As a matter of course, since he was gathering information within the Holy Kingdom, he was becoming more and more familiar with the political situation, internal situation, and circumstances of the Holy Kingdom, and he felt as if he could easily take possession of it if he had enough pawns, so Demiurge reminded himself that he should not lose sight of his goal. It's not a bad idea to take the Holy Kingdom and dedicate it to Momonga, but Demiurge can't do that when Sebas is around. If he had been able to adopt the idea from the beginning, the demihumans would have been a great pawns, but there's no point in begging for what you don't have.
Deciding that there was nothing more to be gained by staying in Prart, Demiurge decided to move to Hoburns, the capital of the Holy Kingdom. Since Sebas did not raise any objection, they moved again on foot for about a week.
The capital city, Hoburns, had the appearance of a medieval royal city without any special features. The royal castle that stood at the back of the city had no atmosphere of grandeur or solemnity, and from Demiurge' point of view, it was an extremely boring and mundane castle.
The fruit of corruption's fame has already reached the capital, and the guards at the gates who see the adamantite plate pay it the utmost respect. Not wanting to make the same mistake as last time, I decided to meet up with Sebas later, and parted ways at the gate, leaving Demiurge alone to visit the Adventurer's Guild and then take lodging. Once again, the shadow demons have been sent out, one to search for information directly and the other to search for informants, so there is nothing to do for Demiurge now.
Gathering gossip over a drink in a tavern is one way to gather information, although it is not efficient, but Demiurge does not want to take even a sip of the tasteless liquor that the humans are drinking. But even more than that, this time when nothing can be done is painful for Demiurge. Normally, Demiurge would be working tirelessly for the sake of Nazarick, but to think that his time is being wasted like this is just unacceptable. So, with a strong sense of duty to at least use the time to return to Nazarick, Demiurge went down to the tavern, ordered a drink he didn't want to drink, and listened to the other tables.
Since Demiurge is staying at an inn for adventurers, the topics of conversation include information on monsters of interest to adventurers, the market price of magic items, other adventuring parties, and powerful people in ((Japan)) and other countries. Most of the information was the same as what we had gotten up to Prart, and there was nothing new to say, but there was one thing Demiurge hadn't heard before. It was said that a third party of adamantite-class adventurers had been born in the Kingdom of Re-Estise. It's a vague story that can only be described as a rumor, but I'll keep it in mind to see if I can find any more details when I find an informant. It's not information that can be used right now, but it may come in handy in the future, and it's necessary to keep track of the information of the powerful.
Demiurge has been keeping as much information as he can about adventurers from other countries who might be visiting in the future. It would be great if Demiurge and Sebas could find Nazarick in the Holy Kingdom, but he thinks that's unlikely, so they'll probably have to go around the each country. Whether the adventurer is an ally or an enemy, there is a difference between knowing the information in advance and not knowing it at all.
But a party of two is still an unusual party, though it's not something Demiurge could say. The fact that only two people can work as adamantites suggests that they are quite capable, and Demiurge has set its alert level to high.
Basically, adventurers are independent from the state, and they are not conscripted to fight in wars because of conflicts between countries. Because if the adventurers hit the ordinary soldiers, the ordinary soldiers would not be able to win and would be killed one after another, causing too much damage. It seems that the adventurer's union in the Holy Kingdom is in a weak position, and anyone can guess that adventurers will be recruited if there is a war with demihumans, but as a rule, adventurers do not fight each other in wars between humans, and as long as they act according to the rules of adventuring, the possibility of hostility is extremely low. This is not the case with workers, the adventurer dropouts whose conflicting interests sometimes lead to killing each other, but this is unthinkable among adventurers who are assigned by the union to investigate requests.
Therefore, there is little need to consider the possibility of hostility, but Demiurge and Sebas are deformed species, and aside from Sebas, who looks completely human, it is obvious that Demiurge in particular is not human if its ears and tail are exposed, so the possibility of exposure must be considered.
I checked with the Adventurer's Guild, and they don't seem to have any requests for adamantites at the moment, so unless there's something more serious, I can focus on gathering information for a while. Demiurge wondered if he could somehow get a piece of information about Nazarick, but.
Neia Baraja was just running. SHe was running blindly, aimlessly, farther and farther away. She didn't have time to even think about why she had run here, or where she was running to now. The story she had heard by chance had been so shocking that it had occupied her entire mind.
She didn't know if she could have muffled her footsteps as she left, or if she would have been noticed... even the things that she could normally think of properly, she couldn't think of in her confused mind right now.
She ran blindly through the crowd. It was when Neia finally had enough time to think about how she had ended up in the downtown when she should have been running in the other direction, going to the Holy Knights' camp.
Neia was unable to avoid the man at the front of the group who was walking looking or acting as if one owned the middle of the street, and she crashed head-on into the man's chest plate. The momentum of the collision sent Neia flying backwards, landing on her buttocks.
"I'm sorry..."
"Sorry? If apologies were enough, we wouldn't need a bailiff, now, would we, sister?font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN" /span/fontOuch, I think I'm gonna have to go to the temple to get healed, huh?"
"Whoa... she's a bad eyes. How many people has this woman killed?"
