Rebuilding a Kingdom - Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36 (Patreon)

Count Mercelc’s Villa
The three of us—Sister Emilia, Orlan, and I—left the ruins, dashed through the main street, and headed for Count Mercelc's villa in the noble district.

The villa was surrounded by high walls, and mercenaries-like guards were stationed at the gate.

As I was pondering how to put them to sleep, Orlan suddenly hoisted Sister Emilia over her shoulder and, without hesitation, leaped towards the wall.

Startled by the sudden move, Sister Emilia covered her mouth with both hands and flailed her legs. The two of them disappeared over the wall.

Seeing that the guards at the gate hadn't noticed, I activated my "Assassin" skill and leaped as well.

Upon landing over the wall, I found Sister Emilia glaring silently at Orlan, fists clenched. Unperturbed, Orlan signaled to me with her fingers and dashed silently towards the back of the mansion.

As expected of an Assassin, her movements were flawless as she infiltrated the mansion.

I placed a reassuring hand on Sister Emilia's back and we both followed Orlan. At the back of the mansion, the service entrance was open, indicating Orlan had already gone inside.

We moved cautiously down the hallway, making no noise. As we approached the stairs, Orlan was waiting for us, kneeling.

"Ian, you two stay here. I'll take care of the people in the mansion."

"Orlan, try not to kill them. Some might have information linking to the Spider."

"I'll do my best."

Orlan nodded briefly and disappeared in an instant. I had never asked what kind of blessing Orlan had, but it might be on par with my Assassin’s Blessing.

After crouching and waiting for a while, Orlan came down the stairs from the second floor.

"Count Mercelc was in his room, so I knocked him out."

"What about the others?"

"I didn't take anyone's life."

It seemed Orlan had honored my request.

As Sister Emilia and I started up the stairs towards the Count, Orlan said, "I'll check the basement," and vanished again.

She seemed to be moving ahead of us, clearing the way to ensure no one would interfere with us.

Orlan is silent but kind.

On the second floor, we found mercenary-looking men collapsed in the hallway. Their eyes were rolled back, but they were just unconscious.

Peeking into an open room, I saw a woman who looked like a servant lying on the floor.

We proceeded cautiously, checking each room as we went, and when we opened the door at the end of the hallway, we found a luxurious room with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and red carpet on the floor.

Inside, on a massive bed, lay a fat, balding man and a naked girl.

It seemed the man was Count Mercelc.

The girl appeared to be older than me, but younger than Sister Emilia. Given the late hour, they must have been engaged in some midnight activity.

The next moment, Sister Emilia forcefully covered my eyes with her hands.

"Ian, don't look."

"I can't find what we're looking for if I can't see."

"You still can't look."

"I won't look at the bed."

Sister Emilia reluctantly removed her hands from my eyes.

Believing my words, Sister Emilia released her hands from my eyes. We split up and thoroughly searched the room for anything related to the Spider.

I meticulously checked the drawers of the large desk by the window.

While I found evidence of illegal tax hikes in the territory and documents showing the flow of funds to nobles and merchant associations, there was nothing related to the black market or human trafficking.

As I finished searching the desk and looked up, I saw Sister Emilia examining the bookshelf. The moment she pressed on one of the books, a mechanical sound echoed, and the bookshelf slid sideways, revealing a hidden room.

"Ian, there's a hidden room."

Surprised, I entered the room with Sister Emilia. Piles of documents written on parchment were stacked inside.

There were also large wooden boxes filled with coins worth more than gold, luxurious ornaments, and numerous gemstones hidden away.

Reading through the documents, I found records detailing who purchased children or young girls and for how much.

Clutching the parchment, I excitedly turned to Sister Emilia.

"These are documents related to human trafficking."

"So Count Mercelc really was the mastermind behind the black market."

Sister Emilia's expression turned stern as she narrowed her eyes.

We thoroughly investigated the hidden room for any other evidence. When we emerged, Orlan was standing quietly outside.

"There are children and young girls in the basement."

So, there were still children and young girls trapped in the mansion.

Sister Emilia and I exchanged a glance and nodded, following Orlan to the basement. As we descended the stairs, we found several rooms separated by iron bars.

Inside those bars, naked children and young girls sat with vacant eyes. Some had wounds all over their bodies, and others had their ankles amputated.

These children and girls were supposed to be sold in the black market, yet they had been subjected to such cruel treatment.

