第１８３５堀：動かずの冒険者ギルドは (Part1)
**Chapter 1835: The Immobile Adventurer Guild**
Side: Nina
"You sound like you're having fun over there."
I gaze out the window of the inn where we’re staying in the town of Suana, tossing the comment into the air.
*“Hardly. I’m not exactly bored. If you finish up with the trouble on your end, I’d almost want you to come over here.”*
"Which side needs us? The south? Or should we infiltrate the north?"
It isn't me who answers Yuki, but Kishua. This isn't particularly unusual. Kishua is surprisingly level-headed, and she scrutinizes these kinds of tasks with meticulous care. Sia and the others do as well, of course.
*“I could use you on both fronts. I’m completely shorthanded. Looking at how the Clearstream Church is handling the Jeyaes Kingdom—and based on the reports I’ve received from Seraria—it’s hard to see their goal as anything other than splitting the north and south to incite a war.”*
"I agree. From what I’ve heard, I think the same. But the motive remains a mystery. There’s no sign of the Demon Lord’s shadow in the south, is there?"
*“Not at all. Taiki, our Hero here, and Holy, the Demon Lord, are both in the dark. Even Deryu, who’s here for new recruit training, hasn’t found a thing.”*
If even the Hero and the Demon Lord are stumped, does that mean there’s nothing to find? Then again, we haven't investigated everything, so it’s hard to say for sure.
*“Well, we’ll just have to keep at it steadily. Regardless, we can consider the Jeyaes Kingdom an ally for now. Whether the continent splits north and south or not, it’s better to have the larger force on our side.”*
"That goes without saying. It’s always better to have more strength and more numbers."
*“Exactly. Anyway, while there are plenty of unknowns and points of concern here, things are going according to plan. How about you guys?”*
"On our end, we’re coordinating with Arka, but there hasn't been much movement. As for procuring enemy monsters, they’ve still got a hold on that for now."
*“Well, it would look suspicious if they suddenly showed up with a bunch of monsters out of nowhere.”*
That’s certainly true. Our cover story is simply that we’re competent adventurers passing through and working in the area. We aren’t the type of adventurers who make a living by capturing monsters. It’s not that it would be impossible for the three of us to do so, but if we were to capture them easily, it would inevitably raise eyebrows.
After all, capturing monsters generally requires a significant number of people and specialized equipment. To put it simply, even just the cages needed to hold captured monsters require extensive preparation—not just in terms of durability and size, but also in providing food to keep them alive. It isn't the kind of work an individual adventurer would dabble in. The upfront cost for preparation alone is substantial, and you’d have to work quite hard just to break even.
"So, we’re just staying active in Suana, waiting for a request from a contractor who specializes in monster capture."
"According to Arka, requests to the Adventurer Guild have stopped recently. Well, if you listen to the rumors behind the scenes, they can’t exactly gather them openly, can they?"
"I wonder what they’re planning to do with so many. It’s so shifty."
If they just posted a legitimate job for monster collection, we could have just taken the contract and been done with it.
*“I suppose they aren’t in a rush. That just shows how much leeway they have in their funding.”*
"Funding? What do you mean?"
As I tilt my head in confusion, Yuki explains immediately.
*“Well, regardless of what they intend to do with the monsters, they have to keep them alive rather than killing them. They might actually be researching them, but since they aren’t demanding corpses, they need to keep them fed and housed. That requires facilities and food, right?”*
"I see. You’re right; you can’t maintain that without a fair amount of money."
"And they would need manpower, too. And land. It’s not something that can be done easily."
*“Exactly. They must have a significant surplus of resources. Also, if you’re bored, you might want to look for the land Sia mentioned.”*
I see. With their explanation, I understand perfectly. Arka’s information confirms they need enough monsters to wipe out entire pioneer villages, which means they need the money and people to sustain that many. And the comment directed at Sia caught my attention.
"When you say 'land,' do you mean a place to keep the monsters?"
*“Yeah. According to information from an employee named Arka, the number they’ve gathered so far should easily exceed fifty. Even if they’re just locking them in makeshift cells, they’d need a fair amount of space, wouldn’t they?”*
"So that’s it. Nina, is there anywhere in this region where they could hide—or rather, manage—monsters without it being an issue?"
"…Not as far as I know. If there were such a place in the town of Suana, it would be a rumor by now. Which means…"
"The place where they’re gathering them is somewhere other than Suana. And it’s far enough away that rumors haven’t reached us."
*“You aren’t exactly bored, but Kirika’s subordinates should be investigating that area. Why don’t you consult with them?”*
"Good idea. Send over the intel."
As I toss the request into the air, not directed at anyone in particular, a voice responds.
*“Understood. I have narrowed down the suspicious locations to a certain extent.”*
The operative joins the communication line immediately and transmits the data. Since we can’t exactly project this out in the open, we close the window and gather around the table in our room. I adjust the projection monitor toward the tabletop and display the map.
"Well, look at this. They’re blatantly keeping the monsters—or rather, raising them—near the forest."
As Kishua says, all the predicted locations are basically near the Monster Forest.
*“For the record, they are all officially listed as bases for culling and hunting monsters.”*
"I see. So they’ve set up a cover for it. No, I suppose that’s to be expected. So, you haven't been able to narrow it down further from here?"
*“Correct. According to the information provided by Arka-dono, the handover or assistance in capturing the monsters takes place at a different location, and tracking them from there is difficult. I would need to leave town to investigate, so I alone cannot…”*
That’s impossible. She’s currently focused on investigating the Lord’s mansion here in Suana. I want to suggest calling for reinforcements, but Weed has no spare intelligence agents. It’s not just this town that’s in motion. If anything, the priority here isn't that high. There are other major powers involved, and since we’re already here, it’s difficult to ask for more support. We are the reinforcements ourselves, and we’ve even been told that if push comes to shove, we can call on other members of the 'Otherworld Sword' group. In terms of combat power, we’re actually in a much better position than other regions.
*“That can’t be helped. You’ve produced sufficient results as it is. Have you reported these locations to your superiors?”*
*“Yes. I reported to Kirika-sama, and she said she would investigate the Lord governing the town and villages of Suana, as well as the designated locations.”*
"Ah, so it’s not that there’s no one else to spare for the job."