Chapter 378 – The King's Envoy and the Insider

“Then that would be a dragon carriage carrying someone related to the Baharzad royal family?”

In response to my question, Princess Stephania placed a hand on her chin and appeared to be deep in thought.

“Or perhaps… an envoy. Judging from the direction, they’re either heading to the mountain-dwelling nomadic chieftains, or possibly to Verdugal…”

Someone connected to the Baharzad royal family who might be heading to Verdugal…

While I don’t yet understand the circumstances both sides are dealing with, I can’t just ignore this when we’re about to be active within Baharzad’s borders.

“What should we do?”

“Hmm. First, let’s move the Sirius to a less conspicuous location. Even if we help the dragon carriage side, we should assess the situation first to avoid any troublesome complications.”

This is another country, so we should proceed cautiously. Especially since from what I’ve heard about Baharzad’s situation, there seems to be factional conflict between the current king’s side and the previous king’s faction.

Fortunately, there’s still some time before the dragon carriage reaches the ambush point. I scanned the area and looked toward Caduceus. He had been quietly maintaining his cat form, but when our eyes met, he jumped down from the chair and looked up at me.

“——Alright, go.”

Upon my words, Caduceus liquefied and slid across the floor as he left the bridge. He passed through the corridors and emerged onto the deck. Taking on a bird’s form, he took flight from there.

“First… I need to probe the group lying in wait.”

I linked my vision and began directly controlling Caduceus.

He landed on the rocky area behind the group lying in ambush. The men were watching the road ahead and weren’t paying attention to this direction.

Returning from bird form to liquid form——he slid from one rock shadow to another, instantly merging into the rocks they had set up for their rockfall trap.

Perhaps these men were the type who didn’t engage in unnecessary conversation. They remained prone on the rocky ground, quietly watching the road ahead.

Well… let’s stir things up a bit and probe them. First, checking the condition of the road below the cliff. Confirming no one was there, I selected a convenient rock from within the rockfall trap and made part of the rocks collapse onto the road as if it had happened naturally.

When the falling rocks made a loud crashing sound, the men jerked their heads toward the noise.

“What!? What happened!?”

The men looked around in all directions, on high alert. However, the only ones present were the men and Caduceus hiding in the rock crevices observing the situation. The Sirius was also waiting hidden in a rock shadow where they couldn’t see it. There was no way they could have noticed.

“I-It seems part of the trap collapsed.”

Eventually, the men looked in the direction of the sound and seemed to understand what had happened. Well, judging from the situation, they probably assumed it had collapsed naturally.

“Honestly… Is this trap going to hold!?”

“Y-Yes. The strength shouldn’t be a problem.”

The man who appeared to be their leader glared at the one who answered.

“‘Shouldn’t’ won’t cut it! If this mechanism collapses before they pass through! The entire plan will be ruined!”

“Y-Yes…!”

“Check everything once more! Understood!”

“Yes, sir!”

When the leader threatened him, the subordinate immediately started giving orders to the others. The one who was threatened seemed to be something like their deputy.

The men checked the rockfall trap and the ballista hidden under cloth with reasonable efficiency.

“No problems here!”

“I said everything. What about the captive? Check all the ropes and the gag to make sure they haven’t loosened.”

The subordinate nodded at the leader’s words and pulled out a bound man from under the cloth hiding the ballista. His face was bruised, showing signs of having been subjected to violence… but his clothing closely resembled that of the nomads I saw earlier.

“Confirmed, Lord Dahl! Neither the ropes nor the gag have loosened!”

At these words, the leader——Dahl——nodded magnanimously, then looked down at the man and snorted.

“Hmph. Filthy dog of the demons.”

Dahl spat out the words.

Dog of the demons…? So this guy is… a Duoveris Cult follower? Then what exactly are these people who have captured a follower? Was there a follower among the nomads, or perhaps——

The mentioned follower seemed to have already resigned himself to his fate, as even with the gag in place, he shook his shoulders as if amused.

“Hmph. Seems you have something you want to say to us.”

Whether he disliked being mocked by a prisoner or wanted to vent his displeasure, Dahl gestured with his chin to have the follower’s gag removed.

“Ku, kuku… It’s just that you lot clinging to that dog are too damn hilarious.”

“How trivial.”

Saying this, Dahl kicked the man while laughing. The man rolled on the ground, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, yet he still refused to keep quiet.

“D-Dressing us up like this. Guess we’re the ones who still know duty and reason, huh.”

“Tie him up again and leave him rolling there. If he resists, you may rough him up a bit.”

At his words, the subordinates nodded and put the gag back in the man’s mouth.

…I see. I mostly understand the situation now. Judging from his words about duty and reason, I can infer that the ambushing side is engaging in behavior contrary to that. When I apply this to the Baharzad information I have… I can somewhat guess the identity of these people.

