“…Marquis Berlutti, it’s been a while. Today, I have some personal matters to attend to, so I’m leaving early. If you have business with Crown Prince Arwin, I believe he’s in his office now.”
Reiner bowed slightly and then answered politely and courteously. The person who had spoken to him was “Marquis Jean-Paul Berlutti”. The Jean-Paul family is one of the influential and long-established noble families in the Magnolia Empire.
Known not only for his political acumen but also for his good character, Berlutti is renowned as a person of integrity. Berlutti, seeming to sense something in Reiner’s demeanor, looked at him with concern.
“I see. Well then, I shall proceed to the office to pay my respects. However, Sir Reiner, you don’t look well. Please don’t overexert yourself.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Reiner bows and passes by him carefully, making sure not to be rude. However, a voice calls out to his back.
“Ah, wait a moment.”
“…? Yes, what is it?”
Reiner turns around with a puzzled expression, having been suddenly stopped. Berlutti scratches his cheek somewhat embarrassedly and mutters:
“Well… If Lord Esther comes to the imperial capital, please tell him I’ve got some good alcohol, so we should drink together. We may have opposing opinions in meetings, but the alcohol I drink with Lord Esther tastes the best.”
Reiner was surprised by this unexpected gesture. Esther and Berlutti often clash in meetings, so they’re thought to be on bad terms. However, Reiner had heard from Trett that they actually get along well enough to secretly enjoy drinks together.
Being told that drinking with his father Esther tastes the best would normally make Reiner happy, but today it stirred up complex emotions. Reiner tried to maintain a calm appearance, hiding the complicated feelings running through him as he replied:
“…Understood. I’ll convey that message to my father.”
“Good. I’m counting on you. Reiner, if you ever have any troubles, feel free to tell me. I’ll help if I can. Well, sorry for stopping you.”
Berlutti gives a gentle smile at Reiner’s response. Reiner considered whether he should talk about what happened in Baldia territory, but thought it would cause confusion to share without knowing the full details, so he just responded:
“No, thank you for your kind words. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
Reiner expresses his gratitude to him, bows, and turns his back. Then he sets off on his way home.
Upon returning to the mansion in the imperial capital, Reiner immediately begins preparations to return to his territory. He instructs the mansion staff to manage things thoroughly, as there’s a possibility he won’t return to the capital for a while after going back to his territory.
When he returns to his room in the mansion, he notices the letters from Trett and Esther that arrived the other day are still left on the desk.
“…Come to think of it, I left them there.”
Reiner casually picks up the letters he had left and, closing his eyes, utters words as if in prayer:
“Father, Mother, I’m coming now. Please be safe…”
After finishing his words, Reiner carefully puts the letters in the desk drawer.
After gathering his valuables and finishing preparations to return to his territory, Reiner is about to leave his room when he feels like he’s forgetting something. What could it be? After a moment, Reiner realizes and quickly sits at his desk to hastily write a letter addressed to Nunnaly.
Afterwards, he instructs the butler to make sure the letter is delivered directly to her, and then Reiner departs for Baldia territory with Dinas.
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Several days later, when Reiner and Dinas return to the mansion, Galun greets them with a grim expression. From that expression, Reiner senses that the worst-case scenario he had anticipated has occurred. However, Reiner doesn’t show any emotion outwardly. This demeanor likely reflects his determination to lead Baldia territory as its [Lord].
Galun informs him of Esther and Trett’s deaths and reports that their bodies have been recovered.
“Lord Reiner, we have carefully preserved the bodies of both, so I will guide you to them.”
“…Please do. Dinas, go check on the situation with the knight order. Galun, what about the knight commander and vice commander?”
In response to Reiner’s inquiry, Galun shakes his head and answers bitterly:
“Unfortunately, both have already passed away due to poison and stab wounds.”
“…I see, understood. Dinas, you heard him. I’m appointing you as acting knight commander temporarily. Please organize the current knight order.”
Dinas listens to Reiner’s words with a stern face and nods quietly.
“Understood.”
After responding, Dinas bows and leaves. After Dinas has gone, Galun guides Reiner to the room where the two bodies are placed. Then, stopping in front of the room, he puts on a bitter expression.
“The bodies of both are enshrined here. However, due to the [poison] they received, parts of the bodies have turned black. Please prepare yourself.”
“I understand.”
Reiner only utters one word in response to Galun’s words and nods. Then, entering the room, he has a silent encounter with his parents who have been respectfully laid to rest. After seeing the bodies of the two, Reiner mutters to Galun behind him, not showing his face:
“…Sorry, could you leave me alone for a bit?”
“Understood.”
Galun nods at Reiner’s words, responds, and exits the room.
How much time has passed since Reiner said he wanted to be alone in the room facing his parents’ bodies? Galun was worried and considering checking on him when Reiner came out of the room and said to Galun:
“Galun, I’m going to the office now. Tell me the details of what happened with the inspection team and the bandit group there!”
“…!! Understood.”
While listening to Galun’s response, Reiner quickly heads to the office. Entering the office that Esther had been using until just recently, he looks around the room. Then, noticing documents about the [bandit group] on the desk, he sits down, picks them up, and quickly skims through them. Then, showing the documents to Galun, he says:
“Galun, are these documents the preliminary investigation report by the knight order?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Reiner looks through the documents again, but there’s no particularly important information in the content. However, according to the preliminary investigation by the knight order before the inspection, it states that the possibility of a large-scale bandit group being organized was low.
However, it suggested that as a precaution, they should positively consider responding with a show of force inspection by the knight order. The signatures of Knight Commander Gawain and Vice Commander Gregory are also there.
In other words, the surprise attack by the bandit group this time was completely unexpected, and there were no signs of a bandit group being organized in the preliminary investigation to scrutinize the information. Nevertheless, the inspection team was ambushed by a bandit group.
Reiner feels doubtful about why they couldn’t detect the existence of the bandit group at the preliminary investigation stage, and shows a puzzled expression.
“Galun, these documents say they couldn’t confirm information about a large-scale bandit group being organized. But in reality, the inspection team was ambushed. Did Father… say anything?”
“No, Lord Esther also said that this inspection seemed like it would be fine to do just as a precaution. That’s why he seemed to accommodate Lady Trett’s wish to accompany him.”
“…I see.”
Galun speaks while choosing his words carefully, with a frustrated expression. Reiner lowers his head, ponders for a moment, then looks up.
“Tell me about the extent of damage to the knight order and the situation with the bandit group.”
“As you wish.”
After bowing, Galun began explaining about the battle between the knight order and the bandit group’s surprise attack. The inspection was scheduled to check the border areas in the order of Zvera, Barst, and Renaroute.
The bandit group launched their surprise attack near the border of Renaroute, which was the last stop.
“Near the border of Renaroute…”
“Yes, however, it’s unlikely that the Dark Elves were involved.”
Galun continued speaking as if to answer Reiner’s doubt. When the rescue knight order dispatched by Galun arrived at the scene based on the information, the area was filled with the smell of blood. The ground was stained red with blood, covered with the corpses of knights and what appeared to be bandits.
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