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"It's a beautiful sunny day today! Nothing beats peace!"
"Amour! Get down from there! What if Soleil tried to copy you?"
Four days had passed since Grandpa and I had completed the commission from the Guild Master. Grandpa's innocence had been proven, and the adventurers who had tried to use Jaiman and the others as bait were now locked up in the knights' prison as criminals (many of them had also been found guilty of various crimes and near-crimes beyond just the bait scheme). The Guild staff had come by first thing this morning to deliver the news. By the way, the reason Amour's spirits were so high wasn't because Grandpa's innocence had been proven or because the weather was nice—it was simply because the three members of "Wildcat Princess" were currently away in another town on a commission.
"Mm, I'll come down right... oof!"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you to stop doing..."
Amour, who had been shouting from the rooftop, jumped down upon hearing my admonition. It was the lowest part of the roof, so it wasn't really a problem for someone with Amour's abilities, but if Soleil tried to imitate her, it could be a matter of life and death.
Fortunately, Soleil had been eating at the time and hadn't seen what Amour did... but if she had been watching and gotten curious, a fist might come crashing down. On top of my head, that is...
Mom and Dad had known me for so long that they were completely comfortable around me. They might scold Amour or Aura with words, but they would never lay a hand on them. In exchange, it was as if they were saying I'd been negligent in my supervision, and their fists would come flying at me instead. As for Aura, since she was
my slave,
they figured that was just how it was. But with Amour, that logic didn't really apply. Well, even so, no matter how she looked, Amour was a viscount's daughter, so they couldn't exactly hit her (Hana and the others probably wouldn't mind, but still). They must have decided that since the Ootori family was looking after her, the responsibility fell on me.
"Now that Grandpa's innocence has been proven, I'm thinking we should leave Gunjou City in about two days."
Since everyone had gathered for breakfast, I proposed our future plans. Primera, Grandpa, and Jeanne agreed, but Amour and Aura said they'd prefer to leave tomorrow. The reason was probably that if we waited until the day after tomorrow, there was a chance Lily and the others would be back. They understood that leaving today was too much to ask, so they at least wanted to go tomorrow.
However, the option of leaving Gunjou City without saying goodbye to those three was simply unthinkable, given both my and Primera's relationships with them. So we agreed to wait as long as we could, and our departure was set for the day after tomorrow.
Incidentally, the reason "Wildcat Princess" wasn't in Gunjou City was that the Guild had sent them to participate in subjugating a herd of Orcs along the southern highway. They had also apparently been asked to check on the status of a village said to be nearby.
Those three were practically the pride and joy of the Gunjou City Adventurers' Guild—a party of three sisters who had grown up right there and were extremely popular among the adventurers. Their participation was said to make a huge difference in the morale of the subjugation force.
"Even though we've decided to leave the day after tomorrow, we've already said our goodbyes to everyone during these four days... There's nothing we absolutely have to do, so how about we each do as we please? Luckily, we're now able to take commissions outside of Gunjou City."
Primera and I would probably go around visiting acquaintances as we always had, while Grandpa and the others could take commissions or play outside in the meantime. Well, there probably weren't any great commissions available right now, and going far wasn't really feasible, but just getting out of the house would be enough to pass the time.
After finishing our meal, we all headed to the Adventurers' Guild and decided to split up from there. When we arrived at the guild,
"Tenma, Lord Merlin, Primera—please come to the Guild Master's office."
Being called out by Flute, we made our way to the Guild Master's office.
"Sorry to bother you right after you've arrived, but Yuri from Rassell City sent over some unwelcome news. Apparently it's still just a possibility, though."
The fact that Yuri had come personally to relay this information to us meant it had to be something serious, so I held back the usual wisecracks and quietly listened to what the Guild Master had to say.
"It seems Rassell City has also been dealing with large groups of Orcs and Goblins, and they investigated where those groups were coming from. Turns out, most of them appear to have originated from the direction of the Great Old Forest. They didn't actually see where the groups emerged, but they commissioned several parties to get as close as possible, and the conclusion was that unless those groups took some extremely unusual routes, most of them almost certainly came out of the Great Old Forest."
Whenever the Great Old Forest was mentioned, I couldn't help but think of the Lich. That Lich had seemed to possess quite a high level of intelligence, and it had felt like it had some kind of purpose. Since we still had no confirmation that we'd actually defeated it, I couldn't help but suspect that if something happened there, the Lich would be involved.
"Also, I hate to bring back unpleasant memories for you and Merlin, Tenma... but while it wasn't on the same scale as now, apparently the same kind of movement among Orc and Goblin groups was observed when the Dragon Zombie appeared."
