Amy: "Huh? I know about that. We learned about it in school."
What Shirone knew was this:
At a gathering of nobles in the Iron Kingdom, a nobleman named Valthes declared that if anyone could prove they had more courage than him, he would give them his prized vase.
In response, a lower noble named Mus took up the challenge. His method was to simply throw the vase to the ground.
While it seemed like a mere drunken spectacle, it was actually an event that revealed long-festering political tensions.
Shirone: "The Iron Kingdom's noble system is bicameral. The upper house conveys the king's will, and the lower house represents the commoners. Thanks to this, the Iron Kingdom has become prosperous, but the conflicts between the nobles have reached a serious level."
Bringing commoners into politics weakens the authority of the nobles but greatly enriches the nation.
Shirone: "The upper house's power comes from military strength, and the lower house's power comes from taxes. In the end, the conflict between the two factions was inevitable. When Mus, a lower noble, acted arrogantly, Valthes was furious. At the time, it was brushed off, but resentment lingered."
Rian: "But what does that have to do with the Parrot Mercenary Group?"
Shirone: "Three months after the vase incident, a civil war broke out in Mus's territory. An unknown army invaded. From here on, this is information I heard through family intelligence, but it's said that Valthes was the one who started the civil war. He hired mercenaries, not his own soldiers, to attack Mus."
Rian: "Don't tell me the mercenaries involved were…?"
Shirone: "Yes, they were the Parrot Mercenary Group. Of course, many mercenary groups participated, but the Parrot Mercenary Group achieved overwhelming results. It might have been a gamble for a new mercenary group, but according to the intelligence I heard, they were an extremely aggressive group. Most mercenaries work for money, but it seemed like they had some kind of belief. Anyway, led by the Parrot Mercenary Group, a few units finally broke into Mus's inner fortress. But just as victory was within reach, Valthes's private soldiers suddenly attacked from the rear and ambushed the mercenaries."
Shirone imagined the situation at the time.
Hire mercenaries to attack the enemy, then use private soldiers to eliminate those mercenaries.
It was a strategy to secure both victory and innocence.
Shirone: "Valthes never intended to completely purge Mus from the start. The power of the lower house, supported by the commoners, is stronger than you'd think. He just wanted to send a warning. In the end, the mercenaries were disposable pawns from the beginning. It's almost embarrassing to call it a war, but politically, it was a perfect victory."
Rian: "But if it ended like that, the lower nobles wouldn't have just sat back, right?"
Shirone: "Of course not, but they couldn't show it openly. After all, the upper house is a group protected by the king. There was probably some kind of agreement. The fact that Mus hasn't brought up the incident even after seven years means he must have received some compensation from Valthes."
Rian furrowed his brow.
Rian: "So the ones who fought were just discarded? Politicians are impossible to understand. This goes against chivalry."
Shirone: "It's natural to think that way. But in the end, that's how the world works. I've been exposed to even worse intelligence since I was a kid. The world doesn't operate on principles as much as we'd like to think."
Silence followed. They, too, would one day have to step into a place where the great forces of the world were at play.
The vase incident had nothing to do with them, but it wasn't someone else's problem either.
Tess: "Anyway, that's how they were discarded. Most of the mercenaries who attacked Mus's territory were either killed or fled. The Iron Kingdom officially labeled them as bandits. Even now, a small number of escapees are being hunted through the Red Line. A prisoner named Lucas is probably one of them."
Shirone felt uneasy.
Shirone: "They're fugitives hunted by the state. No matter how remote the island is, how could they survive for years? There's also the possibility that they're imposters. The name 'Parrot' isn't exactly unique."
Tess: "Imposters…"
Tess looked up at the dawn sky.
Tess: "Shirone, you said you met a woman at the market, right? You ran away with her after encountering some strange guy."
Shirone: "Marsha noona?"
Tess: "Yes. At first, it didn't connect, but the moment I heard Jis mention the Parrot Bandits, I was sure. The name of the Parrot Mercenary Group's leader came to mind."
Shirone: "Huh? Isn't it Freeman?"
Tess turned his head.
Tess: "Claire Marsha. That's the leader's name."
Shirone: "..."
Tess: "It could be an imposter. But everything fits. The Parrot Mercenary Group, now renamed the Freeman Organization, lying low. Marsha, a stranger who came to the island. My gut tells me they're the real deal."
Shirone: "The leader…"
Shirone prided himself on being a good judge of character, but he hadn't even guessed that the woman he'd spoken to was the leader of a mercenary group.
No, perhaps that's why she was the real deal.
'A-Class Fugitive.'
Looking back now, it made sense.
Marsha's face, filled with disdain as she spoke of the collusion between nobles and criminals, suddenly came to mind.
And her past as well.
Tess didn't know Marsha's circumstances, but he could read the burden in Shirone's eyes.
Tess: "Don't overthink it. No matter what happened with her, we're not going to fight. We're going to save Jis's sister. We'll judge after we meet her."
Shirone: "Yeah."
Shirone shook off his worries and spurred his horse forward with a determined look in his eyes.
In the distance, the shadow of Mount Toa loomed.