In the Grand Duke Debonnis territory, there were rumors that those who lost their positions of power due to the succession were becoming bandits, but the possibility that someone still listed among the king’s retainers is plotting rebellion hasn’t been eliminated either.

While I haven’t perfectly identified their backgrounds… it seems that someone who dislikes the current king is engaging in these covert activities.

Their method appears to be capturing Duoveris Cult followers, dressing them in nomad clothing, and leaving the bodies at the scene to make it appear that Duoveris followers have infiltrated the nomads. Something like that, I suppose?

By sowing seeds of discord between the king and the nomads, they aim to create confusion within the Kingdom of Baharzad… or perhaps to diminish the current king’s power.

I don’t know the current king’s character, but their tactic of involving unrelated nomads to create conflict while Baharzad is moving toward stability… frankly, I don’t like it.

The idea of the nomads and Baharzad becoming hostile. If things go badly, it could even spread to southern Verdugal.

“——It appears the group lying in ambush intends to frame both the Duoveris Cult and the nomads as the perpetrators.”

I informed everyone who was watching me.

“That… we must stop it, then.”

“I agree with that opinion. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that there’s an informant among the dragon carriage side working with the ambushers. If we crush the ambush beforehand and cause a commotion, the informant might react and take some action.”

“Indeed, they are quite thorough.”

“Yes. The fact that they can set up such an ambush itself suggests a high probability of an informant.”

Grace nodded, and Rosemary showed agreement.

The fact that they know the route the royal messenger will take and can prepare in advance means they obtained that information through some means. The rockfall isn’t meant to crush the dragon carriage but to block either the advance or retreat route, making it possible to kidnap the messenger.

“Let’s attempt direct contact with the person believed to be the royal messenger on the dragon carriage side without the ambushers detecting us. Since some danger is anticipated, I’ll go myself.”

The mountain road isn’t very wide, and there are places with sharp turns.

Therefore, once you enter the mountain shadows, it’s easy to break line of sight from the ambushers. I decided to find such a location from above and attempt contact with the dragon carriage side.

Mounting Lindwurm, I took off from the deck and moved to the target location after making a large detour. I had Lindwurm wait hidden among the rocks. If Lindwurm were seen, it might be detected that the ambush has been discovered.

And then… I appeared from the opposite direction before the dragon carriages coming up the road.

“All units halt! We are royal messengers! You there——step aside to the edge of the road!”

The dragon carriages immediately stopped their advance, and the lead soldier struck the butt of his spear against the ground.

“Royal messengers… Please forgive my rudeness in obstructing your progress. I am Theodore Gartner, having come to this country under orders from His Majesty Melvin of the Kingdom of Verdugal.”

When I answered, the soldiers exchanged glances. It seemed my response was unexpected.

“The Kingdom of Verdugal…? Is that true?”

“Yes. This is my proof.”

I showed them the stationery given to me by Grand Duke Debonnis. Both the sealing wax and the stationery bear the Grand Duke’s family crest. The soldier took it, his eyes widening, then handed it to a man who appeared to be a knight.

“T-This is… indeed the Bartwhistle family’s…! W-Why would such a child be alone… N-No, please wait a moment.”

The knight received the stationery with a surprised expression and touched the sealing wax. However, he seemed hesitant to actually inspect the contents. He stood frozen for a moment, then took it into the dragon carriage. After a short while, the knight called out to me.

“You said Theodore-dono, correct? Her Highness has agreed to meet you. Please come this way.”

“Thank you.”

Her Highness… she said Her Highness. First, I went to the front of the dragon carriage, knelt on one knee, offered greetings appropriate for nobility, and stated my name.

“I am Theodore Gartner.”

“Please show me your face.”

I heard such a voice. When I raised my head, there was a woman adorned with ornaments. Her mouth was covered by a veil, making her expression unreadable. Both her clothing and attire were quite different from Verdugal’s. The embroidery on her dress was intricate, and she appeared to be dressed quite expensively.

“I am the second princess of the Baharzad royal family, Elham Baharzad.”

“My apologies for the rudeness.”

“Not at all. First, let me return Grand Duke Debonnis’s letter to you. It wasn’t addressed to me, after all.”

It seems he ultimately didn’t inspect the contents…

“…I speak knowing it may be rude. The reason I’m troubling you like this despite knowing you’re a royal messenger is because there’s actually a matter I wish to discuss in confidence.”

“Oh, what might that be?”

“I cannot speak of it like this. However, we don’t have much time either. To prove my innocence, would you please inspect the contents of the letter? It’s a letter Grand Duke Debonnis entrusted to me for gaining trust in situations like this.”

“I understand.”

Princess Elham peeled off the sealing wax and read the letter’s contents.

