

“That’s a relief. I was just looking around the office. All dangerous elements have been removed, so you can rest assured.”

However, the fact that Ailren’s face was as calm as usual, no, even more peaceful than usual, somehow made me feel uneasy.

Glancing over, Tesagh seemed to be thinking similarly. His brow was furrowed.

“The arrest process of Count Hestian doesn’t seem to have gone so smoothly.”

“That doesn’t seem like a conversation for now.”

Ailren cut off the conversation and pressed a button on the desk.

The safe opened and what was revealed was.

“Just as you said, Lady Elisha.”

Countless money and the Ruby Tablet.

“Then I’ll ask for an informal appraisal.”

Ailren smiled faintly.

Seeing his smile, I felt somehow distant.

Gulp, I swallowed and approached the safe, reaching out my hand.

I could tell just by looking with the naked eye. It wasn’t a fake.

This light that was piercingly intense yet peaceful was proof of the divine relic, the Ruby Tablet.

Then the voice that came every time I touched the Ruby Tablet, the voice that seemed to drive me away…

「Leave this place immediately. …Michele Fiochedade Rionet.」

What?

*

Ailren looked at the empty hall and then moved his steps.

The criminal was arrested. The gambling den was gone. The cancerous existence of the Empire was cut out.

The gamblers were also freed from the magical device’s brainwashing by the power of holy water, so after being punished, they too would regain their life’s trajectory.

But Ailren couldn’t understand why his mood was sinking so much.

“The arrest process of Count Hestian doesn’t seem to have gone so smoothly.”

Was it because of those words?

Ailren recalled the time when he arrested Count Hestian.

“Everyone don’t move!”

When he tore down the door, Count Hestian shouted in a shrill voice.

In his hand was.

“If you come even a little closer to me, I’ll press this! If you don’t want to be incinerated along with this entire building, everyone back away, right now!”

A button was visible in his hand. It was a bomb switch.

Those were the eyes of a man already prepared to die.

The hesitating knights tried to step back, but Ailren stopped them.

“Respond according to protocol. Hold your positions.”

Count Hestian whipped around to look at him.

Ailren faced him without any change in expression.

“Count Airen.”

“Boyd Hestian.”

“Boyd Hestian… So now you think there’s no need to use honorifics with me anymore? Is that it?”

“Since you know it yourself, there’s no need for me to explain. Further resistance is meaningless. Surrender.”

The veins in Count Hestian’s neck bulged.

“Meaningless? Surrender?”

“You’ll only add to your crimes.”

“You think I can’t press this? You think I won’t do it!”

Ailren answered coldly.

“Yes.”

“What…!”

Count Hestian’s jaw trembled violently as he gritted his teeth.

And then…

Click—

Count Hestian pressed the button.

“Ah, ugh.”

Click. Click.

“No, no…!”

However, the button didn’t respond.

What was pouring from the sprinklers was holy water. There was no way the transmitter’s signal would work.

It was a provocation he could make because he knew this.

And Count Hestian’s additional crime would never be erased.

“Father…?”

“E-Edwina? Why are you here… Th-then I almost killed Edwina…!”

The guilt of nearly killing his daughter would also cling to his mind forever.

Ailren observed the collapse of a human being with surprising detachment.

He must not leave any room for mercy. The blade of counterattack would be aimed not at himself, but at the people he protected.

[I’ll ask again. Is my brother really someone who can protect our sister with ‘his utmost effort’?]

Therefore, there would be no mercy. He would not hesitate.

If there was danger, he would preemptively eliminate it all.

Then there would be no chance of falling into danger.

I am a shield. A shield exists to be pierced and cracked.

It was when Ailren was walking, wearing a uniform that bore traces of focusing only on suppression and attack without any defense.

“Count Airen!”

Ah, this voice…

Ailren unconsciously smiled as he turned around, then hesitated.

“Wait a moment, Count Airen. Let’s talk.”

Elisha was not smiling.

“Are you curious about the criminal’s sentence?”

Ailren deliberately answered in a businesslike manner.

Even though he knew that wasn’t what Elisha wanted to ask about.

“No. I heard about that from the knights. …I also heard about how Count Airen arrested the criminals today.”

As expected.

Ailren clasped his hands behind his back and straightened his posture.

He remembered that Elisha’s expression hadn’t been very good when she saw the criminals being dragged away.

He had been prepared for criticism about his methods.

Even so, he wouldn’t abandon his resolve. That’s what he had thought.

“It seems like you pushed yourself too hard today.”

However, the words that came from Elisha’s mouth were vastly different from what Ailren had expected.

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