Chapter 47 - Chapter 18: An Open-Air Prison is Nothing to Fear
Gokigenyou! I am Violia Nico Fortesia!
I was just having a 『chat』 with the two soldiers who were in the decoy black gold coin transport squad!
It was a very pleasant and meaningful 『chat』. It was helpful that they spilled everything unexpectedly quickly. Ohohohohoho.
「……Your interrogation technique was skillful, have you received such training before?」
「No? It was just intuition. Even if you call it interrogation, in the end, it is just a negotiation. Since it is an interaction with a human being, I do not believe that much training is necessary.」
Yes. Well, that is the kind of 『chat』 I had with the two soldiers. It is only natural to be able to do this much. When it comes to interrogation, there are only two things you need to know.
First, what the opponent hates having done to them. Second, the opponent's breaking point before death.
If you understand just these two things, it is possible to make them spit out information. After that, if you have the skills for negotiation, it is simple.
So, regarding the information obtained from the two soldiers…… well, it was nothing major.
They were originally a group used as decoys. One of them was in a pathetic state, acting as a decoy without even knowing they were one. No wonder their acting was so superb.
……As for what I learned, it was fragmentary information about what the Royal Family intends to do with the Guild in the future…… and one more thing.
The mysterious information that 『House Fruitier is making a massive investment in something』.
「First, regarding the treatment of the Guild, well, it was as expected.」
「The Royal Family's wish is to replace the personnel and make it a perfect organization on the Royal Family's side. Well, it was obvious, but still.」
The information obtained was, well, exactly as we speculated.
The Royal Family has only one wish.
To crush the Guild, replace all the personnel, and once again bring this Elsemarin under the Royal Family's control.
In other words, if the Guild defied them, they intended to crush it head-on and establish a new Guild; conversely, if the Guild curried favor, they likely planned to use that as a shield while gradually replacing the personnel.
……And for now, it means they are following the latter path. The Guild did, for the time being, properly pay the black gold coins to the Royal Family. The fact that the black gold coins were stolen by bandits along the way is a failure on the Royal Family's side, not the Guild's.
「Now then, I wonder how the Royal Family will act once the Guild is split in two. They certainly do not seem to have anticipated that.」
「From the Royal Family's perspective, it would be as if the rebels had come forward of their own accord. They should come to crush them with glee.」
「And then, they'll end up trusting the ones who stayed, right? How stupid. Hahaha.」
That is right. Well, it seems they will move roughly according to our aim. For now.
……However.
「So, what on earth is House Fruitier doing now……?」
The problem is that side.
Even the soldiers did not know the details of this. It seems it was merely something they overheard inside the castle.
Well, that is natural. If a mere soldier knew the inner workings of the nobility in detail, I would suspect him of being a spy!
「Investment in something, was it?」
「Yes! House Fruitier, which should have been on the verge of downfall after their drug-related income was cut off, is making an investment!? Is that not strange!?」
「Well, it makes you wonder where they got that kind of money from……」
「It means there is something worth investing in even if it means further ruining an already declining house, but……」
I do not understand that part…….
I believe the majority of House Fruitier's source of funds was likely drugs. On the surface, they ran several wineries, but the wineries will soon be eaten by slimes, and in the first place, they do not live a lifestyle that can be sustained by that alone. Naturally, they will go bankrupt. At this rate.
……And yet, an investment? A massive one at that?
No matter how you look at it, it is suspicious. There is absolutely something going on. Unless I confirm what is moving behind the scenes, it is simply too unsettling to bear!
「But for now, we have no choice but to focus on the Guild.」
「I know that. House Fruitier comes after that. Yes. The real show begins after Elsemarin becomes mine. First, I must prepare the foundation.」
Hmm, I am also curious about House Fruitier's so-called investment, but right now, I have my hands full with Guild-related matters.
After all, we are currently in the middle of a series of farcical plays: 『having the stolen black gold coins stolen back again』, 『starting a civil war in Elsemarin after a short time has passed since the black gold coins reached the Royal Family』, and 『suppressing the Elsemarin civil war before reinforcements from the Royal Family arrive』.
……However, I shall keep the matter of House Fruitier's investment firmly in the corner of my mind. There is no telling where or how it might connect.
Now then.
We stayed at the bandits' hideout as we were, waiting for the soldiers to pursue us.
It was boring. Honestly, it was extremely boring. Since I was so bored, I hunted the magical beasts of the mountain while waiting, and quite a significant result came of it. Killer Grizzlies have probably vanished from this mountain.
……And so, though we had killed too much time, eventually, the soldiers finally arrived!
「The crime of attacking the Royal transport squad! You shall pay for it with your lives!」
And so, while spitting out such lines, the soldiers arrived, but are the black gold coins not a bit too cheap to pay for my life?
Setting aside my question, we…… finally, shall perform the most difficult part of this farce.
……Yes. To be honest, this is the most difficult part this time.
