Crimson and Merchant 6
The village where Olga, Gild, and several guards arrived was modest compared to the lord’s estate. However, judging by the location of the fields, huts, and houses, it seemed to have been recently settled. The man who came out from a small house to greet them appeared to be in his early thirties. He was muscular, built through physical labor rather than swordplay. It was likely he had been foraging or hunting in the mountains with other villagers.
After briefly explaining their purpose and showing a letter confirming the Viscount Coiraud's approval, the village head gave a cheerful smile and readily agreed.
"These folks are full of energy. Feel free to take as many as you need—Hey, kid! Get the young ones here!"
The head called out to a boy stacking firewood nearby. The boy, called "kid," nodded and ran off deeper into the village. Olga and the others were guided to a neat little garden in front of the head’s house. Though the garden was small, it had a simple wooden table and chairs, enough to seat everyone, though it wasn’t quite enough for all.
After waiting for a while and chatting casually, a group of young people, led by the boy, arrived. They were all teenagers to early twenties, with sunburnt faces that seemed lively and straightforward. The head explained the situation to them succinctly, without unnecessary details. Olga internally assessed the head as a clever person for keeping things to the point.
Riley’s guards, Olga, and Gild split into four teams, each assigned a guide. They determined the search areas for each team using a map. Olga and Gild joined separate teams, with their teams covering adjacent areas. They were to search the southern part of the Coiraud Viscounty, an area that led to a rugged road. Even though it was relatively close, the road was very treacherous, with cliffs and swamps along the way.
Both Olga and Gild suspected that if the culprit had confidence navigating this difficult terrain, they likely intended to take Liliana and the others to the road.
They advanced through the pathless terrain. For a while, Olga’s and Gild’s teams followed the same path. What might be manageable for those used to the mountains was quite difficult for those unfamiliar. Olga and Gild kept pace with the villagers, but the guards began to fall behind. Time was running short, and the anxious Gild was about to quicken the pace when both he and Olga suddenly slowed.
"I hear something."
"Something?"
The two villagers guiding them tilted their heads in confusion. The guards, who had caught up slightly behind, looked puzzled but relieved. Gild and Olga heightened their alertness, positioning themselves to shield the leading villager from whatever was coming.
As they assessed the situation, the source of the sound finally came into view, causing them to ease their caution.
"Young lady—!"
Olga exhaled in relief. The figures that emerged were Riley and Liliana, riding a horse. Their clothes and hair were disheveled and dirty, likely from catching on branches, but both appeared well. Liliana, in particular, was noticeably cleaner compared to Riley, suggesting Riley had shielded her from the worst of it.
Riley’s expression brightened upon seeing Olga and Gild. Liliana's eyes widened slightly, and she offered a faint smile.
"I’m sorry, did you come searching for us?"
Riley addressed Olga and the others. One of the guards, who had been catching his breath behind the villagers, rushed forward and pushed past them, breathlessly asking, "Your Highness! Are you unharmed?"
"Yes, no injuries. I captured some of the culprits at a cabin, but—"
"Then we shall escort you back."
The guards did not seem exhausted from the rugged mountain path, despite their earlier appearance. Gild wore an expression of frustration, while Olga’s eyes sparkled with interest as he watched the guards. Riley, puzzled, looked down from his horse at the guards.
"That’s fine, but it’s quite a distance. You all look rather tired—"
"Oh, no, that’s not a problem."
The guard momentarily faltered, perhaps surprised to be scrutinized by someone much younger than himself. However, Riley merely nodded, seeming to accept the concern at face value.
"The road is bad, and one of the bandits is in critical condition. It will be quite a challenge to bring them back, but they need to be handed over to the lord and tied. Who is the lord here?"
"The Viscount Coiraud."
The response came from one of the prince’s personal guards. Olga, Gild, and the two villagers were entirely left out of the loop. For the elite guard chosen from the royal knight order’s first squad, mercenaries like Olga and Gild, along with the villagers, were insignificant. Some disapproved of having mercenaries as Liliana’s escorts, but they kept their opinions to themselves, as the prince had not commented on it. Of course, Olga and Gild did not concern themselves with such matters.
Though aware of their apparent disregard, Olga and Gild did not comment, and Liliana completely ignored the guards’ attitudes. Riley, too, was likely aware but chose not to make an issue of it as long as Liliana remained silent.
"Understood. You came on foot up to here, correct? Then we will dismount here. If possible, please borrow one more horse from a nearby village and take us to the mountain lodge. There are three bandits, one in critical condition."
"Understood.”
The guards intended to proceed on their own. Riley signaled Olga and dismounted, helping Liliana down from the horse. After dismounting himself, Riley spoke to one of the villagers, explaining the exact location of the cabin where they had been and requesting that two of the guards accompany him there. The two villagers exchanged glances, but it seemed the younger one would lead the guards. The group then parted ways, with the three heading back to the cabin and the rest returning to the lord’s estate.
Along the way, Olga and Gild exchanged a brief glance. Olga shook his head slightly. Gild nodded in response and turned his attention forward. Both were concerned whether they could extract the identity of the mastermind from the captured bandits.
However, no one noticed the silent exchange between them.
Olga and Gild were not familiar with Riley’s character. It would have been preferable if Riley had interrogated the captured bandits to reveal the mastermind, but it was likely he had done nothing beyond restraining them. Regardless, it was unlikely that the bandits captured by Riley knew the true mastermind.