"You can blindfold your eyes, I don't care what a woman looks like as long as she has a hole."
"That's really all you think about, but I do too. Hahahahaha."
The men, who looked like hoodlums, surrounded Neia, laughing vulgarly. Even though Neia is an apprentice, she's still a holy knight, and she will not be defeated by there punk of a city. But if five or six of them come at you at once, your odds are not good.
"Sis, if you're going to apologize, you have to show some sincerity, right?"
"Yes, yes, I won't ask you to pay for it, but you have to pay for it with your body."
"Come on, come on."
"Please don't!"
The men showed their annoyance when Neia shook off the man's arm that was trying to grab her arm.
"I told you to be settle down, you bitch!"
The man who bumped into Neia in the front raised his arm and swung it over tried to slap her cheek. She hoped she could somehow fight back and get out of there, but if the others moved, she wouldn't be able to deal with them. Neia thought about it, but the man's hand didn't move to slap Neia on the cheek.
Someone's hand was pressing down on the man's wrist from the side.
"I've been watching this for a while now, and all I see are six people making vile comments about one woman. It may be a bit of an anachronism to say that women should be protected, but aren't you men ashamed of yourselves?"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! You old bastard!"
A white-haired gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard and a traveler's cloak twisted up the man's arm with a cool face. The man backed away, as if he couldn't stand the pain, and the gentleman finally let go of his hand.
"Get out of my way, old man!"
"That's a problem. I've been told not to act too flamboyantly, ...but if you guys are going to hit me, it's going to be in self-defense, so I can't help it."
Everyone, including Nei'a, gasped when they saw the gentleman lowering his arms and turning around. The adventurer's plate that shone on his chest shone with the glow of adamantite, indicating the highest rank.
"This guy is a ... adamantite!?"
"So maybe this is the guy who's rumored to have taken out all the top demihuman Jukketsu..."
"He mey be member of The fruit of corruption..."
"The next time you mention that party name, I will kill you without mercy."
Neia could see a clear killing intent with a piercing gaze like a bird of prey that has caught its prey from the gentleman to the man who had mentioned the party name. The man let out a frightened cry and fell on his buttocks.
"...Damn it, stop it, stop it. We don't care about this girl with the bad eyes!"
"Come on, let's go!"
With that, the men fled in a huff humiliatingly. The gentleman smiled kindly at Neia, who was stunned by what had happened.
"Are you hurt? I'm sure you had something urgent to do, are you the time okay?"
"Huh... No, no, ummm... I am no injury, thank you. It's... not that I had stuff to do..."
"I'm sorry. I thought you have a stuff to do because you seemed to be in a hurry... Is there any reason you? I'm not sure if I'll hear your circumstance, I might be able to help. If you'd like, we can talk about why you were running so fast."
Neia hesitated at the gentleman's words, unsure of her answer. She was torn between wondering if she should involve this gentleman and the thought that an adamantite-class adventurer would be able to help her as he said.
"You know..., but I don't want to cause you any trouble..."
"It is a man's duty to help a woman in need, and I don't consider it a nuisance."
"It's a little... here. If it was my house, I'd... Oh, no, it's bad idea, I'd get my mom involved..."
"It seems that you have a very complicated situation. Then let's ask about it at our inn. I just arrived today, so I don't know where the inn is yet, but I'm sure my... fellow have already taken a room at the inn, so let's go to the meeting place."
Neia wondered a little why he looked a little uncomfortable when he said "fellow", but that was not the point right now. If it were true, he should have gone to the Paladin Order's headquarters before consulting with the adventurers, but Neia didn't even know who was talk about it, and he had no proof, so he couldn't show anything solid to appeal. But it was too serios for Neia to agonize over it alone. I wanted someone to listen to her.
When Neia nodded her head, the gentleman smiled softly, as if to reassure her.
"I'm sorry, I haven't told you my name yet. My name is Sebas-tian, and I look forward to working with you."
"I'm Neia Baraja."
"My... fellow is a bit of a troubled guy, but... he's smart enough to come up with some good ideas. He's only smart anyway, so he might be able to come up with some good wisdom. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he is cunning..."
"Um, your fellow..., right?"
"Yes, that's what it says on...!
As he answered, Sebas gave him a look of obvious disgust. He looked as if he didn't want to be thought of as one of him. Neia also started walking according to Sebas, who was heading to the meeting place, wondering what kind of difficult people were waiting for him.
"Sebas. Our inn is for adventurers, not a boarding house, and I'm staying in the room with you, so why are you bringing a woman? I'm not going to stop you, so why don't you go to such an inn, you have money, right?"
The man who looked bitter and complained as soon as he saw Sebas and Neiya at the meeting place had a very hundsome and voice. Sebas, You lied when you said he was good just your head, didn't you, he's perfect in every way, thought Naia, feeling slightly cheated.
In the first place, Sebas is such a nice gentleman that even a young girl like Neia can't help but fall in love with him, as well. She wonder what kind of combination these two are, why does Sebas seem so reluctant to be considered a fellow? All sorts of questions about the Adamantite class adventurers that were being talked about came up one after another out of curiosity.
