Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Pursuit
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Lucire's heart was heavy. He had failed to carry out his orders. How could he report to his lord with any confidence? That was why he felt tense at Princess Lansien's summons.
But contrary to his expectations, Lansien's expression was impassive. She simply praised him for his hard work.
"You've done well."
"I'm deeply sorry."
"It wasn't as if you failed because you wanted to. It's fine."
"...No, it's not."
She touched the disappointment buried deep beneath Lucire's emotions. *You'll have no choice but to grant my request again this time.*
"Then, may I ask something of you?"
"What is it? I will see it done, no matter what."
"It's simple. There was someone who kidnapped Princess Cannivella this time, right? Find that person."
"Yes. This time, I will definitely produce results."
She smiled brightly. This man was so straightforward in his intentions. He was perfect to use.
"If you go outside, there will be someone to assist you. Proceed with him."
"Yes, thank you."
Lucire was grateful to Lansien for giving him this chance. With that thought, he opened the door, and a handsome green-haired man was waiting for him.
"I've been waiting. I'm Recant."
"So you're...?"
"Yes, I am the one appointed by Princess Lansien to assist you."
"Then I look forward to working with you."
He shook hands with Recant, expressing his pleasure. But the strangely firm grip caught his attention. He tilted his head slightly and said,
"By the way, I've never heard of the Recant family."
That was only natural. The Recant family was from another continent. But fabricating that much was basic for the man. After all, the Recant family did deal in information, so it wasn't an outright lie.
"We're just a small family from a distant region. That's why I'm new to the capital and don't know anyone here. If I perform well this time, I can advance to the center, so I see it as a great opportunity."
"I see."
The two chatted idly as they headed to the bustling streets and had a simple lunch. Then they entered the mansion owned by the Recant family. Recant spread out a copy of the report and soon said with a sharp expression,
"Shall we begin?"
At those words, Lucire straightened his posture. Now the real work would start. Lucire told him everything he knew. Recant listened attentively, asking questions midway and taking notes.
"......"
Recant fell into thought. Princess Cannivella, who had been lying low for a long time, had finally moved. So who on earth was her accomplice?
But the investigation targets could be narrowed down easily.
"We can limit the accomplice candidates to nobles who went missing at least 3 to 6 years ago."
"Missing nobles?"
"When did Princess Cannivella become a child?"
Recant suddenly asked an unexpected question. Lucire wondered why he was asking something like that. Any citizen of the Rasoni Kingdom would know about the fire incident six years ago, right?
But gazing into those brilliantly shining green eyes, he couldn't raise any doubts.
"Officially, it was after the accident six years ago. But precisely, it was three years ago. She fell from a tree and hit her head."
"Oh ho."
"At the earliest, that's when an accomplice would have appeared. There's no need for such things in peaceful times."
"But why nobles?"
*If he knows one, he should know two, but this knight seems a bit slow.* Recant clicked his tongue inwardly and gave the answer.
"In the Rasoni Kingdom, anyone missing for over two years is ultimately declared dead. That's the law."
"......!"
"So we just need to find people whose disappearance coincides with the accident."
"......I see."
It was the first time Lucire had learned of this law. Noticing his shaken demeanor, Recant said,
"The reason I conclude it's a noble is simple. First of all, to become an accomplice, they would need at least some acquaintance with Princess Cannivella. So who would have the easiest access to the princess?"
"Her maids or servants...?"
"Correct. And those people are all......"
"Nobles!"
"You seemed unaware of the missing persons law yourself just now, Sir Knight Captain, and you're a noble knight. Do you think commoners would know it?"
"......"
"Of course not. All the citizens know is things like how much tax to pay each year and when, or the punishments for not paying taxes."
"I see......"
Lucire was impressed by Recant's deductive skills. And Recant drove the point home.
"So the culprit has to be a noble. Nobles often start studying from a young age, and high-ranking heirs are likely well-versed in laws like this. Therefore, the culprit definitely knows about it."
A noble who had been missing for well over two years. Lucire marveled at Recant, who had pinpointed the target so quickly. As expected of someone brought by Lansien. Princess Lansien was famous for her perfectionism.
Buoyed by hope, Lucire asked Recant,
"Then we just need to investigate the lists of all her maids and servants?"
"That's about right."
"Thank you. Then how should we divide the investigation...?"
"For now, if you provide the materials, Sir Knight Captain, I'll handle the detailed investigation."
"Understood. Then I'll take my leave."
Lucire, now eager, left with a hasty farewell. Watching him go, Recant muttered softly,
"Please be a dutiful horse we can ride well......"
With Recant's help in finding a lead, Lucire decided to start with interviews. So he returned to the palace first. To investigate Princess Cannivella's closest aides, he went to the head maid and obtained the list of maids.
