Gremory flew from place to place. She worked hard around the area, but she didn't feel the witch's energy.
Occasionally, she could see low-level witches doing small bad things. It was a bit annoying, but the low-level witches were weak and didn't do anything big, so she just looked at them.
At three o'clock in the morning, Gremory patrolled the docks on her way back to the Grand Duchy of Ethel.
Then, she felt a strange aura. It was a strange aura, not a witch's aura.
"What is it? It's gloomy and dark."
Gremory flew towards the place where she could feel the energy.
The place she arrived at was the back alley of a private house. There, five big men were plotting with serious faces.
Gremory, who had turned into a cat, overheard their conversation from the roof of a building in a back alley.
"Oh, Captain! It seems that the middleman who was supposed to help with the smuggling was scammed. I see that he still doesn't show up at the appointment."
"I didn't give him an advance payment... What should we really do? If I had known this would happen, I would have just been quietly in the southern land!"
"Why do the empires make a fuss about us, who have been standing still, and accuse us of being the culprits? I'm going to die of injustice!"
"Damn, I'm going crazy! I don't even have the money to request a smuggling anymore!"
They were Southern barbarians. The barbarians' unique, enormous size and rugged appearance were proof of this.
'Are the barbarians in the empire wearing imperial clothes?'
Apparently, they had their own circumstances and came to the empire. Then, they are suddenly accused of being traitors and seem to be trying to smuggle away, but there is no way.
'We can catch them and pretend to be the culprits who used black magic. But what's in the bag that the captain is carrying? I feel a strange aura over there.'
Darkness was rising over the heads of the trembling barbarians. Gremory quickly read their darkness.
"They are the closest aides of the barbarian chieftain."
After the death of the barbarian chieftain by the Severian, during the process of electing the next chieftain, a great division broke out among the barbarians. In the midst of a power struggle between the two sides, ordinary people starved in their hometowns, which had become wastelands.
The deceased chieftain's entourage was eventually pushed out of the power struggle. On the verge of death, they managed to escape and hide in the empire. He took the black magic tools that were the chieftain's keepsake.
In other words, what the captain's bag contained were black magic books and magic tools, which were the chieftain's keepsake.
"It would be perfect to say that it was proof that it caused disaster in the empire."
They had established themselves on the black market of the empire and tried to make money by receiving commissions for black magic. However, before they could properly establish their ground, strange disasters occurred in the empire, and they were accused of being sinners and fugitives.
Whether they had caught the ground or not, it was certain that they were sinners who tried to spread black magic in the empire. If so, they will be punished as they deserve.
Gremory stretched her front paw down the spray. A black powdery magic erupted from the soft soles of her feet.
The powder of magical power fell on the barbarians who were chattering hard.
"Damn, that's why I recognized the broker straight, right? Dare to be scammed? You are in charge!"
"Why are you only doing this to me? The captain also met the broker yourself! You even complimented me for making a good impression!"
"Everyone, please lower your voice! Do you want to make a big deal out of the fact that we're here?"
"So what should we do? Would you steal a boat and smuggle it away? If you paddle for a few days, won't you be able to do something?"
"You idiot, how do you row to a foreign country? It's impossible unless it's a ship with a magic device!"
"Why don't you give it a try? Whether you are in the empire and get killed by a dog, or if you row and become shark food, aren't they both the same?"
"Ugj. But why is there so much dust here?"
"Uh... I feel like my head is dazed..."
The barbarians, who had inhaled the magical powder while chatting, began to stagger. The powder of magic power gradually spread into their bodies, encroaching on their minds.
"I should go to the Grand Duke of Ethel to embroider right away..."
"We... He invaded the empire to avenge the chieftain and caused disaster..."
The firmly possessed barbarians began to murmur. Gremory gathered the dark horses around him and brought them in front of them. So that they can quickly reach the Grand Duke of Ethel.
