Chapter 259: Side Story 5

Ghosts.

They were Siegfrieds hands and feet, his most elite legion, and the worst enemy to have. Its said that after Siegfrieds death, most of the Ghosts had died in the final battle, but a small number of them survived.

For the Lester Kingdom,[1] the word Ghost didnt hold a pleasant meaning, especially after Siegfrieds numerous atrocities during the war were revealed and that the Ghosts had been the ones to carry them out.

But, in some places, the Ghosts notoriety was highly valued, such as the gutter rats of the back alleys. Some time after money started circulating in the city, the underworld started to unify and it was said that a surviving member of the Ghosts was behind it.

The citys parliament tried multiple times to arrest him, but because they didnt know his name, let alone what he looked like, they couldnt. All they got from interrogating a couple of the gang members was that he always wore a black mask.

So youre saying that you still couldnt capture him and youve been letting gutter trash like them mess around like that in broad daylight?

Were ashamed of ourselves, Your Imperial Highness.

Currently standing at attention in front of Elizabeth were the senior members of the parliament. This was the result of Elizabeth revealing her identity and calling for the Parliament to gather.

The Ghosts

Elizabeth sat at the head of the table and drummed her fingers as she fell into deep thought after she finished looking through all the papers.

In fact, there had been quite a few people impersonating as Ghosts. It was very useful to call themselves Ghosts when they were robbing someone or controlling the back alleys like now. But in most cases, it was revealed after they were caught that they were fakes impersonating the Ghosts.

However, things were a bit different this time.

You sent an entire order of knights to deal with him but as a result, was annihilated

Strong enough to completely kill an order of knights; this wasnt something someone who was just calling themselves a Ghost could do.

Elizabeth frowned as she spoke to the members of the Parliament.

Why haven't you reported this to the capital?

Well, thats We didnt believe it was such a serious matter that the Imperial family had to be concerned by it.

It was a terrible excuse at best; complete bullshit if you thought it harshly.

Elizabeth responded to the bullshit like so

Do you want to die?

Elizabeth was just as firm and strict as her mother.

The Parliamentary members quickly turned pale. While the northern part of the country was somewhat autonomous from the Lester Empire, and it was the Imperial policy to give as many rights as possible to the Parliament

It was all useless if they got on the bad side of Imperial Princess Elizabeth. Furthermore, considering the fact that the city being revitalized with the development of the coal mines was the work of Princess Elizabeth, it would be rather easy for her to have them killed.

It isnt a crime to be lacking in ability, but if you try to hide it? Thats more than enough to be considered a crime.

At those words, the lawmakers prostrated.

Im sorry, Your Highness.

I have no excuse, Your Highness.

Elizabeth sighed as she looked at them. She thought to herself.

Ill deal with them later Right now, the important thing is the unidentified Ghost.

She glanced at Rick and Tommy. Their skills were at the level of an Intermediate Expert. While they were quite skilled, considering that their opponent was a Ghost, she wasnt relieved.

Ill be dragged back if I ask for help from the Imperial family Maybe I can do something else?

Elizabeth personally took up a pen and began to write letters.

***

So youre telling me that they idiotically just took the beating and now theyre all in jail?

Yes, Big Brother.

What f*cking morons. Just tell them to die there.

In a dark bar in the back alley where half of its customers thought of it more as a hideout, was a man who had a woman wearing a lot of makeup tucked under his arm and was drinking straight out of the bottle. He was the mysterious figure who had recently been dominating the citys back alleys. He was someone who had used his background as a Ghost to bring together all the ruffians in the back alleys and consolidated his own power.

But he wasnt someone who was so loyal to his subordinates that he was willing to move just because they had been captured.

If they were beaten, then theyre idiots.

Having said that, he was willing to overlook the matter but

But Big Brother, shes said to be a great beauty.

Thats enough. How pretty could she be, theyre all the same.

They say that its not like that. They said that they thought a goddess with shining blonde hair came down from the heavens.

Seems like shes some noble familys daughter. These northern fools dont know anything. A girl like that would be escorted by knights, so if you mess with her, youll be X.

Yes. But it seemed like there were only two escorts, thats why they started harassing them. I think they said the escorts names were Rick and Tommy?

...What did you just say?

The mans complexion changed dramatically.

Ah, yeah so there were only two escorting knights and

So what were the two knights names?

Yes, sir. The boys said they heard them being called Rick and Tommy.

...Rick, and Tommy and a dazzling blonde beauty on top of that

The man addressed as Big Brother was lost in thought with his chin on his hand.

This may become tremendously big.

His face revealed unconcealable greed.

***

Princess Elizabeths lodgings.

Although it was a luxury inn where only the rich merchants or the upper-class nobles stayed, its security was still lacking when compared to the Imperial Palace.

Aiming for that, a group of ten or so people moved through the dark night. They had covered themselves up in black clothing and even wore masksthat it completelyconcealed their identities.

One of them took out a grappling hook while the others were on the lookout. He spun the hook around and threw it with all his might at the roof of the inn.

Screech!

When he tugged on the hook, the sound of something being scraped against could be heard, but the line seemed taut as if it had caught on something. After tugging on it multiple times to check, they started climbing up one by one.

Their target was a window 5 meters off the ground but for them, it was no different than climbing stairs. Having climbed up, one of them pulled out a small saw and began cutting the wooden frame that held the lattice window in place.

ZzhZzhZzh...

As quietly but as quickly as possible It wasnt long before he cut through and the connecting piece fell off; they succeeded in breaking into the bedroom.

They finally saw their target. Although the person was sleeping on their side with their back turned to the intruders, it was clear the person on the bed was by looking at the blonde hair that was clearly visible in the dark.

Good. Were done.

Considering how experienced they had been in the process, it was obvious that theyd done this often. When he saw how smoothly things had gone, a man dressed in black smiled with satisfaction from under his mask.

One of them took out a handkerchief and began pouring out the contents of a vial onto it. It was something they used to make people sleep when kidnapping them.

Just as he wasabout to approach toknock their target out

Swish!

The target suddenly moved and swung something.

Twack!

Keugh!

A scream rang out at the same time the clear sound of an amputation was heard. One of the intruders arms had been cut off by the sharp blow.

Thats when they finally saw it.

The dazzling blonde hair...

The light and translucent lingerie...

...All worn by a muscular knight.

Haa We shouldnt have decided through rock-paper-scissors.

It was the second generation Rick Storie.

***

The operation itself was simple.

The plan was to quietly leak the location of Elizabeths accommodation and lure in the intruder. The