The bandits who attacked the carriage were professionals. They had planned their operation considering the possibility of magical barriers on the carriage and had clearly devised strategies to abduct only Liliana. Compared to the assassins previously eliminated in secret at the estate, these bandits were more skilled and capable. However, their weapons were well-known in the underworld, suggesting they were not tied to any specific individual but were rather a hired group of experts. No matter how much they were interrogated, the identity of the client would remain unknown. Without knowing the client, it would be a never-ending cycle of futility.
Even if the guards and villagers heading to the cabin were in league with the bandits, it did not concern Olga and Gild.
*****
After Liliana and the others returned to the Coiraud Viscount's mansion, the other guards also came back as evening approached. As Clyde had feared, the bandits did not flee, and the men Riley had tied up were taken to the dungeons of the Coiraud Viscount's domain, with one of them having died in the process.
"Lily, you must be tired. Get some rest tonight. I'll make sure the guards are stationed outside your room."
After dinner, Clyde smiled gently at Liliana, who nodded quietly and offered a graceful bow. She then returned to her room. Marianne, who looked paler than Liliana, still seemed reluctant to leave her side even after her bath, but Liliana managed to calm her down and stay alone in her room. Olga and Jild also waited outside, keeping watch.
(It has been a long day.)
It was fortunate that the abduction occurred early in the morning. Otherwise, the search might have extended into the next day, and Riley and Liliana would have had to spend the night in the mountains. Camping out without adequate equipment is far from desirable. While Liliana could secure a somewhat comfortable space if she was prepared to use magic in front of him, there was no guarantee of safely returning if something went wrong.
(If that happened, it would probably be better to use teleportation magic.)
Liliana preferred not to use magic in public. Even when she investigated Yeori’s whereabouts in the Duke of Kennys's mansion in the capital, she had pretended to use curse magic rather than actual sorcery—though in the end, the Duke saw through her. Generally, it is said that those with high magical power are also better at curse magic, but in reality, curse magic can be used even without high magical power. Had the Duke not questioned her, she would not have mentioned her ability to use magic.
(No, it’s still better not to use it. As long as there is a chance to manage without using magic, I won’t use it in front of others.)
Having reached this conclusion, Liliana muttered “<Detection>.” She checked the mansion's map and confirmed that Clyde, Riley, the Viscount, and the Viscount’s butler were gathered in one place. They were likely discussing their future course of action and information about the captured bandits.
(Although I was the target, isn’t it rude to hold a meeting about the culprit without me?)
Liliana furrowed her brows. She understood rationally that her young age was why she was being considered. However, she needed information to avoid future disasters that might befall her.
Since she was not called, she could not make a grand entrance. Therefore, she decided to use teleportation to disappear and blend in with the group by masking her presence. Liliana quickly made her decision, vanished, and successfully teleported to the office where Riley and the others were.
The Coiraud Viscount's office was very simple. It was likely shared with his private quarters, separated only by a screen, with a bed placed nearby. There were also knight’s uniforms, swords, and spears displayed on the wall, probably for quick deployment in times of crisis.
Since Riley and the others were gathered around the desk, Liliana stood on the bed side of the screen. She could hear the butler’s voice.
"We interrogated the two bandits, one of whom died. They didn’t have much useful information. They claimed the client was a noble, and they were to cooperate with a mage in the capital. The job was to kidnap Liliana-sama and deliver her to the designated party. They intended to demand additional fees, and if refused, they planned to sell Liliana-sama to one of their own regulars."
"So they intended to go back on their initial agreement?"
"That seems to be the case."
The butler nodded in response to the Viscount’s inquiry. The Viscount, looking puzzled, murmured, “Isn’t that a breach of contract?”
He appeared to be quite naïve. The butler responded with a wry tone.
"That’s usually the case with such lowlifes."
"Is that so? They’re not fit to be called knights."
"But they are not knights."
"Oh, right. They’re just lowlifes."
The Viscount seemed to accept this explanation and fell silent. Riley was the next to speak.
"Do you think the men who attacked the mountain cabin were connected to those who ambushed the carriage? The atmosphere seemed quite different."
Clyde agreed with this observation.
"Indeed. The men who attacked the carriage appeared to be professionals. Although their weapons were different from those of knights, their movements were quite refined."
"That’s right. However, the men who appeared at the mountain cabin were mere lowlifes. If they had been as skilled as those who attacked the carriage, Liliana and I wouldn’t be here returning to the mansion."
If the attackers at the cabin had been the same ones who ambushed the carriage, it was highly unlikely that Riley could have handled all three by himself. While Riley spoke calmly, there was an undercurrent of frustration in his tone. He seemed relieved that the cabin attackers were only lowlifes but was also vexed by his inability to fight against the more skilled assailants.
Clyde sighed and murmured.
"In that case, it’s unlikely that we’ll uncover any new information by interrogating those two any further."
"Yes, I believe so as well."
The butler agreed.
Among the attackers who ambushed the carriage, all those they managed to capture were dead. The ones who survived their injuries had all vanished from the scene. Whether they escaped with the help of their comrades or chose to end their lives, it was unclear. In any case, interrogation of the attackers could not be carried out.
"Well then, can we leave the judgment of the bandits to you?"
"Of course, that is our duty."
The Viscount responded firmly to Riley's query.
Afterward, they discussed the duration of the stay and other arrangements before the four of them dispersed. Liliana also used teleportation to return to her room. This time, she nestled into bed and fell into a deep sleep without dreams.