Chapter 66 - 4
The remaining six days of the New Festival Month holiday passed by in a flash. Thankfully, there were no more formal gatherings involving the royal family or high-ranking officials after that martial arts tournament.
And so, freed from the previous troubles, Ritz and his companions were able to fully enjoy the rest of the New Year's festival.
In the month since they had arrived in this city, the three of them had never gone out together, so going around various places with Joe, making it a group of four, and checking out the bustling shops and pubs was more fun than he had expected.
Ironically, even though they had been forced into a rather poor journey on the road, Ritz's first salary as a minister had just come in, giving Franz, who was in charge of the wallet, a considerable amount of leeway.
Thanks to that, they were able to visit various theaters, circuses, and famous restaurants that they couldn't afford before due to their budget.
It wasn't that there were no incidents, but the New Festival Month ended on a fun and cheerful note, and the city, as if waking from a long dream, began to return to normal. The festive afterglow still lingered among the people, creating a strange sense of buoyancy, but they would soon return to their normal lives.
And so, Ritz, who hated paperwork, had tearfully returned to work as soon as January began.
The first day of work began with an audience ceremony, attended by all the civil and military officials who performed their duties in the capital of the Yuresla Kingdom, Sears.
Ritz, who had been out playing until just yesterday, stood beside the king on the throne, desperately fighting off sleep. Although he knew it was only a promise until this spring, Ritz truly felt that he was not suited for this.
Thirty-five years ago, abandoning this position to follow the mercenary captain of the time as an apprentice was undoubtedly the right choice.
"Everyone, for the sake of the kingdom's people, let us strive with even greater effort and…"
Edward's speech, said to move the hearts of its listeners, was nothing but a lullaby to Ritz. Strangely, he had always been able to argue with Edward's words but never been intoxicated by them. Was this a quirk of his personality, or an innate skill?
According to his companions from back then, for Ritz, who was already Edward's loyal dog, speeches were irrelevant.
In any case, thanks to this, he could maintain a friendship with Edward rather than a master-servant relationship.
The audience ceremony ended, and after a short break, the military review would begin. Two hours in between. For Ritz, the ordeal would continue for a few more hours.
As Edward returned to his office for a break, he looked back at Ritz and Shasta, who were standing beside him.
"You two, what are you doing for your break?"
At the sudden question, the two were unable to answer, and Edward smiled.
"If you're free, why don't you join me?"
Edward pointed down the corridor leading to his office. Apparently, he had something to discuss.
"When you say it like that, I can't really refuse, can I?"
At Ritz's slightly sarcastic, sigh-laden words, Edward replied with a cool expression.
"You know me well, don't you?"
Shrugging, he looked at Shasta, who was giving a wry smile at their exchange.
"Then we shall listen, Your Majesty."
In the office, warm coffee for three had already been prepared. It seemed Edward knew the two would come to this room without refusing.
At any rate, the three of them were finally able to catch their breath there.
"Ah~ I was so sleepy~
As the attendant left, Ritz leaned back on the sofa. Shasta's gaze, looking at Ritz with exasperation, was a little cold.
"Ritz-san, you were yawning during the audience ceremony, weren't you?"
"…You saw?"
"It's not a matter of 'you saw.' Your position is different from back then. Even if you find it a bit troublesome, in public, you must act properly…"
"Shasta."
It was not Ritz, who was being scolded, but Edward who interrupted Shasta's seemingly endless lecture.
"What is it, Your Majesty?"
"I called you two here because I have something to discuss. Do you intend to waste my time lecturing Ritz?"
He was right. The break was only two hours, so this was no time for such a conversation.
But Shasta looked at Ritz discontentedly, then, as usual, sighed and ran a hand through his neatly combed, gray-streaked hair.
"Honestly… It can't be helped. Ritz-san, please be careful during the military review."
"I know."
Being with these two made him feel as if he had returned to the immature days when he had just left the forest. Even though forty years had passed since then.
"Your Majesty, please, the matter at hand."
