Published: August 10, 2026
"—Those soldiers were soldiers from the Kingdom of Dilz⁉"
At my question, Lady Mio put a finger to her lips and silenced me.
"Thomas, don't raise your voice. We don't know who might be listening, or where."
"In a plain this close to the border, there isn't anyone else here besides us."
I said that, and for good measure, looked around at the surroundings.
We were near the checkpoint connecting Dilz to Oracle. I thought this was probably true for countries everywhere, past and present, but the land near the border was as rural as it could possibly be, an empty plain with practically nothing in it.
And the road was terrible. Sitting on the coachman's seat of a carriage that jolted horribly over the uneven ground, I turned around to speak to Lady Mio in the passenger compartment. But the window between us had its curtain drawn, so I had no choice but to face forward again and talk as best I could.
"Sure enough... now that you mention it, they did move like an army. Very disciplined. And incredibly strong."
"Yes. They even knocked the gatekeeper unconscious."
"I'm sorry for being such an unreliable gatekeeper."
I apologized honestly.
Lady Mio didn't seem to be being sarcastic at all, and continued in a rare gentle tone.
"It can't be helped. You're not a warrior or a knight, you're a gatekeeper. There's no way you could fight trained soldiers head-on and win."
"...So if those guys really are Dilz troops, does that mean the royal family of Dilz is behind this incident?"
I asked cautiously, but Lady Mio shook her head.
"No, I don't think so. Granado Trading Company should be a major benefit to the national interest. Lord Ruifeng, of course, but even King Roy and Prince Richard are friendly toward master. There's no reason for them to attack the Granado Family."
"...Then what is this all about?"
"Those men were 'former' soldiers. At present, they're likely nothing more than hired mercenaries. ...But for someone with no ties to the royal family to be able to hire them all at once, they'd have to have some kind of connection."
"I really don't understand any of this..."
Still holding the reins, I wanted to put my head in my hands.
I had at least received a brief explanation of the incident on the way here. That a rival had appeared against Granado Trading Company. That they were using vile methods to harm master, Lady Marie, and the residents of the Granado Family. The motive was full of mysterious points, and Lady Mio had approached them... or so I was told, but it still hadn't really sunk in. Why had something like this happened? Who was doing it, and for what purpose? More to the point, I had to admit I still barely understood master's business in the first place.
While I was tilting my head in confusion, Lady Mio in the carriage spoke to me in a gentle voice.
"Don't worry, Thomas. I still don't understand anything either."
"If Lady Mio doesn't understand it, then there's no way I can."
Feeling reassured, I said something carefree, and this time a tired-sounding voice came back.
"Not understanding yet and having no idea at all are two different things. If you think about it a little, there should be someone who comes to mind."
"...No, I really have no idea. You mean that person is the 'mastermind' behind this incident, right?"
Lady Mio said nothing, but I could feel her agreement from inside the carriage.
"The reason I'm chasing those soldiers isn't to wipe them out. What needs to be struck is the command center—the person who ordered them to attack Granado Castle. If we keep following them, there's a strong chance we'll be able to reach that 'mastermind.'"
"...And then you're going to catch that 'mastermind'? You, Lady Mio?"
Lady Mio gave a small nod.
I tilted my head again. And again. And again.
...Because... well... wouldn't that be a little... overstepping her authority?
From the way Lady Mio had just put it, it seemed certain that this involved the royal family or high-ranking nobles, if not his majesty the king or the prince. Crushing something like that would be a huge matter.