Chapter 14: I Am a Man of Iron and Blood

“Ah, finally… finally here!”

Squeezed along with the flow of passengers, Peleti pushed her way out of the carriage and stepped onto the solid platform of Farisa Station.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she let out a long exhale—as if trying to release all the stifling tension and anxiety that had built up throughout the entire journey.

She instinctively rubbed her sore lower back and the numbness in her hips.

For a full day and night, she’d been practically nailed to that steel-hard seat, all while having to stay alert in case that blue-haired noble suddenly appeared.

Thankfully, until the train whistle blew and they pulled into the station, that familiar blue silhouette never showed again.

Her evaluation of Iliane rose ever so slightly: at least, after being clearly rejected, the other party still maintained basic dignity and did not continue pestering her.

That alone already put Iliane far above most nobles Peleti had met.

But her poor, tormented body had suffered greatly.

She couldn’t help thinking back to the brief rest she’d had in Iliane’s private compartment—the soft cushions, the perfectly balanced support…

After experiencing that kind of comfort, returning to the rock-hard seats made every minute feel like torture.

Had she seriously become spoiled that quickly? The thought had barely surfaced before she violently crushed it.

Impossible!

She was, at her core, a man who could endure hardship. How could she turn delicate after sitting in one nice chair?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

She was a man of iron and blood. How could anything like this happen to her?

In the end, Peleti could only blame it on temporary discomfort.

At the station, staff members were distributing compensation.

Peleti received five gleaming gold coins. She discreetly glanced around—most people were only getting two or three.

It seemed that as the primary target of the orc attack, she really was given special consideration.

Holding the unexpected windfall, an absurd yet practical thought flickered through her mind: if every dangerous encounter ended safely and even came with compensation… wouldn’t that be… kind of nice?

But the thought lasted only an instant before reality shattered it.

Powerful figures aren’t cabbage on the roadside.

And even if they were—why would one save her every time? They’d definitely want something in return.

And whatever plot she’d be dragged into probably wouldn’t be good.

She weighed the coins in her hand and carefully put them away.

Better to stay grounded and find a stable job.

After everything that had happened these last few days, she’d never appreciated the value of an ordinary, peaceful life more than she did right now.

She didn’t notice that somewhere not far away, within the gaps of the crowd, two gazes briefly fell on her.

“Chief, is it really okay to dump all the Brest affairs on Team Six and come here to… uh… ‘follow up’ on Miss Peleti?” The woman hesitated over the wording, not daring to directly say “stalk.”

Iliane didn’t slow even a fraction. Her gaze stayed forward, her tone calm yet unyielding:
“It’s protection. She is an important witness in the orc attack incident. Ensuring her safety is a reasonable extension of the investigation. Besides, we came to Farisa with cooperative duties assigned by the diocese.”

She deliberately emphasized the official nature of their visit, as if this entire trip was purely work.

Anna made an “oh” sound, half understanding, half not.

She couldn’t resist glancing back toward where Peleti had disappeared. That white silhouette stood out distinctly amidst the bustling crowd.

“By the way, Miss Peleti has such good temperament. I wonder which academy she graduated from? Her clothes are quite simple, so probably not a noble academy, right?”

She paused, her curiosity growing stronger.

“And she actually refused your direct invitation… I’m really curious what kind of job she’s hoping to find in Farisa.”

She kept talking to herself, not realizing that her thoughts had already started orbiting around that girl they’d met only once.

“No idea.”
Iliane’s reply was so curt it was almost sharp.

“Huh? Chief, you didn’t ask? Basic background info should be part of a standard inquiry, right?” Anna asked, genuinely puzzled.

For a brief moment, Iliane’s side profile seemed to tense.

“I forgot.”

She spit out the two words and quickened her pace.

She certainly couldn’t admit that her attention had been completely consumed by that impossibly exquisite face and those sunlit golden eyes—so much so that she forgot to ask the usual questions.

Anna blinked, sensing that her chief didn’t want to pursue the topic, so she wisely dropped it.

“So now we…”

“Head to Farisa’s Grand Cathedral, turn in our task, and gather local intel.” Iliane decided decisively, cutting off the discussion about Peleti.

She gave one last quick glance in the direction Peleti had gone. The girl’s figure was already swallowed by the glow of the station’s exit, like a drop of water merging into a river.

Then she turned neatly on her heel, leading Anna toward the opposite direction—her blue hair slicing a cold arc through the air.