Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 430: Handing Over the Information
After returning to the inn, Tauro explained his meeting with Count Graunewald and proposed their next course of action.
For several days, Black-Gold Wings would pretend to gather information by moving around the capital, visiting nearby settlements, and accepting ordinary requests from the Adventurers’ Guild.
“I understand pretending to investigate in the capital,” Ankh said, “but why do we need to accept quests?”
Ragune and Zion looked equally puzzled.
“Because doing nothing for several days would be a waste.”
“That’s your reason?” Ragune asked in disbelief.
“There’s another. We can claim that we obtained the ceremony details through an adventurer information network. Our observers won’t understand why ordinary quests produce confidential information, so they may invent an explanation that makes our report seem more credible.”
“I see,” Ankh said. “If our actions make no sense from their perspective, they’ll assume that we used contacts or methods beyond their understanding.”
“Exactly!” Zion exclaimed. “By behaving normally, we make ourselves appear mysterious. As expected of Tauro-sama!”
“And since we only need to create the appearance of an investigation, everyone can spend the free time however they please,” Ragune added.
“For the next few days, move around the capital as you normally would. We’ll meet later and take suitable guild requests.”
“In that case…” Ankh began with a crooked smile.
“You may visit taverns or brothels as usual.”
“Leader! You promised never to mention that!”
Ankh panicked and glanced toward Ragune and Zion.
“Hahaha! I don’t particularly mind,” Ragune said, moving a small step away from him. “I may keep my distance for a while, though.”
“Ragune, please spare me.”
“A-Ankh-san is an adult man, so I also understand!” Zion said, blushing furiously.
“Leader, I’m the only person suffering from this conversation.”
“Sorry. I forgot. Ragune, Zion—Ankh is a man, so try not to judge him too harshly.”
“That makes me sound even worse!”
“When Leader grows older, he’ll be no different from me!”
“Ankh-san, don’t say things that demean Tauro-sama!” Zion protested.
“Both of you, calm down. The point is that we should act naturally, enjoy the free time, and continue accepting normal quests.”
Tauro hurriedly ended the argument he had started.
For the next several days, Black-Gold Wings behaved exactly like an adventuring party with time to spare.
Two men continued monitoring them. One usually followed Tauro, while the other alternated between Ankh and Ragune. Their targets’ perfectly ordinary behavior gradually left them confused.
When the party accepted a request to exterminate monsters damaging another village’s fields, the observers followed.
“What are they doing? They spent the entire day killing pests.”
“Afterward, the boy spoke with the village chief for a long time. Perhaps that conversation was how he obtained the information.”
In reality, Tauro had merely accepted the chief’s gratitude and exchanged casual conversation. The tails interpreted every harmless action as part of a hidden network, exactly as he had hoped.
Black-Gold Wings continued in this manner until ten days remained before the ceremony.
“Our reporting deadline is still three days away,” Tauro said after completing another guild request, “but we should return to the hidden village now.”
“Is that not too early?” Ankh asked.
“I’ll give Gaze a suitable explanation.”
Tauro laughed evasively, and the party departed.
Chief Gaze appeared suspicious when they arrived.
“The deadline hasn’t yet come. Have you already obtained the information?”
“Yes. We recently noticed that someone was following us, so I decided it’d be safer to finish the assignment quickly. We have gathered everything you requested, and further investigation would only increase the risk.”
Tauro casually blamed the early report on Gaze’s own surveillance.
“Someone followed you? That’s unfortunate. Perhaps your activities attracted attention. In that case, show me what you learned.”
Gaze didn’t question the tails further, since he already knew who had assigned them.
Tauro took a stack of documents from [Magic Storage] and handed it over.
“This is far more detailed than I expected! We had our own people investigate, but they couldn’t obtain anything this complete. Your report is even more accurate than the information from our collaborators inside.”
Gaze examined every page with open delight.
Collaborators inside. So Father was right.
Count Graunewald had deliberately withheld the complete arrangements even from the captain responsible for security. Tauro’s information was therefore more accurate than anything Gaze’s infiltrators could provide.
A cold sweat ran down Tauro’s back, but the chief’s reaction remained within the range they had anticipated.