The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 31

Chapter 31
Head部長 Meg
This was the day after Haina had made headlines, and it happened to be the weekend.
Haina visited the Royal Law University after a long time.
Even though it was a holiday, there were quite a few people at the school. After all, the final exams were still a month away, and it was time to prepare, even if it was last-minute cramming.
Haina, however, was not nervous at all.
She had even donned her armor and equipped her Inspection Bureau’s exclusive short sword, standing at the foot of the girls’ dormitory building and smiling as she watched the younger students come and go.
“Senior! Hello!”
“Senior Haina.”
“Good morning, Senior Haina.”
“Under the Silver Crown Dragon… I wish you well, Miss Haina.”
The students, both juniors and seniors, as well as those in Haina’s own year, greeted her politely when they saw her. The busy students cast envious glances at Haina, who seemed so relaxed.
They were still working hard to prepare for their final exams, but Haina had already graduated early!
But they would never have guessed that Haina had done it on purpose.
She hadn’t returned because she had something to do.
She simply wanted to witness the younger students busy with their exams while she leisurely strolled through the school.
It felt so good. Oh, it felt so good.
It was as if the fatigue and pressure accumulated from her all-night study sessions for early graduation exams had been purified…
The Royal Law University was not purely a school for extraordinary individuals.
It had 140 academic buildings and six departments. Only two of these departments taught students how to become extraordinary individuals, and another two departments prioritized teaching other paths of mystical arts.
These were the “forbidden arts”—such as alchemy, art, and preservation techniques—that began to be taught twenty years ago under the Queen’s special charter for the kingdom’s thriving development.
The remaining two departments were for producing high-quality civil servants for Avalon. They had the largest number of students, all of whom were ordinary people.
The crisscrossing academic buildings were almost like a very small town. Divided into six major areas by intersecting streets, each area had various merchants and residents. One could buy most of the things they needed without even leaving the “university” territory.
The Royal Law University occupied a significant portion of the Red Queen District. Because of this, the Red Queen District was also known as the “University District.”
The housing prices here were extremely high. So high that Haina couldn’t even imagine them.
The core areas of the Red and White Queens, these two glass islands, were so prestigious because they offered direct views of the “Lake in the Island”—from the top floors of the academic buildings, one could even see the Silver and Tin Hall glittering in the sunlight with the naked eye.
Here, one could almost meet knights every time they stepped out of their homes.
Haina’s academy belonged to the [Individual Tactics Department]. Although they were extraordinary individuals, they also had to study general education subjects.
—This was a policy proposed by Her Majesty the Queen to improve the quality of extraordinary talent.
To make extraordinary individuals into capable statesmen with extraordinary power, rather than a source of chaos—there was no need to worry about how much to concede to extraordinary individuals to appease them, because they were the pillars of the kingdom.
Because of this, the academic pressure at the Royal Law University was immense.
Iris Language, Star Antimony Language, Elven Language, Advanced Mathematics, Basic Theology, Modern History, and Technical Writing were general education courses that all departments had to master.
Specifically for Haina, she also had seven specialized courses: “Law,” “Lawful Tactics,” “Swordsmanship,” “Aerial Horsemanship,” “Battlefield Command,” “Path Identification,” and “Equipment Maintenance and Field Treatment.”
In addition to these, she had to choose four elective courses.
She chose “Applied Emerald Studies,” “Anesthesiology,” “Wine Brewing Production Management,” and “Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment.”
It seemed like a broad range of studies… but her motives were actually clear and traceable.
—This was Haina flexibly utilizing the extremely strong teaching resources of the Royal Law University, as well as the numerous professional books available for free use in the library, considering her potential future heavy injuries or disability leading to unemployment as a baseline, and proactively studying four subjects that would ensure her livelihood.
But at the same time, she didn’t know what would be profitable in the future. So she studied four unrelated fields with a shotgun approach.
With a foundation in place, it would be much easier to supplement later.
Just then, Haina suddenly shivered.
She instinctively sensed that someone had silently appeared behind her.
An extremely intense sense of fear gripped her heart, and her eyes widened instantly. Like facing a gale-force wind head-on, she took large, forceful breaths but couldn’t draw in any oxygen.
With her nerves taut, she subconsciously gripped the short sword in its sheath—
“—Morning, Haina.”
A resonant, powerful female voice called out: “Hey, don’t be scared. [Put it back].”
With a *clang*, the short sword she had partially drawn slipped back into its sheath on its own. It was as if her weapon refused to be drawn in this person’s presence.
It was only when she heard her voice that Haina breathed a sigh of relief and slowly released her hand.
“Head部長 Meg…”
How could such an important figure appear so suddenly without any sound. You really startled me…
She grumbled inwardly, then turned back, placing her right hand on her chest, bowed her head, and respectfully saluted her: “Good morning, Head部長 Meg.”
Before Haina stood a middle-aged or elderly woman with silver-white hair, high cheekbones, and clear wrinkles on her face.