How to make the part where the black gold coins are reclaimed by the soldiers look real. This is the greatest hurdle.
If we were to suffer casualties to our heart's content, we could get through this. It would provide a reason for us to give up the black gold coins we went to the trouble of stealing.
However, if we suffer casualties here, we will lack the operatives for the subsequent Elsemarin civil war. Therefore, if possible, I want to go through this with zero casualties.
However, if that happens, we would be forced to become a mysterious group that 『flees and gives up the black gold coins before even being defeated』.
Naturally, if we did such a thing, there is no doubt the soldiers would suspect that 『there is something going on behind the scenes』.
So, how did we overcome that?
How did we create persuasiveness in 『having the black gold coins reclaimed』?
……It was simple.
We fought. At first, we had the advantage. While mocking the soldiers who fell into the pitfalls we had set around the hideout, we responded mainly with bows and arrows.
But, we made the judgment to 『retreat due to being overwhelmed by numbers』.
……It was fortunate that a large number of soldiers came, enough to allow that.
「Retreat! The goods are here! If we escape, it's our win!」
Once Chesta raised his voice and gave the signal, the bandits and we immediately began to flee.
……However, the important point here is not to escape completely.
If we were to escape completely, it would end without the black gold coins being reclaimed. However, it would be unacceptable to do something as stupid as dropping the black gold coins here.
So, what to do?
……Chesta was not on horseback at first. He was stationed in front of the hideout, in charge of responding with a bow.
However, he was the one who gave the signal to retreat.
Then, those around him began to bring a horse in front of Chesta or help him mount it, attempting to let Chesta escape.
……I do not know how it appeared in the eyes of the soldiers.
Whether he was simply thought of as a slow-moving target, or whether they thought, 『For some reason, those around him are trying to let him escape. Therefore, he is an important person』. I do not know, but…… to state only the facts, Chesta was shot with an arrow by a soldier while he was fumbling around.
There, Chesta used the horse as a shield to escape the arrow, losing the horse instead.
And! Chesta, who was late in escaping! Was surrounded by several soldiers!
「Yes! We've captured him!」
……Yes. That is right.
To increase credibility and persuasiveness! While holding the small box of black gold coins! It is best if 『someone who seems like an important person』 is captured—!
「I wonder if Chesta is doing well.」
「Well, he should be fine since the drugs have worn off for now.」
Me, Doran, and the other bandits and adventurers mostly managed to retreat safely.
……I say mostly because there are a few who seem to have been captured along with Chesta.
Well, they probably will not be killed. As for the soldiers, they would want as much information as possible about the mastermind of this incident (well, that would be me). In other words, rather than killing Chesta and the others, they should choose the path of subjecting them to interrogation to make them spit out information.
And…… well, they will probably be at a loss as to how to handle them.
After all, the man who is presumably the 『mastermind of the black gold coin robbery incident』 has been captured. Whether they escort him or start the interrogation on the spot, I think it will be quite a dilemma.
……And so.
「Shall we go soon?」
「If it is just picking them up, it should be easy.」
Me and Doran, with Spatial Bags in hand, decided to head back again to rescue Chesta and the others.
Picking up Chesta is easy.
We just need to charge into the place where the soldiers are gathered on horseback, throw Chesta and the others into the Spatial Bag as we pass them, and then gallop away.
Especially this time, the soldiers are merely surrounding and guarding Chesta and the others. In short, it is, so to speak, an open-air prison. One can break out of such a thing as much as one likes.
While running over several soldiers, me and Doran quickly snatched Chesta, two bandits, and one adventurer into the bags and galloped through the open-air prison.
「Wha…… they vanished!?」
「What kind of magic is that!? I've never heard of such magic!」
「Anyway, pursue them! Pursue them!」
I can hear the voices of the confused soldiers from behind, but it is futile.
Me and Doran just kept our horses running into the mountains and successfully escaped. Escaping alone is not that difficult!
……What the soldiers did after that, we do not know.
Because we fled. For the time being, I also listened to what Chesta and the others, whom I picked up, had to say, but I obtained almost no information other than that they were 『subjected to a body search and the small box of black gold coins they had in their possession was confiscated』.
I do not know if the black gold coins safely reached the Royal Family after that, nor do I know if the soldiers are pursuing us.
……However, those results will be known soon.
It is fine. We are the ones moving first.
「Now! The Elsemarin civil war is finally about to begin, you bastards! But tonight is a moment of rest! Eat well, drink well, and go to bed early tonight! Is that understood!?」
In one of the ruined mansions in the noble district, I gathered the bandits and failed adventurers for a grand party!
Assuming the black gold coins reach the Royal Capital today…… while they are working hard to open the small box for which the key was lost, the Elsemarin civil war will begin!
Today is, so to speak, the eve of the eve of the festival! I shall also drink plenty!
……Well, even if I drink, I cannot get drunk, though…….