Chapter 0592-2 (Part 2) Safety Checks
-x-X-x-
The two parted ways with the five of 'Spring View'.
They'd been told, "Let us know if you learn anything", and even gave the location of their inn.
"We're getting beaten to the punch over and over."
"About what?"
"Adventurers. It means there was an imperial prince who carried out what we thought of—before us, right?"
"Well, that's true. But which of the three princes…?"
"The princes' residences… they were called 'royal residence', weren't they? If we go there, will we learn something?"
"We'd find out… but at the same time we'd be noticed. That Ryo—meaning Duke Rondo—has begun acting on the side of the Sixth Prince, Ryun."
"True."
At Abel's point, Ryo grimaced and nodded.
It would be found out eventually, but the later the better.
The Sixth Prince Ryun's camp seemed to be getting various preparations in order…
"Hm?"
While walking, Ryo tilted his head.
"What is it?"
Naturally, Abel asked.
"Shh! Abel, just keep walking."
"What?"
Ryo said it with a serious expression—so serious that Abel, for some reason, found it a bit theatrical—and, not really understanding, he obeyed.
"It's possible, but…we might be under surveillance."
"With this many people around, how can you tell?"
"No, I'm not too confident either…so let's run a few safety checks."
"Safety checks?"
"Actions to check whether we're being tailed. Specifically, we'll stop by various places and probe the other side's movements."
Saying that, Ryo headed for the stalls set up in the center of Holy Emperor Square.
"You just didn't get your fill during lunch and want to hit the food stalls…"
Abel's mutter reached no one's ears.
Munching—albeit on a not-very-large— skewer of grilled chicken, Ryo whispered to Abel.
"I don't know how long we've been watched, but maybe…"
"The guys watching the 'Spring View' lot split, and some started watching us too?"
"Ah, you think so too, Abel?"
"There's no proof, though."
Ryo and Abel's thinking matched.
"If they were keeping track of Duke Rondo, they'd have watched from the mansion. But in that case, not only you, Ryo—even I would have noticed."
"That's true."
Ryo fell into a brief thought.
Then he murmured,
"Duke Rondo…"
"What is it?"
Abel asked.
"How about we go to the Mutual Aid Association once more now?"
"I don't mind… ss that part of those safety checks? Or to get information on the Advanced Hall or the Special-Eank Hall?"
"Both."
"But we can't get into the Advanced Hall or the Special-Rank Hall, can we?"
"Right—Ryo and Abel as Sixth-Rank adventurers can't… "
"I see, you mean to visit as Duke Rondo."
"Yes. As a formal client."
Ryo nodded broadly as he said it.
"Sometimes a C-rank adventurer. Sometimes a Sixth-Rank adventurer. At other times, a wandering man on the road. But in truth…the Duke of Rondo! That kind of thing."
"Mm, I don't really get it, but you look like you're having fun, Ryo."
Ryo spoke cheerfully, and Abel gave a small shake of his head.
Imperial Capital Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association.
The stone-paved square out front.
As usual, a guide was over in a corner.
If Ryo and Abel's memory was right, it was the same guide who had guided them inside the Standard Hall yesterday.
Today, he was apparently assigned to the square.
"Sixth-Rank adventurers Ryo-dono and Abel-dono, correct?"
The guide seemed to remember them, and he approached and offered a bow to the pair.
"Thank you for your help yesterday."
Ryo bowed his head politely.
Then, removing the identification plate from his neck, he said,
"In fact, I hold the position of Premier Duke in the Kingdom of Knightley of the Central Countries—my name is Ryo Mihara, Duke Rondo. Here is my identification plate."
"Eh…"
Hearing Ryo's explanation, the guide froze.
Exactly twenty seconds later—
"E-excuse me…may I confirm? Did you say you are Duke Rondo of the Kingdom of Knightley?"
"Yes, I did."
Ryo smiled sweetly.
In that instant, they heard the guide gulp.
He seemed to know the name 'Duke Rondo'.
"Ah… yes… um…we can verify the plate with the same device we used yesterday to confirm your Association cards… so, this way…"
Though his words were halting, the guide managed to finish, and, just as yesterday, led the two into the Standard Hall.
Then he held the main ID plate over the crystal sphere used yesterday.
The result came at once; he returned it with great deference and…
"Confirmed, Your Grace, Duke Rondo. I beg pardon for my discourtesy yesterday."
He placed both hands folded at his chest in salute, then bowed deeply.
"Oh, no, no, it was no problem—I came yesterday as a Sixth-Rank adventurer. But today, I've come as Duke Rondo staying in the capital, as a client."
"A request? Understood. Would that be for this Standard Hall…for adventurers of Fourth Rank and below?"
"No, for the very top… I'd like to request for a Special-Rank adventurer."
The two were at last shown into the Special-Rank Hall.
What awaited there was absolute stillness.
Not a single cough, not a single rustle of paper could be heard.
Naturally so.
At the Special-Rank Hall's reception, the only people present were the three of them.
The interior was extremely luxurious.
Even a single door proclaimed itself a high-end item.
However, there was nothing like the 'reception counter' feel of the Standard Hall; there were only three entrances to private rooms.
The guide opened one of them and ushered the two inside.
Hardly had they sat before tea was served without the slightest delay.
From the aroma alone, one could tell it was top-grade tea, brewed at the perfect timing.
Perhaps, while his identification plate was being checked in the Standard Hall, someone was informed to make preparations…
"Though I've shown you into the Special-Rank Hall, I believe it will be difficult to meet Your Grace's wishes."
"Is that so?"
At the guide's words, Ryo took a sip of tea with a slightly surprised expression.
Just as delicious as expected.
"It's not a difficult request. His Majesty the Emperor granted me a residence. I simply came because I'd like to hire adventurers to guard it. And if I'm going to hire, I wanted to ask the very best—Special-Rank adventurers."
"I see. I understand the contents of your request."
"And even so, it's difficult?"
"Yes. The thing is, all Special-Rank adventurers are currently out on assignment."
"All of them are carrying out requests?"
"Yes."
To Ryo's confirmation, the guide nodded.
"This Special-Rank Hall is very quiet… could it be that not only Special-Rank but also all First-Rank adventurers are out, and there's no one here?"
"Yes, I'm terribly sorry."
Neither Ryo's expression nor tone changed.
They remained as at the start.
But the guide began to sweat.
An unpleasant sweat down his back.
Because he felt a strange pressure in this situation where he could only reply with negatives.
Of course, the fact that everyone was out was in no way the guide's fault.
Yet telling Duke Rondo that they could not accept his request… who would have thought it would make him sweat this badly.
Naturally, the guide had also heard the bards' songs.
He knew that the person before him was the very duke who had become the stuff of legends.
Moreover, word had reached them that in the imperial palace, he stood in high favor with His Majesty the Emperor.
The Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association, in Darwei, is an organization that receives financial support from the state.
In particular, many of these guides were originally palace officials.
Quite a few also return to being palace officials after a few years.
