We were traveling from Katoura back to Le Mans.
Nunes was moving at a snail's pace, not even matching the speed of a pearl, and had been silent for the past two hours.
How much longer would I have to endure this uncomfortable companionship…?
'My head is pounding.'
I had no idea what made him a decent person. To me, he seemed like a typical bureaucrat.
"Hey, aren't you going to eat lunch?"
Suddenly, Nunes broke the silence.
I turned my head to see him clutching his stomach with a pained expression.
"…Have you been holding out this whole time?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
"Because you weren't saying anything."
"I was in the same boat."
"Let's eat."
"I was planning to wait until we got to Le Mans."
"That's too far."
"I don't want to eat on the street."
Nunes pouted his lips in annoyance.
I realized he must not have any personal rations.
I almost ignored him but decided to toss him a piece of bread from my backpack.
"Oh, thanks! But do you have anything else? Like jerky? I prefer meat."
"Just eat it before I take it back."
"Tch."
As I turned back to face forward again, I heard a short gasp from behind me, followed by Nunes awkwardly laughing.
"…What? Did you spill something?"
"S-sorry… Haha. The words just slipped out."
"Did you do that on purpose?"
"No way!"
"Do whatever you want—eat it off the ground or starve."
"How am I supposed to eat that? Since you're feeling generous, why not give me some jerky?"
What does he think I'm keeping for him?
This guy isn't just a bureaucrat; he's downright shameless!
Ignoring him, I took hold of the reins of my horse.
"Seriously, just stop it. Okay?"
Cox had attached such an oddball to me.
For a moment, I wondered if he was trying to get rid of Nunes by sending him my way.
As I ignored his whining, Le Mans began to come into view.
Thinking about warm food brightened my mood until I suddenly sensed movement nearby.
Whoosh!
"Ha ha ha!"
'What's going on?'
A group suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
There were about thirty of them, and judging by their attire, they looked like bandits.
Having tuned out Nunes' complaints completely, I hadn't even noticed the bandits' presence until now.
"Bandits."
I said this with annoyance, prompting Nunes to step forward confidently.
"Don't worry! I'll handle this!"
"Are you sure you can?"
"Ha! Have you forgotten who I am?"
Nunes dismounted and stood before them with an air of authority as he shouted.
However, the bandits merely sneered at him mockingly.
"Get out of the way!"
"Stop posturing and hand over everything you have. We might consider sparing your lives!"
"Do they know who I am?!"
"Hah! And who might that be?"
"I am an investigator for the Empire! Nunes Colt!"
Huh? Colt family?
This was the first time I'd heard Nunes' full name.
If he belonged to the Colt family, they were one of the top three or four noble families among knights.
"An investigator…?"
"Yes! If you don't clear the road immediately—"
"Do you have anything to back that up?"
One of the bandits pulled out something—a counterfeit investigator's badge.
"How did you get that…?"
Nunes looked genuinely shocked.
Could it be that he didn't even realize it was fake?
The sheer stupidity of it sent chills down my spine. Who would have thought there'd be such an idiot in the Colt family?
"Nunes, that's obviously a fake…"
"Oh! Is it really?"
"…Just sit back and watch. I'll take care of this."
Honestly useless. I had recognized his foolishness from the start.
I pulled down my hood and looked down at the bandits from atop my horse.
"A keen eye can save your life."
"Huh?! A-Arahan!"
With just that one glance—forget about badges—the bandits dropped to their knees and pressed their foreheads against the ground.
"H-How did Arahan's heir end up in a place like this…? We're so sorry for not recognizing you! Please forgive us!"
"Don't bother me and get lost."
"Yes! Yes! We won't let this happen again! We'll spread the word for everyone to clear the road!"
Colleagues? There are more bandits around?
That was unexpected. There were at least thirty here, yet we weren't far from Le Mans.
It was hard to understand how bandits could operate so close to town.
Le Mans had local militia; they should have been wiped out by now.
Curiosity got the better of me, so I asked,
"How many bandits are there?"
"Huh…?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"Well… um…"
"It's embarrassing to say this, but we're not bandits; we're outlaws…"
"Outlaws? So that's how you justify yourselves?"
"It's not like that! We were once good citizens forced into this life because of noble oppression… We can't let our families starve no matter how lowly we are…"
As soon as he finished speaking, several bandits began sobbing quietly while still lying on the ground.
It seemed there was some unjust story behind their actions.
I glanced at their reddened hands pressed against the ground and said,
"Get up."
"Yes…? Oh, yes,"
None of the bandits dared meet my gaze.
It was probably because of the rumors that anyone who met Arahan's eyes would die.
I dismounted and approached what seemed like their leader.
"Where is your hideout?"
"Why do you ask all of a sudden…?"
"Lead me there."
"..."
"If there's help needed, I'm willing to assist. If there are crimes committed, then punishment will follow."
The leader hesitated and glanced around nervously.
After some deliberation with his companions, he finally found his courage and spoke up.
"We don't trust nobles. Thank you for your kindness, but could you just let us pass…?"
"It seems there's something holding you back."
"N-No! We're truly innocent!"
"If you feel so wronged, then lead me there. I'll listen and judge for myself."