*No need to even consider the maids on this list.*
There were so many maids. Especially when he asked for missing and deceased ones too, the documents filled an entire room. For now, he excluded all those currently assigned to Princess Cannivella's palace. Then a thought suddenly struck him.
*How pitiful. A princess neglected even by her maids.*
Originally, Cannivella had been beloved by her maids. But once she was pushed away from the center of power, they turned their backs immediately. Moreover, their rude treatment while attending her was so obvious that even he, an outsider, felt sorry for her.
But now was not the time to mix in personal feelings. He focused on what he could do. After roughly sorting them, the room-filling pile shrank to about his height.
......It was still a lot, though.
Rustle, rustle.
The room was filled with the sound of flipping papers. He wasn't the studious type, so his head ached, but he read and reread the maids' personal records. Yet no one suspicious stood out.
*I'm exhausted.*
Thinking there might be rumors among the maids not in the records, he probed that angle, but nothing came up. The head maid seemed clueless, and the maids just spouted whatever they wanted.
Judging there was nothing more to get, he investigated the servants in a similar way. But again, no gains.
*Then it's the knights' turn. The First Knight Order......*
His heart was conflicted. The First Knight Order was the one led by Lukamin Takirai, the knight he had admired. At that time, the other orders were out on missions from the queen, hunting culprits, or training.
Thus, the First Knight Order suffered the greatest losses during the incident. Most died while guarding the queen and princess, the vice captain was revealed as a traitor, and the entire order was disbanded.
They all vanished like dew on the execution ground, and some, including Lukamin, went missing and were briefly wanted.
That was why he was in a situation where he suspected one of the First Knight Order might be the accomplice. But he couldn't confirm it. Since the First Order's deaths were clearly documented, he only needed to check the few missing ones, including Captain Lukamin.
So he compiled a list of suspects as Princess Cannivella's possible accomplice and sent it to Recant.
"Here you go."
"Oh, thank you. These are the suspects? Fewer than I thought."
"Most are clearly marked as deceased, and the princess had fewer close aides than expected, so it was easy to narrow down."
"You've worked hard. Now I'll take it from here."
Having received the information from Lucire, Recant headed to the personnel records office. The staff eyed him suspiciously but opened the door without a word upon seeing the letter of recommendation from Lansien.
*'Circumstantially, the accomplice is most likely from the First Knight Order.'*
The servants showed no connections, and the missing maids didn't seem capable of aiding Princess Cannivella no matter how he looked at it. Nothing stood out in the anecdotes in the report.
*'The maids were never in a position to help.'*
At that time, the families of any maids even slightly involved in the incident mostly fell into ruin. Their houses disappeared or were pushed out of central positions. Could such people really help Cannivella?
Moreover, after that, Cannivella began acting like a child. She lived almost in confinement, under strict surveillance by the organization's assassins. Would they risk sneaking in past that surveillance to plot with her?
*'Absurd.'*
That was why. The knights had suffered the most damage. With Lukamin and some knights missing, deaths from the assault, and the traitor's emergence, the entire order was massacred. The aftermath even destroyed their families, wiping out three generations in some cases.
Moreover, knights were different from maids. Unlike maids who stayed within the palace, knights often slipped in and out secretly on covert missions. So if any survived, it was entirely possible they had been visiting the princess's palace discreetly.
"So this person killed 'him'......"
'Him' was a swordsman whose skill was beyond exceptional. It was estimated two people attacked 'him'. Circumstantially, one was Princess Cannivella, and the other was the accomplice.
So was there anyone in the First Knight Order capable of killing such a man?
If anyone, it would be Lukamin Takirai, Ace, or Rapon at most. Lukamin was the kingdom's greatest knight, and Ace and Rapon were his disciples, equals in skill. They were so strong that victory in swordsmanship tournaments was a given.
Ace in particular had been recommended for vice captain but handed the position to Iras because he hated paperwork—a laughable anecdote.
*'I need to focus on investigating these three.'*
Resolved, he pored over their files for a long time but found nothing. He was so frustrated it bordered on disbelief.
How could the kingdom's intelligence be this poor!
In the end, he had no choice but to request information on these three from his own subordinates. And they carried out the mission admirably. In just two days, they returned with the intel and handed it over.
Rustle, rustle.
He quickly scanned the contents. Then he let out a wry laugh.
"Heh heh.... Is this real?"
"Yes, Captain."
His subordinate bowed and replied. The records stated that Ace's family had been wiped out by a plague, and she had left for another continent. With no records after, she was likely dead or in some remote wilderness.
As for Rapon, it said he went mad after witnessing comrades' executions at the death row and took his own life.
*'Then......'*
That left only Lukamin Takirai as the culprit. The only one with the skill to kill 'him', from the knight order, missing but declared dead.
"Found you!"
This was the culprit.