Hero’s Downfall Report

37 – Devotion with a Sword (12)

Lily couldn’t understand Cain. After apologizing for making him upset, she sat silently on the bench for a while. Although she usually found it a bit uncomfortable to sit side by side, she suddenly suggested sharing a room.

“I’m fine with it, but are you okay with it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Because usually, it seems like you don’t want to be with me much…”

Cain unexpectedly laughed brightly.

“Come to think of it, we’ve been through so much hardship and haven’t properly rested. We came all the way to Magdeburg, still wearing these good clothes. When resting, we should rest properly.”

In that context, she could accept it. Lily nodded.

After a while, Cain stood up. He walked a step ahead of Lily. Lily walked only looking at Cain. An absurd thought crossed her mind that if she let go of his hand, she would lose her way.

It wasn’t because the surroundings were dark; it was excessively bright, dazzling, and noisy. Even a momentary glance made the surroundings spin. Nevertheless, Cain didn’t stop or hesitate. He simply glanced and boldly passed through.

Passing by the stone pillar accommodation was understandable, but passing by the marble pillar accommodation felt a bit strange. The next accommodation had a higher floor than before. It meant it was more luxurious. Cain passed by again.

“In the front, there will probably only be very expensive accommodations. Is it going to be okay?”

Lily was a little worried. Eventually, Cain stopped walking.

It was a building that looked about six floors high, and instead of pillars, there were statues that seemed to have been brought from a distant foreign land supporting the ceiling. They were statues wearing golden clothes, with jewels embedded in their eyes. The red ones might be rubies, the blue ones might be sapphires, and the yellow ones might be topaz.

Even if it’s funded by the government, staying in such a luxurious place?

“Hmm. This isn’t it.”

Lily finally asked.

“How far are you going?”

“To the top.”

“This isn’t the best place? It’s the most splendid place I’ve seen so far.”

Lily blinked. Now, there was only a wide park in front of her. There weren’t many people, probably because it was late at night.

“There doesn’t seem to be a place to rest further ahead. Only the park…”

“Ah, right.”

Cain gently pulled Lily along. Lily became a little uneasy. Could it be that if they turn this corner of the park or go beyond it, a slightly cheaper place will appear? If that’s the case, it would be reasonable…

It wasn’t a decision. Cain stopped at the entrance of the park. The wall and the door were quite high, so it was hard to see inside.

“Here it is. Phew. Just wait a moment.”

And then, he quickly went inside through a small door next to the main entrance. Sleeping in the park. It was a bit disappointing. But at least it seemed like a house with a ceiling, walls, and pillars.

“But the stars still seem beautiful.”

Lily tried to think positively. She didn’t want to think about the dreadful straw bed in the monastery, but she was very happy to spend that night with Cain. She expected that there would surely be surprises today as well.

The surprise came a little earlier than expected. The wall opened.

Lily blinked. What she had thought was a wall turned out to be a massive door. It was so large and long that she hadn’t even realized it was a door.

Soon, two sedan chairs approached. They were carried by four sturdy men each. Lily wondered why there were sedan chairs in the park—were they for tourism? They set the sedan chairs down in front of Lily and remained silent, kneeling until Cain spoke.

“What are you waiting for? Get in.”

“…What?”

“You have to ride. It’s far.”

Before Lily could respond with another “what,” Cain had already climbed onto his sedan chair. Lily hurriedly ran to the side.

“I, uh, this is still a bit awkward…”

“Just get in.”

Cain lowered his voice. It seemed uncomfortable to have the men beside him overhearing.

“Save your energy. You might not sleep well tonight. Walking could drain you.”

Then he signaled, and Cain’s sedan chair began moving.

Lily, feeling somewhat helpless, climbed onto the sedan chair.

‘Can’t sleep.’ It was strange no matter how she thought about it. It wasn’t like Cain at all. Sharing a room was one thing, but why save energy? It was odd.

‘Ah. No way. This is too sudden.’

Yeah. It was strange no matter how she thought about it. Lily, suppressing the slightly excited feeling, quietly observed the scenery outside the sedan chair.

The buildings, though not tall, were all impressive and unique. Unlike the Empire’s usual dull buildings, these were not necessarily extravagant inside, but many had clever designs. Ponds, small fountains, decorations. It was filled with people of various accents and attire, just like in the Inquisition, but here they seemed much more vibrant, wealthy, and laughter was constant.

Eventually, the sedan chair came to a halt. It was a large building, almost on par with the Great Hall. A delightful aroma wafted through the air.

“Hungry? Let’s eat.”

Gurgle, a sound echoed from Lily’s stomach, but she hesitated a bit.

“Why? The food we’ve been eating lately wasn’t that great. Is it a bit overwhelming?”

