When Saul returned to his room, Gray was waiting for him.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
Gray looked deeply worried, as though someone who had gone missing had finally returned.
“I’m fine. It wasn’t anything particularly difficult.”
“Not difficult? What do you mean by that?! This Gray has ears as well. I heard that you fought actual bandits, not opponents in training!”
Gray examined Saul from head to toe.
Then he spotted the bandage wrapped around Saul’s left ankle, and his eyes widened.
“W-What happened to your ankle?”
“This bandage? It’s nothing. I banged it against something while fighting the bandits, so it bruised.”
“You continued fighting even after suffering an injury like that?”
“I told you, it’s nothing.”
“Your Highness, please take better care of yourself!”
Gray’s scolding continued for quite some time.
This time, even Saul had no choice but to endure it.
It was true that he had returned after doing something considerably dangerous for a prince.
Only after Gray finally exhausted himself from lecturing did Saul speak.
“All right. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“If you truly intend to heed my words, then even now you should return to the royal palace—”
“That’s not happening.”
“…….”
“I’ll be more careful, anyway. Did anything happen while I was gone?”
“Of course something happened. The Royal Inspector requested an audience with Your Highness.”
“The Inspector? And?”
“For the moment, I deceived him by saying Your Highness was unwell. He has not returned or made another request since, but....”
“Understood. I also heard that a letter arrived for me.”
“Here it is, Your Highness.”
Gray handed him the letter.
One glance at the delicately sealed pale pink envelope was enough for Saul to guess who had sent it.
There was only one person in the royal family who currently used envelopes of that color.
“Sister sent it.”
Lucia was busy with her work in the Intelligence Bureau. There was no chance she had sent a letter merely to exchange pleasantries.
Saul opened it.
As expected, it was not a warm letter expressing concern for her younger brother.
It began with an ordinary inquiry after his health, but before long, it revealed its true purpose.
[Saul. So long as your eccentric behavior neither harms the royal family nor exceeds the bounds of your station, I have no intention of criticizing it. However, make certain that you do not inconvenience the royal family or overstep your position, even by mistake.]
If the letter had stopped there, Saul could have dismissed it as irritating but worthwhile advice.
The problem was its final section.
[The lands of House Hopkins lie along the border and are subject to loose control, so there are undoubtedly matters occurring there that could pose a problem to the kingdom or the royal family. If you have gone that far as a prince, you must fulfill the responsibilities of your position. Report to me anything you see or hear that might endanger the safety of the kingdom or the royal family. Write a letter and give it to the Royal Inspector. He will handle the rest. Take care of your health.
Lucia Darius]
“Sister really is something.”
At Saul’s bitter smile, Gray asked in surprise,
“What did Princess Lucia say?”
“She wants me to act as a spy.”
“Pardon?”
“The good news is that I probably don’t need to worry about the Royal Inspector anymore. It looks as though Sister has brought him over to her side, so unless I do something truly outrageous, he probably won’t interfere with me.”
“Her Highness has already gone that far...?”
“It’s hardly new for Sister to be thorough. Anyway, summon the Inspector. I suspect he has something to say to me as well.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Before long, Royal Inspector Pierre entered Saul’s room after being summoned.
The moment Pierre finished his greeting, Saul spoke.
“Sister gave you orders, didn’t she?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then tell me. What exactly do you know about me?”
“I have heard that Your Highness has been secretly engaging in certain activities.”
So the Inspector already knew something about Saul’s actions.
Whether Lucia had informed him or he had suspected it beforehand was impossible to tell.
Either way, if the Inspector already had some idea of what Saul was doing, there was no reason to keep pretending otherwise.
Of course, Saul had no intention of allowing him to interfere either.
“Then you must also know that what I am doing has the royal family’s permission.”
“Of course. Her Highness the Princess instructed me not to obstruct Your Highness’s actions. I will simply report honestly to the royal family what I learn.”
Pierre’s words were more than enough to make Saul feel pressured.
He would not interfere, but he would report everything Saul did to the royal family.
Was that not effectively a declaration that Pierre would use those reports to keep Saul under control?
Saul knew very well how much power a report to one’s superiors could carry.
In his previous life, he had once removed a senior officer who obstructed him simply by reporting the man to their superior.
Pierre could do the same.
He could lie if he wished, or he could remain technically truthful while selecting only information unfavorable to Saul and reporting that to the royal family.
Saul did not like the situation.
But disliking it did not mean he could simply mistreat the Royal Inspector.
The Inspector was essential for communication between the royal family and House Hopkins, as well as for keeping the house under royal supervision.
If Pierre was not an enemy to be removed, then would it not be better to make him an ally?
“I know very well that relations between House Hopkins and the royal family have remained peaceful thanks in part to your efforts, Inspector.”
“You praise me too highly.”
“I don’t. I respect you, Inspector, and I hope to receive a great deal of help from you.”
“Of course. Assisting Your Highness is my duty. Please call upon me whenever necessary.”
Perhaps because Saul had expressed his respect, Pierre’s expression brightened.
Whether that expression was sincere or merely an act would become clear with time.
For now, Saul moved on to the main issue.
