Chapter 57: Wipe out Part 1

Two guests.

Dirty business.

The first thought that crossed the duke’s mind was, ‘How could this child possibly know?’

But he corrected himself immediately.

If he kept seeing Ellie as just a child, it would cost him dearly.

“…You mean Prince Millian and Marquis Sengby.”

Ellie continued to stare at him.

“If you know what I’m talking about, then answer me already.”

“Are you an accomplice or not?”

There was no one else in the room to hear their conversation.

The duke sighed and answered honestly.

“I’m aware that old man is backing a criminal organization and involved in drug trafficking, but that doesn’t mean I’m a part of it—”

“Yes.”

The duke was about to ask, ‘Do you believe me?’ but then remembered who he was talking to and changed his question.

“Can you see it?”

‘Can those eyes of yours see that I’m telling the truth?’

Ellie looked at him for another second, then slowly nodded.

“I can see it.”

In the next moment, the oppressive emotion surrounding her dissipated.

The duke felt the air in his office lighten, as though storm clouds had passed.

“I’m sorry for barging in like that. But given the matter, I had no choice.”

“…I forgive you.”

He still wasn’t sure if this was truly how their relationship should be—whether the difference in their status made this proper.

But it seemed Ellie wanted to treat him as her friend’s father.

Maybe that was why she at least tried to ask nicely.

“Now tell me more. If they’re not connected to you, why were those two staying here?”

“…That’s dangerous information.”

“I don’t care. The path in front of me is far more dangerous anyway.”

The duke, with eyes sharper than most, could tell that she meant every word.

“Are you aware that there’s a secret market within this country where drugs are manufactured and sold?”

“Yes. Unfortunately.”

‘How?’

Still, he continued.

“Drugs are agricultural in origin, after all. For a steady supply, you need farmland, farmers, and facilities to process the crops into products. And the ones who have all of that are—”

“Landowners. Nobles.”

The duke nodded.

“But even if nobles produce the drugs, it’s not easy for them to sell it directly. So, they partner with people from the underworld.”

“The nobles handle production, while the criminal organizations take care of distribution and sales. And when things get risky, the nobles pull them out.”

“…Exactly.”

The duke suddenly felt a wave of shame.

Even if he wasn’t directly involved, it was still a disgrace tied to noble blood like his.

Once he explained that much, Ellie started putting the pieces together on her own.

“Even among the nobles involved, there must be a hierarchy. Instead of handing things over randomly, they’d want someone who can mediate. Prince Millian would fill that role. He’s of high status and advanced in age.”

And—

“The Sengby territory is located next to the Millian royal family’s lands. It’s a transportation hub. In short, they’re probably the number one and number two among the drug-dealing nobles.”

And—

“The reason they came here was to persuade you to join them. But you refused. You know what’s going on, but you’re not involved. That’s what it means.”

As he watched Ellie grasp the entire situation in an instant, the duke exhaled slowly.

“Miss Ellie.”

“Yes, Your Grace?”

He realized, with painful clarity, just how foolish his wish had been—to have this girl serve as a vassal to House Sucre and support Isabel.

“I ask that you stay close to Isabel in the future as well.”

“Don’t worry. I was going to do that even if you didn’t ask. She’s a lot smarter than you think.”

“That’s very good to hear. I always worry about her. She takes after her mother too much.”

At that, Ellie burst out laughing.

“Ahaha!”

The sudden laughter caught the duke off guard, though he didn’t show it outwardly.

“You love your wife, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. She was born to be loved. No one could help loving her—even someone like me.”

“That’s the same reason people around Isabel love her too.”

“So don’t worry.”

The duke slowly opened his mouth.

“Miss Ellie.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Uncharacteristically, he let his emotions show.

“Your words just now were a greater salvation to me than whatever you’re about to do.”

“Then let’s say you owe me for that. What I’m about to do now, I’m doing purely for my own satisfaction.”

“Shall I help you?”

“No. If you get involved, it’ll only get more complicated.”

“Shame. I thought I might finally get a chance to show off my skills again. Well then—good luck. Not that you’ll need it.”

