Chapter 88 - <10>
Ritz, Anna, and Lef were making their way through the darkness, with Lef in the lead. Unlike Ritz and Anna, who couldn't see anything without the light of the candelabrum, Lef could see even in the dark. His senses of smell and hearing were also superior, making him the perfect person to lead the way.
The underground tunnel from the Russell Residence connected to this cavern midway. He knew the underground treasury was built inside a cavern, and he had been there once before, but he was a little surprised to find that the cavern was this large.
"How do you see in the dark, Lef?" Suddenly, Anna's cheerful voice broke the silence.
"I just see normally."
"Can you see colors properly, too?"
"Of course. I can see Anna's red hair clearly."
"That's amazing!"
It was hard to believe that this cheerful person was the same one who had been so exhausted just a little while ago. Was she just putting on a brave face, or was she genuinely cheerful? Ritz couldn't tell.
"Oh, it splits into two paths here."
The cavern leading to the underground treasury was surprisingly complex and hard to navigate. He seemed to remember it having a simpler layout when he had entered it before, but that was probably because he had used the official route.
"You're right. I wonder which way it is."
Anna stopped, holding up the candelabrum. To the untrained eye, it was impossible to tell which of the two cave paths led to the official route. They had already passed several forks, and each time, it was Lef's superhuman sense of smell that had proven useful.
"Lef, what do you think?"
Lef, who had been sniffing the air in the cave, tilted his head.
"Both paths smell of the robbers."
He said in a bewildered voice, then fell into thought. Anna imitated him and sniffed the air, then laughed softly.
"I can't tell."
"Of course you can't."
He said, exasperated, and Anna laughed cheerfully. It seemed that her sense of liberation was making everything fun.
Seeing her like that, he felt a profound sense of relief. He couldn't help but think, time and again, how glad he was that she was alive. At that moment... when he had seen Anna in the dungeon, unresponsive even when he shook her, the blood had drained from his face. Even now, the mere thought of what would have happened if Anna had died sent shivers down his spine.
It was a strange thing, but he didn't think he could bear to lose Anna. Ritz let out a small sigh and looked away from Anna to Lef. This was no time to be spacing out.
"So what does that mean?"
"The smell is strong in both directions."
Until now, even if the smell came from two directions, he had been choosing the one with the stronger smell, but it seemed that was no longer an option.
"So it means not much time has passed since they came through?"
"That's right."
In that case, they had no choice but to check. They couldn't afford to get lost.
"Lef, can you check the left path? Anna and I will check the right."
"Yes."
Upon receiving his instructions, Lef immediately turned towards the left cave. Ritz called out to his back.
"One of them is probably a dead end, and they came back. So if you reach a dead end, meet back at this entrance. If it seems like a long way, turn back midway."
"Understood."
Lef said cheerfully and disappeared into the pitch-black left cave. Being able to see at night was a convenient thing. After seeing Lef disappear as if sucked into the completely dark space without a single light, Ritz turned back to Anna.
"Shall we go this way?"
"Yeah."
The right cave was relatively wide. But it was still a dark, natural cavern.
"Ritz."
"Hmm?"
Ritz stopped at Anna's call.
"This is my first time in a cave. I wonder if there are lakes or stone icicles?"
Anna's words, so far removed from their current situation, drained him of his strength. Normally, she would be talking about the robbers...
"...You, what are you being so cheerful about..."
He said with a sigh, and Anna pouted and looked up at Ritz.
"Because if I talk about what happened when I was captured here, I'll remember it."
Being lightly glared at, he finally realized the reason for Anna's cheerfulness. It was all a front.
"...Oh, right."
Feeling pathetic for only just realizing it, he let out a small sigh and slowly pressed his forehead.
"That's right. I'm trying my best."
Seeing Anna putting on a brave face and acting tough, he couldn't find any good words of comfort.
"...Sorry."
It was unreasonable to expect Anna, who had been enduring terror, thinking she was going to die just a little while ago, to talk about the robbers. By talking about unrelated things, Anna was trying to escape that fear.
Anna was earnestly looking forward to overcome her fear within herself. It was a world of difference from him, who would silently hold everything in and drag it out for a long time afterwards.
Placing a hand on Anna's head, Ritz gave her a light pat and quickly changed the subject.