"I don't want you to misunderstand me. This person, Neia Baraja, seemed to be in a great deal of trouble, but she said she had a situation that she couldn't talk about on the street or at home, so we thought we'd ask her about it at our inn. Isn't it a bit violent to make assumptions without listening to the story?"
"Are you trying to involve me in your favorite meddling? Well, I'm always involved, and it's annoying as hell. It's always the same, you act without thinking, without regard for my circumstances."
"It is not that we do not think about it. We don't want to abandon those who are in need, and we do our best to think of ways to help them."
"We have other things to think about, and that's what you don't seem to understand."
"I think you'll agree that it's a useful way for our purposes."
"I'm telling you, you're meddling first and foremost, and we need you to put our goals first. I've told you that you can do whatever you want, but I don't want you to involve me in this, and I want you to do it within the limits of your own responsibility."
"Of course, I will take full responsibility. They just want to use the inn because they don't have a place where to talk."
"If that's the case, I'm sure you'll be fine at the boarding house, I just don't understand why you need to talk about it in a room with me when it's your problem alone."
"I cannot take Miss Baraja to such a disreputable place. It's more than just nervousness, it's morbidity, to be so nitpicky just to listen to her talk in a room."
"Your habit of meddling is even more sickening. You are not asked to help, but when you decide that someone is in trouble, you help them and feel self-satisfied, which can only be described as sick. I think you're trapped in some kind of obsession."
Neia watched in amazement as the exchange of abuses unfolded in a fluid fashion. Her only thought was, "Are these really fellows?". It's too acrimonious and too rogue.
Neia had an image of adventurers as friends who had overcome life and death together and were bound by a strong bond, but that stereotype was shattered. It was too hard for Naia to imagine these people working together to fight.
"-If you insist on asking me where I am, it would be a request to us. Is Miss Balaha wealthy enough to make a request to us?"
Neia panicked when she realized that the knives are out for the her. There's no way that a little girl who's a holy knight's apprentice would have the money to make a request to an adamantite-class adventurer.
"Demiurge, I did not bring her here with such intentions. Please do not say anything that will embarrass Mistress Baraja."
"I'm sorry, but I don't have enough money to make a request to an adamantite-level person... And since this is a political matter, it's not the right thing to ask an adventurer..."
"Huh?"
It was then that Neier saw the eyes behind the glasses of the man Sebas called Demiurge, not metaphorically, but truly glittering. It may have been her imagination, though, because the light disappeared when he blinked.
"All right, I'll just listen to what you have to say. Was it a duty that only a high-ranking adventurer could fulfill? It may be such a case."
"How forward of you."
"If you have a problem with that, we're done here, Sebas, is that okay with you?"
"...Okay, let's go."
With a disgusted look like biting a bitter worm on his face, Sebas agreed, and Demiurge walked ahead of him to the inn, followed by Neia.
They were silent until they reached the inn, as if the loudness they had just experienced had been a lie. She wonder if there are only if they're going to fight or just stay silent. Naia have once again questioning the fact that these two are fellows.
The lodge, a top-notch establishment for high-ranking adventurers, was luxurious, perhaps even more beautiful than the old royal palace, though it was well maintained. Neia, who was born and raised in the capital, walked around the building, looking around like a country bumpkin. Neia never had the opportunity to enter such a luxurious inn. Even though he was a black of Kyushiki, his father was not paid very well, and of course he could not come here on his own.
When they entered the room, Demiurge sat down on a chair, and Neia sit down on the chair that Sebas pulled out for her.
"Now then, let me ask you, Miss Baraja, why were you running so fast?"
"You're helping people because you were running in a hurry, was that really something you needed help with? A magic chanting person who can use Quick March might be able to help but."
"I was helping her because she was running so fast that she bumped into some bad people and was about to be taken away. I'm sure it will be difficult for Miss Baraja to talk to you if you interrupt her, so could you please shut up and listen?"
"I don't want this conversation to go anywhere, and I don't want it to go anywhere, so let's just shut up."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Demiurge kept his mouth shut, but Neia still wasn't sure if she should tell him about the matter she was keeping close to her chest. Everyone knows that there is an unwritten rule that adventurers do not intervene in politics, and even though the adamantite class has a certain amount of freedom, Neiya couldn't decide if it was really right to involve these two people.
"It's too heavy a problem for you to face alone, because wasn't he running like that, so crazy about yourself? I don't know if I can help you yet, but at any rate, if you just talk to me, you might be able to stop worrying a little bit."
Sebas urged her in a calm voice, as if he could see through her anxiety. Still, she hesitated for a while, and then finally decided to open her mouth.
"Today, I was in a warehouse on the outskirts of the royal palace, polishing weapons for equipment. I have a habit of dismissing my presence because it bothers me when someone calls out to me when I'm concentrating, so maybe he didn't know I was there... Someone came in after me and started consulting with me. It was a consultation to contact the assassin who would assassinate the queen at the founding ceremony. But I don't know who was talking, and I have no proof, so I don't know how to report it to my superiors. And more importantly, I was so upset at the time... that I ran away with it."
"Assassinating the Queen... That's a big deal. You might want to tell someone about it as soon as possible."
