This chapter is from the General"s PoV~ enjoy!

Taking along a small number of guards, I galloped off on my horse.

The very night of Parx"s departure, the letter that Mellice left behind was found, sending the mansion into a huge uproar.

The servants that were late in finding the letter apologized, but I couldn"t blame them.

The reason being that normally, Mellice would only return inside the mansion after sunset due to training.

Not only that, but outwardly Mellice wasn"t the daughter of a n.o.ble, but was being treated as a mere body double.

The only one who knew the truth of her being the n.o.ble daughter of the Marquis house was the elderly woman that she calls Granny.

It probably couldn"t be helped that the other servants didn"t think it out of place for her to not be around.

I thought about immediately bringing her back, but……in the end, I didn"t.

After all, she was also on the move……it would be difficult to catch up to her.

With the members of the Guard Corps and those from the Army travelling with her, unless something big were to happen, it should be fairly safe……I made a decision based on that judgment.

In the distant future, when I received a report from a fast horse that said that up until the battle, she had been acting independently of the group, I immensely regretted this naïve train of thought.

"……General, we have been waiting for you."

When I arrived at the Army station situated at the border of the Anderson Marquis territory and the territory next to it, Kuroitsu was lying in wait.

"I have troubled you with this time"s case."

As we walked inside the station, I first thanked Kuroitsu.

The station itself wasn"t that large, so it took no time at all before we arrived at the room used for management situated inner area.

"……so, the enemy is?"

Immediately after entering that room with no one in it, I cut straight to the main topic.

"According to the information we received in advance, they were mercenaries. Since it was a job that paid well, they took it on. The job was to indiscriminately attack people that seemed to have a high social status on the border of the Anderson Marquis territory - is what they confessed to be the job description."

I let out a sigh at Kuroitsu"s report.

"I see……what about the employer?"

"About that……"

For a moment, Kuroitsu"s face darkened.

"They don"t know, apparently."

"……they don"t know, you say?"

I furrowed my brow at the unexpected answer.

"Yes. Apparently, they weren"t hired directly, but used a middleman to come to an agreement. We are investigating that middleman, but have yet to be able to grasp their traces……we interrogated all the ones that were left alive, but all of them had the same reply."

"……continue to try searching."

"Yes! ……if possible, could you tell me where you got the information beforehand from? If we try asking that person, then I do believe it will become easier to find a trail."

"……it was the Head of the Armelia Ducal House."

"……huh? The Duke?"

It was probably because it was a completely unexpected person……Kuroitsu involuntarily parroted back my words.

"Yeah. I will ask the Duke. If he knows something, then I will share that information with all of you."

"Understood…….even so, why does the Duke……"

"He is the owner of rather large ears……..as for the source of the information, there shall not be a word to anyone."

"Yes."

After talking up until there, my fatigue finally came out and I suddenly sat in a chair.

It was probably due to the journey that led me to come here from the Capital without any sleep or rest.

The guards that came with me fell into a sound sleep in the nap room as soon as we arrived.

"……how was Mel?"

I asked nonchalantly while sitting, but Kuroitsu didn"t answer.

Finding it strange, I turned my gaze towards him, and the sight of Kuroitsu unable to hold back his trembling came into view.

"……it was a terrible thing."

After a moment of silence, Kuroitsu spoke thus in a solemn manner.

"Hou……?"

"Although the abilities of the person herself can"t be ignored, she was able to promptly judge the situation and dictate instructions accordingly. And above all else……that spirit."

Though I thought he was trembling from fear, I was wrong.

He was excited.

"Even there was no reason to follow her orders……before I realized it, I was following her. I didn"t care about something like that. I naturally followed after the back of a girl over 20 years younger than me."

As proof, his words began to grow more and more heated.

"While it is different from the General"s, she undoubtedly possesses a talent for commanding."

"A different talent for commanding from me, huh. Incidentally, how does it differ?"

"The General"s back is a lighthouse. If we follow the General, it will be alright……simply following your back itself is something to be proud of, and is a guidepost. That is why we do not hesitate. On the other hand, her back is……like a blazing h.e.l.lfire. It sets the instinct within us alight, and forcibly rids us of all hesitation. Though this is just how I personally felt."

"……I see."

"Previously when General requested Belius to teach Parx-sama battle tactics, I teased you and asked if you were planning on making the ultimate army corps, but……that may not have necessarily been wrong."

"For you to say that much……well, fine. Kuroitsu, I will leave this place tomorrow morning and head for the territory. If you find out something about the employer, send a fast horse to the territory."

"Understood."

After Kuroitsu replied, he bowed and left the room.

The door closed, and once his figure was completely out of sight, I once again let out a sigh.

And then, I slowly closed my eyes.

Perhaps it was because I had relaxed the tension in my shoulders, but I slowly sank into the cushion on the back of the chair.

Having journeyed all the way here without any sleep or rest, as expected I was tired.

Like that, I fell asleep there.