Villains Steal from the Weak

Princess Tianis said she wanted to go on-site immediately to start recruiting, but I had to put a stop to that.

No matter how urgent, we needed at least some time to prepare.

She agreed, albeit reluctantly, and we decided to hire the princess's attendants and servants tomorrow during the day.

Having drive wasn't a bad thing, but acting without thinking would backfire.

Still, that was probably due to her age. As she gained experience and matured, she would become more thoughtful.

And so the day arrived.

Kanon would also participate as an interviewer.

She shouldn't be fully recovered yet, but she insisted on being present for interviews concerning those who would attend to Princess Tianis, so I reluctantly allowed it.

Besides, it was better than having her interfere later.

Though she was supposed to meet us from the hospital, she hadn't appeared yet.

We chose a plaza where a large-scale soup kitchen was operating.

They should be distributing bread and soup right about now.

By the way, I had Princess Tianis change from her usual expensive dress into something more understated for going out.

This way, she'd probably just be seen as a young lady from a good family.

"By the way, what's this?"

"Gifts. It makes a better impression than arriving empty-handed."

"Come to think of it, you always bring something when you visit… How diligent."

There was no one who wasn't happy to receive something.

But the balance was tricky.

If someone you barely knew suddenly gave you jewelry, you'd just be confused.

You might even find it frightening.

You had to consider the other person's feelings when choosing.

Something that could be prepared quickly and would please people relying on soup kitchens…

Well, I settled on bringing food.

I had Azu and the others carry dried monster meat from the area around the capital.

It was salty and filling, so while practical, it should make a good gift.

"Is this the capital's largest soup kitchen?"

"That's what I've heard."

A temporary tent had been set up in a sizeable plaza, where women were preparing for the soup kitchen underneath.

They were stacking delivered bread, filling large pots with water, and making soup.

They looked very busy.

"Excuse me."

"The soup kitchen isn't open yet. Please come back a little later."

"No, I didn't come for the soup kitchen. I brought some provisions."

"Provisions? We appreciate the thought, but depending on what it is, we can't accept it. For example, raw or uncooked food spoils quickly."

"This should be fine."

"This is… dried meat. It's well dried too. This will work. If we chop it up and add it to the soup, everyone will be happy. The budget's been cut and it's gotten watery."

"The budget was cut? I can't let that slide. Tell me more."

"Ah, it's nothing. It's noble business, you see."

Princess Tianis, who had been staying quiet behind me, cut in.

The woman's face showed she'd let something slip, and she quickly tried to cover it up.

But Princess Tianis didn't back down.

"I don't recall giving such an order. In fact, I should have ordered an increase. Tell me what happened."

"You gave the order, miss? That can't be right. You shouldn't say such strange things."

The woman must have thought it was a prank.

As she said that, she glanced over at me.

"No, if she says so, it's true. Because this is Princess Tianis Deiancle herself."

"That's right. Now talk."

The woman's face showed disbelief.

But once she understood this was no joke, she bowed her head to Princess Tianis.

"I-I had no idea you were the princess…"

"I don't mind. But about what you said earlier. I'm the one who ordered the soup kitchen and related efforts, and I haven't yet ordered any reduction in scale."

"That's… I'm just hired help, so I don't know the details. But when you work the soup kitchen every day, you notice things. The ingredients decreasing day by day, the bread quality getting worse."

"Let me see."

Princess Tianis entered the tent.

At first glance, there seemed to be a reasonable amount.

But this soup kitchen was meant to feed over a hundred people, and the amount allocated per person was clearly insufficient.

The bread wasn't fresh-baked either, all of it completely dried out and rock-hard.

It wouldn't be surprising if some of it was moldy.

"Is it like this everywhere?"

"From what I hear, yes."

"I see… I'm sorry for interrupting your work. Please continue. Thank you for all your hard work."

"Y-yes."

The woman bowed repeatedly to Princess Tianis and returned to making soup.

The dried meat I'd given her was being chopped and added.

We moved to a spot a little further away so we wouldn't be in the way.

Princess Tianis was clearly displeased, radiating a hostile atmosphere.

An ordinary child couldn't do this.

Moments like this made her feel like royalty.

"I understand that my orders don't reach the front lines perfectly."

"That's right. The more people a command passes through, the more it changes, like a game of telephone."

Even I felt that way running a small shop.

As a princess, she must feel it even more keenly.

"But this is different. Someone has clearly twisted my orders. What do you think?"

"Someone's been skimming. And quite boldly, thinking they wouldn't get caught."

"I see. So the budget I secured for the people has gone into someone's pocket."

She laughed quietly, kukuku.

But this was surely rage leaking out.

Princess Tianis's eyes weren't laughing at all.

No matter how many people something passed through, while it might change, its essence wouldn't change so easily.

Even if it didn't turn out as intended, at least some trace of the original intent would remain.

But this was clearly different.

Someone was using the soup kitchen meant to support the suffering people of the capital to line their own pockets.

Ignoring Princess Tianis's wishes entirely.

And people who saw this soup kitchen would think:

As expected, the royal family doesn't really care about us.

"When did this country become a place where those who steal from the weak can run rampant?"

"It's your job to correct that, Your Highness. You're the only one left who can."

Lady Anatia might be able to do something.

But her home base was Alsarm; the capital was Princess Tianis's domain.

Above all, she was the Kingdom's supreme authority.

"Help me, Yohane. This is why you're here. I probably can't solve this well on my own."

"I have my own feelings about this, so I'll gladly cooperate."

This was absolutely unforgivable.

I would teach them that the grudge over food was terrifying.