"But I don't know how to explain... what I've heard. All I've heard is that we're supposed to send a messenger to the assassin tonight."
(Neia looked down at her) in distress, Sebas seemed to have no words to say, as if he couldn't come up with a good idea. The only one who seemed to have a good idea was Demiurge, who smiled contentedly.
"Yes, yes. It's very simple, Miss Baraja. All you have to do is tell your superiors what you hear, and that's it. As high up as possible. By the looks of your equipment, you're a soldier, aren't you?"
"I'm an apprentice paladin."
"If that's the case, it would be great if we could tell Remedios Custodio, the head of the Paladin Order. If she can be informed, the Queen's security will be in good hands, won't it?"
"That's true, but we don't have any proof at..., and we don't know who's going after the queen and by what means."
"You can ask us to look into it. The fee will be... Yes, it will be enough if we can make sure that Kelart Custodio knows about this. As long as you can assure me of that, I'll investigate, and I'll put Sebas on your escort."
Naia's eyes went black and white at Demiurge' sudden offer. If you tell Remedios, she will surely tell her sister Kelart, the queen's brain. Neia is not sure why the adventurer would want to do that, but she have no idea what he's trying to do.
"However, there is one condition. If you can do that, then I let bygones be bygones Sebas's usual intolerance and lack of concessions to me. But if you can't accept these conditions, then we will follow the unwritten rules of adventurers and withdraw from all political matters."
"...What are you up to, Demiurge?"
"You don't make me look bad by saying it. The queen, Kelart Custodio, the foolish nobleman, it is a case here the pieces are on the board, and the stage is set."
"Do you have an idea who might have done this?"
"Of course. We've narrowed it down to about three people, so if we find out what they're doing tonight, we'll know for sure. In any case, we already know that they will move tonight. Once we know who the ringleaders are, we can leave the rest to Kelart Custodio and she will pull them out like a vine. I'd like to know the location of the mansion of the person I've spotted, so I'll need Miss Baraja's help on that."
"If the... plan is unacceptable to you, you can't follow it."
"I am unwilling to do so, but I assure you that I will take every precaution to ensure that as few innocent civilians are harmed as possible, as you may wish."
"Can you tell me what the plan is?"
"All right, come here."
After saying this, Demiurge stood up and moved to a corner of the room. Sebas followed, and in a corner of the room, Demiurge began to explain something in a whisper that Neia couldn't hear. Sebas' face changed from astonishment to anger as he listened to this.
"What do you think you're doing? I can't allow such a plan!"
"We'll try to keep the deaths to a minimum and the injuries to ... a minimum. Now, if you can't accept this, then I'm going to have to ask you to back off on this one, but what do you say? If you don't want to accept this, then I'm going to have to ask you to back off on this one. This is a matter that adventurers are not supposed to be involved in, and since I'm helping you, I'd like to see you show some concessions."
"But! It's unreasonable!"
"Hmmm, so you're okay with leaving the Queen in the dark about who's targeting her. I'm sure Kelart can look into it, but from what we've learned so far, she's probably more the type to pin the blame on those who are inconvenient for them than to find out exactly what's going on. That would mean that the attack on the queen at the founding ceremony would take place, but that can also be prevented if you adopt my plan, right? And all the blame will be placed on the noblemen who masterminded it. Our fame will be solidified, and the word will get out. Who has anything to lose?"
With a pained expression on his face, Sebastien fell silent. What kind of plans Demiurge was talking disturbing things about the dead and injured and all that other crazy stuff, there were so many things he didn't know that Neia couldn't say anything. As Sebas had mentioned earlier, Demiurge was probably up to something.
What on earth is Demiurge planning to do at the founding ceremony? Can Neia overlook this? It's because Neia brought this kind of consultation to us in the first place that we're in this mess. Neia was so confused by the mixture of fear of the unseen plot and apology for Sebas that she wanted to cry out at any moment.
"...I understand. I'm sure I need to make some concessions, and I must prevent the assassination of the queen. However, you must promise to keep the deaths and injuries to a minimum."
"I'm glad to have your approval, I'll keep my word. Now, Miss Baraja, I want you to show me the location of three noble houses. After that, you and Sebas can go see Remedios the adamantite-class adventurer wishes to meet with her, she will not to be ridiculous. Sebas can continue to serve as Miss Baraja's escort. I'll send a messenger if you need me."
"Yes, I understand."
Sebas nodded honestly, as if he had made up his mind, but Neia was still in confusion. The conversation was going on and on, but was this really the right course of action? If something serious happens, it will be Neia's fault, can we allow that to happen?
"Oh, um, ... what in the world is ... going to do?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Baraja, but since you're an outsider, I can't tell you the full extent of my plans. I must add one more condition to my undertaking: you must never tell anyone that I'm planning anything. Don't worry, as I promised Sebas earlier, the damage will be kept to a minimum and everything will be resolved cleanly, so you can rest assured."
Demiurge smiled a gentle and kind smile. But It looked like the smile of a demon. She wondered if demons might be able to taunt humans with their gentle expressions and voices like this, It was rude, but Neia felt it.
