Volume 5 - CH 11

“Eh! Theives!?”

“No wonder, I thought it was noisy.”

“So you caught them all?”

“yes”

I nodded to Ifa and the others who had turned back, after explaining the situation to them.

Apparently, the girls were unaware of the commotion.

Since the wagon of Ifa and his group was running far ahead of the others, the coachman noticed the attack and immediately sped away on horseback.

The raiders must have ignored the girls in the rented wagons, which were obviously all over the place, because they thought they were irrelevant.

Although I had seen the whole sequence of events with a Shikigami, I didn’t think they were aware of it.

We had just stopped the wagon and were treating the injured.

Healers using the light attribute are moving around in a hurry. Fortunately, no one seemed to be injured so seriously that they could not be healed. No need for me to come out.

The thieves were tied up and kept in one place.

Ifa says as she turns a fearful eye toward the gang of thieves.

“Hah, that was dangerous ……!　I’m glad they didn’t come this way.”

“Huh? What, if they had come, I would have beaten them. Right, Mabel?”

“I don’t want any trouble.”

“You guys are so carefree.”

It was pretty tense over here.

Well, even these kids might be able to get rid of thieves. If they were really thieves.

“But, but …… Is it possible to be attacked even though you have such an army escorting you, right?”

“I guess so.”

“What are they going to do about them? Drag them all to the capital?”

“Make them walk?　We’ll be late for school.”

“No….., it’s probably ok.”

We can pack them all into the wagons if we want to.

The carriage used to disguise Fiona was empty, and the luggage was loaded with plenty of room to spare.

But there’s another problem.

“Seika-dono!”

At that moment, a voice called out to me from behind.

When I turned around, I saw an elderly man standing there. Lauren, Grey’s second-in-command, straightened his back and said to me:

“Her Highness Fiona would like to see you.”

*********

“Seika- sama thank you for all your efforts.”

Fiona said, sitting on a chair in a simple tent built by the military.

No one from Grey’s platoon or the military was present. There was only one lady-in-waiting.

I looked around and said,

“Those two scary maidservants aren’t here.”

“Oh, you knew they were holy knights?　I’ve sent them to heal the soldiers now. They are light magic users.”

“I see.”

I sat down on the chair that the lady-in-waiting pulled out for me.

Fiona, who sits in front of me, doesn’t seem to be indignant despite the fact that something like that happened, and she just smiles.

“I’m so grateful for your help, Seika-sama. Thank you for catching the assassins —- who were trying to kill me.”

“Oh, was that so?”

I thought it was.

“Did you notice?”

“Everyone noticed. No common bandit would attack a carriage escorted by a platoon of soldiers, so well equipped that they would require crossbows.”

“Ufufufu. It’s not easy for them to disguise themselves if they can be detected at a glance.”

“I guess there are some things they couldn’t help, though.”

I continued to ask questions.

“Was the purpose of taking them alive to pursue your political opponents?”

“Yes, but first we have to find out who sent them.”

“You have no idea who sent them?”

“I don’t know. There are too many to know.”

“Your having a hard time, your  Highness.”

“But it’s okay. Seika-sama caught so many. This is not normal. If we bring everyone back to the Imperial City, everyone will be surprised. My political opponents will not be able to think of anything rash now,.. Ufufu”

Fiona smiles in a charming way and I ask her,

“After all, are you planning to take all of them to the capital?”

“Yes, of course. I will take it home with care. It is a gift from Seika. Ufufufu.”

“I guess Your Highness …… could see this scene. That’s why you had an extra carriage brought here”

“If they walk, some people may die, and above all, your arrival will be delayed. If you don’t make it in time for the new semester of the school, Amiyu and others will be inconvenienced.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I don’t think you should take all of them with you. With the exception of the head and a few others, we should leave them here tied up”

“Oh, dear. Why?”

“What if they break free of their bonds and revolt? The number of people we have is much larger than theirs, but the difference is not so great that it cannot be overturned. We could cut the tendons in their limbs…….”

“Ufufu,  there’s no need to do that. They should be docile …… and would rather wait for a chance to escape than move on their own.”

“An opportunity to escape……?”

“The next raid, you might say.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Do you mean there’s another team ……?　If so, isn’t that even more dangerous?　With the possibility of another raid, having a threat on the inside is ……”

“No……. there will be no next attack. The other group of mercenaries will not come.”

“How can you be so sure?  The future can change.”

“No, Seika-sama. Fate has currents like a storm that cannot be overturned by the flap of a butterfly’s wings. This is —- their destiny.”

Fiona said, staring off into the distance.

“That future is not coming.”