225 - Raiel's Party on Board
――As Raiel and his companions departed for Cartaphus, Novem and the others completely vacated the mansion and headed toward the base where the labyrinth subjugation was taking place.
The porter carried Novem, Monica, Eva, and their guest, Clara.
Miranda and the others were proceeding with preparations at the base, and the Valkyries were fully mobilized to develop the surrounding area.
Raiel had known from his information that the merchants of Beim and the Adventurers' Guild would start moving the moment he headed for Cartaphus.
Novem directed a smile toward Inis, Rauno's partner, who was riding in the porter's cargo bed and was small in stature due to being a gnome.
"I'm sorry for making you come along, Inis-san."
Inis shook her head, clutching her travel luggage. The bag, which was of ordinary size, looked very large in Inis's arms.
"It's okay. Rauno-san told me to do so. And..."
"And?"
When Novem tilted her head, Inis said, "It's nothing," and brushed it off with a vague smile. Seeing this, Novem felt a sense of caution, wondering if there was some ulterior motive behind Rauno and Inis's cooperation with Raiel.
However, she couldn't understand the logic of keeping Inis at their dangerous base like a hostage, and there was no sign of information being leaked through any kind of skill.
Though cautious, Novem felt that given the accuracy of the information Rauno had gathered, they might be cooperating in earnest.
Still, she did not let her guard down.
"I imagine there will be some inconveniences over there, but please let me know if you need anything. I'll do what I can to accommodate you."
Inis nodded at Novem's words.
As light streamed in through the window of the porter, Novem looked outside and worried about Raiel.
(I wonder if Raiel-sama is doing well right now?)
It concerned her that there was no one by his side to look after him, but this time, his opponent was an adventurer with skills highly effective against a woman named Larc. Since Raiel had said that if there was a possibility of being charmed, he wanted to eliminate that risk regardless of the guild's intentions, Novem was following his judgment.
(It would have been better if I could have placed at least one person by his side.)
It wouldn't have mattered if it were someone other than herself. The strongest candidate was Monica, but Monica had the job of overseeing the Valkyries.
Miranda and Eva were the next choices, but they also had too much work at the base to be sent to Raiel's side.
There were concerns about the Valkyries' ability to care for him, and having Shannon, Mei, or Aria by his side would have been more of a nuisance.
Since she wanted Clara to stay and handle her work, Raiel's judgment was not wrong, even from Novem's perspective. It wasn't wrong, but it was still a fact that she felt anxious.
(Even if Professor Damian's automaton is there, Raiel-sama's priority is low for them. I don't think anything problematic will happen, but...)
Eva, seeing Novem's worried expression, spoke up.
"Are you worried about Raiel? It's okay. He's surprisingly reliable."
At Eva's attempt to comfort her, Novem replied.
"You're right. Raiel-sama has become more dependable lately, so he should be fine."
She smiled as she said this. Compared to when the two of them first started their journey, the current Raiel had grown sufficiently.
Novem decided to believe that――.
――Around the time Novem and the others had started moving.
In a small conference room not usually used at the Beim Guild headquarters, several executives from various branches were gathered around a table, discussing matters.
The executive from the South Branch spoke.
"It seems they've started moving. They've already headed for Cartaphus using a ship from the Trace family. A Sweeper confirmed it, so there's no mistake. There seems to be some movement in a labyrinth that went unreported, and I believe now is the time to strike."
A Sweeper is a cleaner. This refers to specialized former adventurers known as cleaners, or professional Sweepers raised by the guild.
Tanya, standing behind the executive from the East Branch, was also a Sweeper. Behind each executive stood the respective guild's Sweeper.
The South Branch executive was eager to carry out the attack on Raiel's party. The North Branch, which specialized in the sea, didn't seem very interested. In fact, they seemed displeased because they had to lend personnel.
"Is this really necessary? From what I hear, isn't he an adventurer whose drive is far more outstanding than his actual skill? Why involve us in this?"
To the dissatisfied North Branch executive, the South Branch executive replied with a slightly thorny tone.
"...Are you saying that those of you in the North Branch, who will profit from the usage rights of the ports in Galleria and Lusworth if this attack succeeds, have nothing to do with this? Why don't you go tell the merchants that?"
The North Branch executive fell silent. There was a secret agreement with Gina of the Trace family, stating that if Roland were recognized as the head of the house, the usage rights for the two ports would be waived. The North Branch was involved in that discussion, so it was not someone else's problem.
However, since they employed adventurers specializing in sea escorts and monster extermination, they were passive regarding land-based issues.