Demiurge spent what seemed like a sufficient amount of time gathering information in Prart after fulfilling the request from the Adventurers' Guild, but he was unable to get any results regarding information on Nazarick.
As a matter of course, since he was gathering information within the Holy Kingdom, he was becoming more and more familiar with the political situation, internal situation, and circumstances of the Holy Kingdom, and he felt as if he could easily take possession of it if he had enough pawns, so Demiurge reminded himself that he should not lose sight of his goal. It's not a bad idea to take the Holy Kingdom and dedicate it to Momonga, but Demiurge can't do that when Sebas is around. If he had been able to adopt the idea from the beginning, the demihumans would have been great pawns, but there's no point in begging for what you don't have.
Deciding that there was nothing more to be gained by staying in Prart, Demiurge decided to move to Hoburns, the capital of the Holy Kingdom. Since Sebas did not raise any objection, they moved again on foot for about a week.
The capital city, Hoburns, had the appearance of a medieval royal city without any special features. The royal castle that stood at the back of the city had no atmosphere of grandeur or solemnity, and from Demiurge' point of view, it was an extremely boring and mundane castle.
The fruit of corruption's fame has already reached the capital, and the guards at the gates who see the adamantite plate pay it the utmost respect. Not wanting to make the same mistake as last time, I decided to meet up with Sebas later, and parted ways at the gate, leaving Demiurge alone to visit the Adventurer's Guild and then take lodging. Once again, the shadow demons have been sent out, one to search for information directly and the other to search for informants, so there is nothing to do for Demiurge now.
Gathering gossip over a drink in a tavern is one way to gather information, although it is not efficient, but Demiurge does not want to take even a sip of the tasteless liquor that the humans are drinking. But even more than that, this time when nothing can be done is painful for Demiurge. Normally, Demiurge would be working tirelessly for the sake of Nazarick, but to think that his time is being wasted like this is just unacceptable. So, with a strong sense of duty to at least use the time to return to Nazarick, Demiurge went down to the tavern, ordered a drink he didn't want to drink, and listened to the other tables.
Since Demiurge is staying at an inn for adventurers, the topics of conversation include information on monsters of interest to adventurers, the market price of magic items, other adventuring parties, and powerful people in Japan and other countries. Most of the information was the same as what we had gotten up to Prato, and there was nothing new to say, but there was one thing Demiurge hadn't heard before. It was said that a third party of adamantite-class adventurers had been born in the Kingdom of Re-Estise. It's a vague story that can only be described as a rumor, but I'll keep it in mind to see if I can find any more details when I find an informant. It's not information that can be used right now, but it may come in handy in the future, and it's necessary to keep track of the information of the powerful.
Demiurge has been keeping as much information as he can about adventurers from other countries who might be visiting in the future. It would be great if Demiurge and Sebas could find Nazarick in the Holy Kingdom, but he thinks that's unlikely, so they'll probably have to go around each country. Whether the adventurer is an ally or an enemy, there is a difference between knowing the information in advance and not knowing it at all.
But a party of two is still an unusual party, though it's not something Demiurge could say. The fact that only two people can work as adamantites suggests that they are quite capable, and Demiurge has set its alert level to high.
Basically, adventurers are independent from the state, and they are not conscripted to fight in wars because of conflicts between countries. Because if the adventurers hit the ordinary soldiers, the ordinary soldiers would not be able to win and would be killed one after another, causing too much damage. It seems that the adventurer's union in the Holy Kingdom is in a weak position, and anyone can guess that adventurers will be recruited if there is a war with demihumans, but as a rule, adventurers do not fight each other in wars between humans, and as long as they act according to the rules of adventuring, the possibility of hostility is extremely low. This is not the case with workers, the adventurer dropouts whose conflicting interests sometimes lead to killing each other, but this is unthinkable among adventurers who are assigned by the union to investigate requests.
Therefore, there is little need to consider the possibility of hostility, but Demiurge and Sebas are deformed species, and aside from Sebas, who looks completely human, it is obvious that Demiurge in particular is not human if its ears and tail are exposed, so the possibility of exposure must be considered.
I checked with the Adventurer's Guild, and they don't seem to have any requests for adamantites at the moment, so unless there's something more serious, I can focus on gathering information for a while. Demiurge wondered if he could somehow get a piece of information about Nazarick, but.
Neia Baraja was just running. He was running blindly, aimlessly, farther and farther away. She didn't have time to even think about why she had run here, or where she was running to now. The story she had heard by chance had been so shocking that it had occupied her entire mind.
She didn't know if she could have muffled her footsteps as she left, or if she would have been noticed... even the things that she could normally think of properly, she couldn't think of in her confused mind right now.
She ran blindly through the crowd. It was when Neia finally had enough time to think about how she had ended up downtown when she should have been running in the other direction, going to the Holy Knights' camp.
Neia was unable to avoid the man at the front of the group who was walking looking or acting as if one owned the middle of the street, and she crashed head-on into the man's chest plate. The momentum of the collision sent Neia flying backwards, landing on her buttocks.
"I'm sorry..."
"Sorry? If apologies were enough, we wouldn't need a bailiff, now, would we, sister?font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN" /span/fontOuch, I think I'm gonna have to go to the temple to get healed, huh?"
