Chapter 85 - <7>
Ritz, with the hood of his cloak pulled down to hide his military uniform, knocked on the door of the Russell Residence. Lef stood beside him. He had explained the situation on the way here, so he would be a reliable asset in a fight.
"Yes?"
A shabby-looking man opened the door. This was the butler's nephew mentioned in Anna's letter. The man looked at Ritz and, instantly recognizing him as the vagrant who had been sitting near the house until yesterday, scowled.
"Sorry, got nothing to give to the likes of you. Scram."
As the door was about to be slammed shut, Ritz wedged his foot in the opening. The man's eyes widened in shock at Ritz's unexpected action.
"I said I've got nothing for you!"
The man shouted as he tried to force the door shut. But it was a large, double-leaf door; once a foot was in the way, it wouldn't close easily.
"Move your foot, tramp!"
Hearing the commotion, several other men appeared. Including this man, there were six in total. Had he not needed to bring Lef after all?
"Move it!"
To the shouting man, Ritz spoke in a deliberately calm voice.
"I believe a companion of mine is causing you some trouble."
"...Companion?"
Ritz turned a face covered by a cold, forced smile to the bewildered man.
"Anyway, we're coming in."
"Huh?"
As he spoke, Lef took matters into his own hands.
"Uooooh!"
"Wh-What?!"
With his natural brute strength, Lef flung the door wide open, man and all.
"Thanks."
Ignoring the dumbfounded men, Ritz smiled at Lef. Lef replied like a happy puppy.
"You're welcome."
Ritz strode leisurely through the open door and straightened his back. He really shouldn't try to pull off disguises he wasn't used to. After patting his lower back a couple of times, he threw back the hood of his cloak. At the same time, the front of the cloak, which he had been holding closed with both hands, fell open. At the sight of him, the men were speechless.
"...A soldier!"
One man's stunned voice and Ritz's words came out at the same time.
"Altman, First Platoon Leader of the Military Police's Third Division."
It was a complete lie. He had told Altman in a letter that he would be 'borrowing his name,' but Altman probably never dreamed it would be announced so boldly in front of the enemy.
"M-Military Police..."
The men slowly backed away. The effect of the Military Police was tremendous.
"I'll be taking my companion back."
At Ritz's words, all the men seemed to realize something and simultaneously looked at the man who had first opened the door. But that man, while backing away to the very rear, shouted at the others.
"There are only two of them, even if they are Military Police! If we take 'em out, no one will know!"
The men's faces paled as they re-gripped the weapons in their hands. They were clearly cheap knives, clubs, and wooden sticks; there was no need to even draw his sword. Ritz spoke to the men once more.
"I said, give me back my companion. Can't you hear me?"
"Like hell we will!"
The man shouted and drew a sword. It looked impressive, but it didn't seem to fit his hand. Ritz slowly advanced on the men. Confused, they pointed their weapons at him.
The man's reaction just now confirmed it. Anna was alive. With a deep sense of relief, Ritz let out a long breath.
"Then we have no choice but to use force. Lef."
Lef, who had been silently intimidating the enemy, turned around.
"Don't kill them."
"Yes."
As he said it, Ritz quickly closed the distance to the nearest man. Before the man could react, he drove the edge of his hand into his stomach.
"Guoh..."
The man collapsed with a strange cry. A blow to the solar plexus; he wouldn't be regaining consciousness easily.
"Next!"
Without a moment's pause, Ritz kicked the man next to him. In times like these, having slightly long legs came in handy. Denied the chance to brace himself, the man's body folded in two with surprising ease and he collapsed.
"Uwaaaah!"
The man who had opened the door charged at Ritz, swinging his sword wildly. The man and his sword were a complete mismatch.
Calmly observing, Ritz easily picked up the club held by the opponent he had just defeated.
"Take this!"
As the man shouted shrilly and brought his sword down from overhead, Ritz easily blocked it with the club and then drove a knee into the man's exposed torso.
