Proctor, who had run into the mansion in a daze, hurriedly sought out the steward. He had already
given the steward a certain order.
“What happened?”
“I sent two quick-footed fellows to the security force. If the constable is at his post, he should arrive
within ten minutes at the latest.”
At those words, Proctor’s face brightened.
“If the constable comes, this will be settled. They wouldn’t dare fight soldiers of the security force……”
Proctor suddenly ground his teeth.
“To think his swordsmanship was that exceptional……”
But there was no time to dwell on it. Judging by how quickly the Lotus Mercenary Corps had fallen apart, the man would undoubtedly burst into the mansion in the blink
of an eye. Proctor looked at the steward.
“I’ll be hiding in the secret vault, so buy as much time as you can. And when the security force
arrives, inform me at once.”
After thinking for a moment, Proctor gave another order.
“When the constable comes, tell him in secret. Say that if he deals with those men so they never make it to trial, I’ll pay three times the tribute money I offered this year…… Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
Seeing the steward nod, Proctor hurriedly threw himself into motion. If it was the secret vault,
it would hide him well enough until the constable with whom he was in collusion arrived and took care of the matter.
Not long after Proctor went up to the second floor, the door flew wide open with a thunderous crash.
Bang.
Through the wide-open door, two young men carrying swords strode inside. With eyes blazing with fury,
they swept their gazes over every corner of the mansion. In particular, the young man with an arrow lodged in his thigh had a truly murderous look
in his eyes. It was the kind of gaze that seemed capable of killing by itself.
Steeling his heart, the steward carefully approached them. He could hardly make his feet move,
but when he thought of the generous salary he received from Proctor, he had no choice but to step forward.
“What brings you here?”
At those words, Gerald and Heinrich turned their eyes to the chief steward.
“And who are you?”
Remembering that he had to buy as much time as possible until the constable arrived, the chief steward
answered haltingly.
“I-I am an employee. I would like to know why you have intruded into the mansion under
my management.”
“Your employer came in here just a moment ago……”
“Pardon? He did not come here.”
Gerald smiled coldly.
“Heh heh heh. You’re lying. No doubt the bastard is holed up in some secret room.
Move.”
When he shoved him aside, the chief steward staggered backward. Gerald headed up the stairs
to the second floor and gestured to Heinrich.
“You search the first floor. I’ll look over the second……”
“Got it.”
While the two were turning the mansion upside down, guards began gathering one by one. Perhaps because it was the mansion of a great merchant,
there were quite a number of guards. A few of them tried to rush in and stop Heinrich.
However, the chief steward waved his hand and held them back.
‘They say these are mercenaries of tremendous skill, so it would be best to deal with them using the law. He told me to wait
until the constable comes, so that is what I must do.’
Gerald, who had gone up to the second floor, began searching with his eyes blazing. He opened and checked
more than twenty doors one by one, but Proctor was nowhere to be seen.
“Cowardly bastard. You’re no man.”
As he searched for any trace while hurling curses, a sudden commotion came from downstairs.
Realizing it was the sound of dozens of people pouring into the house all at once, Gerald’s
eyes gleamed subtly. He grinned and headed toward the stairs.
“Looks like he called the security force, just as I thought. Shall I go down and have a look?”
The situation was exactly as expected. Roughly fifty security soldiers had come flooding
into the mansion. In front of them stood a middle-aged man with a bloated body, glaring
at Heinrich with eyes full of anger. Judging by the rather impressive uniform he wore,
he seemed to be the constable. Without asking any questions, he thundered at once.
“What in the world is this? To dare invade another man’s mansion with swords in broad daylight……”
Heinrich answered without hesitation.
“We are looking for the owner of this mansion, who committed a despicable act during a champion’s duel. He……”
Before Heinrich could even finish his explanation, the middle-aged man burst into a roar. As the constable in charge of public order
in this district, he had already heard the whole story from the chief steward.
“Enough. For robbers caught in the act, you certainly talk a lot. Men, arrest that bastard at once.”
At the command, the security soldiers rushed in to arrest Heinrich. But when
Heinrich swung his sword and took a defensive stance, the soldiers could not approach rashly. Seeing that,
the constable wore a cold smile.
“To think you would dare resist security soldiers enforcing the law? You are a man who deserves
not the slightest mercy. There is no choice but to dispose of you summarily, without leniency.”
Before he had even finished speaking, a low voice came from the direction of the stairs.
“Are you the constable here?”
The constable’s gaze turned toward the stairs. Gerald was standing at the top of them.
“Who are you? Judging by your appearance, you must be one of the robbers as well.”
“Robbers, you say…… Heh heh heh.”
Gerald let out a cold smile and slowly walked down the stairs. The security soldiers,
who had drawn their swords, carefully cut off his path of retreat. Perhaps growing anxious, the chief steward
whispered into the constable’s ear.
“Please be careful. They are highly skilled swordsmen.”
“Do not worry.”
Cutting him off curtly, the constable glared at Gerald as if there were nothing to think about.
“I will teach you how stern the laws of Tezeros are.”
“……”
Gerald approached without saying a word. When he had walked a certain distance, a hurried voice burst out
from the upper floor.
