Chapter 19

The sunlight, heralding the approach of summer, was pouring down.

In front of the Morgstadt family's country house, a carriage was parked.

The horse pulling it was not an ordinary one. It was a powerful horse with a special lineage.

The carriage itself was sturdy, with a metal frame and a deep purple hood made of monster materials.

The entrance had a metal grille door, and a large lock was attached to the outside.

"......"

"Hey, East. What's with that sulking face? With this, we can finally return to the capital, you know?"

"......I still can't accept it."

"Still hung up on that, huh? Whether Lady Ravia is the true culprit in the murder of the Earl will be investigated in the capital. That's all there is to it."

"But the investigators haven't even arrived yet. And yet, Lady Ravia is already being treated as the culprit..."

"They're supposed to arrive tomorrow. Our beloved captain of the knights also said, 'Be sure to follow orders.' Are you still going to defy them?"

"! That... I'm not defying them. I just can't accept it."

East stubbornly said, but the knight accompanying him only sighed deeply.

At that very moment, in the basement of the Earl's mansion, the knight who had almost been stabbed by a maid was just arriving at the underground dungeon.

"Come, my lady. Shall we go?"

"I will release the magic."

The Guild Master of the Alchemists' Guild placed his hand and chanted a spell. His ring glowed mysteriously, and the blue light floating on the iron bars began to calm down.

"Miss Ravia, please extend your hands."

"......"

"It's just a precaution. We'll put handcuffs on you, that's all."

"......"

Ravia obediently extended her hands.

Seeing this, the knight swallowed hard.

A girl who seemed as if she would break if touched, or perhaps would break even if left alone.

But her eyes were not dead. In her blue eyes, like a mysterious lake, a tiny spark of light remained.

If I could do something about this, it would be the ultimate reward, he thought.

Of course, the knight was well aware of his position. She was a person of interest, a suspect in the murder of the Earl—her biological father. He had received instructions from the captain of the knights in the capital, or perhaps from someone even higher, to treat her "with respect."

The knight reached through the iron bars and put handcuffs on her hands.

The handcuffs were a single steel plate with holes for both wrists, split into two parts.

One part was connected by a hinge, so they could be clamped together like a stapler.

The Guild Master of the Alchemists' Guild chanted another spell, and a blue light ran through the handcuffs.

"They will hold until tonight, but no longer."

"That's fine. We'll reach the capital by evening."

"Is that so? Then I'll take my leave."

"Thank you. ——Come, Miss Ravia, let's go."

The knight casually said and unlocked the cell.

"......?"

At that moment, the knight suddenly felt a slight breeze—strange, considering it was a sealed basement.

"Maybe it's an air vent."

He dismissed his slight suspicion and led the Earl's daughter out of the dungeon.

Led by the knight, Ravia stepped out of the mansion into the strong sunlight, which blinded her.

Considering she had been confined underground for several days and rarely went outside, the direct sunlight was a shock to her body.

"Are you alright?"

The knight frowned and supported her, but he was also concerned about something else.

It was the carriage that was supposed to transport Ravia.

Next to it, two knights were standing—his comrades, he knew.

But there were four more people.

They were the adventurers assigned to escort her. However, the knight had been told that "a high-ranking party of four female adventurers would be sent to escort the lady."

But there were four men.

One of them was not an adventurer but seemed to be related to the Adventurers' Guild.

To make matters worse, he had already started arguing with East.

"What's going on? These aren't the adventurers we were told about."

"Well, adventurers have their own schedules, you know."

"You're from the Guild, right? Why aren't you following the instructions?"

"The Guild's stance is that any adventurer capable of completing the request is acceptable."

"Are you mocking the Royal Knights?"

"What are you saying? That's a slight to the Adventurers' Guild, isn't it?"

To make matters worse, the three adventurers assigned to the escort seemed to be drunk—or perhaps hungover.

They were the type East hated the most.

"Hey, Sub-Master. Let's get going. I have a place I want to visit in the capital tonight."

"Right. ——Oh, is that the one we're escorting?"

"Wow... she's quite a catch, isn't she?"

They laughed lewdly. East's eyes narrowed.

"We can't escort her in this state!"

"What? Sir Knight, I heard you asked the Adventurers' Guild for help because you couldn't handle it yourself. What are you complaining about now?"

"But you guys are adventurers, and you're drunk!"

"It's fine. Besides, this girl is all alone, with no noble allies. No one's going to attack her. We're just accompanying her."

"......Did you even tell them that!?"

"It was necessary."

East gritted his teeth at the nonchalant face of the Adventurers' Guild Sub-Master.

"Miss Ravia, can you walk?"

"......Yes."

The knight—this knight was kind to women—escorted her firmly to the carriage.

The driver came and unlocked the back. He put Ravia inside. A quick glance showed that, despite being small, the interior was well-furnished and looked comfortable.

"......Perhaps she should be escorted by us."

In a low voice, East suggested to the other two knights.

"Don't be ridiculous. You know we can't. We were in the mansion on the day of the Earl's murder. We can't move until the investigators arrive."

