Whew~
The autumn wind was bleak, and an occasional cold breeze could make people shiver uncontrollably.
In this kind of weather, guarding the city gate was a tough job…
Fortunately, quite a few people had been entering the city recently, and the constant clinking of copper coins could indeed chase away some of the drowsiness and fatigue.
Speaking of which… the current situation was far from optimistic.
Crystal Capital, as the largest central city in East County, was bustling with activity.
People from surrounding towns and villages had come here with their families, not only filling the shops to capacity, but also crowding into wind-sheltered alleys or behind buildings at night.
Although the city lord had quickly set up a refugee camp and erected thousands of tents,
they still weren’t enough.
What’s more, each refugee had their own little schemes—stealing chickens, picking fights… The recent public security in Crystal Capital had taken a nosedive, and the streets were no longer as clean and tidy as before.
So… the city guards currently had no goodwill toward the refugees waiting in line to enter the city.
“Three copper coins to enter! You… three people. Of course the kid counts! Weren’t you ever a kid?”
“Yeah… yeah, you! If you pick your nose and wipe it on the city wall one more time, I’ll kick your old ass…”
“Can’t you bring the dog in? Auntie… is this your grandson? No, why did you stuff a bunch of foxtail grass up your grandson’s butt? Is he also your grandson? Three copper coins!”
“Woof woof!”
“……”
It was chaos at the city gate, and naturally no one noticed a strange-looking fast horse rapidly approaching the city wall.
Reliel took this mission—or rather, the first task entrusted to her by Irene—very seriously.
Aside from necessary sleep and food, she had galloped here almost non-stop, arriving at the gates of Crystal Capital in just five days.
So her hair was in disarray, barely distinguishable from the surrounding refugees.
“Hey! You… you, you! The one on the horse!” After a quick scan, a city guard finally had time to notice the disheveled rider.
Reliel turned her head, locking eyes with the guard.
Huh? In that instant, a strange pressure made the guarding soldier freeze up…
“What are you doing?” Another guard busy maintaining order grew angry seeing his colleague slacking off during such a time, and kicked his butt.
“Ah? Ah… that… you… line up! At the back!”
But Reliel had no intention of lining up. She simply dismounted and, under the bewildered gazes of the two guards, pulled a token from her chest.
“This is…”
The two dumbfounded guards were about to look closer when both received a kick to the rear!
“Ouch!”
They stumbled forward, face-planting into the dirt.
“Are you blind?! Don’t you recognize the lady’s token?! Get the hell out and copy the Crystal Capital City Guard Attention Manual a hundred times!”
Behind them, a burly man with a full, unkempt beard—the Captain of the City Gate Guards—roared in rage. But the instant he looked at Reliel, his face transformed into a fawning smile.
“This… uh… Messenger Lord. Did the lady send you back with something? Uh… would you like to eat, bathe, or rest?”
His attitude left Reliel bewildered.
She actually knew this captain. His name was Qiao Duli. Though his position was merely in charge of opening and closing the city gate, his actual power was crucial for mercenaries who came and went early and late.
Mercenaries on missions often couldn’t guarantee returning to the city on time.
If the gate was closed upon return and he refused to open the side gate, the entire mercenary company would have to camp two miles outside the city wall.
Because setting up a tent directly below the city or within sight of the watchtower meant being shot by arrows.
It was not only time-consuming and laborious, but some mission items had time limits. Being stuck like that was excruciating.
Thus, in the mercenary circles of Crystal Capital, no one dared to offend such a person.
Reliel once saw her father speak humbly to this man, while the man acted arrogant, listening with one ear and letting it out the other.
Actually, it wasn’t just this guy…
Thinking back, ever since she met Irene, no matter where she went in East County, as long as Irene revealed her identity, everyone would respectfully and humbly address her as “Lady.”
Was this… what that person meant by “strong”?
Without even lifting a hand, relying solely on her fearsome reputation, she could solve everything.
These people were really…
Reliel shot a glance at the fawning Qiao Duli beside her.
‘This one glance made his legs go weak, almost dropping to his knees.’
‘”N-no wonder she holds the lady’s token… but did I… did I offend her somehow?”’
“Uh…”
“I have urgent business. Don’t block the way.”
Reliel had no sense of superiority because of the man’s past behavior or her current status.
