When Li An arrived in the Kelly Kingdom, this was the first sight that greeted him.
“Oh my! To think the Light of the Empire would personally travel to such a remote place! It is an honor, truly an honor! You must be exhausted after such a long journey, aren't you? We will prepare the absolute best room for you immediately!”
The King of Kelly personally ran out to welcome Li An and his group.
Having said that, he seemed to suddenly remember something and hastily added:
“Oh, right. Both my daughter and I are devoted admirers of yours. If you don’t mind, would you do us the honor of having dinner with us tonight?”
“Of course.”
“Oh, thank you ever so much!”
The King bowed and scraped repeatedly, personally leading Li An and Serena to the best guest rooms in the palace.
Li An sat on a soft chair, thinking back to the scene just now.
“Hmm...”
“Still, aren’t you curious why the king of a nation would act so humbly?”
“Huh? When did you get in here?”
“Just now.”
Li An whipped his head around.
Without him realizing, Serena had already entered his room.
Obviously, the King had arranged two separate rooms.
Yet Serena had already changed into casual clothes and was sitting quite openly in Li An's room.
“Although the Kelly Kingdom is an ally of the empire, it’s practically no different from a vassal state. You can tell just by how they couldn’t even resolve a minor trouble like this and had to ask the empire for help, right?”
Serena chuckled, her tone laced with a hint of mockery.
Even though he was the King of the Kelly Kingdom, his standing within the empire was far inferior to that of an eminent high noble.
Such as the Count of Erindale standing before her.
Meaning the current Li An.
“Still, even though they asked the empire for help, they don’t actually seem very concerned about how the problem is solved.”
“Oh, I see... Wait.”
Serena was looking around the room. She casually picked up the decanter on the table, opened the lid, and poured a cup for Li An.
“This is your first time handling something like this, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“What the Kelly Kingdom truly needs right now isn't for us to actually uncover some truth.”
Serena took a gentle sip of the wine.
“What they need is for the empire to step forward and tell everyone that there's nothing wrong with the hot springs here and that they are safe. As long as the empire says there's no issue, the public will naturally believe it.”
Li An didn't reply.
He lifted his cup, made a show of drinking, and secretly poured out the wine while Serena wasn't paying attention.
“But people have indeed gone missing.”
“Who knows?”
Serena took another sip.
“Maybe they drowned while soaking in the hot spring, or maybe they were kidnapped. No one knows the truth right now.”
She set her cup down and looked at Li An with a smile.
“So, don't think too much about it today. Let’s just have a good time together, how about it?”
...
“Ugh... Why is it that after drinking so much, you aren't drunk at all?”
Serena's eyes were already blurry with intoxication.
“It’s not fair... You just cast me aside like this, while Elizabeth gets to stay by your side every single day...”
She reached out, swaying unsteadily.
“Look at me too...”
Thud.
Serena collapsed completely onto the table.
Having spent years navigating corporate drinking tables, Li An's ability to secretly switch his drinks was no joke.
On the surface, he was raising his cup and drinking heartily, but in reality, he was spilling the alcohol onto the floor, drinking water when he got the chance, and dumping wine into his handkerchief while pretending to wipe his mouth.
All those years of corporate entertaining had finally put his skills to good use.
Serena was clearly very confident in her alcohol tolerance.
Unfortunately, compared to Li An's cheating methods, she was still far too green.
“Another trick learned.”
Li An draped a blanket over the sleeping Serena.
Serena shivered slightly and quickly drifted into a deep sleep.
Though she had appeared energetic throughout the journey, she was indeed exhausted.
Li An put on his coat and walked out of the room alone.
...
The Kelly Kingdom was a very unusual country.
It was considered one of the most peculiar lands on the continent.
Because the northern part of this country was in perpetual summer, while the southern part was in perpetual winter.
Legend had it that this was the leftover trace of a massive battle between two giant dragons.
As for whether it was true or false, with the passage of time, no one could tell anymore.
In short, vastly different seasonal landscapes coexisted on the very same piece of land.
This was also why the Kelly Kingdom had been voted the best holiday destination by the Imperial Magazine for three consecutive years.
When people wanted to bask in the sun, they could head to the beaches and enjoy the sunshine.
When they wanted to relax, they could soak in the warm natural hot springs.
Without a doubt, this was the perfect place for a vacation.
“I used to send my subordinates here, but this time I finally got to come myself.”
Li An walked down the street, feeling exceptionally cheerful.
However, business came first.
Someone had gone missing in the hot spring.
Under such circumstances, how could he leisurely tour the Kelly Kingdom with a clear conscience?
As a diligent and responsible imperial official, he had to uncover the truth behind the disappearances through rigorous questioning and investigation.
