At last, having received information about the sighting of Castor Styria, Viscount Ruizen mobilised his soldiers and sent them to the mountains to the east of the town.
About 200 soldiers were sent. The soldiers were not only the town’s guards, but also mercenaries hired for money.
Relying on eyewitness reports, the soldiers first visited a small village on the west side of the mountain.
“Yes, that’s right. A dark-haired man bought wheat, vegetables and wine in this village and went into the mountains.”
An elderly man, who earns his living as a hunter in the village, describes what he saw with a peculiar intonation.
“It was definitely His Highness Prince Castor, was it not?”
The commander of the soldiers ,the captain of the town guard, tried to confirm with the elderly man.
But the huntsman shook his head, scratching his head in annoyance.
“We country folk don’t know what the prince looked like. But he had dark hair, that’s for sure. I’m sorry, but …… I’ve known for a long time that there was someone living in those mountains. I’ve been hunting deer and boar, and I think the bandits who lived there were killed too.”
“Hmm……do you know where these people are hiding or where they are?”
‘I don’t know exactly where it is, but I know a mountain road they use a lot. I’ll show you.
“Yes, please.”
The captain of the guard paid a huntsman to lead the soldiers up the mountain.
In addition to Castor, there are two or three other people who live in the mountains, according to eyewitness accounts.
The captain had brought two hundred soldiers with him in anticipation of hunting in the mountains, but by the looks of it, he may not have needed that many men.
About 20 of the 200 soldiers were sent to guard the entrance to the mountain, and the rest of the soldiers set foot on the mountain path.
The mountain is used not only for hunting beasts but also for forestry, and the road has been paved by the villagers at the foot of the mountain. The road was wide enough for soldiers to march on, as it was used for transporting timber.
Guided by a hunter, the soldiers made their way up the mountain and soon came to an area where the forest had been cut down and cleared.
“It was around here that I saw the ‘Black Hair’.”
“Ah…… do you also know where he might rest?”
“No,I don’t think so…..because he immediately went into hiding. I can see that he may have gone deep into the mountains.”
“Hmm, well then, so much for guidance. We’ll set up a base here and start searching in small groups! Be careful and be back by nightfall!”
“Ha!”
The soldiers under Viscount Ruizen were divided into prearranged groups of around ten men and dispersed throughout the mountains.
They have brought enough men with them to search the mountains. If Castor Styria is really in this forest, the captain is sure he will find him in less than three days.
The captain of the guard ordered his men to set up camp in the clearing and make a makeshift camp.
He sat down on a tree stump and sighed deeply from the fatigue of climbing.
“Oh dear,……not as good as when I was young.”
The captain of the guard, who is well into his fifties, the unaccustomed climb is painful. The pain in his legs and feet was palpable.
He was tempted to throw away his armour and weapons and just lie down, but that was not going to happen. If the soldiers under his command saw him relaxing alone, the morale of the entire troop would be lowered.
“Well …… I hope I will find the ‘black hair’ safely …….”
As he drinks from his canteen, the captain’s mind wanders to the dark-haired figure who is said to be hiding in the mountains.
“The question is whether the “black hair” in question is really the Prince Castor…….. Even if it is not the same person, handing over the dark-haired person to Revra will allow us to explain that we are not hiding the prince. As long as the black-haired person is captured, the viscount family will not be destroyed”
Revra does not want to destroy the city of Alvan for no reason.
The invading kingdom of Revra has enemies every corner, including the Duke of Caesar to the south. They cannot afford to make more enemies unnecessarily.
If the suspicion of harboring Castor is cleared, they will not go to the trouble of causing unnecessary strife and destroying the Ruizen Viscount family.
“I was surprised by the Viscount’s sudden betrayal, but …… I guess, we were lucky to be on the winning horse. I’m glad that we were not involved in the deception of some stupid royal family”
If a lord is a lord, then a vassal is a vassal.
The captain of the guard also has no loyalty to the royal family of Styria.
He has no loyalty to the royal house of Styria, but only to protect his own position, his own life and his own interests. He has no need for pride or honour, as long as he can continue to sip his “good taste” as Alvan’s captain of the guard.
As a commercial city, Alvan receives a wide range of goods from the east of the kingdom.
Most of the goods are foodstuffs, crafts and metals from the mountains, but there are also illegal drugs that are prohibited by law from entering the city.
It is the job of the guards to prevent such illegal goods from entering the town, but…… the captain of the guards deliberately overlooked this.
“It is a small price to pay for a stingy viscount. It’s a pittance compared to the bribes he gets from the merchants”
Of course, Viscount Ruizen did not know that the captain of the guard had been bribed by the merchants to commit fraud. If he had known, he would have dismissed him.
But the baron is unaware. He doesn’t even notice.
The only thing he cares about is how much money is coming into his own pocket. He may not even remember the name of the captain of the guard.
“In order to keep my money and position, the foolish and indifferent viscount must still be alive. I must find the “Black Hair” and protect the Viscount’s family!”
The captain of the guard was motivated not by loyalty, but by mutual interest.
It was an unbecoming sentiment for a knight or a soldier, but at least the spirit of “getting it done” was genuine.
If things had gone in order, his troops would be able to find Castor.
The motivation was real, and the captain of the guard had the ability to do so.
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”
“He-Hel-Heeeeelpppp Meeee!!!”
“Wha..?”
Suddenly the screams of the soldiers echoed through the camp.
Unfortunately, things did not go the way the captain of the guard wanted.
No matter his motivation or ability, the man is just one of the pawns dancing in the hands of a rare military ・・・・・ master.
“Captain, we’re under attack! We’re under attack!”
“Who are they? Castor’s men?”
Arrows are shot one after another into a makeshift position in the mountains.
There are dozens of bows and arrows shot into the air. The captain had heard that Castor is working with two or three people, but obviously there are too many arrows.
“The enemy are the Revra soldiers! The Revra are attacking!
“What? How is that possible?”
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It’s impossible.
The captain of the guard shouted in agitation at the improbable situation.
“「「「「「 ooohhhh! 」」」」」”
Please be wrong.
The armoured soldiers of the kingdom of Revra rushed into the camp, as if to counteract those wishes.