The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 24: Enchanted Armor

The duchess was aware that Alice would acquiesce, as she was someone who disliked rejection and when negotiating with others, she preferred to present a proposal that was irresistible. Although this would undoubtedly incur higher costs, she was not bothered by that.

In that moment, she took a decisive step forward and fixed her gaze intently on Alice.

“You must promise me that you will never disclose what you have heard here, let alone inform the Mercenary Union,” the duchess stated firmly.

Her demeanor exuded an air of authority, causing Alice to also rise to her feet, gulp nervously, and lift her hand.

“I swear.” Alice resolutely declared.

Mercenaries’ vows were not very reliable, as they were often seen as lacking in moral values and prone to betrayal.

It was commonly believed that one should not put too much trust in their promises.

The duchess gazed directly into her eyes and made a firm statement, “You should be aware that my authority rivals that of the Mercenary Union. If you dare to break your vow, rest assured that I will ensure your demise is not a pleasant one.”

“I understand.”

The duchess continued to scrutinize Alice, evaluating her trustworthiness.

The latter remained perfectly still, allowing the former to observe her. Time seemed to stand still, the atmosphere becoming oppressive.

Alice felt the urge to take a deep breath but resisted the impulse.

After an undisclosed period, the duchess shifted her eyes away, reseated herself, and sipped her tea, “I trust you.”

The tense ambiance dissipated, and the duchess’ behavior turned more restrained as she disclosed her request.

“Now, let’s discuss what I need you to do– I want you to travel to the northlands, specifically to Earl Rachel’s abode, and retrieve something for me.”

The intricacies of aristocratic lineage were a convoluted subject, and Alice had no knowledge of noble last names, but the mention of Earl Rachel struck a chord, as it was a well-known name that even she recognized instantly.

The mere utterance of that name clarified why the duchess hesitated to involve the Mercenary Union.

Earl Rachel is the leader of the Mercenary Union. Who would be foolish enough to try to locate someone by asking the Mercenary Union to visit the leader’s home to find something?

The duchess then said, “The item I need you to locate is a crown adorned with beads.”

“A beaded crown?”

The duchess confirmed, “It was a present I gave to my younger sister long ago. She was twelve years my junior and quite lovely. By the time she married Earl Rachel, I was already a duchess, so I commissioned artisans to create the beaded crown for her. It was a valuable treasure that suited her perfectly.”

As she spoke about her sister, her demeanor shifted and her tone became somber. It appeared as though she was reminiscing about happier times and lamenting the passage of those days.

“I had believed that she would find happiness, or at least something similar. It never occurred to me that she passed away within three years of marrying in the northlands. Earl Rachel claimed that her death was due to illness caused by not being accustomed to the harsh climate of the north, a journey that is quite far, and I have no way to confirm his statement.

I yearned for her so much that I requested Earl Rachel for the crown, hoping to see it. He refused to give it back, stating that it was a precious keepsake of his beloved wife. Now that I am older and less energetic, I no longer wanted to dwell on the circumstances of my sister’s death with him, but simply desired the return of the crown, for which I was willing to sacrifice anything.”

As the duchess narrated these tales, Alice listened attentively.

While she could’ve simply mentioned the general premise, Alice realized that she deliberately shared the complete story with her.

Maybe it was because she rarely had anyone to confide in, and she wasn’t going to reveal it at this moment; or maybe she was seeking sympathy from Alice and ensuring her commitment.

Regardless, they were not just mercenaries and nobles at that moment; they were simply women, and women always understood each other easily.

Alice gazed at the woman in front of her and made a heartfelt vow, “Your Highness, I will surely retrieve the crown for you.”

The duchess smiled, “In that case, please return and wait first. I will instruct Lady Meredith to provide the agreed deposit. Once you receive it, pack for your journey to the northlands promptly. To avoid leaving any trace, you need not return to me before departing.”

Though Alice was unaware of who Lady Meredith was, she followed the instructions.

The two individuals had an agreement, and the duchess arranged for a carriage to transport Alice back to Rom’s farmhouse.

During the journey, she pondered about the duchess. It seemed unimaginable that a woman of her stature could be experiencing irrevocable pain.

Rom noticed her different demeanor, “Did you have a difficult time at the nobles’ banquet?”

She shook her head, “The duchess has assigned me a task that I am unsure if I can complete.”

“What kind of task?”

“I cannot disclose it, but the duchess has promised to knight me if I succeed.”

“Do you still have doubts?”

“No. I have given my word to her… Should I not be so presumptuous?”

“Perhaps,” Rom remarked as he sat down at the table and swiftly drank half a glass of red wine. “Individuals like us, entangled in the conflicts among the nobles, may end up being manipulated and destroyed by it.”

“Does the master believe I made the incorrect choice?”

“I’m unsure.” He shut his eyes, appearing weary. “Throughout my life, I’ve had numerous close companions, yet nearly all of them are now deceased. I am too apprehensive to offer any positive guidance, but you are still young with your future ahead of you; you shouldn’t heed the ramblings of an elderly man like me.”

