Baim.
He walked the usual road from the mansion toward the Guild he visited every day. It was still the height of summer, and the women of Baim were dressed in lighter, more revealing outfits than usual.
Just walking to the Guild was enough to break a sweat, and seeing fellow workers heading out to their jobs clad in armor on a day like this really drove home how tough it must be. Not that it was any of his concern, but today he was dressed casually with nothing but a mass-produced Saber hanging at his waist.
Novem, walking beside him, was also dressed lighter than usual.
"It's still quite hot. The days have been just as warm at night lately, too. Please take care of your health, Lord Rauno."
He was fine, personally. He'd placed an ice pillar conjured by magic in his room to keep things somewhat cool.
"I'm fine. More importantly, are you alright, Novem?"
He had returned to Baim by midday yesterday, but it seemed Novem and the others had also made it back the day before, having completed their request.
With his return, they'd decided to submit their Guild reports together, which was how they ended up heading to the Guild as a pair.
"We do have people here who are skilled with magic. Still, it's hot, and they sell Mana Tools that can cool things down, so it might not be a bad idea to pick one up."
Convenient Mana Tools did exist. You'd channel magic power into them, and they'd lower the temperature of a room.
Those kinds of handy Mana Tools were cheap compared to typical Mana Tools—namely, weapons. Cheap, though, only in the context of being Mana Tools.
"Money... well, I know it'd be more convenient to have some, but..."
If he could manage with magic, there was no real need for a Mana Tool. The problem was that he currently had no financial leeway, and at this rate, he'd probably end up relying on Vera again.
As the two chatted on their way, they arrived at the Guild—where a certain rumor was starting to gain traction.
Eastern Branch. A private room.
Once he and Novem stepped into the private room handled by Marianne, they were able to hear all about the rumor.
"If you save the queen in Kartafus, you become king? What's that supposed to mean?"
Even hearing it, he couldn't make sense of it—and the Third Generation inside the Jewel didn't look too pleased about it either.
"Isn't she supposed to be a princess? A queen just doesn't have the same ring to it."
The Seventh Generation seemed to share the same sentiment.
"Indeed. I can't help but picture some suitably mature woman. Is this some kind of punishment game?"
The Queen of Kartafus was supposed to be a stand-in, if I remembered correctly. She shouldn't be that old, and she had been making a name for herself as a knight until just recently.
Mireia, slightly irritated:
"It's rude to care about a woman's age. Honestly, this is exactly why men are—"
The Seventh Generation, mimicking Mireia's tone:
"I think it's rather poor form not to consider how men feel about things. Honestly, this is exactly why you're like this, Aunt—"
The next moment, as always, the crackle of gunpowder rang out and the inside of the Jewel fell silent. In my opinion, the Seventh Generation and Mireia may well have had some kind of relationship back when they were alive.
Given the timeline, there could very well have been a period when they spent time together at the mansion.
Marianne was also smiling wryly.
"It's just a rumor. However, it seems the whispers from Kartafus have reached all the way to Baim, and there are apparently people conducting a serious investigation. What's been confirmed is that the queen has been in poor health and hasn't shown herself in public for some time. There's also a rumor that an adventurer with a somewhat unsavory reputation has gained a position in the castle. The name was... Lalk Mayard, I believe."
Hearing that name, I narrowed my eyes. Marianne, while processing documents, glanced over at me, then returned her gaze to the papers.
"Do you know him?"
"From Kartafus, briefly. I never actually spoke with him, but he had a rather troublesome skill. It was one that affected women, if I recall."
Hearing that, Marianne seemed to take note. She finished handling the paperwork and handed over the reward for the quests Novem and the others had completed.
Marianne spoke.
"I'll make a report about it, just in case. Though there are a few things that have me curious."
"Curious things?"
As I looked at Marianne looking troubled while I confirmed the reward amount, she explained. It seemed she didn't have a clear picture of the situation, though.
"Normally, the local Guild would be dispatched at an early stage for something like this. I figured Cartafus would move quickly, since he's so particular about protocol. Also, headquarters seems to be in a hurry. I don't think it has anything to do with Cartafus's situation, but they've arranged a ship for us."
