Chapter 168
We're crossing the border today.
That thought kept Simon up all night.
He woke up early and packed with a heart full of half anxiety, half anticipation. It could be a long journey, so he made sure to store all the daily necessities, extra clothes, and food in the subspace.
An hour before departure, Richard came up to Simon's room and gave him various helpful tips.
What to do if caught by the Inquisitors, which priests are friendly to the Dark Alliance and which are not, what not to do, how to cross the border alone in case of an emergency, and so on.
His advice was so detailed and full of experience and insight that Simon couldn't help but wonder how he could know so much.
"Lastly."
Richard's expression turned serious.
"This is about what to do if Lete betrays you and tries to hand you over to Efnelle."
Without hesitation, Simon held out his palm.
"I don't think I need to hear that, Father."
"…I also believe in Lete, who came here risking her life for Anna. But no one knows what might happen in life."
Simon lowered his hand and gave a faint smile.
"I've decided to trust Lete 100%. If I listen to what you're about to say, I might unknowingly start showing suspicion through my words or actions. The best thing I can do right now for my own safety is to show Lete consistency."
"..."
What came next shocked Simon.
A rare sight. Richard was grinning so widely, his teeth showing.
"You are my masterpiece, Simon."
Richard pulled Simon into a tight embrace as he said it. It felt awkward to be in his father's arms again after so long, but not unpleasant.
"Please, return safely."
"I will."
Simon came down the stairs and arrived at the living room. By the front door stood Lete, impatiently tapping her foot.
"What took you so long! We have to hurry if we want to catch the carriage."
"Sorry. Shall we head out now?"
"Since you dawdled, I'll take just a moment."
Lete hurried into the master bedroom where Anna was sleeping. Though she'd stayed by Anna's side all night, it seemed she wanted one last look.
A sense of reverence and solemn determination filled her face as she looked at Anna.
"No matter what happens, I will cure you, Teacher."
Lete kissed Anna's forehead lightly, committed her face to memory one last time, then turned and walked away.
"I'll say goodbye too."
"Honestly."
While Simon went to say farewell to Anna, Lete stepped outside. Richard was in the yard, though it wasn't clear when he'd come down.
"I truly owe you a great debt, Lete."
"There's no debt to share with a necromancer."
She replied coldly and walked past him.
It was still early dawn, and the surroundings were dark. She tapped her shoe against the ground with a thud, took a deep breath, and said,
"Remember this, Necromancer. If anything happens to Teacher Anna, I'll be the first to show up in front of you."
Her words were laced with thorns, but Richard smiled gently.
"Truly, thank you, Lete."
"..."
Lete whipped around and walked off, her white hair fluttering. Simon, who had just come out of the house, bowed to Richard and followed her.
"We're 30 minutes behind schedule, so we'll need to pick up the pace."
"Got it."
The two of them activated Darkness and Holiness respectively, ascending the mountain at a dazzling speed. The navy blue dawn sky was beautiful, and the early morning wind was refreshing.
'Finally, I'm going. To the Holy Federation.'
It felt like a vacation no other Keyzen student had ever experienced.
* * *
After crossing the rugged mountain range of Leshill, Simon and Lete took the carriage that Richard had reserved in advance and headed to 'Hove', the neighboring fiefdom of Leshill.
The two sat face-to-face inside the carriage. Lete cast a soundproofing spell circle to prevent their voices from leaking outside, and began testing Simon in a rapid-fire tempo.
"What do you say when you meet believers?"
Simon brought his hands together and bowed lightly.
"Laus. May the Goddess' blessing be upon you."
"Greeting to a bishop-level high priest."
"Gratula mi Cibillis. Glory to the Great Goddess."
"10th of the 19 Tribulation Practices."
"Abstinence from eating, drinking, and sleeping."
Lete's eyes widened at how smoothly Simon answered.
"Have you always been interested in the Holy Federation's culture?"
"I got interested about two weeks ago."
For someone like Simon, who had memorized the customs of four kingdoms by sections, this was easy.
The Holy Federation was a single nation ruled by the Pontifex, so their customs were nearly unified, convenient from a study perspective. Also, growing up watching Anna made it feel familiar.
Several hours passed in the carriage. Just as the feeling in his butt began to fade, the bumpy forest trail transitioned into a smooth, paved road.
Soon after, the coachman called out,
"Welcome to Hove Fiefdom!"
They had finally arrived. Unlike Leshill, Hove was quite a large city.
Simon paid the fare and stepped outside. As soon as his feet touched the ground, his motion sickness began to ease and he felt much better.
"No time to rest. Let's hurry."
Lete had used this Hove route when she first entered Leshill, so her stride was confident.
The two of them pulled their robes tight and walked through the dim back alleys at the city's edge with firm steps.
Now and then, gang members from the backstreets picked fights with Lete, only to be sent flying five meters with a single kick and crash headfirst into rooftops, but nothing out of the ordinary.
"This is the place."
They arrived at a run-down tavern at the far end of the alley, a place whose very existence felt questionable.
Once inside, Lete brought Simon to an empty table and had him sit.
