I Transmigrated as my Bias's Messenger Bird - Chapter 47
I looked back and saw someone in a black cloak standing there. He gracefully lowered his hood, and he hadn’t even drawn his sword from the scabbard hanging at his waist.
With a menacing sound, the ringleader clutched his hand and stumbled, and the lackeys screamed as they recoiled.
‘Come to think of it, that cloak… I feel like I saw it outside the dress shop earlier. What’s going on?’
I was bewildered when I saw his back.
“Greg Brachias. Coercive actions are prohibited.”
The man spoke quietly. It sounded familiar.
“…W-who are you! How dare you!!” Greg yelled as if he were going to explode, and the man slowly lowered his cloak. As he lowered his hood, it revealed light brown hair. That hair…!
“I’m Leon of the Imperial Knights.”
“L-Leon, sir!”
Leon? What the heck. Where did he come from? It seems like it was just a chance encounter, but it’s probably best not to get involved. I was quietly moving away, taking advantage of the lull in their conversation, when it happened.
“Wait,” said Leon, turning around.
‘Damn it.’
He’s quick on the uptake. But why did he want me to wait? I didn’t have time right now.
Leon said expressionlessly, “Are you headed to the banquet? I’ll take you there.”
Leon mechanically draped his arms over my shoulders. It seemed like he meant to protect me, but he really seemed like a machine. Then, after leading me from the garden to the main road, he put me in a carriage belonging to the Knights.
Leon, now without his cloak and dressed in the knights’ uniform, sat in front of me with pursed lips, only gazing out the window. I was scrutinizing this Leon, who seemed suspicious in more ways than one.
There were too many things to be suspicious about, and his nonchalant expression made it difficult to decide where to start questioning. Should I start with something light?
“Why are you wearing a black cloak?”
Leon finally looked at me. It seemed casual, but I sensed the nervous dilation of his pupils. Seems like I hit the mark.
“…I wore it because I needed it for a mission.”
“Oh, I see… That mission wouldn’t happen to involve trailing me, would it?”
Leon’s gaze quickly shifted to the window. Bullseye again. He might be a mean and cold investigator, but he wasn’t a very good liar. Well, I’ll give him a pass.
“Well… anyway, thank you for your help.”
“I just did what needed to be done.”
There was a moment of silence in the carriage. Then, I suddenly became curious.
“By any chance… is there a reason why elves would be disliked at the temple shrine?”
“The temple, you say?”
According to Dito, the person dressed in what looked like temple attire had followed me that night. He also mentioned the man wore a black cloak, but it didn’t seem to be Leon given the context.
Leon stroked his chin in thought as he considered my question. “There shouldn’t be any reason for that.”
“Then… is it common for people other than those from the temple to wear white clothes with gold patterns?”
Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Why do you ask? Is it… related to the incidents?”
“Well, it could be.”
Leon, who had been lost in thought for a moment, looked at me again and said, “I understand that such patterns are also on the clothes of high-level mages in the Mage Tower.”
‘High-level mages of the Mage Tower…?’
With a new hypothesis in mind, we didn’t engage in further conversation. My mind was racing with theories.
Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the venue. The banquet hall was inside a massive marble structure similar to the temple.
A wide, white marble staircase ran down the center between white columns, and at the end, carriages were lined up, entering in a row.
Both sides of the stairs were lined with nameless flowers, and lanterns were placed in between. As the sun had already set, the light from the lanterns shimmered more mysteriously.
Originally, I had planned to walk up a small side staircase instead of the main one, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself. However, my unintentional arrival in the carriage of the head of the Imperial Knights led me to the central staircase.
“It seems we have arrived,” Leon said.
‘Do I have to thank him for pointing out the obvious, or should I reprimand him for trailing me?’
After a brief moment’s hesitation, I simply smiled. He had given me an important clue, so I’ll let it slide.
“Thank you.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to escort you to the ballroom entrance.”
He drew the line even before I could ask for assistance. It seemed like he was conscious of the potential impression it might give if he escorted me all the way to the entrance. It was ridiculous, really.
“It’s okay. I didn’t really want it anyway.”
“Huh?”
Leon’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. Why? What? What’s the deal? He seemed to be offended, even though he had pushed me away first. Eh, whatever.
“Well then, please proceed.”
I smiled and waved goodbye to Leon. He seemed to have something left to say, but I didn’t really care and stepped out of the carriage.
As I stepped outside, those who had been watching to see who was getting off the Royal Knight Commander’s carriage muttered as they saw me. They murmured while keeping their eyes on the carriage, trying to confirm whether the Knight Commander was following me.
If Leon got off here, took my hand, and escorted me to the entrance…
‘By tomorrow, there’ll be rumors in the empire that the Knight Commander has a elven lover….’
But as expected, Leon didn’t get off, and I climbed the stairs alone. Every step I took, people around me looked at the Knight Commander’s carriage and then back at me, muttering. I didn’t need to hear it to know the general gist. Probably stories like, “Guess he’s not the Knight Commander’s lover,” or “The Commander was doing her a favor.”
‘Well, the truth is I was followed and got tangled up in some trouble.’
But that wasn’t important now. I reached the end of the stairs, and a splendid archway came into view. It was the entrance to the ballroom.
