Chapter 313 - Bandit Extermination ②
The aim was correct, and the name of the noble who was supporting the mountain bandits was found. The scouts directly under Eowyn-sama, who were released to the capital and the noble's territory, investigated the movement of the carts. It's summer now. The town is overflowing with fresh vegetables, meat, and fish, but conversely, they spoil easily. They must be using the wooden boxes for decay prevention that I put magic into. And those wooden boxes are only distributed in a very small part of the capital in Northern Gram. It's a great noble who is participating in trade. That became the clue.
Even though they were ruined by the fire, the food aid must be part of the contract. The consequence of being extravagant in the forest has come back to haunt them.
"The noble who was plotting the conspiracy has been identified."
It seems to be a great noble with a mansion in the capital.
For some reason, Saxburg has a completely pale face. The fact that a great noble was committing a crime that could be called treason must have been a great shock to her. Her tone is also strange... no, polite.
"My brother Eowyn informed me. And he said he wants to hear everyone's opinions."
Will and Beatrix are looking at each other. It seems they've encountered a difficult problem.
"It's the family of my former fiancé."
"Former?"
When Beatrix caught that, she said it's different now.
"It's because my value has changed. Before, my husband was a royal consort. But now, he's just someone who got a bride from the royal family. Besides, if my brother can succeed, there's a high possibility I'll go to another country as a bride. It's the duty of a daughter of the royal family to become a tool for diplomacy to protect the country."
What a thing. Is that what a girl who has just become an adult says? Being royalty is not something to be.
The family of her former fiancé is one of the most prominent nobles in Northern Gram, and since they were going to produce a royal consort, the royal family cannot ignore their intentions either. They apparently also handle trials between nobles, and many other nobles are flattering them.
"Soon, the noble from former Septanaquila whom we initially suspected is going to be summoned to the capital. The one who will conduct the interrogation is my former fiancé's father."
"He'll surely be interrogated until he confesses to things that are and aren't true."
At Beatrix's words, Saxburg grips her right hand.
"I won't let that happen!"
"What are you going to do? The opponent might be too bad. For example, if everything goes as that former fiancé's family intended, what will happen after that?"
After the execution, a subjugation army will be formed and the territory will be confiscated, and it's common practice for the royal family and the nobles who were active in the subjugation battle to divide it up. In other words, the royal family also profits. If you think about it, as long as the former fiancé's family hasn't done anything directly harmful to the royal family, it's not treason. Consequently, if the territory of the former enemy noble who had just submitted is crushed and the royal family's direct territory increases, it could even be called royal filial piety.
"What about the former fiancé's territory?"
"It's near the border with former Septanaquila. He has the largest military force in that area."
"Hmph. He's planning to send troops, seize land, and compensate for the part where he failed to become the family of the royal consort."
How malicious. Wouldn't it be better to crush him early? Otherwise, Northern Gram might become a country full of conspiracies.
"How much is the military force?"
"It's the largest among our country's standing armies, after the direct army."
"Hmm. If you tried to subjugate that side, would they be subjugated quietly? If several nobles become allies, it'll be a civil war that divides the country."
"But..."
The war has just ended. Everyone will hate it. Even if they don't become enemies, some nobles might be reluctant to send reinforcements to the royal family. On the other hand, if you ask other countries for reinforcements, a reward will naturally be generated.
"There's another way."
A compromise, right? Beatrix said, and she nodded.
"Confront them with evidence and make them back off. After that, as if nothing happened..."
The mountain bandits will be subjugated, so it'll also be a way to silence them. Of course, the noble from former Septanaquila will be acquitted.
With the plot exposed, the great noble might become a bit quieter.
"That's naive. They've calculated that it might be exposed."
It's the Queen. Since Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san are not here, she's the most reliable.
"They're doing it because they're confident they can hush it up even if it's exposed. They'll surely do something else again by changing their methods and means. The King and Eowyn-sama know that, so they're asking Jeanne and the others if there might be some good idea."
"Then, are you going to subjugate them even if you're prepared for civil war?"
Whether it's a civil war or a foreign expedition, I'm against war.
"That would be pitiful for the people."
"Then what should we do?"
"Why did Eowyn-sama want to hear the opinions of Jeanne and the others? It's because Jeanne and the others are from Sertoria. I don't know the details, but I heard roughly from Fiona. It seems to be quite different from this country."
When the Queen looked at Fiona, Fiona gave a smile and a bow.
"In short, what would Sertoria do?"
"That's right."
There are no nobles in Sertoria. Whether they are wealthy or whatever, someone who instigates mountain bandits would be put on public trial...
"I've got it!"
Bonnie shouted.
Bonnie's discovery was adopted, and first we decided to go to Finis. Of course, since it's incognito, it's an illegal entry.
