Chapter 47

“Thanks for coming, Same. Though… it looks like you brought more people than expected?”

“Good morning, Shuris-san. Actually, these three were in charge of guarding the warehouse that was attacked that day. They’re victims of that monster. I thought it was important for them to give a detailed report on the incident—how the attack happened, how the monster appeared, and so on.”

“What…? So they made it out safely. That must’ve been rough. All three of you—thank you for coming. I’ll take you to the reception room.”

As soon as we arrived at the clan home, Shuris came out to greet us.

She probably intended to head straight to the castle, but for now, I want her to hear these three out.

“Whoa… it’s the real Shuris Veil… this is incredible…”

“S-So beautiful… she’s even more amazing than the rumors said…”

“Wow… someone at the pinnacle of adventurers just showed us concern…”

After Shuris disappeared up the stairs, the three of them whispered in awe.

…Wait, she’s that important…? She’s the top adventurer…?

Man, I really don’t know anything, do I?

“What are you standing around for? Come on, let’s go.”

“Right. Come on, you three.”

“Y-Yes!”

“So, did you witness how the monster appeared?”

“Well… I’m not sure if you’ll believe this, but…”

“It was him! That man suddenly turned into a monster!”

“He stole something from the warehouse—something from the merchant association—and then one of the items started glowing…”

Shuris wasted no time getting to the heart of the matter, asking about the circumstances surrounding the monster’s appearance.

Putting their accounts together, it seems the attacker—Muraki—grabbed one of the old magic tools I had won at the auction, then suddenly began convulsing and transformed into the monster.

So… that magic tool was the cause…?

“I see… Just as I suspected. Same, it looks like your hunch about some organization being behind this wasn’t far off. Also… about the Elkud Church Trading Company—they didn’t participate in the auction. But you three received a request. I need you to be honest with me: where did you receive that request?”

What does that mean…? Where did they get the request?

Wasn’t it from the Guild Headquarters?

I glanced at the three of them and could tell from their downcast eyes and silence that something was wrong.

“…You three were just promoted to Crystal Rank, correct? Officially, only Emerald Rank adventurers and above can accept direct requests without going through the guild. What you did was accept an illegal request—one far beyond your capabilities.”

“…Yes.”

“That’s… correct…”

“I-I didn’t even know that…”

I see. It’s becoming clearer now.

Guard duty is essentially the same as an escort mission.

By rule, only Emerald Rank and above are allowed to accept missions that may involve direct combat against other people.

“Hey hey, I heard something about this! Apparently this year, a lot of groups tried to cut costs by hiring rookie adventurers instead of proper security. I overheard that back at the old building during a break.”

“Hmm… sounds like Melt is right. We’ve received reports of that. But this case seems a little different. They probably picked rookies specifically because you wouldn’t know better—used you for your lack of experience. I’m guessing you suspected something was off but were talked into it?”

“Um… they said, ‘It’s not really security work since the merchant group already has guards. You’ll just be helping out—doing odds and ends.'”

“Even so, accepting a request directly is still a breach of the rules… I’ll accept the punishment.”

“I… I didn’t even know that was against the rules. I suck…”

Looks like the person impersonating the Elkud Church Trading Company was involved in the attack after all.

“There’ll be disciplinary action soon, but I doubt it’ll be too harsh. Like Melt said, this year was full of shady requests, and the climate made it easy to deceive people. We’ve learned that many companies issued secret, unofficial requests. Besides, you were deceived by someone who seems to be the main culprit here. Most likely, your punishment will be limited to something like a month of community service or a few negative marks on your mission evaluations.”

“That’s a relief. Thank you, Shuris-san. Please take care of them.”

“Hmm, you want me to put in a good word for them, then? Understood—I’ll be considerate. I assume they’re friends of yours, Same.”

“Yes. I’ve made them promise to treat me to a delicious meal someday.”

I say with a laugh, trying to ease the atmosphere. The three of them were trembling with nerves—it was kind of pitiful.

“Now then… I’d love to hear more detailed testimonies, but I don’t have time today. I’ll have the vice-captain take over. Melt, you and the three of them stay here for further questioning. Don’t worry—it won’t be too formal. You’ll even get lunch, so relax and stay a while.”

“Yeah, yeah, take it easy!”

“Why are you acting like the host, Melt?”

A little while later, Alice arrived and began interviewing the four of them.

Wait—Alice is the vice-captain? I always assumed she was more like Shuris-san’s secretary…

“I’ll be heading out now. Alice, take good care of the four of them. They’re key witnesses.”

“Understood. Take care, Captain, Same.”

We left the clan home, and I followed Shuris on foot along a path I normally wouldn’t take—toward the city’s southern gate.

Normally, this would be a job for a carriage, but apparently she didn’t want to cause a stir with any heavy-handed arrivals at the south gate.

“I’ve never been through the gate that leads to the castle.”

“Not surprising. You’d have to pass through the noble district to reach it. Adventurers usually don’t have business there. Technically, there’s also a road to the artificial dungeon, but few people actually go there.”

“Really? I’ve been wanting to check it out sometime.”

“Oh? You’re interested? Well, adventurers of Emerald Rank and above can attempt it freely—though it’s not free. Mercenary guild members also have unrestricted access. Others can only enter if they’re recommended by someone strong or attend a qualifying seminar by someone who specializes in dungeon conquest.”

“I see… Does exploring an artificial dungeon have any benefits?”

I’d heard about it from the merchant guild leader, but beyond its existence, I didn’t know much.

