After returning to Zayin via Rolfis, a victory party was held for our group.
It was a celebration of the victory we had achieved alongside Rolfis against Selva. Beyond that, it also served as a party marking the end of the relentless string of work that had followed the recapture of Zayin.
In the great hall of the temple, many attendees stood eating in a buffet-party style while music played.
As for me, however—
"Holy Knight, is it true you've relinquished the position of Commander?"
"Is the next Commander, Lord Noi, really reliable enough?"
"Holy Knight, who is the one you truly have your heart set on? Lady Aura, or Lady Selma? Personally, I'd like to support Lady Selma—"
—I was being barraged with questions.
Wearing a smile and offering noncommittal answers, I looked at the crowd gathering around me and felt a sigh building in my chest.
But I held it in.
From within the Jewel, the Seventh Generation offered me advice.
*"Lyle, don't let your guard down. The people around you may be trying to read you at this very moment. Most of them are just curious bystanders and won't be of any use, but among them there are some who will be."*
Looking around, I spotted young men approaching Miranda and Aria. They appeared to be merchants. Elsewhere, knights were talking to Clara, Shannon, and May.
Monica stood quietly behind me at an angle, as though invisible to everyone around us. If she could manage that, I wished she would do it more often.
When I surveyed the area, though, I noticed that no one was approaching Novem or Eva.
Eva was an elf and faced discrimination as a demi-human. She had only been invited because I had insisted, arguing she was one of my companions.
But it was Novem who had caught my attention.
*(I thought someone would come talk to her…)*
Thinking this, once the conversation reached a lull and people began to disperse, I walked over to where Novem and the others were.
Bringing the glass in my hand to my lips, I took a small sip to moisten my dry throat. The conversation had been lengthy, and putting on a smile was tiring.
"Novem, Eva, are you enjoying yourselves?"
When I called out to them, the two standing near a pillar in the hall looked my way. They wore the dresses prepared for the occasion, giving them an appearance different from their usual atmosphere.
Eva showed me the plate she was holding.
"The food is delicious, but it's a bit lacking, don't you think? Monica's cooking has a lot more variety."
This party had been arranged in a hurry after the reconquest. It was understandable that preparations were insufficient.
Monica replied to Eva.
"Normally, my culinary skills are meant to make it so the Chicken couldn't survive without me. Well, I'll be pleased since I was complimented."
Covering her mouth with her right hand, Monica was smiling.
Eva placed the plate on a nearby table, looking exasperated.
"As always. Still, quite a crowd gathered, didn't they? Besides the priests, there are knights, and merchants, I suppose? And various others."
Novem, holding a glass with a beverage, explained to Eva.
"There are also envoys from other countries. And perhaps people from the Guild, along with the adventurers serving as their guards? I've been watching over toward Lyle-sama."
Feeling the glances flickering my way, I decided to head in that direction. If they were associated with the Guild, I wanted to at least meet and exchange greetings.
Moreover, there were many people looking to strike up a conversation with me.
Talking too much within my own group wouldn't be good.
The Third Generation spoke.
*'I haven't been to many parties like this, so I don't really get it, but is Lyle popular?'*
The Seventh Generation explained to the Third Generation.
"The main attraction this time, I'd say. The Holy Maiden who reclaimed Zayin, the former Holy Maiden, and the High Priest — I wonder if any of them can measure up to Lyle."
The Fifth Generation spoke, looking bored.
"Well, if you only hear about what she did, she's a hero. In reality, rumors have probably spread that she reclaimed Zayin with a hundred soldiers... There are plenty of people who'd be curious about her."
Envoys from other countries, knights and Guild members, and merchants—
(Man, I wish someone would offer to support me financially.)
I figured that was asking too much, but I wanted to settle the money problem as soon as possible. This time, I had managed to make a big name for myself.
But at the same time, I'd run out of money. I had to find some way to earn more.
(Earning it the hard way too... Oh, right — once I go back, I'll be taking dispatch-type quests for a while, so the pay won't be all that great.)
Success fees.
I had decided not to accept them this time. Because both Zayin and Rolfis were strapped for cash.
Well, Rolfis might have been flush, but Zayin had only just settled their internal disputes. After that, they'd sent troops to support Rolfis and hadn't earned much profit.
Pressing them for payment on top of that would have been shameless.
And it would be a problem if Zayin ended up in financial trouble.
(I've got to do something.)
While thinking this, I put on a smile and greeted the Guild members.
—Damian, who had arrived in Baim, now stood before the rumored haunted mansion.
He had been searching for the mansion Lyle had supposedly purchased, and had arrived at the front entrance with a conspicuous entourage.
Behind him stood three maids — all with the same appearance, the same outfits.
Conversely, the two knights who served under Alette looked out of place by comparison.
Nearby, onlookers had gathered, drawn by the unusual sight.
Damian and the maids stood out, but what stood out even more was the enormous Golem behind them.
Rather than a Golem, it was better described as an enhanced Porter.
A large-scale Porter capable of carrying a great deal of cargo had been following behind them. It was larger than the Porter Lyle had completed. However, the main body itself was actually smaller than the Porter.