Judging by her skin and appearance alone, she looked at least forty or fifty years old, perhaps even over sixty. But her bright, piercing eyes, robust physique, and loud voice made her appear at least twenty years younger.
The most noticeable feature of Head部長 Meg was her high, rounded, firm shoulders. These were muscles so strong that even young men focused on fitness would find it difficult to possess, causing the loose clothing to bulge noticeably.
“Hahahaha!”
Meg laughed heartily.
Her laughter was robust and clear, and her voice could be heard distinctly even from dozens of meters away: “I knew it—you were startled, weren’t you?
“But you did well, Haina! A few months ago, you wouldn’t have noticed my presence even if I had put my arm around your shoulder. Now, you can sense me just by my approach—this shows that the past few months of training have indeed brought progress!”
This incident could be considered Haina’s shame.
A few months ago, she had applied for early graduation—because her grades were exceptionally outstanding, she had been very confident. Her early graduation had also alerted Head部長 Meg, who personally came to witness Haina’s graduation assessment.
At that time, she had appeared behind Haina silently, just like now. But Haina had been completely unaware.
She hadn’t even noticed when Meg slowly untied her bow tie. It wasn’t that Meg had entered stealth mode, but rather that she had made Haina’s brain “dare not perceive her existence.”
It was an act of authoritative power, forcibly altering perception, akin to calling a deer a horse.
And now, at least Haina could sense danger—
Although Head部長 Meg had certainly not been serious, it still indicated that she had indeed grown.
After Head部長 Meg appeared, the surrounding students rapidly decreased in number.
Haina had originally been surrounded by many people, but now a large empty space had opened up around her.
This was not merely out of reverence for a school leader.
It was also because of the strong and clear “Authority” aura emanating from Head部長 Meg. Those beneath her on the same path dared not approach.
This seemingly energetic elder was one of the strongest individuals in this world today.
—The Grand Arbitrator, Meg. Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall.
She possessed the supreme privilege of executing direct bloodline members of the royal family.
The reason why she was the “Deputy” Director… was because in Avalon, the deputy position was, in a sense, stronger than the principal position—because the principal had a maximum term of office, but the deputy did not.
Meg had been the Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall for twenty years. Seven directors had served their terms in three-year intervals, and each of them had been her student.
Even the succession of the throne required Meg’s presence to witness.
After the new King ascended the throne, she would be the third to swear fealty to the new King—the first being the Minister of Military and Foreign Affairs, who controlled the military and foreign intelligence agencies; the second being the Knight Commander of the Round Table Hall, who also served as the Privy Council Minister. And the third was her.
Other members of the royal family had to wait until after the sixth position.
Just standing beside Old Meg made Haina’s heart palpitate.
It was as if the person standing before her was not a kind and hearty old lady, but a lion in close proximity.
—If she turned to flee, she would probably fall. Because her legs would stiffen with fear.
She had once single-handedly intervened in a war.
It was a brief war twenty years ago between the Avalon Kingdom and the Iris Kingdom due to border friction, known as the “Ten-Day War.”
When Meg arrived at the battlefield, she simply uttered a single sentence that made both sides’ soldiers sheathe their swords and point their guns at the ground.
She carved a “Peace Boundary” in the border region—as long as one considered themselves a “soldier,” they could not cross the boundary. Upon approaching the boundary, one would feel extreme fear and be paralyzed.
The boundary existed for four years before gradually fading. Now, with the improvement of relations between the two countries, it had become a famous tourist attraction, commemorating that brief ten-day war.
Haina was certainly not her student; she wasn’t qualified yet.
Sherlock had been invited to become her closed-door disciple—however, he had refused.
The old lady did not force the issue. But after that, she no longer accepted new students.
It was said that she had recently begun preparing to step down from her position as Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall. This was a well-known secret at the Royal Law University—because the new Deputy Director would be their young principal.
And this principal had also been a student of Head部長 Meg.
“You made the newspapers, didn’t you?”
Old Meg appraised her, raising her eyes and asking with an unclear meaning.
Haina was extremely nervous, her head bowed, not daring to lift it: “Yes, it was fortunate… I didn’t actually do much, it was mainly Mr. Eivass…”
“—Oh, ‘Mr.'”
The old lady repeated with a smile: “You respect him quite a bit.”
Haina was startled and held her breath, unsure how to respond.
“No need to be ashamed, you did the right thing. I heard about him from Janis.”
Meg’s voice was strong and resonant, like clenched steel: “‘The correct actions of the stronger are even more correct.’ Whether you are his senior or predecessor, on this matter, you are inferior to him. Therefore, you must obey his command—this aligns perfectly with the principles of the Authority path.”
Upon hearing this, she finally relaxed.
Being acknowledged and encouraged by a highly respected elder made Haina feel greatly inspired. It was as if the world before her lit up, and her body felt much lighter.
This even gave her the courage to ask proactively: “Excuse me, Head部長 Meg… are you perhaps looking for me?”
“Yes.”
