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Captain's POV
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With the letters found in Count Poin's estate in my hands, I make my way towards the Palace.

It's usually unheard of for the King to accept an audience with someone without any previous notice, but it's one of the few privileges we get as the captains of the King's Squads.

Of course this isn't to say it's not discourteous. Many of the King's aides have told me time and time again to not do it, though I don't pay mind to them, especially when they face me while quivering.

I suppose they told me because I have to care for my reputation as a Viscount, but I don't care much about it.

Even now, as I strafe down the halls of the Palace, I can see many of the nobles here sighing and shaking their heads at me, some because I'm simply a knight in the Palace, but others because they know where I'm headed.

But I pay them no mind as I continue, reaching the doors of the King's study a few minutes later.

Knocking on the door, I hear a response from beyond it and enter.

"Doujima? Why are you here?" (King)

"Your Majesty. We've discovered something... Dangerous in Count Poin's residence." (Captain)

I bow slightly as I start speaking, though I don't stay in it for long.

"Dangerous? What do you mean?" (King)

"I think it'd be better for you to look at it for yourself." (Captain)

Walking over to his desk, I hand him the letters from the Jaird representative to Count Poin.

He takes a few minutes to read them, and as he does, he narrows his eyes.

"Those... You say you got these from Count Poin?" (King)

"Yes. Though unruly, we snuck into his estate last night, where Astrid discovered his real office hidden behind a magic disguise, where she found these letters and a few more." (Captain)

"And where are these other letters?" (King)

"Ash, Your Majesty. Not 10 minutes ago, someone snuck into Astrid's room and burnt a few. They detailed Count Poin's plan to earn money with Baron Vionne." (Captain)

"Haah... And here I thought it was just my son being stupid, messing with some assassins." (King)

"What do you want us to do?" (Captain)

"Hmm. Keep Airi beside Subaru. He's planning on having her as his bodyguard anyway, and I'm sure you won't contest that. As for that boy, Ryu, was it? He can--" (King)

"I apologise, Your Majesty, but he is in no state to do anything, or so I've heard." (Captain)

"What do you mean?" (King)

"We found the letter he had sent on the night of the banquet and confronted him about it. He didn't take it well to say the least." (Captain)

"How so?" (King)

"He was sent into a panic attack of sorts. He fainted not long after talking to him about it." (Captain)

"Hmm... What about your other members?" (King)

"I sent Etsu off to Greif, where Ryu's sister is and we aren't sure where Kana is, so I sent Astrid to find her." (Captain)

"Where did you send your elf?" (King)

"I sent her to investigate Duke Boule." (Captain)

"Brother? Why?" (King)

As he questions me, he releases bloodthirst that is able to make even me shake slightly.

"I figured that since it was an assassination attempt on someone related to you, it was likely to reduce your power, which means someone would benefit, and the first person I thought of was Duke Boule, a previous Prince." (Captain)

"..." (King)

He continues to release his bloodthirst for a few seconds after that, before recalling it.

"Very well. Did you catch the assailant who burnt the letters?" (King)

"Astrid did. I sent him off with a few of the guards that were walking past. He should be at the prison by now." (Captain)

"I see. Alright, let us go and meet him." (King)

As he finished speaking, he places his hands on his desk and pushes himself off the chair.

"You too, Your Majesty?" (Captain)

"Well, this is turning into a diplomatic issue, so I can't trust everything that comes by word of mouth now, can I?" (King)

"I see." (Captain)

On the way out, he grabs his sword that rested by the door of the room.

Its sheath was encrusted with a black base colour, along side a brilliant golden symbol of the Kingdom, and the edge of the sheath was surrounded with a polished silver.

The hilt of the sword was leather, but the kind of leather you would usually see on fur coats, not sword hilts.

From having seen it, the blade of the sword shine brilliantly when in the sun. It was made and consistently polished by the Kingdom's best blacksmiths.

It was a brilliant sword. Much better than anything anyone could hope to dream of having.

I managed to catch a few glimpses of it when fighting in the war 15 or so years ago, and managed to get a full view when I was bestowed the Viscount title by His Majesty at the end of the war.