The barbarians mounted their black horses and galloped eagerly towards the Grand Duke of Ethel.
***
The next morning, the checkpoint was at Grand Duke Ethel's residence.
"I was wrong! Please kill us!"
"Since I have turned myself in like this, please have mercy and kill me with a single sword!"
Severian was stunned when he saw the barbarians who suddenly came to turn him in. His eyes naturally turned to Gremory.
"Hey, is it you?"
"What?"
"They are like that."
"Why? Do you want to know how I did it? Do you want me to show you how?"
Severian took a step back from Gremory.
"...That's it, do you have any skills that make others look younger?"
"I don't have any skills like that. For what? Do you want to look young?"
"It's not because you have to enter the passage to the forbidden book storage room! You have to get smaller to get in there or not, right?"
Then, Alice, who was watching the two of them, started to make a fuss.
"Oh ho! Telling me about the young Prince is so cute that I think I'm going crazy!"
Alice poked Severian's shoulder with her index finger. Severian shook his shoulders with a straight face.
"You're really crazy!"
When he looked at it so loudly, the eyes of those around him were too focused. From commoners to knights who came out to watch, Severian, who was hesitant, pretended to be dignified for no reason.
"Ugh. In any case, judging from all the evidence and circumstances, it is certain that this black magic incident was done by them. Destroy all the tools of black magic and send them to the dungeon."
At the sound of the dungeon, the barbarians hugged each other and fell around. They begged for it, but Severian ignored it and looked at Chession.
"Hey, you guys take care of it."
"His Highness the Crown Prince will personally take them to the Imperial Palace. I also have black magic tools that are evidence. Since it is a serious matter, it would be better for His Highness the Crown Prince to handle it himself."
"What? I hate it. You take care of it. I don't want to go outside the relic shield. I want to stay here."
"I understand that His Majesty the Emperor has directly entrusted His Highness with all authority related to the Black Magic Incident. But if I sort out the whole situation, how will the nobles view Your Highness?"
"Oh, damn it! I still don't like it! I want to be in a safe place."
As Severian rushed to the swarm, Chession's eyes narrowed.
"I know that Your Highness's heroic stories are often talked about in social circles these days. Everyone said that His Highness had prevented a bigger disaster from happening because he had cut the barbarian chieftain's throat. If the chieftain had been alive, there would have been more serious damage from black magic."
"So what?"
"This is an opportunity to further enhance Your Highness's reputation, but is it really okay for me to intercept everything?"
"...You're really annoying."
"We will prepare Iron cages and carriages to transport the sinners. Now, everyone, get ready."
The knights moved according to Chession's Instructions. The barbarians were placed in iron cages with their hands wrapped behind their backs. Severian watched the process intently. He didn't want to go outside the sacred relic, but no matter how hard he rolled his head, he couldn't think of a good excuse.
In the meantime, Chession added more burden to his heart.
"If you return to the Imperial Palace, please take a good look at Iberia. Let's also study how to get into the forbidden book storage room."
"Ha, it's dirty. I got it. Do you... No, let's try to prevent the witch from installing more."
Severian, conscious of his listening ears, hurriedly corrected his words. Hearing this, Alice clung to Severian again.
"Hoho, there are beautiful women here too."
"Oh dear! Don't let her install it!"
"Don't be too angry. Now, I'll give you this."
Alice held out a black stone. Severian was very wary of this.
"I won't accept anything."
"On the outside, it looks like a stone, but it's a magic tool for self-defense. If you throw this at the enemy when it's dangerous, the opponent will be stuck. It's precious, but you're really not going to accept it?"
"...Come here."
"You're cute after all. Hoho."
Clutching the stone tightly, Severian climbed into his chariot to flee. He tried to kill the barbarians somehow, but the Grand Duke would not allow it. Still, to be on the safe side, Severain took the stone.
"I hope you arrive safely."
"Of course it should be."
Severian slammed the carriage door with a thud.
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