“…Indeed. It confirms the identity of the Otherworld Ambassador. I also recognize this handwriting. It appears to be Grand Duke Debonnis’s own writing, without doubt.”

Saying this, Princess Elham made a gesture as if inviting me into the dragon carriage.

“That won’t do, Your Highness. If something were to happen…! If this person is truly a messenger from the Verdugal royal family, isn’t it strange that he doesn’t have even a single attendant?”

“…Then, if you accompany us and protect my person, that should be acceptable.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

The knight bowed at Princess Elham’s words. After having them check that I had no weapons, I boarded the dragon carriage. As for Ouroboros and Balor——I left them with Lindwurm. Right now, I’m completely unarmed. I could call either back to me if needed.

Princess Elham used wind magic to block the internal sound. Then she removed her veil, showed her true face, and asked.

“Now then, please tell me your story.”

“Yes. Ahead, in the rocky narrow path, I discovered a group lying in ambush with a rockfall trap set up on the cliff.”

“Is that… true?”

“Yes. That’s also the reason I don’t have any attendants. To avoid detection by the villains, I came ahead alone, and to ensure we can subdue them if necessary, I have them waiting in the rear.”

“…I see. Now I understand why you mentioned confidentiality. You believe there’s an informant within this group as well.”

“Yes.”

When I nodded at Princess Elham’s words, the knight’s eyes widened.

“I sent out scouts to check the villains’ movements. It seems they intend to dress captured Duoveris Cult followers in nomad clothing and leave them at the assault scene. Do you have any idea who might engage in such behavior?”

Around the time I explained their methods, an unpleasant expression appeared on Princess Elham’s face. But it was only for a moment. Returning to her unreadable, calm expression, she spoke.

“Yes. If it’s not the cult, then it’s likely people connected to the former prime minister who served the previous king——Kahar.”

“Kahar…”

“He’s a sycophant. He made the previous king indulge in wine and women, plunging the country into needless chaos. Currently——he’s being pursued as a rebel.”

…I see. So it’s the work of people who were originally at the kingdom’s center. The reason for informants remaining within the palace also makes sense now.

“I was heading to the nomadic chieftains to deliver friendship gifts from the king… and also ordered to guide the messenger arriving from Verdugal. In other words, welcoming Theodore-sama was originally part of my duties as well.”

“Is that so…”

So Princess Elham is a friendship envoy. Indeed, it appears they’re carrying supplies like textiles and ornaments on the dragon carriages.

“…Are the attendants waiting in the rear capable of subduing the villains?”

“I believe it’s possible. We plan to disable the rockfall trap at the appropriate moment and use that as the signal to subdue them all at once, but…”

“Then let’s proceed with the convoy as if nothing is amiss. We must capture Kahar’s men and investigate the informant as well.”

Quite… a princess with strong nerves. While that’s certainly the best strategy, it still carries the risk of exposing herself to danger.

Princess Elham turned off the soundproofing magic and gave orders to the soldiers outside.

“Continue forward as we are.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As the dragon carriage started moving and Princess Elham was about to use the soundproofing magic again to continue our conversation, that’s when it happened.

The knight who had only been listening to our conversation drew a dagger from his bosom and attempted to press it against Princess Elham’s throat.

A moment later, his other free hand reached for the curved sword hanging at his waist. That one was probably meant to be drawn and swung at me. However——to put it bluntly, not a single drop of blood was shed.

“W-What is th-this…!?”

“Too bad.”

The dagger didn’t reach Princess Elham’s neck, blocked midway by a shield.

Not only that, but shields deployed in all directions restricted the knight’s movements, making any further action impossible.

The dagger, the sword’s pommel. Overhead, elbows, shoulders, knees, chest, waist, back, and more——various points were blocked by shields, completely immobilizing him. He couldn’t even attempt to strike, let alone escape.

“W-What are you…”

Princess Elham was speechless at the sudden turn of events.

“Your Highness Elham, please maintain the soundproof magic as it is. If someone were to shout to the soldiers outside that I, for instance, was causing trouble, it would become somewhat troublesome.”

“Wh-what? Y-yes. O-of course. B-but for one of my subordinates to show such impertinence…”

Though flustered, Princess Elham bowed her head. It was a somewhat deflating exchange.

“Please don’t worry about it. No one was hurt.”

After this exchange, the knight became enraged.

“Y-you bastard—!”

“Sleep.”

I leisurely extended my fingertip to the knight’s forehead and activated Lightning Magic. With a sharp crack that sounded heavier than its small size suggested, a small spark flashed between my fingertip and his forehead, and the knight collapsed into his seat with his eyes rolled back. I decided to completely neutralize him with a Magic Seal and Light Bind.

“It seems we’ve already exposed one traitor. Well then—shall we go?”

I smiled at Princess Elham, who was staring wide-eyed in astonishment.