Chapter 165: “Events in the Empire (10)”

—A few days after the meeting, Prince Ricardo—

“…I don’t understand. I can’t make sense of this. What is this feeling of defeat?”

Prince Ricardo slumped forward on horseback.

The meeting with Princess Sophia had concluded without incident.

There were some unexpected developments, but he had managed to obtain that box.

The captured scouts had been safely recovered.

He had also taken custody of Daryl Zanno’s subordinates.

From their testimonies, it was confirmed that the item Princess Sophia had possessed was indeed that box.

The returning scouts and Zanno’s men had all been pale and trembling violently, but they would likely recover in time.

Prince Ricardo had fulfilled his mission.

It was a sufficient achievement. Once he returned to the imperial capital, everyone would praise him.

And yet—

“Why… Why does this Ricardo feel so utterly crushed…?”

Prince Ricardo bit his lip.

He was aware that he hadn’t actually done anything.

Still, he hadn’t expected to be overwhelmed by such a deep sense of defeat.

In the end, he had done nothing at all.

All he had done was send scouts to Sophia’s quarters and the border trade post.

He merely made contact with someone who seemed to be Daryl Zanno.

As a result, none of Ricardo’s actions had borne any fruit.

His triumphant return to the imperial capital was only possible because his sister Sophia had yielded the results to him.

Sophia had likely given that box to Ricardo because she believed it would fetch the highest price. It just so happened that he was near the town under orders to obtain the box. That was all.

To Sophia, it didn’t matter who fulfilled her wish—as long as someone did.

That should have been convenient for Ricardo, but…

“In other words, this Ricardo… fulfilled his mission by clinging to the mercy of the ‘Unwanted Princess’?”

He should be grateful to Sophia.

Had she not handed over that box, Ricardo would still be wandering the borderlands.

Or worse—he might have been tricked by Daryl Zanno and robbed of his money.

Ricardo owed a great debt to his sister Sophia.

So, immediately after the meeting ended, Ricardo dispatched a fast horse to the capital.

To report the acquisition of that box and Sophia’s contributions. In the letter, he detailed Sophia’s role in this mission.

He also included that Sophia wished to remain the lord of the borderlands.

And he expressed his desire to see that wish granted.

He couldn’t bring himself to do otherwise.

Ricardo himself had done nothing. He had fulfilled his mission only thanks to Sophia’s kindness. If he were to break his promise to her after that, he would likely be crushed by an overwhelming sense of defeat.

His pride would be shattered—so much so that he might never stand again.

“The borderlands are a terrifying place. I never want to go near them again… No, if I ever must, I’ll prepare thoroughly. Absolutely.”

Ricardo looked back from atop his horse.

Several days had passed since they left the town of Nosa. Sophia’s town was no longer visible.

With each step the army took along the road, the imperial capital drew nearer.

Even though his mission should have been accomplished, Ricardo’s spirits only sank lower.

“When we reach the capital… must this Ricardo report the acquisition of that box as his own achievement…?”

Ricardo had written in the letter that he was the one who discovered the whereabouts of that box, and that Sophia merely assisted with the investigation.

If he attributed all the credit to Sophia, her competence would be recognized, and she might be summoned back to the capital.

That would go against her wishes.

Therefore, Ricardo had to report even what Sophia did as his own accomplishments—claiming that he had worked hard and obtained the box.

Each time he remembered that, Ricardo’s heart grew heavier.

“Your Highness. A report.”

Suddenly, the captain of the scout unit approached.

“As expected, the recovered subordinates are of no use. They still seem to be frightened of something.”

“Did they undergo torture at the hands of Sophia’s subordinates?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. However…”

“However?”

“They keep saying this: ‘The borderlands are a terrifying place. The very nature of the world is different there.’”

With a strained expression, the captain said this.

Ricardo felt that he too was making a similar face.

Suppressing the rising fear, he said:

“…Continue your report.”