Rom appeared to have resolved not to provide any more counsel to his apprentice, who had already graduated, leaving the decision-making entirely up to her.

Alice continued pondering the events of that evening and, after a lengthy period, found herself unable to drift off to sleep.

The following day, Lady Meredith assigned her the assignment which was delivered by the Mercenary Union.

It stated that Lady Meredith, the renowned magician from the royal capital, had chosen her to journey to the northlands in search of a valuable lotus flower to be used in magic tricks.

Lady Meredith paid her a hundred gold coins in advance due to the long journey and the difficulty of finding the lotus flower. Upon successful completion of the mission, she would receive an additional thirty gold coins for the final payment.

The price offered for this quest was relatively high compared to typical assignments, but considering magicians were the wealthiest individuals on the continent, it was not an unusual sum.

The Mercenary Union representative also provided a sketch of the lotus flower, believed to be drawn by Lady Meredith herself, with a magical seal that ensured only the assigned person could view it.

According to the union member, magicians valued their privacy greatly, and the lotus flower Lady Meredith commissioned her to find might possibly be a rare species that no one else had encountered before.

The man departed after delivering the items and payment.

Alice opened the enchanted seal and noticed that the design on the paper was not a lotus flower, but an exquisite crown.

Intuitively, she realized that it was a task commissioned by the duchess.

Having recently advanced to the rank of Special Grade Mercenary, she knew that many individuals would wish to enlist her services. By accepting Lady Meredith’s assignment via the Mercenary Union, she could now journey to the northlands under the guise of fulfilling the task without arousing suspicion.

If she successfully retrieved the crown, she would journey to West Felix and receive knighthood in the duchess’ domain.

Once news of this accomplishment spread, Lady Meredith could retract the commission by citing Alice’s departure from the union and reclaim the funds, excluding the initial hundred gold coin payment.

The entire scheme was flawless.

Carrying a hundred gold coins, she felt more secure in her heart. Even though she already owned a horse and a sword, she still needed a proper suit of armor. With money in hand, her standards became higher, making the armor she once admired seem less appealing now. The better ones were too expensive, leaving her short on funds for travel expenses.

This dilemma gave her some trouble. Unable to afford the armor she desired, she decided to purchase a small enchanted gemstone for twenty gold coins. She had it embedded in the dagger given to her by Lina, replacing the broken original gemstone.

The craftsman who embedded the enchanted gemstone warned her that its size was small, and it could only be used three times due to the limited magic power it stored.

Considering the high cost of using such an enchanted weapon, she hesitated as it was a gift from Lina that saved her life.

However, as she ventured to the northlands, she wanted to be prepared for any dangers she might face, making the investment worthwhile.

After finishing setting the gems, it was growing late.

Alice headed back to Rom’s farm, prepared to try her luck once more the next day, only to discover that she had actually received a surprise gift.

According to Rom, it was a package delivered by a servant running errands for a noble’s household, marked as intended for her. The delivery person departed without uttering a word, unaware of the exact origin of the delivery.

She eagerly unpacked the parcel and uncovered a finely crafted lock armor inside.

The lock armor was constructed from metal rings, relatively lightweight and thin, able to be worn discreetly under clothing to remain unseen, yet also suitable for wearing over leather armor for protection against arrows, bows, and swords in combat.

This particular lock armor was intricately woven, using exquisite materials that imbued it with a sense of durability and lightness.

She found it to be both sturdy and lightweight, emitting a faint blue glow when bathed in sunlight—indicating the presence of a magical enchantment.

In recent days, she frequently visited weapon and defense stores and gained some understanding of the market.

She learned that enchanting armor required a different process than enchanting weapons. While weapons can be enhanced by embedding enchanted gemstones, armor needs to be handed over to a skilled magician for a special enchantment since there is no place to embed gemstones on it.

Unlike weapon enchantments, armor enchantments can be maintained as long as the armor remains intact. However, enchanting armor by a skilled magician is not cheap and cannot be easily done by spending a small amount of gold coins.

Enchanted armor had a high value and was rarely available in the market.

Even if it occasionally appeared for sale, it would quickly be purchased by someone with better connections.

Alice was impressed by the quality of the enchanted armor she had seen in the defense stores she visited.

This present had only a note attached to it.

“When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a knight, so I prepared this armor for myself. When I joined the temple, I couldn’t use it anymore and couldn’t bear to leave it there. By giving it to you, I’ve found a worthy owner. I hope it protects you well.”

The note, although unsigned, was clearly from Etienne.

He was always like this—not saying much but always helping her. Alice was so grateful that she didn’t know how to repay him.

She wanted to send a message to him, but didn’t know where he was staying now.

If she went to the temple, she could probably find out where he was. But she was worried it could have a negative impact on him, so she decided against it.

There would be plenty of time in the future to repay his kindness.

With Alice’s impenetrable armor, she no longer had to fear any challenging battles ahead.