After catching their breath for a few minutes, a robed man entered the tavern and sat down at their table.
"The wolf's confession is,"
He said quietly.
"To the foolish lamb."
Lete replied. The man nodded.
"I've been expecting you. Please, follow me."
This was the broker who had guided Lete before.
Following him out the back door led them to an overgrown garden, untouched by people and completely unmaintained. The walls and pillars were choked with wild vines.
"Before we depart, let's settle the remaining balance."
Said the broker with his back turned. In other words, pay up.
Lete began searching through her clothes, but Simon flicked a coin out faster.
"This should cover the cost."
As the broker accepted the coin, Lete spoke with clear disinterest.
"What the hell? Why are you paying?"
"My father gave it to me. At least let us cover the transportation cost."
The broker, seeming accustomed to such situations, pulled out a magnifying glass and examined the coin. His face was hidden under his hood, but his trembling hands gave him away.
"How did you get your hands on something this valuable…?!"
"If you're too dumb to recognize its worth,"
Simon continued with a smirk,
"My father told me to just pay in cash. So what should I do?"
"…It's genuine, no doubt. I'll accept this as payment."
The broker hastily slipped the coin into his robe, afraid Simon might change his mind.
"What's that old coin anyway? Why all the fuss?"
Lete asked.
"Currency minted in the old empire. It has no practical value, but nobles go crazy for it as a luxury collectible."
"Ahh."
The broker rubbed his hands together. Maybe it was just Simon's imagination, but the man did seem noticeably more polite than before.
"Just to confirm once more, who will be using the fake identity?"
"This kid."
Lete gestured, and the broker took out a forged identification card and handed it to Simon.
'So from now on, my name is Ska Serafino, huh.'
As Simon etched the name into his mind, the broker added a quick explanation.
"A month ago, this person died suddenly from a monster attack while mountain climbing. Since the body was never found, you should be able to use this ID safely for about six months."
"Alright."
The two entered a dilapidated abandoned building. A teleportation magic circle was drawn on the floor.
"I'll see you after the transfer."
The broker stepped onto the circle first. Simon and Lete followed, stepping into the circle.
Wuuuuung!
It was different from Keyzen's comfortable teleportation circle. Maybe it was because it had been made by a freelance contractor, because the ride was awful. Simon spun around violently, his stomach flipping over several times.
He staggered as he opened his eyes in a new location.
'This place…!'
The scorching sun beat down on a vast desert. In the sky, two bald vultures circled while shrieking.
"Urgh."
Lete appeared soon after, holding her forehead and wobbling unsteadily.
"Welcome to the Harley Desert, Neutral Zone."
Said the broker. Simon straightened his disheveled hair and looked around again.
'So this is the Neutral Zone you can access with a red request letter!'
Located at the very center of the continent, the Neutral Zone centered around the Harley Desert was a hotbed of complex interests. Priests and necromancers could both enter, making it a constant battleground.
The broker explained,
"The direct route from the Dark Alliance to the Holy Federation is completely blocked, but the route from the Neutral Zone to the Holy Federation is open for essential goods transport. We'll be blending in with a merchant convoy traveling to the Holy Federation. Any questions?"
The two shook their heads.
"Alright, let's get started."
The broker opened the lid of a wooden crate loaded onto a nearby freight wagon. A magic circle was drawn on the bottom of the crate, which looked extremely cramped.
The two stiffened.
"We're crossing the border in this?"
"Yes. The journey takes about four hours."
Only now did Simon fully grasp the situation.
'So this is what smuggling is.'
Teleportation was blocked, and you couldn't put people in subspace. Traditional methods like this were the only way.
"Seriously? When I crossed over into the Dark Alliance, you disguised me as a merchant!"
Lete grumbled.
"Things are very different now. Security has tripled, and investigations into merchants have intensified. Upper management even sent out inspectors, so bribing the officers no longer works."
"…Haaaah."
Lete tapped her forehead with her fingers, then raised her head to look at Simon.
"You go in first. I'll take a different crate…"
"I'm sorry, miss, but,"
The broker rubbed his hands together again.
"You both need to share one crate."
"WHAAAAAT?!"
Lete screamed in horror, then marched up and grabbed the broker by the collar.
"You piece of sh—! What the hell do you think you're pulling?"
As she raised her arm, the broker's feet lifted off the ground.
"Please! Please, don't do this!"
"You trying to screw me over? You want me to squeeze into that tiny thing with him?"
"I—I had no choice! Just getting a single empty crate onto the cargo manifest took immense effort! If you want a more comfortable route, you'll have to wait at least three months!"
"…Tch!"
Even with Richard helping, a three-month delay would put Anna at serious risk. Lete bit her lip hard, then hurled the broker to the ground.
"Let it go, Lete. It's just four hours."
Simon, having already accepted the situation, climbed into the crate and sat down to try it out.
"Oh, once I'm inside, it's cozier than it looks."
He said optimistically, tapping the crate lightly.
Lete covered her face with her palm and sighed so deeply it could've cracked the ground.
'…Oh Goddess. Why must you test me like this?'