"But…"
"If local militia is involved, then your lives are worth nothing. You claim to feed your families? If you don't resolve your issues, all you'll do is pass your sins onto your children."
"..."
The man pondered for quite some time.
Eventually, after discussing with his companions again, he approached me once more.
"We can't keep living like this… We'll trust Arahan's heir."
Following the man through a forest path took quite some time.
As it became increasingly rugged, we eventually reached a flatter area indicating we were nearing their hideout.
"We've arrived."
"We've come… huh?"
Before going to Katoura, I had spent a night in Le Mans once before.
What was the name of the innkeeper again? Maldeni?
In any case, what surprised me was that this innkeeper was right in the heart of their hideout!
"Oh?!"
Maldeni recognized me immediately.
He froze for a moment in shock before bowing deeply in respect.
I felt equally taken aback by this unexpected encounter.
From how the bandits treated him and his attire, it seemed he was indeed their true leader.
As the man who brought me here whispered something into Maldeni's ear, Maldeni nodded in understanding.
"I see… Please sit down."
Suddenly realizing why we hadn't been ambushed by bandits on our way to Katoura became clear now.
I had wondered about it before; Maldeni must have taken measures against them.
I took my seat at the place of honor while Nunes sat next to me.
"You run an inn while also acting as their leader? You must be quite busy."
"Lord Jed… You may have heard already, but we're not bandits; we're outlaws."
"That's what they say. Why do they call themselves outlaws?"
"…Because we took up arms just to survive."
"That's true for bandits as well."
"No! The mayor of Le Mans has crossed all lines! People like us can never survive! Do you know how much taxes are? Three gold coins per month! How can we possibly bear that?!"
Maldeni snapped back angrily at being called a bandit.
Three coins per month—not just once but every month?
That was an absurd amount for commoners!
The wages for servants in noble households were only about five coins per year!
"I've been using inn profits to pay off my comrades' taxes. But even that has its limits. Some comrades have become slaves just to pay taxes while others have resorted to suicide…"
His voice trailed off as anger bubbled within him; he clenched his fists tightly and closed his eyes in frustration.
Nunes interjected suddenly as he watched silently from beside me,
"But there are local militias in Le Mans! Can't you report them?"
"Hah! The local militia is in cahoots with them! What good would reporting do?"
"What?! Are you saying that even the Empire's army is corrupt?!"
Nunes shouted incredulously as if unable to believe it.
Having experienced such things in the south already didn't surprise me; however, Nunes seemed shocked by it all.
After all, being from House Colt meant he had an extraordinary loyalty toward the Empire—corruption within it would feel like betrayal against his ideals.
"Nunes, corruption is common within the Empire. The farther from the palace you go, the worse it gets."
"Don't lie! The Imperial army is filled with honorable and great men like His Majesty!"
"Stop talking nonsense."
"What? Nonsense?! You little…"
Clang—!
Nunes drew his sword and pointed it at my throat.
I calmly gazed at him without flinching at all.
"You still don't believe what happened with Putan?"
"What…?"
"The Emperor's messenger was also corrupt; why would local militias be any different?"
"T-That…"
"You must admit it: there are victims and precedents; refusing to believe is merely your stubbornness."
"My stubbornness?"
"It's an investigator's role to rescue those wronged by injustice—isn't it? If there were no corruption, there wouldn't be any injustices either; then why would investigators even be needed? Are you denying your own status?"
"Tch…!"
Nunes' blade wavered slightly in uncertainty.
Even someone as rigid as him should understand this much after hearing it laid out clearly enough.
As he sheathed his sword again, I spoke more seriously,
"If you point your sword at me again next time, be prepared for consequences. This will be your last warning—remember that."
"..."
Leaving behind Nunes looking dejected again, my gaze returned to Maldeni.
"If local militias are corrupt too then they must have tried to wipe you out."
"Yes... Over 200 have already been captured. Yet not one has confessed anything."
"There are far more coming in than those being captured."
"It's dangerous walking a tightrope."
"We only target nobles; we're merely trying to reclaim what they've stolen from us. So why call us bandits…?"
The group wore somber expressions on their faces as they listened intently.
Their situation seemed dire indeed but solving it felt daunting given my own circumstances.
I was waiting on another mission from His Majesty which only allowed one week for each task.
With my own problems weighing heavily on my mind—I couldn't promise help so easily…
"I'll help solve this!"
What?!
I glanced sideways only to find Nunes' eyes ablaze with determination.
Before I could correct him again though he reaffirmed boldly,
"Don't worry! We will surely relieve your burdens!"
"A-Are you serious?!"
"Of course! I am Nunes Colt! On my honor as an investigator—I promise!"
"If only that could happen…"
"Heh! We will move together with Jed Arahan!"
This bureaucratic fool…
He shouted cheerfully but when I shot him a glare he quickly diverted his gaze elsewhere.
This guy always looks away when things get awkward!
"Thank you so much! With Lord Jed stepping in too—it'll surely go much smoother! After all—you're Arahan's heir!"
Before I could say anything further about it—bandits—or rather—outlaws crowded around me expressing their gratitude profusely.