Chapter 282: I Don’t Want to Follow the Rules

Nightbright Town’s location was on the border between two nations.

Though it was adjacent to the Sunmoon Empire, since this place was after the dungeon entrance, it was considered an autonomous region.

The Empire simply couldn’t govern such a distant place, which was why Nicholas felt so fearless.

“President, should I destroy all these documents?”

“Do I even need to say it? Hurry up.”

Nicholas impatiently urged his secretary.

Seeing this, the secretary didn’t feel it was appropriate to say anything more.

Flames ignited in her hand, instantly reducing the documents sent down from above to ashes.

“Now that’s more like it.”

Seeing all those things turn to dust, Nicholas nodded with considerable satisfaction.

He truly loved this feeling of boundless vanity.

The Empire couldn’t reach this place, and for some reason, the lord here was as timid as a mouse.

That meant all authority had now fallen into his own hands.

This feeling of having absolute power, like being an emperor, was something he found utterly intoxicating.

Just thinking about being able to do whatever he wanted here, Nicholas couldn’t help but pour himself a glass of fine wine, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

“You, take these things and make it clear to the Captain of the Knight Order. No matter what those adventurers say or how they plead, pay them no mind. Unless they show us sufficient sincerity.”

The secretary’s gaze fell on the heavy yellow leather bag.

She was silent for a long while, then nodded.

“I understand.”

“Heh~ What a life,” he squinted, gazing at the false prosperity outside the window, murmuring to himself, “I’m suddenly a bit reluctant to return to that damned Capital where I’m constrained at every turn.”

Nicholas poured himself a glass of some unknown, high-end red wine, looking utterly content.

There’s a saying that goes, better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

In the past, Nicholas would have scoffed at such a notion.

But now, he truly and deeply felt this kind of pleasure and delight.

However, just as Nicholas was resting with his eyes closed, immersed in his dream of power, at his most relaxed moment…

A slender figure, almost merging with the thick shadows in the study, arrived silently at the ceiling vent.

Letia’s gaze looked downward, locking onto Nicholas, who was lounging in his chair.

In fact, she had already clearly overheard Nicholas’s dealings with the Knight Order, and had even heard about the matter concerning Lord Buffyst of Nightbright Town.

Perhaps it was because she had planted him in the ground before, he now seemed to have a bit of a psychological shadow?

Well… never mind that lord.

Letia once again focused her gaze on Nicholas.

To be honest, while nobles like Liz preferred to handle matters according to the rules—like finding Nicholas’s misdeeds and then using the law to punish him—Letia didn’t like that.

Especially as a Battle Priest of the Holy Tribunal, she disliked this feeling of doing everything strictly by the book.

She didn’t like rules.

If she absolutely had to follow rules, she would only follow the rules of those close to her.

So… find Nicholas’s misdeeds and then let justice solemnly judge him?

What a joke.

It’d be more practical to just plant him in the ground.

Much more straightforward.

“Speaking of which… that priest is really quite handsome,” just as Letia was about to make her move, Nicholas clicked his tongue in admiration.

“I just don’t get why a little boy would wear white stockings.”

Hearing this, Letia fell silent for quite a while.

She touched her own, somewhat modest chest, then looked down at Nicholas below.

For some reason, her face flushed red.

This guy’s mouth is so filthy!!

A dark expression crossed Letia’s face as she put on her mask.

Then, she leaped down, landing right in front of Nicholas.

Nicholas, who had been lost in his own world, jumped at the sudden appearance of this figure clad in black.

“Who are you?! How did you get in?!”

Nicholas was a bit panicked.

He wasn’t an adventurer, had never entered a dungeon, and had authority but no real power.

So, of course, he was flustered when he saw an intruder.

When he saw Letia’s somewhat familiar attire, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

“The Holy Tribunal…?”

As a noble, Nicholas disliked people from the Holy Tribunal the most.

These damn dogs truly didn’t care who you were or how much power you had.

Once they set their sights on you, you’d lose at least a layer of skin.

But Nicholas also didn’t understand.

He hadn’t provoked anyone from the Holy Tribunal, so why had these dogs come knocking at his door?

And with such a clearly hostile demeanor, he swallowed hard with difficulty.

“I’ve already paid the protection fee to the Holy Church!”

Seeing his panicked state, Letia sighed helplessly.

She could understand his panic.

How to put it… It was like in her previous life.

No matter how high-ranking or illustrious you were, when a gun-wielding thug stood before you… anyone would turn pale.

“Who… who are you?”

Nicholas asked, his voice trembling.

Letia’s voice was disguised, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female.

She simply silently raised the cross in her hand.

“The Holy Tribunal never needs a reason.”

Even though her voice was disguised, the sharp-eyed Nicholas…

“You’re… that priest by Red’s side!?”

“You actually figured that out?”

Letia was a bit surprised.

Logically, her disguise wasn’t that bad.

How did Nicholas discover it?

“But, since you’ve recognized me, I suppose there’s no need for excessive explanation.”

Letia then pulled out a massive cross from somewhere.

At this moment, Nicholas grew even more panicked.

He had heard stories about Letia, and Nightbright Town only had this one Holy Church outsider.

This was the first time he’d learned Letia was from the Holy Tribunal!

“What do you want? I can give you anything! I was wrong, I was truly wrong!”

Just then, the secretary who had left earlier suddenly appeared behind Letia.

In her hand was a longsword, and with lightning speed, she thrust it toward Letia’s back.

She was not only a secretary but also an assassin.

Having concealed herself for so long was all for this moment of certain kill.

However, just as she was about to succeed, Letia, who had her back to her, merely shifted slightly and then delivered a powerful kick squarely to the assassin’s abdomen.

The immense force sent the secretary flying into the wall like a cannonball.

“Ugh…”

The secretary struggled to maintain consciousness, and she heard a very strange sound.

When she looked up, she found the wall covered in dense, crimson spider-like compound eyes, all fixed on her.