*tap*
Without a moment's hesitation, I sprang to my feet and dashed out of the room. Surprisingly, the guard who had been looking at me didn't stop me; instead, he chose to follow, confirming that the investigation surrounding me wasn't as critical as the current situation with the "Renouncer."
As I emerged from the cabinet, I found the entire area in disarray. A sizable crowd had gathered outside, and an air of panic hung thick in the atmosphere. People were huddled in groups, whispering anxiously to each other, while others paced nervously.
My gaze swept from right to left, scanning for any sign of Amelia amidst the chaos.
'There!' Blaze's voice echoed in my mind as he emerged from my tote bag and hopped onto my shoulder, his sharp eyes locking onto Amelia's distinct figure amidst the turmoil.
"What the fuck is going on?" I muttered under my breath, my eyes fixed on Amelia, who had a cold expression on her face as she stared down at someone at her feet. Her hand, resting on her sword hilt, trembled with barely suppressed anger.
As I observed the scene, my curiosity piqued when I noticed a cat-like woman kneeling before Amelia. The woman seemed to be the target of Amelia's disdainful gaze.
"Leave my aunt!" a crying voice rang out from the left, drawing my attention to a little girl held tightly by a guard, who was doing his best to comfort the child.
"What is going on?" I asked, feeling someone grab the hood of my robe.
Fwip.
Swiftly, I turned around, instinctively preparing to defend myself against any potential attack. My hand was infused with mana, ready to retaliate, but to my relief, I recognized the familiar face of William beneath the hood.
"Huh... William," I paused, realizing the situation had taken an unexpected turn. I glanced at his badge hanging from his uniform pocket, and my guard began to ease.
"Come here," William said, motioning for me to follow him to a slightly less crowded area, just a few steps back.
"What?" I asked, my gaze still wandering back to the scene with Amelia and the cat woman.
"That's something I should be asking! What are you doing here, far from Sephra?" William gritted his teeth as he grabbed me by my collar.
"Uh oh," Blaze jumped down from my shoulder as if trying to distance himself from the commotion.
"Sir William, I don't think this is how you should-" I grabbed him by his wrist and pulled his hand away from me, surprised by my own action. Since he did not use his power, it was easy to do, but it still seemed to startle him, "-be treating a civilian, is it?"
"!?" His eyes widened as he looked at me, but then he quickly composed himself and pulled his hand out of my grasp easily, saying, "Your adventure is bearing fruit, I guess."
He is strong, that's my honest thought.
"Anyways, why are you here?" He asked again, and I repeated my words like a parrot, telling him about my adventure and the experiences I gained, but he was the only one who didn't seem to believe me.
Sigh.
"Fine." Rubbing his temples, he turned as if to admit defeat, but I stopped him by tapping on his shoulder and asked, "Are you familiar with Adam Stales?" I tried to sound nonchalant.
"How do you know him?" William asked with an unexplainable emotion on his face.
"Oh, so you do, huh?" I said, looking back at Amelia. The woman at her feet was begging and crying, but Amelia.... said nothing.
"What's going on there?" I asked, genuinely interested in what was happening.
"First answer me, how do you know Adam?" William demanded.
"He's the boyfriend of my childhood friend, Mary," I said without facing him. This time, surprisingly, there was no reaction from Ren inside me.
He kept his promise, I guess.
'looks like that guy finally moved on,' Blaze voiced my thoughts in my mind.
"Eh?" William's dumbfounded expression made him look like a cat that had its tongue taken.
Considering how Adam behaves around women, it's quite cliché. He gets shy over a lot of things, so it's hard to believe that he scored.
'We'll, at least he doesn't drunkenly attack someone,' Blaze threw a jab at me, and I couldn't come up with a witty retort this time. That was a low blow.
"Now tell me, what's happening there? What's a Renouncer?" I asked as William emerged from his thoughts. His face looked like a vacant shell, devoid of any emotions.
"Renouncers are despicable people who sell others without their knowledge to slave dealers. That woman over there is a Renouncer. She was trying to sell that girl to the other side of the border," William explained, his eyes regaining focus.
Amelia, still standing near the kneeling woman, showed no mercy or compassion. Her cold expression made it clear that she had no sympathy for the criminal before her.
As we observed the scene from afar, the crying girl held tightly by the guard caught my attention. Her innocent face, twisted with fear and sorrow.
"Why does she do this?" I asked as I didn't know,
'trying to act innocent,haha,' Blaze caught up.
William's eyes followed my gaze, and he seemed to understand my fake sentiment. "Greed, desperation, or perhaps a twisted sense of power. Renouncers are driven by their own motives, often fueled by the darkest parts of human nature," he said with a somber tone.
I couldn't help but think.....how much they make?
Immoral as it may be, the lure of money must be significant for them to consider selling their own kin like this.
Amelia's voice broke my contemplation as she issued her orders to the guards. "Take her away and lock her up. The authorities will deal with her accordingly."
The guards swiftly obeyed, leading the Renouncer away while she continued to cry and plead for mercy. The young girl she had attempted to sell clung to the guard tightly, seeking safety and solace in the midst of the chaos.
"How many of these cases usually happen?" The question slipped from my lips unconsciously, revealing my curiosity about the extent of such crimes.
William paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought before answering. "Currently, we are dealing with more cases than we'd like to admit," he replied with a hint of frustration.
"Is that the reason you are here?" I asked.
"No, it's because of the prince... nothing," William stopped just before completing his sentence, leaving me wondering if he was referring to Aron Adiel Velcrow or another individual of royal status.
As the commotion settled down, Amelia turned back to me, her eyes meeting mine. "You can leave now... I don't have time for you right now. Go there and sign the border crossing paper, and then leave," she said with a neutral tone, dismissing me from her presence.
"Sir, umm," she looked at William, momentarily forgetting his name.
"It's William Stales, Dame," he quickly reminded her, straightening his posture but avoiding direct eye contact.
"Sir William, I'd like you to come to my office." With those words, she left, and William followed, leaving behind parting advice.
"Don't do anything that'll make your parents sad." His words struck a chord, making me respect him as a responsible knight.
'Are you going to follow his advice?' Blaze asked as he returned inside the bag.
"Hmm... nah," I replied, knowing that his advice wouldn't change my course of action.
I took Amelia's words as an opportunity to leave the distressing scene behind. Walking away from the cabinet, the setting sun casts an orange glow over the city, adding to the weight on my mind.
I passed through the gates of the Reva Kingdom. As I stepped out, I felt a mixture of relief and curiosity about what lay ahead in the Kingdom of Grav. The orange hues of the setting sun painted the landscape with a warm glow as I made my way towards the border.
The border guard, a sturdy-looking man with a beard, examined my identification documents and the signed paper. After confirming my identity, he nodded and gave me a reassuring smile. "Safe travels, sir. Enjoy your time in the Kingdom of Grav."
"Thank you," I replied, returning the smile, and continued my journey.
I took a carriage to nearby town.
The transition from Reva Kingdom to Grav Kingdom was evident in the changing architecture and landscape. The Grav Kingdom had a more imposing and grandeur feel to it, with its stone structures and fortified walls.
"Hey, Princess!" Blaze shouted in my mind, and I looked at him as he poked his head out.
"What are these?" He seemed shocked.
"Oh... a few documents that I picked up from the cabinet," I said as I pulled out the file. It was quite large. "These are files on a few criminal syndicates."
"You sly bastard," Blaze said, but I know he's impressed too.
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