Chapter 93

"......Gatoga?"

"! Ah, yeah... Sorry. I let them get away."

Gatoga, who had finally come to his senses at the sound of my voice, dropped his words apologetically.

While his muttering from earlier was concerning, it wasn't something to press him on right now. For now, the fact that we managed to repel the assassins without any casualties was a relief, and we needed to wrap things up here.

"Alyushia"

"Yes, I understand."

Next, I called out to Alyushia, who seemed to have a clear grasp of the situation. As expected of the captain of the knights, she was well-versed in handling emergencies.

Given that such an incident had occurred, we couldn't proceed with the planned theater visit. We needed to ensure the safety of the prince and princess as quickly as possible. To calm the chaos at the scene and for the safety of everyone, we needed to leave as soon as we could.

"Princess Salakia, as you can see, the situation is dire. Please return to the palace with Prince Glen."

"Yes... I understand."

Alyushia handed over the captured assassin to the guard knights and advised Princess Salakia.

The safest place in Baltrayn, in every sense, was the Reberis Palace. The headquarters of the knights could also be considered, but it would be inconvenient to bring a prince from another country there. For now, returning to the palace and discussing the next steps was the best course of action.

"Hembritz, I'll leave the cleanup and command of this scene to you."

"Understood!"

It seemed that Hembritz would stay to manage the scene while the rest of us would continue the escort. I wouldn't be of much help if I stayed, so it made sense to leave the experienced ones in charge.

"Citrus, we'll also be escorting the prince."

"Of course. Please, Razoon."

Gatoga, who seemed to have regained his composure, was also ready to go.

Rose, as always, maintained a calm smile. Her ability to remain composed in any situation was truly admirable.

"We'll take the shortest route back. Teacher, I'm sorry, but could you accompany us outside?"

"Of course, that's my intention."

There was no way I could stay in the carriage while everyone else was on high alert. The situation was too serious for that. All the skilled knights, except Hembritz, would surround the royal carriage.

Fortunately, no harm came to the carriage drivers or the general public. The attackers seemed to have a specific target in mind.

Inside the carriage, the attendants were still present, but their shock and anxiety were evident. Even if they had combat skills, experience was crucial in such situations. From that perspective, their reliability was questionable.

"Alyushia, any leads?"

As we started to move alongside the carriage, I asked Alyushia.

I had no idea who might be behind the attack. I had lived in a remote village for years and was not well-versed in such matters.

"At this point, I can't say for sure."

"Well, that's to be expected..."

Even if I could guess, it wouldn't help much. We needed to secure a safe place and have a thorough discussion.

However, there was a reason we needed to make a prediction.

Was this attack aimed at the prince, or the princess? Or was it a problem of Reberis Kingdom, or Sphendyard Bania?

Both could be targets, but that seemed unlikely. Given the boldness of the attack, it was probably related to the affairs of one of the countries. I wasn't well-informed about such matters, but Alyushia, Gatoga, and Rose were likely more knowledgeable.

We needed to make a guess to address the diplomatic issues. Even I, who was not well-versed in state affairs, understood this. The other three must have been thinking the same.

We remained vigilant, but each of us seemed lost in thought.

What kind of conversation was happening inside the carriage? Or were they both silently waiting for time to pass?

It was also possible that the targeted royals had some idea of who might be after them. Considering everything, this seemed the most likely scenario.

However, I couldn't bring myself to ask the royals, "Do you have any idea who might be after your life?" That would be inappropriate. Only Alyushia or Gatoga, as the captains of the knights, could ask such a question. And it wasn't a conversation to have in an open place where anyone could overhear.

"What will happen to our plans...?"

Rose said, slightly lowering her eyebrows.

"Most likely, they'll be canceled. After such an incident..."

We had captured a few assassins, and the Reberio Knights would be busy with interrogations and investigations for a while. It was impossible to continue the planned tour under these circumstances. Whether Prince Glen would return to his country or stay in Reberis was a separate issue, but the situation was no longer conducive to a leisurely city tour.

Ultimately, the decision would be made by the diplomatic delegation and the royals, not the knights. We would have to wait for orders. I had a slight hope that we might be released from our duties early, but that would be too insensitive. I wasn't a knight or a loyal subject, but as a decent citizen, I was concerned about the situation.

After the final conversation with Rose, we walked silently around the carriage.

As I thought about the attack, I realized that my mind couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer. It seemed more likely that the attack was aimed at the princess.

If the target was Prince Glen, it would have been more effective to strike before the Reberio Knights joined Alyushia and Hembritz. The journey from Sphendyard Bania to Reberis would have been the most vulnerable part. Given that, it seemed plausible that the attack was aimed at the princess, who had just left the palace.

The name Hinnis, which Gatoga mentioned earlier, also caught my attention. If my memory served, wasn't he the former deputy leader of the Church Knights? This suggested that the Church Knights, or Sphendyard Bania, might have some involvement.

We would likely get more information from the captured assassins. Waiting for that seemed to be the best course of action.

After a while, we returned to the north district, which was still early in the day.

"Princess Salakia, Prince Glen"

Alyushia called out to the carriage as we reached the gate, while remaining vigilant.

After a moment, the attendants checked the surroundings, followed by Princess Salakia, who was visibly frightened, and Prince Glen, who was trying to maintain his composure.

"Alyushia, will you come with us?"

"Of course."

"Gatoga, I'll leave it to you."

"Understood."

Normally, this would be where we parted ways, but the prince and princess seemed to have specifically requested their respective captains of the knights. I could understand their feelings. After such an incident, it was natural to want someone reliable by their side. Additionally, as royals, they couldn't just bring ordinary people into the palace, so this was a reasonable request.

"Princess Salakia, please excuse me for a moment. ...Teacher"

"What is it?"

Alyushia got the princess's permission and approached me.

"Most likely, we'll have a meeting after this. Since our escort duty is over, you can return to the headquarters."

"Ah, I see. Understood."

In other words, I was free to go home today.

I considered waiting at the headquarters, but I couldn't predict when Alyushia and Hembritz would return. I didn't want to carry the fatigue into tomorrow, so I decided to go home.

"Rose, you should also return. I'll give further instructions later."

"Understood~"

It seemed the Church Knights had a similar plan. They dismissed their knights, who then disappeared into the palace.

"Well, then..."

I stretched, basking in the sunlight. Although it was only midday, I was quite exhausted. Alyushia and Gatoga would likely be even more tired, given the discussions to come. But that was a matter of age.

"Then, I'll take my leave~"

"Ah, good work, Rose."

I thought she might ask for a tour of the city with her free time, but she wasn't that insensitive. Regardless, the Church Knights would have a stressful time ahead. I might be in a similar situation, but my position made it a bit easier.

Now, I had to return home earlier than expected. I wondered how I would explain this to Mui.

With that thought, I headed home.

The cover of Volume 3 is now available on the official website and various online stores.

Volume 3 will be released on February 7th. Please consider picking it up if you're interested.