The box it was pulling behind it was massive.
It had numerous wheels, and the curious residents of Baim were pointing at it and chattering among themselves.
"Oh my, there's a perfectly suitable building there. It looks like a warehouse. Shall we claim that one?"
The short-statured Damian held a large metal staff in his right hand, adjusted his glasses with his left, and muttered upon spotting the sizable warehouse in the estate's courtyard.
The maids spoke up.
"As expected of our master. A remark that gives no thought whatsoever to the other party's convenience. But that is precisely what makes him our master!"
"Well, we could just negotiate with that piece of junk they call a Special Model and take it. If that doesn't work, we can just beat it into submission with our combo attacks..."
"My arms are itching to get started!"
Damian turned around to face the three maids.
"Why are you picking fights? Just ask to borrow the warehouse and tell them we need to build the Golem we were commissioned for — they'll lend it to us, won't they? Stop suggesting unnecessary things."
At that, the maids slumped in disappointment.
Alette's subordinate knights tried to offer words of comfort — but.
"Being reprimanded. That means we are not insignificant to our master!"
"We've taken yet another step forward."
"Let's keep this up and make it so he can't possibly survive without us."
While Damian was waiting at the entrance, a pair of individuals appeared.
They wore robes, and one of them had the unmistakable build of a warrior. Stepping forward as if to shield a petite young girl, the maids moved in front of Damian and formed a line.
The girl, who had removed her hood to reveal her long, wavy aqua-colored hair, greeted Damian and his group before asking a question.
"Good afternoon. Forgive the intrusion, but is this indeed the residence of Lyle Walt?"
When the other party mentioned Lyle's name, Damian waved the maids back.
"Oh, a guest of Lyle's? I'm a guest too... well, not exactly — I live here, so maybe more of a companion? Anyway, something like that. So, what's your business here? If it's not urgent, I'd appreciate it if you'd step aside. We're busy over here."
Perhaps offended by Damian's attitude, the man standing beside the girl — Adele — spoke up toward Damian.
"Isn't that rather rude of you? I don't know who you are, but we have important business as well. We can't simply yield."
At that, Damian looked the man — Maxim — over from the tip of his toes to the crown of his head.
"Quite the prepared one, aren't you? Don't tell me you're here for a sparring match? I heard on the way here that Lyle's gotten rather famous, actually. What was it... what's his title again?"
Damian turned back toward the maids, having forgotten Lyle's epithet. Since he tended to forget anything he found uninteresting, the second maid supplied the answer.
"The Holy Knight, Master."
"That's it, that's the one! With a title like that, did you come here to test your skills against him? Or... is this about his sister?"
When Damian said that, Maxim gripped the cloth-wrapped spear in his hands and took a fighting stance. He tore the cloth away from the finely crafted spear and ushered Adele behind him.
The maids once again stepped in front of Damian, each one now holding a different weapon.
"Maxim, stop it! That man has nothing to do with it!"
"Bu—but!"
The girl, having calmed the wary Maxim, turned to Damian and bowed in apology.
"I am truly sorry. My... my retainer has been terribly rude."
Maxim still looked unconvinced, but when Damian glanced at Adele, he was resting a hand on his chin and nodding.
"Oh? You're saying I'm not one of her associates?"
"The person you're looking for has quite a different air about them. Besides... weren't you deliberately provoking him just now?"
At Adele's words, Damian looked at Maxim.
"No, I was just curious about what was bugging you. You both seemed pretty tense. And speaking of sisters... it was Ceres, right?"
Damian had noticed that both of them were acting tense. And when he brought up Ceres's name, they grew visibly on guard.
Damian flashed a smile at the pair.
"Oh, what a coincidence. I'm also looking for Lyle about something related to Ceres. Though in my case, I'm actually running away from that same Ceres."
Adele calmed the wary Maxim down.
"I'd imagine so. I've heard that no one who stands before her can avoid falling captive to her charm. Many become fanatics. You wouldn't carry yourself the way he does."
Just then, the front door of the mansion opened, and a blonde girl in a maid outfit stepped outside.
Seeing the group assembled out front, she made no effort to hide her displeasure.
"Picking a fight right in front of someone else's home—what nerve. This is exactly why mass-produced models are hopeless."
Behind her, Lyle Walt emerged, dressed in casual clothes.
He looked surprised to see Damian and the others.
Damian raised a hand in greeting.
"Hey, Lyle. Truth is, I ran away here. I've got a commission involving that Automaton over there, and I was wondering—could you lend me the shed in the yard? I don't have anywhere to stay."
Damian grinned at Lyle.
Meanwhile, Adele and Maxim tensed up at the sight of Lyle.
Lyle, drawing everyone's gaze, said a single thing.
"I just got back—why is it always like this? Anyway, come on inside. I'll hear you out. More importantly, what is that huge object behind you?"
When Lyle's gaze shifted to what stood behind Damian's group, Damian answered.