Rather than having the adventurers catch a ride on the merchant ships, the Guild had prepared separate vessels specifically to transport them.
If Cartafus's story was true and the Guild headquarters was mobilizing in earnest, this matter would likely be resolved soon.
The Fifth Generation spoke.
"If the Guild is moving in earnest, there's no problem. There are bound to be capable people among them, so the Larc issue will be sorted out quickly too. Now then, we've got our own work to do, Laiel."
At his words, I gripped the Jewel. Novem was watching me do this. Seeing me respond to the Jewel like this, she looked curious about what was being discussed.
Actually, she looked positively excited. Novem herself seemed to admire the Successive Heads. But the Successive Heads never said things like "Let's meet."
——The port of Cartafus.
Skilled adventurers from Baim had been gathered there.
They were called top-class, but they weren't the type of adventurers normally dispatched for monster subjugation or commissioned quests, nor were they part of any mercenary company.
They were dungeon specialists who infiltrated the Dungeon in Baim and made their living there.
One of them asked the leader among the adventurers.
"This is pretty overkill for just one kid, isn't it?"
In addition to the main combat members, there were reserves as well. But the entire group was composed of men.
It was a precaution against Larc, but even so, the way the men spoke had many unnatural edges. The leader rolled his neck and said.
"It's been a while since I traveled by ship. But yeah, we're definitely overdoing it. I don't think they need to send us out for this... I guess it's more that things were too constrained back in Baim."
They were an all-male party of adventurers from the start, with no female members to speak of. Still, there were occasions when women joined. But this time, none of that was going to happen. There was no need for it.
It wasn't just because Larc was there that they couldn't do it——
"He might have a Skill that exerts a high charm effect on the opposite sex, huh... There sure are a lot of troublesome ones out there. Now then, let's go make contact with our provisional client."
The leader stood up from the wooden crate at the port, and the rest of the group followed, setting off in the leader's wake——.
——Baim Eastern Branch.
Marina was grinning as she listened to Tahnia's—Tānya's—request in the private room.
It was a high-risk mission, and moreover, it was the sort of thing that would be problematic if word of it ever leaked outside.
However, for Marina, it was an irresistible request, and she had no reason to turn it down.
Gazing at Tahnia's mask-like expression, Marina signed the contract.
"…The Guild really does play dirty, huh. To think they'd ask me to hunt down adventurers who belong to their own ranks."
Tahnia said nothing. No—she probably couldn't retort.
With that, the contract was burned, and Marina was paid a handsome advance. Five hundred gold coins, at least. She took them and stuffed the coins into her bag.
"Well then, I'll be dealing with that little lady. She's been on my mind for a while now. She reeks of beast, you know… The boy's interesting too, but the lady is far more suited as my prey."
Tahnia spoke to Marina with a look of exasperation.
"…Lyle… As long as you carry out the raid on Lyle's party, that will suffice. Requests should have been sent out to the other adventurers as well. Marina, if you don't hurry, your prey will be snatched up by someone else."
"That would be a problem. But I don't like this 'wait for their forces to scatter' business one bit. Wouldn't it be better to surround them in a group and crush them all at once?"
Tahnia clearly wanted to prevent Marina from acting on her own. That was probably why she had decided to explain everything in the first place.
"We can't have Lyle killed here in Baim. For our part, we need to lure them to Kartafus no matter what. After that, you're free to raid whoever remains."
Marina listened and spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"So the Kartafus rumors are a Guild affair, huh. I was hoping to fight the boy too, but I suppose that can't be helped."
Tahnia was looking down. It was a job—that was probably why she was issuing this request—but personally, she might not want to go through with it. Her expression hadn't changed, but Marina felt her own instincts whispering as much.
Marina shouldered her bag and spoke.
"…As long as nobody touches my prey, I'll play along with the Guild's little game. Well, I'll just sit tight in Baim and take it easy for a while—no requests, nothing."
With that, Marina left the room, licking her lips as she pictured her target—May.
(We'd met before, inside the Dungeon. But this time… ah, it gives me the chills.)
Faced with a formidable opponent, Marina was clearly excited.
Banseim—the neighboring country that had become Baim's neighbor.
Broa, in the city closest to Baim, was reading documents sent from Baim.
"…Looks like they're serious."
