NOVEL SIMPLE 072 – She, Who Makes Regalo Cooperate
Departing the advance unit, there was roughly an hour's lag until we arrived at the village of Gaeriko.
We hadn't hurried our march, so the midpoint where the Great Eagle Folk, Brunoa, descended to report was already quite close to the village.
By the time we arrived, matters had long been settled.
I wouldn't have been surprised if the humans had been massacred - however, in reality, they had not been entirely wiped out.
Nevertheless, being neither protagonists of a manga nor characters in a novel, there were no rules against killing. The concept of sparing lives wasn't taught or practiced in this world. Besides, the Beast King's army didn't move under my command, so naturally, there were casualties among the humans.
And - though whether to say this or not was uncertain - Maya and Kirina had perfectly fulfilled my request. Their mission was to capture those who seemed knowledgeable.
"You're late. We've already finished here," Maya said in an unassuming tone. Perhaps she had been exhilarated immediately after the battle, but her excitement had waned while waiting for our arrival.
At Maya's feet were two captured individuals: one, a pompous man bound in ropes, and the other, a nondescript middle-aged man who didn't seem particularly restrained.
There were other human captives around, but Maya and Kirina had only secured these two. The rest were either severely injured, lying on the ground, or being trampled by the Boar-Orcs, presenting quite a spectacle.
"It's terrible, Lady Euphemia. Despite taking them with us, Maya charged in alone and finished everything," complained one.
"Well, that's fine. At least you explained to everyone to capture the survivors. Killing can always be done later," replied another.
The fox child puffed her cheeks cutely, but her words were grim. Come to think of it, it was I who had initially spared Kirina's parents to extract information. Though I did kill them later. It was a gruesome tale, indeed.
"Well, never mind that. Good job. Now—" I glanced at the bound man and the unbound one.
The bound one seemed to be unconscious, slumped over without any movement. Likely a noble, judging by his attire. Although not in full armor, he wore pieces such as a breastplate and gauntlets, all of which seemed high-quality and unused.
On the other hand, the unbound, unremarkable middle-aged man might be a mage. No, if he belonged to a fief, he would be a magician of the Magician Corps. He wore what appeared to be a robe, and although he had sturdy clothing, it differed from the others.
He gawked at me with a vacant expression, his mouth slightly agape.
"Hello there. I suppose it's nice to meet you. Can you tell me who you are and what this is all about?" I asked directly.
"Oh... uh, yeah, I figured that'd happen... Uh, you're human, right?" he stammered.
"Probably. Do you intend to answer my questions?" I smiled, and his face paled as he nodded repeatedly.
"I'm Regalo. I'm... I'm the squad leader of the fourth battalion of the Spade Fief's Magician Corps. Just so you know, it's not that big a deal. I was part of the pursuit force for the Beastfolk, and under the command of the unconscious commander here, we attacked and occupied this village."
"Oh? So the one sleeping there is the commander?" I inquired.
"He was supposed to be the captain of one of the knight divisions, but sorry, I forgot his name. Ask him when he wakes up. He's probably a noble," Regalo explained.
"You forgot the commander's name?" I asked, slightly surprised. Regalo didn't seem to be lying. It seemed like he genuinely didn't know.
"I wasn't interested. And this expedition wasn't something I'd have come to if it wasn't an order. Let alone occupy a village of beastfolk, that's just crazy," he replied.
"Understand this: you're the losers here. We haven't signed any treaties, and there aren't any conventions between us. That means we hold all the cards regarding your fate," I reminded him.
"Yeah, I get it. We've been reckless too. Can't argue with that," Regalo said, shrugging his shoulders.
He seemed fed up.
After a moment of contemplation, I decided to ask him directly, "If you're willing to cooperate as prisoners, I might consider accommodating you. But if you betray us... well, you know what'll happen."
"Now, what's your decision?" I asked, directing my gaze towards him. Without much delay, Regalo nodded.
"Surrender. If possible, I'd like the commander to be interrogated after a bit of roughing up, but as for my subordinates, if it's possible, I'd like them to be spared and released."
"Oh? That's quite an interesting request. You want us to release our enemies alive?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know anything anyway, and having prisoners would only be a hassle. Besides, for you beastfolk, whether you spare or kill us humans, it won't make much difference," Regalo explained.
The latter part of his statement wasn't directed at me.
In front of the newly emerged lion-like Beast King, Randall Kruger, Regalo seemed to express amusement, though he had no idea he was addressing the Beast King. Regardless, in the presence of such a commanding figure, even the most clueless would understand that 'this one's in charge.' Despite this, Regalo casually made a jest.
"Hey, Euphemia. Looks like there's a fun one among the human riffraff. Let me test how long they can keep the fun going," Randall said with a chuckle deep in his throat.
"Nope. That's mine. I'll take it. That bound one over there seems to be the commander. You can have him. Since I got my hands on this guy first, he's mine," I asserted.
"Heh, sounds like it's all about the demon girl capturing him, huh? Well, can't be helped. We'll spend the night in this village today. We'll gather those Gaeriko folks scattered in the woods and we need time for some chitchat," Randall declared.
"...What about my subordinates?" Regalo asked, even with a forced smile.
Randall grinned broadly before laughing aloud. "It's fine. As you say, these human scraps mean nothing to us. Once the chitchat's over, if my mood hasn't changed, I'll set them free."
Observing the Beast King, who jovially dragged the bound commander himself, I tilted my head in subtle discomfort.
I had thought Randall wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone, so I hurried to secure prisoners. But... there was something different about him now, like a 'commander with understanding.'
It deviated from the image of the arrogant Beast King.
Or perhaps, this is the true Randall?
"That's the Beast King? He doesn't seem very king-like," Maya remarked, tapping the ground with the butt of her spear. It seemed more like a comforting action than out of annoyance, so it was fine.
Kirina also wore a slightly perplexed expression as she watched the Beast King's back. After a moment, she approached and tightly grabbed the hem of my clothes.
"Lady Euphemia, what should we do?" she asked constructively.
Now, what to do?
That was always crucial.
But there were other important matters at hand, albeit a bit troubling.
