Chapter 49: Conditions

“I don’t mind helping, but please don’t mention my name. You can even say I’m just an errand boy.”

“Why? If you can withstand an Armor Buffalo’s charge, that alone proves you’re a top-class mage. You’d be in high demand and make a fortune.”

“That’s exactly the problem — I already make enough from hunting birds, and that’s what’s been getting me into trouble. As for my condition for helping you — you mentioned your previous client was a wealthy merchant with the rank of a count, right?”

“Yeah… and this has something to do with that?”

“I’m being chased by the chairman of Warrens Trading Company, the grain merchant.
The troublesome part is he’s on close terms with Marquis Fleming, the lord of Korche, and the chairman himself holds the rank of viscount. I’ve been dragged into one of their branch offices several times and invited to their torture room.”

Jager-san slapped his forehead with a smack, groaning loudly. His companions groaned too.

“What did you do!?”

“From our first meeting, he punched me and demanded I hand over my Chikki-Chikki Birds.
So I punched him back and ran — then he chased me and tried to kill me, so I fought back.”

“You idiot… that’s when you run all the way. If you hit back, those kinds of people go crazy about saving face.”

“They’ve even tried to register me with the guild, but since they have no proof I killed anyone, I’m only listed as a key person of interest.”

“You said they grabbed you and dragged you into a branch torture room?”

“I wasn’t planning on getting killed, so of course I fought back.”

“…So that means—”

I just shrugged.

“So, Jager-san, you must have some connection with your former employer or his staff.”

“And?”

“Can you ask them to find out whether the chairman of Warrens Trading is actually in his residence in the capital?”

“You… you’re not planning…”

“I just want to know whether he’s there or not. Even if they refuse to check, I’ll still help you — but that’s where our connection ends.”

“If he is there, are you planning to storm the place?”

“No. If they know I’m in the capital, they’ll demand the guild hand me over. But the guild hates him, so they’ll only give vague answers and ignore him. Before, they invited me to their branch in Kreis. They can’t make a public scene in the capital, so they’ll invite me again.”

“A gentle invitation, huh.”
“That’s terrifying.”
“How can you stay so calm?”
“In the capital, they won’t behave like in a branch office, you know.”

“I’m fed up with being chased around. Luckily, as long as I’m only a key person of interest, they can’t openly capture or attack me — but that won’t last forever. I have a family. I want to crush this before they find out and target them.”

“You’re a dangerous guy… but if you’re not officially wanted, there’s no problem letting you help.”

“You’ll be making an enemy of Warrens Trading.”

“I’d rather stay out of it, honestly.”

“It’s fine. We’re only acquaintances, and it’s just a one-time favor. If I tell them you assisted with a job for my client, they can’t push things too far.”

“His client is ranked as a count, and the other guy is only a viscount. He can’t press too hard.”

“So I’ll ask the butler about your request, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Thank you. Their status as a wealthy merchant makes it hard to track their movements — this helps a lot.”

“Damn it… never thought I’d get saddled with such a walking disaster.”

“Alright, let’s hurry and get ready for the hunt so we can get out of the capital.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to report that we’ll take the job. I’ll ask about it while I’m there.”

When they returned to the capital, Jager boarded a hired carriage alone and headed to the Grandiz Trading Company building on Sandoria Street.

Leaving the carriage waiting, he showed his external-partner identification badge to the gate guards, entered the premises, and requested a meeting with Butler Nielsen.

After waiting for a while in the suppliers’ reception room, he was guided by a guard to Nielsen’s office.

“What is it, Jager?”

“We’re likely able to accept your request, but there’s something I need to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Is the chairman of Warrens Trading currently staying at his residence in the capital?”

Nielsen’s eyebrow rose slightly at the question.

“Why do you want to know that?”

“The man who will act as our defensive support has some… entanglement with Warrens Trading. If the chairman is in the capital, he won’t accept the job.”

A silence followed before Nielsen finally said only:

“The Warrens chairman is in the royal castle.”

Not understanding what that meant, Jager stared in confusion. The explanation Nielsen then gave — under strict confidentiality — was far more serious than he expected.

“There are rumors the chairman is undergoing interrogation inside the castle.”

“Rumors…? Are nobles involved in those rumors?”

“How do you know that!? That information is never supposed to leave the shadows!”

“The man helping us is listed by Warrens Trading as a key suspect in the alleged killing of one of their servants. The Adventurers’ Guild is ignoring the accusation. He also said Warrens Trading once invited him into a torture room.”