"Whoa... she has bad eyes. How many people has this woman killed?"
"You can blindfold your eyes, I don't care what a woman looks like as long as she has a hole."
"That's really all you think about, but I do too. Hahahahaha."
The men, who looked like hoodlums, surrounded Neia, laughing vulgarly. Even though Neia is an apprentice, she's still a holy knight, and she will not be defeated by there punk of a city. But if five or six of them come at you at once, your odds are not good.
"Sis, if you're going to apologize, you have to show some sincerity, right?"
"Yes, yes, I won't ask you to pay for it, but you have to pay for it with your body."
"Come on, come on."
"Please don't!"
The men showed their annoyance when Neia shook off the man's arm that was trying to grab her arm.
"I told you to settle down, you bitch!"
The man who bumped into Neia in the front raised his arm and swung it over tried to slap her cheek. She hoped she could somehow fight back and get out of there, but if the others moved, she wouldn't be able to deal with them. Neia thought about it, but the man's hand didn't move to slap Neia on the cheek.
Someone's hand was pressing down on the man's wrist from the side.
"I've been watching this for a while now, and all I see are six people making vile comments about one woman. It may be a bit of an anachronism to say that women should be protected, but aren't you men ashamed of yourselves?"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! You old bastard!"
A white-haired gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard and a traveler's cloak twisted up the man's arm with a cool face. The man backed away, as if he couldn't stand the pain, and the gentleman finally let go of his hand.
"Get out of my way, old man!"
"That's a problem. I've been told not to act too flamboyantly, ...but if you guys are going to hit me, it's going to be in self-defense, so I can't help it."
Everyone, including Nei'a, gasped when they saw the gentleman lowering his arms and turning around. The adventurer's plate that shone on his chest shone with the glow of adamantite, indicating the highest rank.
"This guy is a ... adamantite!?"
"So maybe this is the guy who's rumored to have taken out all the top demihuman Jukketsu..."
"He may be a member of The fruit of corruption..."
"The next time you mention that party name, I will kill you without mercy."
Neia could see a clear killing intent with a piercing gaze like a bird of prey that has caught its prey from the gentleman to the man who had mentioned the party name. The man let out a frightened cry and fell on his buttocks.
"...Damn it, stop it, stop it. We don't care about this girl with the bad eyes!"
"Come on, let's go!"
With that, the men fled in a huff humiliatingly. The gentleman smiled kindly at Neia, who was stunned by what had happened.
"Are you hurt? I'm sure you have something urgent to do, are you the time okay?"
"Huh... No, no, ummm... I have no injury, thank you. It's... not that I had stuff to do..."
"I'm sorry. I thought you had stuff to do because you seemed to be in a hurry... Is there any reason you? I'm not sure if I'll hear your circumstance, I might be able to help. If you'd like, we can talk about why you were running so fast."
Neia hesitated at the gentleman's words, unsure of her answer. She was torn between wondering if she should involve this gentleman and the thought that an adamantite-class adventurer would be able to help her as he said.
"You know..., but I don't want to cause you any trouble..."
"It is a man's duty to help a woman in need, and I don't consider it a nuisance."
"It's a little... here. If it was my house, I'd... Oh, no, it's a bad idea, I'd get my mom involved..."
"It seems that you have a very complicated situation. Then let's ask about it at our inn. I just arrived today, so I don't know where the inn is yet, but I'm sure my... fellow has already taken a room at the inn, so let's go to the meeting place."
Neia wondered a little why he looked a little uncomfortable when he said "fellow", but that was not the point right now. If it were true, he should have gone to the Paladin Order's headquarters before consulting with the adventurers, but Neia didn't even know who was talking about it, and he had no proof, so he couldn't show anything solid to appeal. But it was too serious for Neia to agonize over it alone. I wanted someone to listen to her.
When Neia nodded her head, the gentleman smiled softly, as if to reassure her.
"I'm sorry, I haven't told you my name yet. My name is Sebas-tian, and I look forward to working with you."
"I'm Neia Baraja."
"My... fellow is a bit of a troubled guy, but... he's smart enough to come up with some good ideas. He's only smart anyway, so he might be able to come up with some good wisdom. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he is cunning..."
"Um, your fellow..., right?"
"Yes, that's what it says on...!
As he answered, Sebas gave him a look of obvious disgust. He looked as if he didn't want to be thought of as one of him. Neia also started walking according to Sebas, who was heading to the meeting place, wondering what kind of difficult people were waiting for him.
"Sebas. Our inn is for adventurers, not a boarding house, and I'm staying in the room with you, so why are you bringing a woman? I'm not going to stop you, so why don't you go to such an inn, you have money, right?"
The man who looked bitter and complained as soon as he saw Sebas and Neia at the meeting place had a very handsome and nice voice. Sebas, You lied when you said he was good just your head, didn't you, he's perfect in every way, thought Naia, feeling slightly cheated.
In the first place, Sebas is such a nice gentleman that even a young girl like Neia can't help but fall in love with him, as well. She wonders what kind of combination these two are, why does Sebas seem so reluctant to be considered a fellow? All sorts of questions about the Adamantite class adventurers that were being talked about came up one after another out of curiosity.
