67 - Escort Target
Walking through a narrow alley, I check my notes.
"Is it here?"
Though it should have been bright, the buildings blocked the sunlight, making it feel dim.
The note I received from Ralph-san had the name [Marcus Canning] written on it.
He is a man who was taken a liking to by the third daughter of House Sarcly, and they plotted to make him their son-in-law.
Of course, that plot was based on a flawed premise.
"To think that trying to raise one's official rank through achievement was actually just personnel adjustment... It certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouth."
The "dispatch to Gioni Village," which assumed a certain amount of casualties from the start, was intended to reduce the number of low-ranking nobles who tried to seize a small chance upon hearing it was for volunteers.
Even if they are called nobles, those known as Court Knights in particular struggle to make a living.
Those without a peerage receive only a pension sufficient for their families to live modestly.
It would be different if they worked, but the current situation in Central, the royal capital, was that they were fighting over those very jobs.
I could hear complaints coming from inside the Jewel Orb.
It was the Second Generation.
"So they send people out, let them fail, and then send the real favorites to solve it safely, huh? I bet they'll pump up the ones who performed well afterward, too."
I looked around and confirmed that no one was there.
I opened my mouth.
"Doesn't that mean there are various problems with the ones who fail...?"
The one who answered was the Sixth Generation.
"There are plenty. Factional strife, fighting over positions... he probably got caught up in that."
The truth was likely that there were too many nobles.
They say it's also a problem that no major wars have occurred in the last few decades.
The Seventh Generation spoke.
"Vanseim has grown too large. However, Riel... even in such a great nation, there is a limit to the population it can support. It is the same for the nobility. There is a limit to how many they can sustain."
There may be a limit, but if someone achieves something, they must be promoted to a knight or given a reward.
The Second Generation spoke.
"Let them pioneer! What's with those slums... with that many people, one or two villages would be finished in no time!"
On my way here, I had the opportunity to see the slums of the royal capital.
They were overflowing with people, and there were even beggars in the streets.
The Fourth Generation spoke.
"Beasts, bandits, and monsters... there is a high possibility that small villages would be destroyed quickly. Those who invest would hesitate."
If magic is used, a village can certainly be built quickly, but maintaining it is difficult.
Keeping a magic-user in that village permanently also costs money.
Magic-users capable of village development are those skilled in earth or water attributes.
They use that to build the foundation of a village, but—
(As seen this time, it's destroyed as soon as troublesome monsters appear.)
For that reason, knight orders are dispatched, and adventurers and mercenaries can earn a living.
I let out a sigh, confirmed the number and nameplate on the door, and knocked.
"Coming~"
The one who opened the door with a drawling voice was a delinquent-looking youth with spiky, short orange hair.
He didn't look serious.
He looked at me with drooping eyes, seemingly waiting for my business.
A youth who was tall, had handsome features, and looked slightly like a delinquent—.
"Are you Marcus-san?"
The other man scratched his head.
"Yeah, who's asking? What do you want with me? Or rather, why are you here?"
Looking at my clothes, he probably thought I was a rich kid.
He seemed to be mindful of his wording.
Since I cannot dress casually at House Sarcly, where I am in their care, I had visited his apartment wearing relatively nice clothes.
"I'm an adventurer. Well, I've come on a request from House Sarcly."
When I said that, Marcus-san spoke.
"...What? If it's about the volunteers, I'm not interested. I want to raise my official rank even a little, or get a steady job. That old man probably doesn't understand the feelings of those at the bottom."
The "old man" was likely Ralph-san.
The Third Generation said something unrelated.
"...Sheltered daughters, young ladies... there's just something about falling in love with someone who looks like a delinquent, isn't there?"
Official rank—for Court Knights, a single difference in rank significantly changes their pension.
The pension provided every year is a precious source of income for them.
The Fourth Generation spoke.
"He at least has the motivation to try and work."
The Fifth Generation agreed.
"From our perspective, I think he should just do things other than jobs from the royal palace without worrying about face."
Not knowing the details of those circumstances, I said to Marcus-san.
"I accepted the request regarding the volunteers, but I'm mainly in the position of being your subordinate."
"Subordinate? What do you mean?"
