IT HAS BEEN QUITE A LONG TIME SINCE I GOT THE FEELING THAT LOUVANDES WAS SUSPICIOUS OF ME.
BECAUSE AT SOME POINT, HE STARTED LINGERING AROUND ME AND INVESTIGATING ME.
CHECKING WHETHER I WENT TO WORK EVERY DAY,
OR GOING AROUND ASKING FOR PERSONAL INFO LIKE MY BIRTHDAY OR BACK- GROUND DETAILS.
WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR YEARS, SO DIGGING FOR INFORMATION NOW—
DOESN’T THAT MEAN HE HAS CLEARLY BECOME SUSPICIOUS OF ME?
WE WILL BE ARRIVING IN THE EMPIRE SOON.
IS IT BEEN THREE YEARS?
RETURNING TO THE EMPIRE, MY "REAL" HOMELAND...
AND RECEIVING A MISSION CODE IDENTICAL TO MY REAL NAME, OF ALL THINGS.
"CHARLES COURTNEY"
EVEN THE NAME "SHARAN" I USE IN THE HOLY LAND
WAS A SLIGHT VARIATION OF THIS COMMON NAME, BUT...
MY REAL NAME IS "CHARLES." CURRENTLY, I LIVE IN THE HOLY LAND AND BELONG TO THE GUARDIANS, BUT
BACK WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I LIVED IN THE SLUMS OF THE EMPIRE.
WANDERING ALONE ON THE STREETS WITHOUT A HOME OR FAMILY,
ONE DAY, AS I WAS LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS FROM PROLONGED STARVATION—
WHAT A BRIGHT-LOOKING CHILD.
A MIRACLE FOUND ME.
...WHO ARE YOU?
SOMEONE WHO CAN TAKE YOU IN.
IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, TAKE MY HAND.
-ONLY, ONCE YOU TAKE THIS HAND, YOUR LIFE IS NO LONGER YOUR OWN.
IF YOU ARE FINE WITH THAT, FOLLOW ME.
SOMEONE WHOSE IDENTITY WAS UNKNOWN OFFERED HELP,
SO I SURELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUSPICIOUS AND REFUSED, BUT...
...ALRIGHT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS, SO I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE.
AT THAT TIME, THE MAN WHO REACHED OUT HIS HAND WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THE EMPIRE'S SECRET ORGANIZATION "CATACLE,"
BAILER.
CATACLE WAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT TOOK CHARGE OF ALL SORTS OF DIRTY WORK FOR THE EMPIRE'S REVIVAL,
BUT I GLADLY DECIDED TO BECOME AN AGENT THERE FOR BAILER.
WEARING THE CODENAME NO. 13.
...I JUST TRIED MY BEST TO LIVE UP TO THE CAPTAIN'S EXPECTATIONS,
You're going to enter a fake marriage with Agent Lou and retrieve the holy relic together~!
BUT I NEVER EXPECTED I WOULD END UP DOING SOMETHING THIS ABSURD...
EXCUSE ME. THE FRONT SEAT IS EMPTY,
MAY I SIT HERE FOR A MOMENT?
...YES, OF COURSE.
THANK YOU.
-TO THINK THAT "LOU VANZEN," THE RISING NOBLE WHO RECENTLY APPEARED IN THE EMPIRE,
WAS ACTUALLY A GUARDIAN AGENT WHO CAME TO FIND THE HOLY RELIC.
WHY WASN'T THIS FACT REPORTED TO ME IN ADVANCE?
AS EXPECTED, HE WAS AN AGENT DELIVERING THE CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE.
GUARDIAN AGENTS DO NOT SHARE THEIR MISSIONS. IT IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN EITHER IF THIS MISSION HADN'T BEEN CONVERTED INTO A JOINT OPERATION.
I SEE.
THEN WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE GUARDIANS INFILTRATING THE EMPIRE THIS TIME?
COULD IT BE THAT THE HOLY LAND NOTICED THE HOLY RELIC WENT MISSING?
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE HOLY LAND ASKED THE EMPIRE TO RETURN THE HOLY RELIC,
BUT THE EMPIRE DID NOT GRANT THAT REQUEST.
PART OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE HOLY LAND,
WHICH RECOVERED THE HOLY RELIC CALLED THE GIFT OF GOD, UNITING CENTERED AROUND IT, BUT—
THE BIGGEST CAUSE IS-
BECAUSE THE EMPIRE LOST THE HOLY RELIC.
THEY SAID EVEN CATACLE STEPPED IN TO CHASE AFTER THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE HOLY RELIC...
IF THEY KNEW THE HOLY RELIC HAD DISAPPEARED, A MASSIVE UPROAR WOULD HAVE BROKEN OUT.
IT WOULDN'T HAVE ENDED WITH JUST SECRETLY DISPATCHING A GUARDIAN AGENT.
THEN THINGS WILL BECOME MUCH SMOOTHER.
...SMOOTHER?
