The Viscount Neunil family’s resistance had been completely suppressed, but the whereabouts of Mort and Viscount Neunil remained a total mystery. The guard captain who faced Adolf lost his life, and of the roughly fifty private soldiers, more than half were dead.
The family members were dragged out in a line, strung together like fish on a line.
I ordered the men not to be rough with the women and children.
No one could have predicted that the venerable Viscount Neunil family, one of the houses that had dominated central politics for so long, would collapse this pitifully. The connections they so prided themselves on proved useless.
The Viscount Neunil family had traditionally been close to the eastern princes.
But the aftermath of the civil war dealt Neunil a severe blow.
Had the eastern princes’ faction come through without a civil war to fight, attacking Neunil would have carried considerable risk for me as well. But not a single eastern prince came to the aid of Neunil, besieged on all sides.
No, even if they had wanted to help, they were in no position to.
For the time being, they were too busy pulling their forces back together after the civil war to spare the capital any attention. On top of that, the grand duke, the western princes, and the main body of the duchy army were all still stationed in the east.
Intervening in events in Breisburg under such circumstances was out of the question. That was why the attack on Neunil was perfectly timed and met no interference at all.
"For a family that has existed since the founding of the nation, the end was almost hollow in how simple it was. It certainly makes clear what happens when you turn a prince with real power into your enemy."
Having seen the outcome, Adelbert seemed inwardly deflated.
He had vomited a little at the stench of blood, but by now he had grown used to it.
"If Reinfeldt had crossed the line just a bit further, you would have met the same fate."
"...Am I supposed to consider my father’s death a blessing?"
"Do not forget this day, Count. This is the end that awaits those who make an enemy of a prince. Handing a prince a justification is the same as offering up your own neck."
Neunil had given me the justification I needed to act, and I used it to bring in the Judicial Department and the Capital Sentinel Command, pile on charges of every kind, and strike the family down in a single blow.
That is what a legitimate justification does.
"It appears they fled through here."
After following their trail, we discovered a vertical shaft leading down to the underground passages. It seemed to have served as a chute for dumping refuse, and this reeking place had been their last resort. I ordered a thorough search of the interior.
As a result, we discovered that the passage connected to a distant mansion—an abandoned one, as it happened. Adolf laughed heartily, saying that the rat had certainly lived up to its name.
We found traces of them slipping out of that mansion.
Now that they had escaped the encirclement, where had they gone?
"If the visible clues are to be believed, they seem to have headed south to seek the Count of Basel’s help."
"The Count of Basel? If a southern prince is involved as well..."
Adelbert glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
The reason they had drawn in Basel was simple.
"They’re aiming at me. The Count of Basel and I are not on good terms."
The Count of Basel had lost the war and paid an enormous ransom, but he remained the greatest threat to Rosenheim. What was more, he had the Swiss Confederation at his back, which made him an eyesore to the grand duke as well.
But we had crushed Neunil without giving him any time to intervene, so his chance was gone. Still, if Mort and Viscount Neunil were to safely join up with the Count of Basel, we would have to assume the worst.
War wouldn’t break out immediately, but it would be trouble that lingered for years to come.
"How about returning to the government offices now?"
"But Baron, Mort has not been caught yet. I have no intention of going back until that bastard is captured and put on the rack. If only for Amalia’s eternal rest!"
"If you’ve decided to trust me, then trust me to the end. I will bring him in without fail."
The reason I wanted to send Adelbert back was his suspicious behavior and killing intent. If he tried to kill Mort on sight without a second thought, there would be no bigger headache.
So it was better to simply keep him far away.
Adelbert hesitated, then let out a deep sigh.
"Do you perhaps already know how I would act?"
"I’m merely trusting my intuition. We are still on friendly terms, so I would prefer that neither of us do anything that could cause problems between us. Consider it goodwill, and advice, from me to you, Count."
"...Very well. I will go to the Viscount Elsheimer family."
Not the government offices, but Elsheimer?
Did he mean to console the last remaining Elsheimer heir?
I only hoped he wouldn’t stir up unnecessary trouble. It was mere conjecture drawn from the circumstances, but wasn’t it the secret affair between the viscountess and Adelbert that had driven Mort over the edge? It was a motive as perfect as they come.
Thankfully, Adelbert didn’t dig in his heels any further.
But before returning, he left me with some curious words.
"Baron of Rosenheim, all this time I had taken the existence of princes lightly. But having experienced it firsthand, I have truly come to realize what fearsome power they hold. I think I understand now why my father tried so hard to draw princes to his side."
"The Finance Minister tried to draw in princes?"
"As far as I know, it was the Count of Essenbach and Marquis Offenburg. If we can maintain friendly relations, as you say, I will share that information with you someday."
Hmm, so he wasn’t about to simply take the loss lying down. The way he deftly dangled information I would be curious about and then slipped away proved he was still no easy mark.
The oldest prince in the realm, and Lily’s uncle—a man who had now become my political enemy.
What these two nobles had in common was that they were both after Strasbourg. Because of it, they mixed about as well as oil and water. So the Finance Minister had been cunningly working the gap between them?
Surely he wasn’t plotting something using Lily?
She was an innocent, pure-hearted child who adored Hilda and me, but now that she had become the crown princess, she was effectively a new political force. I truly hope the girl in white hasn’t been dyed the wrong color.
Now was the time to focus on Mort and Neunil, so I decided to set that matter aside for later. First, I ordered Drek and Ferke to transfer the prisoners to the Judicial Department. Then Adolf spoke to me.
"Even if they’ve asked the Count of Basel for help, it’s no problem. This old man will take the lead and drag them back! So please grant me permission to move south."
He meant permission to pass through Rosenheim.
Breisburg and the south are separated by high mountains, so traveling south is difficult without going through Rosenheim or along the Main River. One could flee over the mountain trails, but that is no easy feat.
The land is undeveloped, so anyone but the hunting families would likely get lost. Even within Breisburg’s territory, vast stretches centered on the southern mountains remain unsettled, and bears and wolves are plentiful.
No one knows how many bandit camps are out there.
Even for fugitives, crossing such terrain is difficult.
Perhaps because he had seen blood for the first time in ages, the excited old warhorse raised his voice heartily and volunteered to lead the way. He was so full of energy that I had to wonder whether he had really been living quietly in retirement.
As I deliberated, Adolf said to me,
"From what I know, the Count of Basel and you are bitter enemies, Baron."
"Rosenheim and Basel were never on good terms to begin with, and this civil war has made things the worst they have ever been. If the Count of Basel’s forces recover, a territorial war may well break out."
"Then this old man is the right one for the job. You may not know this, Baron, but this old man once saved the Count of Basel’s life. By the Lord’s grace, he could hardly point his sword at his savior!"
That was better information than I had expected. Even if a fight broke out with the Count of Basel, I could ask Steinhof to mediate, or put the old knight forward as a shield and strip the count of his moral justification.
"In my view, they did not flee toward the Count of Basel."
"Then which direction do you believe they went, Baron?"
The traces of Mort that I saw through the Searcher Scouter pointed not south, but west. To the west of Breisburg lay a small harbor town on the Main River.
"Those bastards are definitely trying to escape by ship."
A place called Breisach.