Chapter 101 - 8
The cargo-passenger ship arrived at the port town of Valerie in the Luciana Kingdom Federation, a neighbor to the Yuresla Kingdom, right on schedule the next day at noon.
As the ship docked and the rocking subsided, Ritz and Anna were hastily chased out of the hold. They had already hidden the lamp and crowbar in a corner of the hold, so they weren't flustered by the sudden rush.
Stepping into the bright light, Ritz narrowed his eyes. He realized he had been in complete darkness for half a day.
He glanced at Anna beside him and saw her narrowing her large eyes and blinking repeatedly. He was keenly aware of how precious the light was.
A bit of seasickness lingered, making him feel dizzy, but it wasn't too bad. It was probably because he had finished the work faster than expected and had gotten a decent amount of sleep.
It was also fortunate that he had been able to eat the meal Anna brought without the nausea he had anticipated.
As his eyes finally adjusted, he looked around and saw that besides the crew, there was no one else on deck yet. The crew's thinking was likely to get rid of the criminals first, as they would be in the way of unloading cargo and it would be bad if they ran into any passengers.
Ritz found this line of thinking quite welcome. More than anything, he wanted to stretch his body. Being tall had many advantages, but it was tough in situations like this.
But before he could even soak in the feeling, Ritz was swiftly grabbed on both sides by crewmen, and his movements were restricted once again.
Oh well, just a little more patience until I can enjoy my freedom. Maintaining his act as a petty criminal, Ritz continued to complain to the crew with a defiant attitude.
Anna was clinging tightly to Ritz's waist.
If she didn't stick close like this, she too would have her arms pinned and end up being prodded from behind like Ritz.
While in the hold, he had made Anna firmly promise not to call him by his name and not to give her own name.
Leaving a record as a criminal would be bad for Ritz's position.
So, Anna seemed to be doing her best to keep her mouth shut. Her determined expression looked fitting for the partner of a criminal being taken away, so it didn't seem to arouse the crew's suspicion.
At the end of the gangplank placed alongside the ship stood the crewman who had disembarked earlier to call the military police, along with three military police officers.
All three were wearing service caps, so he couldn't see their faces. Were they real military police from this country… or were they Altman's platoon… he had no way of knowing.
When he consciously slowed his pace, a crewman hit him on the back of the head.
"Hey, get a move on."
"That hurts, damn it! I'm walking, aren't I?!"
He walked with long strides while pretending to be sulking. But then, something unexpected happened. The difference in stride between Ritz and Anna was too great.
Anna, clinging to his waist, was pulled forward by her upper body and her foot caught on a protrusion on the gangplank.
"Crap."
He muttered under his breath and reflexively tried to support Anna's body, but his hands couldn't reach. In his current situation, acting as a petty criminal, he couldn't just shake off the crewmen, and he panicked.
"Whoa, that was a surprise!"
Anna, who had let go of Ritz and managed to stay on her feet without falling, turned to him with a smile.
Come to think of it, Anna was sturdy. It was unlikely she would just fall over from catching her foot. His relief was short-lived.
"What do you think you're doing, you brat?"
The crewman who had been hurrying them along said irritably, then grabbed Anna by the scruff of her neck and raised his hand to hit her.
Before he knew it, his body moved faster than his thoughts, and he had grabbed the crewman's hand and was twisting it. By the time he thought 'Oops,' it was already too late. Up until now, it had been fine, but for the current Ritz, even while acting, he could not forgive anyone laying a hand on Anna.
"Ughhh!"
Listening to the man's pained groan, Ritz felt his heart sink. He had planned to do them a favor and play the petty criminal until the very end, but this ruined everything.
"You bastard!"
Confronted by the other crewman, Ritz reluctantly glared at him.
"Don't touch her. When it comes to her, I have a short temper."
As if overwhelmed by his change in demeanor, the crewman grimaced and spat out his words resentfully.
"…Using a child to help you stow away, and now you say this?"
"Shut up."
If the crew became wary, it would be a bit of a problem. If they knew about the drug deal, they might become suspicious of the hold.
