Chapter 199: Chapter 199 - You’re Too Absurd
The guards arrived before the maid that was going to fetch them had managed to leave the house.
"Stay where you are, with your hands where I can see them. You are under arrest."
The five of them are with their swords unsheathed, pointing them to us, undisturbed by the sight of the scared children who ran to hide behind Yaci.
The man who spoke is clearly the captain, as I can see by the insignia on his uniform.
"Officer, you have no right to arrest us, for I am Princess Aurea Annes, also Duchess of Altenfeld. Therefore, as the lord of this city, I order you to arrest the five guys who are firmly tied downstairs."
"You are not that filthy princess. Don’t think that you can deceive me just because of the color of your hair."
"Oh? Filthy, you say? Should I include you with the people to be placed under arrest as well?"
"Tsk. I know very well that the beastlover is in the capital. She isn’t coming here anytime soon."
The more you give them ropes... the more they hang themselves. It seems that corruption runs rampant inside the guard.
Well, it is no surprise, as those guards were probably handpicked and trained by the late Duke. I have a lot of work waiting for me in the near future.
But, for now, let’s play the game.
I raise my hands, making a gesture that I know that Yaci and Lovelace will pick up, for them to let me handle things.
"You got me, good sir. What do you want me to do, then?"
The man smiles and lowers his sword a little bit.
"You will take those children back below ground, and that beast woman will stay as well, so we can have some fun tonight. Right, boys?"
The other guards seemed too eager to agree with him. This gave me all that I wanted to know. The guards were willing accomplices from the beginning. All of them.
I smile and was about to do something very improper when one of the kids starts to cry. Damn. I almost let loose in front of them. That wouldn’t be a good sight.
"Court Wizard Lovelace."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You heard the man. They are accomplices, and we’ll have information to take out of them later. Can you please wrap them up for delivery?"
The guard captain looked startled by my words and my gesture of lowering my hands and turning my back on him. They obviously didn’t stand a chance against Lovelace’s new magic that combines dark element and spatial magic.
"I’m sorry for this unsightly bunch. We will take them along with the three below directly to my manor and then decide what to do. Yaci, what do you think is the best for these children right now?"
"I would like to take them home first and then call for the Saint’s Institute."
"Yeah. I think it’s the best course of action as well."
I turn to the three maids.
"As for you three, please accompany us as well. We’ll need to get your testimony on all that transpired here."
"Y-yes... A-are you... I’m s-sorry for asking this... Are you really the Princess."
"Yes, I am. Princess Aurea, the daughter of the Saint. You don’t need to worry, you are safe with me."
"Ohhh, thank you so much, Your Highness."
:::
About half an hour later, as the sun is setting with colorful might, we finally arrive at the Manor, where I’m going to live from now on.
The butler there was already expecting me, but he went beyond pale when he saw our haul. I can’t blame him, as we’re carrying ten floating unconscious people, three maids, and six children.
It must’ve been a haunting scene by itself, and the gasps of people we crossed with in the street were very audible. But something feels off as we enter the Manor.
"Lady Shalia is here and waiting for Your Highness to arrive."
He told us as he guided us to a living room, where we met Shalia.
"Oh, hi, Shalia! I didn’t expect to meet you again so soon... Huh? I thought that the deputy governor would be here with you."
She laughs at my words, and when I tilt my head in confusion, she points to one of the floating guys.
"You have already met him, Your Highness."
"Huh???"
She was pointing to the guy who was beating beastkin children with a heavy flogger. One of the guys we have just arrested.
WHAT???
:::
It turns out that the deputy governor was in secret a supporter of the late Duke and an avid enjoyer of the now-forbidden pleasures of slavery.
"Queen Thieda was already suspicious of him, so she sent me to investigate. I’ve been doing this for the last six months and was slowly peeling down the onion. I certainly didn’t expect you to come here and burst it all on your first day."
The three butlers of the house are with us in the living room. One of them is even shaking like a green weed under the wind.
"Are those three part of it?"
"Yes. That’s why I asked for them to be present when you arrived. You see, I don’t have the authority to place them under arrest. Though it means you’ll be short of household staff."
I let myself fall on a sofa with a sigh. Things started with a headache already.
"Do you have some spare men? I didn’t want to bother my girls with handling the rabble."
"Of course."
She takes a communication device and speaks some code words. Soon, a portal appears near her, and ten soldiers walk through. They take a split second to read the room and fall on one knee.
"Take the three over there, plus the ten floating ones, and lock them down in a basement, please."
"Yes, Lady Shalia."
They bow to her and then to me and go to their duties. Which leaves me with only two issues to deal with.
"You three. What are your names?"
"Oh, Your Highness. I’m Maria, and they are Hilda and Aina."
"Would you like to work for me in this Manor?"
Their eyes widen for a moment with the surprise of the proposal and then shine with a deep passion.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
They answer in unison, lowering their heads. It seems that this place has already had a lifting in its personnel.
"That’s perfect. Would you kindly provide rooms, food, clothing, and a good bath to these children, please?"
The children have been very silent ever since we entered the Manor. They’re probably very intimidated by the splendor of the place, compared to the meager room they lived in before.
They look at Yaci for confirmation, and she says some soothing words to them, calming them a little bit.
After some moments, the maids leave with the children, so Yaci and Lovelace come to the sofa and sit, each at one of my sides.
"Well, this was a hell of a coincidence. The three of us were coming to the Manor, after some time sightseeing in the city, when Lovelace and I heard some noises and decided to investigate."
Shalia simply giggles, with a gleam in her eyes. The real admiration in her voice only made her next words even more meaningful in my heart.
"I spent months following a cold trail, trying to uncover the misdeeds... and then you come and catch them red-handed. You’re too absurd, Aurea."