Orlan used a dagger to break the locks on the bars, and Sister Emilia entered the cages, activating her Saintess’ Blessing to heal the children.

We couldn't leave the children and girls here. After some thought, I decided to request assistance from Lyshiria, the Captain of the Royal Guards.

///////////////

Count Mercelc’s Suicide
Leaving the kidnapped children and girls at Count Mercelc's mansion was not an option, so I asked Orlan to contact Lyshiria at the castle.

While waiting in the basement, we heard a commotion on the first floor, and then Lyshiria and Orlan descended the stairs.

"What on earth is going on here?"

"Didn't Orlan tell you anything?"

"That quiet girl? She only said 'Ian,' 'children,' 'girls,' and 'black market.' How was I supposed to understand from that?"

I had asked Orlan to call Lyshiria, but perhaps relying on her to relay the message was too much. Still, the fact that Lyshiria and the guards came based on those few words meant it worked out in the end.

I explained to the bewildered Lyshiria that Count Mercelc was behind the human trafficking and that there were still children and girls trapped in the mansion's basement.

The mansion had already been secured by the guards, and everyone inside had been captured.

The evidence related to human trafficking from the second floor was taken away by the guards, and the children and girls in the basement were safely rescued.

Of course, Count Mercelc, who had fainted on the bed, was tied up naked and taken to the dungeon in the castle.

After everything was settled, Lyshiria came over to stand beside me and Sister Emilia, looking around.

"The girl who came to fetch me is nowhere to be seen. I'd like to ask her some questions."

"Orlan is my collaborator, so there's no need to worry."

"No, that's precisely why I want to know about her relationship with you, Ian."

Huh, that's what she's concerned about?

Orlan had vanished without a trace. Perhaps she realized that staying in the mansion would attract Lyshiria's attention.

Lyshiria looked at Sister Emilia and me, put one hand on her hip, and sighed deeply.

"I've already mobilized the guards, and Count Mercelc has been captured, so I must report this to Prime Minister Sylberg. Your Highnesses, be prepared to be questioned when we return to the castle."

"Please go easy on us."

Sister Emilia and I exchanged a weary smile.

We knew this would happen when we called Lyshiria and the guards.

Honestly, I didn't want Prime Minister Sylberg or brother Roland to find out, but there was no other way to rescue the children and girls in the basement.

Sister Emilia and I left the mansion with Lyshiria and the guards and returned to the castle.

The next morning, Prime Minister Sylberg, upon hearing Lyshiria's report, was furious and gave us a long lecture.

That evening, I was summoned by Brother Roland to the throne room, where he, Prime Minister Sylberg, and Sister Emilia were waiting.

"I heard the details from Prime Minister Sylberg. You shouldn't do dangerous things like that."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Brother Roland."

I bowed my head, and Brother Roland gently patted it. The relaxed atmosphere was interrupted by Prime Minister Sylberg's stern cough.

"Count Mercelc committed suicide in the dungeon. It seems he ingested a lethal poison hidden in his molar."

Prime Minister Sylberg's expression was bitter. I was at a loss for words, my mind going blank.

It never occurred to me that he would have poison hidden in his tooth. This was a grave oversight.

Sister Emilia, with a serious expression, questioned Prime Minister Sylberg.

"What did the interrogation reveal?"

"Lyshiria personally interrogated the Count. When she asked if he was a member of the Spider, he confessed to being a low-ranking member. However, he claimed that those attending the human trafficking events were merely customers and not connected to the Spider."

"Then, there's no one in the mansion involved with the Spider?"

"Currently, Lyshiria and the guards are interrogating the captives. We will have the results soon. But it's unlikely anyone is connected to the Spider."

Prime Minister Sylberg clenched his fists in frustration.

If Count Mercelc's confession was true, then no one in the mansion was linked to that organization.

Despite the cooperation of Mr. Kernel and Orlan, we couldn't obtain any information about the Spider. This is so frustrating.

"Don't be disheartened. Thanks to you and Emilia, we've eradicated those involved in the black market and human trafficking in the Capital. However, I want you to stop taking such dangerous actions. You two are Royalty, and you must act accordingly."

Brother Roland spoke gently, looking at Sister Emilia and me.

The Spider is not something the Royal family should get involved with. Ideally, it should be left to the country's military.

But knowing the danger of the organization, I can't just sit idly by.

I will find a way to uncover the Spider's secrets someday.