"Gueh..."
"Too slow. Did you think you'd manage just because you had a sword?"
Ritz's taunting words probably didn't reach the man's ears anymore. The man staggered back, then wretchedly vomited the contents of his stomach.
"Sorry about that. You just finished breakfast, didn't you?"
He didn't feel a shred of remorse, but he said it anyway. The man glared up at Ritz. When Ritz looked around, he saw that the other men had long since been taken down by Lef. Lef was now in the process of tying up the men he had defeated.
"Well now, there are no companions here at the moment. How about you tell me where she is?"
Ritz grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up. The man's feet dangled in the air, struggling pitifully.
"C-Can't breathe... I'm gonna die..."
"Whether you live or die is up to you."
The man's face was rapidly turning blue. Ritz was regulating the pressure so he could still barely breathe, but there was no one here to stop him now. It had been a while since he could be completely ruthless.
"So what'll it be? I don't care if you die. It's not my life, after all."
He said it in a completely emotionless voice, then gave a faint smile.
"The choice is yours, you know?"
Sensing that Ritz was serious, the man groaned in pain.
"Please... let me go..."
"Will you talk?"
"...I'll talk."
He abruptly released his grip on the man's body. The man collapsed to the floor. Ritz crouched down beside the man, who was gasping for air.
"Where is she?"
Still breathing heavily, the man reached into his coat with the hand that was on the floor.
In a flash, something glinted.
By the time he realized it was a knife, his body had already dodged just in time. It was a conditioned reflex born from years of experience. The knife only grazed Ritz's hair.
"Like hell I'd tell... the likes of you!"
His breathing still ragged, the man staggered to his feet. A cunning-looking man. Ritz had expected as much.
"I see. That's a shame."
Ritz calmly stared at the man. Without even taking a stance, he leisurely brushed the dust from his clothes. The moment the man turned to run, Ritz delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the side of his waist.
Instantly, the sound of the man's bones shattering echoed through the air. The man flew through the air as if he had no weight and slammed into the wall at a strange angle.
"Sorry, but I'm on edge."
This man would probably never be able to stand on his own again. He hadn't intended to go this far, but now that it had happened, it couldn't be helped.
"Ritz, you said not to kill them..."
Lef muttered, looking bewildered.
"Technically, I didn't kill him."
He just incapacitated him. Permanently.
"You're a scary person."
Despite his words, Lef showed no signs of fear as he shrugged.
"You think?"
Lef had also knocked out his opponents. But he had precisely targeted the back of their necks or their solar plexuses, ensuring they would be fine once they regained consciousness. And what had he done? With no one to stop him, he could revert to his ruthless self at any time, leaving him with a bitter aftertaste, as if he'd chewed on something foul.
But regretting it now wouldn't change anything. Finding Anna was the top priority.
Ritz looked around. The three men Lef had taken down and the two Ritz had defeated were all unconscious and tied up together.
"No choice. We'll have to find her ourselves. Lef, can you check the upper floors?"
"Got it."
"Once you're done searching, meet back here."
Ritz pointed to the floor. The entrance hall would be a convenient spot to survey the surroundings.
"Yes."
Obediently, Lef headed up to the second floor. From the outside, the house looked to be three stories tall. There might be an attic above that.
"Alright then..."
Ritz began to walk through the unfamiliar house with a purpose, as if it were his own.
According to Anna's letter, Mrs. Russell was in a room with a terrace facing the garden. And in that garden was a pile of excavated dirt. First, he would find Mrs. Russell's room, and then he would check the garden. If there was a pile of dirt, there must be a path used to transport it there.
He also wanted to hear what Mrs. Russell had to say. Ritz had a general idea of the layout of the mansion in his head. He had confirmed it by peeking inside through the various walls.
Ritz stood before the door of the room he believed to be Mrs. Russell's. As it was a lady's room, he knocked politely.