They said the connection wasn't yet clear, but there was a possibility that some powerful Monster had ventured out into the shallows of the Great Old Forest.
"Hmm, it's hard to imagine a Monster on par with that Dragon Zombie showing up... or rather, I don't want to think about it, but there is the possibility that a Monster appeared that even Orcs and Goblins working together couldn't handle. If some Monster originally inhabiting the deeper parts came out to prey on Orcs and Goblins, and the groups fled the forest to escape it, then it makes sense that the source would be the Great Old Forest."
"That's right. Back when we lived there, we used to hunt around the village and kept the Goblins and Orcs from forming packs by culling them, so they never grew that large. But now nobody lives in that area, and there are advisories telling people to stay away, so it wouldn't be strange if the groups had grown too large."
"If that's the case, then what comes next would be the Monster that drove the Orc and Goblin groups out, wouldn't it?"
Primera was worried that the Monster which had driven them out might come chasing after its fleeing prey, but a Monster of that strength would likely possess high intelligence as well, making it unlikely that it would leave the
territory
where it held the advantage. Besides, knowing Yuri, she had probably already had the adventurers who went to investigate keep watch over the forest for a while.
The only problem was whether that Monster was something like a dragon-type creature—so overwhelmingly powerful that territorial boundaries didn't matter—or whether it was a case of multiple powerful individuals forming a pack. In the former scenario, the adventurers would likely be killed without even having a chance to escape. In the latter, if the pack had settled in the shallows of the forest and begun breeding, it was conceivable that they might venture out in search of prey.
"If it's an Earth Dragon or a Running Dragon, I can handle it on my own, so that's relatively straightforward. But if it's a pack of Monsters stronger than Orcs, tracking them down becomes a real headache. Well, that said, I'm not planning to move unless the Margrave sends a formal request."
Even with the Lich factored in, the thought of going to the Great Old Forest was enough to make even me
hesitate.
And it seemed Grandpa felt the same way too, as he simply nodded in silence.
"Well, I suppose... but at the very least, understand that the job might come through. If we're talking about a dragon-type, commissioning Tenma — who has an established track record — would have a higher chance of success than sending in the knights."
I'd cooperate in that case, but if it seemed like something even someone other than me could handle, I'd rather leave it to the knights or other adventurers.
"Anyway, once you return to the Royal Capital, you might receive a letter from Baron Housted or Yuri. I thought it'd be better to tell you in advance rather than have you be surprised when it arrives."
The Guild Master spoke with a somewhat condescending air...
"In our case, if something happens in the Housted Baron's territory, the eldest son comes to tell us in person... The reason we ended up visiting the baron's territory before was because Lion invited us, after all."
At those words, the Guild Master spun his chair around and turned his back to us. It seemed he was trying to show a considerate gesture — not quite enough to call it doing us a favor, but still. Well, the tip about the Great Old Forest was genuinely appreciated, but if I mentioned it now it might come across as me just teasing him, so I'd have Flute pass that along later instead.
The Guild Master had stopped moving with his back still turned, so I was about to stand and leave the office when a staff member came in and reported something to Flute. After hearing the report, Flute looked at me with an expression that suggested she wanted to say something... but she quickly sent the staff member away and began leading us out.
As soon as we left the office, I asked Flute to follow up with the Guild Master and also tried to ask her what had happened... but the noise from the guild hall immediately made me understand what Flute had been about to say.
"Aura! Hold down Number One properly!"
"Roger that... I can't—! Jeanne, help meee!"
"This tea is so good..."
"Jeanne, pour me a cup too. And Slarin, put out some tea snacks, would you? I'll pay you back later."
"Nelly, Millie! I'll be able to neutralize Aura in just a bit, so handle Amour!"
"Okay! Brace yourself, Amour!"
"Nelly, pinch!"
Lily and the others had returned ahead of schedule and were fighting with Amour's group as usual. Whether it was because she was often ignored lately, Jeanne had adopted a detached stance, enjoying tea with Namitarou and the others.
The surrounding adventurers watched the scene with amusement, treating it as both a drinking snack and a betting spectacle. It was peaceful enough, but also quite the headache.
"Primera... I know you said you wanted to greet the three sisters, but now doesn't seem like the right time. Let's slip outside quietly. We can do the introductions once the three of them have calmed down — maybe around dinner?"
"You're right. If we go out there now, it'll only make the commotion worse."
There was no way they could carry on a proper conversation in that state, and it was obvious Amour would get worked up and try to interfere too.
I explained the reasons to Grandpa and Flute, and Primera and I ended up slipping out of the guild quietly... but the way Flute looked at me with those resentful eyes, I was going to have to make it up to her somehow. On top of that, while the three sisters hadn't noticed us sneaking away, Amour had spotted us and let us go, so I owed her something in return as well. And since we'd left the guild while ignoring the three sisters, naturally I had to do something for Lily and the others too. Which meant Jeanne as well... In the end, it meant I had to make it up to everyone.