“Y-Yes. One of those who infiltrated Princess Sophia’s quarters said: ‘Suddenly, I couldn’t stand up. Everything slipped from my grasp, and I couldn’t trust my senses. I couldn’t hold on to anything, and I was just… in a world where nothing felt real.’”

“…Is that a poem? I can’t make sense of it at all.”

“The one who infiltrated the trading post said: ‘Suddenly, an immeasurable fear overcame me. That land must be home to an invisible giant monster. And the signboard with the child… Ah, the signboard! Aaaaaahhh!’”

“…Give that man a long vacation. He may use the summer retreat I frequent. Let him rest there until he recovers.”

“We’re grateful for Your Highness’s generosity.”

“The borderlands are an unfathomable place. I don’t intend to blame them for what happened there.”

(—This Ricardo failed there too, after all.)

Ricardo swallowed the words that nearly left his lips.

“More importantly, is that box secure? The road to the capital is long. Losing it would make everything pointless.”

“Most of our personnel have been reassigned to guard the box.”

“Yet the army seems to be moving slowly?”

“My apologies. The released soldiers are still sluggish, and the prisoners are slowing us down as well…”

“Understood. There’s a town not far ahead. We’ll leave them there for the time being.”

“As you command.”

The slow pace was due to the released soldiers and prisoners holding them back.

The soldiers, still frightened, walked slowly.

The prisoners were crammed into wagons to prevent escape, which also slowed progress.

A wagon was needed to transport that box as well. And guards were required to protect it.

As a result, the return trip was slower than the outbound journey.

“Once we’re only transporting that box, we should be able to move more smoothly.”

“I agree. However, I am concerned about how Daryl Zanno will act…”

“When we return to the capital, we’ll ready the troops and hunt him down. I’d rather not return to the borderlands, though.”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

“More importantly, I can see the town ahead. We’ll arrive shortly. Let’s take a break there.”

Across the highway, the town walls came into view.

Ricardo let out a sigh of relief.

If he could rest in the town, the strange sense of defeat would likely fade.

All that was left was to hurry along the highway and deliver “that box” to the Imperial Capital.

Seeing the look of relief on their commander’s face, the soldiers also relaxed—

—As if to strike in that very moment of carelessness, a pack of magical beasts appeared on the grassland.

“GROOOAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

“Everyone, close formation! Protect the ‘box’—!!”

Ricardo immediately gave orders.

At the same time, he began chanting a spell.

Though Ricardo could use a sword, his specialty was fire-based magic.

He’d use flames to keep the enemy at bay, then cut down anything that got close. Even Crown Prince Diaz acknowledged his strength.

“There are a little over twenty ‘Dark Wolves’! And there’s a large one among them. It may be a rare species—the ‘Great Dark Wolf’.”

“A rare species!? It’s strange for one to appear here. Hmm. Something’s off.”

Could it be the work of Daryl Zanno?

Ricardo had been approached for negotiations by that man.

But after obtaining the box from Sophia, the need for negotiation vanished.

So he left Daryl alone—but now it seemed Daryl had followed them.

“He struck when we let our guard down! I’ll give him credit for his tactical sense!”

While speaking, Ricardo continued chanting his spell.

“But I won’t hand over the box! Take this—Flame Blast!!”

The explosive fireball blew the Dark Wolves away.

Ricardo was a prince. Far stronger than an ordinary soldier.

The Dark Wolves engulfed in his flames collapsed, unable to withstand the burning magic.

“GRAH! GRAAAAAAAAH!!”

Even so, the pack didn’t stop.

Seeing some Dark Wolves survive the magical onslaught, Ricardo and his men took up their weapons.

Behind them was the carriage containing “the box.” That was likely the enemy’s target.

(They think they caught us off guard, but I’m not letting them have that box. No matter what!)

The countermeasure was simple.

If it looked like the box would be taken, they would destroy the carriage.

