The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness Chapter 427: Entanglement

"rchant from the independent city of Arielze?"

The silver-armored knight inspected the identification in his hand, carefully comparing the picture on it with the portly middle-aged man standing before him.

"Berkley Heller?"

"Yes, yes, I am indeed the head of the Berkley Trading Guild. The Holy City ordered a batch of goods; I ca especially to deliver them."

The middle-aged man smiled affably, bobbing and scraping, showing great respect to the knight. As his sleeve brushed carelessly, several large banknotes slid into the knight's palm.

The knight frowned slightly, as if displeased, but when his hand turned over the banknotes had already disappeared; with a sharp slap he struck the identification against Berkley.

His gaze passed him and fell on the convoy behind.

"These..."

"Goods," Berkley said, rubbing his chubby hands. "Like I said earlier, goods the Holy City requested — so daily necessities. Absolutely nothing dangerous."

The knight seed not to hear Berkley, his face hard, and he signaled his n to inspect the carriages one by one.

The carriages were subjected to a thorough search; even the undersides and the belly areas of the horses were not spared. The knight found that they really were just daily goods like bolts of cloth and clothing — all worthless items.

After finishing the inspection, the knight's attention fell upon the attendants beside the carriages.

"Them..."

"Eh... they're all guild people. If you want identification, I can provide the guild employnt certificates. Each and every one of them are law-abiding recruits of mine; absolutely no criminal records."

"No need. Just register them under your guild's na later... wait."

The knight's brow suddenly knit; his gaze sharpened and swung to the small figure hidden beneath a hood at the back of the line:

"Why is this person hiding their face?"

"She... her, ah."

Berkley looked a little awkward, forcing a smile.

"She is sowhat not fit to be seen by others. Sir Knight, if you could possibly—"

As he spoke, Berkley surreptitiously slipped a few large banknotes again.

"A little leniency? It's only one person, Sir Knight, you—"

"Get lost!"

This ti the knight shoved Berkley aside and stepped in front of the small figure.

"Take off the hood."

"Sir Knight, I—"

The small figure shrank, the thin body trembling beneath the oversized robe, looking pitiful.

"Take it off!"

The knight fixed his stare on the small figure, silently gripping the sword hilt; with his other hand he made a signal behind his back and several subordinates subtly moved to surround them.

"Don't make say it a third ti!"

"Ugh..."

In that cold atmosphere thick with murderous intent, the small figure whimpered but had no choice; she reached out and slowly pulled back the hood.

Berkley frowned, his fat face releasing a long sigh.

When the knight saw the face beneath the hood, his solemn expression froze and the hand on his sword trembled slightly — for it was a hideously distorted face.

Half of the face belonged to a fair young girl, while the other half looked as if the tender flesh had been ripped away, a raw red expanse; the cracked, wrinkled traces extended down the neck to the ear like parched earth. By comparison, the face of a ninety-year-old woman would seem divine.

"She is my youngest daughter."

Berkley took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears at his eyes.

"A year ago, she beca like this in a great fire, large-scale burns. She rarely dares to be seen. Actually, much of my reason for coming to the Holy City this ti was to seek treatnt for the scars on her face. I heard when Her Highness the Saintess ascends the throne, the Goddess bestows blessings specially, so I ca to try. I'm sorry if I scared the Sir Knight."

"..."

The knight was silent for a mont, then reached out and gently placed the hood back over the poor girl's head.

"It was my rudeness. Sorry. You may go."

"Thank you, Sir Knight!"

Berkley brightened greatly and hurriedly commanded the convoy into the city.

"Wait."

The knight suddenly called after Berkley. He turned back, anxious, and found the knight returning the handful of large banknotes.

"Sir Knight, you—"

"Before you go to pay homage to Her Highness the Saintess, take her to the clinic to have a look. There are several very skilled physicians in the Holy City; they should be able to help."

"Th... thank you!"

Berkley hesitated, then was moved to tears:

"I will forever rember your kindness!"

The knight nodded expressionlessly, not keeping any of those thanks in his heart.

...

Half an hour later, on a certain street in the Holy City.

"It's safe."

Berkley glanced around furtively to make sure no one was nearby, then called to the small figure at the rear with a grin.

"Like you said, it's done."

"Hmm, not bad."

The small figure removed the hood, revealing that terrifying face that would make any normal person recoil.

But with a light tear behind the ear she peeled off an extrely well-fitting mask, revealing a fair, delicate young girl's face.

The small figure was, of course, Ariel.

Unable to enter through the main gate openly, she had chosen another thod — paying to be smuggled in with Berkley's trading guild, having the guild's people bring her in.

Though the process had been a little risky, the result matched expectations: she had successfully entered the Holy City.

"Hmph, I didn't expect that stodgy knight to have a soft side."

Thinking back on the scene earlier, Ariel felt a twinge of conscience at her deception.

But the joy of soon seeing Liya quickly threw that pang to the back of her mind.

"Here is the remaining paynt we agreed on."

