"Sigh... one hundred gold coins per person."
Leon did a mental calculation and felt a bit suffocated.
'The four of us, that’s four hundred gold coins... how many damn barons do I have to rob to get that much?'
Previously, as a member of the royal family, Lucrezia could have enjoyed a "bone-breaking" 1% discount by showing her student ID.
But now...
Leon glanced at the "blacklisted individual" currently in his arms, who was busy trading verbal barbs with Vespa.
Should we just smuggle ourselves in?
Forget it... being wanted by the Holy Light Church is bad enough; if we get on the bad side of a floating city, we’re truly finished...
It seemed that once they reached Worcester City, he would have to find a way to make some money quickly.
Though he had decided to go into the city to make money, Leon was no fool.
As a major border stronghold, Worcester City was a place where commerce flourished and all sorts of people mingled, which also meant it was full of risks.
The most direct threat was the fact that a branch of the Holy Light Church was located there.
"Don't worry, My Lord, I've already scouted everything out!"
Seemingly sensing Leon’s concerns, Vespa—who had grown tired of bickering with Lucrezia—sat atop her horse and patted her flat chest with an expression that said 'I'm a professional.'
"The church in Worcester City might look grand, but there are only a handful of priests and paladins inside."
"Moreover... from what I know, most of those stationed here are the 'exiles' of the church."
"Exiles?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Right, the unlucky bastards who lost in power struggles or offended the higher-ups and were sent to this godforsaken border to live out their days."
Vespa shared the gossip with a knowing look.
"The Holy Light Church is massive; it can’t have just one voice. It used to be okay, but for some reason, the internal strife has become increasingly intense over the last few years."
"According to the grapevine, the current Pope Sostre was originally a famous 'conservative' who advocated for recovery and focused on proselytizing. But for some reason, he suddenly became an extreme 'radical' two years ago!"
At this point, Vespa instinctively glanced at Lucrezia behind Leon and lowered her voice.
"Even this abrupt war to destroy the Sylvania Kingdom was reportedly spearheaded by him. This kind of mad expansion has made him many enemies within the church, and his relationship with the... emperor is becoming increasingly strained..."
"So, those sent to local towns in other countries are mostly outcasts from other factions. These people usually just wait around to die. Unless you summon an abyssal demon right in front of them, they won’t bother sticking their noses into anyone's business."
Listening to Vespa’s intel, Leon tapped his fingers lightly on the saddle, falling into deep thought.
A conservative suddenly turning radical?
And that abrupt war of annihilation...
It seemed there was something fishy about this Pope Sostre...
Leon didn’t fully believe Vespa, but he didn’t entirely doubt her either.
While this cat usually seemed unreliable, she was actually quite capable when it came to gathering information.
Should he expect anything less from a veteran shady type from the Thieves' Guild?
Frontal confrontations might not be their forte, but when it came to swindling, poisoning, assassinations, or slipping through walls to gather intel, these folks who lived in sewers and shadows were top-tier professionals.
Especially that legendary underground emperor—Defias.
He was mysterious and formidable, a name that made people tremble.
A saying even circulated across the continent:
"The Holy Light Church and the emperor divide the authority of the day, but Defias is the uncrowned king who rules the night alone!"
If what she said was true, the danger level of Worcester City was indeed within a controllable range.
Still, he had to see and verify it for himself...
After all, Vespa wasn't under a Life Link with him. Being careful never hurt.
"Whew..."
Leon exhaled deeply, looking at the silhouette of the city in the distance, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.
"We can't hide in the shadows forever."
Whether it was making money for the floating city, finding ways to increase his strength, or searching for a way home, he had to engage with the core of this world.
And...
Leon clenched his fist. He was no longer the weakling who had just transmigrated and acted timidly.
With more power came a stiffer spine.
If he really couldn't return to Blue Star...
Then he would have to deal with the massive headache that was the Holy Light Church.
To destroy an opponent, one must understand them.
Otherwise...
Leon smirked.
How else was he supposed to play at being an emperor in this damn otherworldly realm?
"Hyah!"
Leon nudged the horse's flanks, leading the three-person team toward Worcester City.
Three days later.
Wait, what?
Why is it always 'three days later'? Do you only know this one transition?
Complaints aside, the group of four finally emerged from the long wilderness and arrived at the border stronghold of the Valerian Duchy—Worcester City.
Compared to a rural place like Kent Town, the city defenses of Worcester City were clearly much more professional, even strict.
"Halt! Routine inspection!"
At the city gate, a squad of heavily armed guards stopped them.
Beyond verifying identity documents, everyone carrying a weapon was required to tie a special red bandage—commonly known as a "peace knot"—around the blade and the hilt.
"If anyone is found in the city with a weapon lacking a peace knot, or if the knot is untied, it will be treated as 'disturbing the peace.' Penalties range from fines to imprisonment!"
A guard warned them sternly while skillfully tying a bow on A-Ling’s tachi.
When it came to verifying identities, Leon was surprised to see that the usually lazy Vespa and the cold, big-chested... cough, A-Ling, actually produced shimmering gold badges!
【Golden-rank adventurer】
Well, damn!
Leon looked at the dusty 【bronze】 badge in his own hand and then at the sisters' eye-blinding gold plates, suddenly feeling a surge of respect.
Truly, if you’re out in the world, even a cat has a few tricks up her sleeve.
"Hey! You in the cloak! Stop right there!"
Just then, a guard pointed at a nearby passerby who was completely covered up and shouted sternly:
"Acting all suspicious... take off that hood!"
The passerby had no choice but to awkwardly remove his hood, revealing a pockmarked, miserable face. The guard held a thick stack of wanted posters, comparing them to the man's face for a long time before swearing and letting him pass once he was sure he wasn't a criminal.
Seeing this, Lucrezia, who had originally wanted to hide her face, was secretly surprised.
She glanced at Leon, who looked calm and was openly showing his face, and felt a quiet admiration in her heart.
'Indeed! The small fry was right! The more you try to hide, the easier it is to arouse suspicion!'
'Besides, the church’s branding of me shouldn't be easily recognized by many people here on the other side of the continent, where the emperor's reach is thin.'
Reflecting on Kent Town, the perfunctory inspections and the lazy guards who were practically setting flags were the real anomalies.
'As expected, there was something wrong with Kent Town from the moment we entered...'
Leon reviewed the situation in his mind, becoming even more certain of his judgment.
Rate on N.U.
