122 - Alette Baie
Invited by Miranda, I had come to the place where Alette-san's party had pitched their tents.
I had been checking on Clara and the mini-porters, but since they said there were things that needed confirming, I made my way over...
"I really don't feel like doing this,"
Miranda said with an exasperated expression.
"You can't say that after coming all this way. Honestly, you should have asked her about it when you first greeted her."
Miranda was right, and I had indeed tried to greet Alette-san. However, I had witnessed something utterly outrageous there.
Even I have some mercy.
"...I just can't bring myself to be that cruel."
"What are you talking about? Come on, let's just go!"
Miranda approached the people standing guard around the area and explained our business. When the guard saw my face, he looked startled and headed toward the tent with a complex expression.
Miranda looked at me.
"What did you do?"
"...I didn't do anything."
That was all I could say. And yet, the successive heads of the family within the orb were laughing—
『It's true, he didn't do anything. He's not lying. But... finally, a face-to-face with Alette-chan! I wonder how that dreaming girl is doing!』
『To secure various favorable conditions, I think the Third Generation's "Did you find a good person?" is absolutely necessary. Lyell, smile, smile! Shake her up with a smile!』
『Wait until you've confirmed what kind of person she is. She might be a defective property. If you tease her too much, she might become like someone's wife. Those are scary.』
『...Fifth Generation, are you talking about me? More importantly, as the Fourth Generation suggested, for the sake of securing favorable conditions, there is a need to shake the opponent...』
『The Sixth Generation messed up a lot of things. Lyell, don't follow the Sixth's example.』
Ignoring the opinions of the successive heads within the orb as usual, I received permission from the guard, who had a subtle expression on his face, to enter the tent.
"...It seems she will see you."
Sensing the atmosphere around us, Miranda asked me.
"Hey, why is the mood like this? You really didn't do anything, right? Or did something happen to you?"
To the worried Miranda, I replied.
"You'll understand once we meet her."
With that, the two of us stepped inside the tent.
Inside the tent were Alette-san and the tall knight I had dealt with before.
"U-Um... it's been a while."
When he spoke, the knight replied, "It's been a while." Miranda also greeted them with a "Nice to meet you~" and so on...
Alette-san was sitting in a chair before a desk, looking down.
And then—
"Kuh, just kill me!"
"...Eh?"
The atmosphere in the room turned strange. She had suddenly started demanding that she be killed.
Not only that, she clutched her head with both hands and began slamming her forehead against the desk.
"Just kill me already! What, is it fun to bully me?! That's right, I'm just a woman who missed her chance at marriage! But I couldn't help it! I never thought I'd actually get promoted! I couldn't help it... it's all the job's fault..."
Miranda was smiling, but her cheek was twitching.
The male knight in the room, who seemed to be her adjutant, remained silent, covering his face with his right hand.
"No, today is about a different matter—"
"—A different matter? What? So I'm not even worth teasing! If you didn't come here to laugh at me, then what on earth is your purp—augh!"
The knight, unable to stay silent any longer, brought a hand-chop down on Alette-san's head.
"Captain, please pull yourself together. If you're like this during a labyrinth subjugation, it wouldn't be strange if someone lost their life."
Alette-san steadied her ragged breathing and cleared her throat.
"S-Sorry. I just felt a bit embarrassed. ...Now then, do you have some business with me, Lyell-kun?"
After taking a deep breath and calming down, Alette-san looked like a completely different person.
She immediately assumed a sharp expression and told us to sit down so she could hear us out. If this had been the first interaction, I surely would have liked her unconditionally.
However, the emotion I felt for Alette-san now was—
(What is this feeling of unbearable awkwardness?)
—it was sympathy.
We were comrades who had both experienced a sudden change in mindset after growing up. I decided not to tease this person.
As we sat facing each other across the desk, Alette-san's calmness allowed me to pay attention to my surroundings.
The Third Generation spoke.
『Eh~, aren't you going to ask her things? This is interesting.』
He sounded disappointed, but I ignored him.
