Chapter 32: Knight Patrol
Capital: 20:30 hrs. 15/12/1538
Subaru greeted Julius who was waiting for him at the train station and would guide him to the staging grounds of this patrol.
"Hey…Julius? Juli? I imagine you made a report that recommends integrating the Central Valley as another region, right?" Subaru asked.
"Julius this time around and you are right and is seemed to be accepted, though it will take some time for the rout to be examined and actual patrols to start happening and even longer for the region to be properly integrated. May I recommend something in the meantime?" Julius replied.
"Go ahead." Subaru authorized his friend.
"I would recommend to station some of the guards Roswaal has given away to your company, just give them more armor and the people from the region will believe they are knights without asking." Julius explained.
"Isn't posing as a knight punishable by death? Best knight of the kingdom are you trying to kill me?" Subaru asked mockingly.
"They don't have to say they are knights. People will just assume so and not ask any questions." Julius explained wondering if it's really worth helping this guy. He then remembered something.
"Subaru, now that I remember Anastasia-sama sends her regards." Julius stated clearly wanting to take the conversation in another direction.
"What does Ana want exactly?" Subaru asked.
"She wishes to purchase a train, for the trading companies more private ordeals." Julius stated calmly.
"I can assure you that the Whalers will maintain the utmost secrecy of whatever cargo you tell us to." Subaru replied.
"Well, really she wants it mostly for her amusement…and her greed…a personal train to take her where she wishes when she wishes. She had the same idea for the train we were aboard in Vollachia but that one held to little power to be of use in Lugnica. Sadly, she is obsessed with the trains now, the ones of your company that is." Julius explained the intentions of his liege further.
"I'll have to talk about it with Emilia and the engineer." Subaru answered avoiding any further discussion about the trains just as they approached the staging grounds.
The group greeted Subaru glad to be on another mission together, they would leave in a few hours.
Central Valley: 16:00 hrs. 19/12/1538
After three days and three nights without stopping for anything other than eating or bathroom and sleeping while on the move they had arrived at the valley where the knight's presence was demanded.
They arrived at the northernmost village, the one where Machine animals would be seen crawling across the land exhaling suspiciously white vapor only, as Beatrice pointed out. But they weren't there to assess the work being done, at least not yet. They arrived at the town center and quickly interchanged words with the leader of the previous group. A quarter of the white fangs would stay in the village and set up camp to act as a reserve and messengers to keep everyone in contact. The rest would continue and should reach the castle of the Lord Administrator by midnight.
Castile of the Lord Administrator North: 00:00 hrs.
The Lord was left speechless looking out of his window into the central plaza. He had only ever seen a comparable force during the civil war but then it wasn't a mix force like the one he was watching. The demi humans in particular caught his eyes, terrible memories finally fighting free of their suppression for decades. He had to take a few sips of a particularly strong wine to keep his composure.
00:15 hrs.
Four people were escorted into the room guided by his best guard who himself seemed on edge and visibly nervous being unable to speak.
"Greeting, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Lord Administrator Antonio Marquez, the administrator of the north frontier of the interior." He bowed to them damning himself for such a lackluster presentation.
"Greetings Lord Administrator Antonio Marquez. I am Julius Juukulius knight of the royal guard and of royal candidate Anastasia Hoshin." Julius introduced himself.
"Royal guard…" The guard in the back whispered to himself fully understanding how meaningless his presence had become, but he would not abandon his Lord.
"Royal candidate…" The Administrator stumbled upon spelling it.
"Greetings Lord Administrator. I am Ferris, knight of the royal guard and of house Karsten supporting and representing royal candidate Crusch-sama."
"Greetings, I am Subaru Natsuki knight of Royal Candidate Emilia-tan my title is temporary but my intentions aren't."
'The legend.' A thought crossed the Administrator's mind.
"…"
"Come on Beako, you should introduce yourself too." Subaru said to the little girl.
"Huuu…Just Because my contractor says so I suppose…My name is Beatrice, Natsuki Subaru's great sprit in fact. So don't forget it."
"We won't." The guard whispered to himself engraving the names into his brain with fire.
"Understood…er…why don't we take a seat? You must be tired and hungry after such long journey." The administrator suggested guiding the group to the table. "Eat at your leisure." He declared 'It's not like I could stop any of you from doing so.' He thought to himself.
"So much bread…is there any mayo by any chance?" Subaru said aloud.
'¿Mayo?' The administrator was dumbfounded he had never heard of it and the servants grew worried.