"Jeanne has finally started to beg for illegal entry too."
Eleanor-sama, a habitual offender, is smirking. I wish she wouldn't lump me in with some kind of addict.
"It's for the future of Saxburg and Northern Gram."
"That's splendid. As expected of a stray priest."
I don't know if she's praising me or disparaging me.
"Now, it's come into view."
Enduring the discomfort of deceleration, I peek outside, and the sea surface can be seen between the mountains. It's just like a lake. If you fly at ultra-high speed, you arrive over the beautiful castle floating in the sea in about two hours from Northern Gram.
Since we met up with Aira from the Finis capital on the way, it was a straight line from east to west.
"I'm glad you came."
The Priestess welcomed us. It's the first time she's come to the north since before the war.
"Thank you for your help during the war."
"No, no, the same to you. Since you gave me the opportunity to be useful for an early end to the war."
Eleanor-sama has also become an acquaintance before I knew it.
Eleanor-sama said she'd say thank you to the ghosts and went with the apprentice priestess who was the guide, and it was just me and the Priestess.
Before proceeding with the talk, I make a Vow of Silence before the Goddess.
"This time, you need the sleeping medicine we make."
"Yes. I can't say it very loudly, but..."
Briefly, I explain this and that.
"I see. So you're going to punish a great noble who's plotting evil. I understand. Originally, to prevent misuse, it's not allowed to leave these gates, but it should be fine if it's Jeanne. Be prepared and don't teach it to others."
"Yes. I vow to the Goddess and the Priestess."
I know the one for octopuses if it's for monsters, but the opponent is human. If I use it poorly, they might sleep forever. Since that would be bad, I thought I'd have Aira ask the Priestess to let me use the powerful sleeping medicine for humans she used during the war. In the reply from Aira, she was told that even if it were Aira, it's not something that can be passed through others. She was told to come because she'd teach the preparation method.
I go to a room in the back of the temple with a locked door and receive an explanation. In dozens of pots, the flowers I remember were planted.
"We use this flower. It's more like paralysis than sleeping, to be precise. If you use it too frequently, it will cause addiction. Just as a heavy drinker always wants alcohol, you will want the effect of this flower. If you continue to use it further, the brain will become as if broken and you will lose your sanity, and finally you will die."
That's terrifying. She would keep it from leaving the gates. Not only the number of times, but if I'm not careful with the amount used at one time, it seems they might die. Unless it's a very special case, it's better not to use it.
Normally, it's used as a powder mixed into drinks. It's apparently very effective when mixed with alcohol. There's also a method of mixing it with powder and burning it to produce smoke for them to sniff, but it's apparently less effective and easy to be found out. This time I decided to use liquid.
The flower itself is also in Sertoria. It's about the time it finishes blooming. By picking that flower from the stem and going through several processes, it apparently becomes a powerful sleeping medicine. Since it actually has to be dried in the sun and so on, I receive an explanation while being shown things that would be models.
Writing is not allowed. I recited the mnemonic of the Priestess and others many times and memorized it entirely. It's like a magical incantation. Midway, I finished a simple meal, had her test me several times at intervals, and became able to say it smoothly without getting stuck. The Priestess gave me a package of the finished product to use this time.
When I leave the room and return to the place of the Goddess's statue, the ghosts came in a crowd, pushing and shoving from behind the apprentice priestess and Eleanor-sama. The one at the front is the preaching ghost from the fortress. I felt like I heard the Lord's voice, but I can't see him.
"Oh! Jeanne. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"It's been a while."
"I heard. You've seduced the evil spirit of Northern Gram."
I wish he wouldn't say such scandalous things.
"Jeanne has become a high-level mage."
"Umu. Eventually, you'll have to put magic into our orbs."
"If so, the memorable first one is me."
"What are you saying! It's decided it's me."
"No, it's me."
"We must decide the winner."
"A tournament... no, it's a bother. How about a battle royale!"
You guys, since you all came together, the greetings should be over already.
I'd like to have a banquet, but unfortunately there's no time. Already more than half a day has passed. If I don't wrap it up within this week, the noble from former Septanaquila will be put on an impeachment trial.
After saying goodbye to the Priestess and the ghosts who were reluctant to see us go, and the Lord who was finally dragged out from the back and was exhausted, we departed promptly.
"Everyone is lively. They seem to be living vividly."
It's Eleanor-sama. I think it's also something for ghosts to be living vividly.
"Jeanne, have you ever thought about what happens after death?"
Suddenly Eleanor-sama threw that at me.
Honestly, I'm desperate just to live and it doesn't click, but if possible, I want to go to the side of the Goddess.
"I was born into a military family. When I was a child, it was nothing but magic training. I was hardly allowed to go outside the mansion. After that, I met Henry, met my companions. As a hero, and as a Queen, I traveled all over the island."