As he wondered what to do, he looked towards the military police. One of them slowly removed his service cap. There was a very familiar face.
The moment their eyes met, the man tugged at his magnificent mustache and came up the gangplank with a cheerful smile.
Anna, who had been tense from the strained atmosphere, noticed the person and her face broke into a happy grin.
"Military Police. Is this the stowaway?"
Confirming in a low, composed voice was a man wearing the uniform of this country's military police, not Yuresla's, but it was undoubtedly Altman, the First Platoon Leader of the Yuresla Kingdom Army's Military Police Third Division.
"That's him. He's all yours, officer."
"Understood. We'll take him from here."
Turning back and giving a signal, the two men in service caps who had been waiting behind Altman rushed up the gangplank.
"Well then, we'll take him into custody. Do you wish to demand payment for his passage?"
Altman asked the crewman in a leisurely tone, stroking his mustache.
"I'd like it if I could get it. But hey, he's a stowaway 'cause he's got no money, right? I'm not expecting anything."
The man replied, somewhat dismissively. It was obvious he wanted as little to do with the military police as possible.
"That's a wise decision."
Altman said only that, then nodded to the men holding Ritz on either side. The men nodded back and, while still holding Ritz's arms, prompted Anna to move.
He glanced back for a moment and saw that the crewman was already heading back inside the ship. As long as money was involved, they were interested, but if there was no money, they were happy to hand him over to the military police and be done with it.
"Good work, Your Excellency."
The man holding one of his arms said. From Ritz's height, he couldn't see the man's face hidden by the service cap, but he knew who it was from the voice.
"Yeah, I'm pretty tired, Kenny."
As he muttered this in a low voice, Anna, who must have heard him, turned around and stared intently at the man in the cap's face.
"Oh, it's Kenny-san!"
"Anna-chan, it's been a while."
Yes, the man there was Inspector Kenny Fort. Looking at the other man, he saw it was Kenny's adjutant, a man named Gordon.
"Since when were you guys in the Military Police?"
He asked in exasperation, continuing to play the part of being escorted.
"Well, it's not exactly like that…"
Kenny and Gordon trailed off with wry smiles. In their place, Altman answered.
"Unfortunately, they haven't joined the Military Police yet. Though they would make for excellent officers."
Altman said this so cheerfully that Ritz shrugged. Altman was much older, but Kenny was of a higher rank.
"If that happened, Altman, you'd be Kenny's subordinate."
"Hmm. It seems I wouldn't be able to slack off. In that case, I wouldn't mind having Ritz-kun, who has retired as minister. The Military Police Third Division is looking for talented individuals."
"No thanks. Starting over as a rookie at my age is too rough."
"A shame. I would have whipped you into shape from the ground up."
"That's a harsh joke."
The five of them descended the gangplank and began walking through the port. Once they were lost in the crowd, Kenny and his adjutant finally released Ritz.
What a relief. Finally, complete freedom for the first time since yesterday evening.
Unlike in the morning, the daytime port market wasn't bustling with energy, but it was still another country, so it was enjoyable for Ritz, who was used to the sights of the kingdom.
For Anna, it was her first time in a foreign country. Everything seemed new and strange, and she was looking around like a country bumpkin.
"Don't get lost. Hold on tight."
He couldn't exactly put her on a leash, so he said that. Anna grabbed onto his waist, just as she had before.
"Is this okay?"
With their height difference, it was either hold on or hold hands. But he'd rather not hold hands.
"It's fine."
"Okay, I'll hold on then!"
Anna said cheerfully and gripped Ritz's belt tightly. It would be better if she held onto his arm, but was that still too high for her?
Honestly, we really do look like a father and daughter. It was beyond disheartening.
As he lightly massaged his stiff shoulders, feeling a bit down, the silent Kenny spoke up.
"Your Excellency. I'm actually here on a different mission, not the drug case."
Kenny said this with a grim face, but despite his serious tone, he couldn't hide his look of bewilderment. An expression like that meant it was a mission he was not keen on.
In that case, there was only one possibility.
