第３５５堀：初心を忘れるべからず (Part2)
"Besides, there are things like Dungeon Masters out there, so defeating a king doesn't necessarily mean it's all over."
"Ah, come to think of it, I've heard rumors of such things."
"Exactly. That’s why I figured you three were the best choice—you’re not being watched, you have knowledge of dungeons, you’ve cleared them before, and you’re well-versed in the ways of the world."
"Well, 'the world' in our case refers to the Weed continent. We haven't had any experience in the New Continent yet."
"It won't be that different. It’s far better than me walking around with all my wives in tow."
"Fair point. So, what exactly do you want us to investigate?"
I had to ask; without knowing that, we couldn't do a thing.
"Ah, that’s the tricky part. Honestly, I’m struggling with that myself."
"That’s rare for you, Yuki."
"Well, if it were me, I’d either hide it thoroughly or cover it up by scattering a mountain of decoys."
"…I see what you mean."
"So… let’s see. First off, find the production site for the magic swords. Even if they’re being produced inside a dungeon, there has to be an exit point to move them outside. Once we find that, I think we can pull on the thread and unravel the whole thing."
"That makes sense."
"And then, there’s the question of who this 'Dungeon Master' type actually is."
"If we knew that, we wouldn't be having such a hard time."
"So, as you can see, it’s all quite vague. I really want to rely on your experience and intuition. Our approach to the Ex Kingdom is different from the start; we have a certain status to maintain, but you three are just mercenaries. I have no idea how you should handle yourselves. Well, the basic policy for now is to avoid trouble, secretly investigate everything, and when the time is right, deal them a massive blow so we can steer things in our favor."
"I get it. You’re sticking to your usual black-hearted strategy."
"Well, maybe something like that errand we ran to Roschur would be best."
"Indeed. That feels about right."
"Ah, now that you mention it, the situation is similar to back then. The goal then was to bring Eris and the others into the fold, but this time, investigation is the priority."
Exactly. Supporting the princesses was just a side objective back then.
"Oh, in that case, you might want to pick up a few slaves again."
"Why’s that?"
"It’s the best way to gather information, isn't it? It’s safer than asking around clumsily. We didn't need to go that far in other countries, but in the Ex Kingdom, it’s just you three. If that’s the case, orphans or slaves are the perfect targets for gathering intel, right?"
"That’s true."
"If you're lucky, you might even find a slave who was once a noble and extract some real information. Fortunately, we have the funds. Picking up a few slaves should be easy. I’ll handle the intel gathering from this side, so once you’ve secured them, take them out of the Ex Kingdom for a while. I’ll build a dungeon at a distance where they won't notice."
"Understood."
It really feels like we’re back in the same situation as when we went to Roschur. I remember back then, when we were choosing slaves…
"Oh, and this time, make sure there’s at least one woman in the group. No old ladies, either. I need them to be useful for the 'plot'."
"Of course you’d say that! This is for gathering intel, right!? Wouldn't an old man or someone who used to be a bandit be better!?"
"You idiot. Who sells old people as slaves? Someone who can't work isn't good for business."
"…That’s true."
"And I’m not saying no to male slaves. But I’m insisting on women because we need information from multiple perspectives. You could probably get information by going to a tavern and drinking with men, but you can't do that with women, can you? Or what, are you going to try and seduce them?"
"That’s impossible. I’m still only with my wife."
I said that, and the other two shook their heads in agreement. There’s no way we could just easily pick up women.
"Exactly. That’s why it’s easier to pull women from the slave market."
"If you had a serious reason, you should’ve said so sooner."
"Nah, at the end of the day, I’m still going to mess with you guys. Just try to find someone impressive enough to make my teasing worth it."
"You really are something…"
"You can't do everything too seriously, either. It’s impossible to handle everything with perfect precision. Nothing is ever perfect. Sometimes, adding a little playfulness makes things work out better than expected."
"…That’s true. Just practicing your sword with total seriousness doesn't always make you better, either."
You have to take proper breaks, remember your beginner's mindset, and keep some peace of mind. Still, I’d rather not be the target of Yuki’s teasing.
I’ll find a woman who seems to have a grip on the information! I swore that in my heart.
The nostalgic slave-hobby championship of Mauve and his friends is about to begin!!
Well, there are no plans for a heroine, but I wonder what kind of slaves will show up?
The next chapter is about cherry blossom viewing.
Let me know if you have any ideas for what kind of slaves would be good.
Demi-humans are okay, but they’re a bit hard to use as a main focus.
Try to keep them human, and let me know about their appearance and background.
I don't know if I'll actually use them, though.
Well, I haven't done a character recruitment like this before, so I think it’s fine to try.
I don't know if I can pull it off, though!!
Also, I’ll be choosing based on my own judgment and prejudice, so please bear with that.