Chapter 33 - The Deadline of Marquess Retainer Arveil (Part One)
The news that the vanguard sent by the Crown Prince had been annihilated was delivered to Mares by fast horse.
In addition, concerning information was also delivered.
"According to the letter from Viscount Redan,"
Marquess Mares, Randolph Hazen, began to speak in the room where the Marquess's family and principal vassals were gathered.
"The count of those whose equipment does not match is ten and a few. There is also information that several people vanished from the town square."
"It's the King's Shadow, without a doubt,"
Arialein asserted in a quiet voice.
An organization directly under the Royal Family like the Royal Guard, but unlike the Royal Guard, it never came out into the open.
It was an organization for sabotage and assassination, similar to the one used by the previous Marquess—or rather, the previous Marquess had modeled his after the Royal Family's.
"Yes, without a doubt.
The timing of their move is not certain, but—"
"If they follow standard tactics, it should be within the next few days, in order to weaken or stop the territorial army's offensive, Father."
The son, Kurtfried, took the lead in Randolph's talk.
Kurtfried had gone to Redan once, but he had returned to Mares about a week ago.
If he were to be seen by the Royal Guard members coming from the Royal Capital, the entire plan would collapse.
It was a possibility only to the extent of 'just in case,' but it was a situation that must not happen even just in case.
In addition, there were the preparations for the marriage into another family, which took quite a bit of effort and time.
As a result, Kurtfried had returned to Mares after only completing the meeting with the young lady of the other party.
To those words of Kurtfried, Randolph nodded with an "Indeed."
"That's likely—probably within two to three days."
Randolph, cutting his words short, looked around at everyone.
"If they infiltrate, it will be at night.
No matter how much they are the King's Shadow, they wouldn't be able to enter this manor in broad daylight.
I will spend my time in the main building. Kurt, prepare a room in the north wing; Arialein, you prepare one in the south wing."
If everyone were in one place, it would be easier to protect, but it was possible to be wiped out in a single raid.
Taking that into account, Randolph, Kurtfried, and Arialein would each rest in different locations during the night.
Kurtfried answered "Yes," and Arialein gave a graceful bow.
"I leave the rest to each of you. Do your best.
The war is mostly settled.
Everyone, do not die at a time like this."
Randolph, closing the short meeting with words characteristic of him, nodded, saying they could go.
Each of those gathered scattered to their designated locations.
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By the middle of that afternoon, a room in the south wing was somehow prepared.
A room on the third floor, past one room from the hallway.
Originally, it was a room for guests invited by the Marquess to stay.
"I don't know how many days we'll spend here, but it's nice to have a change of pace once in a while."
"This is neither a sightseeing trip nor a redecoration, my lady."
Arveil responded with a grimace to Arialein, who had tossed out a lighthearted remark almost devoid of any sense of crisis.
"I know.
Arveil, and everyone else, take turns sleeping while you can.
I'll have you stand watch at night."
The retainers answered, "Yes."
"I will be resting next door, my lady."
Arveil also announced that and withdrew to the adjacent room.
Telling his fellow retainers to wake him if anything happened, he lay down on a sofa instead of a bed and closed his eyes.
Eventually, he began to breathe rhythmically in sleep. No one around him rebuked him for it.
Sleeping and resting the body when necessary was also part of the job as a guard.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"My lady,"
Arveil called Arialein in a troubled voice.
"This is your bedroom, is it not?"
"Yes."
Arialein responded with an expression that seemed to say, "So what?"
"His lordship has also assigned people for that purpose."
"I know that."
"Then why?"
"Is that not what it means to take every possible precaution?"
Her tone suggested it was only natural.
The untimely argument had been triggered by Arialein's words.
She had ordered Arveil to stand watch in her bedroom.
No matter how much he was an assistant and guard, he had never entered her sleeping quarters. It was natural for a retainer and a master.
"Sarea, I'm sorry.
It's not that I doubt your skill."
"I am aware, my lady.
Master Meiros, from me as well."
"No, that's why—"
The female retainer called Sarea had been sent for that role. Naturally, she possessed sufficient skill to fulfill that role.
"Because I still haven't been able to take a single point from Master Meiros."
However, in mock battles during training, she had never beaten Arveil.
"It's right there if you open the door, I'll be stationed right there."
To Arveil, who was explaining the logic with a troubled face, Arialein did not concede.
"Arveil, can you be satisfied with that?"
"—Satisfied?"
It wasn't a matter of being satisfied or not.
For a male retainer to spend the night in the bedroom of an unmarried Marquess's daughter, even for protection, was an act far removed from common sense.
"If something were to happen to me, could you be satisfied with that?"
"We are stationed so that such a thing does not happen."
"There is no such thing as absolute in these matters. You know that well, too."
With eyes that were grey, Arialein pressed Arveil without averting her gaze.
"That single door, that distance of just a few steps—if I were not reached because of that, could you be satisfied with that?"
Arveil was at a loss for an answer.
He couldn't possibly think he would be satisfied.
"I wouldn't be satisfied.
If I'm not protected by you, I'll think it can't be helped, but I don't want to die in a place your hand can't reach, while thinking 'if only it were you.'"
The surrounding retainers did not intervene.
Some were listening to the exchange with somewhat amused faces.
"Master Meiros, in the end, for both us and my lady, your martial skills are irreplaceable.
There is also the trust from having been by her side in the Royal Capital for two full years."
With both face and voice being dead serious, Sarea chimed in.
Only her eyes were faintly laughing.
Arveil looked around, but he only confirmed that he no longer had any allies.
He cursed in his heart, thinking they didn't know what he was going through.
"—What would his lordship say?"
At the name of the Marquess, which he brought up in desperation, Arialein smiled brightly.
"Father said to do as I please."
Hearing Arialein's response, Arveil gave a small, wry smile.
—To think she had settled the matter from the start.
It was a story where he could somehow imagine the content of the exchange.
My lady probably pressed his lordship in this same manner.
And his lordship must have said it was indeed logical and permitted it.
Taking a breath and blowing away the wry smile, Arveil looked into Arialein's eyes and nodded.
"Understood, my lady. I shall do as you command."