Chapter 145
After leaving the restaurant, we visited two more establishments and detained two barons.
There was one inspection site left on today's schedule. Since I'd deliberately let our itinerary leak, there should be nobles at the final location as well.
Well, things probably wouldn't go as they had until now. Not at the final location.
"The Imperial capital's outermost district is all that's left...?"
"Yes. So you can consider it over once we finish there."
"Huh?"
Fiene tilted her head, looking puzzled.
She must have thought it would continue for much longer. Her expression showed her confusion.
I gave her a wry smile and spoke.
"If I go to the outermost district of the Imperial capital, I can guess whom they'll contact. I can say with certainty that the nobles won't be able to make that person act."
"So... it's over...?"
"We still can't let our guard down, but you won't have to go through anything unpleasant. I'm sorry."
When I lowered my head sincerely, Fiene began to panic.
"P-please raise your head! This was originally... my fault... Al-sama did nothing wrong... You're only dealing with the trouble that came your way..."
"It isn't your fault either. I knew a day like this would come eventually. Don't worry about it."
"But... Al-sama... I know I have no right to say something like this... but!"
Fiene looked straight at me, tears welling in her eyes.
I could feel how strongly she wanted to tell me something.
So I spoke first.
"This time, I deliberately made the problem bigger."
"...Huh?"
"By now, the Minister of Justice is probably holding his head and consulting Father. I've already sent over the names of the nobles we've arrested and their associates. Two counts and two barons, plus a large number of related parties. That's an unprecedented number of arrests for one day."
"You did this on purpose...?"
"Of course. I wouldn't go so far as to arrest commoners for no reason. Don't worry. They won't face serious charges. They'll spend a few days in jail, but... well, that seems about right."
When I said that lightly, Fiene covered her face and began to cry.
Seeing that made my chest ache.
I couldn't let her find out. That's why I hadn't said anything. But I could imagine how much of a burden that had been for Fiene.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't ask you to act."
"Sniff... hic... I... thought... Al-sama was... really angry..."
"I am angry. I don't like the way they went about it. But I have no intention of doing anything to the commoners who were merely following orders. Still... to bring this tiresome uproar to an early end, I need them to think I've gone on a rampage."
"Gone on a rampage...?"
"Yes. If I use my power and deal with them thoroughly, the White Gull Alliance will panic. But the people who'll panic most are their parents. The ones in the White Gull Alliance are still young. Even if they've inherited their titles, their parents still hold the real power. And because of this uproar, if I go on a rampage, they won't be able to treat it as someone else's problem. I'm acting so recklessly that I could end up dismantling every noble house."
"But... if that happened..."
Fiene spoke worriedly through her tears.
She was worried that I'd be resented and that the number of people opposing me would increase.
"I'll be fine. People of their parents' generation won't try to bring down someone powerful. They'll surely seek reconciliation with me. But how can they reconcile with me while I'm acting like I've gone berserk? They can't ask Father, and the Valiant Marquis's house is too close to me."
"Then who will they turn to...?"
"I've summoned people they can rely on by letter. People who know me and whose families have enough standing to mediate a reconciliation. One of them is someone you know well."
"Someone I know...?"
Fiene finally stopped crying and fell into thought.
I wiped away the last tear from Fiene's eyes with my right hand and smiled reassuringly.
"Your father. I'm sorry, but I asked him to come all this way."
"My father!?"
"That said, your father alone, being at the center of this matter, wouldn't be sufficiently neutral. So I also had Duke Rheinfelt summoned. The two of them will be able to mediate a reconciliation with me without issue. I've already had several seemingly harmless nobles defect so the nobles of the White Gull Alliance could easily contact them. They'll probably use those defectors to approach the two of them. I've instructed the defecting nobles to act that way."
Reasoning won't work on the White Gull Alliance, made up as it is of young nobles.
I had to drag out their parents, who could be reasoned with, but some of them had already retired. To them, this probably looked like nothing more than their sons doing something foolish.
To make them revise that understanding, I had to go on a rampage.
The nobles arrested for causing trouble were one thing, but the commoners caught up in it would be released as soon as a reconciliation was reached. They were completely innocent bystanders, and the Minister of Justice wasn't so idle that he had nothing better to do—not to mention that the jails had limited space.
As for releasing the nobles, that's out of the question because I won't agree to it. Those men are beyond the pale. Not only because of how they treated Fiene, but because they dragged commoners into this under the pretext of harassing me.
"I won't call for the death penalty, but I'll at least have their titles stripped."
