Chapter 48: Melancholy with the Princess
The royal palace was attacked by bandits!
This news quickly spread throughout the town below the castle. Not only the first-class district, which could promptly grasp the commotion at the palace, but also the second-class, third-class, and fourth-class districts soon became aware of the situation.
In the fourth-class district, the information had transformed into baseless rumors with tails and leaves, but the fact that the royal palace had been attacked by bandits was the only thing that had been conveyed.
"Hey, Shinigami-san, have you heard the rumors?"
"You mean the one about the attack on the royal palace?"
"Yes, that's the one."
At the pub where the secret organization Black Cat operated, Shu and Iris were sipping weak alcohol and receiving information from the Master. If only "Takame" were here, they could gather even more accurate information, but he rarely got caught as he roamed different places.
They had been fortunate before.
"The attackers of the royal palace are from the Revolutionary Army, Liberation. Well, as you heard, it seems the revolution failed. Word has it that the information leaked, and they were defeated by reinforcements from the Grand Empire."
"Was it the information from Black Cat that leaked?"
"That's a secret."
The Master replied with a somewhat smirking smile, but it was apparent that it was the work of Black Cat. After all, Black Cat's base was in the Grand Empire. A revolution in the vassal state, Eldorado Kingdom, would be inconvenient for the Grand Empire as it would weaken their influence.
Furthermore, the best scenario for Black Cat would be a continuing confrontation between Eldorado Kingdom and the Revolutionary Army Liberation. By accepting clandestine jobs from both sides, they could earn money and expand their influence.
"Who came as reinforcements from the Grand Empire?"
"That's a good question, missy. The ones who came are known as the Hellfire Corps. It seems the Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions were selected this time."
"Hellfire Corps? What's that?"
"You don't know, Shinigami?"
"Is it famous?"
"Of course."
The Master showed a weary attitude.
Shu and Iris had only recently arrived in Eldorado Kingdom and knew nothing about the internal affairs of the Grand Empire. It seemed that the Hellfire Corps was a famous corps, but unfortunately, they had never heard of it.
Then, the Master began to explain.
"The Grand Empire has several corps. Each corps is led by an S-rank Mage-Knight. Their nicknames become the names of the corps."
"So, the Hellfire Corps is a corps led by someone with the nickname 'Hellfire'?"
"Exactly. It's commanded by General Schmidt Aliour, also known as 'Hellfire.' Haven't you heard of the top Mage-Knight permitted to wear the Gold Dragon emblem in the Grand Empire?"
The Gold Dragon emblem was a badge granted only to Generals and Grand Generals. A Dragon represented the Grand General, while a Lion represented a General.
Since this rank was given based on personal strength, Shu could infer that Schmidt Aliour was considered the strongest in the Grand Empire.
"Iris, do you think this Schmidt guy is an Awakened Mage-Knight?"
"Well... I'm not sure. I didn't even know about Awakened until recently. It's probably classified information, so it might be difficult to obtain."
"I see."
Shu and Iris discussed quietly.
An Awakened Mage-Knight was an existence that surpassed human limits. In the Holy Grinia, Sylster Altrein attacked Shu as an Awakened Mage-Knight, and despite using death magic to steal energy as mana, Shu could not defeat him and only managed to win thanks to his death magic.
Since the Grand Empire was a country of similar scale to the Holy Grinia, it wouldn't be surprising if they also had Awakened Mage-Knights.
"Then, Master, are those reinforcements still at the royal palace?"
"Yeah. But they're about to return to the Grand Empire. The dispatched guards are coming back."
In the first place, the reason the Revolutionary Army Liberation took action was because of Princess Luciana's orders, which caused the guards to leave the capital, Drain.
The purpose of the expedition was to exterminate a village that supported the Revolutionary Army Liberation and enslave its people for agricultural work. The fact that the guards were returning meant that the operation had been successful.
"Was enslavement really carried out?"
"Of course. I heard that four villages were attacked, and nearly five hundred slaves were produced. With the support base gone, the Revolutionary Army Liberation has lost a significant amount of power. There are even rumors that they have already fled to bases outside the country."
"What about their leader, Reinwald?"
"Who knows? He might still be in this country. The situation here hasn't completely cooled down. Besides, there are good reasons to believe that Reinwald is likely to remain in this country."
Iris pushed her empty glass forward, and the Master refilled it with a flowing gesture. Shu paid three times the amount for the drink.
Then the Master handed over the information.
"Although the Revolutionary Army Liberation's attack on the royal palace failed, it wasn't a complete failure."
"What do you mean?"
"Their attack routes were four. One group aimed for the First and Fourth Princes, the second for the King, the third for Princess Luciana and Princess Weiris, and the fourth for the royal palace's treasures."
"So, only the fourth group succeeded."
From the information the Master had mentioned earlier, it was clear that the reinforcements from the Grand Empire were from the Second to Fourth Divisions. In other words, three of the locations were successfully defended. And if they were being defended, it was likely that they were protecting members of the royal family.
Therefore, it was immediately apparent that the royal palace's treasures had been stolen.
The prediction was correct, and the Master nodded with a smile.
"It's a relief to have someone perceptive. As the 'Death God' said, the royal family's treasure has been stolen. That means the Revolutionary Army 'Rebellion' has a chance to recover. And if they are to recover, they need a leader, right?"
It was a reasonable opinion.
However, stealing the treasure under the cover of chaos was audacious. Shu and Iris were both impressed and amazed.
"So, do we have a job? The situation has changed quite a bit. There should be one or two jobs available."
"Our funds are running low."
"Wasn't the last job we did about a month ago? We received a substantial amount of money as a reward."
"We stayed in pretty decent inns, and we bought quite a few things. Plus, there are expenses for having our belongings managed at the inn. Could it be that we spent too much on dining out?"
