Chapter 53 - Chapter 24: "It Is Their Own Fault for Possessing Gunpowder"
Greetings. It is Violia Nico Fortesia.
I have now come to the collapsed underground passage, bringing Doran with me.
"The moonlight shines in here."
"...This underground passage? Why is it collapsed?"
"I dug it. And since there was a Roper, I pulled it out with my Spatial Bag and it collapsed."
"You did something reckless."
Not as much as you!
"But thanks to that, the moon is visible."
The collapsed underground passage has a slight hole opening to the sky, and from there, the night sky and the moon floating in it are visible.
Since the weather is good, the moon can be seen well. The moonlight shining through the collapsed ceiling is beautiful.
"...Does bathing in moonlight heal your wounds?"
"As a result, yes. ...Simply, the aspect of being a monster comes out more strongly. A monster's wounds heal quickly. Because I'm not human."
Not human.
Doran, who says so, sounds somewhat self-deprecating. As if he is telling himself... it makes me feel a bit uneasy.
"I see. A werewolf's body is convenient, isn't it?"
I think I am being a bit twisted myself. However, that is all the comment I have. I do not wish to offer clumsy sympathy.
"Convenient... huh. Yeah. No doubt about it."
Doran seemed to like my comment. He chuckled as he said that, moved to the position where the moonlight hit best, and made himself comfortable there.
...Then.
"Oh! Ears and a tail!"
Ears and a tail grew from Doran! They grew! This is a bit of a surprise!
"Amazing! They have grown! They have grown, haven't they!? These! Are they real!?"
"I usually suppress them... but this isn't the time for that. I let them out."
Let them out!? Are they usually tucked away!? Can you tuck them away if you want to!? I do not understand at all!
"It might be close to the sensation of constantly using magic in order to stay in a human-like appearance. So, when I release the magic, I end up looking like this."
Werewolves are mysterious creatures. Well, certainly, if ears and a tail grew every time he bathed in moonlight, he would have been caught and killed long ago.
Ah, even so, the ears and tail... they are so fluffy...! Looking at them makes me happy!
"May I touch them!?"
"I don't mind, but right now I'm in a state closer to a genuine monster. My aggressiveness is also increased."
"Oh, is that so! I do not care one bit! I shall touch them!"
Since permission was given, I shall touch them! Well, I would have touched them even if permission had not been given!
"...What a fine coat of fur."
As expected, it was fluffy. It was the somewhat stiff fur characteristic of wolves. Even so, it was sufficiently fluffy!
This feels good to the touch. I shall touch them single-mindedly for a while. I am of a nature that likes dogs and cats reasonably well. Of course, I like the squishy touch of slimes and the plump touch of a dragon's belly, but I also like the soft fluffiness of a beast's coat!
"Stop it already."
However, I was pulled away by Doran at an appropriate point.
"...I'm about to lose control."
"How dangerous."
Well, fine. I took a distance of a few steps from Doran. Since the person himself says it is 'dangerous,' it must be dangerous. Probably. ...To my eyes, he just looks like a big fluff.
We shall chat at a slight distance. It is the first time I have seen the werewolf-like side of a werewolf. Since it is a rare opportunity, I shall ask what I want to ask.
"Come to think of it, your tail comes out during the full moon, does it not?"
"Yeah... during the full moon, I just can't keep it under control. That's why I don't want to go out as much as possible."
I see. ...I wonder what he does when a tail accidentally grows? Does he force it into his trousers? It is a mystery. Since asking might stir up trouble, I shall not ask.
"But today is not a full moon..."
"If I don't intend to become like this, it won't go this far. Right now, I'm just pushing myself a bit to lean towards being a wolf, so it's only like this."
Heh. Is that so.
...Looking closely, Doran's eyes have become those of a beast with sharp pupils. His golden eyes are just sharp, and it is a feeling of 'Ah, he is a werewolf.'
"...Sorry for making you tag along to a place like this. You can go back now."
"And you?"
"I'll stay here until the moon sets. It's faster to heal this way."
"No, I was at the hideout partly to supervise and monitor you, you know? I cannot leave you alone."
This muscle-wolf says various reckless things. There is no way I can leave him be! Does he not realize he was on the verge of death just a few hours ago?
"Then, I shall bring a blanket. I shall also leave a note at the hideout. Otherwise, Giovan will panic again."
"...I see. Sorry."
"If you think so, then please heal quickly. By this time the day after tomorrow, we will already be moving to lure out Fruitier. Now, you should sleep."
When I said that, Doran nodded and curled up on the spot.
...
His posture is that of a wolf!
When I left a note and came back with a blanket, Doran's appearance had changed.
His claws and fangs had grown long and sharp, and besides... he had become, well, hairy. Yes. A fine coat of fur.
Since stroking him might wake him up, I decided to just gently drape the blanket over him and wait for dawn while monitoring Doran.
...Dawn broke, it became noon, and when I was napping until evening, Keeb and Chesta returned.
"The slime field is successfully completed!"
"Since there were slimes left over, I scattered them not just in the fields but also in the brewing facilities. Even if there's wine maturing, it's all pickled in slime now."
Open a barrel and it's packed with slimes. Just imagining it is terrifying.
Well, since it is House Fruitier that suffers the damage, it is nothing but delightful. Ohohohoho.
"Ah, welcome back. You guys did a good job. People with quick ears already knew. That Fruitier's winery is dead."
A little while after that, Giovan also returned. He must have heard of the success of Chesta and Keeb's operation and come back.
"Now then. It's sudden, but I've picked up some information here too. I'll talk right away."
"There are two points. First, I checked yesterday's mooring records, but there were no records. In other words, completely guilty. By the way, even if it's not in the records, I know whose ship it was. It's a Fruitier merchant ship. It seems it came from the mining district. So if we secure that area later, we'll probably be able to contact the people making the guns too."
Oh. The information officer is showing his true worth. As expected. With this, the manufacturing of guns shall be mine.
"By the way, where did the things they were carrying go?"
"About that. It's probably the House Fruitier warehouse on the outskirts of the royal capital."
I see. Then if we go there, the guns will be there, I suppose... This is good information to hear.
"And one more thing. It seems House Fruitier is going to start organizing their product inventory. They're secretly looking for buyers for 'weapons.'"
Oh... how hasty of them.
As expected, they are trying to sell the guns. Of course, I cannot allow that.
"What do we do? Shall we try bringing up the talk of funding right away?"
"Yes. Let us send a bird message immediately. If we do not hurry, the guns will be sold off."
That is right. As for me, I do not wish for the precious research results of Fortesia to be sold off as they please!
Therefore, I must catch House Fruitier by the scruff of the neck as soon as possible, so they cannot sell the guns...
...No. Thinking about it for a moment, there is no need for that.
"While talking about funding, at the same time, one more thing. I shall assist them with their inventory organization."
"Inventory organization... ah, don't tell me, young lady, you're thinking of something absurd again?"
Absurd? Not at all!
For me, who does not want the guns to be sold off, it is the best method!
Guns use gunpowder to fly bullets.
In other words, they are useless without gunpowder.
And gunpowder is something that ignites all at once when you set fire to it.
...The manufacturing site of the guns is far from the Fruitier mansion and warehouse. And what Fruitier procured at the port this time was likely guns.
That means Fruitier is now storing guns and... the gunpowder to use those guns, in the mansion or a warehouse near the mansion or somewhere.
In that case, there is only one thing I should do!
"I shall burn the powder magazine!"
It is their own fault for holding an inventory of gunpowder! They might as well just blow up into smithereens! Ohohohohohoho!