第１５６２堀：混乱の果て (Part1)
Chapter 1562: At the End of the Chaos
At the End of the Chaos
Side: Deryu
We had come to the abandoned Adventurers’ Guild in the capital of Vinosia, hoping to glean even a shred of information, but...
"It’s... terrible, isn't it?"
"Indeed..."
Dressa replied to Ria’s words. They seemed struck speechless by the sheer scale of the devastation. I suppose for them, such a sight is still shocking—though, to be fair, the town of Suurus had been far worse. Perhaps they simply haven't built up the callousness that comes with repeated exposure. Fortunately, Yuki always moves to act before things reach that point.
As I pondered this, gazing at the guild’s lobby and the counter area, my eyes suddenly met Yuki’s.
"Hey, Deryu."
"Hm? What is it, Yuki?"
I moved to his side immediately. It is a wife’s duty to support her husband, after all.
"You don't seem particularly surprised by this situation, do you?"
"Hm? Ah, well—if I may put it this way, I’ve seen my fair share of ruined towns. This isn't much different from the others."
"I see."
"You don't seem all that surprised yourself, Yuki."
"Well, I’ve been through this sort of thing before, too."
"I see..."
I couldn't help but wonder just how many battlefields he has walked through. It is a thought that makes him seem both incredibly reliable and deeply tragic. I know well from our time together that Yuki is a kind soul. That, in itself, means he has witnessed far too many tragedies.
"Well, putting that aside, I want your opinion, Deryu."
"On what?"
"Why do you think it ended up like this?"
"Why? You mean why it was ransacked?"
"Yeah. My take is that beyond the weapons, since there was a tavern attached, they were likely hunting for food and anything of value."
"Mm. That judgment is likely correct. Since the guild staff evacuated the civilians they could, I doubt anything of real trade value was left behind. But for those who remained—or those trying to survive in this land—they likely hoped to find something to keep them alive. Of course, there were surely looters among them as well."
Yes, when people are driven into such a situation, their actions are somewhat predictable. Once the opposing forces are gone, they scavenge the area for whatever they need to survive. It is a natural behavior. There are those who wouldn't resort to such looting, but that requires a high degree of moral fortitude or a strong sense of community. And yet, I cannot call the looters wrong. The place has already been abandoned. One cannot blame them for trying to use what remains to stay alive. Even if the town were to be rebuilt, the original owners would hardly bother trying to hunt down the culprits. They know it would be a futile effort, and in the end, it was their own responsibility for not being able to hold the ground.
As I was thinking this, Yuki spoke up.
"I see. I’m glad we’re in agreement. Then... everyone, I know this is shocking, but it’s nothing strange. People just scavenged to survive. They were looking for food and supplies. That means they likely weren't interested in documents. Of course, there's a high chance the guild staff took the truly important items when they evacuated, but let's start by searching for those."
When Yuki said this, the members who had been slightly shaken regained their composure. Ah, I see. He was calming the others to get them to work—or perhaps to stop them from dwelling on it too much. ...No matter how much one thinks, the past cannot be changed. Therefore, all one can do is move forward.
"So, Kiyu. Where should we focus our search? I’m completely unfamiliar with the layout of an Adventurers’ Guild."
"Let’s see... I’d like to search as many places as possible, but if we’re going to hit the main spots, it would be the Guild Master’s office and the underground storage."
"Well, that’s true. Important documents and records are often kept in the Guild Master’s office. And the underground storage holds the guild’s past records, as well as supplies they deemed necessary. It’s said there are things there that could be donated to the church if they’re still intact, so I’d like to check that out."
A logical choice. The only question is how to divide the search.
"We don't all need to cram into the Guild Master’s office; it would be inefficient. It’s better to split up."
"Right. Then, Kiyu and Covil, you two take the lead, and the rest of us can divide as we please."
"Right. Then Kiyu, I’ll leave the Guild Master’s office to you. You’re better at judging the importance of documents than I am. I’ll head to the underground storage."
"Understood. Then, Brother, I’ll head to the Guild Master’s office. What will everyone else do?"
Hm, everyone seems a bit hesitant. Well, I know the source of their worry, so I shall put it to rest.
"Yuki’s guard will be handled by myself and Rushi, so that makes four of us for Yuki’s destination."
"Oh, that’s right. Yuki-sama, what will you do?"
Rushi, noticing my point, asked Yuki. A fine trait, to be so straightforward.
"Let’s see. Both Rushi and Deryu can handle paperwork, so the office is the better fit for us. The three of us will go to the office. How many more do you need?"
"Well, depending on the size of the office, one or two more would be fine, but half the group is already accounted for. I think the rest of you should help Covil."
Indeed, with the three of us decided, that leaves Ria, Dressa, Canaria, and Kagura—four people. Canaria’s usefulness is questionable, but the numbers are even.
"I’m fine with that."
"I agree. I don't have the right to look through the Adventurers’ Guild’s materials anyway."
"Yes. That’s fine."
"Same as Dressa. If important guild documents remain, it would be problematic for me to see them, so I’ll go to the basement."
Hm, leaving aside Ria, Dressa and Kagura are in positions where they were sent from other countries. It is wise to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yuki seemed to understand this as well, nodding.
"Right. Let’s go with that. But if any trouble arises, contact us immediately, even if you have to use magic transmission. If you need to retreat, declare it immediately."
After confirming the usual rules for exploration, we split up and headed for the upper floors.
*Clack, clack...*
The sound echoed through the guild.
"It seems only the front was heavily damaged."
"It seems so."
As Yuki and Kiyu’s conversation suggested, the deeper parts of the guild—starting from the second floor—were not as devastated as the reception hall. Of course, there were signs that someone had searched the place.
"It would have been a nuisance if the stairs had been destroyed, too."
"I suppose they didn't do that because then they wouldn't have been able to search the place themselves," Rushi remarked. I found myself agreeing.