Kays Translations

Chapter 37: On the Plains Outside the City

The following day, an interesting discussion took place at Marquis Ignat’s residence in Eupheim.

Ulysses had naturally reached the same conclusion as Radius. In fact, he had moved sooner and had already investigated whether any of the affected companies employed a Dispel user.

One trading company did.

The man had joined it five years earlier and was known as a diligent employee.

Immediately after the thefts, however, he left the Imperial Capital and disappeared.

The knights and many others had begun searching for him.

“Edgar, give us the result.”

Radius and Ulysses were in the marquis’s study.

At his master’s command, Edgar bowed and addressed the prince.

“The man left the Imperial Capital and traveled to a place two days away by magic ship.”

“You said he was there. That means he is no longer in that location, correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then where did he flee? Knowing you, I assume you have already discovered that as well.”

“In that case…”

The gentleman in the tailcoat glanced at Ulysses.

After receiving a nod from his master, Edgar continued.

“The man is currently in the basement of this residence.”

Ulysses had captured the suspect before the knights could find him.

He had been conducting his own investigation in secret, entirely unconcerned by the companies’ delayed reports and attempts to protect themselves.

“What? You already caught him?”

“Of course,” Ulysses replied. “We have questioned him and confirmed both the circumstances of the crime and the stolen items. At my instruction, Edgar also verified that the items described match what was taken.”

It was exactly the sort of result one should have expected from Ulysses.

Radius had assumed the marquis would already be investigating, but even he had not expected Ulysses to have captured such an important suspect.

The ease with which he had accomplished it without revealing a thing was almost frightening.

“I am repeatedly reminded how fortunate it is that you are on our side.”

“Ha ha! I will accept that as praise. For the record, I intended to report this today. There was no reason to hide it.”

“I thought as much. Did you learn the purpose of the thefts?”

“Money. Someone offered the man a deal, and he provided extensive assistance in return for payment. The person who approached him was probably a member of the band.”

“He caused such a serious incident merely for money?”

“Imperial law can decide how to punish that foolish shortsightedness. What should concern us is the purpose of the person who made the offer. Edgar, give His Highness the documents.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Edgar handed Radius the records prepared in advance.

The intelligent prince understood much of the situation almost immediately.

“The stolen documents share a common subject.”

Ulysses nodded.

“They contain information about magic tools installed throughout the Imperial Capital and Elendil.”

Documents had been stolen from trading companies and independent craftsmen alike.

When all the missing records were compared, information concerning magic tools installed around the two cities appeared with suspicious frequency.

“Are they searching for weaknesses in the cities’ security?” Radius asked.

“I do not know. But it certainly warrants concern.”

“What happened to the stolen documents?”

“The Dispel user does not possess them. He apparently did not participate directly in the thefts; he only disabled the defensive systems.”

The man had nearly been killed once his part was complete.

From the band’s perspective, that was unsurprising. Killing him would prevent information about them from reaching anyone else.

He had received a large advance payment.

When the time came to collect the remainder, he sensed danger and fled.

“I will praise his survival instinct, but I have no sympathy for him,” Radius said.

“Then may we leave the rest to you?” Ulysses asked.

“Yes. I will arrange for him to be transferred to a prison in the Imperial Capital. After that… I want to determine whether the Demon King cult is involved.”

“I agree. That must be the next stage of the investigation.”

“It is troublesome, but if the cult is involved, we cannot remain silent.”

With the first matter settled, they turned to what came next.

Edgar served tea, and the room grew quiet for several minutes.

When the conversation resumed, Ulysses’s expression changed.

“By the way…”

He smiled, but there was an almost monstrous pressure behind it.

Radius remained unshaken.

“What is it?”

“I want to hear what Your Highness truly thinks. If the Demon King cult is responsible, what will you do?”

“The answer is obvious. I will capture every one of them and extract every scrap of information they possess.”

“That is not the ordinary answer I am asking for. Anyone would do that.”

“Then what are you asking?”

Both men set their cups down at the same time.

A sharp clink echoed through the room.

“Do you truly believe that is all you should do?”

Radius immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Ulysses’s question.

“That is a rather unpleasant test.”

“Forgive me, but it is important. I need to know how sharp Your Highness’s fangs have become.”

“That is an impertinent question. I am the third prince.”

Radius rose from his chair.

“This time, I intend to seize the initiative.”

His voice carried deliberate strength.

It was exactly the answer Ulysses had hoped to hear.

“If the cult’s involvement is confirmed, will you truly follow through?”

“I am a descendant of the Lion King. If fools bare their fangs at Leomel, I will break those fangs and destroy even the dens where their kind gather. I will not permit anyone to take revenge upon this empire.”

Radius took the doorknob in his own hand and continued as he left.

“Ulysses, I will repay the debt from the Baldor Mountains.”

With those words, he departed the study.

Edgar followed to escort him outside, leaving Ulysses alone with a smile.

The marquis was already convinced that the Demon King cult stood behind the band.

The known evidence was not enough to prove it, yet both instinct and intuition insisted it was true.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The next day, a message arrived at the mansion informing Ren that his special request had been completed.

The guild had received the notification shortly after Radius returned to the Imperial Capital.

