By Zephyria 
As soon as we crossed the moat, several wizards came to check on the party’s well-being.
We were covered in Clean Magic and received Restoration Magic one by one. However, while magic could alleviate physical fatigue, it couldn’t do anything for mental exhaustion. We had run for four days and nights, forgetting time. The reason we could endure without eating or drinking was that everyone in the party was an aura or mana user.
With our bodies half-limp, we sat in the precious carriage as the wizards suggested.
Marianne, who had regained her senses after receiving Restoration Magic, dozed off like a sick chicken as soon as she sat in the carriage. Ruben, perhaps still feeling the discomfort in his tightly bound hands, kept clenching and unclenching his right hand even in his semi-conscious state.
Benjamin and Elvin, who were always quiet, sat stiffly like statues, but seeing Benjamin unbutton the top three buttons of his shirt and tilt his head back, I felt a pang of sympathy, realizing how hard he must have pushed himself.
Benjamin and Rubel sat on either side of me, and the other three sat opposite. Among them, Hugh Benson, seated in the middle, crossed his arms and legs, tapping his toes with an uncomfortable expression.
“It feels strange to be treated with such deference.”
“⋯Hmm?”
“No, it’s just that it’s obvious I’m escorting important people.”
“Ah.”
Is that so?
His words made me realize belatedly that the consideration we were receiving might be due to Rubel, the Prince, or perhaps my maternal grandfather’s closeness with Duke Withrow. As I cautiously observed Hugh Benson’s displeased face, he waved his hand dismissively, shaking off my gaze.
“Well, no. It’s good, it’s good. Who cares what anyone says.”
“Thank you, senior.”
“For what? For watching you lot make a mess of things?”
“For saving us.”
A twisted smile finally appeared on his lips. Hugh Benson clicked his tongue, then stretched his arms high, yawning. His outstretched hand brushed the carriage ceiling.
“If you know, good. Never forget it. I saved all of you.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Let’s sleep.”
“Yes.”
Everyone closed their eyes. No one spoke until we arrived at the Duchy.
I pulled Rubel’s right hand onto my lap and massaged it occasionally. Even though I knew he had already recovered, I couldn’t bear to see him suffer. The child then leaned against my shoulder and began to sleep soundly.
Yet, despite his peaceful breathing, I felt a strange unease and couldn’t sleep.
❖ ❖ ❖
Upon arriving at Duke Withrow’s mansion, we were immediately summoned to Duke Felice Withrow’s reception room without a moment’s respite. Though the children had only managed to rest briefly in the carriage, they mostly regained their senses by the time we walked down the corridor.
As the attendant opened the door, the Duke, who had been seated, sprang up to greet us.
“Is everyone alright?”
“Yes.”
I inwardly worried whether Felice Withrow would attend to me or Ruben first.
She did not. Felice quickly extended her only hand and, as if it were natural, offered a handshake to Hugh Benson first. Hugh Benson, looking somewhat bewildered, clasped her hand, shook it up and down, and praised him in a firm tone.
“You’ve worked hard, Captain Hugh Benson, 3rd Squad. I’ve heard of your exploits.”
“⋯It was nothing.”
It was the first time I saw Hugh Benson’s ears turn red that day.
I suppressed the urge to laugh heartily. As I watched with satisfaction, Felice released Hugh’s hand, patted his shoulder a couple of times with the same hand, and emphasized again.
“No, it was an excellent judgment. Lord Benson’s decision saved the party and saved you. I don’t intend to praise you with mere words.”
“⋯Can I expect something?”
“It’s about time Lord Benson received a medal.”
Only then did Hugh Benson put on the arrogant, spirited smile he always wore.
After he bowed and stepped back, Felice Withrow offered the same words of praise to Elvin. Elvin also responded with silent courtesy.
Only after that were we all able to take our seats. The Duke sat in the place of honor, and our party was divided into two groups on the long sofa opposite. Duke Felice was aware of what we had experienced.
“A month ago, monsters with darker hides than usual began to appear.”
The troll we encountered was one of them.
The trolls at the Academy had hides with a messy mix of green and brown. The trolls near Dunmel Canyon, conversely, had blue or red hides. But none were as dark and black as the ones we saw this time.
I had thought it was just another type of troll, but she said it wasn’t.
“It’s not just trolls. Goblins, orcs, owlbears, minotaurs—monsters that don’t normally move in groups at this season have all begun to move with a unified direction.”
