A few days after the memorial service for the fallen.

Inside a large charcoal truck heading for the imperial capital, I was having a meeting with my father while chewing anti-drunkenness medicine.

The content of the meeting was about the "Battle of the Narrows Fortress," which we were to report to Their Majesties the Emperor and the Imperial Nobles in the Imperial Capital.

In addition, Fara and the children of the Second Order were not accompanying me on this visit to the Imperial Capital.

I have asked Fara to act as my deputy during my absence from the Bardia territory.

The Second Order has assumed some of the duties performed by the First Order in order to alleviate some of the confusion and burden caused by the deaths of so many knights in battle.

They were busy with support activities here and there in the territory, so I gave them priority over that.

A total of approximately 9,000 knights, mercenaries, and militiamen participated in the battle of the narrow fortress.

About 2,000 of them were killed in the battle.

The militia and mercenaries were entrusted with defending the fort, so they suffered little damage, but the knights who went with their father to defeat Gareth and the knights who participated in the diversionary force at the fort in the course of the campaign.

Their death toll was overwhelmingly high.

According to what I heard later, the warriors in the unit commanded by Gareth were ready to fight a full-scale battle, and got into a fierce battle with my father's unit.

Although the sniping of Aria and her unit destroyed and disrupted the front line chain of command, the individual fighting ability of the foxmen warriors was still strong, and the diversionary force led by Dinas also fought through the fierce battle.

The unit I led was a one-man battle between Elba and myself from start to finish, so fortunately there were no casualties.

The knights who participated in the surprise attack were selected from among the best members of the Knights of Bardia.

It was a happy miscalculation for Bardia that my unit alone was preserved.

"Your choice may have turned out to be a good one. But strategically, it was a mistake for the general who is leading the unit to fight a single combat. You should be greatly sorry for that,'

At any rate, even though we have completed the basic postwar work, the scars of the war remain firmly in Bardia territory, so the number of personnel allocated for my father's and my visit to the Imperial capital is at a minimum.

My father, who had just recently returned to Bardia after setting up a new Fox people tribe with Amon Grandek as the new tribal chief, had been holed up in his office for the past few days.

He had been immersed in his office work for the past few days, hurriedly completing the tasks that had accumulated before his departure for the imperial capital.

He had a child from the Second Order who could use communication magic accompany him on his way to the territory of the Fox people, but depending on the content of the conversation, there were many things that could not be passed through the child.

Therefore, when Father came back, there were piles of papers in his office.

Now that he was finished with his chores, it was time for me and him to have a leisurely meeting.

I was looking at the documents at ....... The post-war arrangements on the Bardia side are almost complete. Rid, you did a good job.

No, it was not by my own efforts. It was thanks to Fara and everyone else.

This is neither modesty or anything like that.

I slept for three days and three nights as soon as I returned to the Bardia territory.

In the meantime, Fara, who heard about the situation from Capella, Diana and others, worked with Garn and others to prepare and organize information while proceeding with some postwar processing.

Thanks to this, the initial response to the situation was not delayed.

"I see. Don't forget to thank them".

"Yes, of course."

Father nodded his head, his brow wrinkled and a difficult expression appeared on his face.

"And the territory of the Fox people. The new government has been put together, but the heavy taxation and oppression of the last few years have left it in a bad state."

"Is it that badly?"

"Yes. As far as I have been able to find out in a short period of time, not only heavy taxation, but they have been pushing for military expansion by minimizing outside orders for blacksmithing, which is a valuable source of income. Some wealthy families and related people were prosperous, but the people in the fiefdoms far from the city center were in a terrible situation. In a few more years, the tribe as a whole might not be able to survive. Perhaps they were operating under the assumption that Elba would be the next Beast King."

I looked at him in disbelief, and my father shook his head.

'It would be ludicrous if the people perished and only the chief remained. As soon as I return to Bardia after my report in the capital, I will have to go back to Amon."