Ariel tossed a wad of banknotes at Berkley with swagger.

She would not have been so generous in the past, but after the ancient ruins expedition she had been completely reborn.

Not to ntion — she had money!

Berkley counted the notes and smiled with pleasure.

"The amount is correct. I wish you a pleasant stay. Also, I can provide Holy City guide services. You see—"

"No need. Since I'm in the Holy City, naturally soone will receive ."

Ariel squared her chest and wore the proud smile of soone with connections. She did not linger and quickly bid farewell to the guild, blending into the Holy City's main street.

The sunlight was just right; people flowed back and forth. Ariel looked at everything bathed as if in golden radiance, feeling increasingly blissful.

She could sense she was getting closer and closer to Liya.

...

After Ariel left, the atmosphere in that already gloomy alley turned suddenly strange.

A guild attendant approached Berkley, wiped his neck, and said sullenly:

"Boss, what about that person from earlier? Shall we get rid of her?"

"No. This is the Holy City; killing soone here carelessly would leave traces."

In the shadows, Berkley's once-amiable face hardened; a cold cruelty emanated from him, making him a different man from the comfortably prosperous middle-aged rchant he had been monts before.

"And besides, we should thank her. Without her, it might not have been so easy to get into the city. Who knew the Holy City's inspection would suddenly be so strict? We couldn't have completed the paperwork properly otherwise!"

Berkley hissed to the others:

"At a crucial mont, do not create side troubles. Follow the plan."

"Yes!"

With the order given, everything began to proceed in an orderly fashion.

With a deliberately muffled cry of pain, the convoy's horses collapsed into pools of blood; an attendant, practiced, slit a horse's belly with the dagger he carried.

The space hidden in the horse's belly revealed a number of space-type magic devices; with a flash of light, a mountain of alchemical weapons appeared — many of them contraband on every nation's banned lists, terrifying in power, absolutely forbidden in the Holy City!

Especially at such a sensitive ti!

"Tomorrow is the day the Church's witch ascends the throne. We absolutely will not allow the false Goddess to beguile the people again. We will declare the truth to the world!"

Berkley's eyes burned with red light as he surveyed everyone with authority.

"We have prepared for this mont for a long ti. This ti, we cannot afford failure!"

"Yes!"

The attendants picked up the alchemical weapons from the ground; a ruthless aura not belonging to caravan attendants spread from them.

Soon, under tight planning, this unremarkable convoy had been ard to the teeth. With the power they now possessed, even inside this heavily guarded Holy City they could stir up a monstrous upheaval!

"Action!"

Berkley gave the cold order, his eyes now blazing like fire.

The column began to move, sweeping toward—

Pft.

Pft.

Pft.

In the next instant, sounds like bubbles popping in sunlight rang out.

To the horrified widening eyes of those present, the force that was about to deal the Holy City a bone-deep wound fell like cut grain; one by one they collapsed as if cut down.

Berkley's face changed drastically. He seized a half-man-high alchemical greatblade; his body swelled, muscles bulging like coiled dragons tearing his clothes, needle-like hair bristling across his skin.

But—

Ching—

With a sharp ringing of steel, a silver-white longsword flashed from the shadows and lightly settled on Berkley's shoulder.

He spat blood, deflating quickly like a burst balloon.

"Is this... the Great Barrier's sealing?"

Berkley stared in horror, bewildered as he looked at the silhouettes surrounding the alley and then toward the familiar silver-armored knight in the distance.

"It was you? Why?"

To have the authority to mobilize the Great Barrier's sealing, even among the Holy City's knights one would not be of low rank.

But such a great figure personally overseeing the gate?

"Heh... of course we knew soone was plotting to assassinate Her Highness the Saintess. Everything had been prepared in advance." The knight sneered.

"Then how did you find us, I—"

"How did I find you?"

The knight lifted an eyebrow mockingly.

"Didn't you bring here?"

"What..."

Berkley froze, then his face contorted into a snarl.

"Those banknotes, you—!"

Berkley tried to muster his remaining strength to strike back, but he couldn't even lift his weapon; he felt an imnse force pinning him immobile.

And the knight rely stood there.

...

Under the Holy City's sunlight, the stench of blood thickened and nauseated.

So ca from the gutted horses, so from people.

And thus a plot to assassinate the Church's Saintess was so completely and effortlessly snuffed out that not even a ripple remained.

No — perhaps not entirely.

"Sir Sheer, the numbers are off, one is missing."

"Missing one?"

The silver-armored knight's gaze swept over the culprits on the ground or bound; his brow involuntarily furrowed.

In his mind surfaced the image of that strange little girl with the hideous face.

Among this band of disguised brigands, that most suspicious little girl had vanished at the very first mont of entering the city...

Of course she would!

"But... did you really think you could escape? This is the Holy City!"

Sir Sheer curled a cruel smile and barked to his subordinates in a low voice:

"Spread my order: search the entire city. Find that disguised one. Before tomorrow's coronation of Her Highness the Saintess, we must eliminate every elent of unrest!"

"Yes!"