Besides, when detectives investigated cases, they always encountered some danger.
That was common sense.
Many detectives investigated too deeply and ended up disappearing themselves.
And in this repetitive cycle of history, they only needed to add one more unlucky fellow named Li An.
Li An had even thought of a pseudonym.
“I'll go by Knife.”
To perfectly stage a disappearance, he first had to understand exactly how the others had gone missing.
Thus, Li An began his investigation.
...
A. A village woman:
“In my opinion, it must have been a couple's quarrel.”
“Think about it. The two of them came here on vacation together, but in the end, only the husband went back. Maybe the wife was having an affair, or maybe they fought over money.”
“No matter how you look at it, this isn't a disappearance case. It's a murder case, isn't it?”
B. A priest:
“The White Dragon is furious!”
“This is a desecration of the great White Dragon, guardian of our kingdom! If we do not offer up one hundred living sacrifices as soon as possible, more people will surely disappear next!”
C. A local resident:
“The Siren Hot Spring where the disappearances occurred is a bit hotter than the other hot springs.”
“And the mountain path leading there and back is very treacherous.”
“I think it's not impossible that after soaking in the hot spring for too long, those people got dizzy, lost their footing, and accidentally fell down the mountain.”
D. A Kelly Kingdom investigator:
“Is it possible that... the hot spring was so hot that it dissolved them?”
...
“Indeed.”
Li An listened to this with a deadpan expression.
These people's guesses grew more ridiculous with each passing one.
At least the resident who had lived there for many years had a slightly believable theory.
“I need to find a more natural way to disappear.”
To formulate a perfect disappearance plan, Li An personally conducted an on-site investigation.
The Siren Hot Spring where the disappearances had occurred had already been sealed off by the kingdom.
However, after Li An flashed his imperial badge, he easily obtained permission to enter.
Before him lay a steaming hot spring.
The warm steam was so inviting that Li An felt tempted to immediately jump in and soak for a while.
However, business came first.
First, he pulled out the hot spring water pollution detector that Bernstein had given him.
If it turned red, it meant there were toxic substances in the water.
If it showed green, it meant there was no issue.
Beep.
Green.
“There's absolutely nothing wrong with the hot spring.”
The water temperature was only slightly high.
In that case, why were the people soaking in the hot spring here disappearing one after another?
“Roar!”
Suddenly,
“...”
Li An's body froze instantly.
This was bad.
Not far away, a massive beast was standing there.
It was a gigantic bear entirely covered in white fur.
Li An took a quiet step back.
He did not turn and run.
Exposing your back when facing a wild beast was a major taboo.
The white bear approached step by step.
Li An's gaze gradually grew serious.
Could this fellow be the true culprit behind the disappearances?
A bear waking up from hibernation would start hunting due to hunger, and this happened to be its territory.
In that case, everything made sense.
Unfortunately, Li An did not intend to easily accept this explanation just because he was currently an imperial count.
After all, he was a man born of a knight family.
“The time has finally come to show off my hidden swordsmanship.”
Li An spread his legs slightly, adopting a stance that showed he was ready to strike at any moment.
“Growl.”
“Hmm?”
Strange.
The white bear did not pounce.
Instead, it raised one of its forepaws and paused on the spot.
Li An was stunned.
This movement...
Why did it feel like it was waving hello?
“Ugh!”
The white bear let out a grumble of dissatisfaction.
Li An looked utterly bewildered.
“What on earth do you want me to do?”
He reflexively raised his hand.
Only then did the white bear lower its paw in satisfaction.
It then turned around and walked away without looking back.
“...”
Li An stood on the spot and remained silent for a long while.
Then, he quickly returned to the hot spring entrance and told the investigator what had just occurred.
“I found a bear.”
“I suspect it might be the true culprit behind these disappearances.”
“Oh, you mean that fellow.”
The investigator looked completely calm.
“It's not dangerous at all.”
“It just hangs around this area a lot and likes people to wave back to it.”
“Next time you see it, just remember to wave hello.”
“...”
If you knew there was such a thing... you should have said so earlier!
Li An stared at the investigator with an indescribable look.
...
The next day.
“I heard you went to the hot springs alone yesterday.”
Serena crossed her arms, her cheeks puffed up like an angry little hamster.
“That was for the investigation.”
“But...”
She tilted her head.
“your explanation seems a bit incomplete.”
“I wouldn't know.”
“Hmph.”
Serena clearly had no intention of listening to his explanations any further.
“I'm in a bad mood.”
She poked Li An with her finger.
“So take me along today as well.”
“If it's for the investigation...”
Li An felt somewhat helpless.
No matter how he looked at her, this princess did not seem to have any genuine interest in investigating the case.
