136 Episode 136 "Very Dangerous Remains and Reply from a Nobleman of Justice".txt

Welcome back, Nay-kun!　Ladies and gentlemen!

""I'm back!"

The next day.

We arrived safely in the port city of Ilgafa.

When we got home, Cecil, Rita and Cutlass were greeted by Aine in her maid's uniform.

As if she knew when the carriage would arrive, she opened the gate of the mansion and waited for us with a 'Hagane's Mop' in her hand.

Until we arrived at Irgapha, Iris and I had been sending each other messages through "Shared Consciousness (Mind Linkage) - Revised", so I guess she must have calculated the arrival time backwards from the contents of those messages. Aine and Iris seem to have that much time to spare.

By the way, Iris and Rafilia are in the Ilgafa lord's house.

They are planning to sneak out and join us at night.

''You're Cutlass-chan?''

Yes. It's nice to meet you, sir!

Cutlass bowed deeply to Aine, who was smiling calmly.

Maybe it's because they're going to be living together from now on, but she seems nervous. Besides, it's the first time Cutlass has met Aine.

...... Thank you, for being Nay-kun's slave (thing).

But Aine took Cutlass's hand and smiled gently.

'Aine has always wanted someone like Cutlass-chan. Someone with good defense and someone to protect Nah-kun by his side.

...... Huh?　What, huh?

Cutlass rolls his eyes at the overly warm welcome.

But in the vanguard, you have the most powerful Rita, don't you?

Yeah. Rita-san is very strong. She's very beautiful and she loves Nai-kun. She's stylish, kind and very reliable. The beastman's straightforward loyalty is dazzling, and I can tell that he is always looking after Nah-kun. Rita-san is Aine's pride and joy, she is her slave companion. If Rita-san is at Nana-kun's side, Aine will feel safe.

Aine speaks to Cutlass in a soothing tone.

By the way, Rita is turning bright red next to me. Cecil is nodding, though, "That's totally true.

But ...... Rita-san needs you to go take out the enemy .......

It was.

Rita's main method of fighting is to come forward and cross the enemy.

In the meantime, my defense will be stretched thin. Aine was worried about that .......

It's a good idea to have someone who specializes in defense as Nay-kun's bodyguard, Aine has always thought. It is a good idea to have someone who can help you. Thanks for being Nay-kun's companion ...... Cutlass-chan.

Aine couldn't stand it anymore and squeezed Cutlass in a hug.

''Aine, which is .......''

Cutlass is surprised that he can't keep up with the sudden turn of events.

But there were tears in his eyes.

Aine is definitely making Cutlass feel very welcome. Iris and Raphilia are probably the same.

'Is it okay ......?　I'll be here ...... as one of you, even if I'm in Arujido's house.

You know what you're talking about, right?

With a poke, I poked Cutlass in the forehead.

Come to think of it, Cutlass had been living her entire life hiding her identity until now. Because of her mother's desire to make her a knight, she couldn't even play with her friends her own age.

She has been freed from that wish and joined our party, but she's still very insecure about a lot of things.

I've allotted the rooms for Cutlass to stay, and I don't want him to leave," he said. They are my friends ...... and they are like family to me.

Oh, yeah, I know. ......

Cutlass wiped his tears away with his fist and then, with a clunk, he raised his shield.

"I, Cutlass-Mutran, will serve you with all my might as Arujidono's bodyguard. I promise to be Arujidoran's shield, and that I will be the first one to catch all attacks!

Don't do that, because that would put my stress levels at Mach.

And now, I am to be the gatekeeper of this house!

Yeah.

Aren't you satisfied with me?

I just got back. Let's take a break.

I wouldn't be happy about that, sir. Let me, the gatekeeper.

Thirty minutes at the gate, with a 60-minute break. And I'll see you inside the gate.

............ What kind of gatekeeper are you, sir?

If you don't like it, just say no.

Well, it can't be helped, sir. I don't feel like working, but I'm going to be the gatekeeper of this mansion.

Cutlass nods and stands upright and immobile inside the closed gate.

Yup. I'll keep you on duty for 15 minutes. I'm going to be tired.

'I'm really looking forward to it, Cutlass.

Thank you, Aine.

Cutlass laughed with an innocent look on his face.

'For accepting me as a half-breed and a bumbling knight.

No. No, it's not. Cutlass could be the trump card of the party when the need arises.

In case of emergency?

For example, if Rita had to take a day off.

Good night?　Oh, it's a time of sickness, isn't it?

Yeah, it's when I get heavy for ten months or so.

Oh, yes, that's true. Sickness can linger, you know.

I know. So when Rita-san is pregnant like that, I need you to protect Nay-kun, Cutlass.

All right, sir!

With a pop, Cutlass tapped his chest, which was covered by the 'Balluar Breastplate'.

Good.

As expected of the party's big sister. It looks like she did a good job of relieving Cutlass's tension.

So, why is Rita covering my ears with her hands?　I think "embarrassing" ...... is a good scene where Cutlass and Aine understand each other. Cutlass is a defensive cheat thanks to the artifact, and he has the skills to block the other person's actions, and as a guard, when Rita is not doing well, like Aine says...

Wow. ──────!

'Wow. Nagi-sama, Rita is at her limit. Let's go into your house quickly!

Uh-huh.

So, with Cecil and Rita pulling me from both sides, I returned to my home for the first time in a long time.

Before I can relax, there's one thing I need to do.

It's quite a hassle, and it's something that's hard to deal with, but...　

''It's just as Iris-chan told me in 'Sharing and Changing Consciousness': ...... This is what the retired knight Galungara left behind.

With that, Aine laid out two things on the living room floor.

One was an old piece of parchment.