"I don't want you to misunderstand me. This person, Neia Baraja, seemed to be in a great deal of trouble, but she said she had a situation that she couldn't talk about on the street or at home, so we thought we'd ask her about it at our inn. Isn't it a bit violent to make assumptions without listening to the story?"
"Are you trying to involve me in your favorite meddling? Well, I'm always involved, and it's annoying as hell. It's always the same, you act without thinking, without regard for my circumstances."
"It is not that we do not think about it. We don't want to abandon those who are in need, and we do our best to think of ways to help them."
"We have other things to think about, and that's what you don't seem to understand."
"I think you'll agree that it's a useful way for our purposes."
"I'm telling you, you're meddling first and foremost, and we need you to put our goals first. I've told you that you can do whatever you want, but I don't want you to involve me in this, and I want you to do it within the limits of your own responsibility."
"Of course, I will take full responsibility. They just want to use the inn because they don't have a place where to talk."
"If that's the case, I'm sure you'll be fine at the boarding house, I just don't understand why you need to talk about it in a room with me when it's your problem alone."
"I cannot take Miss Baraja to such a disreputable place. It's more than just nervousness, it's morbidity, to be so nitpicky just to listen to her talk in a room."
"Your habit of meddling is even more sickening. You are not asked to help, but when you decide that someone is in trouble, you help them and feel self-satisfied, which can only be described as sick. I think you're trapped in some kind of obsession."
Neia watched in amazement as the exchange of abuses unfolded in a fluid fashion. Her only thought was, "Are these really fellows?". It's too acrimonious and too rogue.
Neia had an image of adventurers as friends who had overcome life and death together and were bound by a strong bond, but that stereotype was shattered. It was too hard for Naia to imagine these people working together to fight.
"-If you insist on asking me where I am, it would be a request to us. Is Miss Balaha wealthy enough to make a request to us?"
Neia panicked when she realized that the knives are out for the her. There's no way that a little girl who's a holy knight's apprentice would have the money to make a request to an adamantite-class adventurer.
"Demiurge, I did not bring her here with such intentions. Please do not say anything that will embarrass Mistress Balaha."
"I'm sorry, but I don't have enough money to make a request to an adamantite-level person... And since this is a political matter, it's not the right thing to ask an adventurer..."
"Huh?"
It was then that Neia saw the eyes behind the glasses of the man Sebas called Demiurge, not metaphorically, but truly glittering. It may have been his imagination, though, because the light disappeared when he blinked.
"All right, I'll just listen to what you have to say. Was it a duty that only a high-ranking adventurer could fulfill? It may be such a case."
"How forward of you."
"If you have a problem with that, we're done here, Sebas, is that okay with you?"
"...Okay, let's go."
With a disgusted look like biting a bitter worm on his face, Sebas agreed, and Demiurge walked ahead of him to the inn, followed by Naia.
They were silent until they reached the inn, as if the loudness they had just experienced had been a lie. She wonders if there are only if they're going to fight or just stay silent. Naia have once again questioned the fact that these two are fellows.
The lodge, a top-notch establishment for high-ranking adventurers, was luxurious, perhaps even more beautiful than the old royal palace, though it was well maintained. Neia, who was born and raised in the capital, walked around the building, looking around like a country bumpkin. Neia never had the opportunity to enter such a luxurious inn. Even though he was a black of Kyushiki, his father was not paid very well, and of course he could not come here on his own.
When they entered the room, Demiurge sat down on a chair, and Neia sit down on the chair that Sebas pulled out for her.
"Now then, let me ask you, Miss Baraja, why were you running so fast?"
"You're helping people because you were running in a hurry, was that really something you needed help with? A magic chanting person who can use Quick March might be able to help but."
"I was helping her because she was running so fast that she bumped into some bad people and was about to be taken away. I'm sure it will be difficult for Miss Baraja to talk to you if you interrupt her, so could you please shut up and listen?"
"I don't want this conversation to go anywhere, and I don't want it to go anywhere, so let's just shut up."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Demiurge kept his mouth shut, but Neia still wasn't sure if she should tell him about the matter she was keeping close to her chest. Everyone knows that there is an unwritten rule that adventurers do not intervene in politics, and even though the adamantite class has a certain amount of freedom, Neiya couldn't decide if it was really right to involve these two people.
"It's too heavy a problem for you to face alone, because wasn't he running like that, so crazy about yourself? I don't know if I can help you yet, but at any rate, if you just talk to me, you might be able to stop worrying a little bit."
Sebas urged her in a calm voice, as if he could see through her anxiety. Still, she hesitated for a while, and then finally decided to open her mouth.
"Today, I was in a warehouse on the outskirts of the royal palace, polishing weapons for equipment. I have a habit of dismissing my presence because it bothers me when someone calls out to me when I'm concentrating, so maybe he didn't know I was there... Someone came in after me and started consulting with me. It was a consultation to contact the assassin who would assassinate the queen at the founding ceremony. But I don't know who was talking, and I have no proof, so I don't know how to report it to my superiors. And more importantly, I was so upset at the time... that I ran away with it."