How can I shake off this troublesome princess...
While pondering, Li An walked toward the Siren Hot Spring with Serena.
Before long, the two arrived at their destination.
“Speaking of which, this is the first time I've ever seen a hot spring like this.”
Serena looked at the scene before her, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
“It's also the first time I've come to a resort with someone else.”
As she spoke, she sneaked a glance at Li An.
Clearly, Serena was in quite a good mood today.
She suddenly reached out, intending to push Li An into the hot spring.
But just then,
Li An noticed something on the ground.
“I didn't see any feathers here yesterday, did I?”
It was a massive feather.
Li An immediately squatted down and picked it up.
As a result, Serena couldn't pull back her strength in time.
Splash!
“Ah!”
Serena fell headfirst straight into the hot spring.
Water splashed everywhere.
“Seriously!”
Serena popped her head out of the water, completely drenched, and glared angrily at Li An.
But Li An didn't pay her any attention at all.
All of his attention was drawn to the feather in his hand.
This feather was simply too large.
It was the first time he had ever seen such a gigantic bird feather.
It looked like the feather of some sort of giant eagle.
Li An brought it close and sniffed.
A faint fishy smell wafted into his nose.
“This is...”
“Ahhhh!”
Just as Li An was lost in thought, Serena suddenly screamed.
Li An whipped around.
In the next second,
he witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Several monsters had completely surrounded Serena.
Their upper bodies were those of beautiful women, but their lower bodies were massive bird forms.
The monsters didn't speak.
They merely looked down silently at Serena, who had fallen into the hot spring.
“Sirens...”
Li An's expression shifted slightly.
They were creatures that lured humans with their songs and abducted them.
The Sirens did not attack Li An.
They only stared at him in silence.
Then, they looked back down at Serena.
In the next instant,
the song began.
It was incredibly sweet, melodious, and enchanting.
Li An felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
Drowsiness surged over him like a tide.
“I'm going to fall asleep...”
He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stay awake.
Fortunately, Li An had developed a certain level of resistance to these kinds of mental attacks.
But even so, he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
He had to find a way to resolve the crisis before him.
Especially regarding Serena.
If she was taken away by the Sirens, heavens knew what would happen to her.
Just as Li An was about to succumb, he suddenly thought of something.
“Are you sleepy?”
“Very sleepy, right?”
Li An's gaze landed on Serena.
And then...
he came up with a brilliant plan.
“Sing!”
“Celi!”
“Quick, sing a song!”
Serena looked utterly baffled.
What kind of time was this?
He wanted her to sing?
But seeing Li An's extremely solemn expression, she decided to give it a try.
“Anfarra, dhal vair, khalin stara mael. Zorindor, rin far, alendor, krae sael, Dorindal, khael rae, belindor, jhae mael.”
The song resounded.
It was sweet, beautiful, and truly heavenly.
In an instant, Li An felt a whole other level of agony.
If the Sirens' singing earlier merely made one drowsy, Serena's singing was a mental attack in a completely different sense.
To resist the drowsiness, Li An was actually forced to clench his fist and punch himself hard in the face.
“It's working...”
As expected,
the Sirens' singing gradually died down.
The Sirens, who had been singing just moments ago, now wore expressions of utter disbelief.
They seemed to have suffered a tremendous blow.
The feeling was like two vocalists competing in a singing duel, only for one side to be utterly and hopelessly crushed.
Completely.
Immediately afterward,
an even more incredible sight unfolded.
All the Sirens folded their wings simultaneously, lowered their heads, and bowed respectfully to Serena.
That appearance... was practically like worshipping their queen.
“What in the world is going on?”
Serena herself was dumbfounded.
Li An remained silent for a moment before offering the only logical explanation he could come up with.
“It seems...”
“they have recognized you as the Siren Queen.”
...
Imperial Second Princess, Serena Barba.
Just like that, she had inexplicably become the Siren Queen.
...
“So all those missing people had actually entered the Sirens' territory.”
Serena sat on the shoulders of the largest Siren, listening to their explanation.
“Apparently, they kidnap people first to subject them to some kind of trial.”
“Those who fail are kept as servants.”
Serena nodded thoughtfully.
“I've already ordered them to send everyone back.”
“That's good.”
Li An breathed a sigh of relief.
The matter this time was finally resolved satisfactorily.
However, Serena seemed to have developed a keen interest in the Sirens' singing.
“They even taught me how to sing.”
Serena blinked.
“I'm going to keep learning.”
At this, she suddenly giggled.
“Perhaps I can even learn some songs specifically meant to charm men.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Hehehe.”
Li An immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Just what on earth did this princess learn?
But regardless,
the matter had indeed been resolved.
