第１３０１堀：調査経過報告 (Part2)
"No encounters with goblins or orcs either?"
『None of that, either.』
"Is that... normal? The Mercenary Guild at the Academy usually has plenty of work for monster subjugation, right? Is it really that rare to run into them?"
"Hmm, now that you mention it, it does seem a bit strange. I don't attend the classes myself, so I can't say for sure, but didn't you go on a monster hunting demonstration once, Yuki?"
"I did. It was more like a side-lesson while I was practicing magic at the Academy."
A wyvern had appeared back then, causing quite a stir. The immediate cause was Ria hurlng a water ball, but the distant catalyst was Wazfi, who was standing right here.
"If I recall, someone threw meat to lure the wyvern away?"
"Wait a second. Wasn't the story that Ria was the one who provoked it afterward?"
"Oh, uh... about that... I'm sorry."
"It wasn't Ria's fault. It was Wazfi’s thoughtlessness that caused the problem."
"Hey now. Aren't you playing favorites with your wife a bit much?"
"Naturally. But setting that aside, Wazfi, you go out on surveys often. Is it possible to go three days without a single encounter?"
That was the reason I had turned the conversation to her. No one ventured into the Great Forest for surveys as often as Wazfi did; more importantly, the study of monsters was her literal research subject. There was no one better suited to answer.
Wazfi’s conclusion was...
"It’s possible, but then again, it’s not."
"...Wa-Wazfi. That doesn't help."
"But that's really the only way to put it."
"What do you mean?"
"Basically, it could just be a coincidence. Or perhaps they simply passed each other by. The starting point for this survey is quite far from the Magic Academy. From the perspective of a goblin or a kobold, there isn't much 'prey' out there. They tend to hunt humans, after all. Geographically speaking, there aren't even any spots to replenish their water supply in that area."
"I see. So there’s no real reason for them to be there."
"Exactly. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to run into them, so I’d lean toward coincidence. It would be a different story if Lady Deryu were using Intimidation, but you aren't doing that, are you?"
『Indeed, I have done no such thing. I would not wish to interfere with the investigation.』 Deryu immediately denied the possibility.
"So, coincidence then?"
"We can't judge for sure yet. It would be best to go to the Mercenary Guild and ask about the recent monster subjugation numbers."
"To see if there's been a shift in the overall population?"
"It’s not an absolute metric, but there are many mercenaries at this Academy who make their living by exterminating monsters. Their data will be much clearer than my intuition."
"Let's see... wait, I met the head of the Mercenary Guild once. His name was..."
"That would be Mr. Lamba."
"Ah, right. The 'Giant Star' of somewhere or other."
"Giant star?"
『Yuki. Only a few people are going to get that reference.』
『I get it!』
『I'd love to build a Mobile Suit someday.』
"Right? Someday, for sure."
The only ones who caught the joke were Noriko, Hivia, Comet, and Agil. I wasn't sure if I should be disappointed or relieved that it stopped there—or perhaps I should be worried about how motivated the researchers were becoming.
"Anyway, I'll get in touch and check. Comet, you and the others continue the survey."
『Understood.』
"Agil, are you staying here?"
"I am. While the Second Team is in the monitoring room, supporting the First Team is our top priority. We'll be waiting for your info."
"Got it."
With that, I left the monitoring room to get in contact with the Mercenary Guild. Now, the best way to handle this would be...
"I'll go through Popuri."
If I just barged into the Mercenary Guild, they probably wouldn't give me the time of day. We were acquaintances, but not close enough for a cold call.
I walked on, pondering how to broach the subject.
A total lack of monster encounters. Was it a sign of a deeper problem, or merely a fluke? For now, I needed to hear what the Adventurer and Mercenary Guilds had to say.