Chapter 31 - <11>
The debriefing, with all parties concerned, took place in the conference room of the Faldina Garrison headquarters after the battered Ritz and Franz had changed and cleaned themselves up.
Most of the sterile desks had been pushed to the side, with only enough chairs for everyone present. Near the window was a worn-out sofa, which, judging by its condition, was likely used for breaks and naps.
Looking out the window, he could see the guest rooms of the 'Green Forest Inn'. It made sense that if they could see in here from over there, then they could be seen from here as well.
Ritz scanned the room. Present, of course, were Ritz, Anna, and Franz, along with their four collaborators: Net, Lira, Dill, and Hellebore. And seated in chairs some distance away from the four were two men, tied up.
It was Rusan and Siglet. The sight of the two rivals, tied up and sitting side by side, was nothing short of comical.
After some time had passed and a tense atmosphere had filled the room, the inspector finally appeared. Though he had seen quite a number of them earlier, only seven were present here.
When Ritz first saw the inspectors, he had tilted his head at their large number. It was unusual for so many inspectors to come for a mere town squabble. What on earth had Heath reported in Sears?
As Ritz leisurely observed the inspectors, one of them, wearing a hat, wordlessly sat down in a chair near the entrance and crossed his legs. He was likely the highest-ranking one.
Then, an inspector in his thirties with walnut-colored hair looked over the group and spoke. His rank insignia indicated he was a major. Another person stood at his side. This one was of a lower rank and was presumably his adjutant.
"I have been briefed on the situation by Heath Adonis. Both Siglet and Rusan will be questioned for the crimes of engaging in a private duel and inciting a disturbance in an autonomous region."
As the inspector made his pronouncement, four of the other inspectors flanked the two men and forced them to their feet.
As he was being led out the door, Siglet glared at Ritz with bloodshot eyes.
"You were planning to trap us from the very beginning, weren't you?"
To Siglet's remark, which was trembling with rage, Ritz replied with a calm smile.
"Of course. I'm an ally of women and children."
"You son of a bitch."
It seemed they had never suspected for a moment that Ritz and the others were waiting for the Kingdom's inspection team. The limit of their imagination was to suspect each other of being spies.
Rusan and Siglet, who had been glaring resentfully at Ritz, were escorted out of the room by the inspectors. No matter how influential they were in this town, they were no match for the kingdom's strictest inspection team.
Only after the two were gone did a sense of relief return to the room. It was only natural that being in the presence of the town's influential figures, who had been threatening people until just now, even if they were tied up, was unsettling.
"Now then."
The walnut-haired inspector spoke. Instantly, the air in the room froze again.
"I have some questions for you as well."
The tension heightened. Everyone present was a person who believed they were the cause of the commotion. Ritz, of course, was aware that he was the true mastermind behind this incident, but he felt no particular tension.
He had been observing the inspectors for a while, but it seemed the person he had sent the letter to was not among them, which was a relief. If anything happened, he could just grab Anna and Franz and run away.
The only thing that bothered him was the older man who was standing back behind the inspector, his hat pulled down low over his eyes.
His uniform was certainly that of the inspection team, but his aura was somehow different. Part of it was probably because he hadn't seen his face even once, but what bothered him more was that he felt he knew him from somewhere. He couldn't remember from where, which made it even more bothersome.
But while Ritz was tilting his head, staring at the man sitting in the chair, the inspector had already begun his questioning.
Ritz decided to remain silent for a while and watch how things unfolded. It was a given that things would get complicated if an unrelated person interfered in organizational matters.
"Colonel Hellebore. From what point have you been involved in this incident?"
The walnut-colored inspector asked Hellebore politely. In terms of rank alone, Hellebore was superior, but the other was an inspector.
"I've been involved from the beginning."
"…I see."
The inspector sighed. He probably had no words. In the military, the responsibility for knowing about this commotion and letting it happen was heavy.
After a while, the young inspector looked straight at Hellebore.