All of the missing people returned safely to their families.
The Siren Hot Spring also reopened for business.
This time, the King of Kelly's gratitude toward Li An reached absurd proportions.
“As expected of the Light of the Empire!”
“Unbelievable! A problem our own investigators couldn't solve after weeks of work, yet you uncovered the truth so quickly!”
“You are welcome to stay in the Kelly Kingdom for as long as you like!”
“All expenses will be fully covered by the kingdom!”
Although Li An's original disappearance plan was completely ruined, he still felt that this outcome was quite good upon seeing the missing persons return safely to their families.
“Then let's rest for a bit...”
The mission had been successfully completed.
Even if he took the opportunity to enjoy his vacation, no one could say anything.
Li An nodded.
...
One day.
Two days.
A week.
A month.
“Ah, comfortable...”
“So comfortable...”
Li An soaked in the hot spring once again.
The long-accumulated soreness in his shoulders had completely vanished.
No official duties.
No documents.
No meetings.
And definitely none of those endless chores.
This was absolute heaven.
“If only I could stay here forever...”
Li An leaned against the edge of the hot spring, gazing up at the sky.
“I might as well just never go back for the rest of my life...”
The sky was as blue as ever.
The sunlight was warm.
The surroundings were quiet enough to make one drowsy.
“By the way...”
Li An suddenly frowned.
“How long have I actually been here?”
So much time had passed.
So much so that he had even lost all track of the date.
“Whatever.”
“I'll just rest a bit longer.”
...
Rumble!
Suddenly,
a loud rumbling resounded from the sky.
Li An raised his head.
An airship was flying in from the distance.
“An airship?”
“Why is there an airship?”
And...
that airship was gradually approaching this direction.
It was not until Li An clearly saw the emblem on the airship.
A pitch-black imperial royal emblem.
It was a symbol that only the task forces directly under the imperial family could use.
And within the empire, this squad also had a highly notorious nickname.
The Emperor's Hounds, which could make even a weeping official shut up instantly upon sight.
Li An's face darkened in an instant.
“For fuck's sake...”
He had enjoyed such a rare, long break.
It had been a long time since he last cursed.
But this time,
he truly couldn't hold it back.
The airship's hatch slowly opened.
A rope dangled down from inside.
Immediately following that,
a person slid down the rope.
“Father?”
Li An's eyes widened.
The one sliding down the rope was none other than his father, Arthur Adolf.
The sunlight caught the badge on Arthur's chest.
It was a symbol that only the leader of the Hounds had the right to wear.
Arthur patted down his clothes after landing.
“It seems I'm doing quite well for myself.”
Li An: “...”
Arthur wore a kind smile.
“All right.”
“It's time to go home, son.”
At that moment,
Li An felt a strong illusion.
This wasn't a father coming to pick up his son at all.
It was a father coming to capture a rebellious, runaway son.
...
“Sigh...”
“What a shame.”
A white-haired girl stomped her feet in annoyance.
“Just a little longer, and he clearly would have been mine.”
“I was even planning to make him the next king.”
“What an absolute pity.”
The girl's cheeks were covered in fine, white scales.
She looked up at the sky.
“Cloud Dragon...”
“I really envy you.”
“I truly do.”
To control her emotions, the White Dragon reflexively reached to touch the crystal ball she always held in her arms.
“Huh?”
“Where is my crystal ball?”
“Where did it go?”
The girl panicked instantly.
“I can't do without it.”
“Without it...”
The White Dragon was so anxious she almost cried.
...
“Here.”
“A souvenir.”
Upon returning to the empire, Li An was punished.
However, the punishment was much lighter than he had imagined.
After all, the issue in the Kelly Kingdom had been resolved successfully, and the Kelly Kingdom, as an ally of the empire, had verified Li An's whereabouts.
So this time, it was deemed excusable.
Serena had already returned to the empire ahead of him.
“What is this?”
Li An caught the white bead that Bernstein tossed to him.
The moment he held it, he felt some strange energy seemingly flowing inside the bead.
“There seems to be a very strange energy inside this bead.”
Bernstein stroked his chin.
“You probably picked up some dangerous object while you were in the Kelly Kingdom.”
“Who knows.”
Li An carelessly flipped the bead around in his hand, examining it.
“Well, it's something from the Kelly Kingdom anyway.”
“Do whatever you want with it.”
“You should keep such a suspicious thing to yourself.”
Bernstein curled his lips.
“Even if I take it back, people will complain. What a pain.”
Li An let out a helpless sigh.
Then, he stuffed the white bead into his pocket.
In any case, it was useless.
Once he got back, he would just toss it somewhere at home and let it serve as a decoration.
Rate on N.U.