Yes, understood. In doing so, you will ostensibly be going "to collect reparations," is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

Father smiled wryly.

This is the reason why we hastily calculated the reparations to the fox people.

The reason for this is that we have a secret agreement with Amon, but it is enough to report this secret agreement to the emperor.

There is no need to go to the trouble of informing all the imperial nobles of the secret pact, and only the ostensible reason is needed.

If the secret agreement is made known to the public, there is a big possibility that various attempts will be made to take advantage of it.

'By the way, Rid. You said there was something that bothered you about my conversation with Elba and what I heard from Mel."

"Oh, yes. Actually, ......."

I told my father, who had turned the talking head, about the "lion's den of worms" that Elba had left out.

I also explains what Mel and Chris told me about the person who calls himself "Robe", who covers his body and face with a black cape and outer covering.

They were kidnapped to the territory of the fox people and were immediately confronted by Gareth and the other members of the Grandek family.

Gareth apparently changed the color of his eyes and leaned forward as soon as he learned Mel's true identity.

, "Is there anything that has been handed down in the Bardia family from your ancestors?"

He was asked many times, but each time Mel answered, 'I don't know."

Eventually, Gareth and the others lost interest.

Mel and Chris were treated as guests of the Grandek family and were living under house arrest.

One day, a few days after the kidnapping

A man named Robe, who covered his body and face with a black cape and outer garment, came to Mel's door.

The man was told that upon seeing Mel's appearance, he created a strange atmosphere.

'So you are Meldy Bardia ....... I see, you look a lot like that woman. Haha, my old wounds are aching. Still, if things had gone well back then, you'd be my ......"

"No, no,......, stay away from me."

As Robe extended his hand to Mel, who backed away in fear, Elba, who was present at the meeting, shook the man's hand and said,

"I can only give you this girl after we win the battle against Bardia. I will have this hand withdrawn.'

'......Are we not on the same page?'

'I'm not mistaken. I'm just saying that ...... I can't give her to you just yet. This girl is also a valid card to play against Bardia, you know?　I am not so foolish as to throw away my own hand in an unsettled situation."

Elba smiles with his mouth relaxed, and Robe looks horrified with a strange atmosphere.

The two glared at each other for a while, and then Robe drew back.

At that time, Mel felt a deep chill in his heart.

But Mel was to face Robe again.

It was the Battle of the Narrows.

Mel and Chris were put in a carriage and taken out to the battlefield under Rafa's watchful eye.

While fighting anxiety, news of Gareth's death and Rafa's support for Amon circulates around the battlefield.

Just as they were relieved and confident of Bardia's victory, the carriage in which they were riding was attacked by someone.

Mel peeked out the window of the carriage in surprise and saw that in addition to a man who looked like Robe, the carriage was surrounded by people dressed like him.

Fortunately, Rafa rushed to the scene and kicked them out.

"....... As expected, we do not know the purpose of the robed men. However, based on these stories, there is a high possibility that the "insects within the lion's den" mentioned by Elba are "imperial aristocrats. That is what I think. Father, what do you think?

"...... I suppose so."

Father meditated for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes.

'I might as well tell you,'"

"......?"

I tilted my head, and he leaned forward and started quietly.

My parents. You know Esther and Toretto, who are your grandparents "

Yes, of course. I saw their portraits in the main house, and Garn told me a little bit about them before my birth. But I heard that both of them died in a tragic accident before I was born.

My grandfather Esther had the same hair color and eyes as mine, as seen in the portrait, and was a man much like your father in appearance.

I think my grandmother Toretto was also a kind woman with light brown hair and blue eyes.

But what about it?

'Rid, from here on out, you are not to say another word.'

Father reminded him, and then he started to speak.

The reason for their deaths. Ostensibly, it was an accident, but in reality, it was an assassination.

"......⁉"

I rolled my eyes at the unexpected answer.