The West Branch executive was also displeased, as they were required to send a large number of personnel from their branch. He glared at the South Branch executive.
"We're putting out two first-class adventurer parties. And several mid-tier ones, too. Yet, aren't the South and East branches providing too few? The South Branch only has one mercenary group."
In the South Branch, information had spread that wars would drastically decrease, and many mercenary groups had already begun moving to change their home guild.
Because of this, only one mercenary group could be assigned to the attack. Since they also had to handle requests and other processing, pulling any more would become a matter of guild credibility.
"In terms of scale, it's a mercenary group with a hundred combat-capable personnel. It's not a problem. In terms of numbers, aren't we the most?"
The West Branch executive slammed his fist onto the table.
"Don't mess with me! They aren't just some random rabble! The condition for a first-class party is breaking through the sixtieth basement floor. How many parties do you think can do that? Even mid-tier parties are precious. Their value is completely different from parties that die in a few days or second-rate parties, different!"
The West Branch executive was indignant that precious combat assets were being equated with mercenaries.
Hearing this, the East Branch executive stepped in to soothe the situation.
"Well, this is the headquarters' decision. I am truly sorry that the East Branch's adventurers are causing such a nuisance. I apologize."
As the East Branch executive apologized, the tension in the room dissipated, and the discussion resumed――.
――Tanya returned to the East Branch guild and questioned her superior, an executive.
There were only two people in the room, and the smell of the coffee her superior was drinking filled the air.
"...I don't understand. What is the guild headquarters thinking? If they assassinate Raiel, who worked so hard to form the Four-Nation Alliance, it should be a disadvantage for Beim as well."
While drinking his coffee, her superior answered. His demeanor was unchanged, speaking as if he were admonishing Tanya.
"I don't have the authority to overturn the decision. This is the result of the thinking of the guild's superiors, and the merchants above them. Well, if the key figure of the Four-Nation Alliance dies, the talk of the alliance might just fade away. Even if they suspect Beim, there's no country in this area that can survive without Beim."
That was how enormous the city of Beim was. They had enough confidence that even if the Four-Nation Alliance were formed, they wouldn't lose even if a war broke out.
Not just in numbers, but the quality of their equipment was incomparable to that of the Four-Nation Alliance. Besides, how many years would it take for a newly formed alliance to gain power? Would there even be a country that wouldn't withdraw in the meantime? There were various unstable elements in the Four-Nation Alliance.
"Tanya, having feelings isn't a bad thing, but it's a problem in your line of work. Though, as a receptionist, it's fine to have some to a certain extent."
Remembering her job, Tanya tightened her resolve. Her superior spoke of Beim's movements.
"Beim held immense power in this area. If they felt like it, they could destroy entire countries, and they've actually done it. That's probably why the higher-ups think they can handle the Four-Nation Alliance or Banseim."
Tanya decided to ask for her superior's opinion.
"What is your own opinion?"
Then, her superior said with a laugh.
"I think one should avoid fighting that kind of person and instead maintain a friendly distance. However, his growth rate since arriving in Beim has been phenomenal. Caution is necessary, isn't it? It was my mistake. I should have been cautious from the start. He's decisively different from other adventurers. It's as if... he's moving with a purpose. Perhaps the current situation in Beim is also right in the palm of his hand."
Hearing that, Tanya tilted her head.
"Then wouldn't he have been able to do it more skillfully?"
Tanya, who had interacted with him when she was a receptionist, thought that if it were Raiel, he could have done it better. At the same time, since there were occasional inconsistencies in his behavior, she thought he might have made a mistake in judgment due to his youth.
If he had moved more cautiously, it wouldn't have come to this. As she thought this, her superior looked up at the ceiling.
"Hmm... I thought he had been discarded, but perhaps he was the one who did the discarding."
He muttered that meaningfully――.
On the ship heading for Cartaphus, we were absorbed in conversation under the moonlight――and the light of lanterns.
There was no end to the topics of conversation, from the experiences of general adventurers like Erhart, whom we rarely had the chance to interact with, to Maxim-san's knowledge of the knight affairs in Banseim, and even Damian's passionate feelings toward breasts...
And now, it was my turn.
"You see, for Eva, her style and showing skin are for business. That's why she's serious about maintaining her figure. I think that side of her is amazing, but conversely, she's fine even if you accidentally peek at her naked. It's like, 'I'm wearing underwear, so it's okay.' Clara is also not bothered by that kind of modesty, so even if I warn her that she's defenseless, her reaction is just 'And?' Living together, there are few heart-pounding moments. Conversely, when the guarded Novem or Miranda occasionally show a gap in their defenses after a bath, that's when it really hits."