It was a sword that suited His Majesty perfectly. So perfectly that watching him fight with it was like watching a dance recital by someone who had been dancing for 30 years.

Compared to my... Rabid way of fighting, his was one of etiquette, yet ruthlessness. It was majestic. Much different to the way the Captain of the Royal Knights and I fight.

But that's to be expected. We were taught through experience and by learning ways of killing people fast. His Majesty was taught by people who had experienced that and refined it.

His was an art form, while ours was a desperate plea for survival.

As I was thinking this, we managed to arrive at the prison, where the thief was being held.

It was a cold place. Stone were placed on top of each other to construct a building that seemed much more like a cave.

The air was humid, and the wind was cold enough to make you shiver with each blow, especially in the winter.

For the prisoners, it wasn't a good place to be. The cells were exactly the same as the rest of the building, and were blocked off with metal bars reinforced with magic.

The beds were also made of cold, hard stone, with no sort of covering. It wasn't a place designed so that you could sleep.

A small bucket rested in the corner of each cell, so that the prisoners could do what they needed, but nothing else.

Food was given twice a day, through a small crack in the door. A plate of mush that tasted worse than dragon's breath, with a texture that reminded you of dirt.

In one of these cells sat the thief. A man of average build, dressed in black clothing, with a cloth that covered the bottom half of his face.

One eye was cut with a scar from top to bottom, clearly blinded. His hair was an unkempt brown, and he was clearly from the slums.

"What's your name?" (King)

"..." (Thief)

"Who told you to burn the letters?" (King)

"..." (Thief)

"Where are you from?" (King)

"..." (Thief)

"... Fine, let me ask again." (King)

He sighs slightly and releases his bloodthirst, causing the thief to fall backwards slightly.

"What's your name?" (King)

"I-I don't have o-one..." (Thief)

"Good. Then, who told you to burn the letters?" (King)

"..." (Thief)

"Who. Told you. To burn. The letters?" (King)

His bloodthirst becomes more intense with each pause.

"... I-it was C-Count P-Poin. H-He said not to let them discover the b-business he was doing with B-Baron Vionne." (Thief)

"Do you know what it was?" (King)

"N-no! I don't! I swear!" (Thief)

"... Alright then. Did he say anything about Jaird?" (King)

"... I-I think he mumbled s-something about dirty people..." (Thief)

"Dirty people?" (King)

"You know, the d-demi-humans... He didn't seem to like them." (Thief)

"Hmm." (King)

"... Is he trying to incite a rebellion?" (Captain)

"How so?" (King)

"If the Crown Prince died, your power would be reduced, which would let the Aristocratic side gain power. Then they would rebel, gain the support of Jaird and enforce their human superiority on the Kingdom." (Captain)

"... All for his hatred of demis?" (King)

"I think it's both that and for money..." (Captain)

"Money? Is it linked to his deal with Baron Vionne?" (King)

"Maybe. It's a stretch, but if human superiority was enforced on the Kingdom, they could use Jaird's slave system. They could sell slaves and earn more money." (Captain)

"They're trying to do slavery in my Kingdom?" (King)

His words were laced with such malice it would be hard not to recognise his love for his Kingdom.

"Like I said, a bit of a stretch." (Captain)

"It's a believable stretch. Call Count Poin over to the Palace. Immediately." (King)

He speaks to one of the guards on the far side of the prison before turning back to the thief.

"You aren't let off. But... You may be useful. Has he used you for anything else?" (King)

"H-He brings me with him to meet other nobles." (Thief)

"Which ones?" (King)

"Umm... Baron... Violet? Vion?" (Thief)

"Vionne?" (King)

"Yes! And Marquis Lovenhood! They were the main ones." (Thief)

"Good. I'll be back to speak with you soon." (King)

With that, we turn to leave, heading back towards the Palace, waiting for Count Poin to arrive.

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Author Notes
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This chapter was very hard for me to write. Only because I knew who I had to write from, but I had no idea where to go with it.

You see, Captain had 2 things he needed to do: Tell the King about the letters; interrogate the prisoner. I just had no idea which order to do these in.

At the end of it, I simply resorted to going with the King because Captain had just been handed the letters by Astrid just before she left.

But anyway, thank you for reading, please continue doing so!