Inside the tent, there were things that seemed to belong to Alette-san, such as a bed and armor. The desk placed in the center of the tent was large and held various writing tools.
A lantern, a type of magic tool, brightly illuminated the dim interior.
Her tools and equipment were all of high quality.
The most prominent among them was likely Alette-san's two-handed greatsword. There was no doubt it was a masterwork.
The Fifth Generation spoke.
『Rather than adventurers, they really seem like a knight order. Who on earth are these people? Why are they acting as adventurers?』
What I knew was that they were members of some knight order. Furthermore, they were acting as adventurers to train the next generation of combatants, and as long as their expenses were covered, they didn't care much about the rewards.
Miranda explained the situation to Alette-san.
"An adventurer named Albano said that Alette-san would know the answer. He mentioned that he didn't want us to interfere with their work."
Alette-san nodded upon hearing this.
"I thought I'd talk to you tomorrow. I see, Albano... he must have learned his lesson from his fight with Crate. Sometimes a bitter pill is good medicine."
Her way of speaking was somewhat rough, but she gave a kind impression.
Alette-san explained the situation to us.
"We are adventurers, but we are knights when we return to our country. It's a bit strange to call it warrior training, but we've come to Beim to gain experience. Well, it's something of a tradition. We can train in real combat situations, and we earn our own living."
She said it like a joke, but the Fourth Generation within the orb reacted.
『That's nice~, that's really nice~』
After talking about themselves, Alette-san proceeded to explain about Albano and his group.
"There are various reasons, but I think I have a good relationship with Albano and the others. In fact, they are reliable for scouting, search, and the removal and installation of traps. It's not that we can't do it, but we've decided to leave it to them."
It seemed that what Albano and the others said about having permission was true.
Miranda looked slightly dissatisfied.
"In other words, they go ahead, and we're told not to interfere? So the best parts are stolen from us."
Alette-san gave a wry smile.
"Please don't say that. Besides, I want to clear up to the fifth basement floor quickly and deploy the parties that joined temporarily. After that, they can do whatever they like at their own risk."
Hearing this, Miranda narrowed her eyes.
"...Parties without permission in the labyrinth?"
Alette-san continued to smile even as Miranda glared at her. If it weren't for that disappointing image from earlier, I surely would have thought she was a reliable person.
I wanted to think that.
"Only up to the fifth basement floor. Since they've gone through the trouble of guarding us, they'll be dissatisfied if they can't earn anything. Besides, the fact that they are here means they are adventurers we have indirectly recognized. There's less chance of them making clumsy mistakes and dragging us down."
She didn't say there was absolutely no chance.
"So, basically, we just need to follow after Albano-san and the others?"
Alette-san shook her head.
"I heard they've cleared up to the third basement floor. I say 'I heard' because it hasn't been determined yet whether the boss is the type to respawn or if it's a labyrinth where they never appear again. I'm having Albano and the others investigate that. It's quite dangerous work. I don't think it's unfair that they get the best rewards."
She was telling us that while moving forward is fine, it is dangerous. Alette-san likely recognizes the strength of Albano and the others who dive into such dangerous places.
For me, who is participating for the first time and is in a position to learn the ways of Beim, there is no point in arguing here.
I replied with a smile.
"I understand. I'll avoid doing anything that interferes or becomes a nuisance as much as possible. Well, since I'm a newcomer, there are many things I want to be taught, so I'll follow along."
Alette-san smiled and praised me.
"You should cherish that attitude. Being too serious can also be a problem. Well, as for the ones with strong personalities, I'd say Albano, Crate, and maybe Marina?"
Alette-san listed three names.
(I've heard those names before. By the way, are they the ones with strong personalities? More so than Alette-san?)
Miranda sought information to get to know the three of them.
"Are those three dangerous? If possible, I'd like some information about them."
Alette-san replied with a smile—
"Unfortunately, I can't give out information on fellow adventurers, especially acquaintances. Well, they're just eccentric; they're rarely dangerous. You should find out for yourselves."