"…Ed's bodyguard?"
"…Yes. Only while we are in this city. It was a direct order from His Majesty, so I couldn't refuse."
He tilted his head at the sigh-laden words.
"You don't want to?"
"That's not it. It's just the thought of being unable to stop His Majesty from leaving the Royal Capital…"
Indeed, the more you thought about it, the more of a headache it would be. The man who was king until just a few days ago was now quickly leaving his own country.
"Well, you know… he's a free spirit."
When he said this in a tone that offered no comfort whatsoever, he and Kenny sighed in unison.
He knew Edward had always wanted to travel the world. But he did think it was a bit much for a former king in his mid-sixties to be wandering around other countries.
Anna, who had been looking around curiously, peeked out from behind Ritz's shadow at Kenny with a bright smile.
"So Kenny-san and Altman-san, you'll be together in this city!"
"Yeah."
"That's right."
Leaning her weight against Ritz as she walked, Anna looked at the two of them and spoke happily. The two of them were bewildered, unable to grasp the meaning of her words.
But her next words made them both smile.
"I'm so glad! I was sad we couldn't say goodbye."
With that, Anna looked up at Ritz.
"You're happy too, aren't you, Ritz? You're good friends with Kenny-san and the others, right?"
"…'Good friends' is one way to put it, I guess."
"Huh? It's not?"
"Well, 'good friends' doesn't seem quite right…"
As he hesitated, Altman smiled brightly at Anna.
"We are good friends. So close, in fact, that he'd confidently state my name in front of criminals. Isn't that right, Ritz-kun?"
Being told this with a wide grin while he tugged his mustache, Ritz shrugged. It seemed his blatant use of Altman's name in front of the thieves during the Underground Treasury robbery had been found out.
"My bad. In that situation, mentioning the Military Police was the most effective."
"Don't worry about it. We're good friends, after all. Right, Anna-chan?"
"Yeah! I'm glad, Ritz. The more friends you have, the better, you know?"
Anna's words were so childish that he was left speechless and could only manage a wry smile.
The term 'good friends' hardly seemed appropriate for his relationship with Kenny and Altman. Originally, their relationship was that of a superior and his subordinates.
But from Anna's perspective, that's how it must have looked.
It's true that Ritz had made an effort not to act like a superior. In the military, rank may be absolute, but he wasn't a soldier; he had lived in the world of mercenaries, where skill was everything.
In the army, those without skill simply aren't promoted, but among mercenaries, those without skill die. It's as simple as that.
Because of that, he found it difficult to adapt to the military's absolute emphasis on rank.
Unaware that Ritz was thinking such unsettling thoughts, Anna let out a small sigh after a while.
"I wish I could have said goodbye, too… Ed-san said it was a secret from everyone, so I came without telling Shasta-san, His Majesty Gerald, or Prince Greig."
He noticed the undeniable regret in her words. For Anna, keeping quiet must have been painful.
He placed a hand on the dejected Anna's head and patted it gently. With Ritz's hand still on her head, Anna looked up at him.
He looked into her large, clear green eyes that stared intently at him and reasoned with her.
"It's not like you'll never see them again, so don't be so down."
"Okay."
To the quietly nodding Anna, Kenny, who had been silent, spoke gently.
"I'll be returning to the Royal Capital with a letter for His Majesty and the Prince, so you should write a letter, Anna-chan. My workplace is the royal castle, so I can at least deliver that much."
"Really, Kenny-san?"
"Really."
"Please do."
Her sad face from just a moment ago was gone, replaced by a joyful glow. Her expressions changed so rapidly and were so rich that just watching her made one feel happy.
Moreover, none of those expressions were calculated or contrived; they were pure and lovely. Seeing a face like that up close truly filled his chest with a happiness that left him breathless.
On the other hand, it made him compare it to his own duplicity, which would make him feel down later.
As he was lost in thought, he noticed Anna looking up at him. When he met her gaze, Anna's expression turned serious.
"Hey Ritz, I have a favor to ask."
"Hm?"
