After a while, the sound of heavy, chaotic footsteps echoed outside the door—it was clear a large group had arrived.
"Son! Wake up! Are you all right? You're bleeding so much! Who's the bastard that dared to hurt my son? Get out here right now!"
A shrill, aggressive voice pierced through the clothing store, reaching Haruki and the girls inside. Everyone instinctively frowned at the unpleasant sound.
While they had been waiting, the shopkeeper had taken the time to explain Feld's family background to Haruki. From his account, Haruki's group learned that while Feld's father held the title of Security Minister in the Imperial Capital, the one who truly held power in the household was Feld's mother—Tina, the younger sister of the late emperor and Nina's biological aunt.
Feld's brazen behavior—flirting with or even abducting women in broad daylight—was largely enabled by his mother's indulgence and constant protection. No matter how outrageous his actions, Tina would exploit her status as both a princess and the wife of the Security Minister to shield him from consequences.
Tina's notoriously brash and unreasonable personality was well known throughout the capital.
What made Haruki, Gin, and the others knit their brows wasn't just her foul temper—it was the fact that, despite being of noble birth and representing the royal family itself, she carried herself with no trace of nobility. Her behavior was no different from that of a vulgar, street-level shrew.
"You! Go in there and drag every last one of them out! Don't let a single person get away!"
Tina's sharp voice rang out again. Anyone who didn't know better might have mistaken her for the actual Security Minister. Meanwhile, the real minister—silent since his arrival—had been carefully observing everything. His eyes scanned the henchmen impaled by the treasures from Haruki's Gate of Babylon and lingered on the precise wounds carved into his son.
He'd noticed something strange: everyone who had tried to touch those golden weapons had died instantly on contact.
While most people were distracted by Tina's yelling and the ominous weapons stuck in the corpses, no one noticed the Security Minister discreetly summon the two henchmen who had delivered the report. After a brief, hushed exchange, he gestured for one of his trusted subordinates to come forward. Leaning in close, he whispered a few words in the man's ear. Moments later, the subordinate slipped away quietly through the alley.
Soon after, the Security Minister approached the clothing store entrance. His expression made it clear—he was livid that his son had been maimed. Though Feld was a disgraceful fool, he was still his only child and heir. Because of that, even though the minister was fully aware of Feld's outrageous behavior—and despite Tina constantly helping to cover it up—he had not only failed to intervene, but had occasionally stepped in to assist when even Tina's influence fell short.
This revealed an important truth: although the Security Minister belonged to the so-called Conscience Faction and had done some good during his career, when it came to his son, he was blindly indulgent. And in his efforts to protect that son, he had committed more than a few deadly acts behind the scenes.
...
Clomp clomp clomp...
Due to the narrow width of the shop's entrance, over a dozen city guards had to enter two at a time. At the same time, several more officers—eager to earn favor with the Security Minister—rushed to force their way into the store where Haruki and his group were.
"Puff, puff, puff..."
Just as the officers in front reached the store entrance, a golden spear and halberd shot out side by side. Before anyone could react, they tore through the lead officers and nailed several of those behind them to the wall across the street. The impact was immediate—and terrifying.
A heavy silence fell over the alley.
Then, Haruki stepped out from the store with the girls, calm and composed.
Among those who had come with the Security Minister were several high-ranking officials from the Imperial Capital's Security Department. After all, it was a rare chance to score points with their superior. But the moment they saw who had emerged, they were stunned. No one had expected that the ones who had wiped out dozens of trained officers in seconds were just a group of beautiful girls and a striking young man.
Everyone had been wondering who would dare cripple the Security Minister's son in broad daylight. But when they saw the stunning girls walking behind Haruki, it didn't take long for them to piece it together. Feld's reputation for lechery was well known in the capital. And now, faced with this kind of beauty, even an idiot could guess what happened—he tried to flirt, maybe even harass them, and ended up picking the wrong target.
Meanwhile, no one noticed a low-ranking official among the crowd quietly lean toward a nearby officer after spotting Haruki and the girls. He whispered a few words, and the officer quickly slipped away into the crowd without drawing attention.
Tina, however, remained completely oblivious to the shift in mood. As if nothing had changed, she pointed at Haruki and shrieked, blaming him as if all of this were his fault.
"So you're the one who hurt my son? What, he just tried to say hello to those little sluts you're dragging around! What did he do wrong?! Do you have any idea who we are? I'm the younger sister of the late emperor! My husband is the head of the Security Department!"
Haruki was already fed up with her nonsense. But now, hearing her openly insult Gin and the others, he was just about to act when Nina—who had been silent until now—finally stepped forward.
"Aunt Tina, mind your mouth. You represent the dignity of the royal family—how can you carry yourself like this? And tell me, just now, were you calling me a little slut?"
Nina's tone was sharp and unyielding. After years of training under Haruki, her strength had grown—and so had her confidence. These days, she could remain composed even in the presence of the Prime Minister. And after living and training with Gin and the others for so long, the bond between them was deep. Hearing Tina insult them in public had pushed her past her limit.
"Huh? Nina?"
Hearing someone call her "Aunt," Tina blinked in confusion. She looked closer—and finally recognized Nina standing behind Haruki.
Years ago, before leaving the palace with Haruki, Nina had held a high status in court. Even the emperor had treated her with warmth and respect. Naturally, many members of the royal family, Tina included, had known her well.
"Oh my god… isn't that Princess Nina? What is she doing here?"
Whispers spread through the gathered officials.
"This just got complicated."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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