As if on cue, the sound of a knock at the door announced the arrival of a visitor seeking the Commander of the Cavalry. It was a timely re-visit from the First Princess of Herne.
"The promised time has elapsed. Have you concluded your one-day deliberations?"
No sooner had she entered than the First Princess, Myra El Herne, removed her face-covering garment and immediately addressed the matter at hand.
"Indeed, I have."
Kishiar's response was leisurely and without urgency, causing a slight tremble in Myra's eyelashes. Although her face appeared as calm and composed as it had been the day before, she couldn't perfectly hide her inner tension.
Seeing this, Kishiar, with a slight smile, slowly continued.
"The Cavalry considers the Princess's proposal to..."
"..."
"Cooperate... Wait, may I have a moment? My throat is dry, and I need to moisten it."
Myra's eyebrows moved dramatically, barely suppressing her incredulous and absurd feelings, as the ends of her tightly pressed lips trembled.
'She must be thinking we're playing games with her.'
And to some extent, it was indeed a playful act. Yuder cast a fleeting glance at the clenched-fisted Princess, exhaling briefly.
After leisurely sipping his tea, Kishiar finally gave the answer she awaited.
"We shall accept your proposal."
Only then did Myra's face brighten. She quickly returned to her cold demeanor, nodding her head in an attempt to hide her relief.
"A wise decision, indeed."
"However, there is a condition."
"What might that be?"
"Firstly, in dealing with your troublesome matters, we'll need the assistance of the Imperial Army's Special Forces, in addition to the Cavalry. It would be appreciated if you could prevent any resulting disturbances from your side."
"You mean the Imperial Army unit that assisted in this matter?"
"Exactly. Will that be difficult?"
Myra shook her head.
"I am aware that the Lord of Charloin has long harbored animosity towards the Imperial Army. However, he isn't particularly fond of me either. That won't be a problem."
"Good. Ah, and one more thing."
His red eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement.
"We've been seeking information about a certain Southern merchant group that has been active in the South for quite some time. As the future ruler of the South, you should be able to obtain such information more easily than us, right?"
The real crux of the matter was this. The request for the Imperial Army's involvement was merely a pretext, a side issue to the main point.
'But to Princess Myra, this will seem like the less important issue.'
Myra, slightly furrowing her brow, asked.
"Is this matter related to our current endeavor?"
"It is. We've learned something in the course of our investigation."
It was not a lie.
"Then I will certainly help."
This way, Myra would be less aware of the true nature and risk of her investigation subjects. They could exchange the necessary cooperation without sharing too much detailed information about their intentions or knowledge.
Myra's easy acceptance of all conditions was a result of Kishiar's masterful delay of his response, twice.
Once for a day of deliberation, and once with a momentary cough. But to the waiting, these delays were enough to induce anxiety. Myra, though not exactly a novice in such matters, was still inexperienced in these games. And Kishiar La Orr was naturally gifted in using subtle actions and words to exploit vulnerabilities and sway hearts.
Following their agreement, Kishiar and Myra sat down properly to swiftly discuss the details of their forthcoming collaboration. Despite appearing as carefree and thoughtless as Duke Peletta himself, Kishiar spoke flawlessly, leaving Myra simultaneously in awe and tension.
'He truly is an enigmatic person...' Such was her thought.
Originally, she had planned to first devise and convey all strategies once their collaboration was confirmed. However, she soon found herself unexpectedly discussing plans for resuming the search of illegal betting rings that very evening.
"That should cover it. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask."
"No, I've understood everything."
Myra's gaze drifted towards the clock on the table. She hadn't mentioned needing to leave early due to her clandestine departure, yet the conversation had concluded precisely within an appropriate timeframe. It seemed coincidental, but Kishiar's timing was curiously exact.
"Then, I entrust this matter to you."
"And I, to you..."
With these words, Myra exhaled deeply, her face slightly relaxed.