"Indeed. We indulged in some delicious meals."
"Carefree, aren't they?" Master muttered.
The 'Death God,' who played with death as they pleased, seemed even freer than imagined. Master truly felt that way.
After all, meeting a Black Cat executive was a rare experience. There were often rumors in the wind about how the 'Coin Holders' had twisted personalities. To think they could enjoy themselves so much, spending money earned from killing, was rather impressive.
"Well, never mind that. There is a job. And it's a highly rewarding one."
"Then, we'll take it."
"Hey, hey... aren't you going to ask about the details?"
"It's okay. We will definitely succeed. As long as it's an assassination request, and we know the location and appearance of the target."
"That's quite the confidence. As expected of the 'Death God.' Alright, let me explain—"
Shu secretly activated soundproof magic. From now on, this information must be kept strictly confidential. They couldn't afford to have anyone else hear it.
Though the conversation was already in hushed tones, it was best to be careful.
After some time had passed, Shu and Iris left the tavern.
◆◆◆
***
In the safely defended royal castle, the first princess, Luciana, looked displeased. She reclined on her special sofa, surrounded by numerous cushions. The room was filled with the fragrance of strong flowers, which some people might find unpleasant, but Luciana seemed to prefer it.
"Hey... What do you mean we can't retrieve the stolen treasure?"
"I apologize, Your Highness. We, the Inferno Legion, were dispatched to protect the royal castle. Retrieving the stolen treasure is the responsibility of the Eldorado Kingdom's security forces. Even if it's a request from the Eldorado royal family, our army cannot simply take it upon ourselves, as it belongs to His Majesty the Emperor."
The one responding to Luciana's complaints was Ricardo Empaldo, the leader of the Fourth Squad of the Inferno Legion. During the Revolutionary Rebellion attack, he guarded the area where the princesses resided. Until the dispatched security team returns, he is responsible for protecting the princess's residential area.
Because of this duty, he cannot take action to recover the treasure.
However, Luciana wouldn't back down.
"Just make some concessions."
"In that case, please send a letter to His Majesty the Emperor. However, by the time the letter arrives, our unit will likely be on its way back. By the time a new team is dispatched to recover the treasure, any leads on the treasure will have disappeared. It would be wiser to entrust this to the returning security team."
"Useless..."
Ricardo restrained the urge to strike the princess in front of him. Despite being a foolish princess of a vassal nation, she was still a member of the royal family. He couldn't cause trouble.
He couldn't disgrace the Empire, staking everything on the silver wolf emblem on his left chest.
"Nee, Count Aurie."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
Count Aurie, who leads Luciana's faction, always serves by her side. If there is something that needs to be done behind the scenes, it is usually carried out by Count Aurie.
"By the way, you said you'd do something about it. Have you come up with a solution?"
"Of course, Your Highness. I have hired an exceptional individual."
"If you say so, I can expect results. Is it a freelance magic knight? There aren't many famous magic knights in this country..."
"This person does not live in public. Your Highness, have you heard of the name 'Grim Reaper'?"
"Grim Reaper? I've never heard that name."
Luciana tilted her head, but Ricardo reacted in her place.
"The Grim Reaper!? Are you saying the Black Cat Grim Reaper?"
"Yes, that's correct, Lieutenant Enpardo. It seems that person is hiding in this country."
For the Subarokia Empire, the Black Cat was recognized as a troublesome yet necessary existence. Not only involved in crimes such as illegal magic, magical artifacts, and drug research, but they also take on jobs such as assassination, sabotage, and information gathering.
Although it couldn't be openly spoken about, and there was no concrete evidence, even nobles and royals utilized the underground organization known as the Black Cat.
Therefore, Ricardo couldn't strongly condemn them.
Of course, it wasn't an act worthy of praise.
On the other hand, Luciana showed a keen interest in the Grim Reaper.
"What kind of person is the Grim Reaper?"
"Unfortunately, their appearance is unknown. It is said that the targeted individuals without exception meet their demise. I, too, have made arrangements through several intermediaries to make a request to the Grim Reaper. There are rumors that it's a man, but I do not know anything about their appearance."
"I see... Useless."
"I apologize, Your Highness."
Count Aurie apologized with a familiar attitude. Having served Luciana for a long time, he was accustomed to her arrogance. It was annoying to flatter a foolish girl who mistakenly thought she was the epitome of beauty, but it was a fact that he profited from Luciana. Thus, Count Aurie did not show any signs of displeasure.
"That's right. Bring the Grim Reaper here. I want to see their face."
"Huh? What? Are you serious?"
"Didn't you hear me? Bring them here."
Even the composed Count Aurie couldn't believe his ears.
For a foolish princess, she was certainly easy to manipulate, but this was beyond being foolish. The Grim Reaper was a title given to the best assassin, and it was unthinkable to bring such a killer in front of a nation's princess.
However, no matter how much he explained, Luciana would not listen.
To at least preserve appearances, Count Aurie warned her.
"Your Highness, the Grim Reaper is an assassin. And assassins gather information to kill their targets. I thought we could use their information-gathering skills to investigate the whereabouts of the stolen treasure. But an assassin is an assassin. Bringing them before you..."
"Enough of your nonsense, Count Aurie. There's no way this world's treasure, which is me, will be killed, right? I'll meet them personally. They'll surely cry tears of joy."
"...!"
Count Aurie, Ricardo, and all the servants in the room were left speechless.
Certainly, Luciana might be considered beautiful, but that was due to her makeup and adornments. If she were to dress plainly, she would probably be mistaken for a commoner. She was nothing more than that.
Even if she were to claim she's a national treasure, no one would fall madly in love with her beauty.
That much was certain.
"Understood. I'll leave it to you, Count Aurie."
"...Very well, I will do my best."