Chapter 28

Shuu, who has become both the King of the Underworld, Arklight, and a high-ranking member of the secret organization Black Cat known as "The Reaper," is currently enjoying a tour of the capital city, Alta, with Iris.

"Shuu! That's the famous parliament building over there!"

"It's said that the exterior is made entirely of marble. It's indeed impressive."

"Let's hurry to the grand garden!"

"Alright, alright."

With the large sum of money he has obtained, Shuu now has some leeway. Therefore, "The Reaper" decided to take a break and go on a date with Iris. They bought some food along the way and decided to eat it in the grand garden of the parliament building.

This grand garden is managed by the Republic of Elise, making it very spacious and beautiful. Seasonal flowers and plants grow abundantly, and fountains and water features are well-maintained. Having a picnic here is a common pastime for the citizens of the capital, Alta.

"There are quite a few people in line."

"Of course, it's a popular spot."

"I have high hopes."

Standing in the long queue, the two wait to enter. The neatness of the line demonstrates the high level of civility among the citizens of the Republic of Elise, a sign of the nation's overall prosperity. Although there are instances of corruption among the politicians, it is fundamentally a good country.

The Republic of Elise does not have a noble class, and the citizens value equality. In return, they must govern the country themselves. If the nobles were in charge, ordinary people could focus solely on their own lives. However, in a republic, each individual must be aware of their role in running the state and take an interest in politics and the economy. This is an ideal, but many citizens of the Republic of Elise are not interested in politics and the economy, leading to a lack of awareness of the corruption among the politicians. This is a very complex issue.

(There must be many assassination and investigation requests. Black Cat must be very active.)

The corrupt politicians skillfully manipulate the law to avoid getting caught, leading to a prevalence of forced retirements through assassinations. Despite being a country with good law and order, it has the highest rate of assassinations of important figures among neighboring countries. The previous "Reaper" must have been very active, though unfortunately, he has already passed away.

"Shuu, it's almost our turn."

"Yeah, that's right."

While lost in thought, Shuu noticed that time had passed quickly. It was almost their turn to enter. When it was their turn, the woman at the entrance of the grand garden spoke.

"Welcome. The entrance fee is 200 Magi."

Incidentally, Magi is the common currency used in the Holy Grinia and its vassal states. Shuu handed over two 100 Magi bills and passed through. This covers both of them, so it's 100 Magi per person. Incidentally, 100 Magi is enough for a day's worth of food. The entrance fee is reasonable. Of course, this fee is used to maintain the grand garden.

"Let's go, Shuu! The highlight is the fountain square in the center of the garden!"

"Don't drag me along..."

Excited, Iris pulled Shuu to the center of the grand garden. As expected of the main attraction, many people were heading there. Upon arrival, over a hundred people had gathered.

However, the central square was spacious enough to still feel open.

"Wow... it's beautiful!"

"The fountain shoots water quite high. I wonder how they maintain that pressure... Ah, it must be a magical artifact."

"The flowers are beautiful too. They have a wonderful fragrance!"

"There are also many birds and insects. I see, they maintain a near-natural ecosystem to reduce management costs. It's more thought-out than I expected."

"Shuu, what are you analyzing? Just be more purely impressed!"

"Ah, sorry. I couldn't help it."

Originally, monsters live by instinct. Their emotions are shallow, and they tend to analyze things before feeling impressed. More accurately, they have weak internal emotions like love and friendship, but strong external emotions like anger and jealousy.

Therefore, Shuu couldn't feel genuinely impressed.

"That area is free."

"Really? Let's hurry!"

The two rushed to a free spot. It was a lush, grassy area with a perfect view of the fountain. Many people were passing by, so they had to secure the spot quickly. Fortunately, they managed to do so. Iris laid out the sheet they had bought on the way and placed the basket they were carrying. The food they had bought was in the basket.

Sitting down on the sheet, Iris exclaimed in delight.

"It's beautiful!"

Her eyes sparkled like a much younger person. Of course, Shuu didn't mind.

"I'm hungry, let's eat."

"Sure. Oh, I recommend feeding each other! I'll give you a special service now!"

"No thanks."

"You're so cold..."

Despite the banter, the two—mainly Iris—enjoyed their date.

◆◆◆

In a certain city within the Republic of Elise, located to the south of the capital, Alta, commerce thrives. It is known for its economic prosperity and the presence of many wealthy individuals. However, where there is money, there are also criminals. This city was the base of a certain underground organization. The organization's headquarters was a dilapidated building near the slums, with underground spaces created for hiding. It was known for its considerable financial resources and clientele, with branches in various locations.

However, the organization was on the verge of collapse.

"Damn! Damn! Why are there paladins here!"

The male boss was cursing as he ran through the emergency escape route. The Republic of Elise was known for being a place where underground organizations could operate freely, with lax inspections by paladins. This had made them complacent. However, they had always been cautious and had taken measures to keep their headquarters hidden. Being attacked so easily was unexpected.