Because of that, they have many friends within the palace, and information flows to them in considerable detail.
Which is precisely why… he was sweating unpleasantly.
It blurs the boundary of information one should not answer…
"How many adventurers belong to this Special-Rank Hall?"
"Yes… about a hundred."
"That's a fair number. If one were to hire all of them, it would take quite a lot of money."
"Yes…"
Ryo continued to ask with a faint smile, and the sweat that had been on the guide's back finally started to appear on his face.
Ryo wasn't exerting pressure.
He was just his usual self.
Abel, seated in the chair right beside him, listening, understood that better than anyone.
But still…
(Having to answer 'no' to a celebrity's request… that would give anyone a stomachache.)
Abel, too, felt sorry for the guide…
"However… if I can't hire anyone at all, that's a problem."
"I am… terribly sorry."
Ryo tilted his head just a little and murmured, and the guide, sweating more than before, apologized.
"Is this… a matter that could be resolved if I asked His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Eh?"
The guide didn't understand what Ryo meant.
"If I petition His Majesty, asking for Special-Rank adventurers as bodyguards, would it be possible to have some number of Special-Rank adventurers diverted here?"
"T-that would…"
"If someone has borrowed every last First- and Special-Rank adventurer—who are so expensive—then even in a nation as huge as Darwei, there are only so many who could do that, correct? Either His Majesty the Emperor or one of the Imperial Princes. In that case, asking His Majesty would be best, no?"
"If His Majesty… were petitioned, most likely… the Imperial Guard would be…"
The Imperial Guard are the Emperor's direct troops.
In the terms of the Central Countries, they would be called the palace guards.
Under His Majesty the Emperor there are no Special-Rank adventurers.
If one appeals to the Emperor, the Imperial Guard would be assigned—
Put another way, that's what the conversation amounted to.
Ryo decided to shift the point of attack.
"When we visited yesterday, we saw at least some clients going into the Advanced Hall. You are accepting those people's requests, aren't you?"
"Yes, as of yesterday…"
"But today there's already no one."
"Yes…"
"Then, when the Third- and Second-Rank adventurers who accepted requests yesterday finish and return, would it be possible for me to hire them?"
"T-the thing is…"
Ryo gave the appearance of giving up on hiring Special- and First-Rank adventurers and proposed hiring Second- and Third-Class adventurers instead.
The sweat running down the guide's face increased even more…
The sweat running down the guide's face increased even more…
"Those who return… are to be… sent straight on… as they are…"
"So there are already reservations on them?"
"Y-yes, reservations—yes… I think 'reservations' would be the closest word."
"That such a thing is even possible."
"Normally it would be impossible, but…"
"Well, if it's Their Highnesses the Imperial Princes, then it becomes possible."
"…My apologies."
The guide did not deny it.
It was now confirmed that one of the Imperial Princes had hired them.
Ryo and Abel left the Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association.
"I felt bad for the guide. He hasn't done anything wrong."
"I agree completely… but that waterfall of sweat was because of your pressure, wasn't it, Ryo?"
"There you go again, Abel—trying to make me the bad guy! Terrible."
"I assure you I had no such intent."
Ryo countered, and Abel spoke with a laugh.
"It's confirmed that the Imperial Princes hired adventurers."
"Yeah. It'd be nice if we knew which imperial prince, though…"
"If you ask me, I think the Fourth Prince did. And with the intent to use them up and throw them away."
"That's… your prejudice talking, Ryo."
"Yeah, I won't deny it."
In Ryo's mind, the Fourth Prince sat one rung lower.
"But Shau, the Censorate's Chief, had the same opinion as me."
"…Unlucky man, the Fourth Prince."
Ryo hauled out the energetic elder, Chief Shau, to shore up his view, and Abel gave a small shake of his head.
"There's only one sure method we can choose here."
"Hm? A sure method? Sure about what?"
"A sure method to solve the adventurer disappearance case!"
"Since when did it become a disappearance case?"
Abel sighed at Ryo's usual leap in logic.
Yes, it was the familiar pattern.
Yes, the usual pattern.
Yes, and what would be proposed next was also…
"Abel will launch a solo charge on the Fourth Prince's royal residence!"
"Knew you'd say that!"
Abel snapped back to Ryo's perfectly predictable proposal.
"A force-reconnaissance. We provoke them hard and draw out their reaction."
"I always think this, but… I'm the one who rushes in and has terrible things happen to me, right?"
"Getting out of that cleanly is where a former A-rank adventurer shows his skill! Oh, though you're just a Sixth-Rank now…"
"Yeah, and because I'm a Sixth-Rank adventurer, I'm not doing anything that dangerous."
"In every era, the grunts get sent to the front line. Grunts like a Sixth-Rank!"
"You're a grunt Sixth-Rank adventurer too, Ryo."
"I'm a magician. I leave manual labor to Abel the swordsman."
"I refuse."
In the end, Ryo's proposal was not accepted by Abel.
But that back-and-forth was all part of their playful banter.
After they'd walked for a while since leaving the Mutual Aid Association, Ryo tilted his head.
"What is it?"
Naturally, Abel walking beside him noticed.
"We're being watched after all."
"They've stayed on us. Come to think of it, in the Imperial Capital—or rather, since we entered Darwei—we haven't been under surveillance, have we?"
The dangerous duo, Ryo and Abel, might give the impression they're always being watched wherever they go, but in truth, not so.
In fact, since entering Darwei, they hadn't been surveilled.
At most, when heading to Fenmu, the imperial mausoleum, the White Flame Army surveilled—and even surrounded—them.
"You still haven't noticed the watchers, Abel?"
"Yeah, no clue. With this many people, it might be impossible for me."
"That 'presence'! You still have a long way to go."
"In a crowd this big, it's your magic that's abnormal for being able to pick it out, Ryo."
Ryo thrust out his chest a little as he spoke, and Abel straightforwardly praised Ryo's magic.
Indeed, the capital's population was abnormal.
Wherever you walked, there were people.
In such conditions, being told to notice the gaze of surveillance aimed at you was asking the impossible.
"Now then… who's doing the watching, I wonder?"
"Abel, the corners of your mouth are slightly up."
"No, I'm not smiling."
Abel denied Ryo's point… but to Ryo, who knew Abel's face well, it was obvious.
"Honestly… a king who seeks to stir up trouble on the ground is a nuisance to the people."
"I have no such intention at all."
"A king who unwittingly torments his people…"
"Even if that were so, the Premier Duke would remonstrate me, wouldn't he?"
"Of course!"
"Then he removes such a bad king, and the Premier Duke governs peacefully."
"Naturally!"
"And as a result, the Premier Duke ends up buried in paperwork—can't be helped."
"Th-that is…"
Ryo flustered at Abel's counterattack.
But then he seemed to have thought of a good way.
"We'll just turn that bad King Abel into a good king."
"How?"
"Eh? W-well, by having you study a lot…"
"And the Premier Duke will teach me, right? I hope you don't end up buried in paperwork making textbooks."
"What a sand trap from which there is no escape…"
Ryo despaired.