"As the captain of this unit, how do you intend to take responsibility for causing this dueling commotion?"
At those words, Hellebore briefly looked down, then immediately raised his head.
"It was a necessary measure to protect the lives of a mother and child, and for them to remain in this town, but things got a little out of hand. I would like to resign from the military. I will take the responsibility, so I ask that you do not charge the civilians."
That's what would normally happen. If things had ended without incident, Hellebore could have feigned ignorance, but the incident had become too big. But Ritz smiled faintly.
The inspector shouldn't be able to hand down a punishment on the spot. Because he would face fierce opposition. Just as Ritz predicted, Anna shouted.
"No way! This town will definitely be in trouble without the captain!"
Overlapping her words, Net shouted.
"That's right, Captain. If it weren't for you, this whole mess would've gotten a lot bigger. It's not just your fault! Mr. Soldier, punish us too!"
"I'll accept punishment too! Because I was the one who asked Captain Hellebore for help! If the captain goes, I'll cry!"
"That's right, me too!"
Lira also protested, her eyes welling with tears. Dill nodded forcefully at her words. Not being military personnel themselves, they had no concern for rules or discipline; they were on the side of their companion, Hellebore.
Faced with the clamoring Net and the children, the inspector faltered. For an inspector, who often worked in secret within the royal castle, a situation like this was likely unprecedented, and he probably didn't know what to do.
Because this inspection team was not a department that interacted with the general public like the defense corps or the military police, but a special unit of the kingdom's army, an elite group directly under the king, prime minister, and ministers.
At a loss, the inspector looked pleadingly at the man sitting behind him. The man behind him smiled with his barely visible mouth and waved his hand nonchalantly from side to side. It seemed he was telling him to deal with it later.
It seemed the real authority in this room belonged to this man. At the man's signal, the inspector let out a small sigh, cleared his throat loudly, and said to Hellebore.
"Then we will address this matter at a later date."
"A later date? It won't be anything bad, will it!?"
"We won't stand for anything funny!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Surrounded by civilians, the inspector sighed.
"Alright. Alright. I understand your opinions."
The man, who sounded surprisingly young when he spoke normally, sighed at his own words.
"Then let's get back to the matter at hand. First, regarding the incident occurring in this autonomous region. We inspectors have a general idea of the situation from Adonis's story, but we would like to confirm. Is a member of the Sabatieri family present?"
At the inspector's question, Dill timidly raised his hand.
"You are… Dill-kun, correct?"
"Yes, I'm Dill Sabatieri."
The inspector nodded.
"What is your father's name?"
"Yes, it's Luvia Sabatieri."
At that moment, Ritz groaned. It was a name he had heard somewhere before. But he couldn't remember where. While Ritz was racking his brain, the inspector was questioning Dill about his father.
Hair color, eye color, height, age, and so on. He wasn't sure how it related to the case, but it seemed to be important.
"I see. It seems to be just as we investigated. Then, Dill-kun."
"Yes."
"We will visit your home tomorrow."
"…Are you going to arrest my mother?"
The inspector smiled at Dill's fearful question.
"No. We're coming to help."
At the inspector's smile, Dill smiled awkwardly in relief. It seemed the prime minister knew something about what was happening in this town and had dispatched this inspector with a gentle demeanor.
"That's all I have to say. Now, I would like to hear the true circumstances of this incident?"
As the inspector said this, the man sitting behind him slowly stood up. He seemed to be quite old, but his steps were firm, with no sign of weakness. On the contrary, he had a dignified stride. He was an old man, but he had a refined air that naturally commanded respect.
At a glance, he was wearing a military uniform, but there were no rank insignias or crests indicating his affiliation. Such a soldier shouldn't exist in the military. On top of that, his long blond hair flowed from under his hat, tied back carelessly, which was unbefitting of a soldier.
"Kenny."
"Yes, sir!"
"There is no need to ask. I have a general idea."
"Sir?"