"When this journey is over, before we start the next one, can we stop by the Royal Capital once?"
"…"
Anna's words were so unexpected that he was momentarily silent. The way she said it sounded as if he and Anna would still be together even after the journey ended.
But Ritz had never dreamed that he would still be with Anna after this journey was over.
There was absolutely no way Anna would follow someone like him, who would wander for a near-eternity even after this journey ended.
That was why he was honestly surprised by Anna's words.
"Is that a no? I promised Joe I'd come back."
If that was the reason, he could understand.
Anna wanted to see her best friend, Joe. So she was asking if Ritz would take her to the Royal Capital before he set off on another journey.
In that case, he just had to stop by the capital before returning Anna to her parents.
"Sure. I'll take you."
Having that much of a grace period before he and Anna parted ways for good was something Ritz was very happy about.
"Really? I'm so glad! I promised Joe I'd bring you back with me, too."
"You two are making promises on your own again…"
When he complained with an exaggerated sigh, Altman laughed.
"It's enviable to be so popular with the children. How about becoming an elementary school teacher after you retire?"
If Altman knew how Ritz felt about Anna, would he still say these words? Probably not.
So for now, he decided to just laugh it off.
"You've got to be kidding. If I became a teacher, I'd be so good all the other teachers would get jealous."
"That's quite some confidence. Very like you, Ritz-kun."
"Thanks. You should take up teaching after you retire, too. That imposing attitude and belly of yours would be a perfect fit."
"I think so too, but I haven't received any offers yet."
There was no way Altman, who had more than ten years until retirement, would be getting such an offer.
Besides, Altman was one of the military men most trusted by the current king, Gerald, having been recognized for his merits in the recent attempted assassination of the crown prince. He likely wouldn't be able to leave the military easily.
Though he hadn't been informed yet, Altman would probably be promoted by two ranks in stages after the drug case was completely resolved, putting him on par with Kenny in terms of rank.
Well, Kenny would probably be promoted too, so the rank difference between them might continue as long as they were in the military.
But Ritz knew that these two maintained a personal friendship that transcended rank and age.
And it seemed that Altman's wife, a skilled cook who had made his belly so large, played a part in that.
As they continued their foolish conversation, Kenny stopped in front of a certain building.
The building was quite large; just from the number of windows, it looked to be at least five stories high. The doors were open, and two men in uniform stood guard.
The interior visible from there, with its carpet featuring a large floral pattern in a striking but not overly flashy red, its stone carvings, and its tranquil atmosphere, gave off an air of calm.
Looking at the sign made of antique copper plate, he saw the words 'Tidal Breeze Inn'.
"This is the inn where you will be staying for the next few days."
At Kenny's words, Anna cried out.
"Whaaa! It looks so expensive! Only rich people can go in there!"
Faced with the high-class hotel, the guards were trying to suppress their laughter at Anna's words. Ritz, her guardian, cleared his throat to cover it up. Anna's words were perfectly understandable.
In their travels as a trio so far, they'd had no connection to expensive inns. Whenever they stayed in a town, they would consult their wallet and always search for a place that was just on the borderline of being safe but not expensive.
"Ritz, what are we going to do? We don't have any money."
Anna said worriedly as she looked up at Ritz.
"Don't worry. I'll just put the lodging fees on Ed's tab."
"You're going to borrow money?"
"Well, if necessary."
At those words, Anna's face clouded over. If they had to go into debt, they didn't have to stay here… it was written all over her face.
This was, of course, a joke, so to make her understand, he placed a hand lightly on her head.
"Well, all jokes aside."
"It's a joke? We don't have to borrow money?"
"Nope. Hey, what profession do you think I was in for the last six months?"
"Oh, a minister?"
"That's right. Did you know? A minister gets paid about the same as the Prime Minister. Second highest salary after the king."
To be honest, the salary was quite substantial.
Clayton Residence maintenance costs, Annie's wages, living expenses for Anna, Franz, and Ritz himself, living expenses for Joe until she came of age in case something happened to the elderly Evans, and the savings he had been putting away for his travels.
