Chapter 29 : Chapter 29
Chapter 29. Baum Territory's Mine (1)
It was customary for lords to hold a banquet for them when guests or envoys visited their territory.
If they could not hold a banquet, it was etiquette to at least treat them to a grand dinner.
If it was etiquette for the lord to grant favor to guests, it was etiquette for the guests visiting the territory to accept the favor granted.
However, Blanc and the party had no such time.
Therefore, they had no choice but to politely decline the favor the lords tried to grant.
Because they had no time.
The ten knights including Blanc, Noel, and Aubert were an advance party moving on the assumption that Stefan Tolome was alive.
If he was alive, he would already have been wandering inside the mine for about a week. It was a situation where every minute and second was urgent.
The lords might have flown into a rage seeing the advance party refusing the favor they granted, but upon seeing the standard-bearer leading the advance party, even the mind to get angry disappeared.
Party to the tragedy of the Cadmus family and the Knight of the Moonlit Grass.
And because the standard-bearer was Blanc Cadmus, Aselheit's sixth knight appointed newly after 20 years.
Most standard-bearers might have received complaints, but the lords rather conveyed greetings thanking him for stopping by to Blanc, who carried Aselheit's prestige behind him.
The lord of the first territory they passed wrote a letter explaining the situation to the lord of the next territory they would pass and sent it with them.
The lord of the second territory they passed exchanged their exhausted horses.
The lord of the last territory they stopped by even woke up his sleeping daughters, lined them up in front of Blanc, and said to take as many as he wanted.
If the standard-bearer were not Blanc but Noel and Aubert, far from receiving such welcome as now, they would have likely thrown a tantrum saying they were ignoring their favor.
Noel and Aubert felt grateful anew that Blanc became their standard-bearer.
"Thank you, Blanc. Thanks to you, we are moving easily."
"How about guiding us to the Baum territory and you returning? If you do that, you will be able to barely make it in time for the Kingdom Tournament."
Noel and Aubert also knew well about the Kingdom Tournament.
Because if this mission was completed successfully, they also intended to participate.
That was how much the Kingdom Tournament was a dream stage for knights active in the Felix Kingdom.
Moreover, Blanc, who became Aselheit's sixth knight, was in a situation where rumors had already spread throughout the kingdom.
If Blanc participated in the Kingdom Tournament, it would have been an opportunity to raise his recognition enormously.
"I am the knight who took the role of standard-bearer for this search party. I will not go anywhere until I find my maternal uncle, Lord Stefan Tolome."
Noel and Aubert, hearing the words that he would give up the tournament, could only gulp down one emotion boiling up in their hearts without showing it.
If Blanc participated in the tournament, the opportunities to gain would have been many. Because some gossipers were even evaluating this tournament as Blanc Cadmus' knight debut.
And one of the people who would regret Blanc's non-participation in the tournament the most would be Frederick, the King of the Felix Kingdom.
Because Blanc Cadmus, who became Aselheit's sixth knight after 20 years, would have been a certain box office card.
Blanc put all that aside and willingly volunteered as the standard-bearer to save Stefan Tolome.
Noel, Aubert, and the ten knights chasing the glorious standard-bearer galloped with soaring morale and finally arrived at the Baum territory.
They were a party that took only a week despite crossing a whopping 3 territories.
And the time they arrived was the point where it was becoming 2 weeks since Stefan Tolome went missing.
***
Tigor Baum welcomed the Tolome family's investigation team entering with the twilight at their backs with a polite posture.
"Welcome. How exhausted you must be coming a long way..."
Baron Tigor Baum. The Baum family, the ruler of High River, was one of the families maintaining a direct alliance relationship with the Tolome family. To be precise, it was a relationship where the Baum family bowed unilaterally to Tolome.
Baron Baum, as frontier nobles always did, was thirsty for advancement into central politics and bowed to the Tolome family to grasp a connection that would do so.
There were countless families contacting the Tolome family in such a way, but there was only one reason Bartomyu held Tigor's hand. Because of the iron ore mine Tigor possessed.
Although the quality was not very good, since it was a mine extracting iron sufficient to produce weapons for soldiers, he saw it had use value.
"Is there still no news about Commander Stefan Tolome or other missing persons?"
"Yes, yes. We could not find other traces. We are continuing to seal off the mine."
Baron Tigor must also be dying inside.
Since the precious son of the Tolome family, a connection he barely grasped, met with a mishap in his territory.
Perhaps the anger of the Tolome family might be directed at them.
Therefore, despite being a Baron, he was welcoming the investigation team with the utmost polite posture.
"Then first..."
Noel and Aubert put their heads together and were agonizing over what action to take.
Blanc staying quiet next to them and listening.
Although the standard-bearer of this investigation team was Blanc, he was merely a fourteen-year-old boy whose first actual combat was this time, as far as they knew. Although inside he was a seasoned mercenary who had gone through all sorts of hardships.
Blanc's role was just piercing the road between territories as a standard-bearer, and in actual combat, it would be correct to listen to the opinions of experienced knights.
At least outwardly he had to do so.
That was why he was staying quiet. If he waited, the opportunity would come, and until then, respecting Noel and Aubert would be correct.
"First, since we are exhausted from the forced march, let's rest well today."
"We should prepare so we can move tomorrow morning."
