With a little more research, we might unearth something useful.
“Um, with all due respect, Lady Philia—what does that have to do with the intruders?”
“What kind of link could there be? It’s hard to say.”
“You see, I’m rather more focused on catching those intruders. Indeed. Attempting to trespass on our priceless ruins is, well, frankly unforgivable.”
Rick expressed his anger toward the intruders with a strong and emphatic tone.
His frustration was completely understandable, but the break-in didn’t seem to have left any physical damage. Catching the culprits could wait. First, I wanted to determine their motive.
“Well, standing around chatting isn’t going to get anything done,” said Sir Osvalt. “Let’s go back to the carriage.”
“You’re right. We should inform Prince Reichardt about this.”
“Yeah. My brother will chew us out if we take matters into our own hands.”
Sir Osvalt agreed with my suggestion, and we began walking toward the carriage.
As we returned to the carriage, however, I found myself wondering if the ancient explosions and this strange break-in were truly unrelated.
“Well then, uhm, I’ll contact some researchers in the area and ask them to investigate the situation.”
As we neared the carriage, Lena overheard our conversation. “Huh? Did something happen? Prince Osvalt? Lady Philia?”
It was probably best to explain.
No doubt thinking the same, Prince Osvalt told my staff what had happened. “The truth is, it looks like somebody broke into the ruins…”
While it was a relief that the treasure vault was secure, not knowing the intruders’ intentions made me uneasy.
“If nothing was stolen, it was probably just some archeology nerds.” That was the first thing Lena said after hearing the story.
I’d longed to see the ruins for a long time myself, so there was no denying the appeal of simply witnessing them with one’s own eyes.
Leonardo agreed with Lena’s theory. “Your Highness. Lady Philia. I believe there may be an element of truth to Lena’s conjecture. These ruins are not open to the public. It’s human nature to want a glimpse of the forbidden. Perhaps these intruders simply gave in to the temptation.”
The idea that the intruders acted impulsively was certainly plausible, especially since nothing was stolen.
“Th-that couldn’t happen!” Rick insisted. “The security here is extremely tight. A curious person couldn’t simply wander in on a whim. Indeed.”
“Well, I suppose not. You do have Knights of Parnacorta patrolling the area.”
“And aside from those footprints, they managed to cover their tracks, so there must have been some planning involved.”
Entry to the site was prohibited and extensive security measures were in place, especially given the presence of the treasure vault. Forcing one’s way into the ruins would require careful preparation. Although it was possible that the intruders had been innocent curiosity-seekers, it seemed extremely unlikely.
“Theft from the site is punishable by death, and just entering without permission carries a heavy sentence,” said Sir Osvalt. “Maybe one foolish person would sneak in alone, but would a whole group take such a gamble?”
Rick nodded. “His Highness is correct. Uhm, yes. Further still, it would be difficult for somebody to sneak in without anyone noticing them. Indeed.”
In other words, the intruders must have had extraordinary skills.
“I’m sure Himari could sneak in unnoticed,” said Lena.
“Hrm. With ninja techniques under your belt, infiltrating the ruins without anyone spotting you would be a piece of cake,” Prince Osvalt agreed. “Remaining undetected is a fundamental part of being a ninja.”
Himari was likely capable of sneaking into the ruins. She’d even served as my bodyguard for quite some time without my knowing.
“Does that mean the culprits are ninjas?” asked Lena.
“Come on, that’s jumping to conclusions. Himari is the only ninja in this country.”
“I know, I know. But we don’t know the intruders are from Parnacorta, do we? There are other ninjas where Himari comes from.”
“A team of ninjas traveled here from Murasame just to break into the ruins? I highly doubt that. Murasame has severed diplomatic relations with all other countries on the continent.”
Sir Osvalt was right. Why would ninjas travel all the way here from Murasame? Himari, who’d fled her country, was a rare exception. Besides, the kingdom of Murasame rarely meddled in the continent’s affairs.