The man smiled at the bewildered inspector. It was clear even though only his mouth was visible. After the inspector stepped back, the man stood in front of everyone. He asked the group in a low, resonant, and firm voice.
"Now, who is the mastermind?"
At the man's words, everyone looked down. They all likely felt at least some responsibility. But the old man had a sarcastic smile on his lips, the only part of his face visible from under his hat.
"There's no need to be so timid. I was just asking. I already know who the mastermind is."
The man said and walked straight towards Ritz, who was sitting on the worn-out sofa. Ritz, bewildered by his unhesitating stride and aura, half-rose.
No one had said Ritz was the mastermind until now, and everyone had kept their mouths shut in front of the inspector. Yet the man stood before Ritz without hesitation.
"Stand, Ritz Alster."
"Huh?"
He had never given his full name to the inspector, yet the man had called him by his full name. Ritz squinted into the man's hat, trying to see his face. The hat, pulled down low in an ostentatious manner, completely obscured his features.
"You're the only one who'd pull a stunt this foolish. Isn't that right, Ritz?"
He recognized that way of calling his name. Something in his body trembled with nostalgia.
"Still fond of causing trouble? You're a handful."
But that tone of voice belonged to someone he absolutely should not be hearing in this place. No, it couldn't be. He couldn't possibly be here.
"…No way."
Even as he thought this, Ritz staggered to his feet and slowly lifted the hat of the man standing before him. The inspector from earlier gasped and tried to stop him, but it was too late.
The hidden face was revealed before everyone in the room. He appeared to be in his fifties or sixties. His long hair was still glossy and shone like gold. And his beautiful light blue eyes were like the clear surface of water, filled with wisdom.
The moment their eyes met, his mind and vision went blank. The past rewound, and he was instantly transported back thirty-five years.
There stood the figure of his dear friend. The moment their eyes met, his friend smiled with the same cheerful expression as in the old days.
"I never thought you wouldn't recognize me by my voice, Ritz. Or have you already forgotten about me?"
"Y-y-y-y-you, why are you…!"
Ritz stumbled back a step. He was too surprised to speak. The blood drained from his face.
"It seems you remember me, at least."
At the sarcastic tone, he reflexively shouted back.
"Of course I remember!"
He had always wanted to see him, but at the same time, he was the one person he wanted to see the least. That nostalgic face was right in front of him.
He didn't know if he was happy, wanted to cry, hated it, or wanted to scream, but his body reflexively took a step back, trying to escape.
The man, seeing through his actions, wouldn't allow it and quickly reached out, pulling hard on Ritz's long ear. He knew very well that it was his weak spot. Though they had been apart for a long time, this man knew Ritz as well as, or even better than, his own parents.
"Ow, that hurts!"
"You bastard, why didn't you send any word! How many letters do you think I sent you! Didn't you receive them?"
"I got them! I got them at the naval headquarters in Suien!"
"Then why didn't you reply! If you were alive, you had time to at least report that much! Why didn't you come back to Sears in the first place!?"
"Sears is a stopover, so I've been back a few times!"
"Then why didn't you show your face!"
"How could I show my face when I was so ashamed!"
"Are you the kind of man to be ashamed!"
Every time Ritz tried to back away, the man pulled his ear. It was twisted so tightly that he let out a half-serious scream. It was nostalgic and a little nice, but it hurt like hell, so he wished he would stop.
"It hurts! It really hurts!"
"This is payback for all these years. Bear with it."
"How can I bear it! Let go, Ed!"
His old friend's nickname slipped out of his mouth with surprising ease and naturalness. The moment he said it, his chest filled with nostalgia.
"Oh, I'll let go, if you promise not to run."
"I won't run!"
"You absolutely won't run?"
"I won't run! I really won't, I swear!"
Finally released, Ritz rubbed his longer-than-human ear.
"Ow… What would you do if it came off?"
"As if it would come off from just that, you idiot."
Just because it was easy to grab didn't mean he should pull it with all his might. It hurt so much it brought tears to his eyes. When he glared sullenly, his friend smiled with a wicked look on his face. Ritz was at a loss for words. He had never been able to win against him.
