Chapter 111: Entrance

Cornifer, Midas, and Ramses watched as a woman with glimmering-sapphire eyes and stark-black hair, dressed in fanciful clothes that only a woman with wealth would wear waltzed into the monastery on Cobbler's Street. Stunned, they all set down their drinks in unison, giving the full of their attention to her. She was accompanied by a tall man who was dressed quite similar to her; he was feminine in appearance, with fiery-orange hair tied up behind his head. They were both regal, elegant: not befitting a dark and dreary place like the lower borough. Wasn't this too strange a visit?

Ramses extended his good hand pleasantly, leaning upwards as he took a step towards them, smiling genially. "Good morning, Miss, Sir. Are you here to worship? The Father responsible for guiding sermons is currently out, but you're welcome to experience your own silence if you wish. Just take a seat. If you would like some tea, it's freshly brewed, and I would be happy to bring you some. It's a bit of a cold day, isn't it?"

Cornifer took another glance at the woman, up and down, as if failing to recall something. He sifted through the countless memories in his head, the familiar image of a piercing blue gaze entering his mind. His eyes widened, and he immediately fell to one knee, bowing his head towards the woman who had just arrived. The two men looked at Cornifer with surprise.

Cornifer spoke in a pleasant, genial, and respectful tone, something very uncommon for him. "Your Royal Highness, it's an honour to make your acquaintance. Is there something we might do for you? In our capacity as Heaven's Roses, you might use us as you see fit."

After hearing Cornifer's words, Ramses and Midas immediately followed suit, falling to one knee and bowing their heads, the former's mind racing.

'A princess of the Empire!? I should have hidden myself. Shouldn't such a person be automatically opposed to someone of my origin? Damn it, what might happen now? What is a princess doing in the lower borough? No… why is such a person even in Leiden? Higher Nobility lives in the high borough, but a person of this stature… what business do they have here?'

Embarassed, Artis waved her hands, signalling them to stop bowing. "Please, don't worry about such formalities. I'm not here on any official business. I'm only here looking for Lumière Croft. Do you know if he's currently here?"

Cornifer, Ramses, and Midas glanced towards each other in a confused fashion, Ramses's anxieties easing a bit. Cornifer looked back towards Artis and asked in response. "Lumière isn't here currently. Is there something you might say to him that I can relay once I see him again?"

There was one massive question that sat at the forefront of the White Roses's minds.

'Why is a princess looking for Lumière?'

"No, it's alright. If possible, I would just like to meet with him. Do you know where he might be at this time?"

Cornifer lowered his head, thinking. He looked over towards Midas, asking in a low tone, "is Mr. Benedict still heading out towards the high borough?"

Midas nodded his head. "At the same time, Lumière should be handling whatever 'personal matter' it was that Mr. Selaphiel tasked him with. It might be impossible to determine where he could be."

Cornifer looked back towards the princess, shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry, your Highness. He's currently attending to a matter we have no knowledge of, so it would be quite difficult to locate him. I'm sure he will return here eventually, but he tends to be away for days at a time."

Artis nodded her head in understanding. "That's alright, then. If you do see him, tell him that 'Artis Faulkner' will be waiting for him where we always have. If I'm not there at that time, he simply needs to ask one of the attendants to send me a message, and I will arrive there shortly. Thank you for indulging me."

After bowing her head as if to say goodbye, and without the strangely-effeminate man having said a word, the two turned their heels and exited the monastery, leaving the three men confused and shocked.

Midas let out a chuckle as soon as the two had left earshot. 

"The magician is quite popular, isn't he?"

—

Ainsworth and Dietrich stood before a large gateway at the higher edge of the middle borough, which had dozens of guards stationed outside. Unlike the long lines of merchants and ordinary men and women who would enter and exit the middle borough from one of the four gates, this fifth gate was quite different. After all, very few had matters to attend to within the high borough, so there was no such line waiting for approved entry.

