The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 48

< Connections >

“So… you saved the Second Princess from an undead attack, and then three members of the Carmen Knights, who were hiding, popped out as if they had been waiting.”

Rein slowly processed what he had just heard.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Rael, lying on the stone bed, nodded in response.

“Those guys were targeting the Second Princess and attacked you, who was protecting her. But you killed all three of them in return?”

“Exactly. Then Velen came to take me away, but thanks to the timely appearance of the Captain and the Master of the Magic Tower, I’m lying here.”

Rael nodded, recalling the events.

He had even given Beggars his identification badge and asked for help, but they were later than expected, and it almost became a disaster.

If he wanted to continue working with the beggars, he really needed to teach them martial arts like a proper Beggars’ Sect [a fictional organization, likely a guild or clan, specializing in information gathering and sometimes combat].

“Rael.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

Rein looked at Rael as if he were crazy.

Rein had experienced everything from ground battles to aerial warfare, but he couldn’t believe what Rael was saying.

Feeling his gaze, Rael immediately replied.

“…I understand it’s hard to believe, but then why would such a situation occur? You saw the blood on my sword, didn’t you?”

“That’s true, but… the Carmen Knights targeting royalty. I can’t understand it at all.”

Rein shook his head as if it were strange.

That’s because the Carmen Knights were a historic knight order that protected the imperial family.

You couldn’t just enter the Carmen Knights by being strong.

Only knights who sincerely respected the empire could join.

Therefore, even if only a few betrayed the imperial family, it meant there was a powerful figure behind them.

“So it’s a huge deal. Why else would I kill the Carmen Knights who were just standing there?”

“…”

Rein narrowed his eyes and looked at Rael.

Although it was a short time, he had realized that Rael wasn’t normal.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that.”

“Okay, let’s say you’re right. Then how did you know and go to that party? You even called me and Perma, which means you were sure something would happen.”

“I wasn’t necessarily sure. If nothing had happened, I would have returned within an hour.”

“That’s what I mean. When we were watching the Sky Festival yesterday, you didn’t say anything like that to me. You thought there was a high possibility of something happening this time, unlike then, right?”

“…”

‘This guy is more perceptive than he looks,’ Rael thought.

Rael finally opened his mouth.

“Captain, I’m an orphan from an orphanage, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I have my own intelligence agents that I became close with while growing up on the streets.”

“Intelligence agents?”

Rael brought out the excuse he had prepared.

The time had finally come to sell out the beggar bastards.

“So, they’re the beggars in the capital…”

Rael began to explain about Beggars.

It was the story of how he started gathering information using beggars based on his idea.

It was true that the beggars in the capital were his intelligence agents, so he mixed in a bit of falsehood.

“I obtained information through the beggars that the black mages were divided into two groups. One was at the academy, and the other was at the party. As soon as I heard that, I ran to the party where the princess was.”

He mixed the lie that ‘the black mages were divided into two groups and headed to the party’ with the fact that ‘the black mages attacked the academy.’

The only people who could prove the truth were the black mages, but those bastards were all locked up in prison.

Even if they stubbornly insisted it wasn’t true, it didn’t matter. He could just treat them as guys giving false testimony.

“Beggars… Ah, so that’s why a beggar brought your identification badge.”

Rein nodded at Rael’s explanation.

Since it was actually a beggar who guided him to the party, it all made sense now.

“Yes.”

“Hoo. All the beggars in the empire’s capital are intelligence agents…”

Rein realized the hidden meaning in Rael’s words and couldn’t hide his surprise.

There were many beggars living in the empire, and people didn’t pay any attention to them.

To the imperial citizens, beggars were beings who should be helped wherever they were.

‘If all the beggars lying around the streets are collecting information, it’s no exaggeration to say they’re grasping the entire flow of the empire,’ Rein mused.

What person in the world would talk to a beggar while paying attention to them?

Even in District 1, there were quite a few beggars. According to the teachings of the church, even nobles shouldn’t ignore those in need.

