Gerhardt Hilde von Rubis Shouro was the Empress of the Shouro Empire.
She was fifty-two years old, stood 154 centimeters tall, and weighed 45 kilograms. Her hair was dark, and her eyes were a pale shade of brown. While she served primarily as a placeholder monarch until her nephew Ernst reached adulthood, she was also a wise and capable ruler destined to be remembered in the annals of the Empire’s history.
"I am going on an inspection," she announced.
The words came without warning; she intended to conduct an incognito visit to the provinces. While formal imperial progresses were held twice a year and already accounted for on her schedule, such an impulsive decision was rare. Both Chancellor Jung Fowles von Kebsler and Chief Lady-in-Waiting Flora Hecherat von Melante were visibly taken aback.
Her chosen destination was Shubere. It was a town situated at the terminus of the road connecting the Celuroa Kingdom and the Shouro Empire—the highway commonly known as the Trockenbahn. Most towns along this route were territories directly controlled by the Shouro Imperial Family, and Shubere was no exception.
The town sat roughly seventy kilometers from the capital, Loizart. A fast carriage could make the trip in less than half a day. Though hot air balloons or golem carriages would have been significantly faster, they would have rendered the "incognito" aspect of the trip impossible. Consequently, a standard carriage was prepared for the journey.
Her immediate companions were Flora and a female royal ritter named Juna Brantes. An additional ten knights followed in secret to provide protection from the shadows.
"Juna, that outfit looks wonderful on you," the Empress remarked.
"You are too kind, Your Majesty."
Juna Brantes was a nineteen-year-old rising star who had been a knight for three years and a royal ritter for one. For the trip, the Empress was dressed as a merchant’s wife, Flora as a business secretary, and Juna as a local town girl. Having come from a commoner background, Juna—her reddish-brown hair tied back in a ponytail—was the most familiar with the ways of the town.
They departed Loizart at nine in the morning. Thanks to the extensive hardening of the roads, they maintained an average speed of twenty-five kilometers per hour. Including a short break, the carriage arrived in Shubere in about three hours.
"Your Maje— I mean, Landlady, let us be off," said Juna. Her slightly drooping, amber-colored eyes gave her a gentle, approachable look. As per their cover story, the Empress was the proprietress of a large merchant house, Flora was her head clerk, and Juna was an employee.
"Very well. Let’s head for the shopping district just off the Central Thoroughfare this time."
The Empress decided to inspect the side streets, reasoning that the Central Thoroughfare likely received sufficient official oversight. Shubere was a sizable town, and their time was limited.
"Understood! Then follow me, this way—" Juna replied, adopting the casual tone of a town girl as she led them into an alleyway.
(At least the streets are clean,) the Empress noted. She saw only a negligible amount of litter, which was well within her acceptable range.
They cut through the alley and emerged onto a street one block over.
"It is quite lively here as well," the Empress murmured.
"Indeed, Landlady," Juna replied. "If anything, this area is frequented more by the common folk than the Central Thoroughfare is."
It was true; the variety of shops here far exceeded those on the main road. While the Central Thoroughfare was lined with grand establishments, this area was a dense thicket of smaller shops competing for business.
"It has a healthy energy to it," the Empress said, her spirits rising at the signs of a robust economy.
But then...
"Shut your damn mouth!"
A vulgar, gravelly shout rang out, and the Empress turned toward the sound.
"I told you to pay the cleaning fee!"
Three rough-looking men were causing a scene at one of the shops. They were hauling a cart loaded with several trash bins.
"What is the meaning of that?" the Empress asked, her brow furrowing as she looked to Juna.
"They’re groups that extort money under the guise of cleaning fees," Juna explained, her commoner roots giving her a sharp insight into such matters. "They call themselves 'fixers.' Their public facade is that they organize local hoodlums to perform community service, but..."
"In reality, they are nothing more than common thugs."
"Precisely. In this case, it seems they’re demanding money for 'cleaning the town' for the shopkeepers."
The cleaning was, of course, a mere formality, and the fees they demanded were exorbitant. The Empress watched the scene unfold for a moment longer.
"If you won't pay up, I'll dump trash all over the front of your shop! You said you'd clean it yourself, didn't you?!"
"S-Stop, please..."
"Juna, can you stop them?" the Empress asked, unable to tolerate the sight any longer.
"Yes. Even unarmed, three men of that caliber are no match for me."
"Then I leave it to you. Go put an end to it."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Juna whispered, her voice too low for anyone else to hear. She moved forward, her footsteps practically silent.
"Cease this at once. It is a pathetic sight to behold."
Juna moved in, seizing the wrist of the man who was about to overturn a trash bin.
"Wha— Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"Who the hell are you?" one of the other men barked.
"Just a passing town girl. More importantly, I’ve been watching you, and your demands are illegal. Shall I call the security guards?"
The man whose wrist Juna held let out a sneer. "Heh, go ahead. Call 'em if you want."
"Excuse me...?"
"We've greased their palms plenty. You’re the one who’s gonna get hauled off for interfering with our cleaning work!"
Juna grimaced. "Has the corruption spread that far? How long has this been going on?"
"Hah! For your information, we of the Cleanup Squad have been 'cleaning' this town for two years now!"
"The Cleanup Squad? Quite a grand name for a group that represents the exact opposite."
"None of your business!"
As they argued, two members of the security guard arrived on the scene, carrying one-meter-long wooden batons.
"Hey, hey! What’s all this racket about?"
"Ah, Officers, just the men we wanted to see! These people are trying to stop us from doing our cleaning work!"
"What a blatant lie!" Juna countered. "These men were attempting to extort money from this shop under the pretext of cleaning fees!"
"Hah! The cleaning fee is a rightful wage! You’re the one who should be locked up for obstructing a public service!"
One of the guards placed a heavy hand on Juna’s shoulder, ignoring the fact that she was still holding the thug's wrist.
"Let him go....Are you a traveler? You’re coming with us to the guardhouse."
"...So, it's true that your palms have been greased," Juna said coldly.
"Wh-What?!"
"As public servants entrusted with the peace of this town, you should be ashamed of yourselves for taking bribes. Have you no honor?!"
"Why, you little—! You've got a lot of nerve!"
One of the guards swung his baton toward her.