It turned out that the situation regarding Aeplee’s daughter could be resolved quite easily after all.
If I explained the circumstances, I was sure both Hiichiro and Gral would be willing to hand the crystal back. I also doubted Raimeiren would offer much resistance if I told her the parents simply wanted their child returned. Of course, I would have to prepare something else to take its place.
In the end, I decided to leave the matter of Aeplee and May’s custody to Beezel. While I understood their motives, the fact remained that they had staged a raid on the Auction Venue, and they would have to answer for that. The same applied to the others who had been captured. There was nothing to do but wait for the Demon Kingdom’s official judgment.
Beezel was surprisingly sympathetic. He noted that while a formal system existed for citizens to appeal against the illegal acts of a Lord, and he wished they had utilized it rather than acting impulsively, he admitted that anyone might lose their cool if their daughter were kidnapped.
"Wait... we actually have an appeal system?" I asked.
"Of course we do," Beezel replied. "If we didn't, the number of Lords doing as they pleased in the provinces would spiral out of control."
I see. That made sense.
Come to think of it, I wondered if the Lord involved in this mess was related to Naci. Naci was originally from Hyuma Village; she had married Gatto, the Howling Village Head’s Son, but was sent back when she contracted Mine Cough, which had led to a nasty diplomatic rift between the two villages.
"Let's see," Beezel mused. "Naci-dono was the one who eventually remarried Gatto-dono and moved to the Head’s village, correct? No, this particular Lord’s territory is unrelated... well, mostly. I’m fairly sure there's no direct connection, but I'll check the family records later to be certain. Count Pugyal should know the specifics."
"Please do."
"If there is a connection to Naci-dono, will you be intervening to protect them?"
"Ah... no, I won't interfere. I’ll leave the final decision to the Demon Kingdom’s authorities."
"Understood."
"However, as for the Kissinlee couple and their supporters..."
"I am well aware of the situation there as well," Beezel said, glancing over at the Fougma crew as they crowded around Aeplee and May.
"Hyah-ha! Fresh civil officials! Circle 'em up! Don't let a single one get away!" Miyo was particularly enthusiastic.
She clearly wanted to recruit them for Shashato City once they finished serving their time. Since they had their own village to think about, I didn't want her to be too pushy, but I decided to let it slide for now.
"Oh, right. Bell," I said. "You mentioned something about the Maintenance Tanks earlier. What should we do about those? If you need them, I can try to negotiate for a reduced sentence in exchange for them handing the equipment over."
"No, that won't be necessary," Bell replied. "The Sun Castle already has more than enough Maintenance Tanks for everyone. We have no use for the Kissinlee models."
"I-I see."
"However, it seems there are far more Artificial Lifeforms residing within the Memory Units than we anticipated. I would like to coordinate with them on that front."
That was a fair point. We had also won several units at the auction. Apparently, these Maintenance Tanks were required to transfer a consciousness from a Memory Unit into an organic body so it could move and function. Whether we would actually go through with that process was something I would decide after further consultation with Bell and the others.
"That reminds me, Village Head," Bell continued. "While I have no interest in their tanks, I am very interested in their means of transportation."
"Transportation?"
"Yes. Considering their village is located near Howling Village and Hyuma Village, they arrived at the Royal Capital far too quickly. Even accounting for the Teleportation Gates at Village Five or Shashato City, they must possess some other method of rapid travel."
"Ah... you're right. I’ll make sure to ask about that too."
With the initial discussion concluded, it was time to return to the Village of the Great Tree. Even though it was already the middle of the night, we took a carriage from Beezel’s Mansion to the Academy Premises. From there, we used the Teleportation Gate to reach Village Five and finally went our separate ways.
Those who lived in the Village of the Great Tree headed home, while those staying in Village Five remained behind. Since the items won at the auction were scheduled for delivery by the Goroun Company at a later date, we were currently empty-handed.
Well, mostly empty-handed. Despite the chaos of the raid, Raimeiren and the others had made sure to bring back the Memory Unit belonging to Aeplee’s daughter.
The Memory Unit was a transparent, tear-shaped crystal about the size of a large bundle you could carry in both arms. To be precise, I was told it was a type of Magic Crystal rather than glass, but I didn't dwell on the semantics. Raimeiren had sensed there was something special about the crystal, but since Hiichiro and Gral both wanted it, she hadn't given it a second thought. Dragons tend to be quite carefree about such details.
The crystal had been passed from Raimeiren to Hiichiro, and then from Hiichiro to Gral. At that very moment, Gral was reportedly fast asleep while clutching it like a teddy bear.
This was going to be an awkward conversation. I had no choice, though.
"Hakuren, help me out here."
