After the preparations for the operation to take back Risha were made, Arx visited the place specified in the letter.


　The designated place was one of the squares in the royal capital.
　Perhaps because it is located at the outskirts of the capital, it is one of the few squares in the city that is not very popular and seems deserted. The sky was covered with thick clouds, giving the place an indescribable feeling of abandonment, as if ghosts were appearing even in the daytime.


　If you suddenly use your nose, you can smell an indescribable odor. It's hard to tell whether it's musty or dank, and no one likes to come here to smell it.


　This is one of the reasons for the lack of people in the square.
　However, Arx was dressed in a suit of armor that was completely unsuitable for such a place.
　Noah had provided him with a shirt and jacket, all in blue and white.


　With the ribbons and skirt, she looked as if she could be mistaken for Lisha due to her overly feminine face.


　At her waist, she wields a short sword, the kind that even a child could handle.
　In one hand is a black bag containing false evidence.
　These are his two personal belongings.


　As he waits, he hears a faint noise.


"You're here.


　You're here," I suddenly spill out, anticipating someone's arrival.
　The faint noises were the subtle rustling of clothes and the tread of cobblestones.
　Soon, from the corners of the hedges and narrow alleys around the square, men began to appear.
　There were more than one or two men.
　Six in all.


　As soon as they appear, they immediately surround you as if they don't want you to escape.
　Their movements are lean and controlled.
　That's the impression I get from his movements.


　Eventually, a large man, perhaps the head of the group, approached me.


"Are you Arx Raytheft?

"......, yes.


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　I don't want to use honorifics with these ...... kidnappers, but it's theater time.
　The children of well-behaved noblemen.
　The children of a well-behaved nobleman.
　I remind myself that it is important now to act as if I were them.


　The appearances of the people who show up are, if anything, not so good.
　Their hair and beards are generally unkempt, though the eyes of their heads are better, and they are not very clean.
　His clothes are also dirty and yellowed.
　However, they are not the roughnecks of downtown because they are well armed.


　The armaments of the street bums are oak and ebony clubs, blackjacks made of cloth and stones, and so on. A dagger or a knife is all they need.


　But the people in front of me now are wearing leather armor, shoulder pads, shin guards, swords and metal maces as their main weapons. They look like bouncers hanging out in a tavern.


　Their equipment is not complete, but rather scattered.
　Despite this, their movements are well coordinated.
　Which leads me to believe that...


(...... Are these guys mercenaries who frequent King's Landing?


　I suppose.
　They're not regular soldiers.
　They're used to it.
　And given that they're skilled at working in groups, there's no doubt about it.
　He's probably a pawn of the Marquis' protégé who can be cut down at any time.


　Suddenly, the large man turned away, as if suggesting that he was heading somewhere else.


Follow me, then.

Wait, wait!

"What?


　He turns to the large man, draws his sword, and points it at him.
　And then he says...


"Where's my sister?　I want my sister back!

"Kaka kaka kaka!　You think you're a swordsman?　You have the courage to point a sword at me. But you're too weak.


　The big man was right. You're a coward now.
　The fact that he's dressed in the formal attire of a nobleman, combined with his appearance, would make you think that he's a quiet child who's not used to roughhousing.


　That's what we want.
　Of course, we should not fight them.
　You have to show them that you are willing to defy them, but you also have to impress upon them that you cannot fight them.


　You must show your inexperience and approach them carelessly with the point of your sword.
　Of course, he would not adopt the stance of the Kingdom style of fine sword fighting.
　As he underestimated his grip on the hilt, he was kicked up by the butt end of the hilt as a matter of course.
　The sword slipped out of his hand and flew in the wrong direction.


"Ah ......

You can't do anything about it with a kid like you.

"d*mn, d*mn, if only I could use magic. ......


　Bite your teeth as bitterly as you can.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.


I've heard that Raytheft's eldest son is incompetent.

"Ugh. ......


　I couldn't help but let out a groan that didn't fit the performance.
　I'm not sure how widespread that information is.


　I didn't think that even these mercenaries had heard of it.
　No, it's probably just that my parents have been blowing it all over the place, so anyone with ears to hear knows about it.


　I suppressed my budding irritation, feigned bitterness, and pointed my palm toward the large man.




　And then.


"Fire. Uh, ...... something!　Anything!　Get out!