"So, how's the surveillance?"
"They're still on us."
Abel asked as if nothing had happened.
Ryo answered as if nothing had happened.
Because it was just their banter—that's how it was.
"The Emperor trusts us to a fair extent, so it's not that side, right?"
"Probably not. But Darwei is a big organization, so an intelligence agency may be moving apart from His Majesty's intentions!"
In answer to Abel's question, Ryo laid out possibilities.
Back on Earth, in the movies and dramas he'd seen, it was a standard plotline that agencies like the CIA or NSA moved on their own without the U.S. President's knowledge!
Of course, all fiction, but still.
"How many, specifically?"
"Two, two, and two—six total."
"So… it's not one team tailing us, but three?"
"Yeah."
"Three teams starting surveillance at once. What's that about?"
Abel also tilted his head.
"Okay, I've decided!"
"Mm?"
"Let's pop over to the imperial palace."
"Huh?"
"Eh? Then shall we just lop off all their heads on the spot and pretend nothing happened?"
"Why are you limiting us to those two options?"
In the end, the two chose the very gentle proposal of a trip to the imperial palace.
-x-X-x-
Ryo and Abel passed through the palace gate.
Of course, it was a free pass.
That said, they stopped just past the gate for a moment.
Not to feel out the movements of the watchers, but to wait for someone to guide them…
Because the palace is far too large.
"Lord Duke Rondo, where to today?"
"I've visited because there's something I wish to consult His Majesty about. Strictly speaking, I ought to have sent word ahead, but an issue arose—at short notice…"
"At short notice, you say?"
"Yes. I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you ask whether an audience with His Majesty would be possible? Five minutes would be plenty."
"P-please wait a moment."
When the palace guide answered so, another guide who had been listening behind him hurried off toward the inner quarters.
Naturally, barging into the palace and saying you want to see the Emperor is impossible even for a prince.
Perhaps it would be possible for an imperial prince, though.
Thinking that way, Ryo's request amounts to a request on the level of an imperial prince.
"If the imperial princes hear about this, they'll definitely raise a fuss that it's tyrannical."
Following behind Ryo, Abel muttered as much.
They might even call it an act that disturbs order within the palace.
But in truth, Abel suspected Ryo understood all that and deliberately came to the palace to make the request.
A variant of that 'probing' Ryo mentioned earlier.
"Lord Rondo, His Majesty will receive you."
"Oh—my thanks."
And so the two were shown not to the Emperor's private rooms, but to the Taiji Hall.
It is the center of morning governance.
It's close to an office where the Emperor hears petitions and, conversely, summons officials to question them.
Moreover, because debates among courtiers are sometimes held before the throne, it is quite spacious.
"Duke Rondo, what's the matter? I hear you came in haste?"
"Your Majesty, my apologies for troubling you when you are busy."
Emperor Tsuin asked with a smile, and Ryo bowed his head, grateful for the time spared.
He seemed to be in the middle of work; as usual, the Grand Eunuch waited just behind and to the side, and the Emperor's desk was piled with documents.
And to Tsuin's left stood a man.
The Third Prince, Imperial Prince Churei.
A prince inclined to the martial, gifted with the sword.
A crease sat between his brows.
Perhaps Ryo's sudden audience had been inserted at the very time of his petition or consultation.
Thinking so, the pained look made sense.
By no means, one wanted to think, was it that he disliked Ryo and thus wore such a face…
"The truth is, just now we were being watched by six people."
"Watched?"
Ryo did not gild his words and stated the facts as they were.
At that, Emperor Tsuin cocked his head.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I am also an adventurer, so I went to the famed Adventurers' Mutual Aid Society of the imperial capital to broaden my horizons. That in itself was very interesting, and the guide taught me many things. However, it seems that after we left the Society, surveillance was put on us."
Brazen as brass described it perfectly.
The pure tour had been yesterday; today was different.
Still, it wasn't impossible to insist that they had toured the Special-Rank Hall…after all, they had seen the inside.
And before that, he had gone out of his way to say he himself was an adventurer—Abel, listening from behind, caught a glimpse of Ryo's sly calculation in that.
Yes—that was how Abel felt hearing it from behind.
Of course, he didn't show it on his face.
Beside Emperor Tsuin and the Grand Eunuch, the Third Prince Churei was shooting sharp looks.
He kept his face knotted the whole time, but when Ryo spoke of being watched, his expression moved just a fraction.
Perhaps one should say the scowl deepened even further.
"It displeases me that there are those who would watch Duke Rondo, who is Our honored guest."
Emperor Tsuin openly scowled as he spoke.
"I am sorry to burden Your Majesty's heart."
"No, this is not something for Duke Rondo to apologize for. That some would do such a thing in this imperial capital may be a challenge to My authority."
The Emperor wore his displeasure on his face.
"In fact, there is a favor I would ask of Your Majesty."
"Hm? Shall I assign guards to protect you, Duke Rondo?"
"No, I would like Your Majesty's permission to seize those men. And then, after apprehending them, I would ask that the Censorate conduct the interrogation."
"Oh? You need no assistance?"
"There is no need to trouble Your Majesty. It is a simple matter."
"As expected of Duke Rondo. Worthy of the songs of the bards. Very well—I grant permission in the Emperor's name. Seize them and do as you see fit. I shall inform the Censorate."
"I am most grateful."
The two left the palace.
"We have secured permission from His Majesty the Emperor, the absolute authority. We can do anything."
"Indeed."
"And we learned one thing. They are not the Third Prince's men."
"Ah, you noticed too, Ryo. Even when you asked permission to have the Censorate investigate, that Third Prince—Imperial Prince Churei, was it—his expression did not change."
Both of them had been keeping an eye on Prince Churei's reactions.
"Only, Abel—we overlooked major movements besides the imperial princes."
"Movements besides the imperial princes?"
"Yes. Those phantomkin folks."
"So the ones watching us could be agents of the phantomkins."
"That's what I think."
At Abel's words, Ryo nodded vigorously.
"If I recall, negotiations are still ongoing, right?"
"Yeah. It's been, what, ten days now? I hear the envoys come to the palace every day."
Abel asked, and Ryo shrugged as he answered.
Diplomatic negotiations take time.
"However… we can't confirm the movements of the phantomkins. Their public envoys would just be going back and forth between their lodgings and the palace. As for those moving behind the scenes, there's no way for us to know."
"That's the problem."
At Abel's point, Ryo grimaced and nodded.
"If only the phantomkins would attack the palace once more, it would be easy to understand."
"They're not going to do that."
"But they did attack once. A second or third time wouldn't be strange."
"No, no. That first attack… that was a kind of declaration of war."
"And yet now these so-called envoys are brazenly marching in."
"Right?"
Frankly, Abel couldn't make sense of the moves of this so-called Choouchi Empire.
He felt there had to be some ulterior design… but if asked what, he couldn't answer.
With a small sigh, Abel suddenly sensed something.
"We're still being watched, aren't we?"
