「Argusta-sama.」
「Nn…… fwaaah.」
While we were sleeping, we arrived at the standby post on the outskirts of the capital.
Noie’s subordinates were openly surprised the first time they saw my beloved horse.
Of course they were. Even I find riding it alone terrifying most of the time.
Recently it has finally started letting me ride alone.
It only stopped trying to throw me off because Noie kept threatening it with an aura that only animals can sense.
Noie went to tie the horse to a nearby tree.
Hm? The usual idiot who comes flying the moment the horse arrives is nowhere to be seen.
「Where’s Mische?」
「「……」」
For some reason, the subordinates averted their eyes from me.
I want to ask what that means.
「Good morning, Argusta-sama.」
「Good morning, Lutte. Where’s Mische?」
「Senpai said…」
The youngest officer candidate in the Noie squad, who was holding some luggage against her chest and arms, let her gaze wander.
「Should I be honest?」
「If you’re willing to say it… This morning she showed up at the gathering point inside the castle and said, 『Lack of sleep is the enemy of beauty, so I’m heading off to do something important for my future』 before going back.」
In other words, she stayed up all night playing, then went home to sleep.
She’s slacking, isn’t she?
「……Noie.」
「Yes.」
「Starting tomorrow, if you find the tiny vice-captain, tie her up and hang her upside down.」
「Yes.」
Noie clenched her fists, showing her motivation.
I think we understood each other perfectly in that moment.
What kind of sleep-talk was that from that idiot?
「And where’s Frea-san?」
「Yes. There was a fire near her family’s mansion in the capital this morning, so she said, 『I’m worried about my little sister, so I’ll check on her first before coming.』」
This! This is what I wanted to hear!
「That’s the kind of proper reason I wanted.」
「……Hang her upside down?」
I placed both hands on Noie’s shoulders as she asked that ominous question and clearly shook my head from side to side in denial.
She seemed to have misunderstood something and closed her eyes, so I gave her a light kiss on the forehead.
「Well, whatever. Today is just checking whether the construction was completed according to the blueprints.」
「Fueeeh?! I thought you were showing me something adult, but what kind of line is that?!」
「Hm? In the Draguknight family, this level is basically just a greeting.」
Lutte’s face turned bright red and she dropped the luggage she was holding in surprise.
I’ve already kissed in front of the entire nation, so I no longer feel shy about doing it in public. Getting used to something is scary.
「Anyway, today is moving day, right?」
「Y-Yes… Though most of the work is already finished.」
I asked the frantically fanning Lutte to show me around the facility and watched Noie head off to change.
After the tour of the newly built buildings and the gender-separated toilets, today’s inspection was complete.
Don’t call it sloppy… According to the Muscle Prince, when important people are coming, it only means 『At least clean up a bit』. I mostly agree with that.
Noie, who had taken quite a long time changing, finally came out.
As usual, she was dressed in pure white from head to toe. But when she put on the platinum work armor made especially for her, she kept fidgeting with the chest plate, making small clinking sounds.
「What’s wrong?」
「My chest feels tight.」
「……」
Noie really knows how to tempt someone like me who prefers beautiful breasts with those words.
「This armor was custom-made, right?」
「Yes.」
「……Is it painful?」
「I’m fine.」
I asked that the wrong way.
When I ask like that, Noie’s answer is always predetermined.
「I’ll check on it when we get back to the castle later.」
「?」
Noie’s ahoge swayed in confusion.
「Tomorrow let’s go have a new armor made. The dragons have only just started moving anyway. By the time they’re fully active again, the new armor should be ready. Then you’ll be able to hunt a lot more too.」
At my words, everyone except Noie visibly recoiled.
Since it was right after a long break, I was going to make them work hard and properly.
My policy is to give rewards only to those who work like they’re ready to die.
「So bear with it for a while, okay?」
「Yes.」
This time her ahoge swayed happily from side to side.
-0-
「I’m sorry, Crostpurge-sama.」
「It’s fine. Our jurisdictions are different, but since we’re neighbors, I’m sure Prince Halfren will ask for a report.」
At the simple table that had been set up, Frea continued to give the responding guard a gentle smile.
At her feet, her younger sister, who had been brought along for experience, lay sprawled on the ground like a crushed frog.
「Is your sister all right?」
「Yes. It was her first time seeing a burned corpse.」
「I see. Those are not something one gets used to easily.」
Frea kept smiling at the guard, who wore a pained expression.
No matter what kind of corpse it is, no one gets used to them easily.
Natural deaths or deaths from illness are one thing, but corpses from incidents or accidents often have severe damage.
The bodies they saw today were still somewhat fresh, enough to tell male from female.
That’s why first-timers often faint from the gruesome sight.
「It looks like most of them were unable to escape in time?」
「Yes. The children and servants were found in the rooms.」
The guard answered while quickly scanning the report.
「What was the cause of the fire?」
「For now… the most intense burning was around the reception room, so we believe a lamp that was there fell over and the fire spread.」
「I see.」
Frea lightly kicked her sister, stood up from her chair, and decided to check every single corpse herself.
She didn’t forget to touch some of them directly under the pretense of examining the burn patterns.
(You idiot. Your work is too sloppy.)
She used reinforcement magic to forcibly close and disguise the cut wounds in the areas that hadn’t burned completely.
From experience, this would be enough to fool people for about half a day.
「I have confirmed. It appears they inhaled smoke from the fire, lost consciousness, and were burned.」
「Yes. We reached the same conclusion.」
The guards didn’t seem to have noticed anything, so there was no need to pull strings from behind the scenes.
With a relieved smile, Frea gave a light bow.
「Understood. I will handle the report to Prince Halfren, so please send the detailed documents to me at the anti-dragon battalion.」
「That would be a great help.」
And so, Frea turned a murder case into nothing more than an unfortunate accident.
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