第１７００堀：冒険者出発 (Part1)
Side: Yuki
Three days had passed since I made my request to the Adventurer's Guild. Time flew by as I handled various matters. I had, of course, informed Seraria and everyone about Holy, and while there were various complaints regarding sending Nina ahead, I managed to convince them.
In exchange...
"Monitor team, are you ready?"
"Yes. We have them tracked."
A dedicated room had been prepared to support Nina and Holy, allowing us to track them and monitor their vitals. Well, considering the scale of this incident, it was certainly understandable, though I couldn't shake the feeling that it was perhaps a bit *too* thorough.
As for the other Holy Sword Users...
"Isn't this a bit much?"
"Nina isn't *that* weak, you know?"
Kishua and Kaya, representing the others, were in the monitor room, looking quite dumbfounded by the ostentatious setup. After all, they had operated in the shadows on the If Continent and survived until now. They likely had a strong sense of pride in that.
"It's not about strong or weak. All information obtained through Nina must be thoroughly observed and turned to our advantage. We're putting her in danger, so we have to do at least this much. Right, Comet?"
"Hm? Oh, well, they'll just have to bear with this much. So, Nina, can you hear us?"
Comet, who had been checking the system, replied casually to Seraria's words while verifying the equipment.
"Comet-san. No problems. Both magic and radio communication are excellent. Can you confirm visual data?"
"Yes, the video data is coming through. I'm monitoring it, so it's fine."
Agil was checking the status of the video data, and Zargis was looking at other instruments; essentially, almost all of Weed's technical staff were present. Well, she *is* being summoned, after all. To track her, it's only natural to thoroughly confirm the magical methods and traces. For that, deploying Weed's top engineers was a given. Losing Nina would not only strain our relationship with the Ex Kingdom, but Comet, who created the Holy Swords—those incredibly convenient 'staves'—and cares deeply for their users, wouldn't take kindly to it either. Even if it's just a temporary body, a doppel.
"Um, Holy, are you alright?"
"Are you okay?"
Amidst all this hustle, Holy and Vilia, who were scheduled to participate in the upcoming operation, along with Hiren, who seemed to be showing some concern, sat a little distance away, observing the situation. Well, Holy's presence here made it clear that she would be cooperating with the investigation into this kidnapping incident. She herself had offered her cooperation two days prior. She simply came to me, stating she would participate. Her school duties were only part-time assistance, so she was granted leave, and I had also informed the school. Incidentally, Holy had looked surprised when both students and teachers told her they would be waiting for her return, but she promised to come back, so her heart was with Weed... or rather, she had forged bonds with the students and teachers. Even if she were to leave, I'd expect her to at least say a final word.
"I'm fine. No, there's no doubt I'm surprised. To think such facilities exist..."
"Ah."
Apparently, Holy's agitation was due to these facilities. Come to think of it, I had never brought Holy into such military facilities before. She might become an enemy, and her past actions were what they were. I hadn't intended to show our hand from the start, but it seems the time has come. Well, I'll follow up with her later; for now, it's about Nina. After all, she's deploying to the field.
"Nina, let me ask you again, there are no problems, correct?"
"None. I understand how to use the tools, so all that's left is to depart."
"How are Milly and Rock?"
"Yes. Snow's identification, and the request from the Adventurer's Guild, are both ready."
"The missing persons case has been framed as a personal concern of this branch, leading to the request. We've also informed the main headquarters, so even if the local guild or national authorities try to stop her, speaking to higher-ups will resolve it."
"Understood. However, there's a non-zero chance that the country or a higher organization is operating in the shadows, so Nina, be careful about that."
"I know. Besides, wouldn't that be a simpler and easier answer?"
"In a way, yes."
In that case, Roschur would likely be left scratching its head again. The village where this missing persons case is occurring is on Roschur's side, just like Ryushi. Moreover, it's not a case of bandits being on Gartz's side; it's entirely contained within Roschur. No, if a higher power spans across nations, then not just Roschur but Gartz would also be troubled. Nevertheless, these events are happening in countries we both know. The fact that we can gather information easily is a relief for us. Please, I really hope it's not some other land with an unknown culture.
"Do you really think that possibility is high now?"
"I wonder. I'd certainly be grateful if it were. Negotiating with an unknown country is truly difficult."
Indeed, if the culture is different, we'd have to start by understanding it. If we were invading, we wouldn't have to worry about it, but we can't just casually add such troubles. In the first place, it's impossible for Weed or its allied nations to expand their controlled territories with their current national power. In that sense, I truly hope it's the work of a known country or organization. It also ties into Nina's safety.
"I'm going to find out."
"Right."
"Preparations are complete, I'm leaving."
"Yes, Nina—no, Snow, good luck."
"Don't overdo it."
Receiving those words, Nina, under the alias Snow, departed from Weed's Adventurer's Guild. Her appearance, incidentally, was also changed from her usual look; her long green hair was now black and tied into a ponytail instead of flowing freely. Just this alone completely altered her impression. Her hair color was similar to Fiora's, but Fiora's was closer to deep green, while Nina's was more of a blue-green with hints of blue. Regarding their figures, Nina had a larger bust. Though comparing a slender figure to an average one might not be quite right. Fiora, by the way, was still in the office, working. That just goes to show how troublesome diplomatic matters are. I hadn't exactly handled all of it myself until now, but thinking that I would have been forced to do so if Fiora weren't here, I truly feel helped.
As I was thinking such thoughts, Seraria came over to me.
"So, what's the plan from here?"
"The plan is to move to Roschur via the gate, then leave Roschur by shared carriage and travel to the target village."
"You're not letting her use a car, then."
"Nina's identity is concealed, and we concluded it would be better to leave a trail as just another adventurer."