episode_0336

After issuing a wanted notice, Arina opened the tightly blocked door of Chatren and quickly began to investigate the inside of the estate.

According to the information gathered by the pursuit team, it is unknown how they evaded the checkpoint, but they had already passed through Rusmeier, and if they had fled along that route, it was highly likely that there would be traces left here.

But… even though quite a bit of time has passed, nothing has been found.

“What do you mean, nothing was found?”

Arina asked back in a tone that showed she couldn’t understand.

“I can’t see anything. Maybe this isn’t the area?”

“Uh, that… Same goes for us…”

“I looked towards the city, but there was no visible trace.”

Nothing was found. So many people searched the main space of Chatren and nothing popped up.

It is said that they don’t even know which path they took to escape.

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Arina had just searched the center. Since there were no traces there, there must have been traces of outsiders somewhere else.

But you searched everywhere and found nothing?

It was quite possible that he had lived here for a short period of time. No, it was more reasonable to assume that he had lived there.

Not only was it obvious that the horse he had ridden all the way to Rusmeyer had suddenly been discovered in a remote mountain, but it was also clear that he would have starved for several days if he had followed the road that had continued all the way from the north.

So, if you look at things like food waste and traces of fire, it’s even more likely that they stayed here.

Then, the situation of Chatren suddenly comes to mind.

At this, Arina shook her head.

“Ha. No way.”

Chatren had closed its doors and the residents had conspired to block the pursuers’ path. Naturally, it is possible that Karsane had already arrived inside.

And, there were two people here before.

I prevented the Chatren’s door from opening.

The two people who gave Karcein time to escape.

If the two of them had decided to erase Karsene’s traces, it wouldn’t have been impossible.

‘then.’

We need time to think in reverse.

Arina gritted her teeth and moved away.

“Hey you guys. Did you search that cabin?”

“Huh? Uh…”

“That’s where Princess Arsien and Princess Flora were…”

Arina walks slowly towards the cabin without even listening to the soldier’s words.

The place where Flora and Arsien were.

In other words, it is a place where two people may have hidden and erased Karsine’s traces.

That is why this was a place where even more certain evidence could exist.

Just before opening the door.

Arina’s hand stops with a silent whisper.

-Big sister, I hate you. I really hate you! I hate you the most in the world! If you open that door, I won’t be your sister anymore! I won’t even call you sister anymore─!!!

“…”

Flora’s voice, which had been screaming just before leaving the chattel, could be heard briefly, but Arina’s hand did not stop and continued to approach the door.

‘It’s Carcein who’s wrong, Flora.’

Even though Bagrand had done him so much good, he was the one who stabbed him in the back of the head.

You accepted a child who was not your blood relative.

It brought me a more affluent and comfortable life than any other person on the street.

It was a life that everyone envied.

You and I have both lived the lives we wanted.

While receiving the name of Bagrand, I completed my registration.

Come join our family and enjoy the best benefits.

But what did that guy actually do?

Because people were accepting of me, I became arrogant and full of myself.

Eventually, that arrogance even gave rise to rumors that might have repercussions for the empire.

To stop him in advance, he should have returned to the duke’s house.

I shouldn’t have let my mother collapse like that.

My whole family became victims.

The Duke also had an absurd reputation.

Strange suspicions and scandals also follow the Duke’s family.

Discontent and protests also arose among the imperial nobility.

‘It’s all that kid’s fault, Flora.’

Carcein… no. That thing.

‘I lied to my mother, I lied to Claire and I, and I lied to you too.’

People like that aren’t family.

Arina, filled with anger, yanks the doorknob open.

There were still unprocessed evidences left inside.

“You disguised yourself by buying clothes from the North. If so, you must have already acquired enough supplies in Rusmeyer. Divide the soldiers to the south and search.”

“Yes!”

We will definitely catch the traitor who hit Bagrand in the back of the head and give him the proper punishment.

-Tiring!

[ Arina Bagrand : 85% ]

[ It was I who had ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ family. ]

***

““I heard you called, Miss Claire.””

Two knights who were summoned by Claire take this example.

Claire, who had been looking out the window, suddenly turns away.

She looked at the two people alternately, then dismissed all the maids and made room for them.

When the maids all left and the surroundings became quiet, Claire sat down on the sofa and picked up her teacup.

-Moonlight.

Claire, her neck trembling, asked the two knights directly.

“You were the captain and vice-captain of the First Knights, right? Your names are… Radiel Grupain. And Mark Redeltine.”

““Yes, Miss.””

“Then I’ll ask. Are you a knight of Bagrand? Or a knight of Karsane?”

There was silence for a moment.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss.”

“I don’t quite understand what you’re asking, Miss Claire.”

“I don’t know. Yeah. I see.”

Claire had a gut feeling as she watched the two people’s attitudes.

The fact that what you have to do is prove, not ask questions.

So how do we prove it?

How can we prove their strange behavior?

And how can I express my true feelings?

It’s going to be a complicated issue.

For now, I don’t even know where to start.

But, if I can’t prove this, I’ll end up being the older sister who holds back her younger sibling.

Claire calmly begins the story, putting Radiel and Mark’s positions first.

“Currently, most of the knights of the Bagrand Dukes have followed my sister. They have been mobilized to search for and track down Karsane. They are mobilizing all their forces without leaving anyone out, so they must have tried to take as many people as possible. That is the way to find Karsane as quickly as possible. Right?”