“They wouldn’t necessarily have to be ninjas,” I said. “As long as they had the training, any exceptional individuals could use ninja skills to break into the ruins.”
I could use my magic to get in, and someone in top physical condition could probably scale a wall. It was reasonable to suspect that the intruders possessed abilities comparable to those of a ninja, rather than being ninjas themselves. In that case, we could search for people who met that description.
“Philia’s right. Our first step is to contact my brother via our magic tool. This is a baffling and unsettling case, even for me. We need the palace to dispatch an investigation committee.”
“Yes indeed. I’ll try to connect us.”
On Sir Osvalt’s instruction, I got out the bracelet-shaped magic tool I’d brought with me in case we needed to talk to Prince Reichardt. I tapped the stone embedded in the bracelet three times with my finger, then stroked it twice. The stone emitted a faint glow.
Prince Reichardt would notice that my magic tool had been activated and stroke the stone on his bracelet twice, causing the embedded gem to release a glow of its own. That was how the connection between our two bracelets was established.
“Miss Philia. Osvalt. What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you on your first day. Is something the matter?”
Prince Reichardt’s voice came through loud and clear. We’d successfully gotten through to him.
“Sorry, brother. We were at the Sivaltz Ruins when Philia spotted some footprints inside—”
Sir Osvalt explained everything to Prince Reichardt. His Highness listened quietly, offering occasional grunts to show he was paying attention.
When Sir Osvalt finished his explanation, having emphasized that the treasure vault had remained untouched, the prince responded properly.
“All right. I think I get the gist of the situation. As you say, Osvalt, this is an extremely puzzling matter. Very well… I will assemble an investigation team and send it out right away.”
“Great. I’ll leave it to you.”
“I expect you realize this already, but as strange as this matter is, you shouldn’t let it disrupt your honeymoon. Allow me to deal with the rest. You two should continue your honeymoon,” Prince Reichardt said, considerate as always.
He wasn’t wrong. As he said, we were in no particular danger, so it would be wise to let him handle the case.
“That’s all right with you, isn’t it, Miss Philia? Knowing you, I’m sure you’ll be worried, but even so…”
“It’s fine. This is our special trip, so we’ll pick up where we left off. I appreciate your concern.”
“I see. I’m relieved to hear that. On that note, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m going to prepare to dispatch the investigation team.”
With those words, the call ended. I was confident His Highness would organize a proper investigation.
“Th-that magic tool is simply terrific.” Rick stared at my bracelet, looking astonished. “To think that you can have a conversation with Prince Reichardt all the way in the capital. Indeed. When it comes to creating magic tools, you must be in a league of your own, Lady Philia.”
My magic tool probably seemed unusual compared to those available in markets. Mass-produced tools were typically those that provided for everyday needs, such as lighting and insulation. My bracelet was quite delicate, so it wasn’t suited for mass production.
“Um, I take it that Prince Osvalt and Lady Philia will continue their travels as planned? Indeed.”
“Yes. Our next stop is the Delon dojo.”
Yes. Our final destination for the day was the Delon-style dojo, run by the grandfather of Philip, the commander of the Parnacorta Knights.
The sun was already setting, so we would stay there overnight.
“Yes. Understood. In that case, I will, um, head straight to the next site you will be visiting and prepare for the tour. Indeed.”
“Great. We’ll see you at the Amalgoa Ruins. Thanks for all your hard work today.”
“You’re much too kind, Your Highness. Yes. On that note, um, I’ll take my leave.”
Rick bowed politely, and we parted ways for the time being.
It had been an eventful day, but he’d made our visit both enjoyable and tremendously worthwhile. He was, without a doubt, an excellent archeologist. I was sure he would go on to make many wonderful discoveries.
“Well,” said Sir Osvalt, “I guess we should head to the dojo. We don’t want to be too late—we’ll offend my instructor.”
“Of course. Let’s get going.”
We set off for the Delon spearmanship dojo, the place where Sir Osvalt had trained from a young age.
I couldn’t wait to see what it was like.