"Come in. It's unlocked."
A refined woman's voice answered the knock.
"Pardon my intrusion."
Ritz entered the room with due courtesy. An elderly woman with white hair was there. Dressed in a loose-fitting gown, her eyes nevertheless held a strong sense of will.
She was in a wheelchair due to a bad leg, but even so, her posture exuded elegance. The impression was different from what he'd heard from Anna. Could his guess be correct?
He hoped it was correct in a good way...
An elderly woman stood beside her. Judging from Anna's letter, this must be the head maid.
"You must be Mrs. Sinclair Russell."
When he asked politely, Mrs. Russell nodded slowly and returned a gentle smile.
"And who might you be?"
"Ritz Alster. I am, for all intents and purposes, in the service of the military."
Ritz introduced himself with a slight bow. For some reason, this seemed to please her, as Mrs. Russell's eyes narrowed and she smiled pleasantly for a moment before asking playfully.
"For all intents and purposes?"
"Yes, for all intents and purposes."
Without letting his guard down, but trying to appear as calm as possible, Ritz added a smile to the edge of his words. Sensing something in Ritz's demeanor, Mrs. Russell smiled quietly.
"What a shame. I thought you'd come for Anna."
So Mrs. Russell was not suffering from memory loss after all. She recognized Anna as Anna, not as Cynthia.
"...You know Anna."
"Yes, of course. Beth here reports everything to me."
The head maid gave a small nod. A quiet but firm resolve was written on her face. The will to protect this old woman. If Ritz were to make a strange move, this head maid would likely throw herself in front of her to shield her.
"My only ally in this house is Beth."
Her quiet voice conveyed her situation. Her expression and words were trustworthy. But Ritz couldn't help but ask.
"Does that mean... you are not an enemy?"
He looked straight into Mrs. Russell's eyes. Without looking away, Mrs. Russell met his gaze and spoke calmly.
"If you are not one of the men you fought in the entrance hall... if you are the one who has come to rescue Anna, then we are not enemies."
After a brief silence, Ritz let out a long sigh.
"Understood. I'll trust you."
At this point, he had no choice but to trust her. Without this old woman's cooperation, finding Anna's whereabouts would likely become difficult.
"Thank you. I'm glad."
Mrs. Russell smiled as she said this. She made a gesture with her hand to the head maid, Beth, who then brought over a pot that had been warming on the mantelpiece.
"I'm afraid this is all I can offer in the way of hospitality."
Beth carefully poured tea for two. The scent of the tea, which gently tickled the nose, filled the space that had been tense until now.
"I'm glad you came today. As of today, I was no longer of any use."
Ritz sat down in the offered chair. Time was short and he was in a hurry, but he knew from long experience that rushing things wouldn't make them go smoothly.
"The men here... are a band of thieves targeting the castle's underground treasury."
"The underground treasury?"
At the unexpected turn of events, Ritz couldn't help but cry out. He had just been talking with Edward about the underground treasury. The crown of the King of Yuresla was kept there. He had just been told the other day that permission to use the treasury could only be obtained through the three of them: Edward, Shasta, and himself.
"This house is built in such a strange location, isn't it? Right next to the castle wall. According to them, the castle's underground treasury is about a hundred meters underground from this house, inside a natural cavern."
So that was it. The dirt in the garden was from that. The noise Anna heard at night was the sound of them digging.
"It's been a year since they started putting this plan into action. At first, it was just that butler and his wife."
According to Mrs. Russell, the butler Anna had described as malicious-looking and the middle-aged maid were a married couple. They had been targeting the castle's treasury from the beginning and had infiltrated the Russell Residence for that purpose.
From that day on, Mrs. Russell and Beth had not been allowed to go outside.
To protect themselves from them, Sinclair Russell and the head maid, Beth, began to put on an act. An act of wanting to find someone who resembled her daughter and have them live with her. If their request was granted, they planned to have that girl run to the Military Police... that's what they had been thinking. Her real daughter had long since married and was in another country. The butler and his wife would not easily find that out.