The next day.
After a bit of back-and-forth, Gral eventually returned the Memory Unit to Hiichiro, who then handed it over to me. I was truly grateful to both of them.
I knew I had to make it up to them. I promised to prepare something special to take the crystal’s place.
"You want to make something yourself, Hiichiro?" I asked. "Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea. I’ll get the materials and tools ready for you."
"I want to make brooches," he told me. He had apparently taken an interest in them after seeing several at the auction. He planned to ask Gatto to teach him the process.
"I see, I see. I'll put in a word with him for you. Do your best, okay?"
I paused for a moment.
"Ah, and Hiichiro... you understand, right? It'll be a lot of work to make several of them, but... no, I don't mean for me. You should make them for the people who always look after you. Right. They’ll be so happy. Good luck with that."
I hesitated again.
"Also... I know it’s asking a lot, but you absolutely cannot forget to make one for your mother. I’m counting on you."
A few days later.
I traveled back to the Royal Capital to return the daughter’s Memory Unit to Aeplee and May. My usual escorts—Galf, Daga, and Reginleiv—accompanied me, along with Frau, since we were heading to her family’s villa. It was remarkable how short the trip to the capital felt now that the Teleportation Gates were operational.
At Beezel’s Mansion, I met with the Kissinlee couple in the annex where they were being held and handed over the crystal. They were overwhelmed with joy. Seeing that made the whole ordeal feel worth it.
Beezel informed me that while their crimes were significant, their sentence would likely be reduced to a period of light labor.
"Is that really enough for a raid?" I asked. "Are you just doing me a favor?"
"No," Beezel replied. "If anything, the leniency is being shown because of the Lord and his son."
"How so?"
"In this case, while the son acted independently, he used the authority of his father, the Lord, to facilitate the fraud. Therefore, the father bears responsibility for a lack of oversight. Normally, a house would exile the problematic child to protect its own standing... but this father refused to do so. He shielded his son."
"He shielded him?"
"Yes. He insisted that his son's crimes were entirely his own responsibility as a parent."
"That’s quite noble of him."
"Well, the 'child' in question turns thirty this year. But a child is a child to a parent, I suppose. It seems the son saw how much his father was struggling with the estate's finances and tried to find something valuable enough for the auction to help him. That was the motive behind the fraud."
His methods were terrible, but his heart had been in the right place.
"The father put the items up for auction without realizing they were stolen, which ultimately led to the raid," Beezel continued. "The authorities decided there were points worthy of sympathy. Furthermore, Count Pugyal intervened on the father's behalf, testifying that the Lord was fundamentally a good man. Consequently, the raid was downgraded from a major crisis to a minor incident."
"So that's why the sentence was lightened."
"There was almost no human or material damage, after all. Even the organizers of the auction, the Dalfon Company and the Goroun Company, submitted petitions for leniency. They didn't see the need to blow the matter out of proportion."
I suspected Miyo might have had a hand in those petitions to ensure she could get her hands on the Kissinlee staff later.
"The final punishment for the Lord and his son will be a fine and the forfeiture of a portion of their territory—specifically, the village where the Kissinlee couple lived. Does that arrangement trouble you?"
"I don't mind at all. I told you I wouldn't interfere."
"It was merely a courtesy check. So, any other concerns?"
"Hmm... Ah, what about Naci?"
"On the surface, there is no connection. Her father is listed as a resident of Hyuma Village."
"And beneath the surface?"
"Beneath the surface, it seems one of the Lord’s younger brothers—the man who is likely her biological father—was working at the Lord’s Mansion where the trouble started."
"I see. Well, that’s distant enough. Was he hurt in the raid?"
"No, he apparently ran away as soon as things got dangerous. He’s perfectly safe."
"That’s good. One last thing... will the auction organizers be compensated for the trouble?"
"The fines collected will be handed over to them directly. Since the fines won't be very high, the Demon Kingdom will likely provide an additional payout to make up the difference."
"Understood. Then I have nothing more to say. That sounds fair to me."
Beezel looked visibly relieved. He excused himself, saying he needed to finalize the arrangements with the various departments involved.
Frau, however, looked a bit pouted. She seemed disappointed that her father was leaving so soon after we had arrived.
"Now, now," I said. "Beezel is always dropping by the village for one reason or another."
"When he's in the village, he's constantly glued to Fracia," Frau grumbled.
I couldn't help but laugh. "He really is."
"I don't recall him ever doting on me like that when I was little."
"Well, I think most fathers are like that with their grandchildren."
As I soothed Frau’s ruffled feathers, I decided there was no immediate rush to get home. I sat down with Aeplee and the others to hear the rest of their story.