As we approach the gate, Alexia and Helen spot us and smile at us.

'Thank you for your hard work, Alexia. I'm glad you're back in one piece. I'm sorry to put you through the wringer, too. Thank you.

　Then she hugs Alexia and Helen, in that order. Then Alexia and Helen happily hug me back.

'It's okay. I know I'm the only one who can do it.

'Yes. I'm useless in a fight, and I'm the only one who can be of any use to you, so feel free to tell me.

　Alexia and Helen smile at me. They're too good for me, after all. As we're talking like that, Aeris and the others arrive. Mei charges at Alexia and says, "Soft and fluffy..." She's happy. Roy looks heartily envious, though. I'm jealous too.

'So you were able to ask the Baron for a favor anyway.

　Saying that, I look at the carriages lined up behind Alexia and the others. There are about ten carriages with seating for about six people lined up there. This should be able to carry them all. However, when Alexia and the others hear about it, an angry expression appears on their faces.

''Duh, what's going on?''

Actually, I want to talk to you about that. I won't let you talk about it here for a minute, so let's go to the mansion.

　Alexia says that and walks away. I had no choice but to follow behind her.

　When we reach the mansion, we take our seats. Here it will be me, Alexia, Helen, Ferris, Aeris and Ekla on top of my head. Dagris and the others were in training with Mr. Levin, and Renee and the others are watching the women who were affected.

'What's going on at Baron Mangs'?

　I asked Alexia that, and she nodded.

'Didn't Ray wonder about the bandits in this village?

Those thieves?

　I am reminded of the bandits who stayed here. There was definitely something inexplicable about them. Normally, when a bandit group would be as large as fifty people, a strike force would be formed by the nearby lords, and they would normally be defeated before they could grow.

　There are some bandit groups that are cleverly concealed and gradually increase in size, but even then they can't reach 150 people. However, the total size of the bandits in this village, including the bandits attacked during the day, is about three hundred. It was a mystery why they had reached such a size.

''Originally, if half that size appeared, a strike force would have been formed and they would have already been captured. But they have been sitting here for more than two months. This village seems to have been regularly frequented by merchants, and there was a street we passed nearby. And yet the bandits who were here were not defeated. Why do you think that is?

　That's what Alexia asks. It's not like she was hiding it well, right? Just as Alexia said before, there is a road running through this neighborhood, and people should have stopped by to rest here. And yet, the fact that they weren't defeated

The strike force didn't form?

　When I said that, Alexia nodded.

''When we told her about this village, Baron Mangus was obviously acting strangely, so I questioned him. And the reason he answered was that he couldn't form a strike force because he didn't have any money!

　Alexia was so excited by her anger that she slammed the desk as hard as she could. The sound startled Ekla, who had been spouting over my head, and she fell off my head. I was able to catch it as it fell in front of me, though.

'Oh I'm sorry. I got a little worked up.

　Watching the scene, Alexia seemed to have cooled down a bit. On the contrary, Ekla fell off in surprise, and now she became angry. She made a curly, angry sound on my lap and paciously tapped the desk. My petting calmed her down, though.

'Is that possible?　Our frontier county is a very special place to begin with, isn't it?　That's why I've never heard of bandits in that area, and I don't know because there was originally a standing army there, so I don't know because I've never heard of anything like that either.

　When I said that, Aeris nodded. Well, since the demon land is close to that place, the bandits themselves don't get close, and the level of adventurers seems to be higher than other territories. If there were bandits wandering around there, they would be hunted immediately.

Well, the frontier county territory is special. It's also the border with the Regalia Empire, so your father has more soldiers than any other territory.

'Yes. ─ Yes, but it's not impossible in other fiefdoms, especially in small ones, where there are only soldiers to maintain security. There are often only soldiers to maintain security in such places. However, if a bandit appears, they will borrow soldiers from other fiefdoms even if they have to borrow money. If you report that to the state later, the money will be returned to you.

So you're saying that Baron Mangus didn't even do that?

''Yes. I told you earlier that if you borrowed an army by borrowing money, you'd pay the money back later, but then an investigator would be sent to that territory.

"Investigator?

　There's another new position on the table. I don't remember what I learned from Helen in the past, but it doesn't come up.

''Yes. It's one of the financial positions in the royal palace, a position that involves investigating whether there are any irregularities in other territories. In a case like this one, they would be able to find out why they don't have so much money that they can't borrow soldiers from other territories. Baron Mangus probably didn't want the investigators to come and check him out.

Does that mean that Baron Mangus had something to do with it?

　Helen nodded as I asked.

''Baron Mangs didn't want his concealment to be discovered, so he abandoned that village. Moreover, he was very thorough in not allowing any merchants to go to that village. And he left the bandit there to fend for himself. If those thieves made any damage outside of Baron Mangus' territory, your lord would organize a strike force to take them out, right?　That's what I've been waiting for.

　What a cunning move that would be. Did you pretend you didn't see it and try to rub it in with the rest of the territory?

Do you know what you're hiding?

　When I ask them that, the two of them shake their heads. Well, no matter how much you are a princess and a marquise, you can't interfere in the management of other fiefdoms.

''I didn't know, so for now, I've said I'll report back and send an investigator when I return to King's Landing. He fell apart over that, though.

　That's what you deserve, isn't it? Well, the other side probably didn't expect the princess of this country to pass through such a place, either. Still, it's not something that can be forgiven. There are women and even children who were sold to the people who were killed because of it. When I think about it, it makes me angry.

"Cui?

　Oops, I startled Ekla as I released my magic in anger. I apologize and stroke Ekla. She looks a little angry, but it's cute when she rubs her head against my hand.

'So what's with that carriage?'

　I don't think Baron Mongoose, who says he has no money, can afford ten carriages. Where did he get them from?

'I borrowed it from the next estate, Viscount Kennus's estate, where Baron Mangus was trying to rub the bandit thing in my face. I told him about it and he was willing to lend it to me.

　Hmmm, Alexia smiles a black smile. ........I'm a little scared.

''Well then, what about leaving?''

'Let's do it the day after tomorrow. I'm sure we'll be fine now, but we'll go over everyone's condition again tomorrow and then we'll leave.

　That's true too. If you force yourself to go and get sick on the way, we might not be able to handle it. Just.

'At the rate we're going, we're not going to make it to the new semester,'

　Everyone is choked up about it, ugh. I suppose if I told them what happened, Master and Mary-sensei would forgive me, but I'm a little scared because I don't know what they'll say. I was thinking about that as I stroked Ekla.