Volume 2 Chapter 12 They Might Be The Biggest Victims
After enjoying their vacation in Victor Territory, Randy and the others returned to school life for a few days. There were rumors that Cecilia and Dario's engagement was off, but no one seemed to care much about it.
The reason was simple: Cecilia didn't seem to care at all. And...
"Did you see last week's party? Sir Weissman and Miss Evans' dance was amazing!"
...Dario and Catherine's relationship was well-known around the school.
That said, not all the rumors were good.
"Wasn't Miss Evans close with His Highness?"
"Yeah, and with Sir Row too..."
"And Sir Lance as well."
Among the whispers, there were rumors that Catherine was changing boyfriends all the time.
(Well, I guess it can't be helped.)
Hearing the rumors, Randy could only smile wryly.
"Really, what are they planning to do?"
Randy muttered this, and Liz and Cecilia both asked at the same time, ""What do you mean?"" Surprised that they reacted, Randy explained with a wry smile, "I mean about Saint and his 4 followers."
"Isn't it fine if they do what they want?"
"I think they should all just get married."
With their unhelpful opinions, Randy couldn't stop his wry smile.
(Well, it's terrible, but it doesn't really concern us.)
Technically, they were being bothered because of her schemes and her followers' families, but honestly, Randy felt it had nothing to do with him if they loved each other.
If they could all get along, then they should do as they please. Liz and Cecilia's words were definitely true.
If the country splits, the citizens would suffer, but unfortunately, the die has already been cast. All Randy and Marquis Lucian could do was try to minimize the damage to the citizens by getting rid of them. In that sense, maybe it was fine for them to do as they liked.
If their strange behavior became known, it might bring them and their families down.
(For now, I guess I'll just watch... Actually, nothing happened with Cecilia's family──)
Just as Randy thought about how nothing had happened with Cecilia's family, a woman who seemed to be a servant rushed over to Cecilia.
"Milady..."
As the woman whispered to Cecilia, her face quickly stiffened. Randy and Liz exchanged worried glances, knowing it was probably bad news when Cecilia let out a big sigh.
It was a sigh that showed she was completely exasperated, beyond just anger.
"What's wrong?"
"Yes. I'm shocked by how foolish the other party is."
Cecilia sighed again and told them that a threatening letter had arrived at her family's estate.
Apparently, it was from Prime Minister Dill Weissman, Dario's father, stating that the compensation payments to Cecilia's family were stopped and accusing them of treason against the royal family.
"Treason against the royal family──."
"──Treason?"
"──What's the point of turning against a fool now? They'll sink on their own anyway."
Suddenly interrupted by Ellie, Randy couldn't stop his wry smile as he said, "That's a pretty blunt thing to say." Liz, who had just returned, and Cecilia shared the same amused expression. The 3 of them exchanged awkward smiles... and to change the mood, Randy cleared his throat to reset the atmosphere.
"So?"
"Why did they think it was a rebellion?"
"Well, I don't know what the suspicion is, but... maybe they thought we were smuggling meat or something."
Cecilia shrugged and started to explain that her family was suspected because they kicked the compensation money. In reality, her guess was spot on, but...
"Honestly, saying this, if we kick the compensation money at this timing, it's no wonder they suspect us."
Cecilia couldn't help but smile wryly at the trap she had unintentionally set.
"But still, there's no such fact, right? There's no problem, right?"
Randy tilted his head, and both Cecilia and Liz silently shook their heads.
"Our family has no problems, but..."
"For the Marquis Weissman family, it's a big problem."
With a serious expression, Liz made Randy furrow his brows and ask, "What do you mean?" Not knowing the customs of this country──well, he had learned about them in class but wasn't paying attention──Cecilia began to explain the privileges granted to territorial nobles.
This Kingdom of Alexandria is called a kingdom, but its formation is a bit special. In the southwestern part of the continent where the kingdom is located, there was a time when many small countries were fighting against each other.
During that time, the current royal family was helped by the so-called territorial nobles to unite the country.
Regardless of their size, as a reward for cooperating with the royal family, they were allowed a certain degree of autonomy even after the kingdom was unified. It's somewhat similar to the knight territories of the Holy Roman Empire.
Each family swears loyalty to the royal family but holds significant power within their own territory.
Among that autonomy, there's a rule stating that it can't be violated without reason. However, this is only true if it doesn't go against the laws or policies of the kingdom.
"But still, that's just a baseless accusation, right?"
Randy continued to tilt his head, and Cecilia explained that threats without any evidence are completely unacceptable. Normally, a messenger with an official letter would visit, and after various investigations and discussions from both sides, the final judgment would be made by the king or the Prime Minister.
Although the Prime Minister has the decision-making power, it seems he acted without proper procedure, and the situation is completely off track.
"Does this mean that even if they send an investigation team afterward, it won't work?"
"Impossible, Sir Randy. Plus, seeing this reckless behavior, they might even send in the dark side."
With a sigh, Cecilia looked far away and said, "What a foolish thing." While it's not uncommon to use the dark side for investigations, this was going too far.
Without following the proper procedures and making baseless accusations, it's a complete violation of their autonomy. Both Cecilia and Liz could only stare blankly into the distance at the opponent who had boldly made a move that was forbidden by ancient treaties.
