CH 187.1

Chapter 187.1. Fallen Noble

-?’s POV-

A young girl wearing round glasses entered a recently completed hotel. It was an elegant hotel with glass-covered walls and stood out from its surroundings, commanding higher accommodation fees when compared to the others.

Rather than being extravagant, the interior design could get described as refined, befitting of nobility.

That was the concept behind this hotel.

Numerous nobles and wealthy individuals were relaxing in the lobby, creating an exclusive atmosphere for the chosen few, with others strictly prohibited from entering.

As the girl walked by, the hotel staff politely greeted her, and she returned the gesture by bowing her head.

Although feeling uneasy and out of place in a hotel where only the wealthy stayed, she nervously moved to the elevator, aiming for the top floor.

The elevator had glass walls, allowing a view of the outside scenery. Despite seeing a beautiful field of holy flowers, it neither made her heart dance nor provided any sense of healing.

“Sigh… Can things go well like this?”

She sighed in exhaustion, shoulders slumping. Frankly, she couldn’t believe things would work out smoothly. However, considering her position, she couldn’t argue.

But if she didn’t raise objections, it would lead to trouble. However, if she succeeded, there would undoubtedly be a significant reward.

With that in mind, her lips trembled, unable to voice her thoughts. Cloaked in a heavy atmosphere, she gazed at the elevator’s floors with her dark eyes. Slowly, the numbers indicating the floors changed, and she finally reached the top floor.

With a soft chime, the elevator doors quietly opened. In front of her stood imposing men dressed in suits, their sharp eyes fixed on her.

Although their intense gazes were initially unsettling, she quickly lost interest once she recognized their faces. They were the guards protecting this door.

“Welcome. You must be tired.”

“………….”

She lowered her head slightly, but the other person remained motionless. Despite having known each other for quite a long time, she sighed, realizing she couldn’t recall a single conversation she had outside of work.

How could she distinguish a genuine person who didn’t even engage in conversation with a glance? With that behavior, they wouldn’t get used as a gatekeeper.

Nervously, she passed through the door like a timid rabbit and entered the corridor. Although it was called a corridor, it was a short passage, and no one was around.

The girl looked around, then decided to pause for a moment.

Before meeting her master, she adjusted her clothes, took her glasses, and wiped away any dirt.

It would probably look that way on the surveillance cameras.

However, if people could see her eyes clearly, it would be apparent that she wasn’t displaying such admirable behavior.

[Damn it, why won’t anything go smoothly? Why is everything like this, you bastards?]

Her expression became stern, and she muttered curses inwardly. There was no sign of the timid girl who exuded a sense of protection. Instead, her face displayed an evil gaze and a twisted mouth, enough to make anyone who saw it feel wary.

[Everything should have been going well. So why is my master being cornered like this?]

She cursed inwardly with words that hardly seemed to come from the girl, filled with frustration, as she wiped her glasses.

[I need to calm down…]

But I take a deep breath to compose myself, knowing that if I’m too late, I’ll seem crazy.

When I reach the door, I knock and then open it. My master doesn’t hear the knock, anyway.

“Excuse me, Count Outomo. I have returned.”

She performed an act of trepidation and stepped inside, where her master, Count Outomo, sat on an elegant sofa in the special suite room and drank wine.

“Oh! Isn’t this my loyal vassal, Katou Karen? Welcome back. Did it go according to plan?”

He was still a young man in his late 20s, with shoulder-length hair, looking at the girl with a pretentious expression.

“Yes, Count-sama. I have bestowed the [Target] on Takano Miu and also applied [Magic Stealth], so she won’t notice it at all.”

Knowing that the wine in front of her equaled her monthly salary, the girl struggled to maintain a composed expression while bowing her head.

[Who do you think you are? You’re not in a position to drink that wine, are you? What’s the matter? Is it a bottle of expired liquor? Can you please stop?]

If she could convey her thoughts, a profound sense of disdain and contemptuous words belittling the man would have reached him. Fortunately, the girl’s thoughts did not transmit.

Her name is Katou Karen. She ended up here through various circumstances, as her parents got employed by the previous Count Outomo and continued to serve the current Count. However, even since the previous Count, the family estate management had been declining, so Karen couldn’t help but lament her parents’ lack of foresight.

Katou Karen is said to be a descendant of a free ninja from the Sengoku period known as Flying Katou. Possessing enough power to work as a freelancer and a skilled magician, she survived until the end.

However, according to legend, he was killed by those in power because she knew too many secrets. So Karen believes that version of events is the true one.

Most likely, her family line used the name value of Flying Katou. After all, we’re not powerful magicians by any means. All she possesses is the unique magic spell [Magic Stealth], and she struggles to use even lower-level magic.

However, [Magic Stealth] is powerful. This magic spell synchronizes with the mana in the surroundings and conceals the activation of magic from the eyes of magicians. It cannot hide high-level powerful magic or magical tools, but it can conceal mid-level magic and magical tools with [Stealth].

That’s both the pride and curse of our family.

Because opportunities to use [Magic Stealth] can only arise in shady dealings. It’s perfect for assassinations and infiltrations.

As a result, Katou family became wanderers.

If we were to serve under an incompetent noble, the possibility of being used as a disposable tool would be extremely high.

That’s why they finally found Outomo County.

The reason is that they don’t possess as much power as a duke or marquis, yet their social status is relatively secure, and they’re removed from the blood-soaked power struggles that come with serving high-ranking nobles.

However, Outomo County has fallen. The ships they had before the previous Count’s death get repeatedly sunk by a Kraken that appeared along their maritime routes.