Chapter 34

Welcoming the knights, I handed over the private soldiers who had been captured. Along with that, the bodies of the assassins we had repelled earlier were also included. The captain of the knights did not show his face, but one of the knights I had seen before at the outpost was there. It seemed that he was one of Christoph's close aides and was also well-disposed towards the Ramburg family. No, it seemed that many of the knights respected Shreid, who had been an excellent knight, and the members who had come this time were of that ilk. Well, among the knights of noble birth, there were those who had looked down on him as a parvenu.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Lord Quon."

"No, it was on our side. The situation was a bit beyond our control."

"It was a difficult problem for us as well. If there is progress, this much is not a big deal."

Well, as law enforcement, it would be difficult to deal with anything that had not surfaced as a crime. The count's family had apparently avoided any criminal acts until now, and it must have been a headache for Christoph. However, now that his forces had been taken by the knights, the count's family would not be able to remain passive. They had even resorted to assassination, so it was hard to imagine they would do nothing from here on. In that case, just seeing them off like this left me a bit uneasy. I wasn't saying the knights lacked strength, but I wanted to avoid the situation progressing in unseen places. If so—

"...Lilina, I have a proposal."

"Ah, yes. What is it?"

"Would you like to show your face to the knights after this?"

"Eh?"

Lilina, who had been watching Elsa clean up the bloodstains, opened her eyes wide as if caught off guard by my words. It was probably unexpected. Well, I couldn't deny that it was sudden on my part. There were various reasons, but I decided to start with the official reason, shrugging my shoulders and speaking up.

"You should see your father's face, right?"

"Um... that is..."

"I'm sorry for cutting off his head when I defeated him, but it would be good to meet him at least once. I know it might sound strange coming from me."

"...No. You're right. If I keep running, I'll probably regret it."

Lilina raised her head with a resolute expression, and I nodded with a smile. Well, in the end, we would meet at the funeral, but it would be easier to prepare if she saw him beforehand. Accepting her resolve, I called out to the escorting knight again.

"So, they will be going with us."

"Hmm... Well, I think it would be good to come once, but are you sure it's okay?"

Well, since we were currently involved in an ongoing issue, it was a bit worrying to take them out of the premises where their rights could be asserted. However, the situation had become even more troublesome. Sighing softly, I approached the knight and whispered to him.

"They have already invaded the mansion and launched an attack. It's hard to say this place is safe anymore. One reason is that I want them to be in the safe zone of the knights."

"...Is there another reason?"

"You're already on guard, right? They tried to silence us by sending assassins, so I don't think the attacks will end here. We will also be accompanying the escort."

"But, that will put them in danger...!"

"Four of our members will be assigned to them. I think it will be manageable."

Depending on the opponent, the four of us, the Iridescents, could buy enough time even against a superior force. From my perspective as the attacker, it would be easier to fight without worrying about the protectees. Honestly, I was confident we could handle it unless multiple baron-level demons appeared. The knight pondered for a while, looking perplexed, but eventually nodded and looked back at me.

"Understood, let's do it... Please take care of them."

"Yes, I will ensure their safety."

Returning a nod, I turned to Lilina, who was talking to Elsa, who had finished cleaning. It seemed she was informing her about going to the knights. Well, it was good that she was willing. This way, we wouldn't just be watching the escort. However, it was also a fact that there were still many concerns. We needed to remain vigilant.

"Iridescents, are you ready?"

"Yes. We just need to secure the area around Lilina, right?"

"Right, I'll be on guard, so I won't have much leeway."

"Hehe, we're counting on you."

Smiling wryly at the cheerful Iridescents, we moved outside the mansion. Soon, the attackers, bound with ropes, and the knights surrounding them, as well as Lilina and Elsa following behind, appeared. Glancing at Elsa locking the door, I moved to the middle of the group, and the Iridescents moved to Lilina's side.

"From now on, we will escort the attackers. Everyone, be vigilant!"

"Hai!"

"..."

The private soldiers, looking regretful, did not seem to intend to cause a commotion in this situation. Watching them from behind, we set off for the knights' headquarters. The knight standing next to me seemed to be the captain of this squad. Hmm... I should probably explain things to him.

"Captain, I have something to tell you, but please keep it between us."

"Lord Quon? Is there a problem?"

"Well, it is a problem, but—"

If it were true, it would be a major issue involving the country. However, I didn't have concrete evidence yet. It was only circumstantial, and I couldn't formally discuss it. Given that the other party was a noble, it would be risky to make grand claims.

"The Fave Count's family is suspected of being involved with demons."

"Wh-What!? You can't be serious—"

"It's still a suspicion. The assassins reacted a bit when I probed them, so there's a possibility, but it's only that much."

"...If it's true, it would be a serious issue. But, with only suspicions, it's hard to conduct a detailed investigation..."

"Yes, I understand that."