Someone tugged on his clothes, and he looked down to see Anna standing there with a troubled expression. It seemed she had been urged by everyone else who couldn't keep up with what was happening.
"Is he an acquaintance of yours, Ritz?"
At Anna's hesitant question, the man broke into a smile and knelt before her.
"Is this child your daughter?"
"Huh!?"
"The man who came to report told me you had a child with you. I was looking forward to it."
"N-n-no, you're mistaken!"
Anna frantically shook her head. Ritz grumbled sullenly.
"Stop making me a father without my permission!"
"A womanizer like you probably has a few of them."
"I don't have any at the moment."
"I wonder about that."
Ignoring Ritz's words, the man smiled at Anna and the others.
"My apologies for the late introduction. I am a friend of this fellow. But you see, I'm a pitiful man who can't even get a reply to a letter from his friend."
Uncharacteristically for his age, he spread his arms playfully and let out an exaggerated sigh.
"A friend of Ritz's?"
Having given up, Ritz plopped down on the floor. Anna asked him. He didn't know how much he should tell her about him, so he looked up at his nostalgic friend. He smiled and gave a silent nod.
Everything's fine. So that was it. He was at his wit's end. Even though they had just met after so long, his friend was conveying his continued trust without words. Ritz was so happy and so sorry that he scratched his head and answered in a half-groan.
"He's an old friend of mine."
"An old one?"
"Yup. His name is Edward Baldia. I call him Ed."
As soon as he said that, Net and Hellebore tumbled out of their chairs and prostrated themselves on the floor. Ritz had predicted this would happen, so he just sighed.
No citizen of Yuresla would be able to remain calm after hearing this name. Except for the children, of course.
"Wh-wh-what's going on?"
Franz, who had been told in the previous town that Ritz was friends with the king, turned pale when he understood the meaning of their actions. Even the dense Franz could figure it out by looking at Ritz's attitude and the attitude of Hellebore and the others.
Ritz, stared at by the bewildered Anna and the children, sighed and scratched his head as he explained.
"He's someone who has absolutely no business being here. After all, this guy's the king of this country."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeh?"
"The king!?"
This unexpected appearance made even Anna, who was rarely surprised, jump.
"You should at least know the king's name."
Ritz finally stood up and clapped Edward on the shoulder.
"My friend of forty years."
Edward IV, the 37th king of the Yuresla Kingdom.
His real name, Edward Baldia, was the name of Ritz's friend.
"For a friend, you've been rather distant, haven't you, Ritz? Hmm?"
Edward pulled and stretched Ritz's cheek with force. Sadly, for various reasons since they first met, Ritz was completely unable to defy Edward.
"I hurth, i hurth."
"Of course it does. I'm making it hurt."
"Le' go."
Everyone was stunned by Edward's unkingly behavior. But Edward, still pinching Ritz, spoke gently to the two who were prostrating themselves.
"There is no need for you to prostrate yourselves before me. After all, the king is supposedly so ill that he cannot even sit on his throne, and is confined to his bed. The man standing here cannot possibly be the king."
Net timidly raised his head and, though bewildered, sat back down in his chair. But Hellebore did not raise his head. He had probably had an audience with the king before. In other words, he knew the king by sight.
Edward smiled at Hellebore, who did not raise his head, looking troubled.
"I see. It seems you and I have met before…"
After a moment of thought, Edward spoke to Hellebore.
"Hellebore, Captain of the Faldina Garrison Unit. By my command, raise your head."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"My presence here is to be kept secret."
"…Yes, sir."
"Therefore, from this day forth, for the duration of my stay in Faldina, I am not the king. Refrain from any words or actions that might reveal my identity as the king. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Now, let's just relax."
Though he had replied, he seemed to have no idea what to do, and Hellebore raised his head in confusion. In contrast to the anguished Hellebore, Anna was filled with curiosity.
