Chapter 92: The Paladin’s Escort and an Unwanted Encounter

Later that evening, as Alice emerged alone from the Grand Cathedral, the clock tower chimed the hour. It was precisely six o’clock, and the sky had already deepened into complete darkness.

She had not forgotten her mission to scout the Grand Cathedral. While the cathedral at the Academy was typically sealed for advancement rituals, it remained open to all students for visits on ordinary days.

She had deliberately waited until this late hour, hoping to explore the cathedral alone and investigate any potential secret passages.

Regrettably, her initial inspection yielded no trace of the secret mechanisms the March Hare had mentioned.

This made sense, of course. After all, as a confidential location housing divine-tier holy relics of the Heretic Path, it would not be easily discovered under normal circumstances.

Otherwise, the Grand Cathedral would hardly be left open for students to tour so freely.

It seemed the Inquisition’s sealed grounds used other, more secure methods to conceal their entrances and exits. Finding the truth would require more crucial clues.

Alice was not overly anxious, however, knowing that haste makes waste, especially on just her first day.

It was time to head home. She had promised the Mad Hatter that she would divine the whereabouts of the Ripper Killer as soon as she had a moment. Now, it was time to get to work.

Several consecutive failures in her divinations had somewhat dampened her confidence. Initially, she had even asked the Duchess Liddell to assist her once, but the outcome had been equally fruitless.

Now, the Duchess Liddell had returned to the Liddell ducal territory, leaving Alice to manage both her academy affairs and the tea party’s tasks alone.

Divination was an exhausting process, requiring a relic as a medium. She couldn’t perform such acts within the academy, so she meticulously planned her time and energy accordingly.

As Alice walked a short distance, a sudden beam of light rounded a nearby corner, striking her face directly and causing her to squint.

“Who’s there?” a voice called out.

Alice focused her gaze, discerning a knight clad in full armor. She noticed the light emanated from a small round shield attached to the knight’s gauntlet, reflecting the beam like a mirror under the sun, casting it far into the distance.

A paladin. He had used his abilities to imbue his equipment with light, aiding his patrols at night.

It struck Alice as unusual that the evening patrols within the ivory tower courtyard of the Capital’s Sacred Academy were conducted not by groundskeepers, but by actual paladins.

“Hmm? You, are you a new student?” The patrolling paladin strode closer, immediately noticing Alice wasn’t wearing a uniform. He questioned her loudly, “Why are you still wandering around the academy so late?”

“Ah, Sir Knight!” Alice immediately feigned an expression of pleasant surprise. “I am a new student in the Theology Department, named Alice Liddell. Excuse me, but where exactly is the academy’s gate?”

“Liddell? Are you perhaps the Duchess Liddell?” The paladin scrutinized Alice’s hand. “You… aren’t wearing your family crest ring?”

“Ah, Mother always taught me not to wear it often when out and about, lest I attract unwanted attention from villains. So, I simply didn’t put it on.” Alice smiled, producing a ring embossed with the Liddell family crest—a token only the head of the household, inheriting the title, was authorized to possess.

Alice disliked wearing this ring, primarily due to her slight aversion to it. Such family crest rings were, after all, mainly for flaunting one’s lineage.

“My apologies.” The knight immediately bowed, his tone noticeably more courteous. “Why are you still at the academy at this hour? Someone should have escorted you to the gate when your visit concluded.”

‘You craft an identity for yourself, just as the Duchess Liddell said. The status of a great noble truly works better than anything else.’

“I wanted to explore a bit more, so I stayed for a while longer. I ended up falling asleep on a bench in the plaza. When I woke, it was dark, and then I got lost trying to find the gate…” Alice replied calmly.

This was an excuse she had prepared long ago to handle inquiries, and she delivered it flawlessly, without the slightest hesitation.

Her acting successfully deceived the paladin, who nodded. “I see. But this is a bit troublesome. It hasn’t been very peaceful outside lately; you must have heard about the ‘Ripper’ case. It’s quite dangerous for you to go home alone so late.”

“It’s fine, my residence is near the academy, just one block away. There are many pedestrians on the street,” Alice said.

“No, no, that won’t do. Since I’ve encountered you, I’d be in serious trouble if anything happened to you later.” The paladin shook his head repeatedly. “I have patrol duties and cannot leave. How about this: you wait here for a moment, and I’ll find someone to escort you back?”

“This…” Alice hesitated before agreeing. “Alright.”

Considering her repeated failures in divination lately, it was unlikely she would cross paths with the Killer anytime soon. Such protection felt a bit redundant to her.

However, refusing too adamantly might make her seem suspicious. In any case, she only needed to travel a short distance with an escort.

“Then please follow me.” The knight led Alice to a small path within the academy, illuminated by streetlights, and seated her on a bench. “Please wait here for a moment.”

“Understood.” Alice offered a reserved smile, then watched the knight depart.

It seemed her plans would have to be delayed slightly.

Alice waited patiently on the bench, faintly hearing distant laughter. She turned her head, noticing a brightly lit mansion with its gates wide open, seemingly hosting some event.

Just then, a young man emerged from the mansion and walked directly toward her.

Alice eyed him with surprise, noting his flamboyant formal attire and an eager smile. He was approaching to flirt, Alice immediately concluded.

The man openly scrutinized Alice, his blatant gaze causing her displeasure. More importantly, Alice detected a faint scent of alcohol emanating from him.

A drunken flirt, radiating an aura of trouble from head to toe.

“Hello, miss. I am Pierre Alençon,” the young man finally introduced himself. “Son of the Duke of Alençon.”

Pierre Alençon had been at a wine party with his dubious friends in a nearby clubroom. Spotting Alice sitting there, he was immediately captivated by her beauty.

He was unaware of Alice’s identity, only deducing she was a new student because she wasn’t wearing a uniform. Fueled by alcohol and encouraged by his companions, he approached Alice, intending to invite her to the party.

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