As if nothing had happened, Shasta sat opposite Ritz and picked up his coffee cup. As if drawn by that, Ritz also took a cup. The throne room had been large and cold, so the warm coffee was very welcome.
After confirming that the two had each taken a sip of coffee and caught their breath, Edward, still standing, opened his mouth.
"We will hold a meeting after the military review."
"A meeting?"
For a moment, Ritz and Shasta didn't understand and looked up at Edward. It shouldn't have been on the schedule. But since Edward was the one proposing it, it must be an important meeting. The two waited silently for him to continue. Since they couldn't think of anything, they couldn't make any unnecessary guesses.
"It seems the drug syndicate that the Military Police have been investigating recently has suddenly become more active."
Edward never got to the heart of the matter right away. He was the type to gradually fill in the background. So the two could only wait.
"It's a large-scale organization. It seems they're running short on hands and are even trying to recruit the city's thugs. You had a run-in with one of those groups, didn't you, Ritz?"
"…? What are you talking about?"
"That gold hair ornament."
It was the opponent Ritz had knocked out when he intervened in a bar fight.
"Them!"
Their name was the Ward Family, apparently. Joe, who had been badly beaten by them, had told him the details about the men after Ritz collapsed.
"Before any more damage is done, we will strike their hideout. The Military Police have come to that conclusion."
Ritz tilted his head. That was the Military Police's job; there was no need for the king to interfere. Shasta, sitting opposite him, also tilted his head in confusion. It seemed he, too, couldn't figure out where Edward's story was going.
"And then, I had Kenny Fort and the Kingdom Army Inspectorate Department's First Platoon continue the investigation into my brother's case, and unexpectedly, these two things have become connected."
"What!?"
Ritz instinctively slammed the coffee cup he was holding onto the table. Coffee spilled from the cup.
"What do you mean, Ed!?"
Drugs and a case concerning the succession to the throne… Two things that should never have been connected were now linked.
"Calm down, Ritz."
Edward finally sat down on the sofa where the two were sitting. Without minding the two who were staring at him, he took a sip of the slightly cooled coffee.
"Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? This is no time to be coy!"
After reflexively scolding Edward as he had in the old days, Shasta hastily fell silent.
"…My apologies."
"Don't worry about it, Shasta."
After drinking about half of the coffee, Edward spoke again.
"I'll have you hear the details in the meeting later."
At the incomprehensible answer, the two fell into a sullen silence. If that was the case, there was no need to call the two of them here. Their thoughts were written on their faces, and Edward gave a wry smile.
"I had something I wanted to talk to you two about before that. Don't be so angry."
The two had no choice but to follow the ever-composed Edward. This was always his way of leading a conversation with them.
"This time, the city-wide raid on the drug syndicate will involve two organizations: the Military Police and the Inspectorate Department. Since they're organizations that have never gotten along, no matter which side's person takes command, there will be lingering resentment."
"That's true."
When organizations, especially those that pride themselves on protecting the capital in different ways, conduct a joint operation, it inevitably creates some kind of friction. It's like a law of human nature that's been decided since ancient times.
"So I thought of dispatching someone who would leave no future grievances as the commander of the two organizations. I want you two to think about whether that is appropriate."
For a moment, the two were taken in by the riddle-like words. And in the next moment, Ritz realized who that person who would leave no grievances was.
"You… don't tell me…"
At Ritz's astonished gaze, Edward gave a smile that was almost a wry grin.
"What is it? What's going on?"
Without answering the bewildered Shasta, Ritz stood up and approached Edward.
"The commander… it's Gerald, isn't it?"
"That's right."
No one could move. A painful silence filled the room.
It was Shasta who broke the silence. He slammed both hands on the table and stood up. The coffee pot tipped over, spilling its contents spectacularly onto the tablecloth.
"What are you thinking, Your Majesty!?"
His hands on the table were now trembling, clutching the cloth in anger.
"Calm down, Shasta."