"We are. Have you finally picked up on it too, Abel?"
"Yeah—vaguely, but I can tell."
"Ugh… I want to say 'vaguely, but I can tell' too. It sounds cooler!"
"Mm, I don't get what you mean."
It seems the grass is always greener on the other side.
"Once we're a bit closer to the manor, let's grab them."
"R-right."
Ryo said it as if it were nothing, and Abel accepted it.
But the next remark shocked even Abel.
"By the way, Abel, I've decided to give our manor a name."
"…Huh?"
"In Darwei, houses have names. The Su family's place is the Su Residence… and for the imperial princes, their places are called such-and-such royal residence. For that Third Prince Churei we just saw, it'd be Churei Royal Residence, right? As for us, we'll go with Rondo Manor."
"O-oh…"
Having declared it, Ryo began happily singing, Rondo-rondo—doing a rondo at Rondo—♪
Abel didn't quite get it, but figured if Ryo was pleased, that was fine.
Compromise is surely the first step toward world peace.
"Well then, shall we get to it?"
"Hmm?"
"
That day, some citizens of the imperial capital happened to see six
And later they gossiped:
"Lately, even the ice sellers have great presentation".
-x-X-x-
The two ice sellers—no, Ryo and Abel—returned to the mansion 'Rondo Manor'.
The time was close to five in the evening.
"Yeah, it'd be a bit much to have the Censorate come over now."
"Pretty much."
The six ice coffins were lowered into the garden.
When Ryo gave a meaningful wave of his hand, the refractive index of the ice seemed to change, and the inside became visible.
"Hey, Ryo."
"What is it, Abel?"
"You did that before too, didn't you?"
"Did what?"
"The thing where you wave your hand and the inside of the ice becomes visible."
"Yeah, I did."
"But really, even if you don't do that, the inside would become visible, right?"
"How… did you figure that out…?"
"Mm, I figured it was something like that."
Ryo was aghast; Abel gave a small shake of his head.
Abel saw right through him.
"You're doing it because it looks cool, aren't you?"
"I thought, you know, if I waved my hand it might look more meaningful…"
"Yeah, figures…"
The six who were now visible inside all had their eyes closed.
"This is… sus… something? They're unconscious…"
"Yes, yes—suspended animation due to very low temperature. I'm impressed you remembered."
"They're not conscious, right?"
"Right, they aren't. So they can't hear what we're saying, and even if they were people who could cast magic without trigger words, this way it's fine."
At Abel's question, Ryo nodded decisively.
Abel noticed Ryo was silently manipulating something.
Looking at the ice coffins, it seemed like something was moving inside.
As if slimes were writhing inside the coffins…
After a while, something was pushed out from four of the ice coffins.
"Are those adventurer cards?"
Abel asked, remembering the card from the Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association that he had as well.
"Yeah, that's right. Which means these four are adventurers."
So saying, Ryo examined the four adventurer cards one after another.
Abel peered in from behind.
"All four…"
"Third-Rank adventurers."
"The advanced-hall adventurers who were away on jobs…"
"Got reassigned to this kind of work."
Both Abel and Ryo tilted their heads.
Adventurers are by no means suited to covert spy-type work.
Of course, if they're scouts, they can manage some surveillance without being noticed, but… they aren't trained by a so-called intelligence organization, so it's hard to think they're really well-suited to surveillance missions.
In fact, these four had been sensed not only by Ryo but, toward the end, even by Abel.
And that was in such a crowded location.
"Proper placement of personnel is the most important point in an organization. Put people in the wrong place, and they'll just accumulate stress and wear down without ever showing their strength."
"Right. It's one of the things people in charge always have to watch out for."
Both Ryo and Abel recognized that human resources are the treasure of an organization.
At the same time, they didn't think you could just make anyone do any job.
Everyone has jobs they're suited for and jobs they aren't.
If you're going to have people work hard, it's better to let them happily do what suits them—it leads to better results for the organization as a whole…an obvious truth.
It's obvious… and yet, in practice, very difficult…
"The four just now are adventurers and humans, but…"
Ryo said this as he turned toward the two who hadn't had cards.
"Humans, but? The way you said that…"
"Yeah, I have a feeling these two are Phantomkins."
"Whoa, seriously…?"
"The one we caught before—Seven-Star General Yun Chen, right? They feel similar to him. Except…"
"Except?"
"Phantomkins, unlike akumas or djinns, are extremely close to humans in appearance and structure… so it's probably in the mental part that they're 'mixed'. I mean, well, by having the mind dominate the body, maybe they can pull off movements normal humans can't…"
"So in ordinary states they're extremely close to human."
"That's right."
At Abel's conclusion, Ryo nodded,
then continued.
"Let's have the Censorate use the helmet-type information collector they used on General Yun last time."
"Ah… the thing you put on the head to extract information. But they haven't finished analyzing what they pulled from Yun yet, have they? That'll take a fair amount of time."
"It can't be helped. People like this probably won't talk even if you torture them."
Ryo shrugged.
If they won't spill anything, then even if it takes time, it's better to extract information with alchemy tools.
The next day.
The Censorate arrived.
With over three times the personnel as last time.
And leading them, of course…
"Sorry to trouble you to come yourself, Shau-san."
"No, Duke Rondo, think nothing of it. His Majesty has told us to cooperate fully. And according to the report I received yesterday, you captured more Phantomkins?"
"Yes. We captured six who were watching us, and two of them were Phantomkins."
"The analysis of the information extracted from General Yun last time is also scheduled to finish today. Including these new ones, we may obtain useful intelligence."
Behind the progress of diplomatic negotiations, information gathering mixed with the use of force was being carried out…
That happens in any era, in any world.
If anything, in Earth's history, it was more common for diplomacy to be conducted as a stalling tactic or as camouflage for the use of force.
As before, the interrogation was conducted in the garden.
The four adventurers and two Phantomkins were questioned a short distance apart.
What hadn't changed was that all six were still frozen from the neck down.
Apparently, the four adventurers in particular couldn't grasp their situation at first; they repeatedly looked from their bodies below the neck to the adventurers around them.
Once they finally understood they were frozen, next they recognized the Censorate personnel surrounding them.
Only then did the Censorate men announce that they would conduct an interrogation.
"By order of His Imperial Majesty, you will be interrogated."
The instant they understood that opening line, the four adventurers' eyes went wide.
They realized it.
They had done something they mustn't do.
Being surrounded by nearly a hundred Censorate officers and expressly told "by order of His Imperial Majesty" before being interrogated—that was not normal.
They could tell this place wasn't the Censorate, but the garden of some mansion… but more than that, the number of Censorate men was extraordinary.
They rushed to speak first.
"W-we just accepted a request."
"We only did the surveillance as instructed by the employer…"
"We weren't even told who we were watching."
They answered one after another, before being asked.
But to the next question, they hesitated.
"Who hired you?"
At that question, they all fell silent at once.
All four of them, perfectly in sync.
They were Third-Rank adventurers.
In Darwei, that's called Advanced-Rank.
