Chapter 232
5.
Unlike other regions, Sysbalt was a place without a lord.
However, an administrator certainly existed.
Dispatched from the Rieszkan Kingdom, the true master of Sysbalt, was an administrator.
Terian Mitra was that man.
Naturally, as a high-ranking official of noble birth who had served as the royal treasurer, it was clear the current situation was quite difficult for him.
“Of all the times… for such an unfortunate incident to happen while I’m in charge.”
His expression was one of deep worry.
The vassals crowded around him also wore troubled expressions.
For such a thing to happen at this particular time was truly unfortunate.
Entrusting the mission to other knights would inevitably damage his own reputation, as it was a fact that the administrator had failed to manage things properly.
He wanted to handle it secretly to prevent rumors from spreading, but no suitable method came to mind.
Well, one did, but…
‘I sent a message in advance, but there’s been no news yet...’
The knight of outsider origin called 'Iron Fist' had recently started making a name for himself.
Although an outsider, he was an outstanding individual who had been formally knighted and a skilled person who had dealt with the one named Ragna Ekrion, who had been plotting in Sysbalt.
That was why he had spoken to Leon Banzar, the captain of the Equinox Knights, hoping to meet him.
But he was told that since he was an outsider, his whereabouts were unknown, so they had not been able to meet yet.
But would it be possible to call on him again to handle the incident that occurred just this morning?
It was a difficult situation to be hopeful about.
So, just as Terian let out a deep sigh of disappointment, a vassal entered from outside and spoke to him.
“Administrator! Leon Banzar, the captain of the Equinox Knights, has sent a letter!”
“Oh?! Did you say Leon Banzar?”
“Yes! Leon Banzar, captain of the Equinox Knights, sent a letter asking if he could visit in an hour. Moreover, he says he will bring the outsider you were looking for.”
“Oh!”
Terian, delighted as if the world itself was helping him, said.
“Send a reply immediately saying he may visit at once.”
To think the meeting would happen like this, at the exact moment today's incident occurred.
Normally, it would be suspicious, but he wasn't.
‘A knight wouldn’t use such magic.’
Since the culprit had already been more or less identified, he knew very well that Seonghyun was not the one.
In that case.
‘I should meet that outsider and try to make a request.’
No matter how skilled the outsider might be, weren't outsiders rumored to be a greedy bunch?
Terian smiled, expecting that the reward he offered would be more than enough to convince him.
6.
After hearing that he would have to wait a long time for the reply letter,
Seonghyun spent time sparring with other knights at the training ground, steadily improving his swordsmanship skills.
Meanwhile, Leon returned and spoke with a hint of surprise,
“Hmm, they are letting us through faster than expected.”
Seonghyun dismissed it lightly,
Since he had said before that he was curious,
Perhaps that was the reason.
Thinking so, Seonghyun and Leon prepared to go,
But Leon shook his head.
“They insisted you come alone. I tried to accompany you, but you refused firmly. They seem wary since you’re an outsider.”
“Hmm, understandable.”
Seonghyun nodded in agreement.
That was reasonable.
Yet Leon seemed quite uneasy and said to Seonghyun,
“If anything happens, send mana through this communicator. I will immediately bring the knights.”
“...Yes?”
Though it sounded like rebellion,
Leon’s gaze was so serious that Seonghyun accepted the communicator and put it in his inventory, nodding.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t need to use it, but he appreciated the thoughtfulness nonetheless.
Seeing Seonghyun accept,
Leon seemed somewhat relieved and nodded,
“Phew, take care. Since he’s a man of status, I sent a reply along with a carriage.”
“Oh? That sounds better than I thought.”
Thinking he might have to go in person,
Seonghyun realized this would be much more convenient.
With this, there seemed no need for as much caution as Leon had warned.
Though he hadn’t dealt with many nobles,
If they were this courteous,
They likely weren’t a threat.
Since they showed full respect,
Seonghyun intended to do the same.
“In that case, I will go now.”
“Good. Take care.”
Leon said so, showing the communicator with a meaningful expression.
