Chapter 36
Is that guy really here to arrest me?!
And he even brought his colleagues?!
Just look at that murderous expression!
“Seraphina! What do we do, woof?!”
Hidden inside my cloak so as not to be noticed, Tofu thumped my shoulder from the inside.
“What do we do, woof?!”
“What do we do?”
I glanced back at Arden, who was heading straight for the guards without saying a single word to the reporters surrounding him.
“We shake Arden off too—and steal it while we’re at it.”
I’ll show you the senior’s skills today.
“Truly an incredible collection…”
“If only the circumstances were better, I’d have loved to take my time appreciating it properly. What a pity.”
“If you would grant me another opportunity someday…”
“Hahaha!”
The Tramm Baron’s small reception room.
Besides Hugbane’s Dancing Boy, which he was passing off as a copy with a wink and a nod, the room was filled with rare items—golden chests from the age of war, a lark sculpture cherished by the First Emperor, and more.
All doors leading to the reception room were locked except one, and every window was bolted shut from the inside.
Servants and guards armed with clubs were stationed throughout the corridors, and capital guards had taken positions along the main routes and inside the reception room.
“Your eye for art is truly remarkable, my lord, hahaha.”
Those very people were busy flattering Baron Tramm as they ogled the paintings covering the walls and the necklaces displayed in cases.
Seeing that there were over ten members of the capital guard inside the reception room alone—every one of them at least platoon-leader rank—Arden frowned.
Ignoring the hand extended for a handshake by Baron Tramm—a man in his fifties who looked old enough to be his father—Arden asked coldly,
“For guarding a single painting, this many troops have been deployed. Then who is guarding the capital?”
“A single painting, you say?!”
A nearby capital guard immediately bristled.
Glancing nervously at Baron Tramm, he snapped exaggeratedly,
“This is the only painting depicting Edmond’s dancer days—she was King Henriette III’s mistress and famed as the greatest beauty of her time!”
Another guard hurried to back him up.
“That’s right. And considering it’s the painter’s final work, calling it ‘just a painting’ is—”
“But you said it’s a copy.”
“…”
“…”
“It’s just a copy. Can’t you simply paint it again?”
If it were a genuine masterpiece being passed off as a fake, that’d be another matter—but at Arden’s icy remark, everyone fell silent.
After sweeping them with a cold gaze, Arden openly mocked the capital guards in the room.
“I can’t tell whether this is a pre-crime scene or a social salon.”
“…”
“Who authorized dispatching this many guards to a private estate?”
“The deployment of capital guards is not something an imperial knight should interfere with—”
“Shall I report this formally to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
So this is what Arden’s like when he’s working.
Just listen to that tone—Shall I report this formally…
“Feels different somehow.”
He looks like a grown man.
I’d never admit this in front of Arden, even if it killed me.
Leaning against the exterior wall between two windows, I secretly watched him.
Since I can’t use magic while transformed into someone else, I’d already dispelled it.
Right now, in this antique brown mansion, I was standing out terribly—sparkle! flashy! hearts! wings!—in my magical saint battle outfit.
Thank goodness there are carvings on the exterior walls.
I couldn’t exactly strut around looking like this, so I was hiding beneath the shadow of a trumpet-blowing angel. Otherwise, I’d have been spotted ages ago.
“There are really a lot of people inside, woof.”
Clinging to my shoulder, Tofu tried to peek inside too, leaving little paw prints on the polished window frame.
“Seraphina, what’s the plan now, woof?”
“Huh?”
“There are so many people packed into the reception room!”
“There must be some amazing plan to break in and snatch the painting, right?”
“So share that plan with me already, woof!”
“What plan?”
“Woof?”
“I’ve got strength.”
I pushed off from the window and jumped down into the corridor connected to the reception room.
How did I deal with the latch locked from the inside?
I just ripped the window off.
You only use your head when your body’s weak☆
I tucked the torn-off window under my arm, slipped into the corridor, and carefully set it down.
When I looked up, a capital guard just happened to be coming this way on patrol.
“You!”
“What.”
Recalling Arden’s words—not guarding the capital and just here socializing—I punched the capital guard square on the top of his head.
Thunk.
“Oof.”
Before he could collapse, I grabbed him, shoved him into a nearby storage room, rummaged through his pockets, and took the key to the locked side door of the reception room.
For good measure, I lifted a full-body iron suit of armor standing in the hallway and moved it in front of the storage room door.
“Seraphina, isn’t this armor over 100 kilograms, woof?”
“That’s right!”
I dusted off my hands.
“Shall we go?”
“It’s true the Magical Saint has done good deeds. She’s quite an admirable figure.”
“…”
“In fact, I’m a fan of Rosena. I’m deeply grateful to the Magical Saint for preventing Rosena’s retirement. If I met her today, I’d like to persuade her nicely to leave. Hahaha!”
“…”
“Hahaha! Haha… ha…”
Among the people who had gathered just to socialize after dumping their duties, there was inevitably someone clueless.
The guard who burst out laughing shrank under the glares around him and shut his mouth.
“Ahem.”
Baron Tramm cleared his throat, unable to hide his irritation.
Meanwhile, Arden, who had been talking with fellow knights, approached the painting in question.
Dancing Boy.
Gazing up at the mesmerizingly delicate brushwork, Arden narrowed his eyes.
What are you planning, Magical Saint?
Why steal this painting?
To have it appraised somewhere? To prove it’s genuine?
Does she really believe Baron Tramm would renew his contract with the Goli family if she did that?
That would be terribly naïve.
What on earth is she scheming…?
At that moment, the lights in the entire reception room went out.
“!”
“What?!”
“What’s going on?!”
Amid the panic, Arden swiftly lit a long candle nearby.
It didn’t matter that it was decorative, with a silver base.
Raising the holder—embossed with grape clusters—he illuminated the wall.
“ROAR!”
A shadow of a roaring beast appeared on the wall in the candlelight.
“ROAAAR!”
“Aaaah!”
“What is that?!”
Someone nearby fell flat on their back in shock.
“What the hell?!”
“Is that lion the Magical Saint?!”
“How could it be?!”
“Yeah, why would it be me?!”
“Huh?!”
★★★★★
For using one’s status to oppress the weak!
For privately mobilizing a hundred capital guards meant to protect imperial citizens!
★★★★★
“As compensation, I’ll be taking Dancing Boy!”
“Ghk?!”
“Argh!”
At the same time, a blinding light flashed before everyone’s eyes.
As people raised their arms to shield their faces—
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!
All the reception room windows flew open.
Flap!
A flock of white pigeons burst in.
“Coo coo coo!”
“Aaaah!”
“What is this?!”
The pigeons pecked accurately at people’s heads.
They didn’t attack the tall, blond imperial knight standing straight—but no one was calm enough to notice.
Not even the knight himself.
“Ugh!”
He was too busy avoiding flying feathers.
When the panicked crowd finally regained their senses—
“It’s gone!”
“The painting’s gone!”
“No, it’s here!”
“The Magical Saint?!”
Perched on an open window frame was a red-clad woman who looked barely in her early twenties.
“Hi~”
Waving cheerfully at the onlookers, the Magical Saint leapt.
She soared onto the angled roof visible from the reception room, then ran off, disappearing from sight.
She would have gotten away—
“Wait!”
—until the blond knight, having finally recovered, leapt after her, white pigeon feathers stuck in his hair, reaching for her ankle.
“Wait!”
“Sir Arden!”
“Someone chase her!”
“I can’t get onto the roof!”
With so many people in the room, only Arden had the physical ability to pursue her onto the rooftop.
Left behind on the brown wall where the painting had hung was a message written boldly in gold.