Even after using it for all of that, Ritz still had enough money in his pocket to enjoy the nightlife during this journey.
However, he had paid a considerable amount in advance for the maintenance of the Clayton Residence, so it was hard to say he could travel with a lot of余裕. But there was no need to tell Anna that.
"Oh, I see…"
Relieved, Anna smiled. After confirming that, he slowly looked at Kenny and Altman.
"Since you two guided us here, it's free, right?"
His words carried the subtle nuance of, 'If it's not free, we're going somewhere else.' The two of them immediately noticed and gave wry smiles.
"Of course, it's free. We have informed His Highness the Grand Duke of the inn's name, so please rest in your room for a while."
I see, so they chose a place suitable for Edward to stay. That explained the high quality of the establishment.
"Well then, I'm going to get some sleep. What about you, Anna?"
Knowing Anna, he had expected her to say she wanted to see more of the city, but surprisingly, she didn't leave Ritz's side.
"I'm going to sleep too. I was sleeping sitting up, you know? That doesn't even count as sleeping."
"You've got a point there."
Come to think of it, Ritz was the only one who had been able to lie down, even for a few hours; Anna had been sitting the whole time. That being the case, Ritz was also relieved.
It was dozens of times better to have her with him than for her to get lost. Besides, if left alone, she would surely pick up the seeds of trouble from somewhere again and make a big deal out of it.
He had tasted that troublesome habit of Anna's more than enough, even though they had been together for less than a year.
"I've booked the room under my name. Please, make yourselves at home."
Kenny bowed his head and began to head back to the port. Altman followed suit.
"Altman."
He called him out by name, and Altman, noticing his somewhat serious tone, turned back with a serious expression and returned.
"What is it?"
To the questioning Altman, he spoke in a hushed voice.
"There are two large crates. I've marked both of them. Two scorch marks on the wall made with a crowbar. Then, when I nailed the top board back on, I wrapped a light blue handkerchief around one corner and secured it. Find them with that, for now."
Anna had come up with a mark that would be difficult to spot with just the scorch marks. The handkerchief was, of course, Anna's.
Unfortunately, she only had one handkerchief, so Anna had reluctantly torn a brand new one in half.
He had told her to have Edward buy her a new one after the operation was successfully completed.
"For camouflage, in the very middle of a sack of soybeans, there are bottles of drugs in a sack. I looked into it, and there's quite a lot. But there's not a single drop of the raw narcotic concentrate."
If, by some chance, there was a raw concentrate of the drug, they would need appropriate preparations and resolve. But since it wasn't found here, it was safe to assume there wasn't any.
In the first place, it was Marquis Walter's faction that managed the concentrate, so there was no way a mere underling would know of its existence.
"…Understood. Thank you for your trouble."
"Don't mention it. In return, so to speak, when you're taking down the final enemy in one fell swoop, count me in."
This was insurance.
If there was a concentrate and that monster was present, the military police alone wouldn't be enough. In that case, it would be better to have him, who was accustomed to fighting monsters.
With a smile and a wink, he said this, and Altman sighed with an exasperated look.
"You're quite the eccentric one, wanting to get involved when the Military Police could handle it just fine."
But his tone didn't sound annoyed. So he pressed further.
"I haven't had a good brawl lately. Can't miss a huge event like this, right?"
"I can't have you treating a police raid as an event."
Altman, who had been watching Ritz's face for a while, finally gave in and chuckled with a sigh.
"…Alright. I'll send a subordinate to fetch you. I know what you're capable of, Ritz-kun."
"Thanks. Well, I'm going to bed now."
"Get some good rest."
Watching Altman's departing back, Anna let out a big yawn.
"Ritz, I'm sleepy."
"Yeah. Let's get some sleep for now."
He planned to make Edward treat them to a meal, so that could wait. For now, he was just sleepy.
Besides, until Altman confirmed the location where the drug-filled crates were being transported, nothing would happen, so they could easily afford a few hours' nap.
As he passed through the entrance of the Tidal Breeze Inn, Ritz also let out a big yawn.