“It appears the White Crow has entered this territory.”
“The White Crow... You mean Killian Vicious?”
“That’s right.”
Pierre was apparently well acquainted with the White Crow’s notoriety.
“I had heard that those bastards were causing trouble even here.... Surely House Hopkins isn’t secretly collaborating with them?”
Pierre had gone too far, and Saul waved a hand.
“I doubt it. The lord’s daughter played a major role in uncovering the White Crow’s presence.”
“Miss Aina? Well, the people here may be stubborn and narrow-minded, but I suppose they aren’t quite insane enough for that.”
After thinking for a moment, Pierre asked,
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“I’ve already begun, so I intend to see it through as far as I can. Now that you know about this, I’d like your full cooperation as well. I won’t forget your contribution when I speak to Father.”
Cooperate with me, and I will make certain your future is rewarded.
Pierre was not foolish enough to misunderstand Saul’s meaning.
He clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘I heard Prince Saul was merely an inexperienced boy who spent his days learning magic inside the palace... Apparently not. He’s quite capable for someone so young.’
Pierre had originally considered manipulating Saul as he pleased if the prince truly proved to be the naive boy the rumors described.
Now he realized he needed to revise that plan entirely.
“Understood, Your Highness. If you require me, summon me at any time.”
“I will. Thank you, Inspector.”
With a smile bordering on servile, Pierre left Saul’s room.
Once alone, Saul let out a small sigh.
‘Dealing with political schemers really is exhausting.’
He could not completely ignore politics, but he still much preferred casting magic and swinging a sword to playing political games.
Saul organized his thoughts.
The White Crow.
Killian Vicious.
This was a much larger matter than he had expected.
If he resolved this incident successfully, the achievement might allow him to take on something greater afterward.
Something involving the Kingdom of Gamelda.
“I should make sure I finish what I’ve started.”
Everything he did was for the sake of accomplishing his life’s goal.
He had to overcome the challenge before him if he wanted to move closer to his future objective.
Saul stared at his Magic Sword with determination in his eyes.
***
After returning to the lord’s estate, Saul rested for only a single day before returning to Marinda.
Then he began dealing with matters involving the White Crow in earnest.
With their identities concealed beneath helmets, Saul and Aina acted on the information obtained from bandits affiliated with the White Crow, capturing and cutting down criminals throughout the territory.
Meanwhile, the lord remained at his estate, mobilizing troops and issuing orders.
Before long, Saul and Aina became known among the criminals of the territory as the ‘mysterious Helmeted Warriors,’ and their name inspired fear.
Kastel, who was in truth far more terrifying than either Saul or Aina, attracted almost no attention while Saul and Aina’s reputation steadily grew.
Their true identities remained concealed, of course.
“Have you heard about those Helmeted Warriors?”
“Damn it. A friend of mine got caught by those bastards and dragged off to prison. Did that cursed lord hire some powerful mercenaries or something?”
As the infamy of the mysterious Helmeted Warriors spread among the territory’s bandits and thugs, word eventually traveled beyond the borders of the region.
At last, even the White Crow learned their name.
***
The Neutral Zone.
A place on Yulen Island where neither the Kingdom of Darsen nor the Kingdom of Gamelda could properly extend its authority.
The areas known as Neutral Zones were unusual places by their very nature.
During their three hundred years of conflict, the Kingdoms of Darsen and Gamelda had competed fiercely to expand their territories so as not to fall behind the other.
Any land with even the slightest potential had been developed, barren or otherwise, until nearly the entirety of Yulen Island belonged to one kingdom or the other.
That meant there were reasons why the remaining Neutral Zones had never been developed by either nation.
Lands both kingdoms considered worthless.
Lands left to Other Races such as elves and dwarves.
Lands preserved as territory belonging to the Order of Light, which was revered by most people in the world.
Only places with circumstances such as these had remained Neutral Zones on Yulen Island with the tacit acceptance of the two kingdoms that had fought for centuries.
There were people who took particular interest in these Neutral Zones precisely because neither kingdom could exert its power there.
One of them was Killian Vicious, leader of the White Crow.
Killian Vicious had turned an abandoned military base within a Neutral Zone into his lair.
Horrific screams echoed through Killian Vicious’s stronghold.
“Aaargh!”
“Someone save me!”
Several people had already died, while the surviving criminals begged for their lives.
Then a man appeared before them.
He approached with several subordinates following behind him.
A sharp-featured middle-aged man with disheveled silver hair.
His expression looked strangely dazed, yet his eyes were vicious beyond description.
His gaze alone was so sharp that merely being looked at by him could make someone feel the terror of death.
The captured criminals knew exactly who this man was.
Killian Vicious, leader of the White Crow.
A criminal who commanded considerable power across Yulen Island.
A villain so infamous that his very name was used as a curse.
A public enemy hunted by both the Kingdom of Darsen and the Kingdom of Gamelda.
And now, the man who held absolute power over whether the terrified criminals before him lived or died.
“P-Please spare us!”
“Boss! Please, just let us live!”
Killian chuckled at their desperate pleas.
“Spare you?”
Instead of answering, Killian extended his hand.