Serilda, imprisoned underground, struggled to breathe.
“Serilda, please. I don’t want to harm you either.”
A man with a large scar over one eye grabbed Serilda by the hair and lifted her up.
“Tsk.”
“It’s simple. Just tell me Sena Birkender’s whereabouts.”
Jack the Swordsman.
In the slums, there was no one who didn’t know his name.
A monster born in the shadows of the law, willing to do anything for money.
Rumored to have physical abilities comparable to a knight’s.
A terrifying figure even rumored to have been scouted by the secret organization ‘Labella’ for those who have nothing.
“What time does he go out, what’s his favorite food, things like that. If you’re a maid, you should know.”
Such a figure wouldn’t bother asking about Sena.
Serilda knew Jack’s danger well. She had no thought other than to inform Sena as soon as possible.
“Why are you curious about that?”
“Well, will you answer if I tell you?”
“I might.”
“It’s a request. Just a request.”
“It seems quite big. But still, I thought of you as a friend, seeing that you’ve brought me here.”
Jack brushed his hair back.
“It’s quite big. Enough money to buy the entire slum. Why, would you join?”
Jack laughed deviously. Serilda nodded firmly.
“I have to risk my life too, so I hope it’s worth it.”
“Kuk, I’ll let you live peacefully with Astin.”
“Okay. I’ll join.”
Jack said nothing and stared at Serilda intently.
“First, let me out of here. Then, I’ll bring him.”
After a moment of silence.
Jack pointed at Serilda and laughed for a long time.
Then, he approached and said seriously.
“Where are you playing tricks? You sly fox.”
Snap-
“Kleh.”
Jack grabbed Serilda by the neck and lifted her up. She struggled, but it was no use.
“Finally, tell me Sena Birkender’s routine.”
Betrayal once was enough. There couldn’t be a second time.
Even if her body was torn to shreds.
Serilda smirked and raised her middle finger.
“Go to h*ll.”
Smack!
Jack immediately slapped her face. Serilda, thrown against the wall from the impact, trembled.
“I can’t understand. Hah.”
Jack paced restlessly around the prison, grabbing his waist.
His subordinates asked him.
“Should we t*rture her?”
“You know, those arrogant guys with those eyes won’t swell even if we beat them.”
Things got tricky.
Jack furrowed his brow and tousled his hair in frustration.
He went back to Serilda and crouched down.
“Hey, let’s make it easier. You’ve only been a maid for two days, what loyalty do you have? Your master probably forgot about you already…”
Jack’s head tilted to the side.
Come to think of it, the woman he knew wasn’t the kind to risk her life for a master she barely knew for two days.
“Maybe he forgot, didn’t he? Why not send a threatening letter?”
Serilda’s pupils shook subtly. But she replied with a mocking smile.
“Just a futile trick. Did you really think that, as a mere maid, I’d blink if I disappeared? I didn’t expect you to be so naive, Jack.”
Jack’s lips split all the way to his ears.
“You worry about me so much? You, aren’t you such a good girl?”
**
[If you want to get the cute maid back, come to the Windy Inn in District 3. Of course, if you show up with something following behind, it won’t be fun.]
Sena clenched the letter tightly.
After hearing Astria’s words, he had thought he might get involved in internal political struggles.
But he never imagined it would be someone other than himself who would be targeted, especially not a maid.
Usually, even if there were kidnappings, it was Sena himself they wanted. Because he seemed like nothing but a powerless healer.
“S-Sena.”
“Don’t worry.”
Sena reassured Luna first.
“Serilda will be safe.”
“Because I’ll make sure of it.”
Medieval times.
It’s a world where kidnapping in broad daylight is done without hesitation.
The only thing that can stop it is strength, status, and power.
‘I sensed something. But, it won’t be Lucia. There’s no way someone from the church would try to turn me into an enemy.’
That’s why the clergy is excluded.
Despite appearing somewhat crazy, there wasn’t a clergy member who would consider Sena, who had Archbishop Cruyff’s backing, an enemy.
Because they would be defrocked on the spot.
So, only nobles would be likely to do such a thing. Even commoners with connections could exert influence within the palace.
But.
‘The handwriting and tone were rough. The sender of this letter isn’t a noble. Even the paper is cheap.’
That narrows down the suspects instantly. Someone who is both a commoner and bold enough to kidnap a servant from the royal palace.
A person from the underworld. Probably hired by some noble to easily scapegoat someone from the lower class.
Fortunately, Sena could handle it.
Sena hastily wrote a letter and left the room.
Coincidentally, he met Sylvia in the hallway.
“Oh, Senior. Where are you going? If it’s okay, let’s play poker together…”
“Sylvia.”
“Yes?”
“Were you a noble?”
“Of course. I’m the youngest daughter of Count Clifton.”
