kscans

Chapter 135 - Old Friend and an Acquaintance

A week had passed since then.

I had been living the life of a hunter with nothing out of the ordinary happening.

There was something I was curious about, so I used the transfer circle to return to the Kingdom. I wanted to confirm if what the princess had declared was being put into practice.

The Guild Master came down to meet me and said he had something to discuss, so we headed to his room.

"I've heard the story from Princess Olivia. Through letters, of course. The contents of Shinsuke's previous report have become a reality. The king has also given his approval, according to a message from the prince. With this, the spy work assigned to you two is over. Thank you for your hard work until now. Now, I'd like to ask... about the various incidents written in your reports. How did you get involved in them?"

To this question, I replied, "How, you ask? All I can say is that I was just there."

It was a difficult question to answer.

In both the Church and the Republic, the incidents occurred shortly after we arrived. That was the only way I could explain it.

"Well, I suppose so," the Guild Master said, his face looking somewhat resigned. "Sorry. Forget I asked."

After that, we made some trivial reports and left the guild.

From there, we went to the house where Bardos and Leona lived to check on Leona's condition.

When we arrived, Leona greeted us at the door.

"It's been a while, Tina, Shinsuke. Come on in."

She was cradling her stomach protectively.

We stopped Leona as she was about to make tea. We didn't plan on staying long; we had just come to see how she was doing. We didn't want to be a burden.

When we took our seats, Tina remarked, "You're quite the mother now. Have you softened up?"

"That makes it sound like I was all sharp edges before," Leona replied with a sigh. "I've always been like this. If anyone's softened up, it's Bardos. He only takes on simple jobs, and he comes home early to take care of me. He's a different person from before. There's even a rumor among some of the adventurers that I've tamed him."

Well, that made sense. That battle maniac had settled down and changed dramatically. Anyone would think so.

"Well, isn't that a good thing?" Tina said with a smile. "It seems you two are getting along well as a married couple."

"You two seem to be doing quite well yourselves," Leona said. "Bardos heard from the Guild Master. A pretty intense battle in the Empire, was it?"

It seemed she knew quite a lot.

After that, I briefly explained what had happened in the Empire. When I finished speaking, Leona looked a little tired, so we took our leave. Any longer would be bad for the mother-to-be.

We then peeked into the 'Yuri' shop, which had a 'Preparing' sign on it.

Inside, Rumily and Milfy were flirting. Just as they were about to kiss, Matilda appeared from the back of the shop and started arguing with them. If we showed our faces, we would ruin the mood.

We decided to leave and returned to the Empire.


Late at night.

We had just finished dinner, and Tina was wearing her green armor, so I was about to suggest we get started when I sensed a presence outside. I activated Detection. A single blue dot. It didn't seem to be an enemy, but I couldn't let my guard down.

Tina and I attached our swords to our waists and waited quietly. Then, someone entered through the window—a suspicious figure wearing a black, hooded cloak.

Just as we were about to take a combat stance, the figure said, "Wait. It's me."

It was Altorine who removed the hood.

"Altorine?" I asked. "What are you doing here so late at night?"

I was sure the diplomatic mission had returned quite a while ago.

"Actually, I have something to discuss with you both," Altorine said, looking around cautiously. "Not here. A place with no windows or doors."

We went into the storeroom in the back. It's where we kept materials and food. There were no windows of any kind. We sat down on the floor.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Tina asked. "Something so secret it had to be discussed here? Is it something dangerous?"

I felt the same.

"Actually, there are unsettling movements within the Church's upper echelons," Altorine said, her expression serious. "It's unclear whether it's the Pope or an Archbishop, but they seem to be conducting some suspicious research."

This was more serious than I had imagined. It involved the state.

"May I ask something?" I said. "Why are you telling this to hunter-adventurers like us? Shouldn't you be telling people you trust?"

It was a natural question. It was strange to ask another country for help when your own was in danger.

"Of course, if we knights could solve this, we would," Altorine replied, her face pained. "But if the Pope is involved, the knight order and I can do nothing. In the Church, the Pope is absolute, and defying him is not permitted. Criminals who start riots like before are a different story, but basically, we are not allowed to obstruct the Pope's will."