Blanc nodded upon hearing the two's decision.
Certainly, it was time for the sun to set soon, and since they ran here without rest, it was a situation where rest was needed.
Twin knights who chose to retreat one step to avoid the worst situation even in a situation where their father's life or death was unknown.
Blanc applauded them internally.
Noel and Aubert looked at Blanc with eyes seeking agreement, and Blanc nodded as if telling them to do so.
"We will rest well today with equipment unequipped and enter the mine early tomorrow morning."
The knights and servants who agreed with Noel and Aubert's decision moved to the accommodation prepared by Tigor.
Except for one person.
"Are you talking about mint candy?"
"Right, I heard the mint candy made here in High River is famous. Go and buy some."
"But now it is late at night and..."
"Billy."
Blanc's chilly gaze wrapped around Billy.
"From the moment we entered High River, it is actual combat and this is an order. Do not make me say it twice."
"Yes!"
The knights of the investigation team arrived here at High River each leading their squires and a few servants.
Because the existence called a knight always had to maintain the best combat power, they needed people to help with various chores.
Blanc also brought Rakshar, who could be called his right arm, and.
"S, Shall Billy go with you?"
"Rakshar, you have work to do. Follow me."
"Yes, yes. Young master."
He had brought Billy, the butler candidate of the Tolome family.
If it were someone trustworthy, it would have been Emilia rather than Billy, but she was a frail woman, and since the mission to find Stefan was dangerous, he left her at the mansion.
Moreover, Blanc wanted to test Billy through this mission.
Whether the sharp butler candidate of the Tolome family was a figure worthy enough to keep by his side.
"Where do I have to go to get mint candy..."
For now, Billy had received a minus score.
***
Next morning. The investigation team moved to the mine owned by the Baum territory.
"It was a mine with nothing special. Don't Lord Noel and Lord Aubert also know?"
Baron Tigor, who accompanied the investigation team directly, continued to speak moving his chubby cheeks endlessly as if making an excuse.
"It was a mine operated since my father's time. During the nearly 50 years, there has never been a single incident like this."
"Are you saying there were really no peculiarities?"
Aubert was grilling Tigor with eyes narrowed into triangles. Because if it was as Tigor said, there was absolutely no reason for miners or the knights of the Tolome family to go missing in the mine.
"I, It is true. How could I tell a lie in front of the lions of Tolome."
Although Noel and Aubert were merely knights, Tigor was prostrating flat to the point of seeming excessive.
Such was the status the Tolome family possessed.
"To think a mishap occurred when there are no peculiarities. Does this make sense! What does the brother think?"
Aubert asking for an opinion from Blanc driving his horse next to him.
Blanc answered Aubert's question calmly.
"There is no way there are no peculiarities. We are just not finding them."
At Blanc's voice strangely dominating the atmosphere of the assembly, all members of the investigation team listened.
"Either a peculiarity that existed from before was touched for some reason, or a new peculiarity was created in the mine. At least I view it as not a natural phenomenon."
At Blanc's accurate point, Noel and Aubert nodded.
"Then what would be good to do going forward?"
A blueprint of how to proceed was already in Noel and Aubert's heads.
They had been conversing endlessly from the moment the investigation team moved until last night, conceiving methods to find the missing people.
So asking Blanc what to do now was like the consideration of older brothers trying to let him build experience.
"My thought is..."
"Speak."
"Do not hesitate. You must step forward when there is an opportunity."
The twins encouraging the hesitating Blanc as if shy because many people were focusing on him.
"First, I think it is correct to inquire and search if there are any people who newly entered from outside."
"Father executed that as soon as he entered this Baum territory."
"We investigated directly. There were no suspicious people or unusual trends."
Stefan Tolome was seasoned and possessed outstanding ability. What he did as soon as he came to the Baum territory was exactly the investigation of unusual trends targeting the territory residents.
"Then it wouldn't be a newly created peculiarity. The possibility is high that a peculiarity that existed before was touched for some reason."
"But Baron Blanc, as I said before, this mine is a place operated for 50 years and there were no such disappearance incidents in the meantime."
Baron Tigor raised a timid revolt at Blanc's words.
Blanc turned his head at those words and spoke looking straight at Baron Tigor.
"I trust Tolome rather than Baum. If Tolome judged there were no new unusual trends, it must be that a peculiarity existing before was pulled in for some reason."
"However..."
"Whether it is a matter the Baum family knows."
Tigor was about to raise an objection to Blanc's words, but seeing Blanc's eyes, the words coming out went back in.
"Or a matter you do not know."
Blanc was not backing down at all even against Baron Tigor who was nearing 50.
Seeing the appearance rather overwhelming him, Noel and Aubert smiled satisfactorily.
"We have arrived."
The knight at the very front reported to Blanc and the twin knights.
"First, we should set up a camp here."
It might take a long time. Noel and Aubert intended to see it to the end by finding at least the corpses even if they couldn't rescue the missing people.
While the investigation team was setting up camp, Blanc got off his horse and was staring blankly at the mine entrance.
The mine, where human traces were cut off long ago, was exuding a bleak chill and refusing people's entry.
'It's been really a long time.'
This place called Baum Mine because it was in the Baum territory.
Blanc of the previous life had come here.
Not as Baron Cadmus, but as a young slave of the Batai Mercenary Corps.