Chapter 03
“Did the monster subjugation go well?”
As the group headed to the dining room after the head maid announced that dinner was ready, Azrael asked the Duke.
“Of course, it went well. Has the Nocturne family ever failed at something like this? Although, this time, Prince Leonardd put in more effort than us.”
“Prince Leonard?”
“Yes. He recently became the commander of the imperial knights, and this time he led the 1st division. Thanks to the presence of a Sword Master, the monsters were cleared out much faster.”
The Duke explained kindly while walking arm in arm with Azrael. His expression showed clear admiration for Prince Leonard.
Azrael looked at the Duke’s face and remembered how Patrick had always seen Leonard as a threat before becoming emperor.
Unlike Patrick, who had warm brown eyes and a gentle image, Leonard had red eyes, a sharp and handsome face, and a cold, strict personality. He was the kind of man people found hard to approach.
“If I don’t want Patrick to become emperor, then Prince Leonard must take the throne!”
Azrael could never forgive Patrick and Angela, who had betrayed her love and trust. They hadn’t just killed her, they had wiped out the entire Nocturne family.
That night, after having a warm dinner with her family for the first time in a long while, Azrael lay on her bed, deep in thought.
She had thought she was dead. But suddenly, she was back in the past, and all day she had been so busy that she hadn’t had time to sort out her thoughts.
“Since I was brought back by divine help, I must live properly this time. And I must take revenge on those who betrayed me.”
“First, I need to make Leonard the crown prince. And I must break the relationship between Angela and Patrick.”
Azrael organized the tasks she needed to do. She decided that the first thing to do in the morning was visit an information guild. She didn’t even know when Angela and Patrick became lovers she couldn’t just act blindly.
Also, to persuade Leonard who had died with her in the last life after falling for Patrick’s schemes she needed accurate information. You have to know your enemy well to defeat them.
There was only a week left until the debutante ball, but if she found a good guild, she could get the basic information quickly.
Azrael woke up early the next morning and got ready to go out. Even though she usually liked sleeping in, she couldn’t waste her second chance at life by being lazy. To take proper revenge, she had to become more diligent.
She had sent Yuriel ahead to find a good information guild. Now, with Yuriel and two knight escorts, she headed to the busy city square of Roderio.
After stepping down from the carriage, Azrael followed Yuriel through the crowded square toward the place written on the paper. The knights followed behind.
“There it is, Lady Azrael.”
Yuriel pointed toward a narrow alley branching off from the fancy plaza.
They walked into the dim alley, careful not to bump into people. Soon, they stood in front of a two-story tavern. A large beer mug sign said Elpasa.
It didn’t look very big, but judging from the noise coming from inside, it seemed quite full.
“Yuriel, are you sure this is the right place?”
“Yes. Mark gave me a map, and it clearly says this is it. I think it’s disguised as a tavern.”
“If it’s from Mark, who knows everything, then it’s probably right. Let’s go in.”
Azrael had never even stepped into a common tavern before, so she pulled her hood down low to hide her hair.
Yuriel also wore her hood and entered first. She glanced around, then nodded that it was okay. Only then did Azrael follow inside.
The moment she entered, the noisy tavern fell silent for a second. Everyone’s eyes turned toward the two women, clearly noticing they weren’t ordinary guests.
Azrael felt tense under the stares of the rough-looking men but straightened her posture and walked confidently.
The men quickly lost interest and went back to their loud drinking. The knights behind Azrael glared at any lingering eyes, making them turn away as well.
Azrael headed straight to the bartender and said the secret code Mark had told her.
“The stars are so bright tonight. It’s the perfect night for a glass of tequila.”
Though her hood was pulled low, the bartender seemed mesmerized by her beauty. He blinked quickly, snapping back to attention.
“Tequila, you say?”
“Yes. One glass, please.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The bartender disappeared through a side door and came back shortly after.
“Please follow me. Watch your step.”
He whispered something to a colleague, grabbed a lantern, and led the way.
“Yuriel, you stay here with Sir Britton. I’ll go with Sir Elin.”
Azrael nodded to the others and followed the bartender with Elin by her side.
He opened a side door, revealing a short hallway. At the end, a dark staircase led underground. Dim lights from mana stones lined the walls, but it was still easy to trip.
Azrael and Elin followed the bartender down carefully.
At the bottom, a bright light came from a door. The underground room was at least twice the size of the tavern above as if it connected to neighboring buildings.
There were six rooms facing each other along the hallway. The bartender stopped in front of the middle one.
He knocked, then stepped aside and motioned for Azrael to enter.
“Sir Elin, I’ll go in alone. Please wait here.”
Azrael took a deep breath, then opened the door.
Inside was a table and a long sofa. A desk stood at the back, and a large bookshelf covered half the wall.
A slender man stood from the desk and gestured toward the sofa.
“You may call me Ron. How may I assist you?”
“I want you to investigate Angela Brooklyn. Everything she’s done recently, who she met, and where she’ll be going. I need everything.”
Ron’s eyes sparkled with interest at Angela’s name.
“Very well. I’ll begin with her recent activities. When do you need the report?”
“As soon as possible.”
“I’ll have it placed on your bedroom window ledge in two days.”
Azrael narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Of course. Silver hair and violet eyes symbols of the Nocturne family. Your tall figure and posture make it obvious. You’re Lady Azrael Nocturne. If an information guild can’t even identify that, we’d be a joke.”
Ron smiled politely. He was soft-spoken and polite, but his eyes were sharp.
“How much will it cost?”
“Ten gold coins for now. If further investigation is needed, we can discuss the price later.”
Azrael placed the coins on the table, stood up, and gave a brief nod.
“I’m counting on you.”
As she reached for the doorknob, she suddenly stopped. Leonard came to mind.
“Should I ask about his schedule too?”
But Leonard was sharp and perceptive. If he noticed someone digging into his background, things could get complicated.
“No. Not yet. I’ll meet him first and then decide.”
With her mind made up, Azrael left the room. Once the door closed, Ron walked back to his desk and pulled a lever hidden underneath.
With a low rumble, the bookshelf on the wall slowly moved aside.
From behind it, a tall man wearing a hat pulled low stepped out into the light.
