Kays Translations

Volume 1 Release Commemorative SS: Events at the Beginning of Autumn (Part 3)

After dinner, Licia returned to the salon Ulysses had reserved.

Sera had invited her back.

“This is definitely suspicious! They have to be hiding something!”

Troubled by the suspicious flow of money, Sera had called the others together to discuss it.

Licia was not the only person she had summoned.

Sera also wanted to share information with Fiona, whom she had spoken with earlier that evening, so she had approached her despite their different factions. Without Fiona, the other two could not have entered a salon reserved under Ulysses’s name.

That disregard for factional boundaries was typical of Sera. Although she belonged to the Hero Faction, she was close to Licia, whose family was neutral, and she now seemed slightly more at ease around Fiona as well.

The three girls continued their discussion from their seats on the sofas.

“Licia and I agree that the matter looks suspicious, but what do you intend to do, Lady Riohard?”

Fiona asked with a puzzled expression.

“The Grand Clock Tower incident only happened this summer. That is precisely why we need to investigate this properly!”

“Er… well…”

“Sera, you are putting Lady Fiona in an awkward position.”

Licia sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

“I am only saying that if there is any possibility of corruption, we should investigate it! I cannot bear the thought that illicit money might be reaching the Demon King cult!”

Both Licia and Fiona understood how she felt, but they were already certain of one thing.

The Demon King cult was not involved this time.

Their certainty rested on a single fact: Ulysses was moving far too slowly.

“…Right, Lady Fiona?”

“…Yes. I believe you have reached the same conclusion I have, Lady Licia.”

They communicated the rest with a glance.

Both girls had endured a great deal during the summer incident, and the stiffness that had once existed between them had eased somewhat.

“Do you not agree, Lady Ignat?”

“I understand how you feel, but how exactly do you intend to investigate, Lady Riohard?”

Fiona, wearing a troubled smile, turned to Licia for help.

Licia had no choice but to say it plainly.

“I was going to obtain a detailed look at the Norman Trading Company’s accounts—”

“On what grounds? If you accuse them and uncover nothing, you will be the one in trouble. Besides, any accounts they willingly disclose are unlikely to contain proof of fraud.”

If people such as Ulysses or Lessard pursued the matter thoroughly, then even well-concealed irregularities could raise suspicion, as they had here, and might eventually make the fraud all but certain.

The three girls, however, lacked both the authority and the resources to do the same.

“B-But that is why…”

“We may suspect an illicit flow of money, but until we know why it was paid and what it was meant to accomplish, we cannot act. Our fathers would never approve of us moving on our own.”

“So it really is impossible…”

“Remember when Vayne saved your life when you were younger. If you are planning to do anything like that again, I will stop you.”

Sera had maintained her bold attitude until then, but that reminder left her speechless and thoroughly deflated.

“I will ask just in case. What exactly were you planning to do, Sera?”

“…My father told me about several items the Norman Trading Company purchased in secret. I thought I might be able to learn something from them…”

Licia and Fiona exchanged a look.

If Sera had possessed a lead, they would have preferred that she begin with it.

Fiona regarded her with weary resignation, while Licia let out another sighing laugh.

“Lady Riohard, would you mind telling us what they purchased?”

Sera, who had been slumped over the table for some time, seemed to recover a little of her energy.

“Magic tools used to level the ground, and chemicals used to harden soil.”

“Those sound like materials for expanding the magic ship terminal. They could also be used for road construction, so nothing about them appears suspicious by itself.”

“But Viscount Gargazia had already procured everything required for the construction.”

“Oh… Then why would they…?”

Fiona rested a hand against her cheek as she considered the question, looking like a painting come to life.

Licia nearly found herself admiring Fiona’s profile before shaking off the distraction and reconsidering Sera’s information.

(The answer may depend on whether they bought the items for their own use or for resale…)

Licia considered the first possibility.

“If they bought them for their own use, that is still strange. They paid a sum far beyond what a company of their size should possess, then spent even more on these goods. Where did all that money come from?”

“I was thinking the same thing, Lady Licia. I do not believe these purchases are directly connected to the flow of money already uncovered.”

The problem was that proving a connection between the two would be extraordinarily difficult.

That fact left the girls at a loss.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Actually—”

Radius spread a map of the Gargazia region across the table between himself and Ren.

This was after the two had discussed the illicit flow of money.

“What is this?”

“A map of the land around Gargazia from several centuries ago. As you can see, hot spring water once flowed beneath the region, and people have enjoyed the springs here for centuries.”