"....... You can't use magic with that, you idiot!　Hahahaha!


　The big guy, of course, and even the men around him started laughing.
　Naturally, he was quickly caught.
　I let out a small sigh of relief that it worked.


　...... Humans are conservative creatures. We tend to believe what we want to believe and prioritize the information we know in advance. This will give them the impression of a child who can't use magic, a poor child who can't even rebel.


...... Is this the one you're referring to?

"It says something about ....... Maybe so.


　That's what I'm hearing from behind me.
　I see that one of the mercenaries has opened a black bag and is examining the contents.
　He couldn't read the words.
　The contents are a random note prepared in advance.
　It was a hastily made prop to add credibility, but he seemed to believe it.


　...... The mercenaries caught me and put me in a carriage that was parked nearby.
　After a while, the carriage came to a stop in front of a large mansion.
　This must be the residence of the Marquis.
　The amount of money that had been spent on the house could be seen even from just a short look.
　Large landscaping and large trees can be found anywhere.
　Stone statues in the garden.
　A fountain made of gold.
　Honestly, it's just bad taste.


　I was fed up, but I followed the men, and was ushered into a room of the house.
　It was not a guest room, but a storage room.
　There was no ...... Lisha in the room.
　I was bitterly disappointed that I had drawn the wrong number.


"You brought her?

Hey!


　A large man replied to these words.
　The man who entered the room was a well-dressed man, no, too well-dressed.
　He had the dignity of a large man trained as a mercenary, and his stature alone rivaled that of his uncle Crabbe.


　Perhaps this man was the Marquis of Curlew Gaston.
　It matched the description Noah had given me.
　At first glance, he doesn't look like the kind of small-time crook who makes a small fortune by cheating.
　The way he walks, stands, and behaves is regal, with a certain dignity.
　If you call him a scoundrel, he certainly looks like a scoundrel, but in terms of nuance of meaning, I think it would be more correct to call him a mastermind.


　Seeing this, I think.
　This is a bad type.


　When the Marquis comes in front of me, I feel a strong pressure that I cannot describe.
　This is the majesty of a superior. It seems that the higher the rank of a person in this world, the more physical pressure is attached to their dignity.


Hmm, are you Arx Raytheft?

"...... Yes, I am. Are you His Excellency the Marquis of Curlew Gaston?

No need to hide. ...... Yes, that's right.

So you're the one who sent the letter?


　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.


Is my sister safe?　Please return my sister.

But first, is that the ledger?


　The marquis looked at a mercenary with a black bag in his hand.
　The mercenary, perhaps sensing the Marquis' intentions, immediately presented the black bag in his hand.


　However, when the Marquis inspected the contents of the bag.


This is ...... not what it looks like. I'm sure the letter acknowledged that you should bring the evidence that was entrusted to you.

"............

What's in the letter?　Answer me.

I've already given it to an official.


　The Marquis, however, was unfazed, and even let out a wry smile.


That's a lie. If that were true, you would not have responded to this call.


　That's true. If it's already in the hands of the officials, they won't bother to come and get you.


Tell me where it is. If you don't tell me, I'll find out what happens to my sister. ......


　Sure enough, the Marquis smells the possibility of harm.
　He's holding a hostage. Of course he will.
　It's a template, just like a period drama in a man's country.
　It's as simple as that.


"I left the ...... real evidence at home.

"Does anyone else know where it is?



No one. It's hidden behind a cupboard in my room.

"I see.


　The Marquis turned away as if he had lost interest in the matter.
　Then he mumbled. The Marquis turned away as if disinterested, and mumbled to himself about how he would retrieve the evidence.
　To the Marquis, I put on more of an act.


"Give me back my sister!　Give me back my sister, and I'll give you back the evidence!

"Impossible. I can't give her up until I know for sure that the evidence is real.

Oh, no. ......

It's your fault. If you had brought the right evidence, I would have given Miss Lisha back to you. Do you really expect me to believe the words of someone who is trying to conspire against me with unnecessary wisdom?

"......


　The Marquis is not going to give you an easy answer, but he dares to emphasize that he (Arx) is to blame. The Marquis is probably trying to psych him up and get him to calm down.


　I'll take him up on it and droop down.


"Sir. What should I do with him?

"I have no use for him. Take him away.

"Is this where the princesses are?