(...Because she's usually so composed, that disappointment after growing up really stands out. If I hadn't seen that, she would have looked much cooler...)
Feeling a bit disappointed, I ended the conversation.
The next day, I headed to the place where the troupe of entertainers was staying early in the morning.
I came with Miranda...
"Don't be fooled, Lyell-kun! That man is absolutely outrageous!"
Crate Benini, who had his black hair neatly slicked back and was well-dressed, was pointing at Albano, who was facing me.
We were simply discussing the agreement not to interfere with each other's work.
Albano also had a look of disgust on his face.
The party led by the earnest Crate-san was the polar opposite of the party led by Albano-san.
Their equipment consisted of metal breastplates, gauntlets, and greaves. In addition to spears and swords, they carried axes and maces.
Albano-san was wearing a robe, but underneath it was leather armor. I wondered if he had more tools than weapons. That's what his equipment suggested.
"Crate, give it a rest. I'm talking about work. The Big Sister told me to clear up to the fifth basement floor as quickly as possible!"
Crate-san looked frustrated at the exasperated Albano-san.
"That person really... despite being a fine knight, to not follow the guild rules..."
Miranda whispered to me.
"Hey, it seems he admires knights."
The Sixth Generation sounded a bit exasperated.
『Ah~, there are always people like that. Sometimes, they're so earnest that it's exhausting to deal with them. It's not a bad thing, but the world doesn't turn on that alone.』
As expected, he must be a troublesome person.
I asked.
"...No, what do you want me to do?"
Around us, adventurers were walking through the town wearing their armor, as they were to begin challenging the labyrinth in earnest starting today.
The troupe of entertainers looked at us with excited expressions.
(These guys are just like Eva. She wasn't the only one.)
While I was having those thoughts, Crate-san gave me a warning.
"Listen, Lyell-kun! Those people are former thieves! Moreover, they're the type for whom breaking rules is second nature. Be careful inside the labyrinth."
With that, Crate-san walked away, leading his party.
As for Albano-san.
"Tch, meeting that suffocating guy first thing in the morning. I was getting hyped up talking to a beauty... let's go, you lot."
"Yessir."
"Still, that bastard Crate is still holding a grudge."
"Hahaha, maybe we should set some monsters on him from behind next time."
Unlike Albano-san, his companions' mouths were even foulers.
Albano-san lowered his voice slightly.
"...Let's just get going. If you want money to play around with, the best way is to finish the job as quickly as possible."
He seemed aloof, but as the leader of such an eccentric group, he had an air of intimidation.
(I'm a little envious.)
I decided to return to the porters with Miranda.
"Shall we go too? Today is just about getting a feel for the place."
Miranda, walking beside me, asked.
"That leaves only the solo Marina-san. What kind of person do you think she is?"
When asked, I just shook my head.
"Who knows?"
I could only pray that she wasn't an even more eccentric person.
When I returned to the porters, Eva, who had learned about the commotion, looked frustrated.
"Why! Why didn't you take me along! How frustrating... it might have been an interesting spectacle!"
Eva, who was staying behind today, was tossing her hair and looked truly regretful.
"No, it's not like there was a fight or anything."
When I made an excuse, she glared at me.
"Everything starts with a trigger! These small accumulations are what eventually create meaning! Ah~, how frustrating. I want to sing a song to relieve my stress~"
Eva, glancing at me repeatedly, seemed to be asking me to somehow negotiate for her to sing.
While I was talking to Eva, Novem cleared her throat.
"Eva-san."
Given a smile, Eva reluctantly backed down.
"Ugh, fine."
On the first day, I intended to check the situation with a group of four: myself, Clara, Aria, and Miranda.
I left Novem, Eva, Mei, Shannon, and Monica to guard the base.
Novem, giving me a smile, said.
"Then, Lyell-sama... please be careful."
"I'll do my best not to get hurt. Novem, please take care of the others."
With that, I led Aria and the others toward the labyrinth.