第１５７４堀：出発日決定 (Part2)
"If we keep helping them forever, they’ll never learn to stand on their own. The goal is for the sisters to learn how to prepare the appropriate amount of food themselves."
As Yuki said this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Then, a thought occurred to me.
"Hey, what are you all doing before you leave? You aren't heading out tomorrow, right?"
"It’s in two days. Tomorrow is for preparations, though 'preparation' is mostly just a pretext. It’s also a way to announce our departure to the surroundings. In other words, letting the enemy know."
"You're going to tell them on purpose?"
"We’ve both been pretending not to notice each other, but I don't think a surprise attack is in the cards at this point."
"Do you think they know that we know about them?"
"I can't predict exactly how much they’ve figured out, but we know for a fact they’ve been trying to track our movements. If we try to hide our departure now, they might do something erratic."
"For example?"
"Like launching a raid on this church. If they were only targeting us, that would be one thing, but if they drag the remaining residents into it, that becomes a problem for us. It’s difficult to defend when there are so many people to protect."
"I see."
It’s true—the other side wants Yuki and his group to head to the dungeon, so if they just vanished, the enemy would likely panic. And if they did something desperate, we’d be the ones in trouble. In that case, announcing it openly is the only logical path.
"Ah, that reminds me—did any new information come up during the soup kitchen?"
"Are you talking about the secret treasure?"
"Exactly."
"Hmm, I haven't heard anything specific. Just the usual talk about it being in the forbidden graveyard."
"Right. I’ve heard the same regarding the secret treasure. But there’s a rumor that the riches themselves might still be hidden somewhere in the castle."
Seraria, who spoke up after me, shared information I hadn't heard before.
"In the castle?"
I asked before Yuki could.
When I visited the castle recently, I saw photos and footage of the interior; it was in complete shambles. If there were any treasures left, surely they would have been looted already?
"Yes. I know the interior is a wreck, but that was partly because the commoners stormed it. However, there were also areas that were intentionally sealed off, like the archives, right?"
"True, we haven't searched every single inch."
"That’s why people are saying there might be areas that were sealed specifically to hide the treasure."
"I’ve heard that, too," Enola added.
"But if that’s the case, couldn't you just use your dungeon skills to find them, Yuki? Like, for treasure-related things?"
"I can distinguish gold and treasure-related items, yes. I haven't picked up any such reactions yet, but if they’ve been sealed with powerful magic to prevent teleportation, they can be difficult to detect."
"Wait? Even though you’ve mastered the area as a dungeon?"
Rurua asked, looking surprised.
"Ah—it’s not about a large space like a room. If something is stored inside an item box, I sometimes can't track it."
"Ah..."
That made sense.
Indeed, there are many things in this world that you can't identify until you actually touch them and open them. Of course, we thoroughly check everything entering Weed, so there’s no worry there, but this place was acquired so suddenly. We haven't had the time to verify every single container.
"We’ll just have to have the soldiers check those one by one."
"I understand the situation, but Yuki-sama, have you at least confirmed that there are objects in the castle that have been converted into item boxes?"
"I have, but it’s a question of whether I should announce it. They could be literal gold, or they could be duds. The soldiers have been working hard for us, so I thought it might be a nice gesture to let them have the credit for finding them."
"Ah..."
"Besides, if I found them too accurately, people would start asking questions. It’s more natural for the soldiers to find them while working with the unit we leave behind. Of course, if we find anything dangerous, we’ll secure it ourselves."
Everyone nodded at his words.
Turning the old Vinoshia capital into a dungeon is meant to ensure safety, but it’s a delicate situation for Hinsua. Even I understand that unilaterally turning a city into a dungeon is problematic in many ways. So, even if he can grasp the situation inside the castle, he can't just go around finding everything easily.
"So, we’ll leave the search for any potential treasures in the castle or the royal capital until after we’ve departed. Sound good?"
And so, we spent our time coordinating with Yuki and his group, finalizing the preparations for their departure and deciding how the church would handle things once they were gone.
It’s always a bit hesitant to fully utilize the supplies provided to us, in more ways than one. But at the same time, they really do want us to use them.
Things are complicated, aren't they?