“In what direction?”
“From east to west, and from north to south.”
Their first target had become the Withrow Duchy. Fortunately, the Withrow Duchy was home to thousands of knights and swarmed with tens of thousands of mercenaries. Thanks to these martial artists who rushed forward to earn merit, certain facts were revealed.
“Monsters usually attack anything that isn’t part of their own tribe, group, or a specific species, but these dark ones did not attack each other. For example, a black minotaur did not attack a black goblin.”
“⋯That’s impossible.”
“Yes, it’s impossible. But that’s what we’re seeing. As for the wizards, they claim this matter is…”
Duke Withrow let out a deep sigh and declared.
“They claim Black Magic is involved.”
“⋯.”
Black Magic.
I had heard of it. At the Academy, I recalled a scrawny kid being ostracized for learning it.
But back then, I didn’t know much about magic. I couldn’t imagine such a vast and dangerous power could concretely manipulate the world. I only imagined shamanistic rituals or ceremonies, or perhaps the poultices doctors used to stitch torn flesh.
So, while I was speechless, Marianne began to ask questions, then covered her face with both hands. Seeing her small face filled with worry, I too became deeply concerned.
A question suddenly came to mind, and I blurted it out without hesitation.
“⋯By any chance, Wesley Kiadris—”
“He is currently under provisional warrant.”
“What?”
“Wesley Kiadris has not returned to the capital since the last New Year’s Festival. The capital was in an uproar upon hearing from Ranunculus that neither Wesley nor the Imperial Knights had arrived at the Withrow Duchy. The Kiadris Dukedom claimed they knew nothing of it and passively allowed the warrant to be issued.”
“⋯.”
“Prince Richard I apparently argued that it was absurd to issue a warrant for a high-ranking noble without a trial, without hearing the detailed circumstances. And he was right. Also, the number of people who were loyal to Wesley is quite large, so they are in a stalemate.”
“How can this be.”
“It’s the truth. Why on earth would Wesley Kiadris hide the knights?”
Indeed, he had no motive to kidnap knights.
Wesley Kiadris was a swordsman of the highest realm. His martial prowess and achievements were recognized, and one of the Crown Prince candidates was his strong backer. Even without doing anything extraordinary at banquets, he naturally drew envious gazes, and a mountain of gold and jewels could appear with a mere flick of his finger.
Even on this year’s New Year’s Festival, he conversed with many people in a sensible and kind tone.
Numerous nobles who remembered him as an ordinary person became his witnesses. They rose up, arguing that it was wrong to issue a warrant for him, who might be suffering from a terrible accident and be missing, out of jealousy for the arrogant and skilled young swordsman.
Furthermore, he had never learned magic.
Could one achieve absolute mastery in one field and also show dramatically superior results in another? And all while deceiving everyone? The intellectuals of this land did not believe such a thing. The distance between the Academy’s Swordsmanship Department building and the Magic Department building was proof enough.
And it wasn’t just any magic, but Black Magic that was involved.
Felice Withrow scoffed.
“Black Magic? This is an era where it’s been revealed that the witch hunts that frequently occurred in ancient times were all futile attempts to seize the property of those with innate mana before they died unmarried. Even if it’s proven to be the work of Black Magic, we can’t be certain of anything until a connection to Wesley is found.”
Hearing her, I realized everything she said was true and fell silent.
Then, Rubel, who had been sitting quietly, took off his necklace and placed the silver pendant on the table. Duke Withrow’s gaze naturally fell upon the pendant. Ruben quietly murmured.
“We found the keepsake of a knight who volunteered for the first Yuil Mountains service, in Dunmel Canyon.”
It was wrong to harm someone based solely on suspicion without evidence. However, if there was evidence, the story could change. Duke Felice Withrow opened the pendant, confirmed its contents, and immediately took out a map, spreading it on the table.
“Where?”
“Near Dunmel Canyon, about 37 meters west of the Desert Camel Rock.”
As Hugh Benson pointed out the exact location, the Duke immediately marked the spot with red ink.
The Duke seemed lost in deep thought, so I waited for a while. As soon as she looked up, I spoke.
“Would it be better for the Second Prince to go to the capital?”
“Mika!”
Rubel grabbed my arm in surprise.
But if Wesley’s goal was to make Richard the Emperor, how could leaving the capital vacant now be the right choice? I looked directly at Duke Withrow. I was curious about what she would say.