Chapter 231: The Investigation Request
“What is it that you wish to discuss?”
The very next day, I had Mesaria come to my room, eager to get started.
“I thought I’d have Hinomaru look into a few things right away.”
“Of course. That’s perfectly fine.”
As Elvirinos brewed tea, he placed it before us and Mesaria. It still felt strange to have him serve tea; I wondered if I would ever get used to it.
“First, I’d like you to investigate Marquis Delphirius. Specifically, the reputation of the marquis’s household and the reputation of the chamberlain he dismissed.”
“Understood.”
“Next, I want to know the current situation in the Arclight Kingdom… if possible.”
“The Arclight Kingdom, you say? I have indeed heard that the Royal Castle has been struck by natural disasters recently, causing quite a stir.”
“Oh, really? Well, I’m curious about how much this has affected the common citizens.”
“Yes.”
With an expressionless face, Mesaria nodded encouragingly for me to continue. I had quite a few requests, but I wondered if she was taking notes. I didn’t have anything too urgent, so I hoped she could handle it casually.
“Also, I’d like to know about the movements of the summoned hero in the Arclight Kingdom.”
At Rio’s words, a faint smile appeared on Mesaria’s face.
“Understood.”
“You might have noticed, but the two of us are also summoned heroes in the Arclight Kingdom, so I can’t help but be a little curious about how our fellow countrymen are faring.”
“…So that’s how it is. That explains a lot.”
She let out a deep sigh, her expression clearing up. I figured she had been trying to uncover our identities when we first clashed. Now she seemed to have confirmed her suspicions. I proceeded to tell her the names and appearances of the other members who were summoned alongside us.
“Oh, and I’d like to know what’s happened with the House of Marquis Ragloi in the Empire.”
“…And what is your connection to that?”
“They’re the despicable marquis family that used Phonia and Ivan as slaves for their own amusement. I did ask His Majesty the Emperor to properly address their crimes.”
“To His Majesty the Emperor…”
Upon hearing the word “slave,” Mesaria’s expression turned somber, and she quietly murmured. I sensed a wave of anger behind her demeanor; it seemed she had her own thoughts regarding slavery.
“If that’s the case, I will ensure to investigate thoroughly.”
“Now, moving on, I have another request for you. It might be a bit uncertain, but I’d like to ask for your help in finding some ingredients.”
“Ingredients, you say?”
“Yes. I’m looking for a grain called rice, as well as fermented seasonings called soy sauce and miso.”
“Rice, soy sauce, and miso, is it? Could you provide a bit more detail?”
“Of course. I mentioned rice, soy sauce, and miso, but those are just the names we use in our world. Even if they exist in this world, I don’t know what they’re called here. I’d like you to keep that in mind while searching. First, rice is—”
I began to explain the three ingredients in detail to Mesaria. I made it clear that I wanted her to prioritize these items, regardless of the cost.
“I see… So these ingredients are quite familiar to you two.”
“They were our staple foods.”
“Right… Is there anything else you’d like me to investigate?”
After confirming with Rio, I nodded.
“I’ve asked quite a bit already. Please consider this as the initial funding for your efforts. Feel free to use it to recruit new members or expand your base.”
As I spoke, I began pulling out coins from the Dimensional Box, letting them jingle as I mixed various sizes of gold and platinum coins. I even added a single Mithril Coin for good measure.
“Um… Is it really alright to use this as funding?”
Mesaria asked, a cold sweat trickling down her brow, but I assured her it was perfectly fine.
“Hey, Shuu? We have about fifteen billion Fron here. Is that okay?”
“Huh? We had that much? …Well, I suppose it’s fine.”
I rarely used coins of platinum value, so I couldn’t quite recall how much one was worth. I tried to remember how much money I had, but I lost track after a hundred billion, so I decided it didn’t matter.
“Well, it’s fine by me.”
Rio seemed to have no objections either.
“Then it’s settled.”
“Y-Yes, understood. …I’ve never seen a Mithril Coin before.”
She cautiously picked it up, flipping it over to examine it closely.
“By the way, how long do you plan to stay here, Lord Shu?”
After she finished her inspection, Mesaria asked, but I hadn’t really decided. Still, I felt like I had accomplished most of what I wanted to do in this town.
“Well, probably until the katana I ordered from the master is finished?”
“Yes, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in Fairy Valley as well.”
“I see… How should we communicate moving forward? We have subordinate organizations in various locations, but it may take time for news of Hinomaru and Lord Shu to spread.”
“That sounds like a hassle… By the way, is there any way to communicate over long distances in this world?”
“Long distances? I believe sending letters is the only option. However, there’s a high chance of them getting lost, so it can be quite costly.”
She answered my question, but I wondered if there were any magic tools for long-distance communication, like those often found in light novels. Given that this world had telepathic communication, I thought it might be possible, but perhaps it wasn’t.
“I see. So, physical letters are the only way to deliver messages.”
“Yes, that would be the case.”
Hmm. There must be a better way. Relying on people to deliver letters takes far too long for information to spread.
…Oh, wait. Just like how I added various functions to the katana, could I also add telepathic communication?