At Jager’s report, Nielsen’s body jerked — he fell deep into thought.

“Wait here.”

Saying only that, Nielsen hurried out of the office.

Nielsen knocked on the door of his master’s study. When the door opened, he entered quickly and bowed.

“Sir, what has become of the chairman of Warrens Trading?”

“Why are you bringing that up now?”

“Jager is in my office. It seems they’ve found a way to handle the Armor Buffalo, but the man acting as their defense seems to be the source of the Korche and Kreis incidents. If we approve this, and the chairman of Warrens is later forgiven…”

“That matter was reported from Duke Berlant to the royal family, and it was dealt with secretly.
But it wasn’t something that could be completely hidden, so it reached my ears as well.
It seems Duke Berlant had also been monitoring that adventurer’s actions after receiving a report from the Kreis Adventurers’ Guild. I heard they raided the branch when the commotion ended and secured evidence.”

“So that adventurer…”

“It seems the branch suffered considerable damage, but he received no punishment.
Lord Warrens and Marquis Fleming are apparently still being interrogated in what is effectively solitary confinement, and rumors say they won’t recover from this. Even if the Fleming house survives, it will be demoted. The head of the family will either be forced into seclusion at best, or be made to commit suicide.”

“Then Chairman Warrens will never return to society?”

“Yes. The trading company will probably pass into someone else’s hands. Tell Jager only that much.”

After Nielsen left, the Grandiz chairman recalled what Chancellor Brighton had told him.

Some time ago, on his way back to the capital from the city of Huberly in the Rosenne territory, he had been persistently attacked.

Warrens had delayed payment for goods and argued with him shortly before he traveled to Huberly, so he had suspected it might be related.

The investigation into the series of incidents that began at the Warrens Trading branch revealed that Warrens had confessed to ordering the attack on the Grandiz chairman’s carriage as it returned from Huberly.

He assumed the man Jager had invited as their defensive support was the adventurer who caused the commotion at the Kreis branch, but since the matter was already resolved, he only conveyed the news of Warrens’ downfall.

When Nielsen returned, his expression was much clearer than when he had left.

“Jager, about what you asked earlier — Warrens Trading will soon pass into someone else’s hands.”

“Thank you very much.”

Jager thanked him and left the room, relieved to no longer worry about the protection request.

Three days later, when they met at the east gate, Jager and the others greeted me with grins on their faces.

“What’s with those creepy smiles?”

“Rejoice, Leon. Warrens Trading has collapsed— well, actually, it’ll just be taken over by someone else. That’s all we were told.”

“Meaning…?”

“It means no one will be chasing you anymore.”

Haah… all the tension drained out of me at once.

I was grateful that I no longer had to sneak into an upscale residential district and break into a mansion unnoticed.

I hadn’t been told earlier, but our destination was the town of Berna, six towns past the east gate.
From there, we would cross the plains and enter the mountains.

I didn’t expect the target to be near the capital, but… mountains, huh.

As we walked, I was reintroduced to the members of Fang:
Dennis, the scout walking at the front;
Morgan, another scout who alternated between front and rear guard with Dennis;
and Dennis had the wider detection range.

The lightning mage was Grave, while Lewis, Rick, and Cliff were skilled with short spears and bows.

In the first town, Letine, we bought 4–5 days’ worth of food.
In the next town, Cassandre, we bought another 4–5 days’ worth.

I had a bad feeling and asked how much food we actually needed.
They told me to carry at least 20 days’ worth.
That night, we camped outside the town.

I asked why they bought food little by little instead of in one place, and they said that if you buy everything in one town, you end up eating the same things over and over and get sick of it.

Makes perfect sense.

I made a 4-meter-diameter dome shelter for the six of them, and another one a bit apart for myself.

“Leon, you could just stay with us, couldn’t you?”

“Eh, I’d be the only young guy among a bunch of old men. I’d feel awkward — and the snoring would probably be unbearable.”

They burst out laughing at that.

As I relaxed inside my dome and ate dinner, Dennis suddenly asked:

“Leon, doesn’t it bother you?”

I almost choked.

So he had noticed, though he never showed it.
I had forgotten about it myself.

Morgan and Jager were also listening with interest.

All three had excellent presence-detection skills, and Jager said that when we first met he sensed nothing — but when he saw me in the guild later, he sensed multiple presences and was shocked.