"Store-bought sweets alone aren't going to cut it for Flute or Lily and the others..."
"That's true. But if we go with something homemade, Amour will make a fuss about it..."
If it was something you could buy in Gunjou City, Amour and the others might never have tried it before, so they probably wouldn't complain much. But Flute and the others had most likely eaten everything available. On the other hand, Amour and her sisters basically nibbled on or tasted every single variety of homemade goods, so they might not be satisfied either.
"But if we start making something from scratch now, we might not have time to visit everyone we know. Besides, if possible, I'd like to gather some information about the Great Old Forest too..."
I'd been thinking of asking the Gunjou City Knights, since they might have some kind of information, but they could refuse on grounds of confidentiality or something. I was planning to ask in my capacity as an associate of Duke Sanga's household, but even so, I figured the odds were about fifty-fifty.
"Technically, we're the only members of the duke's household who can mobilize immediately in case of an emergency, so we do have a legitimate reason..."
Primera said she wasn't sure how the Knights would decide either. It was information I was curious about, but once we returned to the Royal Capital, Lion and Albert would almost certainly come to talk to us about it, so there was probably no need to be too hung up on it.
"So what should we do, then... Wait, isn't that Aida over there?"
"Um... it looks like it. She seems to be shopping."
We were walking along, still unable to settle on a plan, when I spotted Aida shopping up ahead. She appeared to be in the middle of haggling, gesturing animatedly as she negotiated with the shopkeeper.
"Tenma, it might not be about the Great Old Forest, but Aida might have different information from what the guild has."
So we decided to approach Aida and see if we could get some information from her.
"Information the Knights have? Even I haven't been told the details, you know."
Even being a former Knights' captain apparently didn't make it easy to obtain information now that she'd retired.
"But if you really need it, I could go gather some for you?"
It turned out her old connections were still going strong, and with those she could reportedly gather information in a short amount of time. Even Aida herself felt that might be somewhat dangerous, but, "The duke's precious...
third daughter...
and his prized...
son-in-law."
He said it wouldn't be difficult as long as you name-drop her."
When Aida heard that, she said, "I'm heading to the Manpukutei around evening, so have some snacks ready for me!" and ran off somewhere.
We'd found a lead, so we showed our faces at the knight order headquarters, but we couldn't get any information there. It wasn't that we were turned down—it was simply that Commander Alan was absent, so they couldn't make any decisions.
After the knight order, we went around visiting everyone we knew...
"We've got nowhere left to go... We were already operating around here, and we'd already covered most of it by yesterday. Besides, this is usually working hours anyway."
"Yes, I don't think returning to the ducal residence would be ideal. This seems to be the only place where we can actually relax, and either way, everyone's planning to stay here tonight. We had to come by at least once to let you know about tonight and tomorrow."
When we'd gone to Gunjou City and relayed the message to Duke Sanga, he immediately arranged for us to use the ducal estate there in Gunjou City for lodging. But once Grandpa and the others arrived, they insisted on staying at the Manpukutei instead. We had agreed to eat breakfast together, though, so mornings would see Grandpa and the others coming over to the ducal residence, or us making our way to the Manpukutei, as we'd done today.
"Well then, why don't we make some snacks to kill time?"
"That sounds like a good idea. We did promise Aida as well."
And so we decided to make snacks as a goodwill gesture. Since our promise with Aida was for the evening—and the exact time hadn't been set—we should go with something that wouldn't take too long.
With that in mind, I decided to make pudding for its ease of mass production, but that alone would be a bit plain, so I decided to add a little something extra.
"Primera. Could you ask one of the estate's servants to buy several kinds of fruit?"
"Of course, I understand."
While the servant went out shopping, Primera and I worked on preparing the pudding. Primera wasn't exactly the best cook, but she was skilled at precisely measuring ingredients, as required for snack preparation. Since coming to live with us, she'd tried her hand at making snacks with Jeanne and the others many times over.
By the time the pudding was steaming, the servant had returned with the fruit, so I asked Primera to cut it up, and I began working on the other starring ingredient to accompany the pudding.
Once the steamed pudding had cooled, we arranged the fruit and the like on top and added what I'd made, completing our "Pudding à la Mode." We tested the taste under the pretext of a tasting session—myself, Primera, and several of the ducal servants.
"I gathered what information I could, but it doesn't seem to differ much from what the Guild already has. However, there was one thing that caught my attention. The number of victims since the Goblin and Orc herds were confirmed has been quite low—when anyone does appear, their remains and belongings are recovered. But before that... the victims who presumably appeared before the herds were confirmed—fragments of remains and traces of belongings haven't been found. Unnaturally so."