As Marcus-san bit, I handed him a letter.
It was a letter from Ralph-san.
In it, it was written that he had requested me, an adventurer.
Marcus-san's face broke into a smile.
"The Viscount really did it! With this, I'm no longer participating individually, which means I can stand out too!"
Seeing the happy Marcus-san, I gave a wry smile to brush it off.
I didn't quite understand, but if there weren't enough people, couldn't he just hire some?
I thought there were various ways, such as reaching out to acquaintances.
Then, the Seventh Generation spoke.
"Hmm, this request from that rat bastard might actually be beneficial for Riel as well."
The Fifth Generation agreed.
"The haves and the have-nots, eh? Well, it might be slightly different in this case. Certainly, it's something the current Riel needs."
While I was wondering if there was something I lacked, my shoulder was slapped repeatedly.
"What, is it a seven-person party? If it's on a squad scale, I welcome it!"
The letter also mentioned me, and I had met him today as a greeting.
Departure was in five days, so things were busy with preparations.
"Um, that hurts."
"Oops, my bad. So, did you come to say hello today?"
"No, I thought I'd ask about tomorrow's schedule. You'll be asked to come to the House Sarcly estate with your equipment. We need to confirm various things there."
Marcus-san's expression became subtle.
"To the estate? In that case, that bastard Bread will be there too..."
The [Bread Bumper] Marcus-san mentioned worked at House Sarcly as a servant, or rather, as manual labor.
His father had held a one-generation official rank as a Court Knight, but since he couldn't inherit it and was the third son, he worked as a servant.
I asked him.
"Do you dislike him?"
Marcus-san nodded.
"He, like, picks on me, or maybe it's jealousy? Since I'm a hereditary noble, he probably has various thoughts about it."
I had met Bread-san as well, but we hadn't talked much at that time.
(...I feel like there's no need to be so obsessed with being a noble.)
Marcus-san spoke.
"Does that mean... that bastard Bread is participating too?"
I nodded.
"Yes, that's what I've heard. So, I thought we should have a meeting."
In reality, if I didn't grasp various things now, this expedition would be very bad.
If I wanted to ensure the safety of those two even slightly, I needed to complete the preparations.
"Got it. I'm not in a position to complain. So, your name is..."
"I'm Riel."
I didn't give my family name.
"I see, nice to meet you."
He looked like a delinquent, but I thought he was a relatively friendly person.
—House Sarcly Estate.
Miranda was walking down the hallway, but she was in a bad mood.
"That damn father..."
The cause was Miranda's father.
She was irritated that he had done something to test Riel.
Shannon, walking beside her, looked exhausted.
"Why do I even have to participate in the expedition? I want to relax at my parents' house."
Miranda spoke.
"Then I'll leave just you behind, so you can be nagged with sarcastic remarks by those two. They might even lay a hand on you now."
Miranda spoke threateningly, but she knew the possibility wasn't low.
She understood that her younger sisters did not welcome them back to their family home.
"I hate both. I wanted to live more elegantly."
Miranda let out a sigh and looked at the window in the hallway.
There, Doris was talking to a tall, black-haired youth.
The serious-looking youth was [Bread Bumper].
Bread, who had come to the estate passing them, was a third son who wasn't a noble.
He could read, write, and calculate, and had skill with the sword, so he worked as a live-in servant at the estate.
"What's wrong? Ah, Sister Doris. It's rare for her to come out of her room."
Miranda agreed as Shannon laughed mockingly. She agreed, but—.
(You didn't come out of your room much either.)
"True. It's a good trend."
Then, as the two parted, Shannon saw it and spoke.
"...That man, he's trying to use Sister Doris for something. It's like there's no heart in it. He doesn't look like a lover."
Miranda felt it too.
Perhaps noticing the gaze of the two watching from the window, Bread gave a smile, bowed lightly, and left the area.
He was tall and not bad-looking.
However, Miranda had also noticed.
"He has a face full of ambition. I wonder if he approached Doris to become a noble."
Shannon spoke.
"He seems capable to some extent, but his skill is lower than Riel's... isn't it impossible for him to achieve any merit?"
Miranda let out a sigh.
"Don't compare him to Riel. They're on different dimensions."