"In Lef's country next door, there's an incredibly beautiful cave."
Those words came out spontaneously.
"What kind of cave?"
"It's amazing. There are pure white stone pillars and an underground lake that's a terrifyingly deep blue."
Ritz remembered the cave he had visited only once. A cave with an underground lake of deep blue, illuminated by threads of light pouring down from a small hole in the ground, and stone pillars that glittered like glass.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'll take you there someday."
"Really? You promise?"
"I promise."
He had made the promise lightly. In reality, it was in an incredible location, so it wasn't a place you could easily go to, but he decided to let it be.
As they were chatting, Ritz sensed a presence coming from ahead. The presence was heading towards them. It didn't seem to have noticed them yet.
"Anna, put out the fire."
"Okay!"
As Anna blew out the candelabrum, the area was plunged into darkness. Currently, the only people in this underground area should be themselves and the robbers. In that case, the quickest way would be to capture one of them and have them lead the way to their boss.
Shielding Anna with his back, he hid in the darkness and waited for the presence to approach. He knew the enemy's strength. They were ordinary people with almost no martial arts training. He could capture them easily.
The light of a lamp faintly appeared.
"Can you knock that out?"
He whispered to Anna behind him, and Anna thought for a moment before replying.
"The lamp, right? Hmm... I'll try."
She sounded quite unsure. But he had no choice but to have her try.
"When I give the signal, throw a water sphere at the lamp. I'll move right after the water sphere and capture the enemy."
When he whispered the plan, Anna nodded slightly. He could feel it from the faint touch of her hand on him.
"Three, two, one... now!"
He said it sharply, though quietly, and Anna brought her hands together to create a water sphere. Because it was spontaneous, it was quite small, about the size of her palm, but it was enough.
"Fly, water sphere."
She whispered, and the water sphere flew towards the enemy. Ritz followed after it. The moment the water sphere knocked the lamp away, the cavern was once again plunged into darkness.
He would capture the enemy easily before they could realize they were under attack. From the fight in the entrance hall, he knew they were weak. If he used his sword, he could cut them down in an instant.
Ritz prepared to deliver a kick to the solar plexus of the man who had been holding the lamp, but just then, something unexpected happened.
He heard the sound of the enemy drawing their sword.
"!"
Their reaction was swift. Before Ritz could brace himself for the unexpected action, the man swung his sword. He had drawn his greatsword in an instant.
Sword clashed against sword.
This guy... he's not an ordinary person...
When he swung his sword with all his might, the man didn't stumble, but took a step back. He could tell from the sound of his feet on the ground. He was probably regaining his stance.
He strained his senses to their limit, focusing on presence, footsteps, the movement of the air... everything. The darkness made it require an abnormal amount of mental energy to read the opponent's movements.
Ritz also readied his sword again.
This was no time to be careless. He was different from the man claiming to be the butler's nephew, who had brought out his sword in a fit of desperation...
This time, the man moved. He, too, must have been sensing Ritz's movements from sound and presence.
He was fast. And this presence... there were no openings.
After exchanging a few blows, they separated again to regain their stances. This man used a terribly unpleasant sword style. He had a feeling he wasn't good against it.
Unpleasant sword style? Not good against it?
Sensing Ritz's situation, Anna ran over. The enemy, oblivious to the situation, charged at Ritz again. While blocking with his sword, Ritz shouted at Anna.
"Stay back!"
"But..."
But then, something unexpected happened. The enemy momentarily relaxed his strength, then laughed. A laugh as if he found something unbearably funny, and the strength in his sword also eased.
"What's so funny?"
He said, annoyed, and the enemy laughed again. This time, it was a hearty, loud laugh. Ritz was very familiar with that laugh. More than familiar, it was a voice he had heard so much he was tired of it.
And it was the voice of a person he had never expected to hear here.
"How could I not laugh? In this situation."
"Y-You're... Ed!"
The strength he had been putting into his sword drained away all at once. He could hear Ed sheathing his sword. Unable to just stand there with his sword drawn, Ritz also sheathed his.
"It's no wonder it felt strange. It's impossible to read an opponent's movements in this darkness, yet I somehow sensed how you would move."
"...Now that you mention it, that's true."
Indeed, now that he said it, it was true. His body might have unconsciously understood who his opponent was.