“I don’t, but thank you anyway.”

***

Even modern nations don’t completely eradicate criminal organizations, because, from the start, society itself creates the demand for them.

Drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling, smuggled luxury goods from overseas, and so on.

If you round up and behead a group of suppliers, new ones will appear as long as there’s demand.

Once the power vacuum is filled, the situation often turns out even worse than before.

In that case, it’s better to have at least one organization with proper internal rules in place.

However, if an underground group starts indiscriminately killing civilians or trafficking unacceptable goods, the nation must clean out the trash without mercy.

A functioning nation should do that.

There are two typical scenarios where that process fails.

One: the state’s power is simply too weak.

Two: someone powerful is protecting the group from above.

***

“Guys.”

Ellie gathered her friends and said, “I’m going to be away for a few days.”

The girls sensed something serious just from her expression and swallowed hard.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Though… I know you’ll worry anyway, so here.”

Ellie held out a piece of paper with a star drawn on it.

“I’ve placed a spell on this. If I’m injured or die, the star will turn black. Take it if you want.”

The girls glanced at each other.

“I’ll take it.”

“Me too.”

Philia and Isabel accepted the paper.

Clea and Stella did not.

“I feel like I’d end up staring at it all day if I did.”

“Agreed.”

Ellie smiled and stood up.

“Then wait for me. I’ll be back in a few days.”

The girls blinked.

Ellie was already gone.

***

As the carriage moved away from the Duke’s estate, Prince Millian spoke to Marquis Sengby seated across from him.

“What an infuriating mansion.”

“And the owner is just as bad,” the Marquis replied. “No matter how clearly we explained, he refused to understand a word.”

“Click, click… Young, yet already so arrogant. The deal would have benefitted him as well, and he turned it down.”

“Probably thinks he has enough money already. Tch.”

Marquis Sengby suddenly smirked.

“Though, that kind of man tends to be weak when it comes to his wife.”

“…Not the most elegant solution, is it.”

“Ahem, my apologies.”

“No, no. A person can’t insist on elegance in every matter.”

The elderly prince’s eyes gleamed beneath his white eyebrows.

“Ask the company if they have someone suitable.”

By “company,” he meant the organization they were colluding with.

“I’m just worried they might send someone too rough.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll handle it. A bit of pain won’t kill her… She is of noble blood, after all. Isn’t endurance a virtue?”

“Is that so? That’s good, then.”

Suddenly, a third voice rang through the carriage.

“In that case, let me help you demonstrate some of that virtue.”

“Wha—”

Before the Marquis could even finish shouting “—who are you!?”

Thud!

The sound of a fist slamming into a jaw echoed through the carriage.

From Prince Millian’s perspective, this is what happened:

A girl appeared out of nowhere where no one had been before.

‘Was she hiding? Teleported in?’ He couldn’t tell.

Then she threw a punch.

Marquis Sengby was knocked out cold with a single hit.

His jaw took the blow, and his head slammed into the carriage door before he passed out.

Before she could turn on him, the prince reacted.

“Emm.”

A spell known only to the Millian family—a word of power that narrows the enemy’s airway, making it impossible to breathe.

Then immediately, “Mar!”

Another spell, this one collapsing the carriage roof onto her head.

Even if she blocked magic on her body, she’d still get hit.

And if not, she’d panic from the lack of air.

But the girl—

Ellie—

Didn’t stop breathing.

Didn’t get hit in the head either.

Because neither spell activated in the first place.

“!?”

No mana.

The ether that always fills this world like air—completely gone.

‘Why!?’

Prince Millian’s shock wasn’t ‘how’—’it was why.’

Because he couldn’t even imagine that a single person could cause this phenomenon.

And now, a being far beyond his comprehension raised her fist in front of him.

THWACK!!!

Pain exploded through his aging body.

“Urgh…!!”

His skull rattled.

He hadn’t felt pain like this since the time he fell from a tree and broke a bone as a child.

“Get some sleep.”

In his blood-hazed vision, the prince saw Ellie pull back her fist again.

The next moment, his entire world turned red and black—

And with a dull thud, his consciousness was gone.