I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 281

Chapter 281

Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

As Philip hesitated and turned back, Ian, who naturally slowed his steps, spoke, "Who is it?"

"Well... they haven’t revealed their identity," Fael replied, still frowning.

He stopped, as if waiting for Ian to respond, and added, "It seems to be a lady from a noble family. A knight accompanied her and even mentioned your name, so they had no choice but to let her in."

"A lady... you say?" Philip tilted his head, glancing back at Ian, and added, "Do you know anyone who fits that description?"

"Not at all," Ian replied immediately, his eyes narrowing further.

Still, the sense that this visitor was far from welcome lingered. That they had located Ian, whose whereabouts were mostly unknown to many, along with their failure to disclose their identity, provided ample ground for that suspicion.

As memories of the game and strategy guides flashed through Ian's mind, Elia spoke up, blinking her eyes. "Who could it be? It must be someone who knows you're here."

Philip, still thinking it over, responded after a moment of contemplation. "Since you didn’t reveal your identity at the Steel Vault, maybe it’s someone from Count Thaddeus or someone who heard about you from merchants of the alliance."

"There’s too little time for anyone to follow hearing the alliance members’ stories," Fael remarked, walking just behind Ian as they moved forward.

"It must be someone who came from Basmut. There’s no one else who could know your whereabouts besides them."

"There is. Aside from them." Ian muttered to himself at that moment. His companions’ gazes shifted to him, but Ian didn’t elaborate, only resuming his usual walking pace.

Elia let out a small gasp of realization just after. "You’re talking about the royal family or the church, aren’t you? They must have received the report from the Count."

"But... Isn’t it too early for someone from the royal family or the church to arrive? It’s been less than five days since the Count’s report," Philip added.

Fael, stroking his mustache, murmured thoughtfully, "They may have used a magical communication scroll or a messenger hawk to contact a nearby noble. Those are expensive methods, but they’re used in urgent situations. They might want to conduct a follow-up investigation on what happened in Basmut."

... That’s the best-case scenario, Ian muttered internally.

Ian mused inwardly. Neither the Order nor the royal family was welcome. Anyway, it had always been a matter of choosing between the lesser of two evils. Of course, the least desired outcome was almost certainly not in play. It was still too early for that, and this wasn’t the capital.

... Anyway, I'd rather it be neither.

Ian clicked his tongue briefly as he looked beyond the wide-open gates. A carriage, one he didn't recognize, was blocking the others as it parked. Thanks to that, the side of the carriage was clearly visible—a large, luxurious one with a sturdy-looking roof and walls.

"It looks slightly better than ours. Just slightly," Philip muttered in a somewhat dissatisfied tone.

Ian had already shifted his gaze elsewhere. Outside the mansion, groups of people had gathered. They were workers and guards from the merchant guild.

Fael, tilting his head in confusion, gestured. A few guards hurried over. Fael motioned for them to take Ian’s bottle of wine and handed over his own as well, asking, "Why is everyone out here?"

"The knight requested everyone to leave the mansion. He said no one should overhear their conversation with the Agent of the Saint."

One of the guards, who had just taken Philip’s wine bottle, answered, causing Fael to frown.

"And where are these guests?"

"They’re in the dining hall. They refused food, so we only served them tea."

"Tea, not wine... Hmm..."

As they continued walking without stopping at the front door, Ian clicked his tongue once more. The bad feeling was gradually getting stronger.

No way... It’s too soon for that to happen, right?

As he mused to himself, Philip leaned in and whispered, "Looks like they would want a private meeting with you alone."

"Then go upstairs." Ian’s indifferent response drew a short, amused laugh from Philip.

"How can I do that when we don’t even know their intentions? I was only going to tell you not to worry about Elia, no matter how bad things get. I’ll protect her."

Ian thought to himself how reassuring Philip sounded, and for the first time in a while, let out a low, genuine laugh.

It wasn’t sarcasm; he was genuinely impressed. The once naïve fool had become someone he could count on.

"Wouldn't you need my help?" Elia quickly added.

While Philip pulled up his visor to cover his face, Ian grasped the doorknob with a smile. "Enough of that. You just want to talk in secret, don't you?"

As it caught, Elia pursed her lips, while Ian, who had opened the door, stepped into the antechamber. Fael, who had instructed the guards to keep the bottles safe, hurriedly followed behind them.

In the meantime, Ian, who had passed through the antechamber, was turning into the hallway leading to the dining room. It was right after that when he stopped.

In the middle of the hallway, two men stood as if guarding the entrance to the dining hall. Ian met their gaze as they turned to face the group. One was an older man, clearly of the Empire, clad in full plate armor that was unmistakably enchanted. The other, a younger man with a rather stiff demeanor, wore a mix of chain mail and plate.

