◈ 176. [Side Story] The night before the party (2)
“… … .”
Serenade was looking down at the pile of papers on her desk.
The document contained cryptic text, and she had just deciphered and read it.
“Whoa.”
Serenade wiped her aching forehead with her fingertips.
More than she thought, the information gathering power of the Winter Silver Merchants was powerful.
I was able to do a wide range of research on the information Ash had instructed me to gather.
The problem was content.
‘It’s too sensitive.’
Although most of them were fragmentary and fragmentary contents due to extensive investigation.
The shrewd serenade was able to read the entire flow at once just by skimming through the fragments of the information.
‘This is information that could be fatal to the imperial family.’
That’s probably why Ash ordered us to investigate this.
However, collecting this information is itself too risky.
Ash is really… … Do you think this information will save the Wintersilver Merchant?
It was then.
ping- ping-
The sound of something cutting through the air came from outside the window.
“huh?”
At the same time as the serenade raises its head curiously,
With Chaeng!
Glass windows shattered, and arrows that caught fire fell inside.
Fire-!
In no time, the fire spread through the building. Serenade became contemplative and jumped up from the seat.
‘What is this?!’
no way… … Did you get followed?
Did someone notice that Wintersilver was gathering this information and try to get rid of it? If not, has the extinction that Ash spoke of already begun?
“Cough, Cough Cough!”
Many thoughts crossed my mind, but I had to escape from this place first. Serenade covered her mouth with a cloth and tried to leave the room.
Then, suddenly, my feet stopped.
It doesn’t matter if the gold, silver, treasures and silk piled up in the upper chamber are burned.
I had to keep the information Ash told me to gather.
Serenade hurriedly unfolded her overcoat, shoved a bundle of papers into it, and left the room with the rolled up overcoat wrapped around her arms.
The flames carried by the flaming arrows must have been treated magically, and the flames quickly spread throughout the building.
“miss!”
“Supra Lord!”
When I came out, I saw other servants struggling to put out the fire. The serenade shouted.
“Calm down, get out of the building! Check to make sure no one is left! Evacuate immediately!”
If it is a magical flame, it cannot be extinguished by ordinary human hands. Better to evacuate quickly.
Following Serenade’s instructions, the servants began to leave in an orderly manner.
After taking a last look around the hallway, Serenade tried to go down the stairs.
I was going to, until I found another maid on the other side of the hallway choking.
“… … !”
Serenade hurriedly rushed to the maid, quickly supported her on her shoulders and lifted her up.
Blazing-
The fire intensified. Black smoke from the burning building covered my eyes.
Feeling breathless, Serenade gritted her teeth.
***
Elise and I ran in front of the Wintersilver Upper Building, which had been engulfed in flames.
A fire demon flicks the tongue and eats up tall and colorful buildings.
People who have gathered are pouring seawater next to them to put out the fire, but the flames do not budge.
“Serenade lady!”
Elise screamed and ran toward the building.
Elise shouted at the upper class people who were struggling to extinguish the fire in the building.
“Where is the serenade girl?!”
“That, that’s because you haven’t seen it since before… … .”
Elise looked at the burning building with a white face.
“Then, by any chance, you couldn’t evacuate… … ?”
The building is already completely engulfed in fire, and it is impossible to get inside.
Chew!
Nevertheless, Elise threw a bucket of sea water on her head and tried to jump inside.
I urgently grabbed Elise’s shoulder.
“Wait a minute, Elise! What are you doing!”
“Can’t you see! If the master is inside, I must go get him!”
“Are you crazy?! If you go in there, you will be burned to death too!”
“If the master is in there! If you can’t get out!”
Elise spat out ferociously.
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“Then I will burn with you.”
“… … .”
“If that’s the last thing I can do for you, master, I will.”
I hesitated for a moment whether I should stop this twisted loyalty or let them do as they please.
“You don’t have to do that, Elise.”
A weak voice came from the side.
Surprised, I saw a woman wearing a gray robe among the clamoring crowd.
It was a serenade. The face visible through the robes was covered with soot.
“We got out before the building was completely burned down. Cough… … !”
“serenade!”
“master!”
“Shh.”
Serenade, who put her index finger on her lips, staggered toward the pier.
“Come this way.”
At the pier, there was a yacht from the Winter Silver Merchant that I had been on before.
“Let’s get out of here at once.”
Elise hurriedly ran to the captain’s office and began preparing to launch the ship.
Serenade entered the cabin of the ship and sat down as if it were collapsing.
Sitting across from me, I asked urgently.
“Are you okay, serenade?”
“I am okay. Coke! Rather, the information that Mr. Nanggun ordered me to gather… … .”
Serenade, with a devastated face, held out the precious thing she was holding in her arms.
“Because I delayed my exit, they all burned… … .”
All the rolls of paper that Serenade held out were scorched and the ink evaporated, making it impossible to make out what they were about.
