March 24th, I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'll take a day off m(_ _)m
"Nice to meet you, Village Chief. I am the Eighth Prince, Leonardo Lakes Ardler."
With those words, Leo bowed to the white-haired old woman who lived in the largest house in the village.
The old woman, called the Village Chief, trembled in her small body and bowed in response.
"I am Mao, the Village Chief of Hina Village. Thank you for visiting such a humble village, Your Highness."
"No, any village is an imperial village. The royal family has a responsibility to all its people."
As he answered, Leo smiled softly.
Hearing Leo's words, another person inside the house whistled.
"Surprised. You and your twin are so different?"
"What did you think of my brother?"
"He seemed pretty arrogant."
Leaning against the wall was a red-haired man.
Abel, who had taken on the village's protection at Al's request and led the adventurers, spoke bluntly.
Seeing Abel's straightforward manner, Leo felt a favorable impression.
"Is that so? Then you might be surprised by my brother's usual self."
"That would be good. To think he'd ask for the village's protection with such a ridiculous reward. Everyone was trembling, thinking what kind of monsters might appear on the way here?"
"How was it?"
"No monsters. It's a peaceful village. But, as you heard, there are people who seem to be kidnapping people. They haven't tried anything with the villagers since they saw us guarding the village, but we see them from time to time. However, the reward is ridiculous. It's an easy job."
This should be good for adventurers, but Abel seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
Leo chuckled, sensing his professionalism.
If the reward was too low, they would be angry; if it was too high, they would be dissatisfied. Adventurers were a troublesome bunch. However, Leo liked people who lived freely like them.
"The real challenge is yet to come. I will be pursuing the kidnapping organization. The lord who should govern this village is likely involved."
"Really? What's your evidence?"
"I didn't actually visit the lord's town, but I pretended to. When I did, the lord was reportedly very flustered and made suspicious moves. If he had simply ignored the village's request and not recognized it, he would have welcomed me. However, he tried to contact someone. That's enough to deepen the suspicion."
"Maybe you just overreacted?"
"Perhaps. But by the time I arrived, the southern nobles should have known my purpose. If they hadn't noticed and let it slip, they would have at least tried to respond minimally. In fact, other lords near the border have responded to the refugee villages. But this lord hasn't moved yet."
"I thought you were just making a detour, but you've been doing a lot. You're as competent as the rumors say."
"Is that so? I haven't accomplished anything yet."
Leo said this and looked down.
It was his honest opinion.
During the hunting festival, he led the knights, but it didn't lead to a decisive victory. The trust between two countries was won by Al, not Leo, who was disguised as him.
Since joining the imperial succession, he hadn't achieved anything.
That's why Leo was particularly determined about this case.
He couldn't rely on someone else to make him emperor. He needed to show his will to become emperor and take action. If he couldn't even solve the problem in the southern border, becoming emperor would be a mere dream.
That's what he felt.
"Well, if you think so, then it must be so. It's good that you're not overconfident. Just don't lose sight of the essence in your haste to solve the case."
"Of course. My first priority is the village and the people who were kidnapped."
"Rin is a kind child... Even though she was the most distressed, she didn't show it and acted for the village."
"Rinphia hasn't told me anything. But leaving the village like this, I imagined something significant must have happened."
"Yes... The first kidnapping happened eleven years ago. It was Rin's older sister, who was three years older. Rin was only five at the time. The last one kidnapped was Rin's younger sister, who was six years younger. It happened on the day Rin was bedridden with illness..."
"Her sisters were kidnapped..."
"Among the sisters, only she didn't have heterochromia. That must have been a burden. The ones who were kidnapped always had heterochromia. Eleven years ago, many dwarf refugees entered the country, and kidnappings targeting sub-humans and those with special abilities were rampant. After the emperor declared all refugees as imperial citizens, the frequency decreased, but our village continued to be targeted. No one helped us because we were refugees."
The village chief sighed deeply.
The refugees didn't choose to be refugees.
Most of the refugees who entered the empire were either displaced by the southern civil war or caught in the sub-human exclusion policies of the Socal Empire.
The empire was lenient toward refugees, but this was because they wanted to incorporate talented sub-humans and couldn't just crack down on humans. Talented sub-humans could excel in various places, but those without such talents had to live quietly in the border regions.
Until eleven years ago, they were treated as non-existent. However, the emperor's declaration changed the situation.
The refugees rejoiced, but not everything changed.
The emperor recognized all refugees in the empire as imperial citizens and exempted them from taxes for five years. This was a burden for the lords, but in reality, no refugee village had the means to pay taxes. Therefore, the instruction was to integrate them into the territory over five years, allowing them to engage in trade and cultivation to build the means to pay taxes. However, some lords ignored this intentionally.
Because it didn't benefit them.
Leo understood this to some extent. If that was the case, there was room for leniency. Lords had their reasons too.
But this time was different.
This village was special. It had many people with heterochromia, including talented individuals like Rinphia, and many excellent hunters. Adding this village to the territory would bring many benefits to the lord. Yet, the lord treated the village as non-existent. It would be obvious with a simple investigation.
He didn't want the village's existence to reach the imperial capital. The lord must have had something to hide.
"That's why Rinphia came to us. It's the responsibility of the central government for not paying attention to the border. Please forgive us."
"N-no! That's not what I meant! Please, raise your head!"
"No matter how much we apologize, the wounds in their hearts won't heal... I can't promise to bring them back, but I will search for the kidnapped villagers with all my might. I also intend to reveal the lord's crimes. When the time comes, the emperor will make a fair judgment."
"Thank you...! Thank you...!"
The village chief bowed repeatedly.
The meeting ended like this, and Leo went outside with Abel.
"Even though I said that, I think it will be tough."
"Indeed."
"The ones watching the village are professionals. I thought kidnappings were done by bandits or thugs, but I've never seen anyone as serious as them. It's a fully established business."
"Yes. That means there's a large organization behind them. The lord who owns this village isn't a major one. He's probably just being used."
"The entire southern nobility might be involved. It could even trigger a rebellion in the south?"
"Then it would be a major blunder."
Leo laughed.
The southern border issue was perfect for gaining the emperor's favor. However, if he allowed a rebellion by the southern nobility, the responsibility might fall on him.
It was a very dangerous mission.
Investigating only the surface and cutting it short could be an effective strategy.
However,
"But, I heard the story and wanted to help. Can someone who doesn't help those they want to help become emperor?"
"I don't know. But if I had to choose, I'd prefer an emperor who helps those they want to help."
"Right. That's why I came here to assert myself. I'm paying a high reward. I'm sorry, but I need you to work?"
"Sure, sure. As you wish..."
The adventurer's instincts told him this was a bad client.
But he had already received the money. As an adventurer, he couldn't back out of a job once he accepted it.
Abel shrugged and had no choice but to agree with Leo's words.