"In fact, there’s another matter I must apologize for. I originally intended to mention it once we were alone. My real name is not Ingrid. It was my fault that Sir Phaden was unable to clarify certain details."

"My... my lady... saying such things here..." Phaden, standing behind her, hastily cut in, looking troubled.

Ingrid turned to him. "It's alright. I trust those who are with the Agent of the Saint. Besides... I believe the Agent of the Saint already knows."

As Phaden's eyes widened, she continued, "Sir, please introduce me again. Briefly and quietly this time."

"... Understood." Phaden nodded and stepped forward beside her.

The gazes of the bewildered group, alternating between Ian and the lady, were now focused on him.

In a lowered voice, Phaden spoke. "Allow me to formally introduce her. A follower of Lu Solar, a follower of Lu Entre, the brightest star of the Imperial palace—"

Fael's eyes grew wide, and from behind Philip's face mask came a surprised murmur.

"—The one who peers into the crossroads. Her Highness, Seras Astrea, the second daughter of the most revered and dignified Emperor."

Phaden paused briefly, glancing at the group before adding with a solemn expression, "Kneel and pay your respects."

"L-Long live His Majesty... May the Empire have eternal glory and prosperity...," muttering as if in a daze, Fael dropped to the floor in a deep bow.

Philip and Elia also kneeled on one knee. Elia seemed more curious than surprised, while Philip appeared to be similarly unfazed.

Ian, his expression now back to its usual neutral state, simply bent one knee briefly and greeted her politely. He was not affected by meeting a princess. His only surprise had been that this situation had unfolded sooner than he had expected.

Phaden, observing Ian still standing, furrowed his brows slightly. "Is that what you call showing proper respect, Agent of the Saint?"

"... It is enough." Seras was the one who spoke before Ian could.

Without taking her eyes off him, she added, "Unless you're in front of His Majesty the Emperor or His Holiness the Pope, there's no need to kneel before me. If anything... I should be the one doing that."

"No need. I don't wish for that," Ian replied, his tone as indifferent as his expression.

"You are gracious. Thank you." Seras answered politely, her eyes narrowing into a smile as she continued, "And, as I thought, you aren’t surprised at all. May I ask how you figured it out?"

Ian shrugged lightly. "You resemble someone I’ve met before."

"Someone you’ve met before...?"

"From the Temple of the Brazier."

"Ah...!" A sigh of realization escaped Seras, and her face lit up with a relieved smile.

"That makes sense. You’ve met my aunt. I’ve heard stories about how you carried a new flame to the Temple of the Brazier, but I hadn’t made that connection. I’m often told that I resemble her."

She didn’t look old enough to be called an aunt. The age gap doesn’t seem that big, Ian thought to himself, then gave a slight nod.

After all, the Saint of the Brazier was an Apostle of the Flaming Goddess. Divine blessings often strengthened human bodies, so it wasn’t strange if they aged slower.

"Oh dear, I’ve made you all uncomfortable for too long out of curiosity. Please, everyone, rise. The floor is cold," Seras hastily added with an exaggerated expression of surprise.

Phillip, Fael, and Elia all stood up one after the other. Fael still looked bewildered by the situation, while Elia’s expression remained as curious as before. Her different-colored eyes sparkled as she looked between Ian and Seras. She was probably wondering why a princess of the Empire had come to see the Agent of the Platinum Dragon.

Seras smiled faintly as she met Ian’s gaze again. "As a follower of the Flaming Goddess, let me once again express my gratitude, though belatedly, Agent of the Saint. For giving me a signal that allowed me to realize. Had it not been for that, I would have remained embarrassed for much longer."

Although Ian hadn’t intentionally given her any signal, he didn’t correct her. Instead, he said something else.

"You’ve changed your eye and hair color with magic, haven’t you?"

"Indeed."

Beneath Seras's cloak, something stirred. She clasped her hands together, and in the next moment, her blue eyes shifted to a deep red, as if paint had spread through them. Her brown hair also transformed into a radiant golden hue.

Fael let out a low sigh, seemingly now convinced she truly was a princess.

... I didn’t mean to ask you to show me, though.

Ian thought to himself indifferently as he quietly observed Seras. He already knew what she was going to say next, but now that she had revealed her identity, he couldn’t just send her away. It was better to make use of the situation—just as he always had, in ways that wouldn’t have been possible in a game.

And figure out why this happened so quickly.

At that moment, Seras’s eyes and hair reverted to blue and brown, and her smile deepened.

"Now then... shall we continue the rest of our conversation inside?"

"Alright, let’s do that," Ian replied, feigning reluctance. He nodded his head slightly to the side and added, "I’ll be taking my companions in with me as well. I’d rather not have to explain everything that happened inside."