So it’s not something just anyone can attempt…

“Benefits? Yes—it’s often used for anti-monster training. It’s one of the safer ways to gain real combat experience. If you go deep enough, you might find treasure formed from condensed magic in the ley lines—similar to that gem you obtained, Same. Of course, you’d never find anything that magnificent—it’s artificial, after all. Eventually, you’ll find an artificial ‘dungeon core’. It’s just a fragment, but it has the power to enrich land. It extracts energy from deep underground and circulates it to the surface. Right now, it’s the only known way to artificially revitalize land. Though if someone were to find a natural dungeon core, that would solve the problem in one go.”

“I see…”

It seems that artificial dungeons are treated like a kind of mining facility.

Probably, even if the power to enrich the land exists deep underground, it’s too deep to be effective.
Artificial dungeons are likely a system created to extract that power.

“I’d rather have an acquaintance of mine challenge the dungeon than myself. They’re still a beginner when it comes to combat, but I think they have quite a bit of hidden potential.”

“Oh? Are they an adventurer?”

“No, just an ordinary person. I’ll recommend they register as an adventurer if necessary.”

This was a precaution, just in case.

Since the dungeon seems suitable for combat training, it might be a good opportunity for me—in my original identity as Shizuma—to grow stronger.

…Lately, my consciousness as Same and Shizuma has been merging more and more, but what am I, really?

Am I still… me?

“Now then, once we get through this forest path, we’ll arrive at the royal palace. Knights patrol this area constantly, so monsters rarely show up. Though, wild animals might still be around.”

After passing through the southern gate, the road continued into a path narrower than a highway, but not quite a trail, surrounded by more nature than the other streets.

“Huh… Seems like a good spot for gathering quests.”

“Well, technically, yes. But this land is directly governed by the Holy Principality, so most people are too intimidated to collect here. It’s not forbidden, though.”

“I see…”

Rather than a dense forest, it felt more like a well-trodden path with human presence and frequent traffic.

It actually felt more like a nature park or hiking trail.

Breathing in the fresh outdoor air—something I hadn’t felt in a while—we continued walking toward the royal palace.

“…Same, you probably aren’t from this continent, are you? Why did you come here?”

Suddenly, Schuris, walking ahead of me, asked this out of the blue.

Well, I guess this much is okay to reveal.

“It wasn’t by choice. I was forced here… that’s the best way to put it.”

“I see… I won’t pry too deeply, so don’t worry. I just found it strange that someone like you appeared on this continent without any apparent purpose. So it wasn’t your own will, huh?”

“Exactly. My own will didn’t factor in at all.”

“Then why not return to where you came from? Why settle down here?”

“Simply put, because I can’t go back. Besides, I want to give Melt a place where she can live in peace. She’s had a rough time herself. I’d rather you not ask more than that.”

“Understood. So you two seek a peaceful life. I believe you.”

Maybe… before heading into the heart of the nation, she just wanted to get a better sense of who I really am—

“A castle this big exists on the far side of the city, huh…? Since you can’t see it from around Lindblum, it feels like it just popped up out of nowhere. It’s kind of surprising.”

“Fufu, right? Actually, that’s part of the military strategy. It’s no exaggeration to say the Holy City is always preparing for war.”

“So Golda isn’t the only enemy, huh.”

“Exactly. Having the nation’s core near the harbor is actually quite a risk. We always have to keep watch for invasions from the outer continents. That said, to be honest, the only place that feels unstable right now is this continent. It’s sad, but the other continents are extremely stable. At least, when it comes to inter-nation relations.”

Her words carried a hint of something deeper, but I chose not to dig further for now.

If I try to learn too much, I might also end up revealing more than I should.

“Today, I’ll introduce you, Same, to one of the nation’s knights—someone directly connected to the Queen. But that’s only for the purpose of reporting this incident. From there on, you’ll have to handle things on your own. She’s not exactly difficult to deal with… but she is quite stubborn. Good luck.”

“Eek, that’s a lot of pressure.”

Honestly, I might sound like I’m joking, but I’m genuinely freaking out inside.

How far can I push my agenda when dealing with someone so high up in the national hierarchy…?

“She’s a remarkable woman—rose to the position of Knight Commander at the youngest age in history. Once, she resolved an incident within the royal palace all on her own, earning Her Majesty’s favor. She’s also one of the Thirteen Knights, just like me.”

“Are you trying to scare me on purpose!?”

“Haha, caught me. But seriously, she’s very cautious. Explaining the incident won’t be a problem, but the part you mentioned—‘a matter not directly related, but something you want Her Majesty to hear’—that’ll set off alarms. So be careful how you handle it.”

“…Understood.”

Still tense, I eventually made it through the forest path and arrived at the grand royal palace that had been visible in the distance.

As expected, the gate was tightly guarded and sealed, but the moment they saw Schuris, the guards saluted with impressive formality and quickly opened the gate.

She’s really someone officially recognized by the state… I guess I’d gotten numb to that fact after spending so much time around her lately.

I was then guided into the castle and shown to a room that seemed to be a waiting area of sorts.

“Well then, I’ll go call the Knight Commander. Just wait here for now.”

“Alright. Thank you for everything.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Even though I treated her rather coldly when we first met—and even showed signs of rejecting her—before I knew it, I’d been relying on her completely.

It’d be nice if I could do something to repay the favor someday.

And so, with mounting nervousness about the kind of person the Knight Commander would be, I waited alone for the moment of their arrival.

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