第１７３４堀：答えの意味 (Part1)
Chapter 1734: The Meaning of the Answer
Side: Milly
"Ugh, of all the times for things to get complicated..."
I grumbled, venting my frustration while grinding through paperwork in the Adventurer Guild’s administrative office.
"Well, well, you could say we managed to read their movements ahead of time, and getting people over there was a good call," Kina said, offering a comment that was somewhere between a follow-up and a consolation—I couldn't quite tell which.
Still, she wasn't wrong. If the dignitaries of that nation had been kidnapped, things would have spiraled into an even more tangled mess.
"That said, we might not be able to rest easy just yet," Rock-san added, effectively ruining Kina’s attempt at comfort.
The reason lay in the contents of the report that had just arrived.
"Eh? Was there something interesting in there?"
Kina leaned in, peering over my shoulder at the document. Normally, I’d tell her to back off, but given the gravity of the situation, I’ve been cross-referencing the nation's intelligence with Rock-san while Kina handles the dual workload of Weed and the Glass Port Town. I’m already pushing her to her limits, and she needs to know the situation to provide proper support, so I didn't say a word as she read along.
"W-wait, is this for real?"
She looked as shaken as I was. Naturally. Because...
"We’ll need to confirm this with Kirika, of course, but..."
"Well, it’s unlikely the information held by the Adventurer Guild is wrong. ...Those people in that remote village? They’re mostly the ones who were purged by the current royal family."
That’s right. The core of the villagers living in that remote hamlet were apparently the losers of a power struggle against the current royal family some thirty years ago.
"B-but, is it common for people related to the former royal family to be living as villagers? Even if they were exiled..."
"It’s the opposite. They keep them in that remote village to monitor them, because it would be a headache if they fled elsewhere. It includes providing the bare minimum for survival."
True, it would be a massive headache if they defected to another country and declared war on the current regime. Still...
"It’s strange that they’d just accept that quietly, isn't it?"
"Right? Who would just accept such a miserable existence?"
"There must have been all sorts of negotiations. It’s not confirmed, but they likely held their families' safety hostage."
"..."
Rock-san’s words left Kina and me in silence. Honestly, it was sickening. If they lost a power struggle, there would undoubtedly be a large number of relatives involved. Using them as hostages—it’s effective, but it sounds like a recipe for deep-seated resentment.
"Is that actually working out for them?"
"Since the current royal family is still standing, I suppose you have to say it’s working. It’s a state-run operation, and it’s not our place to interfere."
As Rock-san said, it’s not our business. But if that’s the case...
"Hey, Milly. Doesn't that mean it’s impossible for the villagers to escape? Or rather, if it’s an isolation zone managed by the state, won't they notice that merchants are heading there?"
Exactly as Kina said. If we’re not careful, the activities of Weed might be exposed. But, honestly, I wasn't worried about that.
"I think we’ll be fine."
"Why?"
"It’s not like we’re telling the whole village to run away. And as for being crushed by the state, the current issue is the disappearances—there’s no link to Weed."
"Ah, I guess you're right. But won't they notice that Holley, Vilia, Kagura, and Enora were heading there?"
"That’s fine, too. They’re using aliases just like Nina, and Holley isn't a known figure. Vilia and Enora are transformed into children, and Kagura has her hair tied up—her impression is completely different."
"I see, then we're good."
We’d already anticipated that the other side would be suspicious, so our disguises were airtight. But...
"We were investigating the distribution of monsters, so why did this come up? What about the actual monster distribution?"
That was the real issue. We’d asked for information on the hamlet, but it was supposed to be about the monsters, not the people. We were looking for secrets regarding potential summoning or something being hidden there.
"Ah, there wasn't any detailed info on that. Instead, this came out—it’s basically a 'keep out' sign."
"Eh, that’s practically admitting there’s something in the monster forest."
Yeah, just as Kina said, they’re blatantly telling us not to poke around in the forest. But that’s what makes it so strange.
"Rock-san, if they really wanted to hide it, shouldn't they have released some moderate information? Why is the report written like this?"
Writing it this way only makes us more interested. Even if they wanted to hide something, there are better ways to do it.
"Ah, that’s their way of signaling us to investigate. It means the state is getting in the way of their local branch."
"Ugh, so they want us to take responsibility for it!?"
Kina’s face twisted in disgust at Rock-san’s answer. And rightfully so. The local branch can't move, so they’re dumping the responsibility on us, just as Kina feared.
"If you want to call it responsibility, sure. It means the state has the local branch under surveillance. And the branch knows it’s dangerous to leave things as they are. They have to investigate whether a Great Stampede is coming, but they can't move."
"Ah, so that’s it."
"It makes sense. If the headquarters issues an order but the state interferes, the branch would be worried, wouldn't they?"
Beyond worry, there’s the risk of being purged. But with the state backing them, the branch doesn't have the power to act, so they’re forcing us to move the headquarters. If they reported it too bluntly, the state’s surveillance would stop them. In other words, the branch itself is in danger.
"Wait, hold on. If the branch is being obstructed by the state, doesn't that mean there’s something incredibly dangerous there? I mean, this is the Adventurer Guild being interfered with! And this time, it’s specifically about investigating a Great Stampede."
"Exactly. That’s why they requested our help—the branch can't handle it. They probably knew that Roschur and Gartz had already refused the state’s request for cooperation in the investigation, too."
"They likely did. That’s probably why they responded to our request so quickly."
Thinking about it now, the response time was far too short. Usually, a request from the Weed branch regarding monster distribution wouldn't be considered high priority.