In the imperial capital, there might be hundreds, but in a local city's mutual aid association, third-rank is top tier.
They had that pride.
So when it came to the information that must be handled with the greatest care—that is, the client—they hesitated to speak.
So, what to do?
"Duke Rondo, may I borrow a somewhat larger garden?"
"Of course."
Ryo nodded at Secretary Shau's question.
It seemed Secretary Shau would return to interrogation basics.
Namely: keep suspects separated.
The four adventurers were moved to separate gardens.
Rondo Manor is spacious, so there are several gardens…
To each separated adventurer, they naturally announced the following:
"Whoever first reveals the client's name will be released without charge."
Then they added this:
"The others will go to the high-security prison. His Majesty is enraged over this surveillance matter."
The moment they heard it, all four turned deathly pale.
Surely not because they were cold from being frozen.
"Falling into the prisoner's dilemma."
Ryo murmured as he watched the four.
The famous 'prisoner's dilemma' from game theory.
It shows that people don't act solely on rational judgments.
Skillfully using emotions to move the other side is very effective… the dilemma was proof of that.
"Well, if no one says anything… in that case, all four will go to the high-security prison."
Secretary Shau announced.
"So it wasn't even a prisoner's dilemma…"
In the prisoner's dilemma, if all the prisoners keep silent, the outcome isn't that bad…in other words, no one saying anything is the most rational.
But the tale is that there's often someone who tries to sneak ahead and save just themselves.
However, if staying silent puts you in the worst situation anyway… there's no point in remaining silent.
"It was Prince Bin, the Fourth Imperial Prince…"
From there, it was quick.
Yesterday, most of the third- and second-rank adventurers belonging to the Imperial Capital Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association were hired by Prince Bin.
Those currently on other jobs are to be hired by Prince Bin as soon as those jobs end.
Most of them at the third rank have been put on surveillance missions like this one.
They didn't know what the second ranks were doing.
"Why were you watching Duke Rondo?"
They hadn't been told the surveillance target was Duke Rondo.
Originally, they'd been watching Count Bashu's movements, but word came that Count Bashu had hired third-rank adventurers from his own domain.
When they watched those third-rank adventurers, the two here happened to have lunch with them, so from that afternoon, the two were also added as targets.
All direct instructions came from Prince Bin's close aide, Lin Sui-dono.
"Lin Sui, huh…"
Hearing the report, Secretary Shau couldn't help murmuring.
"What kind of person is this Lin Sui-san?"
Ryo asked.
Since this whole issue started with surveillance on Ryo and company, it should be fine to ask a bit.
"Lin Sui is Prince Bin's closest of close aides; it's no exaggeration to say he manages everything in the Bin Royal Residence."
"Ho hoh, so he's capable."
"Yes, capable he certainly is, but…"
"But?"
"Within Prince Bin's camp, he rose in power quite rapidly. So rapidly it's unnatural…"
"I see. If he were a spy planted by someone else…a worm in the lion's body, an enemy within—that'd be something."
"…We hadn't considered that."
Secretary Shau was startled by Ryo's offhand conjecture.
Abel, listening beside him, only gave a small shake of his head, used to Ryo's off-the-cuff guesses.
It didn't take long for the four adventurers to spill their guts.
"Before three o'clock, is it. As interrogations go, that's not bad."
Secretary Shau said while drinking tea.
Of course, during that time, the interrogation of the two Phantomkins continued as well.
However, they maintained total silence.
That had been anticipated, so the Censorate's special helmet-type information collector had been placed on their heads to extract information from there.
The questioning was likely a camouflage for that.
But things did not end there.
Ryo suddenly lifted his head as if he had noticed something.
Abel beside him noticed and asked,
"What is it?"
"Out front… a carriage just stopped. And about twenty mounted men?"
"At our place?"
"Yeah. And, maybe…"
Ryo smiled slightly and continued.
"More Phantomkins."
-x-X-x-
"Envoy of the Choouchi Empire, Berke Holan of House Erdenet, requests an audience!"
From near the gate, they could hear what sounded like a herald shouting.
"So even the Empire's reaction to this matter differs from Darwei."
"True enough… but for the famed envoy to come in person, of all things."
Ryo said, for some reason sounding pleased, and Secretary Shau answered with a grimace.
Ryo walked unhurriedly toward the gate.
Abel followed behind him.
"I never thought the enemy's head honcho would charge in here himself!"
"Ryo, you look happy."
"N-no, not at all. It's terrifying, you know."
Ryo denied Abel's observation… while still smiling.
"They're a party we're in diplomatic talks with, at least on paper. We should keep this amicable."
"I know that, of course. Who do you think I am? I'm Ryo, emissary of peace, aren't I?"
"Mm, 'emissary of destruction and mayhem' fits you better."
Ryo couldn't argue with Abel.
Right as they reached the gate.
"Thank you for waiting. I am the master of the house, Duke Rondo, Ryo Mihara."
"I am Berke Holan of House Erdenet, special envoy of the Choouchi Empire."
The one who gave that greeting stood 180 centimeters tall, with a commanding build; the long white hair trailing down his back set against his black Eastern garb.
He looked to be about thirty.
Without strain, without bluster… merely by being there, he had a presence that made many lower their heads and drop to one knee.
"If you're the envoy of the Choouchi Empire, then you're the one conducting the diplomatic talks at the imperial palace. Are negotiations on break today?"
Ryo, for his part, even smiled as he asked.
Of course, the presence of Envoy Berke was a breeze for him.
He knew the presence of Dragon King Ruwin, of GriGri the griffon, even of Behi-chan the behemoth…
"No, we were negotiating until just now. However, I received a report that there'd been an unfortunate misunderstanding and that my subordinates caused you trouble. I came in person to explain and apologize."
"I see, an unfortunate misunderstanding. That happens a lot. Come to think of it, the man behind you, General Yun Chen, also became a prisoner as the result of an unfortunate clash, didn't he?"
Ryo said that when he spotted General Yun standing behind Berke.
At that moment, Yun's face tightened slightly.
But Berke's expression didn't change at all.
"Yes, that's right. You know Yun Chen well."
"But of course. Ah, standing and talking is no good—please, come inside. The Censorate is here as well, so it may be a bit cramped."
With that, Ryo led the way.
Berke followed. With him came two subordinates and General Yun.
Only those four from the envoy's side entered Rondo Manor.
The rest seemed to be waiting outside the gate.
Abel trailed behind the four.
Ryo led them to the garden.
There stood two ice coffins.
Their heads protruded from the ice, and they were conscious.
"It may be a bit shocking, but this is an interrogation by the Censorate. Please stay calm and observe."
Ryo said that deliberately, because the two subordinates' faces had stiffened the instant they saw the frozen pair.
As for General Yun— his face had gone pale.
Only one person hadn't changed expression, keeping a faint smile: Envoy Berke.
"They're frozen, but they seem to be alive."
"Of course. By any chance, are these two the ones involved in that 'unfortunate misunderstanding'?"
"Yes. They're my subordinates."