"I see. So they plan to investigate secretly and then say, 'See, I told you so,' if they find evidence."
"Well, you can't say 'I told you so,' and threatening them won't work either. If they're sending in the shadows, there's no way to escape this."
It seems like the Marquis Weissman family is in deep trouble. Randy didn't intend to set a trap, but the other side misunderstood and ended up self-destructing.
(Well, since they're called shadows, it might be hard to find proof of their infiltration...)
"By the way, Liza's father, His Excellency the Marquis, has already sent experts ahead. And..."
Cecilia lowered her voice and checked the surroundings, gesturing for Randy and Liz to come closer.
"And, it seems that His Excellency the Viscount is secretly sending people from the knight squad too... I heard he sent the vice-captain."
At Cecilia's gaze and words, Randy thought, "Ah, that guy," feeling a bit nostalgic that he was finally doing some work.
"Anyway, our family has no problems at all, so enjoy our school life, they say."
In front of Cecilia, who was elegantly sipping tea, Randy felt completely trapped (out──Sir Weissman, out──) and silently prayed to a stranger he didn't even know.
The Marquis Lucian sent experts... which means they are probably the shadows protecting him. The saying goes, "A snake knows its own path."
He had encountered the presence of what seemed to be the kingdom's shadows several times at this academy. After all, the Crown Prince is attending here. It's understandable for security reasons.
From Randy's perspective, the Marquis's shadows and the kingdom's shadows are about evenly matched. Depending on the numbers, either side could win. But there are likely similar people in the Count's territory as well.
And if the knights that his father Alan sent are involved... then the scales will never tip again.
Moreover, it's the vice-captain. Sorry, but a few of the kingdom's shadows won't stand a chance against him. With the addition of the balance breaker in an already favorable match, it's no wonder Randy felt like praying for Sir Weissman.
"Wow, to be held at a disadvantage by that His Excellency the Marquis..."
Just imagining how Marquis Lucian would use this move made Randy shiver, and he gulped down the cold coffee in front of him.
The coffee still had its unique taste.
* * *
"Damn... this is not what I expected."
The man from the kingdom's shadows, who had infiltrated the Hartfield territory, was escaping while protecting a wound on his shoulder.
He had entered with ten men, but they were already scattered, and he didn't even know if his comrades were alive.
Getting into Hartfield territory had gone well. The investigation was also going smoothly.
The problem was that there was nothing suspicious about the meat-related matters.
Of course, he had caught wind of the fact that they had started raising weak monsters like slimes and evil plants.
While there were some suspicious aspects, the fact that they were raising monsters had been agreed upon with the government years ago.
Even though the shipping destination was a neighboring country across a big river, trade itself was not prohibited.
They only started a new business as long as it didn't affect meat production. Plus, the products are from weak monsters. No matter how he looks at it, it doesn't count as giving military support to the neighboring country.
They completely missed the mark.
When they realized this, several shadows attacked from the darkness as if they were waiting for it.
And now──
He ran while protecting his shoulder, and a quick silver flash crossed his path. His knees gave out, and he fell. Around him, several shadows appeared.
"It was just as His Excellency predicted."
One shadow whispered, and the others nodded quietly in agreement.
Liz's father, Marquis Lucian, predicted that if they canceled the engagement and refused the compensation, some action would be taken. The Count family also has shadows, but due to the recent economic downturn, their size has been shrinking every year. That's why Marquis Lucian sent shadows to support the Count family before the kingdom's dark side could act.
Marquis Lucian sent shadows, and the Count Hartfield family used them to fight back against the kingdom's dark side. The main reason both families teamed up to wipe out the royal family's dark side was... a declaration of war, or more precisely, a response saying they had received a declaration of war.
It was a threat without real cause.
The dark side sent out to investigate was clearly seen as a declaration of war against the Hartfield family. Normally, they would need to inform them about any suspicions of rebellion beforehand, but this was a sneak attack.
On top of that, there was a threatening letter received recently. Even the usually calm Count Hartfield lost his patience.
Now, the dark side of the kingdom that was sent out didn't return. Whether Prime Minister Dill notices what that means is uncertain.
One of the shadows pulled out a report from the body's pocket and suddenly shivered, turning around as if startled. There stood...
"Wow, as expected from His Excellency's shadow."
...It was Harrison, dressed casually but with a sword at his side.
"Lord Harrison, thank you for your help."
"Oh, no, I didn't do anything."
Harrison smiled broadly, but the shadow just shook its head silently.
"Thanks to you being here, our damage was minimal."
"That's great. But, we wiped them all out, so is that really good?"
Harrison tilted his head, and the shadow bowed, saying, "It was His Excellency's orders."
The investigation team was wiped out, leaving only the report. Marquis Lucian wouldn't let that opportunity go to waste.
"I don't really understand the details, but if the job is done, then I'll be heading back."
Waving his hand, Harrison disappeared into the night.
"...Randolph Victor was amazing too."
"Victor Territory, Vice Captain of the Knight Squad, Harrison Walker. He's a scary fighter."
"No, it's even scarier that Lord Alan Victor can send someone like him so easily."
"I'm glad he's on our side."
Nodding to no one in particular, the shadow vanished into the darkness. All that was left was a small amount of blood.
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