‘To think of gathering beggars and using them as intelligence agents, was Rael a brainiac instead of a musclehead?’

Rein was amazed by the freshness of the Beggars organization and admired Rael for creating such a system.

“Captain, this must be a secret known only to Captain Rein. You can’t tell anyone. The fewer people who know that beggars are intelligence agents, the more effective it is.”

Rael said with a serious expression.

Revealing things about Beggars was quite meaningful to him as well.

“…I understand. I won’t even tell the adjutant. Thank you for telling me such great information, Rael.”

Rein nodded.

Knowing how great this information was, Rein couldn’t help but trust Rael.

“We need to inform His Highness the Grand Duke about this. The Second Princess being attacked by the Carmen Knights is not something to just brush over.”

“It wasn’t the entire Carmen Knights who were targeting the princess.”

“I know. That guy Velen really tried to protect the Second Princess. Trying to take you away was just part of the Carmen Knights’ job. We just forcibly stopped it. Velen probably has a real grudge against you now.”

“I’m really grateful for that.”

“Well, I didn’t like him from the start anyway. Every time he saw me, he kept spouting nonsense about stopping associating with commoners at the Sky Festival.”

Rein smiled, recalling Velen’s expression.

Having been denied even by the princess, he trudged back to the imperial palace.

“Rael. It’s good to see Velen in that state, but openly blocking his work can be quite troublesome. I chose you and became enemies with the Carmen Knights. You know that, right?”

Rein, who had been smiling, continued with a serious expression.

He had moved because he trusted Rael, but antagonizing the Carmen Knights without properly understanding the situation was a decision that required considerable resolve.

“Thank you, Captain.”

“As you know, the Rein Knights support the Second Princess. Now that you’re involved with the princess like this… you’ve naturally boarded the same ship as us. You’re not going to back out now, are you?”

Rein continued naturally.

Since Rael had already shown his face to the Second Princess, there was really no way to back out now.

“Don’t worry too much. …I’ll be worth that much.”

Rael nodded.

He wasn’t going to stay still anymore.

‘If Yuri returns to the Special Guard… I’ll have a lot to ask,’ he thought.

He should also ask why the princess is stuck in such a place this time.

Finally, it seemed he could hear the story about the Special Guard.

*

The next day.

Rael went to work at the Special Guard.

Cecilia told him to rest more, but resting when he could move didn’t suit Rael’s personality.

‘Now that I’ve finished all the work, I should go see Yuri,’ he thought.

For the record, unlike Rein, he didn’t say anything to Perma, the Master of the Magic Tower.

It wouldn’t be difficult to give Perma the same explanation as Rein, but he already misunderstood Rael as a dragon.

He decided to just maintain the mystique in case the conversation got too long and he got caught.

‘He’ll contact me first if he has any business,’ Rael reasoned.

“…What should I say when I see Yuri?”

Rael continued to worry as he walked towards the Special Guard building.

What was important now was Yuri, not Perma.

He had so much to say that he needed to organize it in advance.

‘Should I first talk about Beggars, then about the Rein Knights and the Blue Magic Tower, and even say that I support you?’

Rael walked along, racking his brain for the first time in a while.

He had been trying to get a free ride with the Rein Knights, but now he was at the center of the succession war, so he needed to pull himself together.

‘Well, let’s think about it slowly since it’s not even certain that Yuri will come…’

Rael’s thoughts were interrupted by a welcome face.

It was Gent, cultivating the garden with a giant trowel.

“Gent. Good morning.”

“Oh, hello, Rael. It’s a strange day that you, who always comes last, are third.”

“Who came? Who’s second?”

Rael’s eyes widened at Gent’s words.

Could Yuri have already come?

“It’s Reina. She was looking for you for a while and went to Tia a little while ago.”

“Ah, Reina? Is she okay?”

“Judging by the way she was yelling that there was nature in your hand, she seemed fine.”

Gent nodded, thinking of Reina.

She had returned to her original state in just one day, as if lying down and groaning had been a lie.

