Chapter 26
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Pig Hunt (3)
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"Pig Hunt, huh..."
The 'Five Senses' officers exchanged worried glances upon hearing the operation name.
The Gustatory Officer tentatively raised her hand.
"But... are we supposed to handle this on our own?"
She glanced around nervously.
"If they've already left in a carriage, we don't even know where they went or how far..."
The Tactile Officer nodded in agreement.
"Once they've fled inland, the search area becomes way too vast. The Immigration Control Office alone can't manage it."
She had a point.
Unless you were a superhuman, chasing them down and grabbing the bastard outright was next to impossible.
Besides, we weren't soldiers or generals—hardly anyone here was combat-trained.
"Don't worry. Who said we'd do it alone?"
The true power of a public official doesn't come from personal strength.
That kind of power is for soldiers and commanders.
A public servant's power lies in their organization.
Various agencies, affiliated ministries, and bureaucratic connections—these are the tools at our disposal.
"Attendant," I called out.
"Yes, Central Officer."
My direct attendant stepped forward from right behind me, his face etched with regret.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left your side, no matter what..."
"It was my fault for saying I wanted to be alone. Save your apologies."
"But your face...!"
As he pointed out, my face was a mess. I had a split lip and bloodstains I hadn't bothered to wipe off.
"You should get treated first—"
"There is no time. Request emergency audiences with the Northern, Eastern, and Western border chiefs right now."
This wasn't the moment to fuss over injuries.
And honestly, looking like this would actually serve my purpose better.
At my command, the attendant quietly touched the communication crystal.
About five minutes later, three faces appeared in the orb.
— An emergency audience, huh? It's been a while.
— This is the North. Awaiting your response.
— Hey, Southern Border! I heard the rumors. Did you really reject all the Holy Church folks at entry?
A bearded old man—the Western Chief.
A stern, young dragonkin woman—the Northern Chief.
And a wind spirit—the Eastern Chief.
Each of them oversaw one border of the Crossroad Kingdom.
I spoke briefly to the eccentric bunch.
"It's been too long, Seniors."
There was no immediate reply.
Instead, they stared at my face, their expressions turning grave.
— ...What happened to your face?
— Examiners aren't trained for combat. Explain.
— Oof, you flesh-and-blood types really have it rough.
One look speaks louder than a hundred words.
Rambling on about an emergency would be boring and pretentious—it doesn't hit home.
But my battered face? It conveyed the crisis quickly and clearly.
It worked like a charm.
It captured their attention instantly.
I seized the moment.
"The Holy Church's Saintess has been kidnapped just outside the southern border. The perpetrator assaulted me, illegally entered our territory, and has fled inland."
— ...What?
"The kidnapping of the Saintess is a massive diplomatic issue, so I would deeply appreciate your cooperation, border chiefs."
I spilled everything—from the kidnapper's appearance to the Saintess's current state.
'There is no time to hold back,' I thought.
I laid all my cards on the table and begged for their help.
I had plenty of justification, too.
If something happened to a VIP of the Church while they were passing through our land, they would hold us accountable.
— So, the Saintess got pig-napped... Oof, that's hard to even say.
The wind spirit scratched its head after hearing the full story.
And then it gave an unexpected response.
— Sorry, but we can't help.
"...Pardon?" I asked, stunned.
— It is not our jurisdiction.
"Wh-what do you mean? The Saintess was kidnapped!"
— That's exactly what I mean, kid.
With that, the Eastern Chief went silent.
'What's the issue?' I wondered.
I couldn't make sense of it.
It was a perfectly reasonable request.
Seeing my confusion, the Northern Chief spoke up.
— ...Framing your request for cooperation around a kidnapping that occurred outside the kingdom falls outside our legal responsibility. It makes active inter-agency response and linkage difficult.
"Yes? But—"
— However, since the perpetrator assaulted a state examiner and crossed the border illegally, emphasizing the illegal entry and the act of terrorism legally obligates the authorities to act.
Illegal entry and terrorism.
Those words made everything click into place.
The Holy Church held no formal ties with our kingdom externally.
Strictly speaking, off-border incidents weren't our problem.
More precisely, state agencies lacked the legal standing to intervene.
Under those terms, only lukewarm cooperation was possible.
And for the other borders outside the south, it was a dicey situation to get involved in.
But what if I shifted the focus to illegal entry and terrorism?
Now it was officially our business.
It was the exact same event, but framing it differently provided the justification we needed.
We shouldn't center the report around the kidnapped Saintess.
We needed to focus on the scum who dared to assault a state examiner and sneak across the border.
That was what she meant.
"Th-then—"
As I opened my mouth, the Northern Chief tapped her orb.
— Oops, we have a bad connection. I couldn't catch the Southern Chief's words. Please repeat yourself.
She was officially giving me another shot.
I took a deep breath.
"...This is an illegal entry case! The suspect assaulted a state examiner and crossed the border without permission—a direct act of terrorism. As the Southern Border Chief, I am formally requesting your cooperation!"
— What are the cooperation details?
"Ban anyone with purple eyes from exiting across all borders. And heavily restrict all pig-transporting carriages."
