Chapter 22: Departure
“This…?” Bai drew the pulse pistol, hesitated, then shook her head. “This pulse pistol requires Psychic Energy Crystals, and I don’t have any left.”
Victoria’s equipment was powerful, but also incredibly resource-intensive.
A single shot consumed one standard Psychic Energy Crystal, which typically cost a hundred gold coins.
A commoner family’s monthly expenses were around one hundred and fifty to two hundred silver coins, equivalent to about two gold coins. One shot from this pistol cost fifty families a month’s worth of expenses.
That’s why Bai had only used it as a last resort against Glaimond, and even then, she had only had one crystal.
And with only one shot, her aim hadn’t been perfect. She had been aiming for Glaimond’s head, but hit his heart instead.
“It’s fine. Use the pistol,” Leticia said, waving her hand dismissively and tossing a ring to Bai. “Psychic Energy Crystals? I have plenty. Take these.”
“Lady Leticia, this—” Bai caught the ring, her expression hesitant.
It wasn’t Leticia’s generosity that surprised her, but the ring itself. It was a spatial ring, incredibly valuable, far beyond the value of gold or even Psychic Energy Crystals.
Similar to the Gatekeeper’s ring, but with a much smaller storage space, meant only for storing items.
Still, it was a precious artifact. The North Empire couldn’t create such rings; the few that remained were legacies of the ancient empire.
“I’m not giving you the ring, just lending it to you,” Leticia said, seeing Bai’s hesitation, a smile on her face. “Even Legendary Knights only have one each. I’m not that generous.”
“But feel free to use the crystals inside. It’s not much, but it should be enough.”
Bai exhaled, then put the ring away. “In that case, thank you, Lady Leticia.”
“You’re welcome. You owe me nothing,” Leticia nodded, her smile enigmatic.
Before Bai could dwell on her words, Leticia turned towards the door. “Rolof, come in.”
“Lady Leticia.” The door opened, and Rolof entered.
He paused upon seeing Bai, then offered a stiff compliment. “You look… lovely, Captain Bai.”
“Thank you,” Bai nodded, but a strange wave of aversion washed over her.
Something wasn’t right…
She couldn’t explain it. Rolof seemed the same as before, even his compliment was the standard, almost robotic, praise typical of knights, as if they had been trained to say it.
…Of course, she had been no different.
“When do we leave?” Bai asked, suppressing her unease, looking at Rolof.
“Now. Time is of the essence,” Rolof said seriously. “I’ve checked the Crown Guard records. Sugg should still be at his base in the capital. Since he’s involved in this, we need to question him quickly.”
“Base? You know where it is?” Bai was surprised. If they knew, why hadn’t they done anything about his highway robbery?
“Of course,” Rolof glanced at Bai. “He hasn’t broken any laws within the capital. Anything outside the city is beyond the Crown Guard’s jurisdiction. I have no authority to interfere.”
“…I don’t understand you people,” Bai said, heading towards the door. “Let’s go. This is troublesome, but I’d like to resolve it quickly.”
Rolof watched her go, his eyes narrowed slightly, a strange look on his face.
But he didn’t say anything, simply following her.
…
“Sugg’s base is an abandoned warehouse in the southern outskirts. Many mercenaries operate in that area. Sugg’s group is one of the larger ones, but he’s currently using a different name.”
“If you hadn’t mentioned ‘Sugg,’ even with his records, we wouldn’t have known it was his group,” Rolof said, glancing at Bai. “But Captain Bai, how did you know it was Sugg?”
“I just happened to learn his name,” Bai said casually, not mentioning Erlya.
Some things were best kept secret, even without explicit instructions from Princess Lilia.
Rolof didn’t press the issue, only masking his expression slightly.
They were currently on their way to the southern outskirts, accompanied by three other Crown Guards.
These knights, assigned to assist in the investigation, each possessed unique skills.
However, even these seasoned knights couldn’t help but stare at Bai, a serious-faced little girl in a middle school uniform, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
“Little sister, how old are you?” one of the female knights asked, leaning closer to Bai, her eyes twinkling.
“…” Bai couldn’t tell them her real age, nineteen.
But even that age was… questionable.
If she went by her appearance, she would have to say…
“Nine and a half?” she tried, seeing no reaction from the knight, she said more confidently, “Yes, nine and a half.”
“Wow, you’re so young, yet you’re helping us with this investigation,” the knight smiled. “My name is Grace. You can call me Sister Grace, or just ‘sister’ if you like.”
“Um… sister,” Bai said hesitantly.
“Such a good girl,” Grace’s smile widened as Bai addressed her in her sweet, childish voice. “If there’s any danger, just hide behind me. I’ll protect you!”
Bai nodded, though if there was any danger, she would likely be the one protecting these Sixth-Order knights…
Rolof glared at Grace, and she quickly straightened up, resuming her formal posture.
Rolof was known for his strictness and his lack of humor; Grace didn’t want to provoke him.
But why had he allowed this nine-and-a-half-year-old girl to join the investigation?
