第１４４１堀：束の間の平和と暗躍 (Part2)
"Hmm. We are merely escorts, after all. While we hold a certain standing, we aren't official envoys, so that sort of formality didn't really apply to us."
"True enough. We said we were escorts, and it seems the people of Kinauf were focused entirely on the negotiations."
"Well, that is their job. Though, I doubt they gained much of any substance from it."
From their perspective, they likely hoped to salvage some national interest from a situation that was essentially a lost cause. But the envoys were Yuki’s wives—hastily assembled for the occasion—and, with all due respect to Kinauf, there is no profit to be gained from trading with a minor nation.
Moreover, there is the sordid matter of their ties to the dark guild.
Any respectable envoy would have likely refused even the dinner invitation, let alone the negotiations. To involve oneself too deeply would be to invite the scrutiny of the Alliance. Any attempt at negotiation would be meaningless without the Alliance’s prior authorization.
As I pondered this, the defensive walls appeared beyond the grasslands. It seems we have arrived.
"Should I consider this a long journey, or a short one? It appears to be at an end. From here on, we must be mindful of our surroundings once again."
At my words, everyone turns their gaze forward.
"Oh, we've arrived. The castle is coming into view. I wonder if the castle town isn't very large?"
"Well, it is a small nation, so that can't be helped."
"True. Since the walls and the castle are one and the same, the perimeter is probably only a few kilometers at most, right?"
"Ooh, I have to make sure to take a picture."
Each of them shares their impressions of the sight. There is no particular tension or ill omen in the air. Well, it should be fine.
As for the rest...
"Agil. Is there any word from the members who have infiltrated?"
I call out to Agil, who is in the driver's seat alongside Stasia, without shifting my gaze.
"No, nothing in particular. On the surface, it’s peaceful."
"I heard there were executives present?"
Indeed, while Irinau appears peaceful, dark guild executives are lurking in the shadows. Yuki and the others concluded that we would need to be more vigilant here than in Kinauf, and I share that sentiment.
"The executives haven't made a move either. Besides, we overtook the group that was in Kinauf along the way. Well, it’s possible they are using familiars or even standard letters to communicate, but even so, they haven't stirred."
"I see. It is almost suspiciously quiet. What are they aiming for?"
If they were gathering manpower here, I could understand them planning an ambush, but if they intended to do that in the castle town, they could have just as easily struck on the road. But that didn't happen.
Well, they couldn't possibly track our vehicle's movement, and I had ensured they wouldn't be prepared.
"Who knows? They haven't been as reckless in Irinau as they were in Kinauf. It’s possible they realize they can't force their way into the investigation."
"I see. They figured they wouldn't be caught, so they came out here to gather information on us. What about their weaponry?"
"They are armed, of course, but only with knives, crossbows—the kind of gear you'd expect from an adventurer. Oh, they have poisons too, but they’re hidden. At a glance, they look like nothing more than ordinary adventurers."
"In other words, they are posing as adventurers."
"It's a common tactic. It’s the standard for anyone entering or leaving, and besides, the Great Overflow just happened. They’re claiming they’re investigating the monsters."
"I heard as much. The Adventurer's Guild is using emergency funds to investigate, fearing that the Great Overflow might have been artificially induced... Did they target that?"
"Whether they targeted it or not, the dark guild is convenient for conducting investigations. That said, there’s been no infiltration into Weed. They’ve been quite thorough in that regard."
"...That in itself is a curious matter."
"If they know the capabilities of the dungeon, they wouldn't dare try to slip inside. Which means..."
"It means they are certain a Dungeon Master is attached to it. The lack of evidence for Yuki has become the evidence of the truth."
"Exactly. Still, there were dark guild affiliates in Irinau and Kinauf. It means that even if they know a dungeon can be deployed freely, they didn't anticipate it being deployed on the scale of an entire castle town."
"Even so, there is only one of them here. They must be on high alert."
"More might gather later. They might not have anticipated travel by vehicle. Regardless, our first priority is the negotiations with Irinau."
As we spoke, we passed through the gates into the royal capital of Irinau.
A brief moment of silence.
During that time, Orelia and the others took care of that incident.