The box was heavy. While Daryl and his men struggled to carry it, soldiers would arrive from the town. When that happened, there’d be no escape.

“Fools. Such utter fools. You should’ve been satisfied with stealing it from the fortress!”

“—Imperial prince. You understand nothing.”

A voice spoke.

It came from beneath the belly of the Great Dark Wolf.

Looking closer, Ricardo saw a man clinging to the beast.

He recognized the mask—that was—

“You… Daryl Zanno!?”

“—We are the ghosts that haunt the Dolgaria Empire.”

The Great Dark Wolf rammed into a carriage.

Ricardo instinctively turned to look.

But the destroyed carriage wasn’t the one holding the box.

The enemy had targeted the carriage holding the prisoners.

The door shattered easily, and Daryl Zanno leapt inside.

He dragged the prisoners out and lifted them onto the back of the Great Dark Wolf.

It was skillfully done. He was likely using body-enhancement magic.

(—So his goal is to rescue the prisoners!?)

Dark Wolves had a keen sense of smell. They had likely tracked Ricardo’s group by following the scent of the prisoners.

Prince Ricardo remembered—

During their negotiation, Daryl Zanno had asked for money in exchange for the box.

To him, the box was just a tool.

Since negotiations failed, he had no reason to pursue the box further.

Yet Ricardo had focused all his security on “that box.”

And this was the result.

“Don’t let him escape! Surround him—”

“Obey the command of your true master—beasts, devour the enemy!”

Daryl Zanno’s voice rang out, and the magical beasts went berserk.

“GRAAAAH! GROOOAAARRR!!”

With glowing red eyes, the Dark Wolves leapt at the soldiers. It was a true rampage—they had completely forgotten any instinct for self-preservation. Even when slashed with swords or struck by magic, they didn’t stop. As if they didn’t feel pain at all, they attacked relentlessly. The soldiers froze for a moment, overwhelmed.

In that time, Daryl Zanno had finished rescuing the prisoners.

He tied his companions onto the back of the massive Great Dark Wolf and began to flee.

“…Daryl Zanno, or whatever your name is. What is your goal!?”

Ricardo found himself shouting instinctively.

“You stole the box from the eastern fortress, and now you attack a carriage of the imperial family—what’s your true aim!?”

“Revenge on the Dolgaria Empire.”

The masked man answered.

“We are the ghosts who haunt the Empire that once destroyed the houses of Tilic and Misra. Someday, with the power of a Hero, we will destroy the Empire. We will reclaim what your ancestors unjustly stole from us.”

With those final words, the pack of beasts fled.

All the prisoners were taken.

All that remained were the corpses of Dark Wolves.

Over twenty of the beasts had been there, but nearly all were wiped out.

Except for the one Great Dark Wolf carrying the prisoners, even the large variants had perished.

But for Ricardo, it was a defeat.

The prisoners he was supposed to bring back were all gone.

“Ghosts, huh. Don’t make me laugh. You’re full of nonsense, Daryl Zanno.”

Until now, Daryl had been nothing more than a petty thief who stole a box from an imperial fortress. But not anymore.

Daryl Zanno and his group had become enemies of the Empire.

They were now a threat that the imperial family must eliminate.

“I won’t forgive you. I, Ricardo Dolgaria, will be the one to capture you. No matter what!”

Afterward, Ricardo returned to the Imperial Capital with “the box.”

He reported both his accomplishments and his failure, and offered to personally lead the search and subjugation of Daryl Zanno.

But—

“You did well, Ricardo. Take some time to rest.”

“Brother Diaz!?”

“The matter of ‘the box’ is top secret. Speak of it to no one. Ah, and I haven’t forgotten Sophia’s contributions. I’ll see to it that her wish is granted. Without fail.”

With that short audience, Crown Prince Dias waved his hand as if to signal the conversation was over.

And so, this matter completely passed out of Prince Ricardo’s hands.

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