Chapter 71 – Hide-and-Seek (1)

“Five days…… anyway, the command is on your side.”

“I am a rolling stone. It is possible for me to sit here sticking my butt to the seat like this, but there is no meaning in that.”

To Mutai, who had a puzzled look, Henry spoke again with an extremely serious face.

“If I cannot resolve the problem within five days, I will return. Captain Mutai will be able to continue the operations without a troublesome burden, right?”

“What is the reason you are proposing such a condition?”

“Instead, please follow my instructions during the five days I mentioned.”

“That is already what the Lord instructed……”

“In earnest.”

“…….”

“It is impossible if you do not help me, Captain. Just like I said when I arrived here a moment ago, in the end, only ‘unnecessary’ processes will continue. I do not wish to do that.”

“An unnecessary process……”

“In truth, it might be long, but if you can kick out a troublesome burden, is it not a time fully worth investing in?”

“Do you truly think so?”

“I think so. In the Levi Earldom, I am an outsider. I have no intention of putting forward the name Camilton, nor do I plan to push forward the achievements I built at the academy. Because those became meaningless the moment I set foot here.”

Hmph.

Mutai stroked his chin.

Honestly speaking, it had been a long time since he realized his worries had become meaningless.

The young man before his eyes was not arrogant.

If the fact that his confidence was excessive was a flaw, it was a flaw, but he was certainly not a spoiled brat.

“Exactly how do you want me to help?”

“I do not ask for loyalty. However, the instructions I give must be executed. Not only by Captain Mutai, but also by all the territorial soldiers here.”

“If we do so?”

“I will resolve the headache within five days. If I fail, I will apologize politely. In front of all the territorial soldiers, including you, Captain.”

“T-To be honest.”

“Go ahead.”

Mutai scratched his head.

“It is true that I had a prejudice. Are not noble bas…… noble people like that? Emphasizing honor, and in truth that honor is……”

“If an apology for a mistake tarnishes honor, such honor is better off not existing.”

“You seem like a real knight.”

“I am striving not to sway.”

Mutai kept his mouth shut for a while.

While watching Henry, he looked toward the closed door where the officers were.

Mutai let out a sigh.

“You definitely said you were in earnest.”

“Yes.”

“In any case, we are in a position where we must follow commands when we receive them. Only, we can execute them a bit more actively. Did I understand correctly?”

“Yes.”

“You probably know that it is not a part that can be resolved merely by commanding. Even if I make the decision to help, the fellows outside will also have to go through the same process.”

“That is natural. That is why I requested a private meeting.”

“I find it difficult to understand, though.”

Mutai wore a puzzled expression.

He had just said that the other officers must also be persuaded.

Even if Mutai was the captain of the guard, the ones who practically executed operations were the officers outside the door.

In that case, wasn’t it better to speak with all of them sitting down?

“It is a process that must be gone through eventually. I know it is not something that will work by persuading only you, Captain, and I also know that you cannot be completely persuaded by the process up to a moment ago.”

“Naturally I……”

“You would help. But the earnestness I spoke of is not merely at that level.”

“It sounds like sarcasm.”

“It is not.”

“Would you explain?”

“I have no intention of appealing to emotions. I only thought that bringing up the reason that you only need to endure for five days was insufficient.”

“If so.”

“It is my role to create a reason for you. So that you can follow me.”

Mutai nodded quietly.

It was indeed an accurate point.

He claimed to be in earnest, but in truth, that made no sense.

“I will ask first. In your opinion, Captain, what do you think is the reason the bandits are not caught?”

“……Are you trying to point out our incompetence?”

“Not at all. I ask precisely because it is not so. The territorial soldiers are competent. Because there are competent soldiers, the Levi Earldom was always able to be relaxed.”

“Then.”

“I really only asked for your thoughts.”

Mutai raised his eyebrows, then lowered them again.

“It is because they are too nimble. By the time we find clues and approach, they have already tucked their tails and fled long ago. It has always been like that. Ever since they first appeared.”

“Have you ever seen them?”

“Very rarely. The numbers were not many, and even then we lost them quickly. I definitely thought we caught up, but they vanished like ghosts.”

“So it is not because they are strong. They are merely nimble. Is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Also, the word nimble has a slightly different meaning from fast. It means going one step ahead.”

“That is also correct.”

“If I may dare to guess.”

Henry lowered his voice. Glancing at the door behind him, he spoke in a whisper.

“The real enemy is within.”

“Are you saying there is a spy among us?”

“I cannot know that much. It might be a territorial soldier, or it could be someone inside the castle. It might even be an artifact that can grasp the internal situation.”

“…….”

“Unless it is for such a reason, the current situation cannot be explained. The military force of the bandits is not outstanding, and if even a single battle had occurred, everyone there would have been shoved into the dungeon.”

“Yet we have lost them even after seeing them.”

“The forest on the outskirts of the territory is their domain. Also, among what I learned was this technique. Would you take a look?”

“I am watching.”

“My right hand will play the role of a tree.”

Henry placed his right hand on the table. Turning it upside down, he stood a few fingers on the table.

“The left fingers would play the role of a person. In this case, it is the fleeing bandit.”

Henry slowly moved his left index finger.

“Assuming that pursuers are chasing from behind, if they move behind the tree like this.”

The index finger moved behind the standing fingers.

The three fingers were clearly separated with sufficient intervals, but from the pursuer’s direction, it looked like a situation where they were practically stuck together.