"Boss! We're almost at the exit! Let's escape first!"

"I know. I'll remember this, paladins!"

With six of his subordinates, the boss emerged from the underground passage into the slums, an area where few people ventured. They planned to escape the city through connections.

"Have you already contacted the escape facilitators?"

"Sort of. But the attack was sudden, so they might be delayed. I'm sorry, Boss, but we'll have to spend the night here."

"Damn... Not being able to predict the attack is a huge blow."

Normally, if there was a possibility of an attack, they would contact the escape facilitators in advance. In an emergency, they would rely on the facilitators to help them escape the city's security net. However, this time, the attack was sudden, and the facilitators were not prepared. This was frustrating.

"They should arrive by the time the sun rises tomorrow."

"So, the sun is our victory condition, huh? How ironic..."

Although frustrated, shouting wouldn't help. The boss gritted his teeth. His subordinates were on high alert, wary of the tense atmosphere.

However, this tension may have distracted them. The six subordinates did not notice the approach of a certain individual.

"The information was correct. This is indeed the exit of the escape route."

The boss and the remaining members of the organization shuddered and turned to the source of the voice. A young man emerged from the darkness, his footsteps echoing. He was dressed in a loathsome white ceremonial outfit and seemed to be smiling.

"Paladins here! Why?"

"I have an excellent deputy who is skilled in information gathering. Thanks to him."

One of the subordinates let out a soundless cry. This location was only known to a select few within the organization, and it was impossible for information to leak from lower-ranking members. How they had obtained this information was a mystery. They suspected the use of magical equipment, but that was a dead end.

"Never mind! He's alone! Take him down!"

The boss issued the order. It was more important to escape the current crisis than to ponder the unknown. Fortunately, they had six subordinates with magical equipment and the boss himself, who could also use magical equipment. They believed they could win.

"Die!"

"Only one enemy. Protect the boss."

"Of course."

Three subordinates attacked the paladin first. A man with a standard sword-type magical equipment attacked from the front, but the paladin deflected it with a rapier. Normally, a rapier wouldn't be strong enough to block a weapon, but with magical power, it was possible. The subordinate was not surprised by this; he expected a paladin to be capable of such a feat.

"Too easy."

The frontal attack was a decoy. The real attack was a spear thrust from the side. The sword user provided cover, making it difficult to anticipate the spear. The spear was also a magical equipment, capable of releasing poison from its tip. A single wound would mean victory. They were confident they would win. However, they were the ones who were too confident.

"Is that all?"

"Wh-What...?"

The spear was stopped by the paladin's left hand, which glowed with a blue-white magical light, indicating a magical barrier. Stopping a magical equipment attack with just a magical barrier was an unbelievable sight. Magic is denser when it is more powerful, so a magical equipment, which is a concentrated form of magic, cannot be blocked by a regular magical barrier. The only explanation was that the paladin had an extraordinary level of magical control and power.

"Not bad. But—"

"Die, you bastard!"

"—still too easy."

A third subordinate, who had been prepared as a precaution, attacked from behind. He used a transformation-type magical equipment, with claws extending from his hands. He aimed to slash the paladin's carotid artery. However, the attack was deflected by the magical barrier.

"Let's seal away your dangerous weapon."

The paladin deflected the spear and swung his rapier forcefully.

"Ugh!"

"Gah..."

The two subordinates with sword and spear magical equipment were blown away, and the paladin stabbed the third subordinate in the back. The two who were blown away saw their comrade fall.

"Damn!"

They tried to ready their magical equipment again. However, they noticed something was wrong. Their magical equipment had disappeared, though they had not intended to deactivate it. The spear user also looked confused.

"Why?"

"Can't use magical equipment? Why?"

They tried to reactivate their magical equipment, but the magic wouldn't converge. It was incomprehensible.

The paladin, having pulled out his rapier, observed their panic and spoke.

"I've sealed your magical equipment. I have that ability."

"Equipment killer...? You have such power?"

The subordinates stared at the paladin in shock. The boss, however, had a suspicion. A paladin who could seal magical equipment would be well-known in their information network.

"Could it be..."

The boss took a step back. If his suspicion was correct, they had no chance of winning. The difference was like that between heaven and earth.

"You... Sealed Paladin Celstar Altrain!?"

He was a renowned awakened magical equipment user from the Holy Grinia, a true S-rank and one of the world's strongest. The boss hoped his suspicion was wrong, but reality was never kind.

"Oh? My name is known even in this distant land?"

"Y-You're real!"

"Hopeless! We can't win!"

The subordinates, now aware of the truth, showed fear. An awakened magical equipment user was beyond their capabilities. There was no chance of victory through luck or coincidence. They knew this as people who lived in the shadows.

"Understood. Surrender quietly."

Celstar, with a princely smile, readied his rapier. The capture of the boss of the underground organization, Moonlight Grass, took almost no time.