“No, it’s not that…” Lily turned her head slightly. “I want to eat, but… if I eat something too delicious, I’m afraid I’ll gain weight.”

Even though showing her concern about gaining weight seemed a bit awkward, considering Cain’s obliviousness, it was easier to just blurt it out like this.

But Cain seemed determined not to give up. He approached Lily and whispered,

“You might not sleep well tonight. Will you regret it if you don’t eat now?”

“Yes, I guess?”

“You might be tired, but today is unavoidable. Still…” Cain had a serious expression. “I’ll be moving a lot today, so you won’t have to exert much effort. Just relax…”

“Why are you so proactive today?”

“Why.” Cain let out a hollow laugh. “You’re not underestimating me, are you?”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then let’s go eat. Just… don’t drink too much. Oh, and… I’m not sure if I should say this.”

For some reason, Cain seemed a bit hesitant. Lily quickly scanned the surroundings.

“What is it?”

“First of all, we’re pretending to be a married couple, right? So, um, it might help avoid suspicion if we take a bath together… If it’s uncomfortable, I can phrase it differently.”

Shocked, Lily couldn’t even respond properly. But her body was honest, so she nodded deeply.

“Let’s eat for now.”

* * * * *

The food was good. It was more than good; it was exceptional. However, there were many unfamiliar dishes, so it took some time to adapt.

The pork stir-fry was a bit oily, but the spicy aroma made it not feel too heavy. The beef dish was covered in a brown sauce, with herbs added to the meat juices that flowed out while grilling.

After taking a sip of wine, Lily laughed freely. If Cain hadn’t stopped her, Lily might have drunk a little too much.

In fact, there wouldn’t have been any problem if Lily had sung a song.

Inside the spacious hall, there were waiters carrying food, people laughing and tilting their glasses, and even jesters performing magic with instruments.

Her cheeks were flushed and her stomach was a little full, but when she saw Cain in front of her, her mouth watered so much that Lily raised her glass again.

“Let’s drink together.”

Cain also raised his glass. Their glasses lightly clinked.

“By the way, what brings you here today? Coming to a place like this…”

She regretted her words. She thought she was breaking the ice. But Cain was relaxed.

“I told you. We should enjoy the fruits of our labor. Can’t always eat soup made from boiling beer… And congratulations on your promotion.”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Mine?”

“You’re an official agent now. Congratulations. You’ve completed your training.”

Cain lifted his glass and Lily clinked hers. But to understand those words, she felt like she needed more alcohol. A passing waiter poured them another glass.

“Oh. Um. I think we can stop with the wine now. Can we have mead instead?”

“Of course.”

The waiter who took Cain’s order left. Lily placed her hand on her pounding chest.

“Am I…am I an official agent now? But that requires a review…”

She didn’t even realize her speech had become strange. Cain didn’t seem to care.

“When we meet Director Bernice later, I’ll tell her that I promoted you. I’ll say I did it because you deserved it. What are they going to do about it? Well, technically, you might be a little early…”

Cain stroked his glass of wine and paused for a moment.

“I don’t want to see you as someone young and inexperienced. It won’t be helpful for either of us. You’re quick-witted and perceptive. Everyone makes mistakes. We’re both agents now, so let’s go together. No more one-sided reliance. Let’s work together, supporting each other. We can do it, right?”

“Yes.”

Lily responded briskly.

“Yes, I can do it.”

“Congratulations, Agent Lily.”

Again. A clear, crisp sound. The chairman approached once more. But this time, he wasn’t alone. One person held a jar of honey, and another had a sizzling griddle-like plate. It was skewered kebabs on iron sticks.

“I haven’t seen this type of skewered dish before.”

“Oh, this? It’s called kebab…”

“Hmm.”

The neatly mustached chairman gave a knowing look.

“Oddly enough, the name of this dish is Souvlaki.”

Cain scanned the chairman up and down.

“No. It’s kebab. It originated near the Northern Desert.”

“No, the origin is near the oasis in the Western Wasteland.”

“Ha. That’s amusing.” Cain chuckled. “Then, let’s compromise and call it Shashlik. How about that?”

The mustached chairman looked quite uncomfortable.

“You seem to know everything, why play along like this?”

Lily became a bit uneasy. Arguing over food names in a place like this, and with the Chairman, no less. But Cain seemed to enjoy this kind of conversation.

“It’s a joke. It’s been quite a while since I had Rucumades. It was quite delicious with honey drizzled on top.”

“Hmph.” The mustached chairman chuckled, seeming pleased. “Unfortunately, it takes time as it’s still cooking, but it’s more lavish than Baklava. Shall I serve it after the meal?”

“Also, some rosebud tea.”

“Have a good time.”

