Chapter 111: Deployment
Chapter 111: Deployment
"That’s why patrolling the noble district is dangerous. So please, stay behind us at all times and never go ahead."Captain Copeland spoke with a very serious expression. Overwhelmed by his intensity, I replied,
"Yes, understood. I’ll stay in the back."
However, Lily, who was behind me, poked my back repeatedly and whispered,
"Lord Robby, I heard that. You promised, okay? Absolutely do not do anything dangerous. Got it?!"
Lily! Is it not lèse-majesté to poke a prince in the back like that? And stop scolding me like I’m some incompetent child! ...Wait, I actually was a pretty incompetent kid in my previous life...
Anyway, that didn’t matter. My plan was to avoid dangerous situations, keep my distance if a fight broke out, and if someone was dying, I’d at least pretend to help them.
But Captain Copeland laughed and said,
"That said, it’s extremely rare for us to actually encounter thieves."
Unfortunately, Captain Copeland did not know the concept of a death flag.
While watching the backs of the security team ahead, I quietly asked Lily,
"How do thieves get from the commoner district into the noble district? There’s a wall separating them, right? It shouldn’t be easy to climb over. Do they use ladders?"
Lily kept facing forward and answered casually,
"They don’t do that. There are places where the wall has collapsed, and they can come and go freely there."
What a shocking fact, delivered so casually!
"Collapsed? Really? Why don’t they repair it?"
"I don’t know the exact reason, but it’s probably a budget issue. There are several broken sections. There are fences, but anyone can just walk right through."
"Aren’t there guards posted there?"
"There are during the day, but at night...? Even if there are, a bribe will let anyone through."
If thieves can just pay a toll to pass, can you really call that "guarding"?
"Only thieves do that, right?"
"Not necessarily. There are nobles who sneak into the commoner district for entertainment, and in the past, some knight’s retainers were operating as thieves there. It goes both ways."
"That’s pretty awful."
"That’s why noble mansions don’t rely on the security patrols. They strengthen their own defenses."
"I see."
Hearing the dark side of this country was enlightening, but it also made my mood sink considerably.
This is like the thieves who broke into daimyo residences in the Edo period, and the ones living in the middle rooms of those same residences. Does that mean, besides the security teams, there’s also something like a "fire and thief patrol" organization in the royal capital? Don’t tell me their leader is called Onihei... Wait, was that his name?
The security team advanced in two columns down the noble district road. There was no noise-making or chanting — they simply moved forward in silence. The lead carried the security team’s flag and bright lights, which probably distinguished them from thieves. But with all the excessive security at noble mansions, I wondered if they ever got attacked by mistake.