"I was a bit worried when I heard the Second Prince visited last night, fearing our meeting today might not even commence. I'm pleased we could collaborate. Thank you."
Her words were without ulterior motive, simply stating a fact.
Yet, strangely, at that moment, the relaxed atmosphere became tensely frozen.
Before a puzzled Myra, Kishiar exchanged a meaningful look with his assistant and spoke quietly.
"I'm not sure what you mean by the Second Prince visiting last night. No one from the Herne family came here before your arrival today."
"What? But I clearly heard that..."
As Myra continued, her expression shifted to one of confusion.
Suddenly, a frantic knocking came from outside.
"Commander, it's an urgent matter."
"What's the issue?"
The fact that someone had interrupted despite knowing of the guest indicated an emergency as serious as a siege on their headquarters. Kishiar gestured to halt the conversation and, seeking permission, immediately opened the door. Kurga entered with a stern face, quickly apologizing for disrupting the Commander's work before starting his report.
"A few hours ago, a body was discovered behind the southern branch building. It appears the identification found on the body belongs to the Second Prince of the Herne Duchy."
Myra, the First Princess, who had just been discussing the Second Prince, paled noticeably.
"The situation is being assessed, and knights from Charloin and the Herne family have been dispatched here. It seems they suspect he was murdered at this location. They are requesting a meeting with you, Commander, to authorize an investigation."
'Impossible.'
Yuder instinctively felt this was a plot targeting the Cavalry.
'Who could it be? Who would suddenly kill the Second Prince of Herne and implicate the Cavalry...'
As he pondered, a grave and unsmiling Kishiar rose from his seat.
"As mentioned earlier, we have never encountered the Second Prince, but if his death is certain, we must investigate as well. First Princess, can you stand?"
"...Of course."
Myra's face remained ashen, but she stood up without anyone's assistance.
"Meeting with the investigators could be problematic. What shall we do?"
"...My visit here was a secret to others, but that doesn't mean I've engaged in any dubious activities. I will cooperate."
"Very well. As we leave, let's share what we know about the Second Prince's whereabouts. Everyone, follow along."
Kishiar began to stride ahead, the previously light atmosphere of the corridor now vanished. Yuder clenched his fist tightly as he walked.
"Are those the knights who requested the investigation?"
"Yes."
At the forefront of the knights, who had entered to request an investigation, was a man with the Herne family crest emblazoned on his chest. They greeted with politeness, though not warmth, but paused upon spotting the First Princess standing behind Kishiar.
"To meet the Duke... First Princess?"
"Yes, it's me."
Myra responded with a stern face.
"Why are you here?"
"I came to discuss matters with the Cavalry concerning Melvin, who was captured here."
Instead of revealing her true purpose, Myra mentioned the reason she had initially given Kishiar on her first visit. Melvin was one of the foolishly captured VIPs at the Nukijo fighting ring and a relative of hers.
"We hadn't heard anything about that when we were dispatched here..."
"Do I need to report my every movement to someone, Sir Radel?"
The knights flinched slightly at the Princess's bold and sharp retort. Yet, the middle-aged knight leading them kept scrutinizing her as if he believed her words to be false.
"...Of course not. Understood."
"Hmm. If the greetings among family members are over, may we proceed to the main issue? What exactly happened?"
Kishiar inquired. The knight addressed as Sir Radel bowed lightly and began to speak.
"The Second Prince of Herne, Lord Ashrav, left last night to visit the Cavalry's southern branch and hasn't returned. A few hours ago, a ghastly body was discovered nearby, and Lord Ashrav's identification was found on it. The news was relayed through the local law enforcement and the knights of Charloin to our family, and we were dispatched for confirmation."
"And?"
"Upon examining the body, it was indeed the Second Prince. And on his body were... peculiar wounds that couldn't have been made by either a sword or magic."
Wounds that couldn't have been inflicted by sword or magic.
Everyone grasped what that implied.