Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 241: The Truth About the Evening Party Riot (2)

“What are you saying? There are jokes that are acceptable to make, and then there are those that should never be uttered.”

“Ah, there’s no need to pretend. Those outside cannot hear our voices.”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

“This is just my monologue. I followed those who fled from that particular mansion, tracked down their hideout, and eavesdropped on their conversations inside. They said, ‘Things turned out quite differently from what we anticipated, but the plan failed just as we expected’.”

There were three key points in the information I gathered. The failure was part of their plan; they had knights and guards set fire to the refugee camp; and multiple organizations were involved.

If the premise was that occupying it was destined to fail, then what happened afterward must have been their real objective, which seems to be the arson at the refugee camp.

What was in the area where Chirik and the other children lived? If Chirik and his group were the target, a more serious attack would have been launched. Even though they were also armed and protected by sturdy walls, they were still children. If about a hundred people had attacked, the matter would have been resolved before I could intervene.

Yet, the actual attacking force was of such a small number, and they didn’t even have information that the children were armed. It’s certain that the children were not the primary objective.

The clue for that was the phrase “business rivals” I overheard. The people I had attempted to capture alive were likely part of a unit that was contracted to do the dirty work of some organization. The fact that they chose to end their own lives when they realized escape was impossible indicated a high level of training.

We concluded that there was a base of an organization hostile to theirs in the vicinity. They burned down a specific area to ensure that they could eliminate everyone involved, as they had mentioned. This, we believed, was the true nature of the incident.

“Then, which organization was targeted? Everything became clear to me when I thought about my visit to the children. A foul smell was emanating from that place.”

The target was likely an organization dealing in drugs. Rumors that their boss was nearby were also known to Chirik and the others. Thus, we were almost certain of this.

The fact that the vigilante group knew their location but couldn’t catch them meant they must have been incredibly skilled at hiding their base. The organization hostile to them couldn’t find it either. If they had known the exact location, they could have sent skilled assassins.

Therefore, they resorted to burning down the entire area, including where they suspected the organization’s base was, and so involving everyone around. But a normal fire might allow some of them to escape. To ensure complete annihilation, they had to be thorough.

They circulated rumors about a radical refugee organization and orchestrated an incident where this group supposedly occupied the evening party, providing a pretext to send knights and guards to raid their hideout. The entire area was then incinerated under the guise of an accidental fire.

“In the royal capital, there is a lot of talk about how some of the refugees were acting suspiciously and were found to be in possession of illegal items when investigated. Those who fled were thoroughly investigated, and any suspicious individuals were quickly arrested.”

Those who managed to escape the fire were eventually arrested within the royal capital. Some might have fled to areas unaffected by the fire, but it’s certain that the organization lost a great number of its members.

Other organizations existed in the refugee camp, and the vigilante group had increased its authority. Crane seemed to detest drugs and was reportedly setting up a strict regime against them. The prospects of the organization’s recovery seemed hopeless.

“I’ve heard rumors about the refugee camp. The drug trade is almost completely eradicated, isn’t it? Your wish has been fulfilled, right?”

“……..”

“The vigilante group’s reputation is skyrocketing, and the number of its members is steadily increasing. All thanks to the fire, wouldn’t you say?”

Crane stared at me in silence with his elbows on the table and hands clasped together. His expression was completely blank, and no emotion could be read from his face.

The people who benefited from the fire were not limited to those who had eradicated their rival organization. Crane’s vigilante group too made significant strides forward.

Due to their evacuation guidance, many refugees were saved, and the group was praised by them. Their work has been recognized by the kingdom and they have officially become a subordinate organization of the garrison. Rumors from the refugee camp suggest an unending stream of people wishing to join them; of course, they were more attracted by the prospect of a proper salary.

As their numbers grew, so would their combat strength and this would likely improve the security of the refugee camp more than before. This was a positive development. However, there was one thing I needed to ask… no, I had to ask.

“It’s true that the refugee camp will be safer than before. With one criminal organization gone and the strengthened power of the vigilante group. But… is that worth the sacrifice made? Was it necessary to exploit the lives of helpless children to such an extent?”

“…. I did my best to minimize casualties. And I didn’t force any sacrifices. Please, let me correct that impression.”

In response to my question which was posed in the form of a monologue, Crane sighed deeply and answered as if he was surrendering. Yet there was no hint of agitation in his voice, and he remained as calm as ever.

