Chapter 480: Reunion

“This should be it, right?”

Following that squad, Muen arrived at the deepest part of the courtyard.

It seemed to be an independent little yard. The garden was filled with all kinds of simple ornamental plants; even the Royal Knights ordered to guard this place did not dare to enter it recklessly, only standing watch at the outer gate of the small courtyard.

But Muen had no such scruples.

He slipped easily through the yard that appeared to have no defenses at all. With his figure hidden by the warped light, he silently reached the inner corridor.

The windows were tightly shut, but Muen could still see the warm orange-yellow light shining inside.

Mm, looks like this is the target.

After a brief confirmation, Muen didn’t hesitate further.

If he delayed, something might go wrong. He pressed his palm to the doorknob... locked.

Expected—but hardly enough to stump Muen.

“Looks like it’s time for a long-neglected ultimate technique to take the stage.”

Muen murmured under his breath. His wrist flipped, and he took out... a freshly picked flower he had casually plucked from the yard earlier.

He tossed the pretty blossom away, keeping only the most dangerous part—the thorn on the stem.

Secret Technique: Lockpicking LV10!

Muen pinched the thorn, jammed it into the keyhole, and fiddled for a bit...

Click...

He didn’t even need the length of a song. A few seconds later, the lock gave way with a soft snap.

Although the sound of the lock giving out was also sealed within the Alchemy Domain, Muen still pressed his ear to the door just in case, holding his breath to listen carefully.

...Good. Aside from faint sounds of running water, there was nothing else.

Looks like the infiltration went very well.

Muen exhaled in relief and stopped wasting time, slowly pushing the door open.

The door swung inward without a sound. He stepped into the room.

On the table and along both walls were lamps made from expensive magic stones, shedding warm, gentle light.

Under the lamplight, the entire room lay bare before his eyes.

Directly opposite was a large bed hidden behind curtains; to the side stood a tall bookshelf.

The shelves were crammed full of books. He couldn’t see the titles clearly through the play of shadows, but it was easy to tell the room’s owner loved to read.

All of that was perfectly normal, but what surprised Muen was that the trinkets by the window and other small decorations in the room were all filled with a girlish style, matched with cute pink accessories.

“She actually has this side to her?”

Muen picked up a pink plush doll that was about to fall off the edge of the bed. He was about to lift the curtains and toss it back inside, but after a moment’s thought, he put it back where it was.

A gentleman should respect privacy.

...Besides, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) he’d get to see inside that bed sooner or later anyway.

Thinking this, Muen circled the room once more. Following the faint sound of water, he finally saw, in the corner on the other side, the bright light from the bathroom and the vague feminine silhouette behind the glass.

“Found you at last.”

Muen murmured:

“It’s such a relief you’re alright.”

Perhaps because the taut string in his heart finally loosened, Muen’s brain short-circuited for a moment—he actually reached out and grabbed the bathroom door handle...

Zheng—

In an instant, shrieking alarms blared in his mind. A sharp buzzing, accompanied by the sound of something ripping through the air, lunged straight at the vital point on his back.

Muen jolted, snapping back to himself. The blades hidden in his sleeves slid into his hand; he gripped the hilt and spun, bringing the blade precisely into the path of that biting cold gleam.

Ding!

At the last possible moment, blade met sword, sparks bursting in the darkness.

But those sparks didn’t illuminate the attacker’s face. From the instant the sneak attacker struck, all the lights in the room had gone out at once. Muen could only see a long sword blazing with cold light and feel the bone-deep killing intent.

“Who are you?”

Muen asked in a low voice.

The despicable ambusher did not answer, but Muen faintly heard a cold snort.

Immediately after, he saw that swiftly thrusting longsword change its pattern—its serpent-like chill suddenly turning into a storm-like ferocity.

Countless sword-lights fell like stars, filling his vision in an instant.

“Damn it!”

The blade in Muen’s hand was not the instantly recognizable Elizabeth, but an ordinary alchemic longsword.

Using a mundane alchemic weapon made him extremely uncomfortable, and the way a long blade differed from a short one in shape and balance made his movements clumsy.

In such haste, he had no chance to counterattack. He could only rely on his speed to desperately block and dodge.

And even that fragile defense and evasion was being steadily crushed.

Muen could clearly feel how ruthless the opponent’s swordsmanship was. A thin layer of battle qi coiled around that plain-looking blade—no special attributes, yet every strike made the skin prickle with sharp pain.

The ambusher was like a cat toying with a mouse, gradually squeezing away his room to maneuver.

With his techniques unable to fully unfold and a weapon that didn’t suit him, Muen could barely withstand the increasingly fierce offensive.

He felt as if the opponent were a general undefeated in ten thousand battles, having already arranged everything from within the command tent, forcing him step by step into a dead end.

“This can’t go on...”

Regret rose in Muen’s heart.

All that careful calculation, all that caution, and he still hadn’t expected that with her pride, she would allow someone to guard her at such close range.

Or was it not protection at all?

But now was not the time to ponder that.

The ambusher’s sharpness had exceeded his expectations. After he displayed that frightening speed, the opponent’s moves clearly aimed to herd him into a cramped corner of the room where he couldn’t exert himself.

If he didn’t find a way to break free soon, even if he escaped the ambusher, what would greet him next might be the Royal Knights’ lances outside!

He absolutely could not let the Royal Knights know he’d been here.

So, in this situation, there was only one way to break the game!

Gritting his teeth, Muen quietly infused thunder into the blade.

Zheng—

The downpour-like barrage of sword-light was momentarily forced back. The attacker in the shadows seemed taken aback for an instant.

In the next moment—

Muen did not hesitate.

He turned.

And charged toward the bathroom.

“Celicia, it’s me, call off your guard! This is a misunderst—”

He shoved the bathroom door open.

And then...

Before he could finish the sentence, he...

froze where he stood.

“Eek, a pervert!”

In the only brightly lit bathroom—

It was not Celicia, as Muen had imagined.

It was...

Veil, who had quietly dressed herself during the earlier commotion.

Veil, the one and only designated secretary of the Saint Maria Academy student council president... Veil.

Veil looked at Muen as he stepped in, blinked once, then hugged her completely flat chest with both arms and shouted in a perfectly monotone voice:

“President, save me! Uwu uwu... perverts are so scary...”

“Huh?”

Muen’s mind went blank.

But before he could recover, he felt a sharp, all-too-familiar kick slam into his backside.

He was booted straight into the bathroom wall, half his body forcibly driven into it headfirst.

“Hmm? This feeling?”

Behind him, a clear, cool, puzzled voice sounded, followed by a cold, knowing laugh:

“I was wondering what kind of brazen fool dared to break into my private residence in the middle of the night... so it’s you.”

“...”

Muen struggled to pull himself out of the wall and turned around in embarrassment—but before he could catch his breath, a black-stockinged long leg slid forward, and a soft little foot deftly planted itself on his chest.

“Hah... ha ha, long time no see, Celicia. Your kicks are still as unforgettable as ever.”

Muen laughed awkwardly.

“Yes, long time no see.”

Under the bright bathroom light, the silver-haired beauty in a nightgown stared coldly at the man whose face was different but whose movements and mannerisms were all too familiar.

“Did you enjoy yourself in the Holy City, Mr. Muen Campbell?”