Though it wouldn’t happen,
Seonghyun awkwardly smiled and nodded.
Walking toward the knight order barracks,
Seonghyun saw a carriage waiting.
Seeing that, he thought they had definitely prepared well.
A driver dressed as a butler stood beside it, with soldiers guarding nearby,
Surely a sign of proper treatment.
“Are you Lord Seonghyun?”
“Yes, I am Seonghyun.”
“Thank you for accepting the invitation. I will be your attendant. My name is Alfredo, and I will ensure your journey is comfortable.”
“Ah… thank you.”
“Then, please step inside.”
Seonghyun expressed his gratitude, and the butler introduced as Alfredo guided him into the carriage.
The hospitality was almost overwhelming.
But it was certainly comfortable.
The ride quality of the carriage was better than he expected.
Even better than the used compact car, Matizen, that he bought a few days ago.
‘…Do carriages usually have this good a ride? Hmm.’
He even compared it unconsciously to his car.
Well, since it was a magical game world, maybe it was normal.
After all, it was just a game.
Just as thoughts about other cars started creeping into Seonghyun’s mind,
He quietly gazed at the city scenery passing by the carriage window.
Before long, they arrived.
The horses trotted to a stop, and the carriage came to a quiet halt.
Butler Alfredo opened the door and escorted Seonghyun out.
Was this the lord’s castle of Sysbalt? Or rather an administrative district?
Either way, the castle was impressively large and well maintained.
‘Quite different from other lord castles.’
Unlike the slightly luxurious and fancy lords’ castles,
This administrative castle was neat and simple without an air of extravagance.
It even gave off the impression that it deliberately avoided luxury.
They were then guided to the reception room.
“Just this morning, our Sysbalt archives were burglarized.”
“Wha—???”
Seonghyun couldn’t help but be surprised.
A burglary in the archives?
The security must have been strict, so whoever stole from there must be quite skilled.
But more than that, it was the archives Seonghyun himself planned to visit.
Along with that came a message:
[Hidden Quest, 『Administrator of Sysbalt』 has been cleared.]
[You have received a reward.]
[Substantial experience gained.]
[Level Up!]
[You've reached Level 186.]
[Hidden Quest, 『Thief in the Archives』 has been generated.]
『Thief in the Archives』
→ Capture the thief who broke into the Sysbalt archives.
It was a simple quest and leveling up was good, so he could have been glad,
but Seonghyun wore a serious expression.
A burglary?
Could it be...?
Seonghyun asked cautiously,
“What kind of items were stolen?”
“Hmm... some old record scrolls and notes went missing, but... anyway, they are gone. We have to retrieve them somehow.”
“Do you know what kind of record scrolls those were?”
Curious, Seonghyun asked again.
Terian thought for a moment, then exclaimed as if remembering,
“They were quite old... ah! Yes, mission documents from the Zirkan Knight Order. Records over a hundred years old, and nothing particularly important written in them, which is strange.”
“Zirkan Knight Order.”
“That mission was peculiar since all the knights who handled it retired afterward, but the records themselves had nothing special.”
Hearing Terian’s words, Seonghyun scratched his cheek with a somewhat uneasy expression.
It was all too coincidental.
‘Of all things...’
The last knight order connected to Hindel,
And now the mission documents of the Zirkan Knight Order had been stolen.
This was something he had to investigate, with or without a quest.
Thinking so, Seonghyun recalled one of his skills after a long while.
Scent of Death.
It was time to use his tracking skill again.
As long as he found clues or something to identify,
Tracking down the thief would be a piece of cake.
Then suddenly—
“I saw everything clearly!!!”
A ghost appeared near Seonghyun.
“Oh, and with CCTV footage too?”
Lucky.
He absorbed the ghost’s memory.
[‘Unknown Power’ displayed abilities beyond current stats.]
[Dexterity +2 permanently increased.]
Just as Seonghyun wondered who it was and was about to use his skill,
He got a clear glimpse of the thief.
Long hair, appearance ambiguous whether male or female.
Seeing this, Seonghyun thought to himself,
‘Flingky?’
Why is Flingky here?