The 24th arrived.
"It seems nothing happened last night," Fritz remarked at the breakfast table.
"Indeed. I am glad to hear it," Moritz replied.
Elsa remained silent.
Only the three siblings and the serving maid were present. It was customary for Georg and Marlene to eat in Georg’s room, and Mine was eating a staff meal in the kitchen with the cooks. She claimed she felt "most at home" there, and she had pleaded until they finally gave in. Since it was a homecoming of sorts, they were indulging her minor whims.
However, while Moritz had said "nothing happened," that was only true within this territory.
The previous night, in Fluid, the territory of Marquis Theoderic, a bandit group believed to be the one in question had attacked a wealthy resident, stolen their valuables, and fled. If one could call it a stroke of good luck, there were no fatalities. This was because the family happened to be out together at the time. Only two elderly security guards were looking after the house. They had been fast asleep at the time of the crime and thus saw nothing.
Of course, they would likely be punished by their employer soon.
But I digress.
The Marquis, upon receiving the report, was naturally furious.
"Nngh, what insolent villains!"
He immediately ordered his subordinates to capture the bandits.
"Do you understand? You must capture those thieves and ensure the peace of my people. Is that clear!"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The soldiers and knights under his command set out at once.
＊ ＊ ＊
"A bandit group, you say?"
Meanwhile, Laojun, the brain of Hourai Island, received the report from Elsa.
"There have been about two similar instances in the information gathered by the Quinta as well."
As soon as Laojun received the communication from Elsa, he issued instructions to each member of the Quinta dispatched to the Shouro Empire to gather clues regarding the bandit group.
Furthermore, he ordered the mobile unit Regulus 49, known as Jacob, to guard Kalts Village in the Randol Territory, and similarly, the mobile unit Deneb 22, known as Jumi, to guard Ekishi in the Randol Territory. Additionally, he ordered Capella 8, known as Hank, to guard Banne in the Randol Territory.
Yet on the very night he issued those orders, the bandit group had been active not in the Randol Territory, but in the neighboring territory of Marquis Theoderic. Unfortunately, their means of escape had not been observed by the Watcher due to thick cloud cover.
"We might need low-altitude reconnaissance tools. I shall consult with My Lord about it later."
Having reached that conclusion, Laojun ordered the Quinta to be even more vigilant, specifically prioritizing the area around House Randol where Elsa was located.
＊ ＊ ＊
Also in the territory of Marquis Theoderic was the town of Sagina, located on its eastern outskirts. It bordered the Randol Territory and saw a high volume of foot traffic; it was a wealthy town for its size.
Deneb 22, known as Jumi, had extended her reach from Ekishi to come and observe the state of Sagina. Her appearance was that of a village girl in her early twenties. Her somewhat plump physique was due to the Gula Schwamm layer under her skin being saturated with water. Her face was covered in pimples and freckles, giving her a look that no one would spare a second glance.
"Get your Airbeil jam here! Anyone want some strawberry jam?"
Disguising herself as a traveling merchant with a pack on her back, Jumi made her way through the town.
"Oh, that's rare. I'll take one."
"Yes, thank you very much. That will be sixty Toll."
"Ah, jam. Give me one."
"Thank you very much."
As she moved through the town selling jam, a certain presence caught her eye.
(...That man.)
It was a man who looked to be in his late twenties.
(There is no waste in his movements.)
His center of gravity did not shift, and his core did not sway.
(One who can walk like that is either a master of martial arts, or... something not human!)
Jumi followed him stealthily, taking care not to be noticed. Simultaneously, she reported to Laojun via her built-in manacam.
(I wonder where he's going.)
The man moved through the crowds and headed toward the edge of town. The presence of people gradually thinned out.
(At this rate, he'll realize I'm following him...)
Watching for the moment the man turned a corner, Jumi activated her Invisible magic. Almost at the same time, a message came through her manacam.
("Sending Land 781 and 782 as reinforcements.")
Immediately after, two units under the effects of Invisible magic were sent to Jumi's left and right via a transporter.
(Thank you. That's reassuring.)
Then, while remaining invisible, Jumi and the two Land units continued to follow the mysterious man.
(...?)
When they reached a vacant lot on the outskirts of town, the man stopped.
"Do you have some business with me?"
Was I found out? Jumi thought, but the mysterious man was glaring in a different direction from her and the others. Jumi sensed other presences around the mysterious man.
(These are... humans? And... they seem to be golems.)
Keeping a distance where they were unlikely to be detected, Jumi and the two Land units decided to observe first. The vacant lot, perhaps the site of a former mansion, was quite large, covering about five hundred tsubo.
"I am the vice-captain of the security guard serving House Theoderic. I would like you to tell me your name and status."
The man who identified himself as the vice-captain was accompanied by two combat golems. Those two units stealthily moved to the left and right of the mysterious man, cutting off his escape. Behind him was the wall of a ruined house. His left and right were blocked by the combat golems.
"Hmm, I see. So you have judged this situation to be 'to your advantage.'"
"Answer the question!"
"Do not be in such a hurry. Names and affiliations are merely labels, are they not? Even if I were to answer, how do you intend to determine the truth of it?"
"Enough talk! Will you answer or not!"
"Don't get so worked up, human."
The mysterious man smiled fearlessly.
"My name, is it? For now, I'm called Lance."
In the next instant, Lance vanished. He leaped to the right at a speed that the human eye could not follow.
A crashing sound followed. It was the sound of a combat golem falling after being struck by a body blow.
"What!"
The voice of the vice-captain rang out in surprise. Then, the other combat golem was also knocked over.
The mysterious man, Lance, brushed past the vice-captain and vanished into the distance. A few seconds later, the vice-captain lost consciousness and collapsed. It appeared he had taken a heavy blow to the abdomen.
(That was incredible physical ability.)
(Yes, it rivals those of us in the Land squad.)
Jumi and the others kept an even greater distance while following Lance.
(He's heading... not out of town, but toward a ruined house.)
(That might be their hideout.)
After watching Lance go inside, Jumi and the others consulted with Laojun on how to proceed.