Entering the forest, I steadily used Search Magic to locate their positions.
“They sure ran far. They must have fled before the fight even started.”
“That seems right. Looking at the clear footprints here, it’s obvious they were only thinking about running away.”
“Foolish, foolish. Thanks to that, we can follow them comfortably, though.”
Jenny and I had just stepped into the forest when, using the footprints and my Search Magic, we were able to track them.
Not only were we able to look around carefully, but since we already knew their location, we quickly caught up to them.
“Ah—”
I spotted the two moving ahead at a speed where I couldn’t tell if they were running or walking, so I moved cautiously.
Not long after, I found the two resting against a tree. I thought about killing them immediately, but just in case, I activated Presence Concealment Skill and approached carefully.
They were exchanging some sort of conversation, and as I quietly listened, I caught the words:
“Let’s be sure to bring back the evidence to corner Count Lakazet.”
“Right.”
I felt a surge of joy inside.
Though I had planned to kill them, now it seemed necessary to capture and bring them back alive.
I nodded to Jenny.
I gestured roughly to spare their lives and capture them, and she immediately understood.
We cast Invisibility Skill on ourselves.
This skill, which silenced our presence, was perfect for moments like this.
As they prepared to get up, we quickly approached and pointed our swords at their necks.
“Oh? You have evidence, do you?”
Hearing my words, the two froze in place.
“Well then, shall we see this evidence? The first to hand it over might persuade the Count to spare their life.”
My words made them flinch and then shift into an expression of hesitation and doubt.
Could they trust me? That was the question in their eyes.
But their hesitation was brief.
As Jenny and I pressed our swords closer to their necks, they quickly shouted:
“We’ll give it! We’ll give it!”
Hurriedly, they pulled out the evidence from their pockets and pushed it toward me simultaneously.
“Ha, simultaneously, huh?”
I took the evidence and examined it.
Adolphe was holding a Letter of Command he had received from Marquess Tristan, and Marquess’s evidence was a Request Letter detailing the mercenary band’s involvement as bandits.
I silently stored the two pieces of evidence in my Magic Bag.
Then, I quietly withdrew my sword and instead pulled out ropes from the bag to bind them.
They were restricted enough to barely take a step but couldn’t do anything else.
With them secured, I headed toward the Allied Soldiers’ camp.
***
I brought them into the Count’s tent.
After explaining the situation and why I had brought them, Count Lakazet smiled brightly.
“Thank you so much, Baron Solo!”
The Count grasped my hand, looking at me with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“It’s nothing.”
Though I said that, I had other thoughts in mind.
“Please, hold my hand.”
His touch conveyed deep gratitude, but it still felt a bit awkward to me.
The rest was up to the Count.
Now that the evidence was secured, the next step was a complete victory in the Territory War.
Today’s battle resulted in capturing a huge number of enemy soldiers.
Because the knights were eliminated from the start, the soldiers were easily subdued.
There was almost no Allied Soldier casualty, and the enemy soldiers lost very few as well.
It was a perfect victory.
“Now, the Marquess’s side will probably send an envoy again. You did well. You should rest now.”
“Understood.”
The Count recommended I rest.
From here on, the important matter was the outcome of the Territory War between Marquess Tristan and Count Lakazet.
I was no longer needed at this stage.
If they needed force, they would call me immediately.
“Let’s head to the Castle. Tell the maids to prepare for you to rest.”
“Understood.”
Following the Count’s advice, I headed toward the Count’s Castle.
I was looking forward to resting properly there.
***
The Territory War between Marquess Tristan and Count Lakazet ended with the complete downfall of Marquess Tristan.
First, Count Lakazet was promoted to Marquess.
The reason for his promotion was the massive expansion of his territory.
All lands that had been Marquess Tristan’s were absorbed by Marquess Lakazet.
This happened because all the various scandals committed by Marquess Tristan were fully exposed.
Adolphe and Marquie’s evidence, which I had guided the Count to obtain, contained far more information than expected.
From all sorts of corruption to outright fraud against the Empire’s Emperor, Marquess Tristan had committed immense crimes.
In addition, secret assistance to the 4th Prince and using poison to kill Imperial family members were revealed, resulting in a capital punishment sentence.
All of Marquess Tristan’s relatives were stripped of their titles.
With the entire family line obliterated, the lands of Marquess Tristan were wholly absorbed by the nearby Count Lakazet.
Count Lakazet had already been mostly excluded from central politics because of Marquess Tristan’s influence.
But whether it was because of the revelation of those crimes, the expansion of territory, or his promotion to Marquess, Count Lakazet was now a very busy Marquess.
Thanks to this, I was now being treated with great hospitality at the Marquess Lakazet’s Castle.