///////////////

Leaked Information
From the evidence related to human trafficking that the guards brought back from Count Mercelc's mansion, a list of buyers of the children and girls was compiled. The list included many high-ranking individuals within the Kingdom: presidents of trading companies, noble clerics serving in the Royal Castle, high-ranking civil servants under them, local nobles with territories, and deputies managing towns. These individuals were all arrested by the security corps, the Royal Guard, and the Royal Castle Knights.

The simultaneous arrests of these prominent figures caused an uproar in the Kingdom, with numerous rumors spreading among the commoners. However, we lost a crucial lead on the Spider in this incident. While it was good that we managed to dismantle the black market and the human trafficking network in the Capital, Sister Emilia and I were confined to our rooms for a week by Brother Roland as punishment.

A week later, Brother Adel returned from the Sea of Primitive Trees with Kreiss and his team. This time, Liam and Rune escorted them and helped carry the supplies. Receiving a report from the guards, I went to the castle courtyard to greet Brother Adel and his group. Their armor and equipment were battered, suggesting that discovering the new miasma swamp had been quite a struggle.

Liam and Rune left the castle after receiving their payment from Brother Adel, saying they would spend some time enjoying the Capital. Caught by Brother Adel, I listened to his account of how they discovered the new miasma swamp in the Sea of Primitive Trees, complete with gestures and an enthusiastic expression.

The next day, he entered my room with a mischievous grin.

"I just heard from Brother Roland that you and Sister Emilia did something interesting while I was away. Tell me all about it."

"It's all over now, so there's no need," I replied.

Brother Adel approached me swiftly, placing his fists on either side of my head and pressing painfully.

"Ouch! Ouch! Stop, it hurts!"

"Spill it! If you tell me, I'll let you go!"

Unable to bear the pain, I confessed everything about the Spider to Brother Adel. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he clenched his fist.

"An elusive organization called Spider? That sounds incredibly intriguing. Since you and Sister Emilia are under the watch of Brother Roland and Prime Minister Sylberg, stay put. I'll use the Royal Castle Knights to track down that organization."

"Wait!"

Ignoring my attempt to stop him, Brother Adel dashed out of the room. That musclehead intends to mobilize the Royal Castle Knights. But considering there's no danger of conflict with other countries this time, and it's an internal matter, it might be fine...

With that thought, I decided to leave Brother Adel to his own devices.

About a week later, I was summoned to the throne room. Upon entering, I found Brother Roland and Prime Minister Sylberg seated. I took a seat across from Brother Roland, tilting my head in curiosity.

"What is it?"

"You know that our Royal Castle secretly employs spies in other countries, right?"

"Yes. Other countries also have many spies hidden within our Kingdom."

In this world, information about other countries is extremely important. Which country has developed what weapons, which country has invented what tools—such details can shift the balance of power. It is common for nations to gather intelligence and devise strategies accordingly, so every country employs spies secretly.

Satisfied with my understanding, Prime Minister Sylberg spoke.

"We received an urgent report from our spies in the Elfast Magic Kingdom. A magician from their research institute has escaped and crossed the border into our Kingdom."

A magician is an advanced practitioner of magic who can analyze and design magic circles. The Elfast Magic Kingdom places great emphasis on training magicians, and those who become magicians are assigned to their magic research institute. This institute is a secretive organization that tightly controls information about magic circles to prevent leaks to other countries. Therefore, a magician from the research institute would not easily venture outside.

The fact that such a magician has fled the Magic Kingdom and entered our Kingdom presents a rare opportunity. If we can protect and befriend this magician, we might be able to develop magic circles within our Kingdom. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. But there are some doubts.

"Why are you consulting me?"

"If we use the Capital's security corps, the Magic Kingdom will learn that we are searching for the magician. The same goes for mobilizing the Castle Guards and the Royal Castle Knights. The Magic Kingdom won't remain silent in that case."

"I understand we can't take overt actions, but why not ask Brother Adel to handle it?"

"Adel is currently causing a stir with the Royal Castle Knights, claiming he's going to uncover information on the Spider. Do you really think he can quietly search for the magician?"

Knowing my muscle-brained and simple-minded Brother Adel, he would undoubtedly cause a commotion.

Brother Roland shook his head and continued.

"When you were pursuing information about the 'Spider' organization, I heard there were people in the city who cooperated with you. I want you to find the magician's whereabouts with those people."

I see Brother Roland's intention. Mr. Kernel is well-informed and might have some leads on the magician.
The thought of meeting Mr. Kernel and Orlan makes me happy.

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