The two maids left. Lily’s eyes narrowed.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“A useless but entertaining story about a skilled fighter. But it’s not entirely useless. It’s about food. So let’s eat some skewers.”

Lily picked up a skewer. It was well-cooked, seasoned lamb meat with no trace of gaminess. It was fresh, as if it had just been caught.

* * * * *

The dessert was too sweet. It was a pastry thinly baked and soaked in sugar syrup. Because the syrup had seeped into the thin bread, it felt like chewing on rolled-up sugar syrup instead of bread.

But it paired remarkably well with rosebud tea. Fragrant and refreshing, yet the dessert had nothing but sweetness.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh? What for?”

“I think I drank too much.”

It wasn’t an expression of genuine apology. Lily leaned against Cain’s body and swayed. They were in front of their lodging, which was more like a decent mansion than a typical lodging, even through Lily’s blurry eyes.

“If we take a bath, we’ll sober up.”

“Oh. We did plan to take a bath…” Lily’s legs loosened.

What if I eat something? It wouldn’t matter if I put out the fire, Lily thought. Something felt off, though. The night was long.

When the door of the mansion opened, the maids greeted them warmly.

Lily frowned at the maids’ attire. It wasn’t the elegant and graceful clothing that covered the figure, typical of the Empire. It was the kind of clothing that people from the Eastern Union Republic would wear, clinging tightly to the body and accentuating the figure with a red belt around the waist.

And the fabric was so thin, it reminded Lily of the Amapo fabric commonly used in the North and West. The silhouette of the undergarments could be glimpsed.

“We have prepared hot water and a bathtub for you. You can go to the room on the far right. The robe is prepared in the adjacent room.”

An older-looking maid bowed her head. The maids guided the two of them to the room with a bed. Next to the bedroom was a dressing room, and next to that was a bathing area with a bathtub.

“I…”

Standing right next to Cain, Lily murmured. Every time she opened her mouth, it felt a bit awkward as if the scent of alcohol was coming out with each word. To avoid the embarrassment, she slightly turned her head.

Cain gestured to the attendants following him. The quick-witted attendants vacated their positions.

“Now, there’s no one around.”

“This is a secret… um.” “Yes.”

“I… on my back… there are some scars.”

Cain seemed somewhat surprised. As expected, Lily thought, he hadn’t looked at himself changing clothes that night at the monastery. It was a night that could have been a bit bolder.

Well, whatever. Tonight has come. Lily mustered the courage.

“If you’re surprised… it’s not good. Understand?”

“Yeah. I got it. And I don’t think you need to worry too much.”

“…Still. You might be very surprised.”

“No. Anyway, you’re going in with clothes on. The gown is dark, so the scars won’t be visible, right?”

Suddenly, Lily couldn’t understand why they were talking about taking off clothes. Cain seemed a bit more flustered.

“Oh… um… sorry. I didn’t explain. We’re in the South here. So, we bathe in the Southern style. We fill a large tub with hot water, go in with the gown on, and relax to relieve fatigue. We don’t… undress.”

“Oh. Then, that’s a relief.” Lily sighed. If that was the case, there should be no problem. As the most worrisome thing disappeared, Lily thought she could be a bit bolder. She moved closer to Cain, wrapping her waist tightly enough for their chests to touch.

“By the way, are you really not going to sleep tonight?”

“Sorry.” Cain genuinely seemed sorry.

Although a bit tired, Lily was finally able to do something she had only read about in books. What would it feel like? Lily was excited.

When Cain put his arm around her waist from behind and pulled her upper body slightly, the tingling sensation along her back and the slight pressure on her chest were felt simultaneously.

But before she could say anything, Cain whispered first.

“It must be exhausting, but you have to stay awake tonight. At least until I come back from the religious tribunal.”

“What did you say?”

Lily pushed Cain away forcefully. The tingling sensation turned into a pounding headache.

Cain couldn’t understand why Lily was keeping her eyes open. Well, he thought it was excessive to ask her not to sleep when she had been fed so much alcohol, meat, snacks, and tea. So, he felt genuinely sorry.

“But you don’t have to be too nervous. This place is a facility operated by the Guardians. That ridiculous conversation just now was a verification code for identification. While you rest here, I will infiltrate the tribunal and gather some information. So… Lily?”

Lily sat down, burying her face in her palms. Embarrassment surged through her. Feeling quite annoyed, she suddenly stood up and slapped Cain’s arm hard.

“Hey!”

“I really hate you! I really do!”

Then she turned around abruptly and stormed out. Cain held onto his painful arm.

“…Is she drunk? Even if she’s drunk, it shouldn’t be like this… Ah, this bruise must not be from that…”

It was truly an inexplicable situation.