"So... everything is going according to your calculations, Al-sama...?"
"For now. What remains is to see how Marquis Weitling, who has yet to show himself, will act. Still, I've prepared for any move he might make. There are some measures I don't want to use, but... even so, one thing I can say is that nothing will happen to make you cry. So relax. It's over now. I want you to keep smiling as you always do."
That's a rather self-serving request.
I was the one who burdened her and made her cry. Telling her to keep smiling was an outrageous demand.
Yet Fiene answered that outrageous demand with a gentle smile.
"Yes!"
"That helps. You really do look better when you're smiling."
"I like the kind Al-sama better, too!"
"I see. I'll keep that in mind."
I answered Fiene's wish with a wry smile.
■■■
The outermost district of the Imperial capital.
A dojo stood there.
That was my final inspection site.
"You're late."
"Sorry about that."
A small neighborhood dojo.
When I entered, Guy stood there looking indignant. In front of him, a bespectacled man was bleeding from the nose.
"Guh... damn you! You struck a baron! You won't get off lightly!"
"What exactly do you mean by 'won't get off lightly'? Explain it to this foolish commoner, Baron."
"Prince Arnold! Your friend struck me! This is a serious matter! You won't be able to cover for him! You'd better apologize while you still can!"
Saying that, the bespectacled baron shifted his target to me. He must have realized there was no point in saying anything more to Guy. But it was equally wrong to say anything to me.
"If Guy hit you, he must have had a reason."
"He struck me for no reason!"
"Sure, you didn't do anything. You only told him to cooperate in harassing Al. He hit you because he didn't like that."
"That's a lie!"
The bespectacled baron stammered in panic.
Why were the nobles of the White Gull Alliance so shortsighted? Well, I supposed it was precisely because they were shortsighted that they'd been barred from taking part in the struggle for the throne and had formed such a pointless organization as the White Gull Alliance.
"Say whatever you want. But remember this: People from the outermost district don't sell out their friends for money! Sure, we're poor, and we want money. But living in an environment like this teaches us what money can't buy. We value the bonds you nobles throw away so easily!"
"How dare you act so high and mighty! The fact that you struck me won't disappear!"
"Sue me if you want! I'll say the same thing before His Majesty the Emperor! If I sold out my friends for money, I'd be too ashamed to face the kids! I'm a teacher, after all!"
With that, Guy drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at the bespectacled baron.
Guy was a B-rank adventurer. In terms of strength, he was average. Even so, he was an adventurer who had fought countless monsters and been through many dangerous situations.
The bespectacled baron was thoroughly intimidated by Guy's glare.
"Hey, Al! What are we gonna do with this guy?"
"He'll probably be imprisoned."
"I-imprisoned!? Why me!?"
"Sigh... Do you know what this ring means?"
I showed him the ring yet again, for perhaps the umpteenth time that day.
The bespectacled baron's face went pale.
"Th-that is..."
"With His Majesty's permission, I'm conducting an inspection. This is my final destination. So answer me this, Baron: what exactly is a baron doing here? Oh, and don't bother lying. Several nobles have already learned the hard way what happens when they do."
"Th-that can't be... I... um..."
"You'd better tell the truth. Is it true that you plotted to harass me?"
When I pressed him, the bespectacled baron realized resistance was pointless and nodded.
Once I'd confirmed that, I ordered the knights to restrain him.
"So? What's all this commotion about?"
"A rebellion by nobles who resent my being at Fiene's side."
"Ha! The time has finally come. I knew it would eventually."
Guy spoke with a hint of delight.
Honestly, this guy...
"You look happy."
"Of course I am. I get to stay by Fiene-sama's side, after all. A disaster of this scale was the least that could happen, or I'd have been disappointed."
"You know..."
"Relax. I have no intention of forcing anything. You can tell right away whom someone most enjoys being around by looking at their smile."
Saying that, Guy turned his gaze toward Fiene, who was outside the dojo.
The neighborhood children had noticed Fiene's presence and were gathering around her noisily. Fiene responded to them with a smile.
"She's at her most beautiful when she's by your side. That's your answer, isn't it?"
"I see..."
"But! If you lay even one finger on Fiene-sama, I'll send you straight to hell! Don't think you're safe just because Erna's around! The grudge of a guy who can't get a date can overcome even a hero!"
"That's terrifying... Still, you can rest easy. Nothing like that is going to happen."
Saying that, I soothed Guy.
And so, the long day Fiene and I had spent came to an end.