"Anna's here too, right?"
"Yes, Ed-san."
Anna, who had grabbed Ritz's back by feel, answered in the direction she thought Ed was in.
"I should have realized when the water sphere came flying, but I never thought you all would be in a place like this."
It was undoubtedly Edward. No matter how dark it was and how he couldn't see his face, there was no way he wouldn't recognize his sworn friend. The man behind him picked up the fallen lamp and lit it again. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have broken.
"Well, Ritz. Fancy meeting you here."
Illuminated by the light, the quiet-looking man smiled serenely and brightly.
"Gerald..."
Using the light from the lamp, Anna also lit her own candelabrum. With the light from two sources, it became much brighter.
"Why are Ed and Gerald here?"
When he asked with a great deal of suspicion, Edward slowly crossed his arms and looked back at Ritz.
"Isn't that question fundamentally strange, Ritz? That's a question I should be asking."
"Why's that?"
"This is the castle's underground treasury. And I am the king of this country, and Gerald is the crown prince. It's possible for us to be in the underground treasury. In other words, it's, in a sense, natural for Gerald and I to be here."
Now that he said it, it was true. The king had the right to enter this treasury at any time. And since he had declared his abdication, that right was unconditionally granted to Gerald as well.
"Well, you're right about that."
He replied vaguely, but Edward didn't stop talking.
"On top of that, Gerald and I came here through the official route. In the current situation, you all are perfectly fine intruders, you know?"
Now that he said it, it was true. If they had been caught by the Military Police instead of Edward, it would have become a troublesome matter. Unless they were lucky enough to run into Altman's platoon, they wouldn't have been able to avoid going to prison.
"Alright, I give up. We're definitely the more suspicious ones."
When Ritz admitted defeat, Edward laughed cheerfully.
"You should have just said so from the beginning."
"Shut up."
While being teased by Edward, Ritz quickly explained the situation up to now. Given the circumstances, Edward listened to his story with a serious expression from the middle.
"I see. So that's why you're here."
"Yeah."
Edward thought for a moment, then looked up.
"You've had a hard time, Anna."
With a gentle smile, Edward showed his concern for Anna. As if drawn in, Anna also smiled.
"It would be a lie to say I wasn't scared, but I believed you would come for me."
Hearing Anna say that made him strangely happy. It was worth saving her. He felt a strange sense of unease at thinking that, but it was what it was.
"I see."
Edward nodded calmly.
"But when you really did come, I was so happy I cried."
Anna laughed shyly. Edward looked at her with a smile like a real grandfather.
"I'm truly glad you're safe."
"Yes, Ed-san."
Edward, who had seen through her complex feelings of joy and some confusion, looked at Ritz with a shrug.
"Good for you, Ritz, for being believed in."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He had no idea what he was thinking. For now, the group of four headed back to the fork where Lef was likely waiting, continuing their conversation.
"So, why are you here?"
"...Looking for someone."
"Huh?"
Looking for someone in the underground treasury... There was no way something so strange could be happening.
"The two of you, you and Gerald, looking for someone..."
He said it again and mulled over the current situation of Edward and Gerald in his mind. He was starting to get it. Two members of the royal family... and the king and the crown prince at that, searching in secret... it had to be...
When he glanced at Edward walking beside him, Edward sighed and muttered softly.
"...You can probably guess, can't you?"
"Yeah."
Greig. When he remained silent, Edward continued, assuming Ritz understood.
"If it were just Greig, it would be fine. To be honest, I'm a little relieved to have met you all here."
From his very troubled tone, he understood. Greig was still a child. He would probably want to bring a companion with him rather than infiltrate here alone. And Greig had only one companion... or rather, friend.
"...Franz is here, isn't he?"
"Yes, he is."
Anna, who had heard her other companion's name in an unexpected place, turned around in surprise, but seeing the two talking seriously, she listened to the rest of their conversation in silence.
Come to think of it, Franz had said he was going out with Greig to play at camping. He never thought he would be infiltrating the underground treasury...
"Greig is one thing, but I can't make a criminal out of Franz. That boy is just being dragged around by Greig."
That was why the two of them had come down to the underground treasury alone. In that case, the only people in the underground treasury now were the robbers, Franz, and Greig.