"Wow… it's the king. What should I do, Franz? It's my first time seeing him! Hey, do you think he'll get mad if I touch him? Can I touch him? Huh, Franz?"
At her words, which were like she was looking at a rare animal, Franz hurriedly covered Anna's mouth. Even before the king, Anna was still Anna.
"Idiot, that's rude!"
Franz couldn't be so casual. He distanced himself from Edward, his face completely drained of color. These two would probably get used to Edward's presence. After all, Edward's arrival meant that Ritz would be taken to the royal capital. Because Ritz was absolutely incapable of defying Edward.
Ritz, released by Edward, collapsed onto the sofa again.
"I thought that guy Shasta would be the one to come. Why did you come all this way yourself?"
Then Edward, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, sat down next to Ritz.
"If I send the Prime Minister over here, his work will fall behind, won't it?"
"Poor Shasta. You should stay and do the work. You're the king, aren't you? Stop wandering around."
"Shasta loves his work, you see."
"Oh, I see. I wrote that letter thinking I'd have some fun with him, too."
"Ah…"
Franz and Anna exclaimed at the same time. They seemed to have realized when that letter of Ritz's was written. Yes, that letter was, of course, the one he had given to Heath.
"Don't be ridiculous. If I sent Shasta, you'd convince him to let you go and run off again, wouldn't you?"
"Ugh…"
"I won't let you get away with just one letter like this."
Saying that, Edward took a sealed letter from his breast pocket. It was the letter Ritz had written and given to Heath. It seemed it had reached Edward after all.
"I wrote that I wouldn't run away."
"No, if Shasta had come, you would have found some way to deceive him and escape. I can see right through you."
"Ugh…"
They had just met after so long, yet how did he see through everything…? His head hurt.
"My mission this time is to put a rope around your neck and drag you back to the royal palace in Sears. You're not thinking of running away from me again, are you?"
"…I'm not."
Ritz sulked. He couldn't defy Edward, and now that he had met Edward, the one person he was most afraid of reuniting with, there was no reason to keep running.
"Shasta's having a hard time with all the work being pushed on him, isn't he?"
He tried to resist with a sarcastic comment, but Edward replied with a cool expression.
"Unfortunately, our country hasn't had a minister for over thirty years. The poor prime minister holds quite a grudge against the minister who abandoned his duties and ran off."
Hit where it hurt, Ritz fell silent. But the gazes of everyone, and Edward's gaze, were so painful that he couldn't help but shout back.
"I refused in the first place, didn't I? I even wrote a letter of resignation when I left! So why is the seat still empty! Hurry up and appoint a successor!"
"Just because… you know?"
"'You know?' isn't an answer!"
"What gives you the right to be so arrogant when you left on your own accord?"
Hellebore and Net, who had been listening to the two bickering, stared at Ritz in a daze. It was incredibly uncomfortable.
"In that case, let me hear the reason you used this seal."
What Edward pointed to was the wax part Ritz had used for the seal. The seal, which had been neatly cut, still clearly showed the impression of the seal Ritz had pressed.
"Ugh…"
"The fact that this was accepted means that the minister of this country is still who, exactly?"
"Ugh…"
He couldn't come up with a rebuttal. The seal Ritz carefully carried, used to press into wax, was on par with that of the prime minister or the king… in other words, it was the official seal of a minister. Finely engraved on it were the words 'Ritz Alster, Minister of the Yuresla Kingdom'.
As there was no successor, it was, of course, still recognized by the central military command, and if presented, it would immediately catch the eye of the king and the prime minister.
"Um, Ritz-kun, is that true?"
Ritz shook his head at Hellebore's timid question.
"No way. Do I look like I could handle such a heavy responsibility?"
He tried to sound as carefree as possible, but Hellebore stared at him with a stiff expression. Edward took the sealed letter from Hellebore and tossed it.
"It concerns your subordinate. Why don't you check, Hellebore?"
"I will take a look."
