Chapter 37: The Forest Clan
Marquis Hamawar set out to report to Prime Minister Nagalan, accompanied by the self-proclaimed Count Nagarl Heizen and his guards. Hyaru and several knights were stationed to guard the Fiene Hamawar residence. There was no way I could handle this alone.
Soon, reinforcements led by Captain Orlan, consisting of thirty men summoned from Egdra, would arrive. I planned to assign them to guard Fiene’s residence and hire additional personnel to cover the shortfall.
I was to accompany Fiene to the Royal Castle to confirm her emblem registration and the status of the Royal Healing Mage. The guards of the Viscount were dressed in the emblem-adorned attire of the Marquis, causing those who didn’t know me to look at me with curiosity.
Fiene explained to the emblem officer that the emblem of the Hamawar family featured a red double circle, and the matter was settled quickly. Since the waiting room for the Royal Healing Mage was close to the royal residence, I couldn’t enter and had to wait in the guards’ lounge.
Well, it was a cramped gathering of burly men, and as a child, I stood out like a sore thumb among them. I couldn’t help but think that I hadn’t grown much; the clothes made for me by the Viscount back then still fit perfectly.
Without any weapons and dressed in non-combat attire, I wore the emblem of the Marquis Hamawar on my chest. A few men looked like they wanted to say something, but I ignored them.
“Is Kaito, the guard of Viscount Fiene Hamawar, here?”
“That would be me.”
“The King requests your presence at the Magic Training Ground.”
“I am here as the guard of Viscount Fiene Hamawar. I cannot respond to the King’s summons.”
The surrounding guards murmured, creating a commotion.
“The Viscount is also present. Hurry up!”
He seemed like a troublesome fellow, but if Fiene was there, I had no choice but to go. We proceeded down a long corridor and arrived at the familiar Magic Training Ground. Fiene was there, along with His Majesty the King, the Prime Minister, and Prince Herarus. What were they planning? I wanted no part in any troublesome matters.
“I have brought him, Your Majesty.”
With no other option, I bowed my head to the King and expressed my greetings.
“Viscount Hamawar, do you have business here?”
“You insolent wretch! You are in the presence of the King. Know your place!”
The King restrained a noisy attendant, glaring at him with a sharp gaze, clearly displeased.
“The reason I called you here is simple; I wish to see what you displayed during the Magic Tournament, as requested by Viscount Hamawar.”
Fiene nodded with a face that said it couldn’t be helped.
“Your Majesty, you are aware that I am an Adventurer. Adventurers do not reveal their abilities unless necessary. If you wish to see, I will demonstrate in a practical manner.”
“Oh? A practical demonstration, you say?”
“If it’s acceptable, I would like to use the individuals standing behind you, along with him.”
I pointed to the man who had been glaring at me and the others behind the King, who looked as if they had bitten into something sour. I selected a total of six men.
“Feel free to use any weapons.”
I communicated my intent to take them all down through eye contact. Perhaps they thought I was underestimating them; the atmosphere shifted, and they entered combat mode, fully prepared to fight. I would hold back, treating them like the mud balls I made as a child, as a thank you for their glares.
At a distance of about 25 meters, as the knights drew their swords and charged, I fired four Stone Bullets at them first, then landed a shot on the chest of the chanting mage. Finally, I delivered three shots to the man who had called for me, hitting him in the stomach and face.
I confirmed that all the bullets I fired had shattered. Good, good.
The leader of the Mage Corps was there, muttering something like, “Unbelievable, could it be that he’s casting without incantation?”
While it was meant to showcase Fiene’s abilities, she only revealed a fraction of her power, knowing she couldn’t show everything. Even so, she struck a target about 35 meters away with a single shot, destroying it. She had to demonstrate at least the strength to take down an Armored Buffalo; otherwise, it would be problematic.
The King smiled with satisfaction and informed Fiene that she could take me anywhere within the Royal Castle. I was told that I only needed to show the royal emblem-embossed identification I had been given whenever questioned.
So, I had a free pass throughout the castle.
Once my business was concluded, Fiene and I returned, guided by two attendants. I was certain I would get lost in the complex pathways.
“Kaito, can you remember the way?”
“No way! I have no intention of remembering it at all.”
“Right, it wouldn’t make sense to memorize the corridors when we don’t know when we’ll come back.”
The one leading us was the man I had shot three times in the stomach and face earlier. Though Fiene had healed him, he was still visibly displeased. I didn’t care, but I warned him, “Be careful; Viscount Fiene is a noble, and rudeness won’t be tolerated.”
It seemed he finally realized, as his face turned pale.
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With Captain Orlan and his thirty men guarding Fiene’s residence, I found myself with nothing to do. I spent my time leisurely at the inn, occasionally exploring the streets of the Royal Capital.