“Oh, oh! You’ve come, Captain. You cannot imagine how frightened I was……”
It was Proctor. The man who had not appeared despite repeated searching had revealed himself of his own accord.
With a pitiful expression, he began appealing to the constable. He looked utterly different
from how he had a moment ago.
“T-Those men trespassed into my mansion and killed over a hundred guards. Then
they threatened me, demanding that I hand over all the money I had……”
“Shut your mouth. How dare you spout such nonsense……”
Heinrich burst into a roar. As if he could no longer overlook
Proctor’s vile behavior, furious light poured from his eyes. It was a rare sight
for Heinrich, who seldom lost his temper. But Proctor continued without hesitation.
“Please teach those men the sternness of the law. They are scum not worth allowing to live
in this world. Already, a hundred guards have fallen at their hands……”
The constable waved a hand as if to say there was no need to worry.
“Do not worry. The laws of Tezeros are not so lax as to let men like that go free.”
As soon as he finished speaking, another group of soldiers rushed in. In total, more than a hundred
security soldiers had gathered in one place. Without hesitation, they surrounded
Gerald and Heinrich. The constable approached the two with a thick smile. Since he had already received a hint,
he had no intention of leaving them alive.
‘Three times the tribute money…… Hoo. My heart races just thinking about it. I pity them, but
there’s nothing to be done.’
Having finished his thought, the constable looked around at the soldiers.
“Arrest them, but if they resist even in the slightest, kill them without mercy.
Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
As the soldiers approached, Heinrich tensed and gripped the hilt of his sword. Because they were
security soldiers enforcing the law, he had no idea how he should respond. At that moment,
Gerald took one step forward. Staring straight at the constable, he continued speaking.
“I would like to know by what right you intend to arrest us. Can you answer me?”
The constable snorted and replied.
“Of course. You are robbers caught in the act. On top of that, you attempted to resist
security soldiers, so you have committed a crime that permits summary execution on the spot without trial. So give up any thought
of living.”
“Do you have evidence?”
The constable smiled grotesquely.
“Evidence, you say. If I must state it, my eyes are the evidence. Since I witnessed it myself,
no evidence is needed at all. Now, dispose of these heinous criminals without mercy……”
Just as he was about to give the order to attack, Gerald suddenly took something out from inside his coat.
It was the insignia proving that he was a member of the Duke Knights.
“We are knights of the Crosen Empire. No matter that you are the security force, you cannot arrest
regular knights of another nation. Surely a constable would not be unaware of that fact?”
“What?”
The constable’s eyes filled with dismay. These young men he had taken for mere mercenaries were regular
knights—and of the superpower Crosen Empire, no less…… As if unable to believe it, he burst into a shout.
“Where do you get off telling such absurd lies? I will add the crime of insulting
a constable to your charges.”
The constable, who had been about to continue speaking, was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out. When the two removed their coats,
the formal uniforms of the Duke Knights were revealed beneath them. The insignia proving they were regular knights
was engraved on their chests.
“You refuse to believe even after seeing the insignia? You truly are a foolish man…… If you cannot believe it, send someone to the court
and confirm it. The members of the Duke Knights to which we belong are staying there……”
“H-Heavens……”
The constable’s mouth fell open. Of course, there was no way he had the authority to arrest
regular knights of another nation. If what the other party said was true, the matter had gone far beyond
anything he could smooth over. As he stood flustered, not knowing what to do, Heinrich approached him this time.
As if he had some idea of Gerald’s scheme, a smile lingered at the corner of his mouth. Heinrich also
reached into his coat and took out an insignia.
“If you cannot believe that we are members of the Duke Knights, I will prove it with this. I am Heinrich Farion,
the fourth son of the House of Count Farion. Surely you will not claim not to know my father,
Count Farion?”
At those words, the constable was even more astonished. As someone in charge of the capital’s public order,
there was no way he would not know the House of Count Farion.
“S-Such a thing…… I was aware that Count Farion had only three sons……”
“If you doubt me, would it not be enough to send someone to the House of Count Farion and ask?”
At the other man’s unhesitating response, the constable could only stand there blankly, at a loss for what to do.
Standing behind them, Proctor grew dizzy, his vision swimming before his eyes.
‘Something this absurd……’
If what the young men said was true, his life was as good as over. Ordinary
mercenaries and regular knights were beings of entirely different status. Mercenaries could be killed and quietly buried,
but knights were different. The knight order they belonged to would surely investigate the cause of a knight’s death
with bloodshot eyes. And if it was the Duke Knights of the superpower Crosen, then…… It was terrifying
even to imagine. Of course, it would be fine if he was not discovered, but now that the situation had deteriorated this far,
there was no way to cover it up. It was beyond even the constable’s ability. He began cautiously
watching for an opportunity.
‘I have to run. I have to take money from the vault and disappear if I want to live.’
Proctor carefully moved toward the stairs. He regretted bitterly that he had come out
of the secret vault because of the constable’s arrival. But Gerald had already been watching Proctor’s every move
in minute detail……
“Aaaaaaargh!”
A terrible scream rang through the mansion. Proctor was clutching his thigh and screaming wildly.
Seeing Proctor try to slip away, Gerald had thrown his sword without a word.