The other party was a noble. Without solid evidence, it would be impossible to conduct a forced investigation. Well, it was a situation we couldn't help. It was troublesome, but we needed to gather more concrete evidence. Honestly, I still had some doubts. Could those demons really make deals with humans? While they could communicate, the hostility they held towards humans—no, living beings—was not trivial. It was hard to imagine they could cooperate with humans in such a state.

"Anyway, just keep it in mind as a possibility. We don't know what's true at this point."

"...Understood, I'll be careful."

The knight nodded, though he seemed half-convinced. It didn't matter if he didn't believe me. The important thing was for him to be aware of the possibility. Having knowledge could reduce panic in a critical situation. Knowing something, even a little, made a world of difference compared to knowing nothing.

Glancing at the troubled knight, I continued to walk, keeping my awareness spread around. We were retracing the route we had taken earlier. Since we had already passed through it, there was nothing particularly new. However, it made it easier to notice any abnormalities, and so far, there were none.

(The attack by the assassins didn't take much time. We wiped them out, so maybe the report hasn't gone through yet?)

If so, there might be no movement during this escort. Just as I thought this, a group of people appeared from the north side of the street as we approached the main road. This place was near the boundary between the southern commoner district and the noble district. So, it was natural that the group coming from the north was a noble.

"Ugh..."

Lilina's not-so-refined voice caught my ear, and when I turned to look at her, she was indeed frowning and staring at the group. I indicated the group to the knight next to me and slightly moved towards them. Upon closer inspection, a young boy stood in the center. He was slender but not short. He gave an overall lanky impression. He seemed to have noticed us, but he wasn't calling us out yet. Sighing softly, I continued towards the knights' headquarters—when a voice rose from the group.

"Hold it, knights!"

"...Hai."

The knight, trying to hide his obvious sigh of exasperation, nodded. I glanced at him with a wry smile and confirmed the group. There were fifteen soldiers, and the slender boy in the center had just called out. Upon closer inspection, some of the people who had fled earlier were among the fifteen. It was a bit surprising to see them brought back. Maybe they were short on personnel. Regardless, I didn't know if there was such a thing as obstruction of justice in this world, but it took some nerve to stop the knights on duty.

"...What is it, Lord Kryse Fave?"

"Of course, I have business. I want my subordinates back."

The young noble, as expected, responded arrogantly to the knight's question. However, I didn't expect him to demand their return so boldly. A moment's thought would reveal that such a request wouldn't be accepted.

"I refuse."

"Indeed, return them quickly—What did you say?"

"I refuse. They trespassed on private property without permission and committed a clear crime. We cannot release them without proper procedure."

"...You, are you serious!"

Watching the exchange with a bemused expression, I kept an eye on the other party. The movements of the fifteen private soldiers were not much different from those who had come earlier. In other words, they were all cannon fodder. I could handle them easily on my own. However, the problem was the young noble, who didn't seem to be well-trained. He looked like a civilian, weak and untrained. Yet, my instincts were warning me about this boy. What was he hiding?

"They were deceived by foreigners and attacked! Why aren't you capturing those foreigners! It's the knights' negligence!"

"The foreigners defended against the illegal intrusion and attack. They did nothing wrong."

"Nonsense! How can we trust the words of strangers of unknown origin!"

"We can trust them. They are recognized by our captain of the knights. They have defeated demons and are acknowledged by fairies, so there's no reason not to trust them."

The argument echoed around, but the knight's last words drew everyone's attention to me. More accurately, to Lumin, who was perched on my shoulder. Being recognized by a fairy seemed to be a significant point of trust. I was grateful for the fairy power that always helped us. Thanks to it, the support around us seemed to shift significantly in our favor.

"Grr, you... you!"

"Hmm?"

It seemed the young noble redirected his attention to me. Well, I would deal with him, but I wanted to observe him a bit more. I still didn't understand the nature of his presence. It would be best to avoid bold contact. The young noble, whose name I had forgotten, approached me and reached out his hand. It seemed he wanted to grab my collar. I could easily avoid it, but I also wanted to observe him closely. Maybe it would be good to let him.

"You, a mere foreigner, challenging us—Gah!?"

The moment the boy tried to grab my collar, a light flashed from my chest, strongly repelling his hand. For a moment, everyone was silent, not understanding what had happened. I myself didn't know what had occurred and reached inside my robe—only to find a hard object and widen my eyes. It was the pendant with the emblem I had been wearing around my neck.

"That's the holy seal of the Admina faith...?"

"...It repels demonic power. It's because of this that I could slay the demons on the road... Can't you touch it?"

"B... Impudent! Who are you speaking to!"

"Of course, I know. The son of the Fave Count, whose family is suspected of being involved with demons."

Saying this, I drew my sword. The tension in the crowd increased as they murmured at my words, and I asked the person in front of me, my gaze unwavering.

"Answer me. What are the demons planning in the human city?"

With confidence in my words, the moment they echoed, the boy's mouth widened as if it were being torn horizontally.