Chapter 8: To the Elf Village – 14
Since the girl in the priestess outfit was taken away, there had been no particular commotion. Under the Village Chief’s orders, the cleanup of the destroyed castle walls and houses began.
I thought about helping with the heavy lifting, but the Village Chief told me, “We cannot have the greatest benefactor who saved our village do such work.” Then, Miss Miran, the receptionist, said, “I apologize for bothering you when you’re tired, but could you please share the details with us?” So, we decided to report the series of Golem subjugations at the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Regarding this incident, we will organize the information and then provide you with your rewards. Of the three Golems, two were defeated solely by Soushi’s party, while one was a joint effort with another party. Is that acceptable?”
“I believe that is fair.”
After that exchange, we returned to our inn.
“Ah, I’m so tired today. I think this is the first time I’ve felt this exhausted since becoming an adventurer,” Larni said as she collapsed onto the bed the moment we entered the room. Freinir let out a sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“As adventurers, we must be prepared to handle such dire situations. There were so many events during this request that I can hardly keep up,” Freinir remarked.
“But I think you did really well, Frei. That Golem would have been a formidable foe without your magic,” Larni encouraged.
“Is that so…? But I was merely following Soushi-sama’s instructions,” Freinir replied, placing her hand over her heart and looking at me. Sfenia smiled at this.
“Hehe, being able to respond accurately to the leader’s commands is also a very important skill. There is no doubt that Frei’s abilities are exceptional.”
That was certainly true. From this battle, I realized just how significant the strength of our party was. Each member possessed outstanding abilities, and as the leader, the responsibility weighed heavily on me.
“However, I still lack experience, so I don’t know—are large monster attacks like this common?” I asked.
Sfenia pondered for a moment before answering. “Of course, they aren’t unheard of. In the past, there have been towns attacked by groups of Mount Lizards and castles destroyed by Sky Dragons. However, it’s common for there to be prior sightings or warnings, so it’s quite rare for three to appear suddenly without any forewarning, like this time.”
“I see…”
I couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the mention of “Dragons.” They were the kings of the fantasy world, and I hoped to see one someday.
“That’s why the person who was captured earlier seems suspicious,” Sfenia continued.
“There’s little information about the cursed nation of Oz, but it seems they operate using Golems and Undead. So, it’s possible that she orchestrated the Golem attacks,” Sfenia explained.
“According to Miss Miran, the timing of that girl’s party’s arrival coincided with the increase in Undead. She’s probably being interrogated right now,” Larni added.
I could only agree with Larni’s words.
While I had to concede, it felt like the information we had gathered was too neatly packaged. It was as if the circumstances were crafted to frame her as the culprit.
“Soushi-sama, is there something troubling you?” Freinir asked, her worried expression indicating that she had noticed my deep thoughts.
“No, I just think it’s a bit rash to conclude that the adventurer from Oz is the perpetrator. The circumstantial evidence is too overwhelming, and it makes me feel like she might have been set up by someone,” I replied.
“The circumstances are… too neatly aligned, you say? That’s an interesting perspective, as expected of Soushi-sama,” Sfenia remarked.
“Isn’t that just because you think she’s cute?” Larni teased, causing Freinir to look at me with surprise.
“That’s not it! When I saw that girl’s party, Larni said there was a scent of Slave Hunters. That means her party members could be from Mecalinan. An Oz citizen teams up with Mecalinan citizens to cause trouble in this country. Yet, only the Oz citizen was captured, while the Mecalinan men vanished. It feels suspicious, doesn’t it?”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, it does seem odd,” Larni conceded.
“So, you believe that the girl from Oz was set up by the Mecalinan men?” Sfenia asked.
I nodded. “That’s a possibility. But the reason behind it remains unclear.”
“I see… Actually, after hearing her way of speaking earlier, I wondered if she might belong to the noble class of Oz. If that’s the case, this incident could escalate into something significant…”
“Are you suggesting this could lead to political issues?”
“Yes. The relationships between this country, Vermilian, Mecalinan, and Oz are quite delicate.”
“Hmm…”
It certainly felt too convenient, but it was conceivable that Mecalinan was plotting to sow discord between this country and Oz. If the recent Undead Castle incident was also the work of Mecalinan, then the conspiracy theory seemed increasingly plausible.
As I pondered these amateur deductions, Larni, sitting cross-legged on the bed, spoke up.
“Well, if it turns out she really did commit the crime, it should be easy to find out, right? I heard there are magical tools that can detect lies.”
“Such things exist?” I asked, surprised.
Freinir nodded. “Yes, they are available at the Arshuram Church in the royal capital. The royal family should have them as well.”
I was astonished that such tools existed; perhaps this world was more advanced than some aspects of modern Japan. However, if such convenient devices were available, then framing her for a crime would be difficult. Was I just overthinking it?
“…No, wait…”
At that moment, a rather unsettling prediction flashed through my mind.