‘This guy is detestable, but everyone has their own way of survival. He’s just using his power to make his own life better.’
“Yes!! You! All of you, get out of the way!! Get out of the way!”
Qiao Duli was now drenched in cold sweat. As a mere gatekeeper, if he truly angered someone from the lady’s circle—especially a trusted aide carrying her token back—
he would likely have his limbs broken, and his whole family dragged to Marquis City as thieves…
Clatter!
Hearing the captain’s words, the city guards who had been gawking quickly cleared a path.
But Reliel didn’t give them another glance. She mounted her horse and entered the city.
Clop, clop, clop… As soon as the spectral horse stepped inside, it immediately whinnied uneasily.
“Hm?” Reliel instinctively pulled the reins to calm the horse.
She had been riding it for a few days, so she knew why it was agitated.
Too many living creatures here. So many that the spectral horse felt uncomfortable.
On both sides of the street, dense crowds lined the sidewalks. Compared to normal times, the population in Crystal Capital had more than tripled.
Most of these people were ragged and listless. Though not quite disaster victims, they all looked malnourished.
Some were hawking goods on the ground, some were wandering idly, others just sat down wherever, their eyes empty and dull.
So this was war.
Even before it had truly begun, it had already brought such suffering.
She sighed softly.
If this had been a month ago, she might have done what she could to help these refugees.
But not now.
‘Doing too much is beyond my ability; doing too little is thankless… I’ll wait for the lady to return and handle these matters. Then I’ll do something for those who truly need help.’
With that thought, Reliel pulled the reins to leave the street.
Clop, clop, clop…
But the next second, a young boy suddenly ran out from the side.
“Um… Are you the lady’s messenger?”
Reliel paused slightly, then nodded instinctively.
“Good! Great One, please follow me. I’ll take you to the Queen Bee~”
Queen Bee? Reliel’s face showed confusion again, and the boy was quick to read her expression.
“Well… you likely know the Queen Bee. Her name is Jenny Bess. She’s the leader of the organization The Hive under the lady.”
Jenny… Of course Reliel knew her. They had met once before. The lady had also said to deliver the letter to her.
‘The Hive… that’s the first time I’ve heard of it.’
But Reliel didn’t dig deeper. She simply said one word.
“Lead the way.”
“Yes! Please come with me~”
The two traveled through many small alleys. The deeper they went, the fewer people there were.
Reliel also noticed that among those moving about or resting, a large number were skilled fighters, at least no worse than ordinary mercenaries.
The moment she appeared in the alley, they would glance over, then look away after seeing the boy.
After walking for over ten minutes, there was almost no sign of refugees.
They arrived in front of a building in the middle of a street.
It was a three-story structure with a sign reading Violet Café.
“Please go inside, Great One. The Queen Bee is waiting for you.”
Reliel nodded slowly, handed the reins to the servant standing at the door, and stepped into the café.
The moment she entered, a faint aroma of cocoa mixed with tea filled her nose.
“Reliel~” Before she could examine the decor or layout, a gentle female voice sounded from the side.
She turned to see a warm, mild-looking girl with flowing blonde hair standing beside an ordinary booth, rising to wave at her.
It was Jenny. They had met before, but hadn’t spoken much.
“I didn’t expect you’d be working for the lady too~” Jenny sat down and teased with a smile.
“Mhm.” Surprisingly, Reliel admitted it without any hesitation.
‘Such a cold, straightforward personality… It’s like punching cotton.’ Jenny thought.
But Reliel probably didn’t grasp the implication, nor was she interested in waging a power struggle with Jenny over favor. She simply placed the letter on the table and slid it forward.
“It’s regarding the lady’s orders.” Jenny dropped her playful attitude, picked up the letter, and read it carefully.
“As expected of the lady! She can always spot the blind spots in a chaotic situation!!” Jenny said excitedly after reading, her admiration so intense it almost blinded Reliel sitting across from her.
“Ah~ Her handwriting is still so beautiful~”
“Sniff sniff… Mmm… Is this her scent?”
“It’s faint… but I can smell it… A light milky fragrance~”
Reliel watched as Jenny, after her excitement, wore a face of utter rapture, stroking and sniffing the letter. Her expression darkened.
‘This letter… I’ve been carrying it against my chest the whole way. What exactly is she smelling?’