Before him stood an envoy from Baim—a man who served as one of the merchant representatives.
"Of course. And we've prepared ample gifts as well. Surely Lady Ceres will find them to her liking."
Having seen a portion of the treasures and rare goods that Baim's merchants had earnestly gathered, Broa realized they were meant as a bribe directed at him.
It was wrong to accept, but he wanted every last coin he could get right now, so he took them.
"If I may offer some advice—you'd do well not to show too much interest. Lady Ceres is fickle, after all."
He stopped short of calling her cruel. Partly because he feared the merchant before him would go tattling that he'd said so. But Broa understood, truly.
(Unless you've actually met Ceres, you probably can't grasp just how unsettling she is. I'm sure the merchants of Baim think she's just a slightly ruthless young girl.)
They genuinely seemed to believe they could use Ceres to turn a profit.
"Yes, we've looked into all of that without oversight. So, what about passage?"
Broa prepared the documents and handed them to the merchant.
"I'll provide an escort up to the territory under my control. Beyond that, show these documents to the lord and request passage. When they hear it's an offering for Lady Ceres, some lords or nobles may even volunteer to escort you. Well, I'll guarantee your safety on the journey."
He added—as long as they used the well-maintained highway.
The merchant bowed and left the room. Watching him go, Broa wondered what expression the man would wear when he returned—if he ever returned at all.
Rauno's office.
Novem and I showed up there, and upon hearing Rauno's report, I furrowed my brow.
"...The Guild is after me?"
Rauno wore a solemn expression.
"That's right. They think you went too far against the Guild. But it's not just that. The Guild headquarters weighed you against your sister Ceres. True,
you brought benefits to Baim, but when comparing that to the future queen of a great nation—there was no contest. Baim chose the future queen."
They chose Ceres over me. Even hearing that, I couldn't say it was wrong. When you compare a single adventurer to the queen of a great nation like Banseim, the answer was obvious.
But it was too sudden. And they could have at least pretended not to know about it.
"Is this just to crush me? The Guild headquarters really has too much free time. No—the entire Guild, I suppose."
Novem, too, seemed unable to tolerate this affair, and she spoke as though reproaching Rauno.
"Who exactly made the decision to discard Lyle? If they're taking Ceres that lightly, then Baim is—"
"—Novem."
Cutting Novem off, I pressed Rauno to continue.
"...The information brokers are selling your data. I want you to understand that even me selling this information is dangerous ground. The Guild intends to commission you with the rescue of Kartafus's queen. But it's a false commission. The adventurers who went ahead are a group of elite fighters who've broken through to the seventieth underground floor of the Dungeon. They'll be lying in wait for you there. On top of that, they apparently plan to ambush the companions who remain here."
I looked at Rauno.
"...The name of the Trace house carries no weight?"
Rauno nodded.
"This isn't just your problem. Other merchants want to drive the Trace house and the faction it leads out of Baim somehow. But they won't use force directly against the Trace house. So instead, they'll crush you and your people by force. There's also the implication of making an example of you. For several reasons, Baim decided to cut you loose—including the Trace house."
It seemed Baim had indeed cut me loose. But considering everything I'd done up to this point, I couldn't really blame them. If anything—
The Third Generation was surely wearing a dark smile right about now.
"...You're wrong. It wasn't Lyle who got cut off. It was Baim, the city itself. Isn't this great? It's the ending we wanted most from all the scenarios we planned. Let's tear them apart, traps and all."
The Fifth Generation sounded serious too. "We should verify those rumors about Kartafus as well. If rescuing the queen is truly feasible, it would be a tremendous favor. It would give us a way to secure the northern side of Banseim."
The Seventh Generation as well.
'The time has finally come for Lyle to retire from adventuring! What wonderful news this is. Thank you... citizens of Baim. We shall never forget your sacrifice.'
Mireia finishes it off.
'So... for the sake of our Lyle, shall we have Baim destroyed?'
Everyone speaks in unison. This must be in their blood.
'This is getting fun!!'
When I let a smile cross my face, Rauno looked unsettled. Novem, on the other hand, seemed just slightly pleased.
"It's getting fun, isn't it, Rauno?"
"Huh? Oh? I-Is that so?"