CHAPTER 100…………………………
Late at night.
A woman was walking quickly through a deserted alleyway in the slums, thick with the stench of filth and decay.
She strode fearlessly through the dangerous streets until she stopped in front of a shabby building.
After checking her surroundings, she entered. Inside was a single, lonely table.
Relying on the dim moonlight filtering through the holes in the roof, she opened the bag she carried.
She pulled out a thick cloth to cover the table and lit a small candle.
The faint glow spread, leaking out from beneath the closed door.
As if that light were a signal, people began to appear in the silent alley and entered the building one by one.
“Saint, we were worried. You hadn’t come for several days.”
“You didn’t get sick from the food I brought you, did you?”
The people gathered around the table, asking after her.
When the woman, called Saint, pushed back her hood, short wavy brown hair tumbled down.
Her freckled face brightened as she smiled warmly at them.
“Thank you all for worrying. I’ve just been busy traveling to another place.”
When she sat at the table, everyone stepped back and lined up, as if it were an unspoken rule.
She gestured for the first person in line, a middle-aged woman, to come sit.
“As long as you’re the Saint of Edet, I know you’ll never leave this district.”
The woman grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.
The Saint of Edet — people called her that after the name of the street where she first appeared.
A prophet of the wind who appeared only after sunset and vanished past midnight.
She was known not only in Edet but across the slums. Some even called her the Saint of the Hungry.
Rumors spread quickly that the true incarnation of Anishu was not the temple’s saint, but the Saint of Edet.
She possessed great foresight and helped the poor, so more and more people came to Edet Street each night, hoping to meet her.
“Seems like there’s nothing special tonight.”
When the last visitor left, silence filled the air.
As she folded the cloth to put it back into her bag, faint footsteps echoed nearby.
“Um… Saint?”
She looked up. A little girl, maybe ten years old, stood at the door.
“Am I too late?”
Did this child walk through these dark, dangerous streets alone?
“No, you’re right on time. Come sit.”
She took out a biscuit she always carried and offered it. The girl quickly accepted it but tucked it into her pocket instead of eating it.
That unusual action made the Saint tilt her head curiously.
“So, my little lady — what brings you here tonight?”
The girl fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating.
“I heard… if you give information, you give money.”
That was another reason people sought out the Saint of Edet: if you brought her information, she paid you for it.
The Saint took out a coin and placed it on the table.
“That’s right. But there’s a condition. Do you know what it is?”
“Yes. You can’t lie…”
The Saint waved her hand dramatically.
“Very good. I can tell lies right away.”
Amused by her exaggerated gesture, the girl giggled softly.
“I don’t need money.”
“Oh? You don’t?”
“No. Instead… could you save my brother?”
“Save him? Is your brother captured somewhere?”
Even though they were indoors, the girl glanced around cautiously and whispered.
“I heard my brother talking to some people. They said there was a job — one that paid a lot of money.”
“Earning money sounds good, doesn’t it?”
The girl sighed quietly and shook her head.
“He said he’d go into a noble’s house. That they’d pay him just for going in and coming back out.”
The Saint looked silently at the child’s fearful eyes.
The girl swallowed nervously under the woman’s steady gaze.
“Your mother is very sick, isn’t she?”
The girl gasped in shock.
“Saint!”
Treating her like a real goddess, the girl fell to her knees and held out her hands.
“You don’t have to do that.”
The Saint gently lifted her back onto the chair and placed several more coins in her hand.
“Why are you giving me this? Aren’t you going to save my brother?”
The girl stared anxiously at the coins filling her small palm.
“Today, you’ve saved two people — your brother and your mother.”
The girl tilted her head, confused.
“I’ll save your brother from danger. And with this money, go find a healer early tomorrow morning.”
The girl bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
“This isn’t charity. You earned this money by bravely sharing something very important. Do you understand?”
“Yes…”
“Tell no one about this, and go straight home. You remember, right?”
“I’ll find a healer in the morning.”
The Saint stroked the girl’s messy hair gently.
“Good girl. Now hurry home.”
When the girl vanished into the darkness, a black shadow emerged silently from behind a pillar.
As if speaking to herself, the Saint murmured while packing her bag.
“You heard that, didn’t you, Lord Kyle?”
“The child’s sharp — reminds me of you, Everett.”
Everett let out a short laugh.
“What do you think?”
From beneath his hood, Kyle smiled coldly.
“She’ll make a fine gift for the Emperor.”
From a rooftop across the street, Ventus — who had been hiding his presence — dropped down.
“The girl arrived home safely. The man, likely her brother, was asleep.”
“Send a knight to keep watch on him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Everett removed her magical mask, revealing a cascade of long, dark hair.
“Which noble house do you think they’ll attack?”
Her brown eyes and freckles had completely vanished.
Her dark eyes now gleamed brighter than the stars.
Kyle laughed softly, gazing at her with affection.
“Want to bet? Whoever guesses right gets a wish granted.”
“Today, we must get an answer — even if it’s just ‘I’ll consider it.’”
“I agree. But His Majesty is so stubborn…”
“So you’re giving up? You think a few hundred knights are enough to protect your wealth and family?”
As the nobles whispered among themselves, Count Grozian entered the conversation with a self-satisfied grin.
“Don’t worry. I’ve brought news so good, His Majesty won’t be able to refuse.”
The nobles nodded, hopeful, and Grozian’s smirk deepened.
Moments later, the Emperor entered the council hall, looking more tired and listless than usual.
As always, Duke Bakard led the discussions of state affairs.
As the talks dragged on, the Emperor began to show signs of boredom.
That was when Count Grozian stepped forward confidently.
“Your Majesty, I have something to report.”
An unannounced move — something that usually meant a demand the Emperor wouldn’t like.
The Emperor’s relaxed expression hardened.
Since he hadn’t been granted permission to speak, Grozian raised his voice challengingly.
“Your Majesty, are you aware that the so-called New Imperial Alliance has been growing bolder by the day?”
The Emperor sighed wearily.
“How could I not be? You all tell me about it every single day.”
His sarcastic tone made several nobles narrow their eyes.
“They’re spreading fear among the citizens — in markets, in the streets.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard.”
“Your Majesty, do you know where they struck most recently?”
“Where? Did they attack a tavern in the plaza?”
Grozian’s eyebrow twitched.
“A noble’s mansion. The residence of Marquis Jojova, to be exact.”
The nobles gasped and looked around, searching for the marquis.
He was known for attending every council meeting — yet today, he was missing.
“It appears to be true.”
The murmuring grew louder.
Marquis Jojova was one of the founding nobles who had built Bartman.
Most nobles supported Duke Bakard over the largely ceremonial royal family,
but the marquis’s house remained fiercely loyal to Bartman.
His family’s prestige was so great that even Duke Bakard couldn’t act recklessly toward them.
Bartman’s survival was due, in large part, to houses like his.
So the one most shocked by the news of the attack — was the Emperor himself.
“Is that true? Where is Marquis Jojova now?!”
Even this indifferent Emperor knew well that his authority depended on men like Jojova.
“You see, Your Majesty? Even Marquis Jojova has fallen victim. And who is he? The man most loyal to your will!”
The nobles, who had been quietly observing, began to nod in agreement with Count Grozian.
“If only we had a proper order of knights to protect him, the so-called New Imperial Alliance wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