"This is bad..."
A close-quarters encounter, a chaotic battle... He could see such a situation in his mind's eye. The opponents were amateurs, and Greig was skilled in swordplay. It was reassuring in a way, but the actual enemy wouldn't treat them with courtesy.
"Even if he can use a sword and spirits, if he's ganged up on by a large number of people, he won't stand a chance."
"...You think so too?"
Edward had been worried about that too.
"Let's hurry. Lef is waiting."
He said, quickening his pace, and Edward tilted his head without stopping.
"Lef?"
It was Gerald who beamed at that name.
"Is Lef here? That's reassuring."
At his unexpectedly friendly words, it was Ritz who tilted his head.
"Were you and Lef close, Gerald?"
"Yes, we are. I met and talked with him several times when he was in the Military Police's special room."
So that was it. The reason Lef had heard so much about Ritz was from Gerald. It was good that Gerald had been taking care of him diligently while Ritz had left him alone.
When they reached the fork again, Lef was waiting. He saw Ritz's face, then spotted Gerald, and his face lit up with joy.
"Your Highness Gerald."
"Well, Lef. Have you been well?"
Seeing the two of them happily reunited, Edward muttered.
"I see... the beastman from that time..."
"That's right. I'm looking after him for a while."
After delighting in his reunion with Gerald, Lef returned to a serious expression and looked at Ritz.
"There's a large room ahead, and the robbers are inside."
Ritz nodded at Lef, then looked at Edward.
"There's no mistake that this is the treasury ahead, right?"
"Yes."
In that case, were Greig and Franz inside?
"Have Franz and His Highness Greig been captured?"
Anna asked anxiously.
"It's not certain yet, but it's a possibility."
"No way..."
Anna gripped the hem of Ritz's clothes tightly. He thought that her fear from before had returned, but it was a little different.
"They hurt me, and if they do something terrible to Franz and His Highness Greig too, I won't forgive them!"
She hadn't been gripping it out of anxiety, but had clenched her fist in anger. As expected of Anna, she was overcoming her own fear with her sense of justice.
"Lef, were there lookouts?"
When Edward asked, Lef nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty. There are two."
He recognized the king properly. As expected of Kenny, Altman, and Gerald. They were reliable in that regard.
"What should we do, Father?"
When Gerald asked, Edward thought for a moment, then a smile played on his lips.
"Greig and Franz stole the key from my room and broke into the underground treasury. Now here's the problem. Don't you think it's impossible to forgive them without some form of punishment?"
Seeing his wicked smile, everyone except Ritz was bewildered. They didn't understand the meaning of bringing that up now.
"Yeah, sure. I get it."
But Ritz understood. With a sigh, he unslung his greatsword, scabbard and all. Anna, who disliked killing, was here, and the opponents were amateurs. He secured the sword and scabbard firmly so it wouldn't be drawn.
"...Ritz, I don't get it."
Anna tugged on the hem of Ritz's clothes, which she was still holding. When he noticed, everyone's gaze was on him. When he looked at Edward, he seemed to have no intention of explaining and was heading forward alone.
"...He says we're forcing our way through."
"Huh...?"
Anna, Gerald, and Lef froze.
"...Even though Greig and Franz are inside?"
Gerald asked timidly.
"That's why this is their punishment, right? We'll force our way through and put them in a difficult position, but since they're guilty, they have to figure it out themselves."
"...No way..."
Next to the speechless Gerald, Anna clapped her hands together.
"Oh, I see. And then he'll forgive them for breaking into the underground treasury without permission."
"Well done."
After smiling at Anna and praising her, Ritz followed Edward. Everyone let out a deep sigh and followed the two of them. They all knew that in this situation, it was the only option. At the end of the cave that turned to the right was a large door, and two lookouts were standing there. Everyone hid around the corner.
"Well then, let us go, everyone."
As Edward said the joking words with a truly cheerful smile, it became the signal, and Ritz, sighing, and the faithful Lef leaped out. Edward, Gerald, and Anna followed them.
The words the lookouts shouted in the heat of the moment were completely off the mark.
"Enemies! It's the Military Police!"
My condolences.
They probably never dreamed it was the king and the crown prince, thought Ritz, who, though reluctantly, held the position of minister, with a sigh.