When Edward, who had righted the spilled pot, spoke calmly, Shasta's calm voice only fueled his irritation further.
"Calm down, you say? It is you who should calm down and think, Your Majesty! Why would you deliberately expose His Highness the Crown Prince to danger!?"
If his opponent hadn't been Edward, Shasta would surely have grabbed him by the collar. But his opponent, though his foster brother, was the king who ruled this country.
Knowing Shasta's internal conflict, Edward directly conveyed his thoughts to him.
"How can someone who knows no danger save people from it? Gerald has never once been on a battlefield, you know?"
At Edward's question, Shasta shook his head violently. His hair fell into disarray.
"Even so, His Highness knows the weight of life! He understands the weight of the people's feelings. Is that not enough for you? This is an era of peace, not the era of war that we endured."
At Shasta's impassioned speech, Edward, too, had reflexively stood up.
"Can someone who has never led the lives of men lead this kingdom, staking the nation's fate?"
"He can! Sir Gerald is your child, is he not, Your Majesty!?"
In an instant, Edward's expression changed.
What Shasta had mentioned was the legitimacy of blood ties, which Edward despised the most. Showing his displeasure, Edward confronted Shasta.
"It is not blood that rules a country, but one's own will. How can you know if Gerald, who has only ever known being protected, has that resolve? You are naive, Shasta!"
"I am not naive! It is you who are mistaken, Your Majesty!"
Ritz, who had been watching the tense argument between the two, was the calmest. Perhaps because he had spent less time with the Crown Prince, he wasn't as emotionally invested as these two.
"Both of you, calm down!"
When their argument started to get emotional, Ritz stood up and shouted.
"First, Ed. You're going to hear the details in the meeting later, right? You don't even know what the situation is at this point. For now, listen to the report at the meeting and then make your decision. A day or so of delay in the decision won't be a problem! Am I wrong?"
When he stated his sound argument clearly, Edward fell silent. When Ritz admonished him, contrary to his usual behavior, Edward knew he had lost his composure and didn't even argue back. Taking his eyes off the silent Edward, Ritz then turned to face Shasta.
"And you, Shasta. Even if Gerald takes on a dangerous mission, he absolutely will not die. I can guarantee that much."
At Ritz's confident words, Shasta frowned and groaned.
"On what grounds can you make such a…"
But Ritz's words didn't end there.
"If Gerald is about to die… I'll die in his place."
"…Ritz-san!"
At the gasping Shasta, Ritz gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. These were words he could never let Franz or Anna hear. But since he had said he would stick with Edward to the end, this was Ritz's true feeling.
"That's why I'm in the capital now, isn't it, Ed?"
"…I'm sorry."
In the silent room, Ritz clapped the shoulders of the two with a deliberately cheerful demeanor.
"Well, now that the brotherly squabble is over, let's get to the military review. We can decide the rest after the meeting is over."
With a subtle weight remaining in their hearts, the military review ended safely, and two hours later, the meeting was held.
The participants were the King, the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, and the Minister—four people in total.
From the Military Police were the Inspector General, his adjutant, and the platoon leader of the Military Police directly commanding the investigation—three people.
And from the Inspectorate Department were the Inspector General, the adjutant, and the first platoon leader—three people.
In total, there were ten people, the minimum number possible, but that in itself spoke to the peculiarity of this case.
The well-built male Inspector General of the Military Police and the slender female Inspector General of the Inspectorate Department both sat down in their assigned seats without a word.
The heads of these two departments, who were not on good terms on a daily basis, faced each other across the round table, trying to gauge each other's faces, but they probably had no idea what was about to begin.
These two organizations had been pursuing different crimes with different objectives. They probably never dreamed that they would be connected by a single line in the king's mind.
Ritz and Shasta also sat in silence. Shasta, in particular, had remained quiet since the military review, looking as if he were being crushed by his own anguish.
Two seats away from that Shasta, Ritz sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. There was no need to say anything, but more than that, he was trying to maintain the image he had created of a taciturn minister.