“What’s that about nature being in my hand? I should stop by Tia later too.”

He would wait for Yuri for a while, and if Yuri didn’t come, he would have to go to Tia.

Rael was also curious about the magic in Reina’s body.

“Rael, more than that, you don’t look good today. Is something wrong?”

Gent said, scanning Rael’s body.

His magic power was weaker than before.

“I got a hole in my stomach yesterday, but it’s nothing.”

“Was it a wound? Don’t worry. I’ll make you some green vegetable juice that’s good for wounds.”

“…Okay. It’s better than not eating anything. I’ll ask you to do it.”

“Okay, lie down on the hammock and wait.”

Gent picked a few vegetables from the garden and walked to the backyard.

‘Was he actually a cook?’ Rael wondered.

A giant who cooks whenever something happens, he still couldn’t get used to it every time he saw it.

Rael chuckled and lay down on the hammock.

*

Tap- Tap-

Yuri looked around as she went to work at the Special Guard.

The Special Guard, which she had come to after a long time, was still full of unpleasant magic and ominous energy.

‘I’m glad I can return so quickly,’ she thought.

Yuri wasn’t injured, but many of the blessings on her had been broken, so it took some time to restore those blessings.

“Is no one here?”

Yuri tilted her head, looking at the empty Special Guard.

At this time, even if Rael wasn’t here, Reina and Gent should be here, but no one was visible.

“Huh?”

Then, she saw a person lying on the hammock.

Judging by the clothes, it was Rael.

He was covering his eyes with one hand and sleeping in the hammock.

‘Of all people, it’s just Mr. Rael…’ Yuri thought with a sigh.

Yuri slowly approached Rael.

A strange sensation wrapped around her for some reason.

It felt surreal that Rael had saved her, even though it was just the day before.

“…Mr. Rael.”

Yuri instinctively looked at Rael’s abdomen.

He was wearing thin clothes as usual, and a red scar was visible under the fluttering clothes.

“…”

It was the place where he had been hit by Gilbert’s sword energy.

Yuri looked at Rael’s scar and once again realized the reality.

That man back then was really Rael.

He had saved her even while his stomach was torn by the sword energy.

“Just… who are you, Mr. Rael?”

The still red scar, as if it hadn’t been long since it was made, kept catching her eye.

‘He must have been hit pretty deeply… Is it okay for him to be moving already?’ Yuri wondered.

Yuri unknowingly reached for his clothes.

She was thinking of lifting them up for a moment to check the scar.

“Yuri.”

“Eek!”

And at that moment.

Yuri turned around at the voice coming from behind.

A giant was standing behind her.

“These things happen often these days… Yuri, are you so hungry that royalty is feeling lust for commoners?”

Gent looked at Yuri with a trowel in his hand, looking pathetic.

Yuri shook her head, seeing him holding a strange green water bucket in one hand and a trowel in the other.

“Ah, no. It’s not that… This scar!”

“I can’t break your head, even if it’s Rael… Tsk. It’s a difficult problem.”

Gent was a giant with common sense.

Rael would live even if he was hit with a shovel, but Yuri would die if her head was hit.

Where should he hit her so she could reflect and live on?

It was a really important problem for Gent.

“G, Gent… Be quiet, be quiet! What if Mr. Rael wakes up!”

Yuri shuddered and turned her head creakingly.

Rael, who had been lying down until just now, was looking at Yuri with an awkward smile.

“Oh… It’s been a day, Ms. Yuri.”

“… Ugh!”

Yuri ran into the Special Guard building as soon as she made eye contact with Rael.

It was a speed she had never shown before.

“Rael, you were awake and playing a prank.”

Gent said, tapping the hammock with the trowel.

“…I was going to pretend to be sleepwalking right before you touched my clothes. That way Yuri wouldn’t be embarrassed. It’s your fault, Gent.”

Rael looked at Gent in disbelief.

He was gauging the timing to have a natural conversation, but he missed the timing because of that giant.

“Well, then I made a mistake.”