"We could call for knights from the capital."

"That's why they're using the Adventurers' Guild in this war. Besides, our country doesn't have female knights."

"But the adventurers are men!"

"That's not our decision. Just let it go, East."

"......"

Through the bars, the three adventurers were leering at Ravia and whistling.

East watched them with a face full of disgust.

Naturally, the womanizer knight was also unhappy.

"Excuse me, shall we get going?"

"Driver, come here."

The womanizer knight called the driver over and whispered.

"You're the only one with the key, right?"

"Yes... but—"

"If those adventurers start demanding to open the door, don't do it. They have no self-control. This case involves a royal noble. If anything happens... you'll be the one in trouble."

"Y-Yes!"

"Then go."

The driver, looking suspicious, returned to the driver's seat.

The adventurers also mounted their horses.

The carriage moved away from the Earl's mansion.

"East, let's go back inside. We need to write the report and prepare for the arrival of the investigators."

But East didn't answer.

He just glared at the direction the carriage had gone.

The driver was gloomy.

He had taken this job for the exorbitant reward, only to find out it was the escort of a noble—allegedly a murderer.

To make matters worse, he had been threatened by the knight not to trust the adventurers assigned to the escort.

"Next. ...Hmm, the transfer of a suspect to the capital. I've heard about it."

At the gate of Ponde, the driver showed the request letter. The guard checked the inside of the carriage and confirmed there were no issues.

"Even though it's a short trip to the capital, be careful."

"Yes..."

The driver set the carriage in motion.

They passed under the thick outer walls. The carriage entered the shadow of the walls.

"......?"

Something felt off.

The hooves of the horses pulling the carriage seemed slightly heavier.

The driver, a veteran with twenty years of experience, noticed the subtle difference.

He turned around.

Two adventurers were riding their horses on either side, stifling yawns.

Looking forward again, the party leader, Nogusa, was riding his horse.

"There's nothing unusual... so it must be the road."

They had left the town, and the road had become rough.

Even though it was a well-trodden path, it was not paved.

The different road surface must have made the horses' hooves feel heavier.

"I feel uneasy... but I just need to get it over with."

The carriage moved with a creak, creak, creak.

The keys jingled softly as they swung.

Rank C adventurer Nogusa was in a good mood.

He was pleased that he had unexpectedly been promoted to Rank C.

He was also pleased that he had taken over the escort mission, which had been contracted to a group of four women he disliked, for a ridiculous amount of money.

He was pleased that the brothel in Ponde, which he had mocked as a second-rate city, had some beautiful women.

He was also pleased that the girl they were escorting was beautiful.

Everything was going well.

He even thought the world revolved around him.

The escort mission was a simple job.

A six-hour carriage ride from Ponde to the capital.

With two-hour breaks for the horses, there were two rest stops on the way.

After the first break, Nogusa, who was mostly sober, became interested in the girl in the carriage.

"Driver."

Nogusa, who had been leading the way, rode up to the driver.

"Y-Yes..."

"Give me the key."

"Huh?"

"The key to the carriage. I'll take it."

"N-No, but this is—"

"Do you know who I am? I'm Nogusa, a Rank C adventurer. What will happen if you defy me?"

"I-I-I wouldn't dare! But this request involves a noble—"

The driver stammered, trying to explain.

"Hey, Nogusa! Ahead!!"

"!"

He immediately reached for his sword and became alert.

Even a Rank C adventurer had his pride.

"What... a vagrant?"

A man who seemed to have entered the forest to gather herbs, fruits, or mushrooms stumbled out from the shade of a tree by the roadside.

"Excuse me, could you spare some water? I got lost in the forest and just managed to get out..."

"......"

Nogusa signaled the driver and his companions with his chin to keep moving.

"Can't be helped. Will this do?"

"Thank you so much!"

Nogusa dismounted and offered his canteen. The man gratefully accepted it.

"Um... the only thing I can offer in return is this..."

He held out a withered herb.

"Tch. I don't need that. Just go."

"Are you sure? Thank you. What a generous person you are."

"Ah, right. In return, spread my name. Nogusa. A man who will become a hero."

"Hero... Yes, I understand."

Nogusa remounted and chased after the carriage.

His two companions, who had been spread out, returned to their original formation once they confirmed Nogusa was coming.

"Helping people is tough."

"That's the thrill of being an adventurer, right?"

"Only if it's a woman."

"Shut up!"

The three of them laughed heartily.

A smooth, uneventful escort mission—

Or so they thought.

"......What?"

It happened during the second break.

After forcibly taking the carriage key from the reluctant driver—after a punch, he became cooperative—Nogusa opened the carriage with a lecherous smile, saying, "I'll just say hello to the lady."

The girl, lying on a long seat—no, the sheet was bulging.

When he pulled back the sheet, it was filled with pillows and cloth.

It was a fake to make it look like someone was there.

"......What?"

Confused, Nogusa's voice leaked out.

The small, locked carriage. The constant watch.

And yet—Ravia di Morgstadt, the escortee, had vanished without a trace.

Who could have done this... (seriously)