“I must report! It is believed that the escaped bandits have taken refuge in Maris Mountain!”

Upon receiving this report, Astrid Dragnaut instinctively frowned.

Maris Mountain, located to the east of the Dragnaut Duchy, borders the territory of the Adoastera Empire. Long before Astrid was born, there had been clashes between the forces of the kingdom and the empire over this mountain.

The empire’s construction of the main highway shifted the primary battlefield to the north, rendering Maris Mountain no longer a conflict site, yet its position on the border between the two nations remained unchanged.

Carelessly sending troops to subdue bandits could provoke the empire, a concern that caused Astrid to frown.

To avoid provoking the empire, sending an envoy in advance to obtain permission for deploying troops at the border would be necessary. Fortunately, the Kingdom of Canaria and the Adoastera Empire have recently entered into a marital alliance, so it’s unlikely that the envoy would be treated poorly.

However, since this matter involves military affairs, an immediate response is unlikely. If the empire’s consent cannot be obtained, it will not be possible to mobilize the troops, and during this time, the bandits could be preparing themselves.

If the bandits have calculated this and fled into Maris Mountain, their leader must be quite cunning, thought Astrid.

The question is, what was the cunning person’s purpose in deliberately ravaging the Dragnaut Duchy…

After dismissing the reporting soldier, Astrid sank into thought within a temporarily erected tent.

Considering the timing, there’s no doubt that the wedding between Crown Prince Azhar and Princess Sayaka was a trigger.

The most obvious suspicion falls on a third country that does not wish for a stronger bond between the two nations, but the suspects are not limited to third countries. For example, the imperial hardliners led by Crown Prince Richard of the empire.

Or the anti-empire faction within the kingdom.

Even within the nations involved in the marriage, there are not a few who are displeased with the ceremony. It’s possible that those individuals have orchestrated this.

Alternatively, it could simply be the work of someone with a grudge against the Dragnaut Ducal family. If it became known that the Thunder Duke was struggling against bandits within his own territory, those with loose tongues would certainly stir up trouble.

Political enemies like Duke Corkia would delight in disparaging the Duke of Dragnaut’s misfortune.

Considering this, the involvement of the pro-empire faction, including Duke Corkia, is also a viable theory. However, if it became known that they had incited bandits within their own country, it could lead to their own ruin. In that sense, the cautious Duke Corkia’s involvement in this incident seems unlikely…

After much deliberation, Astrid inadvertently let out a sigh.

“Having too many suspects for the mastermind is indeed a problem,” Astrid remarked as she began walking outside the tent.

Fortunately, Maris Mountain is uninhabited and no roads pass through it. Even if bandits were to nest there, it would not harm the populace. For now, the only option might be to encircle the bandits from a distance without provoking the empire, while informing her father in the capital of the situation to decide how to proceed.

Collaborating with the empire would require informing the king as well, which means that she had no choice but to leave the matter in the hands of her father in the capital.

It would also be prudent to inform the empire, since if the bandits were to flee into imperial territory, that would pose a new problem.

If the situation progresses to that point, the mastermind will surely make a move. Then, it might be possible to uncover what lies behind this incident.

As Astrid consolidated her thoughts, she spoke out.

“However, it’s not acceptable to let the thieves act freely until the situation changes. It might be best to approach the Adventurers’ Guild and request a subjugation of the bandits.”

The issue arises from moving the kingdom’s troops near imperial territory, but there should be no problem employing adventurers to deal with the bandits.

Yet, the sheer number of bandits means that a small group of adventurers would only be defeated. On the other hand, gathering a large number of adventurers would take time, ultimately giving the bandits more leeway.

If only there were a capable adventurer nearby who could handle a large number of bandits with ease—thinking this, Astrid couldn’t help but chuckle. It was foolish to expect such a conveniently skilled person to be around.

Little did Astrid know, within half an hour, a person who fit the description of ‘conveniently skilled’ would appear before her.

“This sounds precisely like a request made for me,” said Sora, meeting Astrid after a long time and showing no hesitation in his response.

Hearing this, Astrid was at a loss for how to react.

Indeed, for Sora, who could slay dragonkin with his human body, the number of bandits would not pose a problem. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to single-handedly subdue the bandits in Maris Mountain.

However, Astrid couldn’t simply ask him to dive into Maris Mountain, infested with bandits, on a whim. Even if he was capable, it wasn’t easy to ask such a thing from someone who had saved her sister’s life.

Moreover, Astrid was aware of Sora’s negative feelings towards royalty and nobility. Though he had shown kindness towards the Dragnaut Ducal family, exploiting his goodwill to use his strength could quickly turn his affection into hostility, potentially leading him to sever ties with the ducal family.

Knowing the young man’s intense nature made Astrid hesitant to make a decision that seemed like dumping everything onto Sora.

Even if she could accompany him, Astrid’s movement, being a member of the Canaria Kingdom’s army, could cause unnecessary alarm to the empire. If malicious individuals were to propagate that “the vice-captain of the Dragon Knights is making suspicious movements at the empire’s border with a dragonslayer,” it could complicate matters further, involving Sora in an even more troublesome situation.

Considering this, Astrid realized that she must avoid accompanying him, and the same applied to her soldiers. It would have to be Sora, either alone or with a small group of temporarily hired adventurers, who would head to Maris Mountain.

Seeing Astrid’s hesitation, Sora offered a soft, reassuring smile, as if understanding her inner turmoil.

“Lady Astrid, please don’t hesitate on my account. Actually, I have a favor to ask of you and your father.”

“A favor from me and my father, from you?”

“Yes. So, please don’t hesitate to use me. The more troublesome the request you have for me, the easier it will be for me to ask for my favor later.”

Sora looked at Astrid playfully, implying that his own request would be a bit of a bother too, probably trying to ease Astrid’s psychological burden with his consideration.

For some reason unable to meet Sora’s direct gaze, Astrid quickly looked away but then composed herself, returning the gaze with a nod filled with gratitude.

“Understood. If that’s the case, I will rely on you, Lord Sora. In return, I will take full responsibility for whatever you ask of me.”

Agreeing without knowing the content of the request was Astrid’s way of showing trust. She trusted that Sora would not make a request that was unreasonable or that would endanger the Dragnaut Ducal family.

Later, when Astrid heard from Sora about the Mitsurugi family succession and the Kijin tribe’s relocation, she would seriously worry, but for now, this agreement marked Sora’s step into Maris Mountain.

With the participation of the dragonslayer, who had been abroad for a long time and missed the wedding ceremony, the situation surrounding the Dragnaut Duchy was set to accelerate rapidly.

“…Claire.”

“What is it, Sister?”

“About Lord Sora… Has his demeanor changed a bit? Compared to when we met before, he seems, somehow, much more serene. It’s as if there’s a greater depth to him…”

“Ah, you thought so too, Sister? Since returning from the empire, Lord Sora has become even more splendid! Ciel and Suzume also agreed!”