　I heard the big mercenary say those words and I said, "Yes!" in my heart.
　You've hit the mark. My goal is almost accomplished.
　After this, I met up with Lisha and ensured her safety.
　Then, when there are fewer people, I will use magic to escape.
　I've got the magic ready for that.
　The invisibility spell, which uses the knowledge of the refraction of light in the man's world, and the sleep spell to incapacitate the opponent.
　Both of them have a short effect time, but they can be used.


　In the worst case, you can use [Kuro Bullet] magic to fight them off, or use fire magic to start a small fire.


　There are many ways to escape.
　However, in response to the large mercenary's question, the Marquis said


But when the big mercenary asked, the Marquis said, "Well, ...... that's fine--no.

What's wrong?


　The Marquis suddenly fell silent.
　The Marquis put his hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes, as if he was thinking about something. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.


　And then.


"...... just to be sure, go to the [seal tower in the heavens]. I'll get you a letter.

"Huh?

"What?


　The large mercenary's out-of-tune voice overlaps with his own voice of surprise.
　The reason for the voice is probably the same for both of you.
　The question is, why not lock him up in this house?


　The large mercenary immediately asks the Marquis back.


"My lord. Why are you here again?　If you just don't want to be with the princesses, why don't you go to another room?　But the sealing tower is .......

It is the brother of Risha Raytheft, ...... the child of a military family. You can't be too careful.

You're worried he'll go crazy?　But the boy can't fight, and he can't use magic.　He's a known incompetent in noble circles.

That's true. But isn't it possible that it's all an act?

"Ha, ha. ......


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　...... face approaching. I'm not sure what you mean by that. A sudden tension binds your body.
　Pressure. The pressure of a superior.
　I feel as if I've been shown the difference between actors, and sweat begins to bead on my neck.


　And then.


"I think you're overthinking this, sir. He's a kid who can't even use magic or a sword.　The only reason to be wary of a kid is because he's a kid. ...... If you want to be sure, gag him or something.

I don't care. Take him away. It's my job.

All right, sir. Come on, get up.


　A big mercenary pulls me up.
　I never thought I'd stumble here.
　What's more, I'm being sent to the [Seal Tower of the Heavenly Realm].


　I know that name.
　It is a prison where mages who have committed crimes in King's Landing are kept.
　It is famous for its strong protection against magic, and it is said that once a mage is placed in this prison, it is impossible to escape.


"So, what then?　You can't get away with it when the evidence is inside the Raytheft family compound.


　The big mercenary was right. To inspect another family's house, you need to have a good reason.
　But it must be difficult to come up with a legitimate reason.
　On the other hand, it would be difficult to sneak in and search the house. We're dealing with a military family's house. It is a military family's house, and since it contains materials related to the kingdom's military affairs, it is heavily guarded.


　Even if they were a hundred-armed mercenaries, they would not be easy to deal with.


I guess so. Well, that's a problem.


　The Marquis exhaled a weary breath as he agreed.
　And then.


We'll have to wait and see. I'm sure they'll be in an uproar over the disappearance of those two by now. If there's no movement on our end--

"If not?

We'll just leave it at that. If that's the case, then no one knows that we're involved. When things settle down, we'll get someone who knows what they're doing.

So, what about the princesses?

Well... We'll let them disappear as planned.


　I can't keep quiet when I hear those words.


Hey, you.

"......?


　The Marquis looks over his shoulder at me.


You're insane. You're the child of a nobleman, albeit a viscount.

It's not uncommon for noblemen's children to go missing.

Are you serious?

I'm serious.


　I'm serious." The Marquis said as if it was only natural that he would succeed.


"It's naive to think that going missing will make things go away. Raytheft is still a military family. If we look into it, we can at least find out who he is.

"You know what Raytheft does. No, everything's gonna be fine.

Why are you so sure?

You want to know why I'm so sure?　It's money, money, money. If you've got money, you've got the power to make people do what you want, and if you use it, most things go away.

You think money and power will solve everything? ......

Unfortunately, it does. Everyone in the world weighs the benefits against the drawbacks. As long as you have money, you can buy compassion in this world.

"Stick to ......


　Now that my plan has gone awry, I can't go on like this.
　I made up my mind and tried to move, but...


"Whoa. Don't you dare.


　A large mercenary said those words.


"G-......


　At the same time, I received a shock to the back of my head, and my eyes went black.