A dictator, in other words. That would certainly make things difficult.

Even if they did something illegal or against the laws of the country, a single word from the top would make it all go away. The actions of the powerful are the same no matter the world.

"That makes it even more of a reason not to," I said, my words harsh. "You can't just tell another country about this. At worst, it will only damage your own position. You'll be branded a traitor."

For a knight as earnest as Altorine, being called a 'traitor' would be a considerable shock.

"I am speaking to you fully aware of that," Altorine said. "However, I cannot stand by and watch when the future of the Church may be shrouded in darkness. I have come to you because, of all the people I have met, I am convinced that you are strong and trustworthy."

After a brief pause, Altorine stood up.

"Please, I beg of you. Lend me your aid."

She bowed her head.

Honestly, I didn't want to get involved. My goal was to get stronger while working as a hunter. If there was a troublesome monster, that would be one thing, but disputes between humans were outside my expertise. If it were a nominated request as an adventurer, it would be difficult to refuse, but this was not.

This was a personal request. A request I could refuse.

I looked at Tina. In her serious gaze, there was a hint of anxiety. Knowing Tina's personality, she couldn't overlook this, but it was a dangerous action that would touch upon the dark side of a nation. If we were caught, we would be arrested immediately.

Given our position of being able to maintain our A-rank status in both the Kingdom and the Empire, this was not something we should be doing.

But an acquaintance had told us about her country's scandal and had bowed her head to ask for our cooperation. If I refused here, I felt like I would lose something important as a person.

"If what you say is true," I said, accepting, "I will cooperate as much as I can."

Tina looked slightly relieved, but her expression immediately turned serious.

"Are you sure about this? This isn't an official request. In a way, we are about to assist in a crime, you know?"

She spoke with concern.

She was right. If our opponent was the head of the Church, a single word from him would decide who the villains were.

"If it's true, that is," I said, seeking confirmation. "From what I've heard, the nature of this 'suspicious research' is not yet clear. If it turns out to be research for the good of the people, we will simply withdraw. It won't be too late to act after we find out. Is that correct?"

"Of course," Altorine replied. "First, I will conduct an internal investigation. If it turns out to be malicious, then I would like to ask for your cooperation again. That cooperation would likely involve fighting alongside me, but depending on the situation, it might change to gathering evidence."

"That's fine with me," I said. "Tina, are you okay with that?"

Tina nodded.

Altorine seemed to have calmed down.

"Then I will return to the Church immediately. I would like you two to depart tomorrow morning. You should arrive at the Church in three days. I will be on a fast horse, so I should be back in one or two days. Well then."

As she was about to leave in a hurry, Altorine turned back.

"By the way, Tina-san, what's with that armor?"

She had asked a rather difficult question.

Tina panicked for a moment but replied, "Th-this is... a prototype. It would be a problem if my usual armor broke, so I was working on a spare with Shinsuke's advice."

It was a good excuse.

Altorine seemed convinced, murmuring, "I see," before leaving the house.


In the city of the Church.

The golden-haired Archbishop was walking with a tired expression. The day the Pope had returned.

He had been extremely irritable.

"Is that new drug not ready yet?!" he had roared.

The development was only about halfway through. From there, progress had stalled due to a lack of materials and data.

The Pope had drummed his fingers on the desk.

"I don't want to hear such excuses! Just finish it already!"

He was filled with rage.

He had heard from the guards what had happened in the Empire and understood the reason for his bad mood, but that didn't mean he should be a punching bag. But if he said such a thing, he could easily imagine what kind of reprimand he would receive.

As he was walking with these thoughts, a voice called out, "Pardon me, sir."

An old man in a hood running a street stall was speaking to him.

He seemed to be selling some kind of medicine. The Archbishop was about to ignore him. There was no value in trusting a medicine from a street stall like this.

As he was about to walk away, the old man said, "Are you perhaps troubled by the Pope's medicine?"

At those words, he turned back.

Seeing the Archbishop's surprised face, the old man continued, "I deal in medicines that cannot be spoken of in public. I would be happy to offer my consultation."

For some reason, the Archbishop felt a desire to listen to these words.

The old man's red eyes gleamed as they talked.