Chapter 425: Preparation
I picked up some rumors that might be related to me in the Port Town and used Kanum to teleport.
“Is Dinoss here?”
“Hello, Jean! Daddy!”
I knocked on the neighboring door, and when Tina came out, she turned around and raised her voice a little.
“Yeah.”
Dinoss emerged slowly from behind Tina.
As Tina tried to step back to give us space, I handed her the basket filled with goodies. Inside were some ordinary sugar-coated apricots, bread, and milk.
“Thank you!”
She called out “Mommy!” this time, cradling the basket and scampering inside.
“Got a strange look on your face. Something happen?”
Dinoss peered into my face and asked.
“Something happened, or rather…”
Is it that obvious on my face? And is it okay to talk about Shulm here? There aren’t many people around, but there are still occasional passersby.
“Want to play a game for the first time in a while?”
“Sure.”
Looks like he picked up on it.
Not wanting to show up empty-handed, I stuffed some snacks into the basket—enough for Ash’s house and the rental house. The amount for the rental house turned out to be quite a lot, so I packed in some bread and a bit of alcohol.
—Do I really wear my emotions on my face? Even the butler and Retze, who was in the living room of the rental house, mentioned a card game without me saying anything.
I should stop overthinking this. It’s not that I’m easy to read; it’s just that the three of them are too perceptive. Yeah, since I promised Ash we’d go for a long run later, it’s more constructive to think about the lunch menu.
Before that, though, I need to decide on dinner—or rather, tonight’s late-night snack. Tonight, it’s going to be Dinoss, the butler, and Retze. Retze has something to do in the evening, so they’ll be gathering a bit later.
The Kanum has already cooled down, so let’s go for nabeyaki udon. I have a clay pot made in the Pasture, shrimp tempura, and I’ve already made some udon. If I simmer the aburaage, the rest is just cutting.
And then, night falls.
“Ah… That country is always like this, wanting to use the Hero for war or something. Fortunately, since they crushed the Fairy Path in the Fortress City, I feel a bit more at ease.”
I conveyed the rumors about Shulm to Dinoss.
What I mainly told him was about the Spirit Sword and that I was looking for someone with [Storage].
“Well, it’s possible that Shulm, who has summoned the Hero multiple times, knows of paths that aren’t widely known.”
He sighed and continued.
“I asked around, but there’s nothing near Kanum. There are a few in the Demon Forest, but they’re deep inside. It’s not Shulm or the path of the Light Spirit, but something else entirely.”
The current Hero is of the Light Spirit, and the previous one was of the Wind. Since Shulm is associated with these two types of spirits, if the paths are connected, it would likely be one of these two.
“…I won’t ask who you heard it from.”
Dinoss averted his gaze.
“It’s also possible they might have gone out to another place first. And whether it’s related or not—”
The butler began pouring wine into glasses, distributing them as he spoke.
“Several changelings have gone missing. There are rumors about that Assassination Island, but it’s not just five or six people. I can’t imagine that non-cooperative changelings would stay in one place, no matter how favorable the conditions. It’s possible that Shulm has sent changelings who can use the Fairy Path to various locations.”
Sorry about that. There are over ten of them, and they’re settled in.
But I see, the farther they are from Shulm, the more likely it is that changelings who can use the Fairy Path are on the move.
I need to check the locations of the Fairy Paths and the whereabouts of the changelings. The changelings on the island are all under contract, so they’re fine; they’ve passed Auro and the others’ scrutiny.
“This is different.”
Dinoss popped a piece of seaweed wrapped around tuna and yam into his mouth. The flavor was sesame oil and salt.
“Is that the stuff that looked like black paper wrapped around rice balls?”
“Yeah.”
Retze has a good memory. I think seaweed and similar things are hard for non-Japanese people to digest, right?
“This is delicious too.”
The butler took the first bite of a dish wrapped in smoked salmon with lettuce and cheese, seasoned with mustard, wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
The other snacks I prepared were familiar ones. It seems they decided to try the more unusual dishes first. Well, the butler seems to be accustomed to ocean fish (salmon), right?
“It’s better to be cautious. If Dinoss’s kids are alone, I’ll ask you to keep an eye on them. I can’t expect much help in a pinch, but at least the news will spread quickly.”
Retze said while sipping white wine.
Who is he asking? He gives off a vibe of having a great information network.
“If someone wants to use the kids as shields to make you do some work, that’s a good enough reason, right?”
Retze looked at Dinoss to confirm.
“Yeah, that’s a common enough scenario.”
Dinoss replied.
“Common?”
“Pretty much. They’ve all been thwarted, so it’s not happening anymore, but that was before I holed up in the countryside, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened again.”
“Ugh.”
“Well, either I or Shiva will try to stay close, and the kids are currently learning magic from Haulon. Honestly, I’m more scared of the neighboring countries that could form a group than Shulm.”
About the situation with Dad being tough.
I should ask the spirits for help too.
“You…”
Retze started to say something with a strange expression but fell silent.
“Hey, don’t go quiet on me. You figured out what he’s thinking, right?”
Dinoss pressed Retze.
“Well, I mean, it’s probably about having the spirits keep watch or something, but I can’t see it. —I have no idea what might happen.”
Retze shrugged.
“A group of spirit stalkers, huh…”
“Stop, stop!”
Dinoss recoiled and shook his head at the butler’s murmured words.
“I’ll think about how to ask. …It should be fine.”
“I’m feeling uneasy about this! Hey, don’t look away!”
It’ll probably be fine!