第１７１３堀：不慣れな訓練 (Part2)
Disappearances were typically attributed to bandits or monsters, but in remote villages, it wasn't uncommon for the entire community to prey on travelers.
That was precisely why I understood the decision to send Nina, who appeared so vulnerable.
At first glance, Nina was a beautiful young woman, seemingly an easy target.
Of course, she was a seasoned Holy Sword user who had been secretly active on the continent of If for a long time, and her foundational strength had been further enhanced in Weed. Therefore, unless something truly extraordinary occurred, she was more than capable of handling any situation.
That's why Yuki had entrusted the task to her.
While it was fortunate that she hadn't been attacked, that led to a different concern…
"So, if there are no reports of that kind of incident, does that mean the disappearances are real?"
"Yes. That's what it means. The testimonies of people vanishing before their eyes are likely true. As my brother and Nina suggested, if this were a typical crime, there would be no reason to spread rumors about people disappearing in broad daylight."
"That's certainly true. Normally, they'd just let it be considered a disappearance."
"It's far too unnatural to claim someone vanished right in front of them."
I couldn't imagine criminals spreading rumors that would draw attention to themselves.
Of course, there were cases where such rumors were used as bait, but the rumors themselves were usually subtle.
If they wanted to attract people, rumors of treasure would be more effective.
However, treasure would undoubtedly draw the attention of skilled individuals, and potentially even nobles like lords, which would be something those involved in such crimes would want to avoid.
Attacking passing travelers was the safer option, so it was highly probable that the disappearances were indeed real.
"Next, we will be traveling together with the investigation team that will be meeting with the country's upper echelons."
"Ah, yes. You mentioned you would be posing as a traveling merchant for that purpose."
"Yes. It's under the guise of a trade mission from Asu's merchant guild, a long-standing initiative of Weed to support regions that have seen a decline in trade due to the establishment of gates. There was originally hope for those regions, but the issue was how to allocate personnel and secure the budget…"
"That's where the Haiden region stepped in."
Indeed, the Haiden region would be covering the costs and supplies for this operation.
This indicated the high priority placed on resolving the current issue.
I felt the same way; it was a matter that demanded such urgency.
"Yes. While Weed has a considerable budget, it's not enough to cover trade missions to all the remote villages, so Haiden's support was a great help. Of course, just supporting that one region would seem too obvious, so we decided to increase the number of trade missions to over ten simultaneously."
"That's understandable. Princess, and both Stasia and Mikos, agreed that it was necessary."
"Normally, someone like Carrie would be agonizing over the budget, but this was decided instantly."
It was clear they wanted to avoid any further damage to their standing.
Increasing the number of trade missions by more than ten would undoubtedly require a significant budget, but fortunately, it would also serve to promote goods from the Haiden region, so they managed to make it work.
"That concludes the current situation. The traveling merchants are scheduled to depart around the time Kagura and the others finish their preparations, and the investigation team will begin their actions while meeting with representatives from various countries."
"How much time do we have?"
"According to my brother, about three more days. Since Nina is already conducting on-site investigations, he wants to minimize the time spent, considering the possibility of trouble."
That made sense.
If communication with Nina were to be cut off, it would be a major problem, so the desire to rendezvous with her as soon as possible was understandable.
"So, we have to finish this in three days."
"Ah, I don't think we can manage swordsmanship in that time."
"Regarding that, Stasia and Fiora have offered to provide guidance later."
"Ugh."
It seemed Kagura was in for a very tough time.
"Additionally, we'll be confirming our combined tactics, so Holy-san, Enola, and I will also be participating in training."
"..."
We, the core combat members, would be fighting alongside them? How disadvantageous would that be?
However, we had to do it.
We had no idea what was lurking behind these disappearances.
It was rare in life to be able to face challenges with perfect preparation.
What mattered was how we utilized the hand we were dealt.