Chapter 29 - (Interlude: In the Royal Castle's Conference Room)
...At the Royal Castle.
The conference room, where the King, princes, princesses, ministers, and other heavyweights gathered, was filled with a heavy atmosphere as if shrouded in dark clouds.
「What... a large-scale murder in Elsemarin...?」
「The death toll exceeds 100, and every single one of them was a noble... that is the situation.」
The King, having received the report, looked down with a somber expression.
When the report from Elsemarin arrived, everyone doubted their ears.
'Noble district fallen. Sudden large-scale murder occurred. Every noble who was in the noble district of Elsemarin appears to have been poisoned.'
...That's impossible, they thought. It's impossible for over 100 nobles to be poisoned.
However, immediately after that, upon hearing another report, everyone was shaken to their core.
'There was a report that Violia Nico Fortesia scattered poison in the noble district's water supply.'
If that were the case, it made sense. Not about the poison being scattered in the water supply... but about the fact that Violia Nico Fortesia was involved.
If Violia Nico Fortesia was involved, then indeed, such an 'impossible' crime could occur. Everyone was convinced of that.
「Exactly what kind of method was it?」
「Ha. The details are not known... however, after the report that 'Violia Nico Fortesia scattered poison in the water supply' was made to the nobles, an antidote was apparently distributed. The nobles were gathered in one place to confirm the number of people, received instructions on how to drink it, and then all took the medicine at once.」
「...Surely it is not some foolish story where the antidote itself was the poison?」
「...At this point, that is also... In any case, everyone who drank it died. It seems it was a magical poison, and it appears they were unable to uncover the details from it. And furthermore, there was no antidote left over...」
An unidentified poison. A large-scale killing. The skill to throw the nobles who knew her name into a state of panic by using the name 'Violia Nico Fortesia,' and then manipulate them into ingesting the poison.
...Everything about it was deeply terrifying.
「What shall we do? We cannot leave her at large like this. The impact is too great.」
What troubled the King and the others was not just the direct damage of the crime Violia was thought to have caused.
「Voices of anxiety are rising from the populace, especially from the nobles who know the circumstances...」
Yes.
Her existence was gradually swelling within rumors, and now she was fanning the people's anxiety as a terrifyingly powerful, great evil.
At first, they had underestimated Violia Nico Fortesia as merely a human child, and a girl at that. They thought it would be a simple matter of imprisoning her and then either executing her or keeping her locked in a cell forever.
However, she had escaped. On the very day she was imprisoned. And furthermore, she had brought along every single criminal who had been held in the dungeon.
...Yes. Violia had not been staying quiet. She had escaped, released criminals, and successfully fled from the Royal Capital.
The criminals Violia had allowed to escape were making the populace anxious. And in fact, crimes thought to be committed by the escaped criminals were increasing rapidly around the Royal Capital.
They were frequently conducting public executions to serve as both a warning and entertainment for the populace... but even so, it seemed the people's anxiety and resentment would not clear.
About three months ago, a small-scale riot had also occurred in the south. It seemed that ruffians such as mountain bandits and thieves were also increasing, and the country's public order was worsening day by day.
To make matters even worse, Violia Nico Fortesia is almost certainly alive.
About a month ago, they received a message from the unit that had headed to Elsemarin: 'We have captured Violia Nico Fortesia. We are escorting her to the Royal Capital.' At that time, the Royal Palace was overflowing with joy. The good news that Violia Nico Fortesia had been captured spread among the nobles in an instant.
...However.
Violia's trail had once again vanished into the darkness.
Suspicious of the unit's late arrival, they dispatched a welcoming unit... and on the road not far from Elsemarin, they found the site of a massacre.
Yes. The unit that had been escorting Violia Nico Fortesia had been annihilated. And naturally, Violia was nowhere to be found.
...The fact that the good news of Violia being captured had circulated turned out to be a curse.
This time, they were forced to circulate the bad news that Violia had escaped.
Because of that, the nobles were finally terrified.
The great crime of the attempted assassination of a prince. From there, the escape accompanied by heinous criminals. Furthermore, the fact that she had killed every soldier in the escort unit and was still lurking somewhere.
Amidst the public order that was worsening day by day due to the anxiety of other criminals and the populace, the nobles spoke her name while trembling in fear.
Thus, the name 'Violia Nico Fortesia' came to be spoken of as something larger, stronger, and more terrifying than her actual self.
「Your Majesty. This incident has not yet spread outside of Elsemarin... but it is thought to be only a matter of time. Also, voices of anxiety are rising from the populace regarding the fact that many criminals were released...」
「We are conducting public executions of the captured criminals!」
「However, it is only a small portion. There are criminals who have not yet been captured. The populace, and the nobles, are terrified of that fact. ...More than anything, we are being made to fear the shadow of 'Violia Nico Fortesia.'」
The King groaned.
「Including the fact that the finances are tilting, the dissatisfaction of the populace is rising... and it seems a riot occurred in the south the other day regarding that as well.」
Hearing the minister's report, the King held his head in his hands.