“It became a state of being blocked by a wall. Of course, not all cases would be like this. However, it is certain that pursuit in the forest is difficult.”

“I agree. In the end, it means we must catch them before they flee into the forest……”

“I am telling you that something, or someone, who makes that situation impossible is here.”

Only after hearing those words did Mutai’s expression soften.

It was because he realized that by using the expression ‘something’, Henry was not blindly suspecting the territorial soldiers.

“Do you plan to catch the suspect and interrogate them?”

“I have thought of several methods. We will move according to the situation, and one more thing.”

Henry brought out the most important content.

“I have a plan not to lose these bandits even in the forest.”

“If it is overwhelming speed, it would be possible.”

“It is a method other than that. The fact that the speed is fast alone is insufficient. If it were possible, Count Levi would have used the same method too.”

“Then.”

“It is difficult to explain in words. How about I show you directly?”

“Are you saying you will chase those bandits right now?”

“Who the target is is not important. It seems about time to invite the people outside in.”

Mutai tilted his head at the sudden proposal, but the opponents Henry spoke of next were precisely the viewers.

“I should play a game of hide-and-seek first. Anyone want to set a mission?”

***

The officers including Mutai were gathered with flustered expressions.

Since even Mutai who had conversed with him for a short while had a puzzled look, there was no need to speak of the others.

“Just what is that fellow doing?”

“How should I know?”

“You at least exchanged words, Captain. We simply…… does the Lord know how things are running over here?”

“He probably knows. He probably knows it is a mess. Because he would have sent him with that intention in the first place.”

“Him?”

Mutai nodded to Vice-captain Rayleigh.

“He probably wished for us to just cater to his whims moderately, but it is a pity.”

“Don’t tell me you fought him……”

“…….”

“I see you didn’t. Fortunately. Good grief. Hide-and-seek all of a sudden. Does he think this is his playground?”

Rayleigh had a ridiculous look on his face.

The other officers were similar.

However, unlike at first, Mutai could not laugh along with those words.

“That knight gentleman, it seems like there really is something to him.”

“A hidden card?”

“Maybe not just one.”

“Did something happen?”

Mutai shook his head.

There was nothing special.

He had not shown his ability, but merely revealed that he had the intention to improve this situation.

“Was that really confidence?”

“Pardon?”

“No. We will see when we watch. What can one not do with words? Right? Like you throwing around promises that you will buy drinks someday.”

“No, when did I……”

“I am ready.”

Just then, the voice of Henry, the culprit who brought about this situation, was heard.

It was the same calm voice as when they first faced him.

Mutai stepped forward on behalf of the hesitant officers.

“So, we just hide now?”

“Yes.”

“The range is……”

“Like I said before, anywhere in this training ground is fine.”

“……Understood.”

Mutai shrugged his shoulders and turned to the officers.

The atmosphere was still one of not knowing the reason, and the same went for Mutai.

Henry Camilton.

The method of ‘proof’ proposed by the rolling stone that suddenly rolled in was simple.

The story was that the officers excluding Mutai would hide throughout the training ground of the Levi Earldom, and Henry would find all of them in a short time.

‘It is an absurd proposal.’

Mutai thought so.

Because it was not a space with just a dirt floor sitting there just because it was a training ground.

Even the dormitories and training halls alone amounted to five large buildings.

Was that all?

The Levi territory was affluent thanks to harvesting reasonably lucrative income from the mines they owned, and thanks to that, they spared no welfare for the territorial soldiers.

If all the buildings for various purposes were combined, it would exceed fifteen buildings.

‘To find everyone within thirty minutes. It makes no sense.’

Mutai could not help but chuckle.

The officers excluding him were about ten in total.

If all of them spread out and hid?

Even for Mutai who grasped the structure of this place like the palm of his hand, it was clear it would take a few days.

‘Although he added a certain condition.’

Before starting, Henry requested just one preliminary task from Mutai.

The content was to send everyone except the officers out of the training ground.

Thanks to that, hundreds of territorial soldiers came to enjoy an unexpected break time.

“We will start soon.”

“You may prepare slowly.”

Nod.

Mutai turned to the officers.

Receiving gazes asking if they really had to do this, he spoke.

“You cannot accept it, right?”

“Yes.”

“Me too. I wonder what on earth we are doing, but try changing your thoughts a bit. That fellow asked me for five days, right?”

“Correct.”

“Such a fellow stepped forward saying he will prove himself. What if he fails here? Returning as is is not a dream either.”

Brightening.

The officers’ expressions brightened.

While not all of them, a significant number of them realized that Mutai’s words were rational.

The moment he failed this proof.

Because all the words Henry Camilton babbled would lose trust.

“Besides.”

Mutai added with a chuckle.

“Do you think this will really work?”

“That…… of course not.”

“Right? What if he succeeds? Then trying to follow is also a method, that’s what I’m saying. And it’s only five days. If he succeeds, good, and if not, we can become comfortable again. Everyone understand?”

“Yes.”

“Then what you guys have to do now is?”

Before they knew it, the atmosphere flipped 180 degrees.

Mutai threw an obvious question, and the officers did not bother to reply.

“We will start now!”

Shouting to Henry with his head turned, Mutai chuckled and tapped the shoulder of one officer.

“Now, depart. Return to childhood innocence for once and hide tightly.”

BJ Swordmaster