My polished pitch finally drew satisfied replies.
— That aligns with border protocols. Accepted.
— Agreed. We are implementing the ban now.
— Whoa, is this the first near-border lockdown we've had in ages?
With their responses given, the connections dropped one by one.
Only the Northern Chief remained.
— You still have that rookie vibe, Nathan Kell.
The northern dragonkin border chief, Drhin Asqurin, quirked her lips ever so slightly.
— Grow stronger, young warrior. I like the scars.
That was her idea of encouragement, dragonkin-style.
As a senior and a fellow border chief.
"Thank you, Senior."
The communication ended.
The watching 'Five Senses' officers sighed in relief.
"That's one worry down. I feel better now."
"No. We aren't done yet."
"Huh?"
You don't catch someone with a net this wide overnight.
Capturing a fugitive requires steps.
First: Set the encirclement.
Second: Tighten it gradually.
Third: Deploy pursuit teams.
We had just finished step one.
That damn bastard couldn't easily exit the Crossroad Kingdom now.
The basic fence was up.
The next step was to shrink it.
"Attendant."
"Yes."
There was no time to waste.
"Connect me to Margrave Reyes."
The southern border fell directly under Margrave Reyes's territory.
We were able to conduct our inspections smoothly partly because of his backing.
With the national borders netted, we needed to narrow the search to his territory next.
Less than five seconds later, the margrave's secretary appeared in the orb.
"This is the Reyes Marquessate. State your business."
She spoke with a lazy drawl, her voice dripping with annoyance.
"This is the Southern Border Chief and Central Officer, Nathan Kell. I request an immediate audience with Margrave Reyes."
"Do you have an appointment? The margrave is busy."
Her uncooperative tone soured my mood.
"This is an urgent matter. I request your swift cooperation."
She sighed deeply, replying snidely as if I were just one of many pests.
"Sigh, having no appointment means a three-day wait for requests... Kyaaah!"
Then, she finally looked at the orb and saw my face.
She jolted upright in hysterics.
"...It's an emergency. Connect me now."
"Y-yes! R-right away! M-m-margrave! Margrave!"
What did I tell you?
One look trumps a hundred words.
In under a minute, the margrave's office filled the orb.
"Greetings, Margrave. It is Central Officer Nathan Kell."
"We haven't had a one-on-one in ages. What merits such haste—"
He paused. My face had hit him, too.
"...What happened to your face?"
"It is related to what I am about to report."
I got straight to business, cutting out the fluff.
"Currently, an illegal entrant has rampaged across the southern border. They assaulted me, smuggled a strategically valuable creature into the country, and fled inland."
"Assaulted you? And fled? What strategic value?"
"The circumstances were chaotic due to an internal mess. The suspect appears to be highly skilled."
I explained everything to the startled margrave.
However, I deliberately skipped the details about the Saintess and the pig.
After hearing it all, he looked grave.
"So... this happened in my territory."
"Inside the border, at the Immigration Control Office—yes, your land."
In other words: A terrorist is loose on your turf, so you need to help quickly.
The margrave slowly shook his head.
"Barging in like this, beaten up and begging for help—it's troublesome even for me. It's too sudden."
"..."
"But..."
He paused, and I could practically feel the gears turning in his head.
"Helping you could prove my loyalty to the state once more."
I knew exactly what I needed to do.
"Exactly. We will publicly affirm your cooperation to the entire world."
It was a classic merchant tactic.
Scratch the itch.
Margrave Reyes was steadfast as the border guard.
He carried immense pride in his family's generations of guarding the south as the true "Margrave of the March."
However, few ever praised him for it.
Who thanks someone for doing their baseline duty? It is simply expected.
That was my angle.
"Besides, the idea of such a subversive roaming my land irks me."
"Oh dear, a criminal in the margrave's domain? Horrific. Especially in such a peaceful, livable land."
The words were practically flowing out of me today. Did that punch loosen my tongue?
"If you are this urgent, the situation must be dire."
"My very first thought after the situation blew up was you, Margrave. You are the fair and steadfast shield of the south. The only one we can rely on."
I crowned the pitch with the ultimate flattery: 'You're the only one.'
I was scratching his unacknowledged ego raw.
"What of this strategically valuable creature?"
At his final question, I paused.
"...It could reshape the kingdom's map."
There was nothing bigger than the Holy Church's Saintess.
If we pulled her in, we could flip both the trial and the pilgrimage at once.
'Minus the whole pig thing, anyway.'
It wasn't a lie.
It just wasn't the full truth.
"Hmm..."
The margrave frowned at my answer.
Then, he made his decision.
"What do you need? For the peace of the kingdom, I will help with my full force."
There we go.
Straight to it.
"Deploy your private troops. Block all the main roads, river bridges, and key routes."
If they fled by carriage, clogging the major paths would cripple most of their movement.
By controlling the rivers, their feet would be tied even if they ditched the carriage.
It was the perfect way to shrink the encirclement.
"Done. But pursuing an illegal entrant like that alone will be tough."
"That's..."
His sharp point stalled me.
I hadn't thought of that.
Their feet were tied, but I had no manpower to actually chase them.
Step three was the key.