"Assassinating the Queen... That's a big deal. You might want to tell someone about it as soon as possible."
"But I don't know how to explain... what I've heard. All I've heard is that we're supposed to send a messenger to the assassin tonight."
Neia looked down at her in distress, Sebas seemed to have no words to say, as if he couldn't come up with a good idea. The only one who seemed to have a good idea was Demiurge, who smiled contentedly.
"Yes, yes. It's very simple, Miss Baraja. All you have to do is tell your superiors what you hear, and that's it. As high up as possible. By the looks of your equipment, you're a soldier, aren't you?"
"I'm an apprentice paladin."
"If that's the case, it would be great if we could tell Remedios Custodio, the head of the Paladin Order. If she can be informed, the Queen's security will be in good hands, won't it?"
"That's true, but we don't have any proof at..., and we don't know who's going after the queen and by what means."
"You can ask us to look into it. The fee will be... Yes, it will be enough if we can make sure that Kelart Custodio knows about this. As long as you can assure me of that, I'll investigate, and I'll put Sebas on your escort."
Naia's eyes went black and white at Demiurge' sudden offer. If you tell Remedios, he will surely tell his sister Kelart, the queen's brain. Neia is not sure why the adventurer would want to do that, but she has no idea what he's trying to do.
"However, there is one condition. If you can do that, then I let bygones be bygones Sebas's usual intolerance and lack of concessions to me. But if you can't accept these conditions, then we will follow the unwritten rules of adventurers and withdraw from all political matters."
"...What are you up to, Demiurge?"
"You don't make me look bad by saying it. The queen, Kelart Custodio, the foolish nobleman, it is a case where the pieces are on the board, and the stage is set."
"Do you have an idea who might have done this?"
"Of course. We've narrowed it down to about three people, so if we find out what they're doing tonight, we'll know for sure. In any case, we already know that they will move tonight. Once we know who the ringleaders are, we can leave the rest to Kelart Custodio and he will pull them out like a vine. I'd like to know the location of the mansion of the person I've spotted, so I'll need Miss Baraja's help on that."
"If the... plan is unacceptable to you, you can't follow it."
"I am unwilling to do so, but I assure you that I will take every precaution to ensure that as few innocent civilians are harmed as possible, as you may wish."
"Can you tell me what the plan is?"
"All right, come here."
After saying this, Demiurge stood up and moved to a corner of the room. Sebas followed, and in a corner of the room, Demiurge began to explain something in a whisper that Neia couldn't hear. Sebas' face changed from astonishment to anger as he listened to this.
"What do you think you're doing? I can't allow such a plan!"
"We'll try to keep the deaths to a minimum and the injuries to ... a minimum. Now, if you can't accept this, then I'm going to have to ask you to back off on this one, but what do you say? If you don't want to accept this, then I'm going to have to ask you to back off on this one. This is a matter that adventurers are not supposed to be involved in, and since I'm helping you, I'd like to see you show some concessions."
"But! It's unreasonable!"
"Hmmm, so you're okay with leaving the Queen in the dark about who's targeting her. I'm sure Kelart can look into it, but from what we've learned so far, she's probably more the type to pin the blame on those who are inconvenient for them than to find out exactly what's going on. That would mean that the attack on the queen at the founding ceremony would take place, but that can also be prevented if you adopt my plan, right? And all the blame will be placed on the noblemen who masterminded it. Our fame will be solidified, and the word will get out. Who has anything to lose?"
With a pained expression on his face, Sebastien fell silent. What kind of plans Demiurge was talking disturbing things about the dead and injured and all that other crazy stuff, there were so many things he didn't know that Naia couldn't say anything. As Sebas had mentioned earlier, Demiurge was probably up to something.
What on earth is Demiurge planning to do at the founding ceremony? Can Neia overlook this? It's because Neia brought this kind of consultation to us in the first place that we're in this mess. Naia was so confused by the mixture of fear of the unseen plot and apology for Sebas that she wanted to cry out at any moment.
"...I understand. I'm sure I need to make some concessions, and I must prevent the assassination of the queen. However, you must promise to keep the deaths and injuries to a minimum."
"I'm glad to have your approval, I'll keep my word. Now, Miss Baraja, I want you to show me the location of three noble houses. After that, you and Sebas can go see Remedios the adamantite-class adventurer wishes to meet with her, she will not to be ridiculous. Sebas can continue to serve as Miss Balaha's escort. I'll send a messenger if you need me."
"Yes, I understand."
Sebas nodded honestly, as if he had made up his mind, but Naia was still in confusion. The conversation was going on and on, but was this really the right course of action? If something serious happens, it will be Naia's fault, can we allow that to happen?
"Oh, um, ... what in the world is ... going to do?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Baraja, but since you're an outsider, I can't tell you the full extent of my plans. I must add one more condition to my undertaking: you must never tell anyone that I'm planning anything. Don't worry, as I promised Sebas earlier, the damage will be kept to a minimum and everything will be resolved cleanly, so you can rest assured."
Demiurge smiled a gentle and kind smile. But It looked like the smile of a demon. She wondered if demons might be able to taunt humans with their gentle expressions and voices like this, It was rude, but Neia felt it.