Beezel arrived at the village looking exhausted.
I assumed he had come to seek solace from his granddaughter, Fraciabel, but it appeared he had business with me instead.
I wondered what it could be.
"I have a consultation regarding the spies infiltrating the Demon Kingdom..."
Wait.
Um, if it was about something like that, I really didn't think I was the right person to talk to.
I voiced my doubts, but he insisted it had to be me.
All right.
I’ll listen, but let’s have the Civil Official Girls, who are well-versed in such matters, attend... Ah, Frau is going to join us.
That helped.
According to Beezel, several countries had sent spies into the Demon Kingdom.
They had identified twenty-two groups from thirteen different countries so far.
I wondered whether it was truly safe to have so many infiltrators roaming around, but Beezel explained that a certain amount of information leakage was expected. In fact, providing the opposition with specific information was part of their strategy, so I shouldn't worry about it.
"We protect information that must not be leaked, and we crush any groups that attempt sabotage, so please rest assured."
I see.
So, what was the consultation about?
"Actually, a spy from a certain country was captured in Village Five and is currently being held in jail."
In Village Five?
Oh, were they talking about the group that was investigating Yoko's Mansion?
I had received a report a little while ago that they were caught.
It was a large group of twelve people.
"No, not those people, someone else..."
Huh?
Were there other spies?
"His name is Crowden."
The name Crowden didn't ring a bell... but wouldn't a spy be using an alias anyway?
"I've heard that the aliases Crowden uses are usually just slight variations of his real name. Things like Crowzo or Climace."
Crowzo, Climace...
Ah, now that he mentioned it, I felt like there was someone like that.
While I was trying to recall the name, Frau stepped in to help.
"Village Head. I believe he's referring to Crattan. That Ramen Freak."
Yes, that was it!
There was indeed a man named Crattan who was obsessed with the Large-portion Ramen.
I remembered him because I’d received a report that Yoko and the others had conducted an investigation just in case, since he was adamantly insisting the ramen contained suspicious ingredients.
For the record, the investigation found nothing wrong.
However, I did issue a warning regarding the fact that the shop was calling a "large portion" a "normal portion," no matter how you looked at it.
The issue was leftovers.
Shops that sold similar dishes, like Vegetable-loaded Ramen in massive portions, took measures by limiting quantities and implementing a Licensing System.
I wasn't going to demand they adopt a Licensing System for every dish, but I wanted them to think more seriously about the problem of wasted food.
But back to the topic.
So he was actually the spy, Crowden.
Wait...
Wasn't he caught red-handed trying to steal the recipe for the ramen?
Did he really come all the way from another country just to steal the flavor?
When I asked Beezel, he gave me a troubled look and explained.
"Supposedly, his original objective was to investigate the Royal Capital."
Well, he was a spy, after all.
So, what should be done with this Crowden?
Should he be handed over to the Demon Kingdom?
"Ah, well, that would be the usual process, but, well..."
What?
"Actually, we've had secret negotiations with the country that sent him. They said that if we return Crowden, they are prepared to end their hostile stance and establish friendly relations with the Demon Kingdom."
That was surprising.
It might be rude to say, but I’d always had the impression that spies were simply cut loose if they were caught.
I suppose some countries truly value their operatives.
"The truth is, Crowden is the secret child of that country's king... which makes him a member of the royal family."
A royal was acting as a spy?
"Yes. On top of that, he is apparently the most skilled person in his country with both the sword and magic."
I see. Losing him would be a heavy blow.
"The Demon Kingdom also wants to avoid harming foreign royalty, as it would needlessly incite hostility."
In that case, wouldn't keeping him in jail also be a problem?
"No, throwing him in a cell was actually recommended by his home country. They even gave us the advice to keep a close watch on him, as he’ll escape the moment you let your guard down."
Um...
Was Crowden so disliked by his own country that they’d change their national policy just to be rid of him?
"It doesn't seem to be that, but... anyway, I was wondering if I could ask you to hand Crowden over."
If it wasn't a death sentence, then I had no objections.
I thought it was fine, but...
If it was just a matter of releasing a prisoner, wouldn't it have been faster to talk to Yoko instead of me?
I didn't think Yoko would go out of her way to get my permission just to release someone she’d jailed.
"Actually, I have already spoken to Lady Yoko, but there is a problem."
A problem?
"Crowden himself refuses to leave the jail..."
...What?
"We thought about dragging him out by force, but Lady Yoko said that the Village Head strictly forbade any acts of violence against those in custody..."
I did remember giving those instructions.
In this world, the treatment of prisoners was generally barbaric.
Being punched and kicked by the guards was standard practice; they weren't given adequate food, and in some cases, they were even denied sleep.
I was told that such treatment was considered part of the punishment, but I also heard it had become customary for the families of the incarcerated to bribe the guards to prevent such abuse. So, I banned it.
I don't think all bribes are necessarily evil, but we weren't capturing people just to line the pockets of the jailers.
They were being paid a high enough salary that they didn't need to rely on bribes.
Furthermore, if such bribes were allowed, there was a risk that guards would start arresting people for minor infractions just to increase their income.
I was right to ban it.
It took time to change the culture.
I was glad to see the reform was holding.
However, it was a problem if we couldn't actually get people out of jail.
I’d like the staff to be flexible in that regard, but...
It would also be a problem if they started loosening the rules on their own whim.
I’ll have to discuss that with Yoko later.
For now, it was about Crowden’s handover.
It would probably be faster if I went to Village Five and gave the order directly.
I went to the jail in Village Five and stood before Crowden.
I informed him that he was being sent back to his home country.
Upon hearing my words, Crowden gripped the bars of his cell with both hands, braced himself with an immovable stance, and replied:
"Until my employment at that ramen shop is approved, I’m not leaving this jail!"
...
Even if you tell me that, I’m not the one who can help you with that demand.