Mitsuha's Perspective
After the members who came to report left, we had a strategy meeting with Sabine-chan.
"Next time, I'll think about it a bit more." (Sabine)
"...Well, I don't think it will be a repeat of what happened this time. He's not an idiot... wait, was he is an idiot...?" (Mitsuha)
"Ahaha..." (Sabine)
Sabine-chan let out a dry chuckle at my words.
"Anyway, next time, he will probably try to wait until Mileisha-chan is alone, or when there are only young ladies of a lower rank around..." (Sabine)
"Yes, out of the question. Whenever she goes out, she'll be always accompanied by a young lady of a higher rank, and even when she’s alone, there’ll be a guard a short distance away. And…"
"Of course, members of Society will be there along with the guards..."
Yes. Since having two guards would have caused conflicts, we had already arranged for the guards from Mileisha-chan's house—from Count Larisdelle's house. When there were no guards from other families, the young lady from Society guard unit and Mileisha-chan's guards would join forces as covert protectors. To others, the guards of the Count Larisdelle family would only look like they were guarding the members they were with. ...And they weren't just secret guards, but seemed to be acting on friendly terms with the young lady they were guarding...
"Well, there are only two of them, a male guard and a combat maid, so if the girl from Society reveals their affiliation and calls out for help, there shouldn’t be a problem." (Mitsuha)
"As long as the enemy isn't a platoon of elite troops or something like that, I think that'll be fine." (Sabine)
Hmm, Sabine-chan's judgment is pretty much the same as mine...
"Well, they'll probably be quiet for two or three days. …Then, in the meantime, let's gather some information…"
Third person view
"...Somehow, we managed to escape from the sinking ship, huh..."
"Yeah. I helped spread the rumors, but I didn't use any violence to harm anyone. By the time Keidith-sama was condemned, we had already parted ways. If we had said, 'I was ordered to do so and had no choice but to follow orders because of my position. However, I could no longer bear it, so I left Keidith-sama's side, regardless of the worsening position for myself and my family,' we wouldn't be blamed. Let's have those two, who had poor crisis awareness, take the blame for Keidith-sama's actions. ...Well, this incident was something that Enrud brought up, so he got what he deserved..."
Two of Keidith's henchmen managed to escape before the catastrophe. It seemed as though he intended to push all the rest onto the remaining two.
Their families were adjacent to Keidith's family home, the Count Kurvarich Territory. So, when they made the decision to run away together, they decided to travel together. The sons of nobles did not always have guards with them like women did and it was not uncommon for the third son or younger of a poor noble family to travel without an escort when using a stagecoach that usually had a regular guard. The sons of nobles were training with the sword and the third son and below were not that important, so not much money was allocated to them.
So, the two of them stayed at an inn in the town where they got off to change stagecoaches. While resting their bodies that had become stiff from the carriage ride, they leisurely talked about such things, but...
"Dear guest, an envoy from the lord has come. Apparently, they wish to invite you to dinner..." (Receptionist)
"Eh?" (Both of them)
Hearing this from the innkeeper, the two of them let out sounds of surprise and confusion.
That was not surprising. There was still a long way to go to their parents' homes. ...So they didn't think the lord of this place was familiar with them or their family. As well, they didn't think the lord was close enough to invite someone below the third son to dinner... However, whatever the circumstances, there was no way they could turn down an invitation from the lord. So there was only one answer.
"... I, I understand. I will get ready right away, so please tell the messenger that..."
"Thank you for inviting us this time..."
Still half-believing, they were guided to the lord's mansion and asked to confirm that they hadn't mistaken the person but was told that it was not a mistake. The two were then ushered further in and greeted the lord who was waiting for them. Even if they were the sons of a poor noble families, they were still a nobleman after all. They knew the proper etiquette for that.
"Well, well, thank you for coming despite our short notice. ...The truth is, a guest who came to visit our house today happened to find out that the two of you were staying in town today. And so, they asked me to have the two of you over for dinner..." (Lord)
Hearing this, the two of them seemed relieved, as the mystery of the sudden invitation from a nobleman they had never met was now solved. If that was the case, then they could understand this situation. They had quite a few relatives, friends, and acquaintances who were nobles themselves. Perhaps one of them happened to see them in town on their way to visit the lord's mansion. They were grateful to have a connection with a high-ranking noble family. Thinking this, the two of them were grateful to that person, but...
"Oh, the guests have arrived." (Lord)
When he said that, they turned towards the door...
"Welcome. I am Viscount Mitsuha von Yamano. I am the vice president of Society, a social club for the daughters of noble families. This is my sister, Sabine." (Mitsuha)
"... Gy..." (Both)
"Gy?" (Mitsuha)
"Gyaaaaaa~!!" (Both)
...It was a plot. Indeed, it was the two attendants who correctly understood it that way…
Mitsuha's Perspective
"...So, was this Enrud guy's idea?" (Mitsuha)
"Y-Yes..."
"Why did he do that?" (Mitsuha)
"Th-that's..."
The lord of this place was someone I knew. He liked the alcohol and food from the Yamano territory and was a nice guy who always thanked us when we met at parties. So, knowing that the two of their entourage who had left the royal capital would need to change stagecoaches in this town to return to their homes, I had set up a net here to capture them. Military planes had flown over this continent several times, so it was possible to teleport to most places. So, it was easy to get ahead of the curve with Sabine-chan.
The lord was surprised and delighted when we presented him with a set of six carefully selected whiskeys, including Hakushu 12-year-old single malt whiskey. So he watched over us at the dinner table with a smile and a lukewarm look on. We had explained the outline of the current situation to them, so he was completely on our side. ...By the way, I'll pass on Hakushu 18 and 25 years old because they're expensive! I don't drink whiskey, so I don't know what it tastes like...
Anyway, I made them spill everything. Maybe they'll be honest with us. If they want to get away with this, they'd better make a good impression on us. ...Besides, to avoid retaliation from that guy called Keidith who would be seen as a betrayal, it would be safer to have him completely lose his standing, right? Come on, tell us everything...