第４４２堀：動き出す冒険者たち (Part2)
"I'm glad you've grasped the situation. In other words, there is a possibility that Mauve, Raiya, Curse, and Kirika are currently within the territory of that grudge-filled, selfish Idiot Princess."
"..."
Hearing the explanation from Curse once more and receiving Yuki's pronouncement, I felt as if we were standing on a scaffold. A chill ran down my spine.
"Honestly, for the sake of your safety, I'd prefer you withdraw, but that's not an option. I don't know how much that bitch princess actually understands about dungeons, but there's absolutely no information about a dungeon town being built or any recruitment drives. That means it's easy to guess she's operating in secret. However, if that's the case, there's no way she could be gathering enough magical energy. She isn't building a town inside the dungeon, nor is she attracting adventurers."
"Wait a minute... If that's the case, how is she earning DP?"
"She seems to be pouring magical energy into the core Nonoa sent and sending it back to gain DP on her own, but with that, it's almost impossible to rival Weed. Even Nonoa only has strength on par with Popuri. It's literally a drop in the bucket. Which means, the only other option is..."
I could imagine it, but would someone really do such a thing? I wanted to deny that nightmare, so I tried not to think about it that far.
"Abducting people and forcing them into the dungeon. That's the better-case scenario. At worst, she's taking them into the dungeon and ending their lives to convert them into DP. Nowadays, it's not rare for a village or two to vanish. So, having heard this, what will you do, Mauve? Will you quietly back down?"
Yuki asked as if just to be sure. I was grateful for his concern, but my answer was already decided.
"Who's backing down? This is my home. If I didn't know what was happening, that would be one thing, but I have you, and I know the true situation. I can't move from here. If there's a chance I can protect it, I won't retreat."
I said it clearly. Yuki seemed to have expected it, as he continued without trying to stop me.
"Honestly, that helps. I've already informed Taiki-kun, and he's investigating the villages throughout the Ranks region. Since it's the princess's former territory, there's no better place to be doing something suspicious. So, for now, Mauve and the others should also confirm the status of the villages scattered across the Kingdom of Swords. The raid on the royal capital comes after that. We have to grasp the enemy's strength first. Don't be rash."
"I know."
"Raiya and Curse, if you're willing to cooperate with Mauve, I'd like you to assist him."
"No need to ask. We go back a long way, after all."
"Indeed."
With that, the two of them agreed to follow me. I'm grateful. Truly grateful.
"As for Kirika..."
"Master. That concern is unnecessary. Though, since I know you would worry, I shall request a home-cooked meal or two once this turmoil is over."
"Understood. Then, I'll have you work hard."
"At once."
Kirika immediately headed outside. She must have gone to gather information.
"But what are we specifically going to do? Investigating every single village is going to be a struggle."
"That's true..."
"No, you guys should use your reputation as adventurers in times like this."
"Yeah."
I see. That's the quickest way. Surely, the guild would have a rumor or two about such villages. However, only Curse wore a troubled expression.
"...So, you're saying we should be the bait, aren't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"...I see. Certainly, we could get information by relying on the guild, but that's something anyone could think of. Including the enemy."
Ah, that's what he meant.
"It's not a certainty, but there's a possibility they are keeping an eye on the adventurer's guild. We can't rule out the possibility that the guild itself is in on it. Be careful about that. It's harder to track someone if you use adventurers as bait rather than ordinary people."
That's troublesome. But if we act as bait, the risk is still lower. If that's the case, we have no choice but to do it.
Let's show them the true power of real adventurers.