What Kastel held out was a small card.
A carefully dried white tulip had been attached to it.
The tulip blossom had been fashioned into the shape of a bird.
Neither Kastel nor Saul recognized the card, but Aina did.
“A crow made from a white tulip....”
“Do you know what this is?”
“...It must belong to Killian Vicious.”
Killian Vicious.
They had found traces of a major criminal wanted not only by the Kingdom of Darsen, but by the Kingdom of Gamelda as well.
A card decorated with the shape of a bird made from a white tulip blossom.
This beautiful and intricately crafted card was the symbol of the ‘White Crow.’
The White Crow.
The organization led by Killian Vicious, one of the worst criminals on Yulen Island, pursued by both the Kingdom of Darsen and the Kingdom of Gamelda.
Having discovered the White Crow’s symbol in an unexpected place, Saul’s party immediately returned to the inn in Marinda.
Everyone gathered in Saul’s room, the largest room in the inn.
“Killian Vicious....”
Saul stared at the White Crow card and thought.
In his previous life, he had never heard the name Killian Vicious.
That was because Killian had only begun gaining notoriety long after the Six-Year War had ended.
But since being reborn as a prince, Saul had heard of his infamy many times.
A man who had built his base in a ‘neutral territory’ where neither the Kingdom of Darsen nor the Kingdom of Gamelda could properly exert its authority, then established himself as a ruler of the criminal underworld.
The extent of his villainy could be summed up with two descriptions.
‘A man who has committed every crime imaginable.’
‘The king of a criminal empire.’
Even Sister Lucia, who worked in the Kingdom Intelligence Bureau, had once mentioned Killian.
‘Someone like Killian Vicious needs to be captured as soon as possible and hanged in the central square of the royal capital.’
Killian Vicious was such a notorious criminal that even a princess with a claim to the throne personally paid attention to him.
And the White Crow was the organization he commanded.
Aina seemed considerably shaken by the evidence they had discovered.
“I never imagined we would find traces of the White Crow.”
“Have you never found anything like this before?”
“Your Highness. I mean....”
Still shaken, Aina had forgotten to correct her manner of address until Saul gave her a pointed look.
“S-Sorry. Young Master.”
“It’s fine. Continue.”
“I heard that only members with some standing within the White Crow are allowed to possess these cards. We’ve almost never found one within our territory.”
‘Almost never’ meant it was not the first time.
“So you have found one before.”
“Yes. About half a year ago. The White Crow members we captured at the time were either executed or sent to prison. But we never managed to reach anyone higher up. We asked the kingdom’s forces for cooperation as well, but gained little from it.”
Saul listened while reviewing the documents, then turned toward Kastel, who seemed likely to have experience with matters like this.
“Teacher. Have you ever dealt with the White Crow before?”
“Yes.”
“Really? That’s convenient. How did you deal with them?”
“I learned the enemy’s location and went there. I attempted to capture them all, but they resisted, so I dealt with every one of them on the spot.”
“...That’s all?”
“Yes.”
Kastel’s experience did not appear particularly useful in the present situation.
Saul turned back to Aina.
“Now that we know criminals like these are here, we can hardly ignore them, can we?”
“That is correct. If the White Crow has appeared within our territory, we need to tear it out by the roots.”
“It looks like they left quite a few things behind. If we’re fortunate, we might even find traces leading to the White Crow’s higher ranks.”
“I agree. I intend to work with the territory’s knights and investigate this matter properly.”
“You intend to handle it personally?”
“Yes. It is my duty to stop those who harm this territory.”
What Saul saw in Aina’s expression was not mere competitive spirit.
It was a sense of duty and responsibility born from being a member of the family that governed this land.
Those born into noble blood were obligated to carry responsibilities equal to the privileges they received.
Aina understood the duties and responsibilities of nobility well.
“This will be dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to leave it to someone else?”
“I’ll ask others for assistance as well. But this is my duty, so I intend to see it through to the end.”
At Aina’s determined words, Saul nodded as well.
“Good. Then I’ll help.”
Before Aina could object, Saul continued.
“Driving out a criminal organization that causes serious harm to the kingdom is my duty as well.”
“…….”
The duties imposed upon royalty were greater than those imposed upon ordinary nobles.
Having just invoked her own noble duty, Aina could hardly stop Saul when he invoked the responsibilities of royalty.
“It will be dangerous....”
“I know exactly what you’re worried about. I promise that I’ll proceed cautiously and prioritize my own safety.”
“...Yes, Young Master.”
Kastel then added,
“What matters now is information.”
“Information?”
“Yes. We need information before we can act.”
That was certainly true.
In matters like this, information was more important than almost anything else.
Only by knowing the correct information and acting upon it could they avoid heading in the wrong direction.
“What happened to the bandits who survived?”
“The nearby Lord’s Army took them back to their base.”
“Then they’ll be interrogated soon.”
There were many methods of interrogation.
Some involved treating prisoners humanely and kindly, but no one would use such methods on vicious bandits like these.
Unless they confessed willingly, various forms of ‘physical violence’ would inevitably be employed.
It was unpleasant, but it was also a common way of handling such matters.
Still, if a better method existed, should they not use it?
Saul turned to Kastel.