Hellebore, who had carefully received the sealed letter, examined its contents and then the seal. Hellebore, who had been watching without moving a muscle, slowly raised his head.
"Ritz Alster… huh."
"…What is it, Colonel?"
"I thought I'd heard that name before."
"Huh…?"
"Your name is in the officer's academy history books. A member of the Spirit Tribe and the right-hand man of the current king during the civil war. One of the kingdom's greatest swordsmen and a hero of national salvation… or so it says. It's been over thirty years since the war, so the general public has probably forgotten."
"Geh…"
It seemed that in the thirty-odd years Ritz had been gone, things had become complicated in the kingdom's army. There was no way to talk his way out of this.
"The minister thing was really just for that one time, a figurehead, and for over thirty years I've been a mercenary with no rank or office!"
He tried to state his case with all his might, but Edward, who had taken the sealed letter from Hellebore, flatly denied it.
"No, you are still a Minister of this country. I have no memory of dismissing you."
When the king said this, there was no escape.
"…Say, haven't you gotten a little more persistent?"
At Ritz's sarcasm, Edward replied with a cool expression.
"Who knows. Aren't you the one who's bad at giving up? You're ninety years older than me, yet you're like a child."
"…Eighty-six."
As they were quietly bickering, Anna spoke to them timidly.
"Um, Your Majesty…"
Looking around, he could see that everyone was expecting Anna to somehow calm the situation. It seemed that in this situation, no one but Anna could get between the two of them.
"Not Your Majesty. Edward. And you are?"
"I'm Anna. Anna Myers. I've been traveling with Ritz from Vishnu."
"Hoh… traveling, you say…"
Edward looked at Ritz with a curious expression. Ritz shrugged. There would be time until they reached Sears, so he could explain later.
"And Franz over there is also traveling with us. We're companions, you see. Right, Ritz?"
"Yeah…"
He had seen Edward's bewildered face, a rare sight. It was true that for the old Ritz, traveling with minors would have been an unthinkable situation. But things had turned out this way, so it couldn't be helped.
Even though he shouldn't have known Ritz's circumstances, Edward smiled at Anna as if he understood something.
"If you are a companion of Ritz, then you are a companion of mine as well, are you not?"
"Huh?"
"You may call me Ed. You as well."
Suddenly addressed, Franz looked as if he was about to faint. That was the normal reaction. But Anna wasn't so easily swayed.
"I understand, um, Ed-san. Um…"
After saying that, Anna thought for a moment, and when she looked up next, she was smiling brightly.
"Aren't you hungry? It's about lunchtime."
In the corner of his vision, Franz swayed at Anna's words. Ritz also thought that she could have come up with something a little better.
But Edward took a pocket watch from his pocket, honestly checked the time, and nodded.
"My apologies. Let's have lunch."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone in the room thought they were free from this situation. Ritz felt the same and wanted to be left alone for a bit to calm down. He was completely unprepared to meet Edward.
But Edward's next words surely shortened one person's lifespan.
"Your name was Net, wasn't it?"
Suddenly addressed, Net stammered.
"Y-y-yes!"
"I hear your inn serves delicious food."
"Y-yes, thank you, sir."
"Then let's go there to eat. I would be grateful if you could let us stay the night as well."
"At my place? M-my humble inn is not the kind of place to host His Majesty the King…"
Net, his mind blank with panic, tried to refuse, but Edward cut him off with a cheerful smile.
"Oh, where is the king? I am merely Edward, the friend of this fool."
"Y-Your Majesty… please don't…"
Ignoring Net's heartfelt cry, Edward continued.
"I asked one of the soldiers here for a delicious restaurant earlier. It was called the 'Green Forest Inn,' wasn't it?"
Ritz patted the shoulder of Net, whose mouth was agape and whose face was on the verge of breaking.
"My condolences. Or rather… my bad…"
Unable to escape, Net nodded weakly.
And so, Net was bestowed the honor of accepting into his inn the most noble and most difficult guest he had ever had since opening his inn.