Crimson Karma - Chapter 17

The most difficult part of the mission was getting into Queen Elena’s room and being alone with her. If it were her previous world, the most difficult part would be leaving with an untrained person. But this was a world with magic. To Kasia, who was worrying over this issue, Tasel had handed a walnut-sized round golden ball.

“Once you are alone with my mother, move as close to her as possible and smash this on the floor. You will appear wherever I am.”

Kasia who already threw away the common sense of her previous life calmly believed that without a doubt.

But when she thought of the Mist forest incident where all the magicians just disappeared into thin air, Kasia asked Tasel whether they also used that same method. But he had shaken his head.

“There are not many magicians who can perform this magic. Whether for Ernon, or the magicians that accompanied him, it’s impossible. And according to my knowledge, there is only one Mage that can contain this magic into an artefact. And there is no way he will help them.”

Tasel didn’t disclose the identity of the said Mage and Kasia felt that there was no need for her to know that at the moment. But still, she thought, if she continued to aid Tasel like that, in the future she would need to understand and know about the magic of that world.

The magic of that world was an important variable for Kasia. Using the body and physical weapons to fight head-on in a battle, she can roughly guess the outcome. But once magic intervened, she wouldn’t be able to predict the flow of the battle.

When Kasia relieved her muscles and body of fatigue, she came out of the tub and wiped her body. Just as she finished wiping, her stomach rumbled.

The city where darkness slowly settled in had a beauty of its own.

In her previous life, she had seen cities lit with glamorous lights once it turned dark. But now, seeing the city crowded with small buildings adorned with yellow lights, the atmosphere felt very romantic and familiar.

She went to the diner at the corner of the first floor of the inn she was staying at. She ordered their special chicken delicacy with veggie soup. While she was waiting, her eyes travelled to another corner, some people were dead drunk. Holding one another around their shoulders, they sang songs that only they knew.

The songs felt more cheerful than noisy. Hearing them, Kasia thought that it was not bad. It was not that there were only males in the eatery.

The other diners seemed to be commoners; their attire didn’t look luxurious. None distanced themselves from others or covered their faces with robes. Just like any other place where people lived, they also just lived their lives day by day tangled and involved with one another.

‘Everyone looks… alive.’

Seeing their ordinary appearances Kasia felt the vigour of ‘a living person’.

The chicken delicacy brought out by the hostess was excellent; a chicken leg and a lump of chicken breast meat covered with a special sauce and baked to perfection. The crispy meat was served along with a green salad and a pinch of salt. The fat oozed out but it didn’t minimize its crispiness. Eating the moist chicken along with the vegetable soup, it was so delicious that one’s mouth will involuntarily gasp with an exclamation.

‘Come to think of it, it has been a long time since I had such tasty food.’

After all, Kasia was someone who nitpicked even in her previous life.

She kept her ears opened as she slowly enjoyed her food. The guys who were singing a moment ago were now boisterously talking among themselves. At some other tables too, people were absorbed in conversations while eating.

Murmur.

“I heard that these days a lot of goods were received by the palace. I really can not understand why they are collecting such a large amount of goods. Anyway, we are happy just by earning some bucks. But seeing the current state affairs I feel somewhat anxious.”

“What can happen anyway? Since his Majesty moved into the Karina Palace, they might just be short on goods.”

Murmur.

“Damn it. It’s not easy after leaving here! At the Tobu Bay, eatables and wearables are scarce. Now seeing all these things in abundance, I feel my stomach hurting.”

“I know that I shouldn’t say this to you but… the day after tomorrow the shop repair will be over. What can guys like us do? If the Captain asks us to go, we have to go.”

Murmur.

“There is a legendary sword in the hands of the Emperor, as long as he holds that sword, nobody can defeat him. So, this time too, just stay near the royal palace. You don’t need to worry.”

“What Legendary sword. Ah, then why the hell is this war still going on!”

Conversations of people around her flew into Kasia’s ears.

She was well aware of how much weight these miscellaneous rumours and gossips of the common people held. Even then she was able to attain information like ‘The Emperor possesses a legendary sword’. There was about fifty-fifty chance for such gossips to be the truth or to contain the truth.

‘But if the Emperor is confident that he won’t be defeated in this battle, and if it is because of something he possesses, then some of that strange behaviour of the Emperor makes sense…’

The question was if he possessed something by which he could win that battle, then why was he dragging the war that long.

‘Either he is currently unable to use it, or he got some reason that he must finish of Tasel in this battle. And all the talks about the Legendary Sword could be utter gibberish too.’