“Yeah. You inconsiderate bastard.”

“If I were inconsiderate, I wouldn’t have prepared this vegetable juice.”

Rael received the vegetable juice that Gent handed him.

There was something green floating on top of the vegetable juice in the bucket, and it was a visual that he didn’t want to put in his mouth.

“…You’re really the scariest guy.”

“Eat well and recover.”

Gent began to dig the garden with the trowel as if nothing had happened.

‘That guy is completely crazy,’ Rael thought.

*

Inside the Special Guard building.

Inside Yuri’s office, a woman was frowning and worrying.

“…I really don’t know. What is that man that he could bring the Rein Knights and the Blue Magic Tower?”

Isabelle said with a sigh.

Rael.

That man was the problem.

Clearly, when she investigated him, nothing came out.

But what ability did he have to bring the Rein Knights and the Blue Magic Tower?

Besides, the force he possessed was also strange.

To defeat three Carmen Knights alone meant that he was at least a mature Graduate level [a high rank or level of skill, likely in swordsmanship or magic].

“It’s a realm that you can only reach by honing your sword for decades… How can a man who is only 25 years old be a Graduate…? Isn’t it too strange? Ms. Yuriel?”

“…”

“Ms. Yuriel?”

“Ah, yes… Well. Still, Mr. Rael helped us.”

Yuri shook her head at the distracting thoughts covering her head.

She was just worried about the scar, but she felt like she had become a strange woman because of Gent, and her head was throbbing.

“That’s true… Haa, Rael is also a problem, but the fact that there is someone targeting Ms. Yuriel is not a good sign. Even though we came to the Special Guard, they are still targeting Ms. Yuriel, so who is the culprit?”

Isabelle continued to talk whether Yuri was worried or not.

She was also having a headache over Yuri’s safety.

“Information… It would be nice if we could get a good information guild.”

“…There’s no way an information guild would cooperate with me.”

Yuri, who had cleared her distracting thoughts, replied to Isabelle’s words.

Yuri was the Second Princess with the lowest rank in the succession war.

The Second Prince and the First Princess were strong in their own way, and there were people who gambled on them because they weren’t without possibilities, but Yuri didn’t even have the money to bet on the gamble.

“A new information guild might be okay. There’s a place called Beggars that’s been expanding its power mainly in the lower districts of the empire recently… I heard they recently joined hands with the Blue Magic Tower. Maybe they’ll lend us their strength.”

“…Thank you, Isabelle. You always work hard for me.”

Yuri was always grateful to Isabelle.

But Beggars was already an information guild that was rumored to be great. There was no possibility that they would reach out to Yuri.

Isabelle knew that too, but she was saying it because it was better than doing nothing.

‘Instead of relying on other people’s help… It’s better to focus on controlling my power,’ Yuri resolved.

Yuri placed her hand on her chest.

If she could properly handle the killing intent hidden by the numerous blessings… there was still a chance.

Knock knock-

“Ms. Yuri. It’s Rael.”

Then, a man’s voice was heard along with the knock.

“Here he comes.”

Isabelle straightened her clothes.

Today, she was waiting with Yuri to introduce herself.

“Ms. Yuriel. Just a moment.”

It was also her job to neatly arrange Yuri’s clothes.

Isabelle smiled as she straightened Yuri’s clothes.

“Your button is undone. Your stomach might be visible.”

“Stomach, is my stomach visible?”

Yuri was startled and checked below.

“No. It’s okay now. But Ms. Yuriel should be careful about even these small things.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Yuri instinctively sighed.

She kept remembering that she was about to lift Mr. Rael’s clothes because of Gent.

“Ms. Yuriel. Is something wrong? Your face is red…”

“No, something. Hmm… No. Let’s focus. Focus.”

Yuri shook off unnecessary thoughts and sat down.

Then, she took a deep breath and looked at the door.

“Ahem, come in. Mr. Rael.”

Yuri swallowed as she looked at Rael coming in.

For some reason, she had a feeling that he would become a very important person to her.