Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: Dark Elf Arc

Chapter 49

Clarissa stared at the documents on her desk with a tired sigh. With no noble to help her manage the city, all the reports, bills, and requests from various factions had to be looked over and signed by her.

Most of what she dealt with were reports that were coming in from outside of the city, which claimed that something had happened to Sylvia de Floresca. According to the report, Sylvia had been proclaimed a traitor by a man named Duke Callisto De'Falco Genitore. There was currently a nationwide search happening for her.

Clarissa wasn't sure how much of this she believed. However, several Peacekeepers from outside of the city had attempted to unlawfully enter Dorumhold without receiving her permission first. Their commander, a man named Jefferson Strouse, claimed they were here on official business, but they had neither a letter of notification nor a missive from a higher authority. What's more, the commander had said that he was here on orders to arrest her for treason.

Ha! As if she would let herself be captured again.

Her own Peacekeeper forces, who had become even more loyal to her in the time since Marquis Hunington's crimes were laid bare, were keeping them in check. At last report, the Peacekeepers under Commander Jefferson's command were staying in a camp several dozen kilometers out.

"Lady Clarissa? I have several more reports for you," a voice announced as a young man entered the room.

Illyad Saya was a young man of mixed descent. His dark hair and sharp eyes denoted his Takama no Hara origins, but muscular physique and powerful aura were definitely Elysian. His shoulders and chest were broad, and he had powerful legs and thighs, which belied the gentle, almost tender expression in his eyes.

He wore the standard uniform of a peacekeeper, which consisted of black slacks, shes, and a dark grey overcoat that went past his knees. An armband with the symbol of the Terrain Alliance, a hammer and sword crossing over a shield, wrapped around his arm in bright red. It contrasted with the dark coat. Underneath his overcoat was a steel chestplate.

"More work?" Clarissa murmured with a sigh. "This is just what I need."

"I apologize for piling more onto your workload."

"It's fine."

Illyad was quite young, being no more than twenty-four years of age. As he walked up and set the stack of papers on the desk, Clarissa caught a glimpse of the unblemished skin of his face.

"Is something wrong?" Illyad asked.

"No." Clarissa shook her head and smiled. "There is nothing wrong."

While she had another stack of papers to work through, she still needed to finish the first stack she had been working on. She grabbed the sheet on top and read over the contents. It was a petition for a new bill that would give more power to the dockmasters, allowing them to increase taxes on cargo entering the port. That brought a frown to her face. While she could ill-afford to upset the dockmasters, she also couldn't afford to have them increase the taxes for imports. The prices of everything would be raised as a result.

"Has there been any news on Commander Jefferson and his forces?" asked Clarissa as she vetoed the proposal.

"They are still there," Illyad said. "Commander Owan is keeping an eye on them."

"So they haven't moved..."

Clarissa could not keep herself from frowning as she wondered why they hadn't left yet. Surely they realized by now that just standing there wasn't going to avail them anything. At this point in time, both the Peacekeepers and the people of Dorumhold were firmly on her side.