The only time Ritz moved was when he gave a nod to the familiar face of Kenny, who had entered looking tense and, more than that, anxious. That alone seemed to ease some of the tension in Kenny's shoulders.
That was how much an indescribable, strange silence filled the conference room.
At the signal of Edward and Gerald's appearance in the small conference room, everyone rose from their seats and bowed their heads.
"Raise your heads. I apologize for gathering you all here on such a busy day."
With that, Edward prompted everyone to sit. Once everyone was seated, Edward began.
"First, there is something I want you all to be aware of. The contents of this meeting are not to be spoken of to anyone other than those present today."
A palpable tension ran through the faces of everyone except Ritz and Shasta. It was a meeting called by the king himself, after all; what would be discussed… was daunting to even imagine. In the silent conference hall, only Edward's words echoed.
"As you can probably tell from this gathering, I have called you here today for an exchange of opinions on a single case that involves two departments, and to discuss our future course of action."
With that, Edward first looked at the Inspector General of the Military Police.
"First, let's hear the current status of the drug case currently under investigation by the Military Police, Engels."
"Yes, sir. I will make my report."
Prompted by Edward, the portly Inspector General Engels began to read from a document, wiping sweat with a handkerchief despite it being the middle of winter.
"Around last summer, a special drug with the dual effects of causing hallucinations and enhancing muscle strength began to circulate within the capital."
To summarize the Inspector General's report, it was as follows.
Since last summer, there had been a sharp increase in assault and battery cases in the port district. After being caught, all the culprits made strange statements about the incidents.
They said they suddenly felt incredibly strong, that everything before their eyes seemed foolishly small, and that they couldn't suppress their destructive impulses.
Furthermore, upon interrogating numerous culprits, the trigger for these destructive impulses was identified. It was a fatigue recovery agent that had been secretly circulating among sailors.
The small vial contained a pill that, when one was taken, was said to provide fatigue recovery and pain relief. Since these two effects were beneficial for sailors, it was inevitable that it quickly became widely circulated.
But the effects of this drug quickly wore off. So it was natural that people would start taking more, one pill, then two.
However, that was where the danger of this drug lay.
It was found that when two pills were taken at once, about a third of people experienced hallucinations, and when three or more were taken, most people experienced both hallucinations and destructive impulses.
The fatigue recovery agent, which was said to have been brought in from another country, was immediately banned from circulation, but the drug's addictive properties were extremely high, and even after it began to be regulated as a narcotic, it was still being traded for high prices in the shadows.
Because it had flowed in from the port, the origin of the drug was unknown, and on top of that, it was the first time this ingredient had been detected. One of its characteristics was that this drug had a fragrant floral scent, like perfume.
The name of that flower was the Moonlight Cherry Blossom. A flower that blooms on trees and only under the light of the moon, it does not exist in the Yuresla Kingdom. Many sailors' wives were fond of the scents of the eastern countries, and it was said that not a few carried this drug wrapped in a handkerchief.
In the end, with no idea what its true identity was, the Military Police had mobilized their entire narcotics unit to investigate.
"Since December of last year, their organization has suddenly fallen into disarray. The thorough concealment efforts suddenly ceased, and they began hiring vagrants from the city to make up for the personnel shortage. As a result, we succeeded in planting an undercover agent within their drug organization."
After finishing his speech in one breath, the Inspector General took a deep breath with his large body, so loud it was almost audible.
"The undercover agent received this hair ornament in the slums and port district, thereby becoming a member of their organization."
At the Inspector General's prompting, his meticulously organized-looking adjutant took out a gold hair ornament wrapped in cloth. The engraved shape was a beautiful flower pattern, and at first glance, it was an ordinary, high-class hair ornament.
This flower pattern… this was the shape of the Moonlight Cherry Blossom mentioned earlier. Of course, Ritz recognized it. It was the exact same thing he had taken from the Ward Family.
"We have obtained several more of these from apprehended smugglers. They are all the same, and this was the key that connected the smugglers and the organization."
