Chapter 66 Family Member
When I was still the captain of the Fourth Unit, she (that person) once looked at me like I was an idiot.
"You really trust people too much. Try being a bit more cautious, will you?"
I've completely forgotten how the topic even came up.
I think it was just some typical casual chit-chat, nothing special.
"Maybe... but I really think I'm judging things carefully."
"You're just lucky. One day, you'll get burnt for it."
She was naturally very cautious herself. Plus, many people kept their distance from her, so I guess she didn't trust others easily.
She probably thought I moved too fast to trust people.
"It's fine. Because your lousy judgments keep us in the family, me and my big sister are in, right?"
"If you know you're suspicious, then fix it."
Luka doesn't get along well with most women.
I've always wondered if the victims felt uncomfortable coming to me with their problems, since she's backed by the general and not someone you can directly confront.
"I'm worried about you, okay? Don't lump me in with this one."
When she gives that sharp glare, it's pretty intimidating.
It's like she's wary that I'll immediately get attached to anyone I get close to.
"I'm better at navigating this crap than you, big sis."
"Huh? You'll end up getting stabbed one of these days."
Honestly, I've been accosted by a woman with a knife while walking outside on my days off, so the possibility of getting stabbed is very real.
"Eeh, if I'm gonna get stabbed, I'd rather it be by the Captain."
"Gross! Want me to behead you right now?"
"No thanks. Your control's terrible."
"You just said it, huh? I'll make sure your head comes off clean."
Luka and she sync up better than anyone on missions, but for some reason, they're always fighting.
Maybe it's that whole "birds of a feather" dislike thing.
"Why are we talking about killing each other? Can we stop?"
After serving freshly made pancakes on everyone's plates, the two of them alternated between looking at me and the pancakes before finally quieting down.
"Why the Captain, though?"
Thomas, known as the "[Fourth]'s Conscience" or "Harmless Representative," paid no mind to the dangerous conversation and immediately dug into his fluffy pancakes, asking curiously.
"She'd probably take me out before I even felt the pain."
"So, you've got something to feel guilty about that'd make Luka need to take you out?"
"Nah, if it's between the captain and the mission, I prioritize the captain, y'know?"
"You'd prioritize the mission..."
Hearing the tale of a noble's illegitimate son with no loyalty to the country, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
She let out a small sigh, lowering her long eyelashes.
"...Isn't it tough, caring so much about others? It's a lot..."
She always seemed a bit lonely when she got serious.
"I agree. The captain is kind, after all──"
"...?"
I couldn't understand what she was worried about until I lost her.
I was such an idiot.
* * *
I woke up to the sound of a sputtering engine and the car's sway.
The outside of the cramped Arcane Car was dark, only my own wild face reflected in the window glass.
"Captain, you okay?"
"...Still holding on."
Luka, turning from the front seat to me in the back, spoke up.
"Where are we now?"
My voice was hoarse, so I took out water from my bag, wet my mouth, and then asked.
"Probably about an hour west of the capital's gates."
"I'll wake you when we're close, so please rest for now."
Thomas said from the driver's seat, still facing forward.
He was supposed to take over driving, and I knew I should rest when I could, but...
"No, regular medicine just doesn't cut it. It's better if I'm awake."
It wasn't that Mr. Junce's medicine was bad.
It was probably just a bad match for my current condition.
"I really need to get back to my lazy self, huh?"
Luka's light-hearted tease was a welcome comfort, considering how far we've come.
A few hours earlier.
After contacting Luka from Mr. Junce's house, they arrived with a car in less than an hour.
"You guys were quick."
"We could score some favor with the royal family and the Norvalen, you know? It went smoother than the volcano incident."
When they found out Yuruyana was a direct descendant of the Lilicheska royal family, the [General] gave an order to bring him back safely at all costs.
After thanking Mr. Junce with a stern face, I got into the car, and as we set off, Luka spoke up.
"Just as the captain ordered, we've checked everyone who passed through the west gate after 3 o'clock today. It's all in the bag in the back."
Just like I was told, I peeked behind the storage──and there was a leather document case.
I quickly opened it up to check inside.
"You didn't have to check the other gates, did you?"
Luka was worried that the other person might have anticipated this search and gone through a different gate.
I lit a small lantern, just enough to see what's right in front of me, and nodded as I followed the words.
"The goal is to get out of the country. Speed matters more than trying to be sneaky."
"I see."
Thomas then said, his voice dropping slightly,
"Well, at least you're not dead yet, right?"
I replied, trying to convince myself as much as him.
"Unlikely. If Lilicheska's direct descendant is still alive, it'd be too much of a hassle for the killers. They'd stage an accident and take care of it on the spot."
"Yeah, I guess."
If someone goes missing, they know they'll be searched for, so there's no need to hide the body.
"Besides, Yuruyana always takes the busiest streets when he returns from Mr. Junce's shop. He's visible, so he's on high alert."
And he always makes sure to get back before dark.
He knows the dangers of the night better than anyone.
"So, if he was taken by force, someone must have seen, right? Mr. Yuruyana is pretty famous in the West District."
Because the General is on the move, there's a team gathering parallel witness information.
But so far, we haven't received any such reports.
"So, did he meet someone he knows and followed them?"
"...Yeah. But not many people know about Yuruyana and Lilicheska's relationship..."
Besides the princess and the queen mother, only Lord Osric, Ricardo, and a few others who might have overheard are aware.
Since it involves the royal family, there should be a gag order to prevent leaks to the outside world.
"Could it be that someone noticed he looks like the queen mother in her youth and put 2 and 2 together after seeing him treated kindly?"
"It's possible, I guess."
"Ransom maybe? He could get money from both the royal family and the Silven family, right?"
"Not sure about that yet. All we know is that he's connected to someone in the court Arcanist group."
And there it was, the name I'd been searching for on the list.
It was a record from just before dusk, when I started looking for Yuruyana.
"Find anything?"
"Yeah... it's okay. Yuruyana's still alive."
"Guess we shouldn't rush then."
As I listened to Luka giving orders over the comms to prevent the relevant person from crossing the border, I let out a small sigh.
"I wanted to go to Suuroi next time for some fun stuff, but..."
The Arcane Car we were riding in kept speeding west without a break.
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