Arrival, Information Sharing, and the Entertainment District
After that, I asked the knight at the gate if he had seen any elves going out at night, but he said he hadn’t. In fact, he mentioned that he hadn’t seen any other races coming and going at such late hours. While it’s possible they could have climbed over the walls to get out, he confirmed that they hadn’t exited through the gate at all.
In principle, there are restrictions on leaving the area without going through the gate, and unless there are special circumstances, anyone attempting to climb the walls is detained and questioned about their affiliation and identity.
It seems that in recent years, they have detained several humans, but they haven’t done so with other races, so I left that place. I conveyed the information I had heard from the dwarf and asked them to keep me informed if they discovered any unusual activities involving other races. I plan to check back in on that later.
However, more pressing matters had arisen that needed my attention.
“Sorry, my friend. This is my fault, isn’t it?”
“Well, you could say it’s about half your fault.”
“No, it’s entirely this virgin’s fault.”
“Indeed, it’s Fon’s lack of resistance that’s to blame.”
“Oh really? Then that’s good.”
“Is it really?”
“It’s a waste of energy to worry about it.”
Fon, one of my acquaintances, had lost consciousness due to an overwhelming feminine allure that he claimed was building up inside him. Fortunately, everyone returned just in time, but it was troubling to see him faint at the sight of a woman who wasn’t even showing as much skin as Fana or Rio. If he were to face a succubus, he might end up devoured!
“For now, let’s head inside. Throw Fon onto the bed in the room.”
“Got it.”
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“Let me introduce myself again. I’m Will Karos! I used to be a duke’s daughter, but now I’m just a wandering maiden with no home or affiliation!”
“…She’s one of my acquaintances, a master who trained you all for a short period, making you strong enough to take down a high-ranking demon in seconds.”
“Don’t call me that, my friend! A master isn’t beautiful; call me ‘teacher’ instead!”
“…One of my teachers, then.”
…Why is she the first one I mention?
Well, compared to fanatics, devotees, and other weirdos (the truly dangerous ones), she’s better, but she’s still someone who seems to be going her own way. It feels like she’s a contradiction, seeming to understand yet not understand at all. Honestly, she’s often silent and strict, but I would have preferred dealing with revenge-driven lunatics or seekers of truth. At least they have a sense of normalcy… What is this ‘maiden’s logic’?
“…So, are you strong?”
“Me? I’m strong! Though I can’t compare to my friend!”
“…She’s strong. She could turn a thousand demons into a mountain of corpses in a single night.”
“Oh, did I do something like that?”
“You did. You were cleaning up like a street assassin.”
“???”
Well, she probably doesn’t remember. That’s just how she is. She forgets anything that doesn’t pique her interest within minutes and doesn’t even try to remember.
“Well, let’s move on. Lulu, could you prepare a meal for everyone?”
“Should I prepare enough for everyone?”
“I’m fine, but for her, keep the oil low and everything else high.”
“Understood!”
“…You remember that, huh?”
“I can’t forget it.”
“Oh, that makes me happy. But I’m sorry, I’m committed to being a maiden!”
“Don’t worry about that.”
The reason I remember is that I had to desperately stop you from causing a ruckus and nearly destroying the dining hall when you got drunk. You swung your arms around, dislocating your joints while still downing bottles of alcohol, showing not a shred of maidenly grace.
“…Well, it’s fine. Wait over there for the meal to arrive.”
“Right, I’ll do that. We can train tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah. Fana, please keep Rio company.”
“Understood.”
“Got it.”
“Let’s go. Don’t make a scene. And no drinking!”
“I know, I’m not the kind of woman to make the same mistake twice.”
“As far as I know, you’ve done it four times.”
“The past is something I don’t look back on. I’m always living in the future, so no matter how many times I fail, it’s like it’s my first time!”
“Stop with the absurd logic. Just promise me you won’t drink, okay? Ferno won’t be here tonight, so there won’t be anyone to stop you.”
“…Then I have no choice but to stop myself. Rio-chan, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you.”
…Did they leave? They did? Good.
“Stella, let’s start sharing information.”
“Sure, let’s begin!”
I lowered my voice and started sharing information with Stella. I had already received the information Fon gathered before he lost consciousness, so I had no issues there. The reason for speaking quietly was not only because there was a maiden nearby who wasn’t directly involved but also because the content wasn’t something I could discuss loudly. Even if she wouldn’t mind, I couldn’t just announce that we were heading to the entertainment district for the night in front of a lady.
“First, here’s the situation regarding demons and monsters. Please read it later.”
“I see. How about the other races and the new hero?”
“The information on the hero is sparse, so that will be the main focus of our investigation moving forward. As for the other races…”
“?”
“It’s a bit troubling.”
I skimmed through the information Fon had gathered, but everything was in the same state as what I initially heard from the dwarf. All races, from elves to gnomes to harpies, and even mermaids, which shouldn’t typically come ashore.
“There’s interference from someone, causing rejection reactions among those staying in this area. If they attempt specific actions, they risk losing their physical and mental faculties, making it impossible for them to continue their usual way of life.”
“I see… But if that’s the case…”
“We should kill the culprit, right?”
“Yeah… But does that mean you have no leads?”
“That’s part of it. I’ve dealt with those who use a considerable number of curses and forbidden techniques that trigger rejection reactions for very specific actions, but I’ve never encountered anyone who would do such a thing. So, I have no leads.”
“Hmmm… So there’s more to it?”
“Yeah.”
I looked over the gathered information, pinpointed where the rejection reactions occurred, and searched for commonalities… and found them.
Dwarves at the moment they strike weapons in blacksmithing. Elves at the moment they process natural materials into equipment. Gnomes at the moment they begin farming. Harpies at the moment they start caring for livestock. Mermaids at the moment they try to catch seafood.
“The commonality is their livelihoods. The jobs they undertake to survive trigger rejection reactions the moment they attempt to engage in them.”
“Seems that way.”
“Yeah. They can enter the scene and assist in the work, but the moment they try to take a step further and do it themselves, they become unable to move. This applies to all races without exception.”
“Hmmm… That’s troublesome.”
“I suspect that if this continues unchecked, there will be repercussions among humans.”
“Indeed, that seems likely.”
“Yeah. I’ll investigate whether similar incidents are occurring among humans in the next round of inquiries, but to expedite finding the culprit, we’ll rearrange the order of the disaster-classified monster hunts.”
“Which ones will we tackle first?”
“First, the insects, then the snakes, and finally the lizards.”
“I understand… I’ll prepare the map and routes.”
“Yeah, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Your meal is ready!”
“Oh, what a lovely dish!”
“Thank you very much!”
“…It seems the meal is prepared.”
“Indeed.”
“Go ahead and eat first. I’ll leave this with you, so please take a look.”
“Understood. Are you leaving already?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t seem like Fon will be waking up anytime soon. I’m not planning to return tonight, so if any guests arrive, please have Fana handle them.”
“Got it. Take care!”
“Yeah, don’t overdo it either.”
“Of course!”