[Vol. 7] Chapter 133: The Investigator Makes a Grand Entrance!
"To personally accompany Lady Violet on an outing, sob sob sob, this is the greatest honor of my life!"
Inside the carriage rolling along the main road, Mia Constantius, the maid, blushed furiously, her body slightly trembling from sheer excitement. Yet, despite being so overwhelmed that she looked like she might start shaking all over, she still maintained perfect poise and elegance. Apart from some over-the-top remarks, she didn't actually disturb anyone else in the carriage.
That was the professionalism of an elite maid. An instinctive code of conduct, completely unrelated to personal emotions or personality.
After spending so much time with her, Violet had come to fully understand this.
But that didn't stop her from making a sarcastic remark.
"You're way too dramatic. That phrasing sounds so weird… Besides, you'll probably get more chances like this in the future."
"W-what?! Really, Lady Violet!?"
"Uh… probably?"
To be fair, Mia and Selna, both top graduates from Sainz Academy's Maid Department, were incredibly useful in every sense of the word.
Compared to them, when Leila and Rene used to hang around Violet, they sometimes played a similar role, but at the end of the day, they were just amateurs. Now that she had actual professional maids around, the difference was night and day.
Being able to read the mood, anticipate her needs, act immediately when required, stay silent when necessary, and possess all sorts of refined practical skills… Even though they followed her around all day, it never felt suffocating or intrusive. That level of balance was impossible to develop without rigorous professional training.
Now, this was the true charm of a professional maid.
Violet was starting to understand why those vampires were so obsessed with them…
That was exactly why, after leaving the potion workshop, heading to the [Experimental Class] to find Xiao Guang and Lenka, and running into Mia, who had come to pick them up from school, Violet didn't hesitate at all to bring her along.
It was midday, and they had already left Academy City Sainz, heading toward the location Ismael had mentioned earlier. The distance wasn’t too far, just a few dozen kilometers, and with Sainz' custom-built carriages being so fast, they could easily make it back to the villa before nightfall, as long as nothing unexpected happened.
Miss Violet enjoyed finding excitement, but she wasn’t the type to chase after every spectacle. The reason she decided to make a special trip here, even bringing Xiao Guang and Lenka along, was simple.
This seemed to be related to the "Dragonkin."
“We should be close. Stop here, let's check it out.”
“Yes, Lady Violet.”
Peeking out the window, the black-haired girl took a quick look around before calling out to Mia. Instantly, the excited maid regained her composure, swiftly pulling back the curtain and giving a few instructions to the outside. The carriage gradually came to a stop on the main road.
Mia was the first to jump down, expertly assisting the coachman in setting up the stepping platform, then helping Violet and the others out of the carriage. Every motion was smooth and practiced, fully displaying the professional grace of a top-tier maid.
This carriage had been randomly hailed from the Seventh District, where there were many such "taxis." These weren’t ordinary carriages. They were strictly managed by a central organization within Sainz. Both the coachmen and the magical beasts pulling the carriages were specially trained by the academy, making them a highly skilled internal transport system.
This city wasn’t just ahead in technological development. Its operational efficiency was also remarkably advanced. For those from less developed or more traditional places, arriving here must have felt like stepping into a whole new world. No wonder so many called it the "City of Miracles."
“Here, Lady Violet, take your time.”
Once everyone had disembarked, the coachman led the horses to wait in the nearby woods, while Violet and her companions, having locked onto their target, wasted no time.
Without hesitation, they headed down a side path, descending the slope, moving in the direction Violet had spotted earlier.
"Whoa… there are so many people camping down there! Look at all those carts, beasts of burden, and… are those soldiers? What are they doing?"
Not far from the main road, a gentle winding slope extended outward, leading down to a sunken valley. Just as Lenka had pointed out, while the valley wasn’t very large, it was packed with people. Numerous tents were set up in rows, and several troops from the Austre Empire were stationed around the area, making the scene look complicated and tense.
"This must be what Ismael was talking about, the caravans that got stuck here because they couldn’t enter Sainz City, leading to a massive stockpile of resources."
Standing on the higher ground, Violet observed the situation from above.
As the economic hub of the northern Austre Empire, Sainz was well-connected with countless roads leading in and out. Aside from the main road behind them, there was another narrower road along the valley's edge, wide enough for large transport wagons. That was likely the route the caravans had originally taken.
Their plan must have been to pass through the valley, then follow the gentle incline to reach the main road, which would lead them straight into Sainz City.
But from the looks of it, something or someone, had blocked the only way up, leaving the caravans stranded with nowhere to go. Now, they had no choice but to wait for a resolution.
Was this the military's doing? But why would the Austre Empire’s army seal off the valley for no reason?
Ismael had mentioned that this situation was somehow related to the Dragonkin faction, but he hadn’t explained in detail. Looks like the only way to find out was to go down there and investigate.
"Alright, let’s head down and take a look."
The valley seemed close to the main road at first glance, but in reality, the winding slope along the valley wall was longer than it appeared. Since they had left the carriage behind, Violet and her group had to walk.
After about ten minutes, following the side path branching off from the main road, they finally reached the lower part of the valley.
Standing at the bottom of the valley, the surroundings became much clearer. Apart from the slope they had come down from, the other sides were steep rock walls, far more rugged than they had appeared from above. Without wings or professional climbing gear, even a strong fighter would have a hard time scaling these cliffs.
This was the perfect terrain for an ambush or blockade.
To be honest, such dangerous landscapes were rare around Sainz City, which was mostly flat plains.
"Halt! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed beyond this point!"
As expected, Austre Empire soldiers were stationed at the base of the road, blocking their path. It was clear now, the military had completely sealed off this area, which explained why the merchant guilds were unable to leave.
But Violet had anticipated this. She took out the Marina Flower emblem that Ismael had given her and copied the way he had instructed her to present it.
"We’re investigators sent by Sainz, here to assess the situation and assist in the investigation."
The soldiers exchanged glances.
"Investigators again? Is this shipment really that important to Sainz? And why did they send two kids this time...?"
"What?! Kids can't be investigators? We're actually really strong, you know!"
Feeling insulted, Lenka bared her teeth and snapped back loudly. Meanwhile, the little dragon girl beside her simply remained silent, likely because she found such doubts too trivial to bother addressing.
"That’s not what I meant… Ah, whatever. Sainz sends all kinds of people, guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore."
After checking Violet's identification badge and confirming its authenticity, the leading officer let out a sigh and waved his men aside, clearing the blockade.
"Permission granted. However, for security reasons, you'll be monitored by the military at all times while inside. Also, you must leave before nightfall. Wan, take a squad and follow them, same procedure as always, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"