Boscos furrowed his brow, causing the wrinkles to deepen even further as he stroked them with his right hand. He bowed deeply to Lauren, who responded in kind. The consul’s words softened the expression on Buckle’s face. He turned back to Rita and spoke. “Tell us more about what happened, and the events leading up to it.”
“We were first ambushed shortly after we left Corna by a group of around twenty bandits. Nine guards stayed behind to hold them back while we escaped with Sir Maudlin and the remaining guards. However, we were ambushed once again by a group of nine bandits the moment we stopped our horses.”
“You were ambushed twice?!”
“That’s correct. I suppose the first ambush may have been meant to draw our guards away.”
Upon hearing this, Boscos crossed his arms, and his face contorted into a scowl. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Sir Maudlin and the five remaining guards were killed in the second ambush by just nine bandits? These men must have been highly skilled.”
Rita responded, to the best of her ability and memory, as Boscos asked for more details on the attack.
“I can’t believe it. A traitor in our midst?! Boscos, I want you to find out everything you can about this Causdah. If he has any family, I want them brought before me!” Buckle’s veins bulged as he gave the order.
“Y-yes. Understood.” Boscos gave a quick bow and left the study.
Returning to his desk, Buckle dropped back into his chair and let out an exhausted sigh. “A gang of bandits with six horses… I’ve never heard of any groups like that in this region.”
The viscount groaned slightly as he looked out the study’s window and into the darkness. The idea of mounted bandits was unbelievable to him. In addition to food and water, the bandits would also have needed shoes, saddles, and even training to prepare each horse for combat, all of which would have cost great amounts of money. A small-scale gang would have had a difficult time supporting six horses, but if a large group had moved into his domain, he would have at least heard rumors.
“It seems the bandits’ objective was to kill Miss Lauren. It’s possible they had been hired by someone.”
Rita spoke her theory to the viscount’s back. He continued groaning lightly as he glared out the window in front of him.
It was dangerous for bandits to attack a carriage belonging to a noble family. Though rare, abductions and ransoms did occur, but bandits generally wouldn’t go out of their way to commit murder and make an enemy of the nobility. The noble society within the kingdom was a surprisingly close-knit group, and if bandits were to draw attention to themselves like that, they would be pursued across the entirety of the Rhoden Kingdom. They wouldn’t do such a thing unless they had some sort of ace up their sleeve.
“Perhaps…this is a shake-up by the supporters of the second prince?” Buckle’s round features contorted into a mixture of shock and anger as he hit on this possibility.
Behind the scenes, a vicious battle raged in Rhoden over who would succeed the elderly king. Dissent was spreading among the supporters of the three major factions: the first prince born to the king’s second-class wife; the second prince born to his first-class wife; and the second daughter born to the actual queen.
Considering how far away Luvierte was from the capital, up near the northern border, the viscount had believed this battle had nothing to do with them. Rita tilted her head at Buckle’s theory, but, being a simple chambermaid with little knowledge of political affairs, this was beyond her area of expertise. Lauren looked over at Rita and cocked her head to the side as well, also ignorant of the political world.
Sensing the confusion from the looks on the girls’ faces, Buckle turned the conversation back to the man he heard about earlier, the one who saved them from the direst of circumstances. “And this armored knight who saved you from the second attack, did he make any specific demands?”
“We offered him our sincerest thanks, but…all he would accept was my copper travel pass. What shall we do?”
“If he says that’s all he wants, then we shall leave it at that. I am eternally grateful to the man who saved my daughter, but I can’t shake the feeling that anyone who would come at such an opportune time is somehow in consort with the supporters of the second prince.”
The viscount couldn’t overlook the possibility that this knight, who had appeared by the road at exactly the right time, had done so in order to build favor with the noble family. It all just seemed too suspicious.
Of course, Rita, who had interacted directly with the knight, insisted passionately that this was not the case. However, she was unable to change Buckle’s mind.
“Rumors will spread once we collect the bodies of Maudlin and his men and begin sweeping for the remaining bandits. Please, take your leave and get some rest.”
Rita and Lauren both bowed.
Once out of the study, Rita let out a sigh as she recalled the knight, his image etched into her memory. The knight—a self-proclaimed wanderer who spoke with a low, despondent voice—didn’t strike her as being aligned with any particular faction. However, his magnificent armor reminded her of that worn by the guardians of the nearby Revlon Empire. Its overbearing presence made him feel like some sort of warrior deity.
Though she’d never actually seen his face, she hoped the fates would smile upon them and grant her a chance to meet him again. When she mentioned this to Lauren, the young girl’s expression softened a bit, and she nodded firmly in agreement.
“You look happy, Rita.”
“S-sorry, madam. I just feel like I’ve met a knight straight out of a fairy tale.”
Seeing Rita’s excitement wither under the belief that she had been chastised, Lauren apologized and bowed her head repeatedly. However, as she continued watching Rita, the edges of Lauren’s lips turned up in a peculiar grin.
“Well, as punishment, I suppose you will be sleeping with me tonight.”
Rita stood there, blinking at Lauren’s response. The girl had never made a request like this before. However, considering the events that had unfolded earlier, it was no wonder that she was scared.
Locking eyes with Lauren, Rita took on a serious demeanor and nodded. She took the girl’s cold fingers into her own, in an effort to warm them, and led the way back to Lauren’s bedroom.