The impact Violia had brought was shaking the country too greatly. They had to deal with it immediately.
While the King was troubled, the princes and princesses began to speak one after another.
「It is a blow that the unit was annihilated before a detailed report could be made.」
「According to the stories, it seems the crimes occurring around Elsemarin might also be due to Violia Nico Fortesia! Honestly, what were the soldiers doing!」
「Fortesia... I heard they had defied the Royal Family in the past as well...」
「Ah, how terrifying... that a criminal who tried to lay hands on my younger brother, Dactor, is still alive somewhere...」
...Naturally, the inner workings of the 'stage' that was the attempted assassination of the seventh prince of House Orchesta were known to all the princes and princesses. However, they were now terribly afraid of Violia Nico Fortesia, who they were supposed to have entangled in that farce.
They had laid hands on someone they shouldn't have. Such a premonition chilled their spines.
「With her trail being so impossible to grasp... I wonder where she is now.」
What is terrifying about Violia Nico Fortesia is that her trail is completely ungraspable.
Just when they thought there had been no word for about a month, she had apparently been making a name for herself with great success at the Adventurer Guild in Elsemarin. She hunted dragons and other monsters at an astonishing speed, and then, she was successfully captured due to a tip-off from someone who noticed her existence...
「...Could someone who was captured annihilate an entire unit of soldiers?」
「I wonder. Originally, those who were dispatched to Elsemarin were the incompetents who allowed Violia Nico Fortesia to escape from the Royal Castle's dungeon. It could be thought that they were not that strong. However...」
...Everyone in this place understood.
No matter how weak a soldier might be, a soldier is a soldier. They were people who made a living out of fighting, who should have been carrying weapons and wearing armor.
To have killed them all single-handedly... it was finally no longer the work of a human.
「...I wonder if the rumors are true.」
「Rumors?」
Everyone's attention focused on the words one of the princesses had blurted out.
Then the princess spoke it, looking truly terrified.
「The rumor that House Fortesia sold their souls to the devil!」
It was a ridiculous story. However, they could not laugh it off.
Even if Violia Nico Fortesia had sold her soul to the devil. Or rather, even if she herself were a devil, it would not be surprising at all. She had accomplished things that warranted it.
「If we conduct the public execution of the root of all evil, Violia Nico Fortesia, the dissatisfaction of the populace will also clear. For everything is her fault.」
The King said this solemnly yet hatefully, and turned a sharp gaze toward the minister.
「Is there nothing! No way to capture that devil! No, at least, even just grasping her trail would do! Is there nothing, anything!」
The minister was trembling in a truly pitiful manner, but eventually, as if he had suddenly remembered, he spoke.
「...We also inquired with the Guild, but it seems no useful information was obtained. However...」
The minister himself seemed to be saying something hard to believe... but the words were tossed into the conference room.
「There was testimony from a collaborator that Violia Nico Fortesia had once... about two months ago, formed a party.」
「Oh, a party. ...Who was the partner?」
「A scion of House Esclan, a branch of House Clarino. Lital Pia Esclan, it seems.」
「Esclan, you say?」
The King groaned.
Even if it was a branch, it was hard to believe someone from a house connected to House Clarino would assist a criminal. If that were the case, were they deceived...
「Then immediately summon Lital Pia Esclan and hear his story!」
But the King stopped thinking and raised his voice.
They must not miss even a single thread leading to the root of evil, Violia Nico Fortesia. Believing that she must surely be at the end of that thin thread.
「T-That is...」
...However, the minister's complexion was poor.
「What is it?」
「About that Lital Pia Esclan...」
The minister said with an indescribable face.
「He left a note saying, 'I shall go to train to become a man worthy of the person I admire,' and is currently missing... He is under active search.」
「What a thing...」
The King also had a vague grasp of Lital of House Esclan. He should have been a boy who was poor at swordsmanship and appeared weak in both mind and body. If he was missing... perhaps he had already been killed at the hands of Violia Nico Fortesia.
「Has every clue been crushed now...」
Just as the King slumped down, exhausted.
「Wait, Father.」
The seventh prince, Dactor, raised his voice.
「Even if Lital Pia Esclan is not here, there must have been someone who testified that he and Violia had formed a party, right? Can we not hear information from that person? ...Hey, Minister. Who is that person?」
「H-Ha! It is the woman who was in charge of reception at the Guild at that time. She is also the one who noticed Violia Nico Fortesia and reported her.」
At the minister's answer, the conference room brightened with a slight hope. Not all clues had been crushed yet.
「I see. I wish to hear from that woman as well. Bring her here.」
「Ha.」
If there was someone who knew a side of Violia Nico Fortesia that the King and the others did not, they would be a very powerful ally. Right now, they wanted even a little information.
...And, they had to capture Violia Nico Fortesia and conduct a public execution no matter what.
The country had become so rough that things would not settle otherwise.