NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45
The next morning.
As expected, the incident of Marquis Denroha’s monster exhibition was featured in the newspaper.
And as expected, Tan’s story was also full on the front page.
[The hero who saved people. Who is the Beast of the Night?]
Sellonia closed the newspaper she was holding, thinking that it would be quite a headache.
The article wasn’t the problem at the moment.
The previous evening, the messenger from Wicklander delivered a letter.
He said that he had found the book they had talked about back then, so he asked her to visit the store.
The day was dawning, and Sellonia was just getting ready to head to the Monterra magic district.
“M-Miiiss!”
Yet then, Ella’s voice suddenly rang out from the hallway.
Judging from the fact that she was so flustered, she must have read the newspaper.
“Miss! We’re in trouble!”
“Come in.”
As soon as permission was given, Ella came running in, out of breath.
“Ugh, ugh… The newspaper, did you see the newspaper today?”
As expected, Ella pointed to the newspaper she was holding.
“I know. He has become very famous.”
“N-No! Not Sir Tan! This!”
Ella shook her head and pointed to a small article on the back page of the newspaper, not the front page.
“Whoa, here! It’s the store we went to!”
Sellonia read the article she received from Ella.
It was a very small article at the bottom, probably because it wasn’t covered much.
[Magic district store owner dies in a large fire.
Last night on the 19th, a large fire broke out at the Wicklander store in the magic district west of Monterra. The fire was put out in two hours, yet the owner, Wicklander, died on the spot after being caught in the flames and unable to leave the store.]
***
“Marquis Denroha.”
“…Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Marquis Denroha bowed his head, sweating profusely, toward the Emperor sitting on the highest throne in the Empire.
In the end, Marquis Denroha had been summoned to the audience room by the Emperor due to the monster commotion yesterday.
“You captured a monster and brought it to the capital without telling me. How dare you come up with such a bold idea.”
The golden eyes, as bright as the sun, became as sharp and narrow as the eyes of an eagle.
The serious voice, as deep as a big mountain, didn’t ask questions or give an opportunity to make excuses.
“I-I have committed a mortal sin, Your Imperial Majesty. I was momentarily blinded and made a mistake.”
Marquis Denroha quickly knelt down on the floor and begged.
Although capturing a monster and exhibiting it wasn’t illegal, in any case, yesterday’s incident almost caused great damage.
Furthermore, he knew that the Emperor would shudder at the sight of the Demon King and monsters more than anyone else, so he had no choice but to beg now.
“That monster was as big as a house. You locked it up in a single iron cage?”
“T-That… It was definitely tested and tested multiple times during production to prove that it was sturdy and safe…”
“It broke. And the monster escaped.”
“…I apologize.”
Since the Emperor’s words were all true, Marquis Denroha stopped making any more excuses and just tightened his body even tighter.
“Since there were no casualties, I will end this punishment by paying compensation.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue and gave a disposition to Marquis Denroha, who was lying flat on his back.
Emperor Arhexios was well over 50 years old this year, yet his serious and stern face, with no trace of a smile, made him look like he was in his early 40s.
His platinum blonde hair was always neatly swept back.
His hair, which never went out of place, always showed his sharp personality.
The Emperor had heard of the trend among the nobles to capture monsters and display them.
They had nothing to be interested in, so they weren’t only interested in monsters, but also wanted to show off his wealth by displaying them.
They were incredibly stupid and foolish.
He was shocked to think that these people were his subjects.
“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“The compensation will be 500 gold coins.”
“…Pardon?”
“Are you dissatisfied, Marquis Denroha? After risking something that could ruin the system?”
Emperor Arhexios glared at Tenroha, who had raised his head in confusion.
The Emperor, who had been on the throne for over 20 years, had the power to suppress any objections to his actions with a single glance.
“N-No. It’s a fair judgment.”
In the end, Marquis Denroha had no choice but to back down.
500 gold coins was enough to buy a very nice mansion in the system. Of course, 500 gold coins wasn’t a big blow to Marquis Denroha.