Radius pointed to a mountain near Gargazia.

“A network of underground water veins once converged beneath that mountain. Until a little over a century ago, travelers passing through the area bathed in the spring water and found relief from their fatigue.”

“Until a little over a century ago? So the water no longer flows.”

“Correct. The landowning family has lamented its loss for generations and continued praying that the springs might someday return.”

In the past, the family had earned enormous profits from the spring water and possessed wealth surpassing that of many nobles.

Without the springs, however, they could no longer make money and had spent the intervening years doing little more than paying taxes on the land they retained.

“Viscount Gargazia initially intended to purchase the entire mountain.”

“But the family could not let go of its former glory, so they refused.”

“Exactly. The owners of the surrounding land sold their property within a few decades of the springs drying up. Only this family held on to theirs, clinging to that old hope.”

They had continued paying their taxes, so neither the empire nor Viscount Gargazia had grounds to object.

“This time, however, the project was public in nature, so they could not reject every request. Viscount Gargazia offered an above-market price, and the family reluctantly agreed to sell part of the land.”

“Why did they not simply sell the whole mountain?”

“I wondered the same thing. But it appears the landowners finally received the answer they had long hoped for.”

“What? Is there a chance the hot spring will flow again?”

Radius shook his head.

Apparently, there was no prospect of the spring water returning.

“Instead, another arrangement seems to have emerged between the Norman Trading Company, which handled the geological survey, and the landowning family.”

Ren understood what that arrangement might be almost immediately.

He felt that he had grown. In the past, this kind of political maneuvering and hidden calculation would have left him completely lost, but he had accumulated a surprising amount of experience.

“Heh. Have you already worked it out?”

“I cannot be certain until we investigate, but the answer is nearly in our hands. The only unresolved question is the source of the illicit money, and I have an idea about that as well.”

“So you intend to act on it.”

Radius folded his arms, then brought one hand to his mouth as he considered the question.

He rose, turned his back on Ren, and crossed the room to a small bar in one corner. After pouring two drinks, he returned and handed one to Ren.

“Thanks.”

“Think nothing of it. As for whether we are getting involved…”

Radius returned to his seat with a cool smile on his handsome face.

　

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The following morning, the invited guests gathered at the magic ship terminal.

It was not quite a formal completion ceremony held before the party, but it was close enough.

The terminal had been expanded to one and a half times its former size, and the ceremony drew an enormous crowd. The bustle spilled out across the town.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all—”

Viscount Gargazia, a man over seventy years old, delivered the customary greeting in a subdued voice.

Licia and the others were inside the terminal building.

Through enormous, spotless windows, they could see the entire expanded landing field.

A special viewing room resembling a control tower had been prepared for the guests to observe the ceremony.

The three daughters were spending the day together, just as they had the previous evening.

From a viewing room separate from their fathers’, they looked out over the ceremony.

“Sera, you still look dissatisfied.”

“Because the more I think about it, the less fair it seems. Do you not agree, Lady Ignat?”

“I do… but…”

Neither Licia nor Fiona wanted to cause trouble by acting without permission.

And yet—

(What would Ren do in a situation like this?)

He would undoubtedly act according to his own sense of justice.

It was not as though Licia lacked a sense of justice herself.

She was a genuine saint who understood the responsibilities of the nobility and was willing to sacrifice herself when necessary.

What restrained her was the fear that acting on their own might make the situation worse.

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Fiona called to her.

“Lady Licia, why do we not speak to our fathers first?”

Fiona felt the same way Licia did.

She suspected that their fathers were already working on the matter, but she could not bring herself to ignore it.

Her conscience would not allow her to sit idly by and do nothing.

“We should tell them what we have learned and allow them to decide what happens next,” Licia replied.

The three fathers were in another viewing room, so the girls first had to go there.

They left their room and headed for the one where their fathers were gathered.

Several special viewing rooms had been prepared for the ceremony.

The girls were not overly concerned about whether families from different factions should gather together.

Large projects such as this often required nobles to work together regardless of faction.

There was therefore little reason to stage a quarrel merely for appearances during the ceremony.

That was especially true for these three families.

When the girls entered the other viewing room, each approached her father and explained what they had noticed.

None of the three men appeared surprised. They listened earnestly to their daughters’ report.

Then Ulysses spoke for them all.

“Ha ha! The three of you together are quite dependable!”

Everyone turned toward him.

Licia and Fiona both recognized that Ulysses was behaving differently from usual.

They also understood that the present situation fell well within his expectations.