"I see. In that case, I'd like to free them at once… however, this interrogation has His Majesty's authorization. Naturally, the Censorate must report to His Majesty, and since I've borrowed their strength, I can't very well fail to report anything to His Majesty myself. So first, I'd like to hear from you directly, Envoy. Would that be all right?"
"I don't mind."
Still wearing faint smiles,
Ryo and Berke went inside with the others.
"Honestly, I didn't expect the envoy himself to come calling."
Ryo said with a smile, sipping tea.
"Since my men caused you trouble, it's only proper to come in person."
Berke also answered with a smile, sipping tea.
For some reason, a spry, vigorous old man had been made to sit between the two parties.
He looked as hale as ever—the very picture of spryness—but his heart was not the same.
(Why have they sat me here…?)
Of course, he was there because Ryo had invited him in… but at that moment, Secretary Shau had screamed in his heart.
(I didn't want to!)
Naturally, none of that showed on the surface.
With composure—calm and unruffled—he'd entered the room and now sat there.
"You remember General Yun over there, of course, but the one who interrogated him then was Secretary Shau here."
Ryo made a point of noting it.
Introductions had already been made, so Secretary Shau merely nodded once, closed his eyes, and sipped his tea.
"Yes, I remember."
Yun answered.
His expression was still stiff.
When he'd stepped into the garden and seen the captives, he'd remembered.
That was the garden where he'd been held.
He had always thought it was someone's residence within the palace—but now he knew.
Yun had allowed himself to be captured to be confined in the palace or the Censorate— high-security prison included.
While being interrogated there, the magic circle engraved in his eyeballs would lay bare the system of the 'Starry Veil' that protected the Darwei imperial palace… that had been his role.
But the information gathered had been far too meager.
Therefore, Yun was now brought along to the diplomatic negotiations held in the palace to collect 'Starry Veil' data while present there.
However, the buildings used for diplomacy—given their role of receiving many foreigners—were protected by alchemy tools designed for that purpose, so the rate of information collection could hardly be called fast.
It wasn't zero, of course—that's why he was brought along every day…
"I've also learned that I was captured and interrogated not in the palace, but here at your mansion."
Even at those words from Yun, Berke's expression didn't move at all.
But the faces of the two subordinates who had come along twitched—just a little… truly, only a little.
So slight that only people at Ryo and Abel's level would notice.
Yet both of them noticed.
(That wasn't just surprise, was it?)
Abel thought.
(Did he want to convey that realization just now to all three of them, Envoy Berke included? To what end?)
Ryo thought as well.
However, neither of them could guess it had to do with information-gathering via magic circles in the eyeballs.
"Now then, Envoy Berke, I'd like to confirm something."
"Yes, what would that be?"
Ryo asked pleasantly; Berke answered, still smiling.
"Why were those two watching me?"
"I received a report that they did not know they were watching Duke Rondo."
"Oh?"
"They were surveilling someone else, but information got tangled, and the field team seems to have become confused."
"So they ended up watching me by mistake."
"Yes. I apologize."
After offering those words of apology, Envoy Berke bowed deeply.
Still smiling pleasantly, Ryo nodded magnanimously.
Of course, he didn't believe Berke's words.
He even wondered if the capture of the two had been part of the plan.
To recover them, he himself would come and confront the target—Ryo—directly.
(Huh? In that case, did General Yun let himself get captured on purpose too? Hmmm…)
Just as he was deciding what to do, the door opened and one of Secretary Shau's subordinates entered.
"A report has arrived from the Censorate."
Saying that, the subordinate handed a sheet of paper to Secretary Shau.
Secretary Shau scanned it quickly… and his expression clearly changed.
"Has this gone to the palace as well?"
Even his voice trembled a little.
"I'm told it was reported to the palace at the same time as this report to us."
"Good. Then, as usual."
Secretary Shau nodded once, then handed the paper to Ryo.
Ryo was a little surprised.
It was Censorate intelligence—was it okay to show it to Ryo, an outsider?
But he didn't bother to ask.
If Secretary Shau had decided it was fine and handed it over, that was that.
What it said was…
(Information extracted from General Yun. An urgent matter? Using a magic circle engraved in the body to analyze the workings of alchemy tools? In other words… analyzing the system of the 'Starry Veil' that protects the palace? Ah—that's why General Yun was captured.)
He gave a small shake of his head in his heart.
(How bold.)
Ryo felt that honestly.
At that moment, Envoy Berke grinned and said,
"It seems rather noisy at the front of your mansion."
Secretary Shau's complexion changed.
He must have issued some instructions to the men in the garden without Ryo and the others noticing.
But that fact had become known to Envoy Berke.
Still— he was the Censorate.
His job was to police threats to Darwei.
He would not back down here.
"Envoy Berke, we have obtained proof that General Yun Chen there has acted to harm Darwei. Hand him over."
Secretary Shau declared.
At the same time, Censorate officers entered the room.
"Now…as I recall, Yun had been held by you, and it was only thanks to His Majesty's clemency that he was released. I cannot fathom why you would now demand we hand him over again."
Berke's faint smile became a clear laugh as he countered.
"Because we have obtained new evidence that cannot possibly be overlooked."
"Even so, Yun is a member of the diplomatic mission. Demanding we hand over such a man is not something an envoy can accept."
"…If you will not cooperate, we will have to consider the use of force."
"I suppose you will."
Berke answered, laughing, to Secretary Shau's words.
On the envoy's side, four people, including Berke, were in the room.
On the Censorate's side, six, including Secretary Shau.
No doubt, the Censorate men in the garden were engaging the envoy's retinue waiting outside the gate as well.
A powder keg, a hair's breadth from exploding.
In the midst of that, Ryo… remained seated, calmly drinking tea.
Like an unshakable mountain, and yet like a willow nonchalantly letting the wind pass by…
But Abel knew better.
That Ryo was inwardly thrilled.
He didn't move because this was a ringside seat.
The very front line of the clash.
The faint smile he wore was, in truth, from the bottom of his heart.
Even so, Abel felt he should confirm one thing.
"What do we do?"
A tiny whisper, face close to Ryo's ear.
"If they collide, step in."
"Understood."
That was all they said.
But it was enough.
"I will ask once more. Hand over General Yun."
"Then I shall answer once more. I refuse."
Secretary Shau asked with a hard expression; Envoy Berke answered with a laugh.
"Seize them!"
At Secretary Shau's command, five Censorate officers leapt forward.
But…
The five who leapt were blown back instead.
A man with long black hair and glasses stepped out in front of Berke and Yun and gave a single sweep of his arm—that alone sent the five flying.
"Jurang, don't kill them yet."
Berke gave the order with a smile.
The man called Jurang nodded in silence.
"
Secretary Shau unleashed a five-strike wind-attribute attack spell.
"
But the woman standing beside Envoy Berke countered with a spell of her own.
"Taoran, don't overdo it."
Again smiling, Berke gave the order.
The woman called Taoran nodded silently.
The two forces collided.