I've also been to the continent several times, she said with a laugh.
"Even now, I'm traveling around the island to see and hear things on a bowl."
It's better not to put that into words. I hurriedly cover Aira's ears.
"But you see. The more I see, the more I know, the more I'm forced to realize how small the world I knew until now was."
She looks around as if to confirm. Beyond the Finis capital, which is approaching before our eyes, the sea is spreading. The island, the sea, and the sky can be seen.
"What is at the end of that wide sea? And there might be a truth hidden in the ground at our feet that we are used to seeing every day. There are many things I want to know. But I'll probably die with Henry without seeing everything. When that time comes."
After that, she fell silent.
Eleanor-sama is in favor of using Undead...
Somehow, I thought so.
After sending Aira back, we return to the hideout.
Beatrix had made several scrolls for me.
"I've made general preparations. Also, Eowyn-dono said he'd cooperate too."
"Thank you. I'll rest a bit and depart even tonight."
"Then I'll go scouting."
I see off the bowl flying away with Bonnie and Fiona and enter the hideout.
There were five of us: Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san, who shouldn't be here, plus Will, the Queen, and me.
"Will it go well?"
I tried asking Eleanor-sama.
"If Eowyn-dono's cooperation is obtained, Bonnie's plan will go well. Since we have the Priestess's medicine, this plan should also be fine."
However, Eleanor-sama said.
"However, that great noble's son is Saxburg's former fiancé, right? Naturally, they must be acquainted. What does Saxburg think?"
"That's right. She was introduced to him as her fiancé since she was a child, right? It's not that she has no interest."
The Queen agrees with Eleanor-sama's words.
Mary is good at this kind of thing, but she's not here now.
"It's best to ask her directly, because Jeanne is a priest, right? Isn't it also your duty to listen to such worries?"
Queen? No matter how I think about it, you're more suited for that.
At midnight, we set out.
Camouflage, Mute, Magic Reflection. I also cast Calm so they wouldn't be surprised.
We infiltrate the bandits' base. It's my first illegal entry in my life, but it should be fine since the opponent is a criminal.
When we approach near the hut and send a signal, the Queen makes a gasa-gasa sound in the bushes. Immediately, the lookout on the roof jumped down.
"It's appeared! A ghost!"
At the end of his shout, a translucent man dressed as a hunter is wandering. It's the Queen's illusion magic.
With a batan, the door opened, and people came out in a crowd. The Holy mage releases magic.
The translucent hunter, swaying, repeats disappearing and appearing, and moves through the air toward the renovated food storehouse.
"Bastard! It's aiming for the food again!"
"Don't ever let go of the torch. It'll be suddenly slapped out of your hand!"
Finally, the leader with a silver sword came out.
He has short black hair and is wearing leather armor. His sun-tanned face is the very picture of fearlessness, and he's more of a soldier than a bandit.
The leader started running toward the ghost! It's a chance!
I slip into the hut and put the medicine into the water jar whose location I had heard beforehand.
When I observe the situation and go outside, around the translucent hunter who is dodging the leader's silver sword, things like orbs of light are flying.
When I enter the bushes in the confusion and meet Beatrix and the others at the meeting place, the preparation is finished.
The translucent hunter went into the forest, and the leader and others also followed him into the bushes.
A cheer rises. After confirming that, we go up into the sky.
"Did it go well?"
"Yeah. I think it's fine. It seems alcohol is more effective, but since some people might not drink, I put it in the water jar."
"How much will it be effective?"
"If they drink it now, I think they'll be sleeping until noon tomorrow."
"Then let's come tomorrow morning."
I join the Queen and Fiona.
"Did you see? Fiona's illusion magic. It's her practical debut."
The orbs of light were apparently made by Fiona.
"Did Fiona make those? That's amazing!"
"I'm still just flying orbs."
"It's from now on. For her first practical use, she did it well. It was splendid."
"Thank you very much."
Fiona, hugged by the Queen, is bashful.
"How do you make them?"
The mage, who is curious about everything, is asking.
"You take a part of your body... for example, even hair is fine, knead it to make a shape, and blow spirit energy into it."
I don't really understand.
"This is how you do it."
When I was tilting my head, the Queen cut off a lock of her own hair with the dagger at her waist. She starts kneading it in her hand.
A thing like a clay ball is made.
When she brings that clay to her mouth, chants some incantation, and blows a breath with a fu, a ghost that looks exactly like me came out of the clay.
It can be returned to the original, and even if it's not returned, hair will grow again. The ghost is an illusion, and as long as the clay is not attacked, it apparently won't disappear. Of course, the caster can manipulate it freely.
"Hmph. So this is how Jeanne is made."
Beatrix, that's wrong.