第１４９１堀：町の見学へ (Part1)
Chapter 1491: A Tour of the Town
Side: Yuki
They say "strike while the iron is hot," though in reality, it’s more that I simply don’t have the time to wait.
"Um, Yuki-san. I really don't think this is a good idea..."
"Indeed. You’re making Orelia and the others quite anxious."
"N-no, that’s not quite it..."
After being chided by Ria and Deryu, Orelia hurriedly denied it, but looking at the state of Hovis and Yayui, it was clear I’d caused them some trouble.
After all, I was currently standing in the town of Wean, in the Ewai Kingdom.
This was not an allied nation, but a non-aligned one.
In other words, they hadn't responded to our call and had chosen to maintain their independence.
Moreover, they were under the umbrella of Rumel.
I’m sure many of them think, "Who does Weed think they are?"
Above all, if there were any members of the Dark Guild around, it wouldn't be strange at all if they aimed for my head the moment they saw me.
Nevertheless...
"Well, try not to be too tense. Steve and the others are already in position, and the headquarters is continuing to monitor the town's status."
That’s right—the only reason I’m out here in the field is because our safety is guaranteed.
If this were a warzone riddled with gunfire, I wouldn't be here.
Just as I was thinking that, Hovis spoke up.
"Um, if that’s the case, couldn't we just appraise the slaves from headquarters?"
"Y-yes. Hovis is right."
"Appraisal isn't everything. You can't really understand a person's character without talking to them, after all."
At the end of the day, you can't judge a person's nature or their circumstances based solely on the titles attached to them.
One might argue that the same logic should apply to the Dark Guild, but that’s a different matter; we keep them on a leash because we need them to lead us to the enemy's headquarters.
There’s no doubt they are definitely involved with the Dark Guild.
But you can't tell the reason someone became a slave just by looking at their titles.
Whether it’s debt, murder, or other complex circumstances—I learned that early on after coming to this world, through people like Mauve and Seraria.
You get a "murderer" title for killing bandits as an adventurer or soldier, and you get it for fighting in wars, too.
Debt is also something that is often forced upon people by others.
Well, there are plenty of people who are just hopeless, but in this specific case...
"True. You can't know a person's character without talking to them earnestly. Especially since the auction was advertised so heavily; they wouldn't bring out any low-quality slaves."
"As Deryu says, the slaves this time shouldn't have any strange histories. If they were to escape, or if they were rude to the buyers, it would ruin the merchant's reputation. It would affect future auctions, too."
"If they are trustworthy, is there really a need to meet them in person?"
"I can't exactly trust them blindly, and as I explained earlier, you can't judge them just by a glance."
Kirika had explained the process of "cleansing" the slaves—or rather, the stolen goods.
It was likely a painful topic for Orelia and the others to hear.
The fact that they were reacting this way even after hearing that meant...
"Yuki-san. Orelia and the others are worried about you, too."
"Indeed. Is there any subordinate who would willingly send the master we revere into a dangerous place?"
After being admonished by both Ria and Prof, Orelia and the others nodded in agreement.
"I understand how everyone feels. Ideally, one of my subordinates should be the one to go, but since all the top brass are gathered here, it’s different. Above all, I’m the one who proposed this."
"As Deryu says, do you really think that if the organizer—the one who told everyone to gather—doesn't show his face, anyone would believe it's safe?"
"..."
They all had no choice but to fall silent at my logic.
Well, what I was saying was a bit forceful, but there was no doubt that the leaders of each nation would be setting foot in this town.
It made sense for me to step in first as a preliminary investigation.
"Besides, it’ll be fine as long as Orelia and the others protect me."
"That’s true. It’s good for Orelia and the others to protect you. This isn't their first time in a situation like this, is it?"
"That may be true, but..."
Just as Deryu said, this wasn't the first time Orelia and the others had been dispatched to the field.
Due to the nature of my work, I’ve visited allied nations, and not long ago, we even went to the Saintess’s Spring in Suurus.
This wasn't their first time acting as my bodyguards.
"Even in a non-aligned country, the way I handle my security doesn't change, so please, just relax."
When I said that, Prof sighed for some reason.
"Haa... we can't afford to let our guard down while acting as your escort."
With that, everyone nodded.
I thought to myself that they wouldn't last if they were constantly that tense, when...
"Oh, if it isn't Yuki."
"Indeed. It is Lord Yuki."
Turning around at the sound of those voices, I saw the King of Roday and the Emperor of Zlabur standing side by side.
Naturally, they were surrounded by their own guards.
"I didn't expect to see you all the way out in town."
"That goes without saying. The auction is tomorrow, isn't it? It’s only natural to scout the area so we can respond no matter where the enemy comes from. Actually, I was interested in this small nation of Rogali, but..."
"It might be rude to call it disappointing, but it doesn't seem much different from the small nations I’m familiar with."
The two of them said this with disappointed expressions.
No, no—what were they expecting from a town that isn't even the capital of a small nation?
"Still, it’s not as if there wasn't anything worth noting."
"Indeed. I was surprised by the facilities for monsters. They are quite similar to the regions in Zlabur where monsters appear."
"Upia has places where monsters appear, after all. In the If Continent, you only get goblins, or maybe an orc if you're lucky, so there’s nothing as heavily fortified as this."
It seemed there were things worth seeing for them, after all.
The Rogali Continent is the one struggling the most with the monster problem.
I had checked the monster habitats in the area beforehand, and even in this remote place, there were forests where orcs and ogres appeared regularly, and two or three variants appeared every year. The adventurers and soldiers were fighting that threat day and night.
That was why ballistae were installed on the ramparts, ready for a monster attack at any moment.
"And you know, I asked if I could fight an ogre, but they told me no."
"Well, obviously. If you want to fight that badly, do it in the Weed arena."
As usual, it seemed they were causing massive headaches for the Chancellor and Samantha’s father.
I had suggested it thinking at least it would be a place where safety could be guaranteed, but...
"I want to fight monsters in their natural habitat. Right, Upia?"
"Don't ask for my agreement. How could the leader of a nation throw himself into such danger? ...Though, having been a man who ran across the battlefield myself, I understand the sentiment."
"See?"