When I met up with Aida at the Manpukutei, she immediately began sharing the intelligence she'd procured. If that were all there was to it, we could simply conclude there were no victims before the herds were spotted. But apparently, the whereabouts of adventurers, travelers, and merchant caravans who had headed in the direction of the confirmed herds remained unknown. The last known locations of the missing overlapped with the paths of the Goblin and Orc herds, and based on calculations using the missing persons' departure times and the herds' speed of advance, there was an extremely high likelihood they had been attacked. Moreover, if they truly hadn't encountered the herds, at least one of them should have been confirmed alive by now.
"Even if the Orc and Goblin herds were using people and horses as food and carrying away weapons, tools, and ornaments, there should be some kind of trace left behind... If the herd happened to be led by a particularly intelligent individual, they might go so far as to hide everything to erase all traces... But even so, the fact that not a single person has been found is pretty strange."
Apparently, if a herd contained individuals with intelligence close to that of humans—even if not quite at that level—they might consider that attacking people would invite retaliation and thus take steps to eliminate traces. However, it seemed highly unlikely that multiple herds led by such exceptional individuals would emerge simultaneously.
"So you're saying someone took the bodies for a specific purpose?"
"Some people in the Knight Order seem to think so. Also, this isn't related to the Great Old Forest, but the Empire seems to be making suspicious moves again."
Speaking of the Empire, they'd been keeping quiet ever since we disrupted them at the fortress near the border during that job at the Houst Margraviate.
"If the Empire is showing its hand at a time like this, you'd think they'd done something to the Great Old Forest... but if the Empire were truly behind it, there wouldn't be this much chaos, right? If anything, they might be thinking that the Duke's territory and the Houst Margraviate are a bit unsettled right now, so it could be a good window of opportunity. Well, that unrest is already starting to die down, though."
Just as Primera said, it was hard to believe the Empire had been behind the Goblin and Orc herds. If they were truly the culprits, the effort far outweighed the results.
"We can consider the Empire and the Great Old Forest as separate matters this time. Aida, here's a thank-you treat. This pudding comes with"
ice
can
dy
attached, so you need to eat it right away. Oh, and the tea snacks we sell at the shop are fine at room temperature until the day after tomorrow."
After handing Aida three sets of pudding and snack boxes, including the children's portions, she left the Manpukutei in high spirits.
Right after Aida left, Amour came in with Jeanne and Aura, followed by the three from the "Wildcat Princess" troupe. I was wondering why Amour, Aura, and Lily's group were being so unusually quiet—then I spotted Flute standing behind them.
She must have been keeping the five of them from getting too rowdy. It couldn't be helped—both the person who should have been looking after them (me, plus Primera) and Grandpa, who would've filled in when I wasn't around, were gone. It wasn't that she seemed somewhat... no, she was clearly in a terrible mood.
"Primera, can you watch Amour and the others for a bit? I'm going to go apologize to Flute."
"Of course, leave Amour and the others to me. But in exchange, you"
had
bet
ter
make
sure to...
"Please take care of Miss Flute"
Miss Flute, who effectively runs the Adventurers' Guild in Gunjou City, is someone both I and Primera hold in high regard — someone we both defer to without question. I'm not sure exactly how far Primera's respect goes, but at the very least, in Gunjou City she's the person I've been most indebted to alongside the innkeeper and the landlady, and also the one I've caused the most trouble for.
When someone like that is angry, the guilt feels like it doubles and then some.
So, having steeled myself and apologized to Miss Flute, I endured several dozen minutes of scolding and complaints. In the end, I managed to smooth things over by handing over five assorted sets of print snacks — one each for Miss Flute and Haruto, and one for the Guild Master. Although, since I didn't say it was the Guild Master's portion, there was a good chance it would end up going to Miss Flute and Haruto instead.
Meanwhile, Amur and the others had been sitting quietly in a corner, listening to Primera's lecture. Apparently, after causing a ruckus earlier and getting thoroughly chewed out by Miss Flute, they had sensed deep down that any further commotion would be dangerous.
After Miss Flute left, Primera announced that they would all be moving to the room Lily and the others were renting to continue their discussion, which left me sitting alone in the dining hall. However, since everyone except one person had witnessed me getting lectured by Miss Flute just moments before, nobody came anywhere near me. Well, that one exception finished their pudding and was called away by the landlady, so they left too.
And so my time spent alone continued until the old man got back.
If only Slarin had stayed with Amur and the others instead of sticking with me, I wouldn't have had to spend these lonely hours until dinner...