“…”

“But not all knights follow my sister. There are exceptions. For example, the troops protecting my mother at the duke’s house. The troops blocking the duke’s house so no one can pass. If I receive news from my sister or have a message to send to my sister, I leave a small group like this. In other words, only the escort knights and the messenger are left. My sister used this method mainly… but there is something strange here.”

-Ouch.

Claire continued, picking up a list of the knights’ positions.

“The two people who were originally assigned to escort suddenly changed their escort target. The target was from Carcein to a person named Na. The timing was just perfect, wasn’t it?”

-Bam.

Claire puts down another list that is spot on.

“Originally, you should return to being a knight of your family when the target you were supposed to protect disappears overnight. You should return to the 1st Knights and do your original work. When news spread that Karsene had disappeared and the pursuit began, you would have followed your sister. However, you are not like that.”

Two lists suggest one hypothesis.

“You changed positions before the order was given. After Karsain disappeared, right when the chase began, you two took this position as escorts. You volunteered to be my escort, even though I was the least paid escort in Bagrand. This… I took it in a different way.”

“…”

“Unlike other knights, wasn’t he aware of this fact in advance? Rather, he changed his position to my escort so as not to chase Karsain. That’s what I thought. And… this intention.”

In a heavy atmosphere.

Claire comes to a conclusion.

“Because I know what orders will be given. If I go back, I will be in a position to chase Karsene. So, I thought you might be approaching me on purpose to help Karsene. ”

After finishing cleaning up, Claire asks again.

“Now, let me ask you again. Are you a knight of Bagrand? Or a knight of Karsane?”

A knight who has lost his master has nowhere to go.

As a knight of the family, I had to simply carry out whatever was ordered.

But the two men had already parted ways within the division and had joined forces with someone who would seek help for their master.

So, I stuck with Claire and looked at this faint possibility.

Radiel Grupain.

Mark Redeltine.

The master the two serve is Karsain, not Bagrand.

The conclusion is utterly flawed.

The evidence supporting this conclusion is also extremely weak.

Events that are time-sensitive and reflect changes in business.

It may be nothing more than a wild guess that they knew about this and putting an absurd hypothesis on a pair of knights whose whereabouts were unclear.

but.

-chuck.

“As expected, Miss Claire has changed.”

“If there was a possibility, our gamble to walk away with Miss Claire seems to have paid off.”

“You… Really…!”

This faint clue, this strange misalignment that you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.

It was a crack that the two people had created themselves.

““The oath we have made as knights is directed solely to Master Karsain.””

Loyalty to one person, not loyalty to Bagrand.

Their oaths were dedicated only to their master, Carsain.

Indeed, it was a blessing.

“Miss Claire.”

“Please, command.”

Because they are on Carcein’s side.

-Tiring!

▶Claire Bagrand turns into a friendly character.◀

▶ trigger has been activated.◀

▶Radiel Grupain and Mark Redeltine assist the players.◀

***

After that, I passed through two more villages.

After Rusmeyer and Chatren, I managed to live a life of hiding in other places. The artifacts were doing their job, and having one more person there actually helped reduce suspicion.

Then came some good news.

The main force itself must have been staying in Chatren for quite some time, at some point the remaining time increased rapidly, and the event became inactive. It may take some time, considering that the pursuit force did not actually come chasing them.

It was a good opportunity.

During this gap, you can proceed to the Duke’s House to clear the episode.

It’s time to collect the five treasures and return to reality.

but…

Here we encountered a difficulty.

‘…Here’s the problem.’

In order to enter the Bagrand duchy, you must cross the duchy’s borders.

Knowing that fact, I turned back towards the smallest territory possible. Naturally, I avoided the walled area, and I avoided it even more if there were a lot of soldiers.

I went around and around and around again and came all the way to the smallest territory.

‘Is it the same here?’

It might be okay if it was an area where people would flock, such as the outer territory, Chatren, or Rusmeyer, but given the circumstances, it seems like friction is unavoidable.

It won’t be easy to break through it by force. Even if you do, word will quickly reach Arina, triggering a chase.

‘There’s nothing I can do. I have no choice but to use some force.’

When you are so determined.

Two horses are approaching from behind.

The direction is not wrong, nor is the line of sight misaligned.

He’s coming at me looking exactly this way.

This is not a road. It is a secluded place covered in thick bushes, so it is not a place that stands out, and it is hidden, so it is unlikely to be of interest to those passing by.

But, are you sure you’re going to find that exact place?

‘Could it be that I got caught?’

As I tried to get back on my horse, overcome with anxiety, Harnie grabbed my arm.

“It’s okay. Carcein.”

“Yes?”

“Those people, they’re not here to get you.”

Harnie said that with a grin.

“How do you know that?”

“Remember when the people at the Rusmeyer checkpoint weren’t there to catch you? They had something in common.”

“What are the features?”

“Yes. It had Claire Youngae’s boutique pattern.”

“…!”

There was a lingering sense of discomfort.

The extremely shallow way of checking at that checkpoint… I had said that it was according to Claire’s instructions.

If that’s the reason… I thought it was a gamble worth taking.

Soon the two knights dismount.

Yes, that was right. The armor of those two people had the emblem of the boutique run by Claire clearly engraved on it.

Even those two…

These are faces I know.

“…”

“I told you, they’re not here to get you.”

Claire, me?