"Don't worry, I'll bring my own." Subaru said standing up.
"No need for that. One of my servants will bring this mayo, she will find it with your group, right?" The administrator offered.
"She will, ask anyone for mayo and they will give it to you." Subaru replied.
A servant stepped out of the room and then ran into the courtyard to ask for this 'mayo' the knight wanted.
"So…I've been told that you…have mayor problems…with problematic nobles." Subaru stated as he munched on the food.
"Yes. Since this is a frontier territory the law is what we say it is and many administrators have perished for failing to deliver the 'right punishment' in tragic accidents or being accused of neglect by the nobles if you get what I mean." The administrator explained.
"Then that explains why the death penalty is used so regularly." Julius comprehended.
"Indeed. Mostly since the nobles of this area have grown accustomed to having such unchecked power in these far-off lands. I've been trying to curtail it by allowing serfs to buy their freedom with enough money but that has gained me quite the adversaries." The administrator continued.
"And how are you still alive then?" Julius asked intrigued.
"Because I justified it under the pretext of colonizing the north and expanding production further. But more importantly I have had to play along with their schemes to many times." The administrator said grimly.
"How?" Ferris asked concerned.
"Allowing whole settlements of these freemen to be raised to the ground and their people either shackled or killed for the smallest of transgressions. Many fear me for allowing such action and I hate myself for doing so. But it's necessary to eventually have my son or grandson depose the corrupt nobles. Speaking of which." The administrator reached for a book his guard brought him.
"Take this, it has three lists. One of the nobles that are still good, my allies, you can trust them. Another of the corrupt nobles that I intend to depose, so don't fall for their tricks. The last one of minor nobles who's intentions I haven't had the time to investigate, it's up to you if you wish to hear them out." He finished as he finally sat down and they all ate in silence.
The table would remain silent for a while, the knights tasting the wonderful food the region had to offer and finding no time to speak, Beatrice reading through the book they had been given and the Administrator not finding anything worth saying.
Once the Knights had finished eating once of them asked.
"Is there anything we may do for you while we are here?" Julius asked.
"Just visit briefly every noble, I would recommend you and your accompanying force to split in two, one to go east and the other west. I plan to in time handle the nobles myself applying the laws of the kingdom all I need is the presence of the kingdom." The Lord Administrator replied and the knights agreed and went to the guest rooms.
In the morning the next day they would agree to send Julius westwards alone while Subaru and Felix would go east. The iron fang would be divided in two following the split. They had left not long after breakfast.
Central Valley: 09:00 hrs. 20/12/1538
After riding for about an hour they had arrived at the first settlement owned by noble Wiseman, who was on the good list. As knights, Julius told Subaru that for now, they would do good by trying to find and fight any bandits they could and leave the corruption to the Administrator for now. Subaru was for now happy to comply.
They went into wiseman's domain and found him inspecting a carriage that seemed to have been attacked. Subaru thought this was a chance to test his skills and presented himself and the rest to the man who seemed relieved.
"So, it is true. My guess is that you are not here for merely introducing yourself, are you?" Wiseman asked.
"You are correct. Might this have been done by bandits?" Felix asked.
"The survivors are in that house, they still haven't spoken, maybe the blue could aid them to know for sure?" Wiseman suggested.
"I will help of course." Felix said while heading to the house.
"So, sir Wiseman, are there any known bandits in this valley?" Subaru asked.
"A few, but not in these well protected and guarded areas, you would have to go north or east to find any real fight for your group." The man replied.
"But these culprits aren't bandits then?" Subaru asked about the attacked carriage.
"Looking at the lack of any magic damage and that all the way it was destroyed I would say those where mabeast, the barrier probably failed somewhere but I already sent a few patrols to check it. Until the survivors talk, we won't know for sure." Wiseman explained further.
"So where would you recommend going? Lord Marquez says that you are one to trust." Subaru asked.
"I am and I recommend going east, there is a group of bandits that has been terrorizing, pillaging and murdering its way across the countryside ever since the demi human war." Wiseman recommended making Subaru swallow saliva, fearing that this could be a demi human insurgent group remaining from a past era.
"Is there anything you know about this group?" Subaru asked concerned.
"Only that they call themselves the Pincheira Brothers." Was his answer.
Next Chapter: Pincheira Brothers
AN: (I'm going to take a little rest from this story, maybe a month or two because another possible story is itching to be written and I got to investigate more about the Pincheiras to make their story/crimes justice. BTW we are close to the end already! Or so do I think.)