Edward took the offered object. It seemed he was turning it over to read the characters on the back.
—This shall be the key that brings you wealth—
So wealth meant drugs.
Ritz sighed. It was common for dealers to become drug addicts. If the already violent Ward Family had become even more rampaging, it would be a major nuisance for the entire slum district. It would become a hassle to even go out for a drink.
While he was thinking such things with a stern face, the conversation had moved on.
He said that the movements of the drug syndicate had recently become even stranger. On the surface, they were a gathering of ruffians, but the executives were apparently not so.
The undercover agents tried to find the main base somehow, but they couldn't find it, and on top of that, no matter how they got involved, they couldn't even see the faces of the central executives.
They tried to investigate the executives in hopes of finding some clue, but the person acting as the liaison to the executives would not talk. Recently, it was said that even the liaison rarely showed his face in the slums.
"But both money and drugs are moving…"
Edward's quiet mutter echoed clearly in the silent conference hall.
"Next, let's hear the Inspectorate's report. Gilette."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Inspector General Gilette tightened her unadorned face, lightly brushed back her shoulder-length hair, and began to read the document in a voice that was slightly husky for a woman.
"The Inspectorate Department was investigating the attempted assassination of the King by the former false king, Stewart."
The moment they heard that, the Military Police side widened their eyes. Such a story was unheard of. If such an incident had occurred within the royal palace, they would undoubtedly have been the ones to investigate.
"What is the meaning of this, Gilette! Why are you investigating such an important case before us, the Military Police, and the Royal Guard?"
Gilette coldly replied to Engels, who stood up in excitement and sputtered at her.
"Have you forgotten, Inspector General? We of the Inspectorate Department are a unit directly under His Majesty the King, His Excellency the Prime Minister, and His Excellency the Minister. It is only natural that we conduct our investigations in secret."
The two opposing leaders were both in their fifties. One burned with fierce anger, while the other had a cold flame burning in her eyes. These two organizations were at loggerheads to begin with.
Just as their subordinates scrambled to their feet to restrain them, Shasta, who had been silent until now, looked up and stared fixedly at the two.
"You are in the presence of His Majesty. Cease this unsightly display."
His calm, gentle, yet stern words had the same effect as dousing them with cold water. The feuding leaders sat down in silence.
"Are you finished?"
At the king's completely unfazed words, the Inspector General of the Military Police and the Inspector General of the Inspectorate Department shrank in their seats.
"Then Gilette, please continue."
"Yes, Your Majesty… After the incident, we secretly investigated the movements of all military officers of general rank and above, heads of government agencies and above, and influential nobles during the summer and autumn."
From these, they narrowed down the individuals who matched the testimony of the servants arrested at Stewart's mansion.
The servants had not seen their faces directly, but they remembered well when and how many people had come to that mansion, so the narrowing down process had proceeded relatively smoothly.
But it had only been a month since the investigation began, so they couldn't possibly investigate everyone's situation. Amidst this, one of the lower nobles who was most strongly suspected was found murdered.
"Since the body was discovered in the slums, the case was easily dismissed as a robbery. The victim was a noble, albeit a poor one from the lower class. If this had been properly investigated here…"
The latter half was clearly a jab at Engels, but Engels, mindful of the earlier incident, endured it silently.
"Inspector General, please continue."
At Shasta's quiet gaze, Gilette cleared her throat and continued her story.
"Upon learning of the incident, we obtained permission to search the victim's house. There, we found this."
Receiving it from her adjutant, what Gilette held out was that gold hair ornament. And a small vial…
"There wasn't just one hair ornament; there were three. He was clearly on the distributing side of this."
At her confident words, Engels looked frustrated. He was chagrined that, bogged down by a major case, he had overlooked something that he couldn't get a handle on… but more than that, he was probably frustrated that the inspectors had seized crucial evidence in the case.
Snorting at him as if looking down on him, Gilette continued.
