Episode 29: Autumn Festival (5)
The man with the bruised face shuffled forward.
“W-what the hell is up with these guys?!”
It was downright unbelievable to see someone crush a knife handle with their bare hands, and then there’s that other lunatic who grabbed a burning firework and cut its fuse without a care. Seriously, who does things like that with their bare hands?
It was supposed to be an easy slip into the church and then a quick getaway.
He couldn’t wrap his head around why he found himself caught up with such bizarre individuals.
“Dammit! This is all because you messed up!”
Out of frustration, he kicked one of his henchmen.
Still seething, the man went for a punch, but Alexia swiftly grabbed his wrist, stopping him dead in his tracks.
“Guh… Aahhh!”
The agony in his wrist made him scream uncontrollably. The grip felt downright bone-crunching, leaving him unable to retaliate or even shake it off.
“You stole some fireworks and set them off! We were just a hair away from an accident! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
“…Hey, stop with the baseless accusations.”
“Fireworks? Stolen? What are you rambling about?”
The men grimaced, trying to feign ignorance.
It was clear they were attempting to wriggle out of the fact they used the stolen fireworks as a decoy and snuck into the church to commit theft, but Alexia wasn’t loosening her grip.
“I want you to come along quietly. Your hands should give off the scent of gunpowder.”
Fireworks are packed with explosives made of components like nitric acid and sulfur. If this guy did pilfer them, there should be traces of nitric acid on his hands and clothes.
The men panicked and clung to Alexia.
“W-wait!”
“Hold on! We’re not citizens of this country!”
“Are you from Turkis?”
Alexia asked, and the men nodded vigorously.
“Yes! We are citizens of Turkis!”
Turkis was a neighboring country, sharing a border with Rietberg territory and known to be one of the major powers on the continent.
Since the end of the war over twenty years ago, the Kingdom of Perles and the Kingdom of Turkis had established a peace agreement.
But even though they maintained a friendly front, behind the scenes, it was a different story—constant small fires and skirmishes simmered beneath the surface.
“What will you do if you arrest us and it turns out it’s a false accusation?”
“Can a greenhorn like you actually take responsibility? You wouldn’t even know if this escalates into an international issue!”
Smirking, the men had probably planned this from the start: disguise themselves as tourists at a festival in the neighboring country, snag whatever valuables they could, and then hightail it back home.
No matter how close the distance, once they crossed the border, they were out of reach of the investigative and judicial powers of other nations.
“So, I hear there’s no lord in this area right now? What makes you think you have any authority to take us to court?”
The Margrave of Rietberg was currently off on an extended inspection tour.
With the absence of their lord and loyal subordinates accompanying him, the Rietberg territory was in quite the vulnerable state. The men had come to exploit that.
This also meant the present Margrave, renowned for his iron fist, had been a strong deterrent against crime until now.
“If you’re so eager to catch us, you should bring along the Margrave. Though I bet he isn’t around.”
“Is that so?”
Alexia replied, swiftly removing her hat with one hand. Her long black hair spilled out, flowing gracefully in the autumn breeze.
“I am the Margrave’s representative.”
“Huh?! A woman?!”
The men’s eyes bulged in disbelief.
Displayed at Alexia’s chest was a shiny silver chain leading to a ring bearing the same symbol as the flag proudly raised from the castle: the crest of Rietberg.
“Don’t be ridiculous! The Margrave is absent…”
“He’s not here. That’s why I said I was acting in his stead.”
“Wha…?!”
“Wait a sec, we’re from Turkis…”
“The King of Turkis values our neighborly relations, and not just my father, but I am also on friendly terms with him. He may be a generous man, but allowing your crimes that could shatter the trust between our nations? Not a chance, buddy.”
“Huh…? The King…?”
The mention of such a high-ranking figure sent the men’s gazes darting about, as they let out silent screams.
“By the authority of the Margrave of Rietberg, I am taking you into custody.”
No sooner had Alexia spoken when large black shadows materialized all at once, encircling the men.
These were the knights of the Rietberg Knights, led by Commander Nikolaus.
“S-bandits?!”
The men trembled in fear.
The knights looked like walking biceps; claiming they were intimidating would be an understatement—they were downright terrifying.
“Who the hell are the bandits here?!”
“What are you saying to the noble knights of Rietberg?!”
“I’ll strip you of everything and bury you in the mountains, you scoundrel!”
Knights Julius, Klaus, and Marius cracked their thick fingers menacingly, creating quite the scene.
All three were imposing with their scarred faces, and when their knightly uniforms lifted, their bold tattoos added to the fierce appearance.
“What are you outlaws?!”
Ignoring the frantic cries of the men, Julius, Klaus, and Marius ensnared them with their powerful quadriceps, casually hoisting them onto their shoulders.
Though it was a legitimate apprehension by the knights, it looked suspiciously like a human trafficking scene orchestrated by a gang of bandits.
“My lady, are you hurt?”
“No. But…”
Alexia subtly exchanged glances with Commander Nikolaus, who stood at attention.
“It seems that my father’s absence is making me a target. I must become someone they fear more.”
“That’s already sufficient…”
Nicholas muttered under his breath, popping his shoulders. Just the other day, he’d felt the sting of Alexia’s fierce strike during training at the sparring grounds. Despite being a practice sword, designed to minimize power, the ache still lingered.
Her strength was already well beyond that of a typical young lady, and there was only so much of this he could take without losing his dignity as a knight—Nicholas was at a loss for words.
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