There was also the matter of the promised thousand Gold I was to receive, but the hospitality there was so good that I was reluctant to leave.
However, after a week passed, I finally received a summons from Marquess Lakazet.
The summons was for me alone, and the place was the Count’s room.
“Welcome. Did you rest well?”
“Congratulations, Marquess Lakazet.”
“It’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”
We exchanged brief but formal greetings.
During that time, the maids came in to prepare a table for drinks.
Compared to usual dinners, the dishes were extravagant.
From just a glance, they looked delicious.
“Please, have some.”
Following the Count’s invitation, I took a bite of the food.
“Ah… it really is delicious.”
While nibbling on several dishes, someone knocked on the Count’s door again, and four beautiful women entered.
They wore sheer, tight dresses that barely concealed anything and carried wine.
They naturally seated themselves on both sides of Marquess Lakazet and two sat beside me.
He naturally wrapped his hands around their waists and accepted the food and wine they offered.
“Would you like a drink?”
“What would you like me to pour?”
Two women spoke to me in teasing voices, and I nodded in response.
The Marquess laughed heartily and said,
“Ah, you must be interested in them. In our Empire, it’s common to strengthen bonds with trusted people in places like this. Mercenaries might not understand, but all nobles bring girls like these with them.”
“I see.”
Though it was my first time hearing this, I could understand it somehow.
This world was made for nobles, after all.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel slightly tense.
‘I have to drink moderately.’
It felt like dealing with official hospitality in modern times, so I had to stay on guard.
You never know what might be said or happen.
As the wine went down one or two glasses at a time, we exchanged various conversations.
Most of the talk was about the Marquess.
He confided in me about the hardships he had faced with the territory, how much things had improved, and how he planned to utilize the expanded lands.
The biggest worry was how to manage such a vast territory.
It was nearly impossible to handle alone.
So he had been pondering how to deal with it and casually brought up the idea to me.
“I think I have to entrust it to those I truly trust, but when I think of my knights, they’re lacking in managing territory. But with you, it might be possible… What do you think?”
“You mean that?”
“Well, what do you think about taking charge of the territory? I’d willingly hand it over to you.”
Marquess Lakazet was making a very tempting offer.
He was talking about handing over his lands.
Of course, it wouldn’t all be solely under my control.
Even looking at this territory alone, he managed it differently from other nobles, so there would probably be conditions attached.
And certainly, many other conditions would come along with it.
I thought for a moment.
And my conclusion was one:
‘I refuse. I’d rather use that money to buy another territory and shape it as I please.’
I was about to receive a thousand Gold.
On top of that, there were numerous side incomes I had quietly secured.
Roughly, I expected around two thousand Gold.
With that money, I’d rather become independent than be tied to somewhere.
“Apologies, Marquess…”
My refusal surprised the Marquess.
He stopped the hands that had been exploring those two women’s bodies earnestly until now.
“I see… such a pity. I thought you would lead well.”
He wore a disappointed expression and took a sip of his wine.
Then he ate some food I offered and still seemed to be murmuring quietly to himself, clearly feeling regret.
“Really unfortunate. Truly unfortunate.”
Those words made me a little wary.
But the Marquess quickly looked at me with his usual expression.
“I guess it can’t be helped. No, perhaps I understand. You’re a mage of the 4th Circle, so you might not have the desire for territory.”
He was speaking based on his knowledge of mages.
The mages he knew were the kind who focused only on research and experiments, not on belonging to or being tied to anything.
He repeatedly expressed regret, saying it was a shame.
The drinking continued deeply.
Before I knew it, we had finished more than five empty wine bottles, and both the Marquess and I were heavily drunk.
His hands were busier than before in a more blatant way.
Meanwhile, I quietly drank my wine.
The Marquess was now drunk enough to be ready to end the gathering.
“Ah, I forgot to give this to you first.”
He lifted a box from beneath the table.
Clunk.
The heavy sound of the box landing on the table echoed.
I opened the lid of the box.
“Ah—”
Two women reacted on my behalf.
Inside was a pile of Gold.
And a huge amount at that.
Just by looking roughly, it looked to be about a thousand Gold.
Thud.
I closed the box’s lid and stored it in my Inventory.
The Gold inside was automatically added, leaving only the empty box occupying one Inventory slot.
“Well then, rest well.”
“I shall take my leave.”
I stood up from my seat.
I raised my hand to refuse the two women who wanted to follow me.
Guided by the maid, I returned to my room and found Jenny still awake.
I said to her,
“Shall we leave tomorrow?”
“I don’t mind anytime. If it’s the path Baron Solo takes, I’ll follow till the end.”
“Good.”
I planned to leave tomorrow.
Where to go, I would decide after returning to the Capital of Londinium.
I pressed my tired body onto the bed and soon fell asleep.