Mastering both sword and magic, and using multiple skills simultaneously, Riel had reached the entrance of the mid-tier class as an adventurer in less than a year.
The difference in talent was too great.
She wondered why House Walt would kick out such a Riel, but the moment she considered that Celes was there, it made sense.
(Honestly... knowing that, he still does things to test him.)
Miranda had later been told that Ralph had made this request knowing about Riel.
Ralph wanted to confirm how Riel would move.
And also how he would achieve this request.
It seemed he had indeed investigated thoroughly and knew that Riel was an excellent adventurer.
Irritated, Miranda had been in a bad mood since morning because of that.
(There's no such thing as absolute in this world. And yet, to give such a dangerous request.)
There were things she wanted to say, but since she didn't have time, Miranda decided to hurry with the preparations—.
—Monica was modifying a Porter in the backyard of the estate.
Clara was watching her.
Clara couldn't fit into the atmosphere of the estate, so she was talking with Monica in the backyard.
"Will you use the Porter outside? It won't go very fast."
To Clara's question, Monica spoke.
"Do you suggest that the crystallization of love between that chicken coward and me is inferior to some random horse carriage? Since not everyone can ride a horse anyway, a Porter is safe since it's on foot. You can pack luggage, and above all, this armor!"
Monica, tapping the Porter with her fist, spoke.
"There is no need to fear the fangs or claws of monsters! Moreover, it won't shake even on bad roads!"
Seeing Monica boast about the Porter, Clara also clapped.
"Indeed, if there's a lot of movement on foot, the Porter will be very active. Linked carriages can't be used if the roads aren't maintained."
Monica nodded upon hearing Clara's words, but tilted her head.
"More importantly, Clara-san, there's something I don't understand."
"What is it?"
"If a village is being attacked, shouldn't knights or soldiers be sent in first? It seems they're being quite leisurely. There must be casualties, right?"
Monica wondered why people weren't sent to the site first, even though casualties were occurring while they were doing this.
Clara took off her glasses and prefaced with "I don't know the details."
"...Since it's a small village, I believe the priority is low. I hate saying it this way, but losing it might not be a blow to the royal capital."
Hearing that, Monica spoke.
"It seems to be a world that's harsh on the weak."
Monica, starting the modification of the Porter, hurriedly began her work as she needed to finish it within about four days.
Since she couldn't work at night, she needed to proceed according to plan within the limited time.
Because complaints would come.
When Clara muttered "Ah," Monica stopped her hands.
"Something wrong?"
The one who walked over with long strides, her straight long green hair swaying, was Lucy.
She had a servant of the estate with her.
" 'Something wrong?' my foot! Whose estate are you making a racket in? It's noisy as hell with all this screeching and buzzing!"
As Clara, who had been sitting, stood up, Lucy saw it and spoke.
"I wondered who this person with a maid was, and it's someone from the kicked-out House Walt, and she's even brought an adventurer... it's fitting for that guy."
Monica spoke.
"Is that so. That's good then. However, I have already received permission for this work from the head of the house, Ralph-sama. As for whose estate this is, I believe it belongs to Ralph-sama? ...So, what did you come to say?"
Clara frantically tried to stop Monica, but basically, Monica is Riel's maid-type automaton.
Now, the country is lost, and the manufacturer is gone.
In other words, she herself is the rule.
"I'm telling you it's noisy!"
She snorted at Lucy's words.
"And so? I've been saying that for a while. I have permission, and above all, this is for the sake of your lover, Marcus-san, was it? I would appreciate it if you didn't get in the way."
Saying that she wouldn't finish the work in time, Monica resumed her work just like that.
When Marcus's name was brought up, Lucy left the area, taking the servant with her.
Clara spoke.
"Is that okay? She's a daughter of House Sarcly."
Snorting, Monica said to Clara.
"Who do you think put us in this situation? I'd like her to be a bit quieter. It's nothing but a nuisance if she even interferes."
Clara, sitting back down, said to Monica.
"I've thought this for a while, but Monica-san, your attitude is cold to everyone except Riel-san."
Told this, Monica spoke as if it were natural.
"Eh, is there a problem?"
"...No, it's nothing."
As Clara began to read a book, Monica continued her work—.