“Teacher, help us obtain the information.”
“Understood.”
***
Saul’s party headed toward the Lord’s Army unit where the captured bandits were being held.
Several dozen soldiers of the Lord’s Army were stationed in a small fortress not far from Marinda.
When they saw Aina leading the group, the soldiers bowed respectfully.
“Welcome, my lady.”
“You’re all working hard.”
The soldiers looked past Aina toward Saul and Kastel.
Both had pulled their hoods low, making their faces impossible to recognize.
“Who are those people?”
“I brought them to assist with the interrogation of the bandits.”
“Understood.”
Aina had removed her helmet, while Saul and Kastel concealed their faces with hoods rather than helmets.
It was a precaution intended to hide the fact that Saul and Kastel were the ones who had fought the bandits.
Aina, on the other hand, needed to reveal her face because interrogating prisoners directly required authority.
Before long, Saul’s party descended into the fortress dungeon.
The captured bandits were imprisoned there.
Every one of them wore handcuffs and shackles and had been thrown aside like animals, presenting a rather pitiful sight.
Saul did not pity them.
The heap of skeletons he had seen in their hideout had undoubtedly been their doing.
Men like these deserved such treatment.
After making certain no one else was nearby, Saul spoke to Kastel.
“Teacher.”
Kastel quietly approached the bandits in the dungeon.
They failed to recognize her.
“Who the hell are you, woman?”
Kastel showed no anger at the vicious bandits’ disrespectful language.
“Tell me everything you know. Truthfully.”
Naturally, the bandits immediately protested.
“What? Why the hell should we?”
“Crazy bitch, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
“We’re going to hang anyway. Why should we confess anything?”
“Maybe we’d consider it if you let us go.”
With Aina’s authority as the lord’s daughter, it might have been possible to spare their lives.
But Aina had absolutely no intention of doing so.
Neither did Kastel.
“Confess everything you know.”
As she spoke, Kastel gestured and her eyes flashed.
At the same moment, a powerful current of mana shook the dungeon.
The force was so overwhelming that not only Saul, a mage, but even Aina could feel it clearly.
“Ghk....”
Every bandit imprisoned in the dungeon reacted to the magic.
Their eyes bulged as their bodies twisted violently.
They seemed to grit their teeth and resist, but they did not last long.
One by one, their expressions became dazed, almost as though they were intoxicated.
Kastel had weakened their minds through pain and placed them under magical compulsion so that they could be questioned in detail.
After confirming that the spell had taken proper effect, Kastel said,
“Tell me everything you know. Truthfully.”
“...Yes.”
Aina approached with paper and a pen, and Saul followed behind her.
Having already lost control of their senses, the bandits answered every question Saul and Aina asked without hesitation.
They spoke so freely that even Aina became suspicious.
“Are they really telling us the truth?”
Kastel answered with certainty.
“Unless they believed something incorrect from the beginning, they cannot lie.”
“I-I see.”
If the bandits did not know something, they said so.
But whatever they did know, they revealed in exhaustive detail, down to the smallest facts.
After recording everything, Aina turned to Saul.
“What do you think?”
“This is serious.”
The bandits’ lengthy confessions could be summarized simply.
The White Crow was preparing to expand into the Gallet Region in earnest.
And these bandits had been their advance force.
Aina’s expression grew grave.
“I need to tell Father.”
“You should.”
No matter how mature, capable, and composed Aina was for her age, she was still a girl who had only undergone her coming-of-age ceremony that year.
A matter like this required the assistance of a more experienced lord.
Saul also made an offer in his capacity as a prince.
“If you wish, I can request assistance from nearby royal forces or from the central authorities.”
“Royal forces....”
Aina clearly did not like the idea.
Saul could guess why.
Accepting help from the royal family meant owing the royal family a debt.
Given the delicate relationship between House Hopkins and the crown, that was probably something they wanted to avoid.
The situation was not yet urgent enough for Saul to force House Hopkins into doing something it did not want.
He waved a hand.
“I’m not trying to pressure you. I respect both you and Lord Hopkins.”
“Thank you. Then I’ll speak with Father. And....”
Aina looked toward the bandits, who were still barely conscious.
“They aren’t going to die like this, are they?”
Kastel answered with an expression that suggested there was no need to worry.
“I did not inflict any serious physical damage. They will remain alive until they reach the execution ground.”
“...I see.”
They would probably receive trials, but the outcome was effectively already decided.
There was no reason to pity men who had piled their victims’ bones inside their hideout.
Saul’s party left the dungeon.
***
After returning to the lord’s estate, Saul’s party went to see Duncan first.
Having heard about the White Crow from his daughter, Duncan looked shocked.
“The White Crow bastards have appeared?”
“Yes, Father. His Highness and Miss Kastel confirmed it with me.”
At Aina’s words, Duncan bowed to Saul.
“We owe Your Highness a great debt.”
“It’s all right. More importantly, there haven’t been any problems here at the estate or in Sajeta, have there?”
“No. And a letter arrived for Your Highness from the capital.”
“A letter?”
The only people likely to send Saul an important letter at present were members of the royal family.
“Understood. Then I’ll return to my room first.”
Saul rose and headed back to his room.