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Being able to move as soldiers even while talking of random things showed how thoroughly all of them had been trained. It was almost a delight to watch them move in perfect cooperation as they moved ahead of the mercenaries, going down those dark and unknown stairs.

When the mercenaries followed into the stairs, Mira once again reminded the soldier leader about the badge and clause.

「It’s a bit of a long story,」he began, and by the end, his explanation seemed more like a string of happy coincidences.

The clause stipulated that a person could not refuse a warrantless search if a credible source claimed that a criminal or valuable evidence was located within private property.

This provision was only enacted under very specific circumstances, where the outcome of the investigation had to be certain. Essentially, the authorities required information from an extremely reliable informant before proceeding.

Despite these stringent limitations, the clause held one additional special provision. Neither nobility nor royalty could oppose a search under this clause, and in certain cases, even high-ranking nobles could be restrained with weapons without any repercussions.

The soldier leader continued to explain that the clause had been written during a time when many nobles and even a part of the royal family were gravely corrupted, using their influence and authority to cover all their wicked deeds. So the second special exception clause was written and put into effect, as a law to keep justice and order no matter the position of a criminal.

That had been a rather major event there, so everyone in the whole country was well aware of it.

Mira had been considered such a trustworthy informant, as she had been aiding with the pursuit of Fuzzy Dice, and was an A rank adventurer who was already known as the Spirit Queen.

「That’s quite a lot of power you’ve been granted in that case.」

Mira was a bit impressed that Desmond had been given that badge to enact the clause. In response, he grimaced a little before adding, 「Actually, that’s something that only happened yesterday.」

That clause was not something any soldier could enact. But the day before, the king had sent someone to the soldiers, giving them the badge and a written permit to use it for some time. The king was anticipating that it would come in handy when dealing with Fuzzy Dice.

「Ohh, I see… And it actually ended up being of use.」

The king had a keen sense of foresight and anticipated the current situation, so he sent the badge beforehand. Thanks to that, they were able to move past the proprietor and continue chasing after Fuzzy Dice.

It had been a perfect prediction, but there was something else Mira noticed.

All of Fuzzy Dice’s previous heists would end at the Spellcasters’ Union. The detective had made sure to stress that much. So their current chase did not align with the thief’s known methods whatsoever. Something like that should be impossible to predict, no matter how good one’s foresight was.

(…Or did both of them plan all of this out?)

That also seemed like a likely option, considering everything that happened.

Fuzzy Dice had clearly stated in the Spellcasters’ Union that he still had something left to do, after which he riled up the crowd and made everyone follow him there. Then he left plenty of indications to make it clear he had gone inside of the mansion.

Choosing that specific passage and underground pipeways as an escape route also seemed far too contrived. It was far easier to believe that Fuzzy Dice and the king had been working together, so the king knew the soldiers would need the badge to go into the mansion.

(Hmm… If I remember correctly, Haxthausen is within Linxrot… Which means…)

Mira had met the prince of Linxrot in the past, or thirty years prior in this world. Wondering if he was the current king now, she asked Desmond what the name of the king was, wondering if it was Judas.

「Yes, that’s correct. He’s King Judas Linxrot XVI.」 Desmond quickly confirmed her suspicion.

Mira had interacted with him when he was still a prince, but even back then, he gave the impression of being someone who cared strongly about justice. He also was very flexible with his plans and ideas, going as far as hiring thieves and bandits when necessary, as long as the end result was positive.

Now that Judas was the king, it was easy for Mira to imagine that he would join hands with Fuzzy Dice, who was notoriously righteous as well.

And with how much work they had put into making sure the soldiers found the underground pipeways, there had to be something that went against their sense of justice within, and Mira believed it was hiding past that door.

As far as the bandits he had hired in the past went, Judas would give them plots of land to work on after their job was done, which allowed them to earn a living as farmers and they disbanded their bandit groups.

(They’ve got us dancing on the palms of their hands… But I also can’t let their efforts go to waste.)

Knowing Fuzzy Dice’s past heists, if they played along, they would eventually find everything they needed to put an end to evil men. Knowing that, they could not afford to deviate and go directly after the thief, even if it meant that Fuzzy Dice would once again get away.

「Why the interest in His Majesty Judas though?」

It was Desmond’s turn to ask a question, knowing there had to be a deeper reason in Mira’s mind, and she had to debate on whether it was best to reveal what she had noticed or not.

(…Hmm, maybe it’s for the best…)

Eventually she made up her mind and moved aside from the group, beckoning Desmond to come with her. Then she asked him to lean down so she could whisper into his ear, after which she explained what she was thinking. How the badge had been delivered with perfect timing, Fuzzy Dice’s plan, and what they would likely find behind the closed door.

「I see… It’s not his hideout, but something like that… I did think it was strange that His Majesty would personally send someone with the badge like that…」

Mira’s hunch seemed very likely, and Desmond was quickly convinced that she was right.

「If we follow the footprints, we’ll never be able to catch him, but if we turn back, then all his efforts to unearth crimes will go to waste. So with that in mind…」

Now that they were both on the same page, Mira began telling him of the plan she had thought up, which she believed would give them the ideal result.

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the stairs and everyone began getting ways to light up the place. Mira and Desmond arrived shortly after them.

「I never knew this place existed…」
「I wonder where it all goes?」
「It gives me the creeps…」

It was exactly the same way as Mira had seen through the First Lieutenant’s eyes, and soon they also spotted Fuzzy Dice’s footprints.