Episode 125
“That useless dog survived.”
That was the Adventurer’s Guild leadership’s greeting for Gaby, who had barely escaped with her life.
“…S-Spare me…”
“You want to live? Tell us everything.”
The man clicked his tongue condescendingly.
“Th-Then you’ll let me live?”
“If you don’t tell the truth, you’ll die here.”
“Th-That man… killed my comrades… Ellie didn’t do anything… she’s just a crazy bitch…”
Gaby shuddered, remembering the “crazy bitch” who had let her grope her chest to call it even.
“As expected. Good.”
“So… my life is safe…?”
Hope flickered in her eyes.
“Your comrades are dead. No one to protect you now. You still want to live?”
The man sneered.
“…Better alive than dead.”
“But…”
His sneer vanished, replaced by a chilling indifference.
“You revealed our information.”
“I couldn’t help it! They used some kind of spell…!”
She tried to defend herself, but it was useless. They had made a deal with Cellon. With him dead, they had no reason to protect her.
“Dispose of her.”
He handed her over to a guard and walked away, ignoring her screams and curses.
“I was right. She’s not the Great Sage.”
“The assassins said that?”
“The survivor saw another man fighting, not Ellie.”
“No Great Sage, then. Send the elites. Kill them all.”
They chuckled darkly.
“So they were sent by the Adventurer’s Guild?”
I had suspected something was wrong. Giving everyone F-rank without an assessment, the blatant bribery and favoritism, the initial sexism followed by the sudden shift in attitude upon learning I was an academy graduate…
“I wonder what they’re planning.”
Trying to kill me… for hunting a boar? And I had even donated the carcass to Sorcia.
“They seem intent on creating chaos.”
Aroa commented.
“Seriously… what are they trying to do? Awaken the Demon King or something?”
It didn’t make any sense. What did they gain from this? And Dustin, usually the most reactive, was unusually quiet.
“Dustin, don’t you have anything to say?”
He had been like this since returning from the interrogation.
I looked at Lia, but she just shrugged, indicating nothing unusual had happened.
“I was… just relieved that you believed me, Master.”
…He was still dwelling on that? This guy was hopeless.
“W-We should… be careful…!”
Ray, who had been quiet, spoke up, raising his hand politely.
“Do you know anything about the Adventurer’s Guild?”
“Th-They… contacted the Magic Tower… before…”
They had contacted the Tower Master? Ray explained that high-ranking guild members had approached the tower. Ray hadn’t met them personally. The kind old man had met them and heard something strange.
“Immortality?”
“Y-Yes… they offered us… immortality… if we helped them…”
Immortality? Were they trying to become demons?
“Well, I don’t care what they do, but I won’t let them get away with attacking us.”
This was to be expected, traveling with the protagonist. I wasn’t worried. If they wanted to play dirty, so could we.
“We can’t let them get away with this.”
Dustin, as always, was on the same page.
“So, what’s the plan?”
I looked at him expectantly.
“I’ll follow your lead, Master!”
…This guy… was he just saying that because he had no ideas of his own?
“…Should we send in a spy? Someone competent.”
“Good idea. I can send someone from the Alchemist Association.”
Hadn’t she quit?
“I-I can… contact the Magic Tower…”
The mages from the tower would be more suitable.
“We need a leader. But we can’t go ourselves. Our faces are known.”
Even with Ray’s magic, they would be recognized if they did anything noticeable.
“The leader should have some authority.”
Someone with authority and prestige…
“Let’s go see Kalus.”
“Kalus? The former Commander?”
Dustin looked surprised. He seemed to have a… reaction to Kalus.
“He must know some suitable candidates.”
He was the perfect person to ask.
“I see. I’ll follow your lead.”
He had definitely reacted strongly to Kalus’s name. Were they not on good terms?
“Kalus? The swordsmanship instructor?”
“He’s the Headmaster now.”
“We can visit our parents while we’re there.”
Celia’s words hit a nerve.
Well… I had been thinking about visiting my parents…
It’s not like I had completely forgotten about them.
“It has been a while.”
“I want to see my parents too!”
“Me too!”
“I-I also… want to… but… they wouldn’t want to see… a moth larva like me…”
A moth larva?
I knew I should visit them, but I didn’t know what to say since I hadn’t found a status window yet.
“Sigh…”
I turned towards the Empire, a sense of dread building within me.
“Yuri… Yuri…!”
“Sob… we were so worried…!”
As it turned out, my parents were visiting the academy at the same time.
“Ah, haha… how have you been?”
I had wanted to see them, but… not like this. Not unprepared.
“Five years held back…? What happened…?”
“You were so smart and kind…”
I wasn’t that smart or kind…
“Every parent thinks their child is precious…”
Wham!
“Ouch!”
“Don’t talk back to your parents!”
“Ah, right… sorry…”
I was scolded and slapped repeatedly. My mother’s slaps were… potent.
“Explain yourself.”
They wouldn’t let me go until I did. Five years of silence, and all they heard was that I had failed. They were understandably worried.
I should tell them the truth. That I had graduated.
“Well… I… actually… graduated five years ago… Mother… Father…”
I confessed, bracing myself.
“…Then what was that about being held back…?”
“The Headmaster said…”
They looked confused.
“…I… asked him… to tell you that…”
I had confessed the shocking truth! I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Though, it seemed to have just transferred to them.
“Why…?”
“Why would you lie…?”
Their expressions were grave. If I told them about my “secluded training” now…
“It’s been a while, Count, Countess.”
Dustin suddenly stepped forward, saving me from further interrogation.