Information Gathering II
“Now then, let’s summarize the information we have so far.”
“Understood. By the way, can I place an order?”
“Go ahead… Shall we start after the food arrives?”
It was early afternoon. We entered a nearby eatery to take a breather during our information-gathering stroll, securing a table in the back for the two of us and placing our orders. With various bits of information swirling around and half of Fon’s notepad filled, it was time to refine and organize what we had learned.
By the way, the suspicious street stall we had noticed turned out to be a Marriage Consultation Counter. Apparently, it catered to those who claimed they would remain single for life or dismissed love and romance as trivial nonsense, helping those who felt rushed by their peers to find a partner.
“Here are your orders! Please settle the payment at the counter!”
“Ah, got it. How do I place an additional order?”
“When that happens, just ring the bell over there! We’ll come to take your order!”
“I see. Thanks for the info!”
“You’re welcome! Enjoy your meal!”
“…Doesn’t the atmosphere feel a bit different today?”
“I have no interest in intimidating women or children. More importantly, lend me your notepad; I want to summarize things quickly.”
“Sure. Can I eat while you do that?”
“Go ahead.”
As I watched Fon start eating, I picked up one of the sandwiches we ordered and flipped through Fon’s notepad with one hand, scanning the contents. She had diligently recorded everything I instructed her to, so I began to sift through the information, selecting what was necessary and discarding the rest as I organized my thoughts.
First, regarding the Demon Lord’s Army. The difference before and after I became the Hero was the increase in their activity. It seemed that mid-rank demons and lower had become more restless, likely because my presence had previously deterred them. In villages and towns where there were few or no capable fighters, the damage inflicted by these demons had become significant, sometimes leading to complete destruction.
However, reports of higher-ranking demons had not changed much before and after my time as the Hero, and there had been no signs of large-scale invasion actions by numerous demons in recent months. Additionally, I heard that in some regions, demons and monsters had completely vanished, causing local adventurers to migrate here.
Moreover, certain specific demons like succubi and those associated with Necrosis had not been sighted at all. Particularly, succubi had become so rare in areas that had previously suffered from their attacks that they were now completely absent.
In summary, this situation was suspicious. The absence of sightings is one thing, but the lack of higher-ranking demons is even more concerning. If they were appearing at the same rate as when I was the Hero, it meant they were showing up less frequently than before.
If I were to speculate, it could be due to my past actions, where I had eliminated many before they could be discovered, and those that remained hidden might have banded together to try and kill me. Even considering the possibility of a new Hero being stronger than I was, there should still be reports of higher-ranking demons causing chaos, just like the mid-rank ones.
But I’ll set that aside for now. The fact that I could only gather information from the lower ranks suggests that they are not openly active, which isn’t a significant issue. No matter how many weaklings gather, they remain weaklings. The knights, nobles, and royalty of this country are not fools. They shouldn’t be complacent just because there seems to be a temporary peace.
“Leader, can I have one of those sandwiches?”
“Huh? Oh, sure. Which one do you want?”
“Then I’ll take that one with the cutlet.”
“This one, right? Here you go.”
“Thanks. Do you want anything?”
“…Then, can I have a piece of that garlic toast over there?”
“Of course. Here, be careful; it’s hot.”
“Ah.”
As I exchanged food with Fon, I returned to the first page of the notepad to summarize the next piece of information.
Next, regarding the human casualties caused by monsters. This situation was within expectations and not much different from before the demons spread. Essentially, it was the responsibility of the Adventurers’ Guild, the Knights Order, and mercenary groups to handle these issues.
If they were to go on a rampage, exterminating monsters indiscriminately, it would deprive the Adventurers’ Guild and mercenary groups of their work. I had heard that occasionally, organized groups of monsters had increased, or that monsters were setting traps and ambushing adventurers, but these were not particularly alarming issues.
These were merely part of the normal ecology of monsters, akin to the Ropers that had not been dealt with early on. When I asked if they had seen any Disaster Classification monsters or similar threats, they all said that if they had, they wouldn’t be here now. I asked several people, and they all seemed to agree, so this was likely true.
In summary, there was no need for special caution regarding monsters. If I were to focus on the one Disaster Classification threat I had been tasked with, it was clear from Rio’s account that demons were involved. However, the other requests I took on with Fana were likely just normal occurrences.
The reason why capable individuals hadn’t dealt with the monsters nearby, despite the good rewards and reasonable distance, was probably due to reports of towns and villages being destroyed, prompting skilled adventurers to return home. There was no particular danger present.