Ren stared at the message in disbelief.

(That was enough?)

Still, if the client considered the request fulfilled and the guild agreed, there was nothing for him to dispute.

(The Arnevelde Trading Company must have obtained an important lead.)

He was pleased that the case had apparently progressed and considered himself fortunate.

The completed special request also satisfied the condition for his promotion.

Ren was now a D-rank adventurer.

After leaving the guild, he squinted up at the bright sunlight.

He decided to return to the mansion, leave his belongings there, and then take Io hunting.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

A broad plain covered in green grass and flowers lay several dozen minutes outside Elendil.

The snow had recently melted, and new life had only just begun to emerge.

Peddlers and adventurers commonly gathered there.

The plain was about an hour from Elendil by horse, making it a convenient resting place.

Simple outdoor stalls grilled meat and vegetables for travelers, adventurers, and anyone following the nearby highway. Their savory aromas normally added to the pleasant atmosphere.

When Ren arrived, however, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The place was usually cheerful, but unease now hung over it.

The peddlers and stalls were still open, yet groups of adventurers stood with folded arms discussing something. Men who appeared to be merchant escorts were speaking urgently among themselves.

After briefly returning to the mansion, Ren had ridden Io here. He guided her closer to the gathering.

“There was an earth mage among them.”

“It must have been those thieves.”

The words caught Ren’s attention.

He dismounted from Io and moved closer.

“Were there any injuries?” someone asked.

“Several guards from some trading company. It was terrible. Stone and earth trapped one man’s leg and shattered the bone.”

“We should take him to Elendil immediately—”

“Yes, but everyone here should evacuate too. Those criminals show no mercy.”

“I know. We asked nearby adventurers for help and warned the younger adventurers outside the city and along the highway.”

Ren listened while rapidly considering the implications.

(Why would a band that avoided leaving any trace suddenly appear here?)

Until now, the criminals had shown extraordinary caution.

Ren approached the speakers and questioned them as a fellow adventurer.

“Where did the attack occur?”

“A few dozen minutes ago, on a side road away from the main highway. A merchant caravan was attacked.”

There had been three assailants.

The caravan escaped because of the adventurers it had hired as escorts.

Several people suffered serious injuries, so they were hardly unharmed, but they avoided being wiped out.

Others who happened to be nearby had also joined the fight and helped them escape.

“Did you learn anything that proves they were members of the same band?”

“No, but considering everything that has happened recently, who else could it be?”

“Exactly. Even ordinary highwaymen appear around here only once every decade or more. If criminals suddenly attack like this now…”

Ren understood their reasoning, but he still wanted firmer information.

Assuming the attackers belonged to the band without evidence could be dangerous. He kept other possibilities in mind.

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.”

Ren left the group and surveyed the surrounding terrain.

He mounted Io again, deciding where he should begin searching.

He had allowed her to walk only a short distance and was about to urge her into a run when a voice stopped him.

“You there.”

The speaker was a tall man wearing a clean white shirt. He was slender but visibly muscular.

He stood beside a leather tent, with several men who appeared to be his companions nearby.

His posture immediately identified him as a swordsman—and an experienced one.

“Yes?”

Ren halted Io and looked down at him from the saddle.

“You were just told that the area is dangerous. I cannot ignore a child who intends to continue instead of returning to the city.”

“Um… I appreciate your concern, but who are you?”

“My apologies. I am a swordsman employed by the Arnevelde Trading Company. The men around me are as well.”

“The Arnevelde Trading Company?”

Ren tilted his head.

He seemed to have encountered that name repeatedly of late. While wondering why the company’s swordsmen were gathered here, he introduced himself.

“My name is Ren Ashton. What brings all of you here?”

“We have our reasons. Forget us for the moment. This area is dangerous, so return to the city before you are injured.”

“Yes… that is possible, but…”

Ren had no intention of turning back.

A mixture of devotion and anger had already taken root in his heart.

He would never arrogantly declare that he could protect everyone from any enemy, but neither could he ignore an attack that had just occurred.

—I will do what I can before the danger reaches the people I must protect.

The thought repeated in his mind.

The incident had taken place near Elendil. Even if the attackers belonged to the thieves, Ren still did not understand why they had suddenly abandoned their earlier caution.

But separate from that mystery, he was determined to protect the place and people that had become important to him.

The attackers had appeared only recently, and he did not want to waste the best chance to gather information.

Considering the grievously wounded escorts, he also wanted to remove the threat if possible.

That response was natural for him.

After everything Ren had experienced, he could not simply look away from a danger directly before him.

“Thank you for your concern.”

He turned to leave the man from Arnevelde.

“And thank you for notifying the guild that the request was complete. It allowed me to advance in rank, so I’m grateful.”

The man stared at him.

“You accepted our request?”

“Eh? Yes, only a few days ago.”

For some reason, the swordsman sounded astonished.

He started to say something, then abruptly told Ren to wait and entered the leather tent.

He returned almost immediately.

“Our lord wishes to ask you about what you just said.”

“…I see.”

Calling the person inside “our lord” sounded unusually grand.

Ren assumed an executive of the Arnevelde Trading Company must be present.

With little choice, he dismounted from Io again and approached the tent while holding her reins.

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