“We weren’t involved in the initial stages of the plan. In fact, our involvement was entirely coincidental. If you’ve deduced that much, then you must know, right? That it wasn’t just our organization involved.”

“Yes. I have a pretty good idea who else might be involved.”

The criminal organizations that crushed their rivals and the vigilante group that gained respect while improving security in the camp were not the only people who profited from the burning of the refugee camp. There was another faction that profited from this fire. That is…the Galar Kingdom itself.

There’s no doubt that the invasion by the Republic was the root cause of all these troubles; this was a fact even Asumi and the others would never deny. However, it was also true that the refugee camp and its inhabitants had become a burden to the Galar Kingdom.

The recent fire at the camp resulted in many casualties. To deal with this, the kingdom had sent support personnel and incurred extra costs. However, in the long run, expenses were reduced as there was no longer a need to support the deceased refugees. This was an assessment made by Robert, so it should be accurate.

The fire was conveniently caused by arson, but the people who started it were most likely among the knights and guards. At first, I thought these were operatives of the criminal organization disguised as guards, or perhaps bribed individuals.

But upon calm reflection, I realized that executing such a precise act of arson required organized effort, which was something beyond the capability of an individual or a small group. This led us to consider the possibility that there was a unit within the knights or guards specifically tasked with setting the fire.

If you were to think about it that way, it made sense that the hostage incident involved the noble faction and not the king’s faction. The bandits who occupied the party claimed it was all thanks to lax investigations, but the incident greatly tarnished the reputation of the count involved. The members of the same faction who were present at the scene but unable to resolve the situation were similarly disgraced. It was a good enough embarrassment to convey an image of how useless nobles were in times of crisis.

The resolution of the situation was thanks to the quick thinking of a foreigner named Lieselotte and her servants. However, she was related to Robert, who was part of the king’s faction. Currently, in the royal capital, there’s a rumor circulating about the nobility. It goes that the regional nobles are good-for-nothings who just strut around, but even the relatives of the king’s close associates are all sharp-witted.

By spreading these favorable rumors about themselves, they were also reducing the burden of the refugees. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

“That’s why we have no intention of stirring things up. We don’t plan to investigate who is involved or to what extent. We’d rather not poke a hornet’s nest.”

“A wise decision.”

At least Robert seemed unaware of the plot. If he were the mastermind, he wouldn’t have let me conduct the investigation, nor would he have allowed Lieselotte to attend the evening party. A single misstep could have led to a major incident involving a noble from another country.

But precisely for this reason, we couldn’t delve deeply into who planned it. It would be one thing if someone central to the kingdom, particularly in the military, was behind it. However, if it turned out to be a scheme by the king himself, denouncing it would be tantamount to criticizing the king.

Since this was a conspiracy, it could definitely be criticized by the people if it was discovered. This would seriously damage the reputation and authority of the king and the royal family. While it was possible to accuse them out of a sense of justice, doing so would completely tarnish the royal family’s reputation. And the nobles who were framed would understandably be furious.

If it came to that, the kingdom might end up like the empire, divided and plunged into civil war. Understanding this, and with no physical evidence at hand, Robert was indignant but unable to make any accusations.

And since I was hired by him, I had no choice but to keep silent when told to do so. Stirring up trouble in a country I was about to leave held no appeal for me. In the end, the truth was kept between myself and Robert, stored away in our hearts. The conclusion we came to was only a rough guess because the investigation was stopped at that point.

“As for your question, yes, I do feel responsible for the deaths of those who were innocent. But I don’t feel a shred of guilt over the deaths of the scum who dealt drugs, the addicts who clung to them, or the aggressive and dangerous children. The sacrifices were minimal, and the refugee camp has become a better place. I am convinced of that.”

“…Is that so?”

Crane didn’t seem to think of his actions as wrongdoing. No, he might even believe they were acts of goodness. That much was clear to me. Since I heard what I came for, I rose from my chair.

“I mentioned earlier that we are leaving the royal capital tomorrow. It’s unlikely we’ll meet again. Therefore, I won’t be involving myself with you any further.”

“That’s a relief. I can’t maintain peace and order if I’m being watched by someone as strong as you.”

“Then I guess parting ways is good for both of us. Ah, and don’t bother with a farewell. If you do come… I might end up killing you.”

With those words, I left the vigilante headquarters without waiting for Crane’s response. The building that was reflected in my rear compound eyes was certainly more impressive than the previous tents. However, now it strangely seemed more crudely constructed than when I first saw it.