That was the trigger for intervention.
Clang! Clang…!
A red-haired swordsman closed the distance in a flash and thrust—
Yun parried and deflected it.
The third collision was pure swordplay.
Thrust, thrust, sweep, thrust again…
Abel's offense and Yun's defense drove the exchanges.
"Abel looks stiff."
Ryo murmured with a smile as he sipped his tea.
He knew why he looked stiff.
Because they were indoors.
Abel's sword was a standard length, a little over 90 centimeters of blade.
Not especially long… but long for swinging around indoors.
If he raised it wide, the blade would hit the crossbeams running overhead.
So most of Abel's attacks were thrusts and horizontal cuts.
"So, for indoor combat, is a 70-centimeter blade the limit?"
Ryo muttered, with Japanese swords in mind.
Indoor combat began to be assumed from the late Muromachi period.
The battles around the Shinsengumi in the late Edo period are well known.
The blade length of the uchigatana—suited to indoor fighting—was just under 70 centimeters.
Quite a bit shorter than the tachi, which was nearly 90 centimeters.
Many famed blades were deliberately shortened from tachi to uchigatana.
Weapons change form little by little with the times.
Because lives are on the line.
When lives are at stake, people don't compromise. And mustn't.
Medical tools and weapons are prime examples of that.
Ironically, the polar opposite tools that save lives and those that take them evolve similarly.
Three fights raged indoors.
But two people didn't move.
Ryo and Envoy Berke.
"Duke Rondo, will you not join the fray?"
"I thought I'd observe a while longer."
Berke asked with a laugh; Ryo answered, smiling.
In fact, stray spells sometimes struck the two…but of course they took no damage.
Both had deployed something like invisible barriers.
"Is your barrier talisman-based, Envoy?"
"Very perceptive. Is yours a
"No, mine is just a wall of ice."
"Oh my."
Read as text, their dialogue was downright cordial.
Even seeing their expressions, you wouldn't think a fierce battle was raging around them.
"Sending General Yun himself with a magic circle inscribed on him—that's quite a bold stratagem."
"My apologies, Duke Rondo. But I don't follow your meaning."
"Ah, just talking to myself. Still, even if you draw a magic circle on the skin, it distorts. Stretches and shrinks. An array that analyzes the formulae of a deployed alchemical device should be fairly complex… well, perhaps it's only for collection. Even so, that would still be rather complex, wouldn't it? To miniaturize it and transfer it onto the body… I'm impressed it ran properly."
"Speaking only to myself as well, I imagine it was quite difficult. As you say, if it stretches or shrinks, it can't maintain the correct form as a magic circle. On the other hand, if you engrave it on bone, it would have to pass through muscle and skin along the way… in that case, it interferes with the bearer's mana, and you can't collect accurate data. As close to the outside of the body as possible, without being noticed by the interrogators… I surmise it was all rather arduous. All of this is a monologue, of course."
Ryo and Envoy Berke traded such talk to oneself.
After that, Berke glanced at the clock on the wall.
Then he spoke.
"Well then, Duke Rondo, we shall take our leave."
"You've been dragging out the fight to buy time for something."
"Ah, you noticed."
"So the timing is set now."
"Yes."
Even now, both wore smiles.
"Jurang, Taoran, Yun—let's go."
Just in that instant, Berke's aura changed.
Far from gentle—rough, and yet razor-sharp.
Call it intelligence-backed violence.
At his words, the three converged instantly.
And then, without a beat, the four, including the envoy, were… 'launched'.
Yes—launched.
The four shot up like rockets—through the ceiling and into the sky.
At the same time, there was a crisp crack as something shattered.
The moment the sound rang out, Ryo grimaced.
Because the
"To break
Muttering that, he remembered and stepped into the garden.
There were the two phantomkins, frozen completely up to the tops of their heads.
"They left those two?"
Abel's voice came from behind Ryo as he entered the garden.
"So it seems, but…"
Ryo tilted his head.
Did they judge that leaving them posed no harm?
But that wasn't it.
In the next instant… the phantoms vanished from within the ice.
Both of them.
"Impossible!"
Even Ryo couldn't help shouting at the wholly unforeseen sight.
He had assumed Envoy Berke himself would escape by some means.
He had considered that even with
Frankly— that couldn't be helped.
A powerful phantomkin was at least as troublesome as Duke Helb, younger brother of Grand Duke Atinjo.
If he fought without regard for collateral damage, he might be able to win… but this was not the place for that.
This was Ryo's mansion.
And deep within the mansion was his precious piano.
Between taking down or capturing Berke and the others, and the piano—if he had to weigh them on a scale, which would he choose?
It wasn't even a question.
The piano, obviously.
So from the start, Ryo had no intention of going all-out here.
Of course, he had still taken precautions, covering the area where the piano was with
So—Envoy Berke's escape was fine.
He'd thought they would also take the two frozen ones with some method… but for them to vanish from inside the ice—!
"They've vanished."
Abel, too, was stunned by what he saw.
Left inside the
That sudden disappearance…
"Ah—I knew I'd seen it before."
"Hm?"
"Back when I was in the Western Countries, I froze His Holiness the Pope, but he vanished in an instant."
Ryo remembered.
That the pope he'd frozen had disappeared.
"But that time, I think it was the power—an ability—of a being on another plane, like an angel. Thinking of it that way, I don't really understand this occurance."
"We've at least learned they're a troublesome foe."
Ryo gave a small shake of his head; Abel did the same.
They were a most troublesome enemy.
Then Ryo turned toward Abel and began.
"Even so, Abel, you didn't live up to your boasts!"
"Huh?"
"If you'd properly beaten and captured General Yun, the tide would've turned all at once."
"No, that guy was really strong, you know?"
Ryo blamed Abel for struggling with Yun, and Abel shot back.
If he could go all out, it might be different, but for indoor combat, Abel's magic sword seemed too long.
"For that matter, Ryo, you could've fought instead of just sitting there, you know?"
"I— I had to sit here, solid and imposing, and project an air of being a big shot!"
"Big shots don't call themselves big shots…"
"Grr…"
Abel shrugged as he spoke; Ryo puffed his cheeks, unable to reply.
"Even so… watching your fight made me really understand the thinking of the people who rebuilt the Mutual Aid Association building thirty years ago."
"Ah… ceiling height and room size enough to swing swords indoors."
Indeed, the waiting room they'd seen at the Imperial Capital Adventurers' Mutual Aid Association had high ceilings.
So swords could be swung indoors.
Mainly for fights like this one… or for brawls.
"All buildings in the world should have 4-meter ceilings."
"…Yeah."
-x-X-x-
Envoy Berke and his party flew off, and the two Phantomkins who had been frozen vanished, but they had companions.
Those were the ones who had been waiting on the road outside the mansion.
However…
"The Censorate men who went to suppress them were struck down in the very opening of the battle, and the enemies escaped."
"Ah—so Envoy Berke and the others prolonged the fight partly to buy time for their people to flee."
At Secretary Shau's explanation, Ryo nodded.