Meg laughed frankly: “Isn’t it obvious?
“You are a good child, diligent and serious. But still a bit foolish.”
Despite graduating a year early with perfect scores in all subjects, Meg gave Haina the assessment of “a bit foolish.”
This disheartened Haina somewhat.
She knew she was far inferior to Sherlock… but she didn’t know how strong Sherlock’s talent was in a longitudinal comparison.
Haina knew nothing about the kind of talents her seniors from Sherlock’s year and before were. Because they had all become mid-to-high-level officials, and their past identities and information had been kept confidential.
But seeing her expression, Meg’s lips curved slightly, and she gave a rare affirmation: “However, we who walk the Path of Authority, the sharp blades of royalty, don’t need to be overly intelligent.
“Let me ask you—you know the Pelican Bar has been shut down, right?”
“…Yes.”
It’s normal for it to be shut down, Haina thought.
That was, after all, the gathering place of the Noble Red Society, a group of illegal extraordinary individuals—they couldn’t possibly gather to discuss Iris literature and Elven poetry, could they?
“And do you know that your roommates often go to the Pelican Bar?”
Seeing Haina’s sudden surprise, Head部長 Meg raised an eyebrow and added: “[Tell the truth].”
“—Not often,” Haina blurted out, “but they have been there.”
She almost immediately realized she had leaked information.
But before a superior on the Path of Authority, she had no secrets.
“Did they invite you?”
“They invited me once, but I refused. After that, they didn’t invite me anymore.”
“Oh.”
Meg said meaningfully: “No wonder you don’t know.”
Don’t know… what?
“Do you know what they go to the Pelican Bar to buy?”
“Buy what…?”
Haina was somewhat confused.
“They go to buy cosmetics.”
Meg directly revealed the answer: “Potent cosmetics made by alchemists from the Star Antimony Kingdom. They can make the skin of thirty or forty-year-olds look as tender as those in their teens—although, in my opinion, they are far from the age where they need to use such things. But it’s normal for girls to be interested in such things.
“Star Antimony’s youth-preserving potions also sell very well. Although the side effects of youth-preserving potions lead to bodily weakness and significant muscle loss—despite my repeated warnings, some of my students still use them.”
…Ah.
Haina suddenly understood.
—She was wondering what was off!
She had always felt that the skin of those young ladies from the capital was so tender and fair, as if it could be squeezed to yield water. Although they were all in the “Individual Tactics Department” and had practiced swordsmanship and horsemanship, their hands had no calluses, and the skin on their thighs was not abraded at all. Their waists were slender and soft, with no trace of muscle.
Before, Haina had thought it was due to their good talent and a wave of inferiority had struck her—she felt she was too rough, her body looking like it was used for farm work, too prone to developing muscles.
Now, she finally knew.
It turned out they were taking medicine!
“—Do you have anything to say?”
At this moment, Head部長 Meg looked at her with profound eyes, interrupting Haina’s thoughts.
Her mind suddenly went blank.
What… what was I going to say just now?
But the next moment, she vaguely grasped something.
“Star Antimony Kingdom’s alchemical products should be illegal, right?”
She murmured, “Then they are smuggled goods… I see, that’s why they didn’t invite me repeatedly. Because they knew I was poor.
“…No, isn’t the Pelican Bar the gathering place of the Noble Red Society? Why can the Pelican Bar sell smuggled alchemical products?”
She suddenly jolted, realizing: “Is the Noble Red Society involved in smuggling cases?
“No, no—are they connected to the Star Antimony officials?”
“Not too foolish after all.”
Old Meg nodded with satisfaction.
Finally, she got to the main point: “Our spies in Star Antimony have sent back important information—”
“W-wait, am I qualified to know this…”
Haina keenly sensed a strong sense of danger and hesitated, muttering to herself in a voice only she could hear.
Meg completely ignored the suddenly cowardly Haina and continued: “A batch of high-powered, small-volume portable alchemical bombs has been transported to Avalon. The target should be Glass Island.
“The destructive power of this batch of bombs is sufficient to blow up the entire Red Queen District. We had been unable to trace the flow of these bombs. But starting the day before yesterday… the Inspection Department discovered that these bombs were being transported through the Pelican Bar.
“The merit you have established is far greater than you imagine.”
Meg’s gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s.
She laughed heartily and patted Haina’s shoulder: “So, I’ll give you a chance.
“The Inspection Department and the Arbitration Hall are both investigating this matter. Your Inspection Bureau was not supposed to have access to this kind of thing. But whether it’s you, Sherlock, or that Eivass, you all interest me.
“I grant you temporary authorization; go investigate—if your director has anything to say, have him come find me. Bring any advisors you wish to invite, give them whatever they need, I will reimburse them; if you can’t find anything, that’s fine, I will cover for you.
“I want to see if I misjudged a few months ago. If you can investigate and obtain important intelligence before we resolve the matter…”
Meg said meaningfully: “I still have a spot for a closed-door disciple… that I can reserve for you.”