Then, the margrave offered a solution.
"I'll lend you my cavalry. Fifty men—use them freely."
"Ma-margrave!"
What a generous uncle he was.
"I am the sword guarding the march. Some punk assaults a border official and struts across my land? That pisses me off."
"Exactly! That vile criminal dares irk the margrave? No way! Who messes with the south's shield?"
Long live the Margrave.
I saluted inwardly, triumphant.
"I am deeply grateful for your cooperation!"
"Handle it well. If you need more, tell my secretary."
The call ended.
- Thud thud thud thud thud.
About forty minutes later, the thundering of hooves shook the ground as they approached us.
"We are here by order of Ihan Reyes, lawful guardian of the south! We await your commands!"
"Welcome, upholders of the south's shield."
I had never dreamed I would crave the sight of fifty strapping lads this much.
I shouted to them:
"Time is tight—keep it brief!"
I gave a quick rundown, followed by the key notes.
"The illegal entrant can shapeshift and disguise themselves! Any race or gender is possible—don't lower your guard even around familiar faces!"
"But their purple eyes seem unchangeable so far. Remember: purple eyes! They are rare, which makes for an easy ID!"
"The pig they are traveling with holds massive strategic value. You must capture the entrant and secure the pig alive!"
The briefed soldiers nodded in understanding.
"Which way did the arrogant bastard flee? We will track them!"
"That's..."
Then, the Olfactory Officer stepped up.
"I will guide them."
"Olfactory Officer?"
He inhaled deeply.
"I smell blood. The scent is strong. Since it hasn't rained, I can track it. Leave it to me, Central Officer."
Olfactory Officer Blaszek was a werewolf.
He had a nose like a bloodhound—hence the title.
With his sense of smell, he could chase them to the horizon.
There was no reason to refuse.
I nodded.
"I entrust it to you. And Gustatory Officer?"
"Eek? Yes?"
Sita scurried forward at the sudden call.
"Can you ride?"
"Yes. I've been riding since I was three."
She was a nomad girl—riding was like walking to her.
I pointed to a tethered horse in the corner.
"Carry me."
"...Me???"
"I can't ride."
"So... you're coming too?"
"The Auditory and Tactile Officers will guard the office."
The only ones mobile right now were the werewolf and the nomad girl.
The others would stay behind, while she carried me to follow the pursuit squad.
Besides, I had to go in order to positively ID the Saintess-pig.
I had a strong hunch about it.
"O-okay! I'll grab the horse!"
Sita's eyes sparkled, and she dashed off.
She soon returned, leading the horse expertly.
I mounted behind her, but suddenly, the Olfactory Officer inhaled a massive breath.
"Suuuuuuck."
His chest ballooned to its absolute limit.
I plugged my ears quickly.
"Gustatory Officer, cover your ears."
"Huh?"
The Auditory and Tactile Officers had already plugged theirs.
Just as Sita barely managed to cover hers,
"Awoooooooo!!!!"
An earth-shaking wolf howl pierced the sky.
His fur bristled, and his claws extended.
It was a werewolf's hunting signal.
His instincts had taken over, reducing him to a beast solely focused on the chase.
He bounded onto the road, sprinting fiercely.
"Blood scent... blood!"
With a rough growl, he pulled ahead fast.
"Follow that werewolf! Move out!"
- Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud.
The fifty cavalrymen thundered after him.
The Olfactory Officer raced on all fours like a madman, howling:
"Central Officer's blood! BLOOOOOOD!!!!"
His feral wail echoed through the air.
It was time to hunt the rat—no, the pig—in the trap.
Meanwhile, Shahal was losing her mind.
It had been about two and a half hours since her escape.
"The road is closed! Turn back!"
"Tch."
This was the fourth time already.
Sudden blockades had appeared everywhere—every exit from the margrave's lands was swarming with soldiers.
"I'll have to take a huge detour now."
She spat a string of curses, yanking the reins.
In order to flee the margraviate, she had to cross the river.
But every single bridge was blocked.
The main roads were tightening, too.
"Should I ditch the carriage?"
If she traveled solo, she could take the narrow paths and move without restrictions.
But taking the Saintess all the way to the north? That was a long haul.
If she ditched the carriage too soon, the travel delay would be massive, and the pig might revert back at any time.
"Damn..."
Stuck in a corner, she scowled, pondering her next move.
Then, she heard an odd sound from afar.
"Blood!!"
It was someone's bellow, faint in the distance.
"Hm?"
Shahal turned around.
And she witnessed it.
"BLOOD!!!"
At the far end of the road was yesterday's werewolf, charging forward with bloodshot eyes.
"...Huh?"
Shahal blurted out, dumbfounded.
The werewolf's roar boomed again.
"BLOOOOOOD!!!!!"
Behind him followed fifty cavalry hooves.
- Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud.
And in their midst was the man she had kicked earlier, blood-smeared and on horseback.
"Sweep that road! Only target those with purple eyes!"
"Find the illegal entrant! Anyone who assaults an examiner will be fed to the dogs!"
For the first time, Shahal felt fear.
It wasn't the fear of failing her mission,
But the primal dread of her own impending death.