YES. IT IS AN ORDER FROM SUPERIORS-
TO INTERFERE WITH LOU VANZEN AND FIND THE HOLY RELIC BEFORE HIM.
KEEP THIS IN MIND. THE HOLY RELIC MUST NEVER FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE HOLY LAND.
BE SURE YOU FIND IT FIRST.
Ugh...
I'M SUPPOSED TO FIND THE HOLY RELIC FIRST AGAINST THAT SHARP-EYED GUY?
And even while hiding my identity.
AND ONE MORE THING.
MAKE SURE TO RECRUIT LOU VANZEN INTO CATACLE LATER ON.
THAT IS ALL FOR THE BRIEFING. I WILL AWAIT YOUR NEXT REPORT.
R-RECRUIT LOUVANDES?
HOW CAN THEY CASUALLY DROP SUCH AN ABSURD THING AND LEAVE...!
HE IS THE ADOPTED SON OF ELEONOR, THE HIGH PRIEST OF THE HOLY LAND!
AND HE IS REGARDED AS THE TOP AGENT EVEN WITHIN THE GUARDIANS!
WHY WOULD HE HAVE ANY REASON TO BETRAY THE HOLY LAND!
NOT ONLY THAT,
LOOKING AT LOUVANDES'S GAZE LATELY,
HE IS DEFINITELY SUSPECTING MY IDENTITY-
AS IF IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO ENTER A FAKE MARRIAGE WITH A GUY LIKE THAT,
THEY WANT ME TO INTERFERE WITH HIS MISSION WHILE ALSO RECRUITING HIM INTO CATACLE...
WILL I BE ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF...?
WE HAVE ARRIVED.
...IN THE END, I CAME. TO LOUVANDES'S MANSION.
M-MY LADY!
YES?!
HIS LORDSHIP ASKED ME TO DELIVER A LETTER TO YOU.
I nearly forgot to give it to you in the carriage.
A LETTER? ... THANK YOU.
HMM... IS THIS BRIEFING DISGUISED AS A LOVE LETTER?
Ah..
IS THIS BACKGROUND MATERIAL FABRICATING MY FIRST MEETING WITH LOUVANDES...?
"LOU VANZEN" AND I ARE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WHO HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE WE WERE KIDS.
GROWING OUR FEELINGS SINCE OUR CHILDHOOD DAYS,
WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR ENGAGEMENT RIGHT AWAY ONCE LOU RECEIVED HIS NOBLE TITLE UPON BECOMING AN ADULT—
ha...
WHAT A TEAR-JERKING LOVE STORY.
Isn't it a bit cheesy?
OH MY!
HELLO, LADY CHARLES!
I AM MARDI, THE HEAD MAID IN CHARGE OF MANAGING THIS MANSION.
IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET YOU!
NICE TO MEET YOU, MARDI. PLEASE TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME DURING MY STAY HERE.
PLEASE TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME AS WELL, MY LADY!
YOU ARE EVEN MUCH LOVELIER THAN HIS LORDSHIP DESCRIBED!
HOW CAN YOU BE SO PRETTY!
...PARDON? WHAT DID LOU SAY ABOUT ME?
OH, GOODNESS! HE TALKED ABOUT YOU ENDLESSLY.
HE PRAISED YOU, SAYING YOU WERE TRULY A LOVELY PERSON BEYOND WORDS!
A SCARY FELLOW, HE ALREADY LAID THE GROUNDWORK.
AS YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD FROM THE COACHMAN ON THE WAY HERE,
HIS LORDSHIP HAD TO STEP AWAY FOR A MOMENT,
SO I WILL SHOW YOU AROUND THE MANSION.
Please follow me~
THIS IS THE DINING ROOM.
IF YOU PLAN TO HAVE MEALS WITH HIS LORDSHIP, THIS IS WHERE-
YEAH, I AM DEFINITELY NEVER EATING WITH HIM.
THIS IS THE STUDY, WHERE HIS LORDSHIP MOSTLY STAYS-
YEAH, THEN I'M NOT READING BOOKS.
LASTLY, THIS IS YOUR ROOM, MY LADY.
AFTER THE WEDDING, YOU WILL BE SHARING THE SAME ROOM WITH HIS LORDSHIP.
A WEDDING... JUST HEARING THE WORD MAKES MY STOMACH ACHE...
NOW, LET ME NEATLY TIDY UP INSIDE THE ROOM...
OH MY GOODNESS...!!
HUH? WHAT IS GOING ON?
MY LORD! YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN US A HEADS-UP IF YOU WERE COMING BACK...!
...!! IF IT'S THE LORD, THEN COULD IT BE...
...LOUVANDES!
YOU'RE HERE, CHARLES?
Charles thinks Lou Vandes has been suspecting him and investigating him for a while. As he approaches the Empire, he recalls his past and learns his new mission from Catacle: to find the holy relic before Lou Vandes and recruit him into the organization. He then arrives at Lou Vandes's mansion, meets the head servant Mardi, and while touring his room, Lou Vandes returns.