The merchant’s son style suited me best; enjoying tea and snacks in this attire felt comfortable and pleasant.
I wanted to head outside the Royal Capital soon to enhance my Mana, so I set about securing some food supplies. This reminded me of the Marquis’s stored goods; there were twenty pieces of Armored Buffalo meat and four pieces reserved for me.
When I asked the Marquis what to do with the meat, he instructed me to take five pieces to Fiene and five to him, while keeping the rest for myself.
Before heading to Fiene’s place, I caught Hyaru and had her fetch a barrel full of ice, ensuring I wouldn’t run out of ice for my drinks for a while, though Hyaru looked exasperated.
At Fiene’s residence, I intended to deliver the five pieces of meat from the Marquis, but I ended up getting caught up in a feast of meat with everyone. We barely made a dent in one piece, but I was delighted that it would be used for the friendly ladies’ banquet, ensuring enjoyment for a while.
Since we couldn’t finish it all, they asked me to keep three pieces, which once again found their way into my Magic Pouch. I was treated like a long-term storage freezer.
I told Fiene that I would be heading outside the Royal Capital for a while to enhance my Mana, and she kindly escorted me to the outskirts of the city.
The area beside the road was a grassy plain, with the grass a bit taller, but it didn’t hinder my movement, so I made good progress. Along the way, I took down two Horn Rabbits, and my senses remained sharp.
Even though I was moving away from the main road, I sensed the presence of many people nearby. In situations like this, it was best to keep my distance, so I decided to dig a hole and wait until sunset.
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I succumbed to curiosity.
As twilight descended over the grassy plain, I crawled toward the presence of people, occasionally hearing slurred voices and drunken shouts. A lookout lay hidden on a rock in a depression. Several rocks leaned against each other, suggesting that many people were concealed within the gaps.
Those hiding here were likely not up to any good. Though I was reluctant, I decided to investigate. After five days of digging underground, I still couldn’t figure it out; it seemed that some guards were mixed in with the group based on their conversations.
Since it was beyond my capability, I decided to return to the Marquis for help.
Waiting for dawn, I made my way back to the Royal Capital, feeling an unpleasant gaze upon me, yet no figures were in sight. As I paused to sense my surroundings, they appeared.
Six men emerged from the ground, looking like they were involved in some shady business.
“If you’re not carrying any goods, you must have a Magic Pouch. Hand it over!”
“Where did you come from? Are you a thief demanding my Magic Pouch?”
“Quit talking nonsense and hand over the Magic Pouch! No one will come to help you this early in the morning!”
It was a clear case of guilt. I fired a Stone Bullet into the gut of the man who was rambling threats. The others drew their swords, but I shot Stone Bullets into their stomachs until they were all down.
As I bound them, another man who had been hiding elsewhere dashed out, desperately trying to escape. I jumped after him and shot a Stone Bullet into his back.
Once I had shoved all seven of them into the hole they had emerged from, I left only an air hole open. Even if a Earth Magic user was among them, they were bound, so I doubted they could escape.
Inside the hole they had come from, there were supplies of food and water, indicating they had been hiding for a long time. However, I had no need to investigate further, so I returned to the city.
I was stopped at the entrance to the noble district while trying to enter in my adventurer’s attire, but I showed my identification from Marquis Hamawar and made my way to the marquis’s residence.
I explained to the marquis about the thieves and the hideout I had discovered, but due to the presence of what seemed to be guards coming and going, I couldn’t contact the Royal Capital’s security forces.
From there, things moved quickly. I immediately headed to the Royal Castle and informed the Prime Minister about the possibility of guards being involved. It was decided that the Royal Capital Defense Force would be used for the capture. The next day, I guided Captain Darian, who led a unit of 300 men, to surround the problematic location just before dawn.
Along the way, we dragged out the buried thieves for interrogation, confirming that it was indeed the hideout of the bandits.
The thieves attempted to flee upon receiving a warning from their lookout, but they were sluggish from just waking up and were quickly surrounded. We captured over 40 of them with little resistance. The men, women, and children who had been trapped inside the hideout were rescued, but one child caught my attention.
He was injured and suffering from a high fever.
I informed Captain Darian and placed the feverish child into a carriage, rushing back to the Royal Capital to find Fi. With just a single word from her, “Naa-rett,” the child’s injuries healed, and the fever subsided, allowing him to sleep peacefully.
“What happened to this child?” Fi asked, concern etched on her face.
“He was captured by the bandits, but there’s something troubling me,” I replied.
“To put a slave collar on a child… that’s terrible.”
“I don’t know much about it, but children can’t be made into slaves, right?”
“That’s illegal, and this child belongs to the Forest Clan. He doesn’t belong here.”