However, the amount of compensation was too high compared to what he had done. It wasn’t illegal, and there were no casualties anyway.
However, if the situation hadn’t been resolved as the Emperor said, something terrible would have happened after that, so he accepted it in order to quickly cover up the situation.
“By the way, who was the one who defeated that monster the size of a house?”
“Well, it was the one called the Beast of the Night.”
“Duke Cherville was there too.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Hmm.”
After hearing the story from yesterday in detail, the Emperor leaned back on his throne and stroked his chin.
Even though the Commander of the Imperial Knights was there, the Beast of the Night killed the monster the size of a house in one breath.
He heard that he was currently staying at Duke Basin’s house for a while, but he was originally a homeless wanderer, and was quite famous for helping the poor even in difficult times. Arhexios liked capable young men.
That was why Duke Ian Cherville was able to become the Commander of the Imperial Knights even though he was young.
The Emperor’s golden eyes caught his interest. He thought that if he had the chance, he should see his face.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
“Come in.”
The Emperor gave an order at the aide’s voice heard from outside.
The large and magnificent door opened and the aide came in, quickly walking towards the Emperor, bowing his head and whispering secretly.
The Emperor’s eyebrow rose as he heard the story.
“The Grand Duke of Hershbrook came to the capital?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Hmm. What’s the matter with the Grand Duke who rarely comes from the North, I wonder.”
The Emperor was lost in thought about the Grand Duke’s sudden visit to the capital, and then spoke to the Marquis Denroha, who was still in front of him.
“Marquis Denroha, you should leave now.”
“Yes. Then I will leave.”
The Marquis of Denloha quickly left the audience room.
“First, tell the Grand Duke to stop by the palace first.”
“Yes. I understand.”
As the aide who received the order opened the door to leave the audience room, a woman who had been standing to see the Emperor came rushing into the room.
“Father!”
She then ran to the Emperor in one stride, her beautiful blond hair fluttering.
“Oh. Titania. My daughter, come quickly.”
The Emperor, who had always been solemn, relaxed his expression and greeted the beautiful princess.
***
“What happened…”
Ella looked at the charred store in front of her and said with a bewildered face.
So did Sellonia.
As soon as she saw the article, she headed straight to the Wicklander store.
A few days ago, the Wicklander store, which had a unique door with a ginkgo tree painted on it, was now charred black as charcoal, leaving only its frame. The fire must have been so big that even after the fire was out, a faint smoke was rising from the piles of ash on the ground where the building once stood.
Merchants and customers were gathered around the charred shop, and several knights from the Magic District Patrol and the Imperial Palace were talking to each other at the scene of the fire.
“He got the book, so he asked me to come today, yet…”
Sellonia muttered with a blank expression.
Wicklander had sent her a letter last night saying that he had found the book.
So she had planned to stop by the shop today.
“What should we do…”
“That’s right. Why did the fire start?”
“I heard from the knights dispatched from the Imperial Palace that it seemed like a simple fire. They said that the fire started when the sparks from the fireplace, which had been lit because it was cold, spread to the carpet.”
“But why did the owner get burned to death?”
“He must have been asleep, or he realized the fire too late. That’s why he couldn’t escape.”
“No, I mean, why didn’t he go home by that time… He was met with a disaster…”
The merchants’ voices of regret reached Sellonia’s ears.
‘A simple fire?’
Really?
Sellonia looked at the knights searching the scene with empty eyes.
Why is it so creepy?
Wicklander was left alone in the store when all the merchants had left work.
Because of that, the fire was discovered late and he died on the spot without being able to escape the flames.
Was it really a simple accident?
Was it just a coincidence that this accident happened after she had promised to receive the book from Wicklander?
“M-Miss?”
Ella, who was watching the scene with a gloomy face, called out to Sellonia as she passed by.
She was walking towards the burnt-out Wicklander store, which was giving off a pungent smell.
this chapter is sponsored by Acrylic Star (4/5)