第１８８７堀：冒険者たちはそのまま旅に出る (Part1)
Chapter 1887: The Adventurers Set Out on Their Journey
The adventurers set out on their journey.
Side: Vilia
"I see..."
"Well, yeah. I can't say I found any definitive answers—nothing that really explains the enemy's ultimate goal. My apologies."
When my brother offered that apology, I realized just how dissatisfied I had been feeling.
"I'm sorry, Brother. It’s not as if this is your fault."
"Don't worry about it. You saw what was inside that place. It’s only natural to be shaken. Are you holding up alright?"
"...Yes. Though, I suppose you’re going to worry regardless, aren't you?"
I knew that even if I simply told him I was fine, he would still be concerned. That’s why I asked him so candidly.
"I suppose so. It’s not the kind of thing you can just witness and then go about your day with a calm heart. It’s the sort of trauma that would break an adult, and as a doctor who has seen his fair share of wounds, I know exactly what kind of malice caused them. It makes your blood boil, doesn't it?"
"...Was Rurua-onesama alright?"
If anyone were to burn with righteous fury upon seeing the victims, it would be Rurua-onesama. It isn’t that she’s looking to beat someone to a pulp, but rather that she is someone who never hesitates to save a life.
"Of course. She headed straight to the Southern Fortress where they were taken and worked alongside Enora to provide treatment."
Just as I thought. Well, that is only to be expected of Rurua-onesama.
"Well, things have settled down for now. Mentally... that will take time, I’m sure."
"That is... only natural."
It would be strange if anyone could remain unaffected after being subjected to such horrors. Thinking of that, Enora-onesama must possess an incredibly resilient spirit.
"Anyway, let’s put that sickening topic aside. How about you, Vilia? You were suddenly dragged into that raid, weren't you? Did your standing as an adventurer cause any issues?"
"It wasn't exactly 'nothing,' but on the contrary, it seems we’ve actually gained some trust..."
"I suppose that’s to be expected, considering you were tearing through the knights of the Clearstream Church like paper."
"Haha, well, I couldn't exactly bring myself to cut them down."
Even though it was a raid, if we killed them, they would stop holding back—especially when their lives were on the line. Well, even so, quite a few of them ended up severely wounded by Archbishop Dodona’s own attacks...
"Still, what does it say about the world when you get praised for beating up knights of the Clearstream Church? Isn't the Adventurer's Guild supposed to be in a cooperative relationship with them?"
"That is true, but the argument was raised that even if they are demi-humans, one cannot support those who commit such atrocities."
"Ah, I see. So they do possess a shred of common sense after all."
"Yes. It’s fortunate, I suppose. They seem to be ostracized, yes, but there is a strong aversion to killing them with their own hands. Besides, it seems there are bounties for capturing them in other countries."
"That’s right. So, killing them is practically a taboo, and the secret of how they were being utilized has been exposed."
"Well, that is only within the Kingdom of Giadana, of course."
Other countries are even further along in their exclusion of demi-humans. That is precisely why so many have fled into parts of the Kingdom of Giadana...
"Come to think of it, it’s fine that we are heading to the Kingdom of Iana, but will the demi-human towns within the Kingdom of Giadana be alright?"
"True. If they’ve gone this far, it wouldn't be strange for the Clearstream Church to target those towns next."
"Yes. It worries me. King Giadana and Prime Minister Daeda say they are being isolated, but in the end, it’s rare for a town to be completely self-contained."
"You're right. We know now that the enemy—the Clearstream Church—isn't just trying to exclude demi-humans; they want to use them, perhaps as sacrifices to harvest magical power. Any place where they are gathered is a prime target."
My brother is right. Their goal isn't just to drive them away or eliminate them; it is to secure them. As my brother said, any place where they are concentrated becomes a target.
"...I’ll discuss that with King Giadana. Though, it’s not my country, so there’s only so much I can do."
"Ah, that’s right. I keep thinking you can do anything, Brother."
It’s a bad habit of mine. I’ve started to assume that if I just tell my brother, he will solve everything. And in truth, he has solved so many things that it’s not entirely wrong. My brother is an amazing person.
"I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations, Vilia. That said, there are many things I can't do alone, so I’ll be counting on you and the others to help."
"Yes. Please, leave it to me."
That’s right—I came here hoping to be of help to my brother. I must not forget that.
"So, has there been any change to the schedule for heading to the Kingdom of Iana?"
"Um, regarding that..."
As I glanced slightly behind me, Nina-san immediately stepped forward.
"No changes to the schedule. We were evaluated for the incident with the Clearstream Church, but officially, it never happened. The Kingdom of Iana is heavily influenced by the Clearstream Church, so we’ve decided to keep it under wraps that we were involved in the raid."
"Well, that’s the sensible approach."
It’s true—the tyranny was exposed within the Kingdom of Giadana, but news of it won't reach other countries for a while, and the people of the Clearstream Church certainly won't be spreading those rumors themselves. If we were to speak of it carelessly, we would become their targets. For the sake of safety, we have no choice but to go to the Kingdom of Iana without a word.
"Besides, this matter is strictly confidential. We are to wait for the official announcement from the Kingdom of Giadana."
"A lone adventurer’s word wouldn't be worth much anyway. And Giadana doesn't intend to let this end with just the capital."
Indeed, they wouldn't spread such a massive scandal based solely on the rumors of adventurers. From the start, the plan was to use this scandal in the capital as a catalyst to launch a forced investigation into the Clearstream Church throughout the entire Kingdom of Giadana.
As I was thinking this, Kishua-san and Sia-san joined the conversation.
"Well, that’s understandable, but I have to wonder if they can actually raid the other branches without us there."
"That is true. This time, not only was Archbishop Dodona involved, but King Giadana and Prime Minister Daeda had made prior arrangements to deal with the Church. I wonder if the next location will go as smoothly?"
As the two of them said, we were only able to succeed this time because the preparations were so thorough. But for the other branches, they likely won't have all the key players gathered. Since the highest authority in the country won't be there, I fear that taking a hardline approach might be difficult...
"They’ll have thought of that. Besides, Enora has agreed to accompany us, so there shouldn't be any issues regarding those locations."
"Eh? Enora-onesama is coming with us?"