By the way, Secretary Shau—who had fought a magic duel with the female Phantomkin Taoran—had been so exhausted right after the battle that he could hardly speak.
"Getting old saps your endurance."
Once he could speak again, he muttered that complaint more than once.
"I was surprised that General Yun's body itself had been turned into a tool for analyzing alchemy tools."
"Indeed. That's why they, on arriving in the capital, secured General Yun's body first."
"However, since his interrogation was carried out here rather than inside the palace or the adjoining high-security prison, their information gathering was insufficient."
"So they brought him along even into the diplomatic negotiations… and let him into the palace."
"Do you think they might have siphoned off information about the Starry Veil?"
"To be honest, I don't know. There's a lot we need to investigate."
Ryo and Secretary Shau confirmed the situation with each other.
The Phantomkins' party had left, and it felt as if everything were over…
"Actually, it's not over yet."
Ryo said to Abel in a stern, resolute tone.
"Uh—okay… I don't know why you're telling me, though?"
"Shau-san is busy organizing his subordinates, so I'm telling the idle-looking Abel."
"Is that so. Being able to speak honestly is a virtue."
"Aww, you're making me blush."
"I wasn't praising you."
Ryo blushed for some reason, and Abel told him he wasn't praising him.
"There are four third-rank adventurers who were forgotten."
"That's right. The spotlight was stolen at once by Envoy Berke."
"That's third-rank for you. Still not all the way there."
"We're sixth-rank, below them, though."
"That's that, this is this."
"Ryo, your ability to flip your words one after another is impressive."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far."
"Again—not praising you."
Ryo blushed again, and Abel repeated that he wasn't praising him.
Still, it was true that the four third-rank adventurers had been left in the garden.
Of course, when the little scuffle with Envoy Berke happened, all four were resealed inside full
"Those four—they all talked, didn't they?"
"Seems so. They apparently babbled it all out themselves. Not fit to be called adventurers."
"Well, if they were surrounded by the Censorate and told it was the Emperor's order and interrogated, they'd comply, wouldn't they?"
"After all, they were people hired only for money. Third-Rank adventurers are probably only worth that much."
"We're Sixth-Rank, below them, though. And those five from 'Spring View' are also Third-Rank."
"Meaning the 'Spring View' lot has higher aspirations!"
"I-Is that so…?"
Ryo repeatedly nodded as if certain, and Abel reluctantly accepted it.
At least Abel had no information to contradict that.
To Abel's eyes as well, the five of 'Spring View' looked like good people.
That those five and the four captured in the garden were the same third-rank adventurers was…
"Well, even among third-rank adventurers, there are all kinds."
Abel said that and shrugged.
"Duke Rondo, what should we do with the four who are frozen?"
Secretary Shau, apparently finished issuing orders to his subordinates, approached and asked Ryo.
"Umm, can I decide that?"
"We have been informed that His Majesty permitted Duke Rondo to detain them. However, these four… have not necessarily committed a clear crime."
"Indeed, they were just watching me."
Yes—the four had only been watching on orders.
They hadn't harmed Ryo or those around him.
Of course, because Ryo had obtained Emperor Tsuin's permission to detain them, Ryo would not be held culpable… but still…
"Let's keep them at my place for a while."
"…Frozen, you mean?"
"There might be some kind of reaction from the other side."
"Understood."
Ryo thought a little before giving his decision, and Secretary Shau nodded in agreement.
In Rondo Manor's garden, four ice sculptures were erected.
Around them, ice golems cleaned, opened, and closed windows, and occasionally carried baggage.
A fantasy-like sight stretched out.
Moreover, with a swordsman practicing flight around them, it was all the more so.
"Abel, you've improved a lot."
"See? I can do sudden direction changes in midair now."
When Ryo praised him, Abel demonstrated a 180-degree turn from straight flight.
He genuinely looked like he was having fun.
"The harsh, bleak aura you usually wear has changed completely—it's a good look."
"I'm not bleak, am I?"
"You fail to see yourself clearly."
"I know I'm being unfairly accused…"
While Rondo Manor was filled with peace and happiness, elsewhere in the imperial capital, there were those who wore a bleak, harsh atmosphere.
"Four of them? Four third-rank adventurers all gone missing—what's going on?"
"The two they started watching from the Holy Emperor Square… they looked like adventurers, right? What are they, adventurers from the Special-Rank Hall?!"
"I've never heard of such a pair…"
"How are we supposed to report this to His Highness?"
At those words, everyone fell silent.
This was the Fifth Annex of Prince Bin's royal residence, the Fourth Prince.
The adventurers hired by Prince Bin used this place as a base for their assignments.
"Lin Sui-sama has arrived!"
When one adventurer said so, everyone present dropped to one knee.
A man in his mid-forties entered.
Lin Sui—the trusted right-hand and eyes of Fourth Prince Bin.
His hair was carefully tied and fastened with a small brown cap.
The brown Eastern robes he wore looked plain at first glance, but to someone who could tell, they were clearly made from high-quality cloth and carefully tailored.
"I heard there was trouble, so I came to see."
"Yes…"
Sun Ki, the second-rank adventurer acting as the coordinator for the group, answered in a tone that could hardly be called gentle.
Everyone present was either second-rank or third-rank.
That means Sun Ki, who was coordinating the site, was himself a second-rank of the same standing.
He had simply been made the leader because he had been an adventurer longer than the others.
Sun Ki had been pleased when chosen as the coordinator—he thought it might curry favor with the prince—but having to report such an error after a single day was unexpected.
He felt bitter inside, but of course, he did not show it.
He was a second-rank adventurer.
Even in the vast Darwei, second-rank adventurers were not numerous.
He had carried out many assignments before.
Among them had been duties related to the imperial household.
He was here because he had completed those without issue.
Even so, he had never had to report a failure like this before…
"Four third-rank adventurers have gone out of contact."
"When did you lose contact with them—what were they doing?"
"They were watching new surveillance targets who appeared from Holy Emperor Square."
"Those surveillance targets…were they someone from the Shitaifu class?"
"No…based on the report, they were adventurers."
"I see—adventurers from the Special-Rank Hall, then?"
Lin Sui muttered that.
And Sun Ki said nothing in response.
They were not lying.
The person standing before them had jumped to a conclusion…
They didn't actually know who that pair was.
There was no reason to deny something that hadn't been identified…
Lin Sui thought for a moment and asked,
"Why were those two added to your surveillance targets in the first place?"
"They were seen having a private talk with the third-rank squad 'Spring View' that Count Bashu hired."
Just sharing a meal could look like a private meeting to the watchful.
Unfortunate for Ryo and Abel.
"Count Bashu… since he doesn't belong to any faction, his movements are hard to predict. Strengthen surveillance around Count Bashu. That may reveal the whereabouts of the four who went out of contact."
"Yes, sir!"
Giving the instruction, Lin Sui left the Fifth Annex.
"We must cause more and more confusion… it's still not enough."
Lin Sui's mutter was so faint that no one's ears caught it.