At first, the butler and his wife had ignored Mrs. Russell's request, but at some point, they completely changed their minds and approved it. They decided to recruit a maid and have her gather people for them. In the despicable form of blackmail.
Thus, for a purpose completely different from Mrs. Russell's intentions, the girls were gathered. What was investigated under the guise of an interview was their longing for wealth and their hatred born of envy.
While playing the role of her daughter Cynthia, the girls always seemed dissatisfied. After about a month of service, most of them had committed some form of theft. The butler and his wife found out, blackmailed them, and made them gather their friends from the slums.
Fortunately or unfortunately, a large amount of her married daughter Cynthia's clothes and accessories were left behind, so it wasn't difficult for them to steal.
The only reason Mrs. Russell hadn't been killed in such a situation was one thing... money.
The wages paid to the maids, the living expenses of the butler and his wife, the minimum living expenses of the construction men... it all came from Mrs. Russell's purse. The butler and his wife couldn't figure out where she was hiding the money or where the payment money was coming from, no matter how much they searched. That's why they couldn't kill her.
"I heard the underground passage connected to the cavern with the treasury early this morning."
Having briefly explained the situation, Mrs. Russell quietly announced this and brought her teacup to her lips. Ritz, who had been silent except for nodding, muttered softly.
"...I see. If they can get their hands on the treasure from the castle's treasury... they won't have to rely on the madam's money anymore..."
Mrs. Russell smiled quietly.
"Yes. I would become an inconvenient witness. They would probably think it better to kill me."
In the silence, only the sound of a cup being placed down echoed strangely loudly.
"I was surprised when Anna came. I had never met such a straightforward child before. That's when I realized that the underground passage would be completed soon."
"Why is that?"
When Ritz asked, Mrs. Russell tilted her head slightly. Don't you understand? she seemed to be asking. But Ritz also smiled quietly and kept his mouth shut. He would get the information for sure. That was what was important.
Eventually, Mrs. Russell relented and spoke with a smile.
"Hiring Anna meant that they no longer had an absolute need to increase their numbers... isn't that so?"
Ritz was inwardly surprised. He hadn't expected her to be so astute. Even if her body couldn't move, her mind had been constantly working.
"They were afraid of Anna. A child like her couldn't possibly have come in response to a recruitment ad posted in the slums. So they thought the plan had been leaked from somewhere and the Military Police were using her to investigate. That's why they decided to imprison her until the plan was complete."
"But why did they think Anna was with the Military Police...?"
That didn't sit right with Ritz. No matter how you looked at it, Anna was a child. She usually looked fourteen or fifteen, and even with makeup and a change of clothes, she looked seventeen or eighteen at best. And that personality of hers... Even to Ritz, who knew she had lived for thirty years, Anna still looked young.
To become a soldier, especially in the Military Police, you had to be at least eighteen. Even someone from the slums would know that.
"...There's a strange rumor in the slums, you know. Are you aware of it?"
"A rumor?"
It was surprising that this elegant Mrs. Russell would talk about rumors from the slums.
"There's a red-haired girl who's an incredible spirit user. They say she works for the Military Police... and some people even claim to have seen her."
At those playful words, Ritz had an inkling. It was about the time he had a fever and Anna had fought that group of petty criminals, the Ward Family. In the end, they had indeed been taken away by the Military Police.
To be honest, he had heard that rumor at his usual haunt. He had thought that no one would take such a rumor seriously and be genuinely afraid of it.
So, was it his fault, in two ways, that Anna was in this mess? Such a thought crossed his mind.
But this was no time for regrets. Ritz had a job to do. He could regret it after he had done what needed to be done. Ritz gave his head a shake and, for the time being, pushed aside his feelings of regret.
"Madam, do you know where the entrance to the underground is?"