"In the first place, he wasn't familiar enough with high society to be involved in something like the assassination of His Majesty the King, nor did he know anything about the underworld. Therefore, it is likely that by getting involved in this matter, he was being used by someone of higher standing."
She had submitted that as an interim report to the king, and as a result, she had been asked to attend today's meeting.
"Having heard these two reports, I have come to the conclusion that we must annihilate the drug syndicate as soon as possible. Do you understand why?"
Both sides, still unable to think beyond their own departments, seemed unable to draw a conclusion that connected the two. But Ritz was beginning to see the picture.
Everyone who used this drug said they felt incredibly strong and couldn't suppress their destructive impulses. Moreover, it was said to have a muscle-strengthening effect.
If a large amount of this drug were put into the city's well water, what would happen? A riot would break out… no, it wouldn't end there.
—If the number of people was large enough, indiscriminate slaughter would surely unfold.
The scene of a blood-soaked city of Sears spread through his imagination…
And if they were able to make the Royal Guard, or the royal family's personal guard, take this right before their duty… the soldiers, under the drug's influence, would kill the royal family against their will. Realizing this, Ritz looked at Edward.
"Indiscriminate slaughter… huh."
At the sudden, terrifying words, everyone looked at Ritz, who had been silent until now. They seemed bewildered. But Edward nodded at Ritz. He was right. Edward opened his mouth.
"If a noble can freely bring this drug into the castle, it would be extremely easy to kill me and my relatives. And what's more, without dirtying their own hands and without the assassin ever knowing their identity."
With those words and the phrase 'indiscriminate slaughter' that Ritz had just uttered, everyone understood the king's situation and keenly felt the necessity of annihilating the drug syndicate as soon as possible.
"Engels, Gilette."
"Yes, sir!"
The two who were called, along with their subordinates, stood up at once.
"The matter is urgent. Select one platoon of fifteen men from both the Military Police and the Inspectorate Department, form a thirty-man unit, and move to destroy the organization in one week. Any larger a force would be conspicuous, so make it a small, elite unit."
"Understood."
"I trust you to proceed with the utmost secrecy. If the enemy finds out, all will be for naught."
"Yes, sir!"
"I will inform you of the person who will command these two platoons tomorrow. They are not from either the Military Police or the Inspectorate Department, so there is no need to bicker or speculate."
"As you wish."
The people bowed deeply, and Edward nodded back at them.
"I'm counting on you."
As the people were about to leave after bowing, Edward called out to them as if he had just remembered something.
"…A young man, a relative of the Minister, will be accompanying you as an observer to the person in command. He is a man unknown to you all, but I and the Minister guarantee that he is a man worthy of trust. Now then, I'm counting on you."
Confused but understanding the king's intentions, the Inspector General of the Military Police, the Inspector General of the Inspectorate Department, and their subordinates bowed their heads and left. As he was leaving, only Kenny looked back at Ritz and bowed his head. He was the only one who knew that the Minister's young relative was the Minister himself.
Edward stood up and spoke to Gerald, who had remained with the three of them.
"Gerald, I am thinking of entrusting the command of this unit to you."
"…How could…"
Gerald was speechless at the unexpected turn of events. He stood up unsteadily and stared straight into his father's face.
"Father, I have never commanded a unit before. A great responsibility such as this is beyond me…"
But he averted his gaze from Edward. He couldn't finish his sentence.
Ritz, Shasta, and his father, whom he respected without end… the three men hailed as legends of the kingdom's salvation. What he could read in their straight gazes was only one thing.
It was written there: You are the next king. If you cannot even lead these two platoons, can you lead a country…?
"…May I have some time to think? I need at least some time to steel my resolve."
When he told Edward this with a pained expression, Edward also nodded silently. He had never been placed in such a situation before; it was natural for the Crown Prince to hesitate, Ritz thought.
Everyone trembles with fear before going into a real battle. It's the same for the brave and the cowardly. Someone who feels no fear in killing people from the very beginning would probably be called a murderer.
As he bowed and left, Ritz saw deep anguish in his retreating figure.