After having her dinner, Kasia went to her room and enjoyed lying on a comfortable bed after a long time. But because of her strong senses as an assassin, she would open her eyes right away if she sensed someone in her vicinity, even the drop of a pin.

The next morning, after having a breakfast of bread and tea on the first floor, she came out of the inn and took a stroll around the city. Food carts, dress stalls, hardware shops, smithy, butchery, bakehouse, vegetable and fruit dealers, shops for almost all necessities of an ordinary person crowded that long street.

Such a busy street was hard to come by in the Middle-East war zone or even economically developing areas. The vendors were busy sweeping the areas around their stalls and diligently arranging the goods on display. From somewhere the salivating aroma of freshly baked bread tricked out. The traffic on the street was rising.

“Make way! Count Elten is passing through! Everyone step aside!”

Hearing the loud voice of the coachman from far away, people took the initiative and moved to the sides of the road. Soon after, a gilded carriage rushed through the road and disappeared along the path to the Palace gate.

Taking a bite of an apple bought from a nearby fruit vendor, Kasia watched all these silently. The apple was smaller than a fist, but in the world with few sweet foods, she felt the apple exceptionally sweet.

Kasia planned to roam the city till evening. Of course with eyes and ears opened.

As she walked into an alley where the common people resided, the scene was not very different from that of a back alley she visited in South America; in her previous life.

The laundries hung between the buildings, the women who were hanging the laundry, children running around harmoniously, the older generation smoking on the chairs laid out in front of the house and silently watching the children playing.

‘The place people live in are all the same.’

She couldn’t help but think that after seeing a place in this world almost similar to what she saw in her previous life.

Passing the area she walked more into the depths. She saw a slum. The houses were more shabby and small. She also sensed a strange smell drifting from somewhere. And above all, people there looked blank, expressionless. They sent suspicious and guarded stares at Kasia who wore much better clothes than them.

At the time, she felt a skinny, juvenile looking boy whom she saw when she entered the alley persistently staring at her. Kasia pretended not to know and went further into the slum. But as expected, that pair eyes continuously followed her.

‘A simple robber. Or is he seeking something from me?’

Kasia went into an alleyway and climbed up a wall in the shade of a building and hid her body. Sure enough, that skinny looking boy entered the alleyway following her. But discovering Kasia sudden disappearance, he looked around in fluster as if looking for her.

He couldn’t find any signs of any person other than himself. He approached the shade. But the moment he started to search, Kasia suddenly jumped down behind him. She tightened her arms around his neck from behind and placed a small dagger against his neck.

“Since a while ago, you seem to have something to do with me. What is it?”

Sensing the sharp iron against his neck, his body became completely stiff. There were only some groans coming out of his mouth. As they stood close to each other, Kasia found the other person skinnier than she expected. Kasia who thought of exerting more force on him slightly loosed her hand and asked again.

“I will kill you if you don’t answer. I asked for your purpose of following me.”

“A… a… Tu… Tula asked… to bring you…”

“Tula? Who’s that?”

“Que… Queen… of the night…”

“You are rambling things I can’t understand. So, what did this Tula say when she asked to bring me over?”

“Ah! She asked me to… bring the dark-haired female kni… knight staying in the Allue Inn.”

The inn she stayed was certainly Allue inn, and other than her, there seemed no other female knight. Though she was a brunette, in some way her hair could also be described as dark. So he seemed to look for her.

Her decision to stay in this city was on an impulse and only a night had passed. She couldn’t make out how someone could easily find it and ordered another to bring her. A curiosity rose in her.

“Okay. Let’s meet this person called Tula. Lead the way.”

He got back his life from Kasia and also followed Tula’s orders. The guy, as if fearing she will change her mind, hurriedly lead the way. Though he looked back from time to time, he couldn’t see any sign of expression on her.

The guy came to halt at a by-street. Strangely there was no passersby insight. The by-street was wide enough to be called the main street but it was deserted. He confirmed the presence of Kasia behind him and knocked at the door of a building announcing their arrival.

Creeeek.

The door opened. The guy whispered something to the person inside and went out to the other side of the street. The youngster on the other side opened the door towards her and made a slight bow.

“She is waiting for you. Please go in.”

No one would say that there were people inside the building. And it was not a small number.

Who was the person waiting for her – a friend or foe? Though in her current situation she was not sure about any of these, without hesitating, Kasia took a step and disappeared into the building. The boy guarding the door did a quick inspection of the surroundings and closed the door.

Though it seemed shabby at a glance from outside, it was built sturdy and solid. The decorations covering the walls and stairs glittered in the morning sunlight passing through the window, which appeared a bit awkward. But in the night with all the yellow lights it would be stunning and flashy.

The youngster led Kasia toward an underground room.