205 At the Count's residence
The archer and the magician are each sealed with a sealing technique, forbidden to use magic, and hardened with earth magic to be restrained. I don't know if the archer can use magic, but just in case.
I'll deal with these guys later, but first move the gatekeeper and knight who were put to sleep inside the wall using Levitation. We will inform you via communication device that the enemy has been suppressed.
Then, I descended into the courtyard with Lindblum and greeted my father.
"It's been a long time, father."
"Theo... Did you come to help me?"
"I'm sorry, but I received information about a suspicious person, so I was keeping an eye on my father. Are you both injured?"
"I...I'm fine. Kathryn. You..."
The father was holding Kathryn's shoulder, who had a pale face and was shaking, and was talking to her about something. Kathryn nods, her father looks at her, and says,
"There doesn't seem to be any problem. Are you okay? It looked like you jumped off the dragon's back..."
“I don’t have a problem either.”
Anyway, it's great that he doesn't seem to be injured. When I looked around, I saw the arrow that had been shot fall. Pick it up as it's evidence.
...There's something painted on the arrowhead. Could it be poisonous? Judging from the angle and trajectory of the arrow that was aimed at my father, it was aimed at the shoulder area...
If it's a poisonous drug, it's a surefire assassination, but if it's a sleeping pill or numbing drug, it's probably a kidnapping plan. If we look at the type of poison, we might be able to tell whether it was murder or kidnapping.
“…Why… you… me?”
Kathryn was stunned. I watched closely until the arrow was released. It seems that he realized that I was the reason for his unnatural deviation.
"Because I was trying to protect my father."
“Ah, that happened all of a sudden…”
"That's not a problem."
Even if Kathryn did something that she never expected, it probably means that she was more concerned about her father's safety than her own, and there is definitely a sense of affection for her father within Kathryn. I guess that's the case.
“I-I… I treated you like that…. I… I-I treated you like that…”
After saying that, I was at a loss for words and looked down.
Kathryn was probably trying to apologize to me... but she couldn't seem to get the words out, not out of pride, but out of the weakness of a child who is afraid of being scolded.
...That's right. Kathryn must be weak. That is why he was unable to shake off the interference of the previous Marquis Broderick. There are probably other factors as well, but because I'm aware that I'm betraying my father, our relationship has become distorted.
It's true that I also suffered damage because of that weakness. So from my standpoint, I won't defend it now, and I don't want to criticize it either.
"Please consider that not betraying my father's kindness and trust will be a substitute for apologizing to me. I will believe in my actions earlier, when I protected my father."
When I said that, Kathryn looked down and shed tears, but she nodded and spoke clearly.
"……sorry"
"...Certainly. I took those words as well."
But that's all for now.
Since the situation is not over yet, we need to change our thinking.
"Let's move to the mansion first. We don't know what the other party's purpose is. It seems better to take the personnel here as well. I will escort them to the mansion."
There is a problem with leaving Kathryn here like this. Above all, Harold and Cynthia were left in their care. First, let's use the communication device to contact everyone and meet up at my father's house.
"...I'm sorry, Theo."
"no"
"Please use this room. If you need anything, I will have the servants prepare it for you."
"yes"
I head to my father's mansion. I was taken to the reception room and had to wait for a while until everyone arrived. I sit across from my father, drink tea, and wait.
"I've heard a lot of rumors, but... I was surprised by your recent move. Personally, I don't want Theo to be too reckless."
Now that I think about it, was this the first time you showed your father a fight?
``Thank you for your concern. However, this time, could you leave it to me and coordinate the movements of the soldiers? I'm here."
If you move the soldiers, the movement of personnel will inevitably become hectic, and the other side will find out that your comrades were captured around Kathryn's house.
Above all, I need to crush the people who imitated such a joke with my own hands.
“Are you grabbing something?”
``A friend went to inquire to find out the location of the enemy's stronghold.''
Regular communications from Sheila and Irmhild are also on the communicator. Believe that it will give you results.
"...That's a quick trick. It must have been a long time since you contacted me."
Then my father bowed his head.
"Anyway, you saved me. The same goes for me. As for Kathryn, I have to thank you again."
"no"
"It's not just this time. I'm sure I have a soft side as a lord. Because of that, I've made you feel bad."
Sweet... huh? Or maybe it is. However, my mother expressed it in different words.
"No, that's-"
Just as I was about to say something, a knock sounded.
It seems that a servant has guided Grace and the others. I see. Well, that's it for this story. I'll save these words to tell my father once the case is resolved.
"Long time no see, Henry."
"It has been a while"
“Hmm. Grace seems to be in good health, which is a good thing. Ashley-sama is also in good health.…But I didn’t expect so many people to come at once….If it wasn’t for a time like this, I would do my best to take care of you.” Although I am in a position where I have to..."
Yeah. When I looked at them, I knew that it would be difficult to accept them, or rather, to manage them.
Grace is a knight and Ashley is also a lord. Marlene and Rosemary have various circumstances, but the royal family is the royal family.
So, I had planned to wait a day before heading to my father's place so as not to be in a hurry, but it would be natural for me to not be prepared even if we were to meet up due to unforeseen circumstances.
Well, this isn't the time to say that. Still, from my father's standpoint, I can't afford to be disrespectful.
"Thank you for your consideration, Earl. However, there is an emergency right now. Besides, I have already lost my right to inherit the throne."
Rosemary said quietly and bowed. Marlene, being Marlene, greets her by pinching the hem of her skirt and smiles.
“As for me...as soon as this matter is over, I have something to apologize to the Earl.”
"Tell me, I understand. Let's put that topic aside for now."
Greetings to my father and introductions to the people I met for the first time are some of the precautions I take.
Rosemary's apology to her father will come later, but since the thieves are hiding in the territory and it's started like this, they have to act quickly. There's nothing I can do about that.
"Marie. Do you know anything about this?"
The archer's belongings are arranged on the table, and several small bottles containing chemicals and the arrows that were actually shot are brought out in front of them.
Rosemary examines the arrowhead and archer's belongings. He sniffed the chemicals on the arrowhead and the chemicals in the small bottle by waving his hands over them.
"...This smell. And judging by the type of antidote... it's some kind of numbing medicine. This bottle is... I think it's a sleeping pill."
"Numb drugs and sleeping pills...Is the purpose not assassination but kidnapping?"
"Then... is it for ransom? Or..."
Ashley frowns.
"I don't know. I don't think the archer's sniping skills or the magician's movements were bad. There are probably plenty of ways to make decent money without having to cross such a dangerous bridge."
Kidnapping for ransom. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's a little puzzling. I feel like there may be other reasons.
“I was also thinking about something related to Silvatria. Sending a group of thieves could be part of a sabotage plan, but what if a small number of people set up a kidnapping in Earl Gartner territory?”
――No way. Is it about your mother? If there is anything that connects the Gartner Earldom and Silvatoria, it is it. If Mother's purpose was something, it would be no wonder that Father knew about it.
However, that was the end of my musings. This is because the communication device received a message.
"Discovering the enemy's stronghold"
It's from Sheila and the others. As expected, it does a good job. I told everyone what was on the communicator, looked at each other, and nodded. Whether it's getting information from them or making assumptions, it's just a matter of crushing them and then taking it slow.
Comments
Post a Comment