Hearing this, Erhart and the others nodded.
"Now that you mention it, the adventurers I used to work with were like that. I was excited on the first day because they were walking around half-naked, but as I got used to it, I started thinking they should probably wear a jacket."
I laughed.
"Then you should stop wearing just a tank top as your inner layer."
Erhart was told this, but he shook his head. Erhart always wore a tank top, and in winter, he just threw a jacket over it. Yet, he wore metal armor on his lower body. Even now, he had metal armor around his waist, knees, and shins.
"No way. This is where I feel most relaxed!"
However, the companions around them looked at Erhart and spoke hesitantly.
"No, since we're on the subject... Erhart, in winter you wear a jacket, but you take it off when a fight starts, right?"
"What about it?"
"It's cold just watching you, and seeing you get wounded makes me feel the pain too. I want you to stop that. Please armor up your upper body more. It's scary to watch."
"Y-you guys! Listen, this is the style I think looks the coolest! Once I become famous, everyone will eventually dress like me!"
Hearing this, Maxim-san brought up the previous topic.
"No, it's better to just prepare proper armor. In fact, right now you're the same as a half-naked female adventurer."
Erhart stood up, saying he couldn't agree with that opinion.
"Why! Look, I'm wearing a tank top!"
Damian, surrounded by automatons who were pouring tea into his cup, spoke up.
"A single piece of cloth like that is no different from having nothing."
While having such stupid conversations, we spent our time happily.
From within the orb, the Third's voice spoke.
『Well, boys of this age are just like this. It's a time when even trivial things are fun.』
The Fifth spoke after a short pause.
『...I suppose so.』
That's what he said. However, he didn't seem entirely convinced, or rather, it felt like he was hiding something. It bothered me, but since I couldn't ask right now, I decided to leave it alone.
The Seventh spoke as if remembering something.
『In my time, even these kinds of conversations were difficult.』
Mireia-san seemed to be enjoying herself.
『Well, let's just pretend we didn't hear that this time. Raiel is enjoying himself, after all. Even so... Raiel should be a bit more perceptive. About what it means when Miranda and the others show a gap in their defenses.』
She said it meaningfully, but I continued to enjoy the conversation with Erhart and the others.
Erhart spoke up.
"By the way, what about that cute girl, Shannon?"
Thinking of Shannon, I shook my head.
"Not for me. Nothing that hits the spot. She seems fragile on the outside, but at the mansion, she's incredibly lazy and gets smacked by Miranda. More importantly, it's you, Erhart. I heard a rumor that you're on good terms with the staff member in charge of newcomers."
Erhart waved his left hand, flatly denying it.
"That's just a business smile or something. I'm done dreaming about guild staff. I just want a staff member I'm familiar with, but for some reason, I'm always assigned to that girl. Even if I'm in another line, she'll say, 'That way is open.' ...It's weird, right?"
"It is weird."
I thought he was talking about Marianne-san. I wondered whether I should tell him about Marianne-san's feelings or keep quiet.
Still... why does everyone assign Erhart to that staff member named Rieue? I don't think he's an adventurer who still needs to be treated as a newcomer.
Maxim-san also looked puzzled.
"Does that actually happen? Did you do something to be hated by the other staff?"
Erhart crossed his arms and looked down.
"...When I first came here, I certainly did a lot of stupid things, so that's a possibility. Damn it, I want to punch my past self!"
Erhart and the others grew depressed. Having become adventurers without knowing much, they probably realized how naive they had been.
Damian pushed up his glasses with his fingertip.
"If they're pushing you onto one person, there's a possibility that girl is being harassed. I had something similar happen to me in my student days, and I was told later that it was a kind of bullying or harassment."
Hearing that, I was surprised that the staff member named Rieue might be in such a situation.
"...Being a staff member is tough too. Erhart, be kind to her when we get back."
Erhart seemed to agree.
"Got it. I'll buy her something nice as a souvenir, even if it's a bit expensive. I see, so she was struggling too."
Regretting that we had seen the unpleasant side of the guild, we changed the subject.
Mireia-san spoke in an exasperated tone.
『...Not a single one of them understands.』
The Fifth asked, puzzled.
『Eh? What is it?』
As she said that, the inside of the orb fell silent. Did the Fifth not understand?
『W-what is it? Why are you all looking at me with those eyes!』
The Fifth was bewildered. I was also bewildered by the reaction inside the orb.