The absence of certain types of demons might have raised concerns about specific monsters disappearing, but it seemed that was not the case. I also asked shopkeepers who dealt in monster materials, and while the types and quantities varied day by day, there was no indication that certain materials were completely absent.
Of course, it was possible that there were unnoticed monsters with no practical value disappearing, but worrying about that wouldn’t help, nor could I do anything about it, so I decided to set that thought aside for now. Overall, there seemed to be little need for excessive caution.
“…Leader.”
“What is it? Do you want dessert?”
“That’s right, but how did you know?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Your eyes are following the desserts. What do you want? All of them?”
“No, I can’t eat that much.”
“I see. Then shall we call the waitress and ask for recommendations?”
“Yes! What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to order dessert. Do you have any recommendations?”
“I’d love to say all of them! But, well, they’re all delicious… The most popular one is the cream cake!”
“I see, then I’ll take one of those and… what’s your personal favorite?”
“My favorite? It’s definitely the Grand Tart! It’s topped with lots of fruits and fresh cream, and it’s just so delicious and makes me so happy!!”
“Then I’ll order one of those as well.”
“Got it! One cream cake and one Grand Tart! Oh, and I’ll take away the empty plates!”
“Thank you for waiting! Here’s your cream cake, and here’s your Grand Tart!”
“Ah, thank you.”
“You’re welcome! Enjoy your meal!”
“…This is huge.”
“Just cut it in half. Do you want more?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Is that so? Don’t hold back.”
As Fon was captivated by the desserts being served to other tables, I called the waitress to ask for recommendations, and the order had arrived. Both desserts were massive, each about twenty centimeters in diameter, topped with cream and fruits, clearly substantial in volume.
The cream cake was semi-circular, with fresh cream on the outside and various fruits packed inside. The Grand Tart appeared to be a tart crust piled high with fruits and cream, but upon cutting it open, I found a layer of pudding nestled between the fruits and the tart crust.
Well, they were still manageable sizes, and I had seen a woman at a distant table devour two cakes even larger than these.
“…Delicious.”
“Ah, yes. It’s not as sweet as I expected; rather, the sweetness of the fruits takes center stage.”
“At this rate, I think I can finish it easily.”
“Then do you want more?”
“Ah, let me think about that once I finish my portion.”
“I see? In that case, I’ll take my time enjoying mine.”
As I brought the dessert to my mouth, I began to summarize the next piece of information.
Lastly, regarding other races. I had expected to gather more information about the new Hero, but I had barely heard anything, so I’ll skip that.
As for other races, it seemed that sightings had increased. Although we hadn’t seen any while walking around earlier, it appeared that there had been more encounters with races like elves and dwarves, who are typically less visible outside their usual habitats.
Whether they moved here out of necessity, relocated their base, or were driven from their homeland, I couldn’t say for certain. I hadn’t asked, nor did I particularly want to know. However, those who ventured outside the castle town to gather wild herbs and fruits mentioned that they had seen several adventurers coming and going from the city multiple times. When I inquired further, they told me that these individuals were searching for a new way of life.
From a broader perspective, while there are many unknowns, it’s reasonable to assume there’s a compelling reason for their presence. Particularly with elves, who are typically devoted to nature and rarely leave their secluded villages, the fact that they feel the need to seek a new way of living is telling. Something troubling must be occurring in the lands inhabited by the Other Races.
Yet, if they’ve managed to come out safely and are still alive, it may not be as dire as it seems in terms of survival. Still, the emergence of these Other Races, who usually had little interaction with us, is somewhat unsettling. It’s clear that something is amiss.
Given the complexities involved, I had intended to postpone any dealings with the Other Races. However, having grasped the possibility of something significant happening, I can’t simply ignore it. It’s not that I can’t tolerate the idea of sacrifices occurring, but knowing that I had a reason to act and the ability to do so, only to refrain from taking action, would leave me with a heavy heart upon waking the next day.
Well, I still need to train Stella and the others, so I won’t be able to address this immediately. But the next target for our expedition will likely be something lurking in the Great Forest. Even if they’ve left the forest due to the influence of the Night Beetles, the fact that they haven’t sought refuge in another forest suggests something deeper is at play. They must have witnessed something that made them question the normalcy of their nature worship. This is why they feel the need to explore a new way of life.
“…Should I search for the Other Races?”
“Hmm? What’s on your mind?”
“No, I’ve just decided on our course of action for the afternoon.”
“I see… Care to share?”
“Of course. First, we’ll look into matters concerning the Demon Race.”
“Alright.”
This afternoon, I plan to seek out the Other Races to gather information and perhaps learn more about the new Hero. For now, I’ll start by discussing my findings with Fon.