Ainsworth and Dietrich had dressed themselves in more classical robes, a change of ordinary clothes tucked away in their shoulder bags. After they attended to the Church-related matter in the high borough, they would immediately set themselves on investigating the printing house nearby the Cattleya estate. Their entry was always meant as a farce, a pretense for their investigation. Still, it was a matter of the Church, and so they would handle it seriously.

They had left the golden slate behind- it was key evidence. If the Cattleya family really had a hand in mobilising the Nameless, and by extension being supported by the Argyle family's head, Gallian Argyle, then the corresponding evidence would be best brought to the opposing Consul, Rravious Tormoul. After all, short of the Emperor, he would be the best bet in deposing the Cattleya and Argyle families, making it simple for Heaven's Roses and the Charred Sentinels from the Church of the Eternal Blueprint to take them out. A large operation would certainly be conducted in the high borough of Leiden and the Argyle family home in Lindgram simultaneously, giving them no chance to flee.

Ainsworth's blood boiled as he stepped up to the gate, trying not to let a grimace overtake his genial expression.

If they were really involved with the Nameless, he would make sure they all died.

"What else did Selaphiel say about the paranormal matter that arose in the eastern segment of the high borough?" Dietrich wondered as they walked up towards the massive wall separating the middle and high borough.

"There's an evil spirit dwelling there, apparently. Not too powerful, but enough to be a disturbance to the Noble houses in that area. It should just end up being a matter of cleansing it through ritual. Our abilities won't be needed."

"That sounds easy enough. But why did a spirit appear in the high borough? Shouldn't they, of all people, live a life of appeasement?"

"Apparently the spirit is tied to an item that was imported from an area farther away. The City of Deepslate near the northern coast of the continent has begun trade once more."

"Ah, I recall hearing about that." Dietrich nodded his head understandingly. "They've started moving soldiers through the Emerald Isthmus in order to fight against that Nation of Ghouls. For what reason is uncertain… but it definitely means that the City of Deepslate feels secure enough again to begin trade. Due to the peculiarities of that region, we might experience such paranormal occurrences more and more…"

Ainsworth took a moment, glancing up at the grey sky as he sighed. "War… so soon, once more?"

He straightened his gloves and collar, stepping up towards the gate attendant sitting behind a polished desk embedded into the inner wall of the gate. He wore a simple yet cleanly-tailored uniform that gave off the distinguished look of a civil servant. Of course, this was exactly what the man was. Besides the guards, he was essentially the only thing that stood between a person and the world of Nobless.

Seeing them, the gate attendant's expression didn't change, a bit sullen and gruff. He simply stared at them, as if waiting for them to say anything at all.

"Good afternoon, sir. We're here on behalf of the Church of the Crown of Thorns, under the orders of Saint Selaphiel." Sticking to the cover story, Ainsworth smiled genially. "I am Reverend Father Benedict, and this is Archbishop Reiche. There are matters in the eastern portion of the high borough that require more… 'holy' tending to."

The gate attendant looked toward Ainsworth, and then slowly towards Dietrich, and then let out a soft, annoyed sigh.

"Proof of identity?" The attendant spoke without a change in tone. He simply didn't care. But proof of identity? Was this something they really needed? Ainsworth hadn't been told to prepare such a thing! Was it different for a Saint, a powerful Archangel who could just waltz through the gate? 

Remembering how quickly Selaphiel could move through Leiden, Ainsworth discounted the thought. It was probably the case that Selaphiel didn't have to go through the gate at all. He could boundlessly leap over the wall itself! To be so powerful that you could ignore gravity itself… Ainsworth couldn't fathom it.

He glanced towards Dietrich, who had already raised his hand, palm turned towards the gate attendant. Small flecks of starlight began to glow a bright-sapphire in his hands, coalescing into a greater orb as if he were about to cast a spell at the attendant. Tiny blue particles erupted in the air, starlight dispersing as soon as it had been conjured. While it was prone to explosions, it could also be de-primed just as quickly.

However, contrary to his expectations that such a careless thing might fail, the attendant nodded his head. "Good enough, you can go."

Ainsworth's jaw almost dropped, staring haphazardly at the two men. 

"Huh…?"