When he asked, Mrs. Russell called over Beth, who had been standing behind her as motionless as a statue.
"I'll have Beth guide you."
"That would be a great help."
Ritz stood up from his seat. Looking at the watch he had received during the previous incident, he saw that about thirty minutes had passed. Had Lef already arrived at the entrance hall?
Mrs. Russell was still smiling quietly. She seemed to have a philosophical view of things, or perhaps she was just calm.
"When Beth returns, please lock all the doors, including the sunroom. Please do not let the perpetrators in."
"Yes."
"I will take responsibility and have the Military Police handle this incident. Please rest assured."
With a bow, Ritz turned on his heel and headed for the door. He had to hurry. Just then, Mrs. Russell spoke to him quietly, thanking him.
"Thank you, Your Excellency the Minister."
"!"
Startled into stillness, Ritz saw a mischievous look in Mrs. Russell's eyes.
"Your Excellency, if you're going to pretend to be from the Military Police, it's careless to use your real name so close to the castle. There are almost no people living near the castle who aren't interested in what goes on inside. Your name and your position to be able to command the Military Police... your identity would be found out immediately."
So that was it. When he had first introduced himself, he now understood the meaning behind her asking, 'For all intents and purposes?' when he said he was 'for all intents and purposes, in the service of the military.'
"...I'm usually in disguise..."
He said with a shrug, and Mrs. Russell smiled serenely.
"All I know is the name of Your Excellency the Minister and the fact that you have returned. Being unable to leave the house, I am not familiar with Your Excellency's appearance. But the spirit folk in stories do not age and are forever beautiful. So if Your Excellency, being of the spirit folk, has not aged, no one would find it strange, would they?"
"I see..."
She had him there. He never used his full name in the port district or the slums, but he had let it slip in front of this lady. He was completely unsuited for the position of minister.
With nothing more to say, Ritz silently bowed his head and left the room. The moment he closed the door, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. It had been a long time since he had felt a tension that wasn't related to combat.
"This way, sir."
Prompted, Ritz took a deep breath. This was no time to be getting tired.
"Please."
"Yes, sir."
Beth led the way, as silent as a shadow. As expected, Lef was already in the entrance hall. When Ritz silently beckoned, he ran over.
"Thanks, sorry for the trouble."
"It's no trouble."
Lef smiled innocently. His face showed that he was happy to be of service. Ritz couldn't remember doing anything to be liked so much... Well, he could ask about it after this was all over.
"The second and third floors are completely empty."
"...So everyone's in the basement."
"The basement?"
Ritz explained that the enemy was a band of thieves targeting the castle's underground treasury and had been digging underground. Lef listened silently without interrupting. Just as he finished his explanation, Beth stopped.
"This is it."
It was a room on the first floor of the mansion, at the very back of the house. There was a window, but beyond it loomed the stone wall of the castle. It seemed to serve no purpose other than for ventilation.
When he stuck his head out the window, the wall was right in front of him. At this close a distance, it would indeed be easy to dig underground from here and bypass the castle wall. But on the other side of this wall was, if he remembered correctly, the military headquarters. If they were digging with that knowledge, they had some serious guts. They probably had no idea.
The royal castle and palace were built utilizing a gentle, natural mountain. Further behind the palace were a vast forest and rugged mountains. In other words, the end of the high-class residential district was the foothills of the castle's mountain.
"I see. This is quite something."
There was no floor in that room. To be more precise, the entire stone floor had been removed and carried away, leaving the bare earth exposed. A large, square hole gaped open in it.
In the center of that exposed floor was a ladder leading down.
"I'll be here."
"Ah, thank you."
As soon as Beth had left, Ritz peered into the hole leading underground. As far as he could see, it didn't seem too deep. Nor did it seem too dark.
"I'm going down first."
Without hesitation, Ritz placed his foot on the ladder.
Meanwhile, in the castle, a problem had arisen. The location was His Majesty King Edward's office.