“Then I have a proposal. What wrongdoing has taken place between the Norman Trading Company and the landowners? See whether the three of you can uncover it without the adults’ help.”

“Father! What are you saying all of a sudden? Please do not suggest something that could cause trouble for you, House Riohard, and House Clausel!”

Elk answered before Ulysses could.

“I see no particular problem. As long as Sera does not act alone, I do not believe this is something we need to forbid.”

“Lord Ignat, I must admit that I feel the same.”

Neither Elk nor Lessard rejected Ulysses’s proposal.

To Fiona, that alone felt unnatural. She stared into her father’s eyes, searching for what he truly intended.

But Ulysses Ignat was not a man who allowed his intentions to be read so easily.

“What are you planning, Father?”

“Many things.”

“I would like you to tell me what they are, but you will not, will you?”

Ulysses merely shrugged and smiled without saying another word.

There was no point pressing him further.

“Fiona, what should we do?”

“If they are truly permitting us to investigate, perhaps it really is all right…”

Fiona finally looked away from Ulysses and studied Licia’s and Sera’s reactions.

The three girls exchanged glances.

“Apparently, all three of our fathers have something in mind.”

They wanted to ask what those hidden intentions were, but knew the men would not answer even if questioned.

The girls themselves were all daughters of distinguished houses.

Even so, the proposal before them lay far outside the behavior normally expected of noble daughters.

That expectation, however, applied only to ordinary nobles.

Ulysses was anything but ordinary.

Lessard had accumulated many different experiences and continued to sharpen his abilities. He was a capable noble whom even Ulysses acknowledged.

Elk was the head of one of the Seven Great Houses of the Hero Faction and a descendant of Gazil Riohard, one of the Seven Heroes and a legendary swordsman.

It was not strange for men such as these to entrust their daughters with an important role inside a carefully prepared environment.

Sera exhaled sharply.

“I am a little confused, but this is not a bad opportunity. If our fathers want us to investigate, then we will investigate. I, Sera Riohard, will never overlook wrongdoing in the nation saved by the Seven Heroes.”

Licia nodded at Sera’s forceful declaration.

(She is right.)

Earlier, Licia had wondered what Ren would do.

If she had the chance to act as he would, then she too should move without hesitation.

“Lady Fiona, will you join us?”

Fiona had reached the same conclusion.

If she could act as Ren would, then she should not hesitate either.

“Of course. The three of us will work together.”

Despite the sudden turn of events, one point was clear.

Their fathers had deliberately guided the three girls into this situation for a definite purpose.

Perhaps that no longer needed to be said aloud.

Licia, Fiona, and Sera gradually saw through the adults’ intentions, yet remained determined to accept the challenge.

After being placed directly before the suspected injustice, none of them intended to answer, “We will leave everything to our fathers.”

If their fathers wanted them to play along, then they would use the opportunity to move closer to the truth.

If this had been Legend of the Seven Heroes, the thought would have been nothing more than imagination. But had it truly been the game, then surely—

[A subquest has appeared.]

Accept “Illicit Flow of Money” — Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆?

Yes / No

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Edgar, I leave the rest to you.”

“You may rely on me. I will coordinate with the others and ensure that the young ladies receive an opportunity to gain valuable experience.”

Calling the arrangement a miniature garden might sound unkind.

It would be better described as a carefully controlled opportunity to learn.

Ulysses had always known that he could not protect his daughter forever. People died sooner or later, and he had therefore tried to expose Fiona to a broad range of experiences.

This incident was simply another such opportunity.

Neither Lessard nor Elk opposed the idea.

If the adults assumed responsibility and guaranteed the girls’ safety, the experience would contribute to all three daughters’ growth.

“To think our daughters would join hands across factional lines.”

Elk spoke with a complicated expression that could have been either approval or concern.

“Licia is close to both of your daughters. As the representative of a neutral house, I welcome this situation. Call me naive if you wish, but all of us are nobles of Leomel.”

It might have sounded idealistic, but cooperation regardless of faction was surely the best possible outcome.

The men of the Imperial and Hero Factions quietly listened as Lessard described his hope for such a future.

The three young ladies then left the viewing room and headed into Gargazia.

Edgar departed shortly afterward to guard them from the shadows. Before he could follow, however, a subordinate who was not supposed to be there approached him.

“Oh? What brings you here?”

“A message has arrived from a certain source.”

“Let me see it.”

Edgar opened the letter his subordinate handed him and read its contents.

Then his lips curved into the gentle smile of a perfect butler.

“It appears they have begun moving as well.”

He murmured the words with quiet significance.

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