“…Then, can you deliver a letter for a commoner?”
“Why is Senior considered a commoner? You’re the only disciple of the famous Archbishop Cruyff. And if it’s a request from Senior, I’ll do anything. I consider it a favor.”
Sylvia said with dignity. Sena extended the letter. Sylvia cautiously took it.
“Where should I deliver it?”
“To Labella.”
“Yes. Labella…yes?”
Sylvia was taken aback.
The dark organization, Labella.
The only commoners the nobles fear.
An anti-noble force so formidable it could even bring down a noble’s flying carriage.
“In front of the Fountain of Justice, there’s a shabby inn. Go there, tell the owner my name, and hand over this letter. And, keep this a secret from anyone else.”
“Now, wait a moment. What…”
But Sena didn’t offer further explanation and passed by Sylvia.
Waving his hand as he ran.
“I’ve entrusted it to you. Trust me!”
“Oh, no, Senior…!”
Labella was known as the Empress’s only headache.
Naturally, they were trying to catch them. The problem was, they couldn’t even guess their location.
To entrust such a secretive matter to the Empress’s guard…!
“What would you do if it weren’t for me…! Really, so defenseless.”
Sylvia quickly scanned her surroundings and stuffed the letter into her pocket.
Watching Sena disappear into the distance, she thought.
“How much does he trust me, anyway? Hehe.”
It seemed like today would be a good day.
**
“Your Majesty, please calm down.”
“Calm down? Let go.”
Astria was fully armed as soon as she noticed Sena was missing.
Naturally, she wasn’t in a condition to walk around wearing armor, so Chris restrained her.
“Sena will be fine.”
“Ridiculous. He’s probably crying by now.”
Astria closed her eyes for a moment.
The necklace she gave Sena was enchanted with a location tracking spell.
‘The slums.’
That’s why she had planned to clear them out when the opportunity arose.
“Your Majesty.”
“…How dare you lay a hand on my body? Sir Chris.”
Sensing Astria’s murderous gaze, Chris gulped and swallowed his saliva.
“As my Guardian Knight, do not think that you are far from death.”
“Really, Sena will be fine. Your Majesty doesn’t have to go.”
“Don’t say such ridiculous things…”
Astria had a good ‘hunch’.
And her hunch was rarely wrong.
Right now, her intuition told her that Chris wasn’t lying.
He already ‘believed’ that Sena would be safe.
“How can you be sure of that?”
Astria decided to listen to what he had to say.
“Do you remember what I said when I described Sena in the past?”
-Sena?
-He’s a good kid.
“Good? I’m tired of hearing that.”
“Besides, I mentioned he was upright even in the dark world.”
“…What does that have to do with the current situation?”
“Your Majesty already knows.”
Chris looked down at his hands.
Justice.
If you dream of becoming a knight, everyone carries it in their hearts at least once.
But that burden of justice can be quite terrifying. Not everyone can carry it to the end.
Blocked by the wall of reality. Various circumstances arise.
During the journey, they discard the burden of justice, lightening their bodies to scale the wall of reality.
Only one category can carry that heavy burden all the way to the end. The strong.
Chris knew.
Sena is more just than anyone else.
“Being just is impossible without strength.”
“Strength?”
A story that’s hard to believe. In fact, Astria was suspicious.
Chris smiled as he looked somewhere, probably where Sena might be.
He expressed his sincere condolences. Not to Sena, but to the thugs who will be attacked by Sena.
“Yes. And surprisingly, he’s quite manly.”
“I can’t believe that.”
Chris bowed deeply.
“Please trust Sena once, Your Majesty.”
Astria couldn’t help but hesitate when Chris was so earnest.
‘…Can I trust him?’
It was still difficult to trust him outright.
**
‘I knew it would come to this.’
Sena was being dragged somewhere, his whole body bound.
By the way, they blindfolded him too. He was in this state when he was dragged to the palace.
“Is Serilda unharmed?”
“He’s the type to keep promises even in this situation.”
‘It doesn’t seem like a lie. That’s a relief.’
By the way, their treatment will be decided based on Serilda’s condition.
If they even touch a single hair, they won’t get away with it.
‘Serilda, are you crying again?’
Even Sena himself found this quite moving. Helping twice, not just once, in this world.
“Alright, the long-awaited Serilda. How about you two leave a testament?”
Thud.
Bang.
Sena was thrown into the cold underground dungeon.
“S-Sena?”
“Oh, Serilda. Are you there? Are you okay?”
Seeing the already imprisoned Serilda, Sena couldn’t believe it.
Of course, Sena, whose eyes were covered, couldn’t see her.
“A-Are you here to rescue me…?”
Sena turned his head slightly.
Honestly, it’s a bit awkward.
“No, I got caught too.”
“Ah.”
Serilda despaired.