"It's a large Porter. Incredibly handy for hauling cargo. Of course, building one costs a fortune, and operating it isn't something just any person can manage. Anyway, shall we get started unloading?"
Lyle, to the easygoing Damian—
"Just hear me out first. I'll lend you the warehouse!"
That was what I said.
It was the day after I returned to the mansion.
Damian and the others came to visit my mansion.
When I heard the full story in the drawing room, it turned out they had fled all the way to Baim to escape from Ceres, who had been planning to visit Aramsass.
And that's when I noticed the young girl sitting beside Damian. A large-framed man stood behind her, positioned as if to shield her.
Monica, along with three automaton maids, faced them with eyes glowing red.
(These ones I can just leave alone.)
With that thought, I decided to hear out the girl who called herself Adele.
"What business does someone from the Belki family of Banseim have with me?"
At first, I assumed she was an associate of Ceres, but that didn't seem to be the case.
When I pressed for the full story, Adele looked straight at me and—
"Darion, Aramsass, Central, and Baim... I've heard all sorts of rumors. Lyle Walt, allow me to ask you one thing. What is Celeste Walt to you?"
I instinctively gripped the Jewel.
Then, the Seventh Generation's voice spoke up.
"Hmm, the small seed I sowed in Darion — has it sprouted here at last?"
The Fifth Generation added as well.
"And in fine form, too. She doesn't appear to be trying to deceive us, but..."
I checked using my Skills, but both Adele and Maxim were showing a shade of yellow close to red. In other words, they were still wavering.
I looked at Adele.
"I believe she is an enemy who should be defeated."
Adele and Maxim's reactions settled into yellow. The Sixth Generation's Search skill really was convenient.
Now looking relieved, Adele stated her business.
"Lord Lyle, might I ask that you take in this Adele Belki as one of your companions?"
I looked at Adele and Maxim.
Both of them nodded.
Maxim spoke.
"Protecting Lady Adele is my duty as a knight. If she chooses to serve you, then I shall follow your orders as well."
I turned my gaze back to Adele.
"...My family, the Belki household, began acting strangely after coming into contact with Celeste Walt. They joined the civil war, repeating battles recklessly. It felt as though they were living in a dream. My parents, who had originally opposed the civil war, met Celeste and..."
I recalled what the First Generation had said.
(A monster... Celeste, you are...)
Adele hung her head and shook it from side to side, then looked back up.
"After leaving home, I determined that running into Celeste would be far too dangerous. And during my travels, I heard the stories about you—about everything Lord Lyle had done across the land, after being driven from his home."
A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over me.
(...She heard all about that, huh?)
Then, the Fourth Generation spoke up.
"Lyle, there's no need to be embarrassed. I had you do those things precisely because I foresaw that a moment like this would come."
I thought to myself.
(...Even if the Fourth Generation tells me that...)
I wasn't convinced.
Adele continued.
"In Central, you were slaying Griffons and fighting Ceres. After that, you ended up here... in Baim. You weren't running away, were you?"
I nodded at Adele, who was gazing at me with earnest eyes. She had come all this way searching for me. I should take this seriously.
"Judging that I couldn't win as things stood, I decided to gather strength here. If you're asking whether that was the right call or not, it was probably wrong. But I intend to win."
At those words, Adele stood up and gave a graceful bow.
"That isn't reckless. That alone puts my mind at ease. Please, feel free to use me, Adele Berky, as you see fit. Though I'm afraid all I can really do is paperwork."
Then Maxim also knelt before me.
"If Lady Adele pledges her service, then you are my master as well. I place this life in your hands."
From within the Jewel, the Seventh Generation's voice boomed out. Loudly.
"Paperwork? Domestic administration... Berky! The Berky family! I remember now! The Berky family, specialists in domestic affairs! Lyle, they're a prestigious Landed Nobility family in Baim! A house that's produced chancellors! ...They weren't much in my era, though."
That last part was a bit worrying, but I decided to accept the two of them.
"Very well. I'll take you up on your offer."
At that, Damian, who had been sipping his tea, raised his head.
"...Sounds interesting. In that case, I'll join too."
"Huh?"
When I looked surprised, Damian tilted his head.
"Why the surprise?"
"Well, I mean..."
"If it's Lyle, he'll figure something out, and if that doesn't work, he can just run away, right? Besides, you're not planning to fight Ceres alone, are you? Listening to everything you've said, I get the feeling Lyle's cooking up something big."
I had assumed Damian only chimed in on topics that interested him, but apparently he'd been turning things over in his mind too. That said, once I heard what came next, it all made sense.
"If he hops on the winning horse, he'd probably set us up with a lab and funding and whatnot."
I let out a wry smile.
Maxim cleared his throat and addressed me.
"So then. What exactly are we supposed to do?"
I averted my gaze ever so slightly from everyone present...
"...Money."
That was all I muttered.
Adele forced an awkward smile.
"Wi-well... realistically, we do need money, don't we?"
She was trying to smooth things over for me. But Maxim looked exasperated, and Damian wore a disappointed expression. It seemed he'd been hoping I'd bankroll the research.