"Did you say... it's gone?"
Shasta muttered in disbelief.
"...That's what I said."
Even while being stared at with disbelief, Edward replied thus. No, that was the only way he could reply. This foolish conversation had been repeated several times already.
Yesterday, Edward had given Shasta permission after he said, 'I wish to research the official format of the coronation ceremony, so I would like permission to access the archives in the underground treasury.' There were memos, but the documents with everything written down according to tradition were currently only in the treasury.
He had promised to hand over the key this morning, but the crucial key to the underground treasury was missing. Moreover, the map was also gone.
But Edward had an idea. An idea of who had taken the key and map, and for what purpose.
Just in case, he had sent a messenger to summon Gerald and Greig from the royal palace. Greig, who was not at the breakfast table, would probably not be found anywhere in the royal palace, no matter how much they searched.
But it would be bad if Shasta found out.
Knowing Shasta, even if he was a child of the royal family, raiding the underground treasury was a serious crime, and he might impose a severe punishment.
To be honest, Greig couldn't be helped. Given his personality, it would be better for him to be punished.
Edward's hesitation to say so was probably for Franz's sake, who had likely been dragged along by Greig against his will.
Recently, Greig had been sticking to Franz and making unreasonable demands. He had thought it couldn't be helped since he had never had a friend his own age before, but this was going too far.
If Shasta found out, Franz wouldn't get off scot-free either. That would be too pitiful. He was taking good care of his selfish grandson. He wanted to repay him a little here.
"Shasta, I'll find it by tomorrow, so come back tomorrow morning."
Shasta, who had looked somewhat haggard recently, sighed and agreed.
"Sorry to make you come all this way for nothing."
"No, it's quite all right."
As he said that, Shasta turned his back to Edward and announced.
"Please give my regards to the culprit. Tell them that Shasta Celosia has wasted nearly an hour of his precious time."
...So he had seen through him. He thanked the departing Shasta in his heart. It seemed he would let it slide. As Shasta left, Gerald entered.
"Your Majesty, Greig is not here. According to Her Majesty the Empress, he went out with Franz to the back forest to play at camping..."
Gerald, who still didn't understand what was happening, reported to Edward in a calm tone, as he would in a public place.
"Unfortunately, Gerald, Greig is not outside the castle."
"...?"
Confused, Gerald looked back at Edward.
"Then where is he?"
"I cannot say."
Edward lightly rubbed his shoulders.
Good grief, Shasta's nagging had made his shoulders stiff. That stupid grandson of his was hopeless. He'd like to see the faces of his parents...
Just after he thought that, Edward's wish was granted. When he looked up, the stupid grandson's father was there.
"What is it, Your Majesty?"
By nature, a father must take responsibility for his son's actions. Especially when it's a child.
"...Gerald, what are your plans for today?"
"Today, I happen to have the day off."
Gerald replied, still looking confused.
"That's good."
Edward stood up from his office desk, strode over to Gerald, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're not feeling unwell, are you?"
"No. I am fine. It's just that I had no errands today..."
"I see, then that's fine."
After saying just that, Edward lightly patted Gerald's shoulder. He then moved away from Gerald and headed for the door.
"Your Majesty?"
"Follow me, Gerald."
"Huh? Where to?"
To the completely bewildered Gerald, Edward smiled brightly.
"Let's go on an underground expedition."
"What are you saying, Father!"
To the flustered Gerald, Edward laughed cheerfully.
"You're coming too, Gerald."
He then left the office.
"...Father? Are you serious?"
From behind Edward, who was striding quickly towards the royal palace, the sound of Gerald's desperate footsteps echoed as he tried to catch up.
"Of course."
"But... why?"
To the confused Gerald, Edward didn't answer and just kept going.
He could have just sent Gerald to get them, but the reason he was going along himself was simply to escape from his recently increased workload. Of that, the current Edward was blissfully unaware.