“I’m sorry, sir… … If I had escaped quickly, the information would have been safe, but our people were choking on the smoke. I can’t let it go.”
“… … .”
“As a merchant by name, what is still more important… … Judgment is slow. Even though this information is more valuable than anything else… … .”
“No, serenade. You did it right.”
I smiled and carefully squeezed the soot-stained hand of the serenade.
“Nothing is more important than people.”
“… … .”
Serenade looked at me with blank eyes.
The yacht has departed. The boat cut through the waves and left the coast and dug into the inland sea.
Instead of the burned papers, Serenade organized the remaining information in her head and told me one by one.
The details of the previously fragmented information were further crushed, and the vague links between information were all crumbled.
Serenade couldn’t remember some information at all, perhaps because of the shock of escaping the fire scene.
But it was enough. What I needed anyway was not the details of the information, but the minimum basis for me to tease my tongue.
I nodded.
“You worked hard, Serenade. that’s enough.”
“I am… … My dear, could I have been of any help?”
“of course.”
Relief flashed across Serenade’s face in the robe.
This time, I took out what I had brought from her bosom and gave it to her. Serenade was bewildered and accepted it.
“My lord, this is… … ?”
“It’s an invitation to a victory celebration party.”
The final showdown here in the ecliptic, which will be held tomorrow.
It is an entrance ticket to the party.
“… … .”
Accepting the invitation, the serenade remained still. I tilted my head.
“what’s the matter?”
“No, the fact that Prince Nang invited me to such a big event of the imperial family… … It’s the first time.”
But in time, Serenade returned the invitation to me.
“But, sir. I’m really sorry… … I don’t think I can attend.”
“why?”
“… … .”
The hesitant serenade took off the robe slowly.
I took a small breath.
Her beautiful blue hair was scorched and curled unsightly, and her white skin was burnt and red in places.
Avoiding my gaze, the serenade murmured.
“How can you attend the imperial family’s party like this?”
“… … .”
“It’s a place where celebrities from all over the world gather, but if someone called Wintersilver Sangsanju appears like this… … Everyone will laugh at you.”
Serenade’s head lowered lower and lower.
“More than anything… … In this situation, I will not be able to stand next to you tomorrow.”
“… … .”
“If that’s the case, I’d rather not go at all… … .”
I squeezed the hand of such a serenade.
“serenade. Let me just say this. I need you tomorrow.”
“yes… … ?”
“To save your Wintersilver family. Also, to determine the path my southern front will take. You must come to the party tomorrow.”
This fire made it clear. The imperial family is already trying to get rid of the Wintersilver family.
Whether it’s because he took out information that shouldn’t be touched, or because the time has come for extinction, or both, either way.
To survive, Serenade must attend the party tomorrow.
For always the bow is in death.
“… … .”
Serenade’s sallow face hardened at the words that I needed him.
Her silver eyes closed tightly, then opened brightly with determination.
“… … If so, I will definitely go. Even if it gets worse than this, I will stand at the party.”
I nodded heavily.
We had a long meeting afterward about what to do at the party tomorrow.
It wasn’t until late at night that we returned to the port.
The upper level building had already been completely burned and only ashes remained, and only a few upper level people were seen cleaning up the wreckage.
‘It’s not a form of arrest, it’s just a magic fire arrow attack… … .’
No matter how you look at it, it’s a secret method.
I realized that the road to the serenade party tomorrow itself would be tough.
“Elise.”
The ship reached the port, and right before disembarking, I asked Elise a small question.
“You must have the confidence to keep the serenade, right?”
Elise growled, exuding anticipation from her dark blue eyes.
“Even at the cost of this life.”
“I want to save my life… … .”
Still, the escort of this SSR-class swordsman was reliable.
“cheer up.”
I tapped Elise on the shoulder. Elise suddenly opened her eyes and glanced at me.
Serenade quickly gave instructions to the servants at the guild waiting at the port.
It was about dealing with the fire and telling everyone to go back to the Wintersilver family’s mansion and strengthen their defenses.
“Please go back to the detached palace, sir. I ordered the wagon to be prepared.”
Serenade came to me. I chinned.
“you?”
“The place where I am is going to be dangerous, so I won’t go back to my family tonight… … I want to be on this sea with Elise.”
Serenade smiled bitterly and ran a hand through the ends of her burnt hair.
“Also preparing to go to the party tomorrow.”
I grinned.
“Don’t expect it.”
“Don’t expect… … .”
As if she was very worried, Serenade let out a sigh.
The boat with Elise and Serenade left for the sea again.
On the boat, I waved my hand toward the serenade that bowed down at me, and I walked towards the carriage prepared by the Winter Silver Company.
And, I made up my mind.
for the southern front. And for the capture of this harsh game.
With the serenade… … .
Tomorrow, I’m going to break off the engagement.
***
next day.
Finally, the morning of the victory party was bright.