The other is a silver dagger.

These two are the leftovers left behind by the guy who controlled the Knight Ghost - the retired knight Galungara.

"'I leave my child in the care of the knight Galungara...'

Written on the parchment is just a short sentence. Underneath it is a signature. One is of the knight Galungara. The other is just the initials. But next to the initials there is a semi-circular stamp of sorts next to the initials.

To be exact, it's a mark that looks like an inked coin stamped on it.

'...... This mark is a royal coin, right?'

'Yes. It's the same one Mr. Cutlass showed me.

Cecil said next to me.

The three of us present here are me, Aine, and Cecil.

The items left behind by retired knights all looked dangerous, so we decided to talk to Aine, who found them, and Cecil, who has the 'appraisal' skill, first.

Of course, I'm going to let everyone know as soon as I get the information together.

"The initials written here match the current name of His Majesty the King.

...... Does this mean that it was the retired knight Galungara who took custody of Cutlass from the king?

I think there's a very good chance of that happening.

It's a nasty coincidence.

I mean, it was really bad, Cutlass.

If that retired knight had been involved in the knight examination, his identity would have been exposed the moment Cutlass told him about his background. If there was such a thing as fate, then he was too mean to Cutlass.

'I'll tell Cutlass about this.

He's the master.

The retired knight Galungara escaped somewhere yesterday. His whereabouts are still unknown.

But the Irgapha Lordship doesn't seem to want this matter to go public.

Surely they can't say that the retired knight who was the next lord's guard couldn't say that he took something of value and disappeared somewhere. Because it's too bad luck before an important ceremony.

'Cecil thinks that the retired knight is being chased by a ghost, right?

Yes. Mr. Nagi.

Cecil nodded without hesitation.

''Since Fynn-san intervened in the 'Armor of Balal' and broke the jutsu, the wrath of the Knight Ghosts must have been directed at the sorcerer. If that retired knight-san was the center of the summoning ritual, it wouldn't be surprising if he was ...... possessed.

I wonder what Cutlass would think if he heard that: ......

You think she wants to help you because you took her in the past?

I'll leave it up to her.

The question is, what about that other item?

A silver dagger with fine writing engraved on it.

This was said to have been in a bag along with a piece of an old kabuto. I heard that the Kabuto had traces of being used to summon ghosts, so this dagger must be related to that.

And according to Cecil's 'Appraisal' skill, this dagger seems to be like a communication device via magic power.

It was Cecil's guess that the retired knight Galungara was using this as a way to communicate with his companions.

'The Black Knight said that the ritual involved a mysterious wizard.

He also said that they were like people, like dragons.

In the past, 'visitors' and nobles have come after things related to dragons and ancient relics. The mysterious Guildmaster and the White Guild were involved behind this. And they like to get involved in the black business.

The knight ghosts have been attacking the cadets, and in this case, it's possible they were involved. And even more so when the retired knight Galunggala is involved with the royal family.

''I wonder if this dagger can be used to contact that mysterious wizard: ......

It may be difficult.

Cecil shook his head.

'This is something that will allow those connected by the ritual to use it to send messages. It should require a special spell to activate it.

Are you saying we can't turn this thing on?

'...... yes. If you don't know what the prescribed rituals are ...... just

Cecil touched the silver dagger with his brown fingertips.

''The person you are communicating with should have something similar to this. If you get close to its owner, there might be some kind of reaction. Maybe it will emit ...... magic power.

...... If this is an ancient relic, Fynn can rule it.

...... It's just an ordinary magic item.

In summary, this dagger is a magical item, and certain people can communicate with it.

The dagger's shape is probably because its owner is a knight. As if it's not strange to carry it around with you on a daily basis. But the shape has no particular meaning.

And if you get close to a person holding the same type of item, this dagger will emit magical power. And Cecil would know how to react to it.

The knights involved in the ritual probably know that the ritual has been broken. It's also possible that some of them are possessed by ghosts, like Galungara. So I don't think we'll be seeing any of them.

"If anyone other than a knight ...... for example, a nobleman who reacts to this dagger, he could be related to the White Guild - or the Mysterious Wizard ...... or...

The possibility alone is enough. At least we can plan for it.

We can decide not to get close - or we can make the first move and stop the enemy.

At least I don't want to get anywhere near this town.

This is where our home is. We've made friends with the sea dragons, and most importantly, it's the home of Iris. We want to protect the port city of Ilgafa.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it, except when there's really nothing I can do, or when the town doesn't need us anymore.

Nay-kun: ...... Can I guess what you're thinking?

Okay.

''The nobles were invited to the 'Next Lord's Unveiling Party' in the port city of Ilgafa, weren't they?　Do you think there might be some 'visitors' or 'white guild' people mixed in there?

That's my girl.

When I said that, Aine turned her chest back in an ehemistic manner.

Cecil also seemed to have seen that part coming and nodded with a serious face.

But this is the worst case scenario though. There are other nobles coming to the party. It's too big of a risk for the nobles to bother causing a scene there.

According to the information from Iris, the lord is going to hold 'the next lord's unleashing party'.

The port city of Irgapha is a major transportation hub and a trading town. Various nobles and merchants are involved in business and shipping. Even the royal families use Ilgafa's ships to transport supplies to the frontier. It is said that the Ilgafa lords are looked down upon as frontier lords, but their economic influence is strong.

That's why a large number of nobles have been invited to the party, and there are many nobles who have already announced their participation.

If you want to probe them, it's best to sneak in there.

''Cecil, check it out.''

Yes, Mr. Nagy.

''If there's a nobleman in the party who has this 'communication item', what are the chances that the other side will notice the magical response?

Yes.

Yes. Because it wouldn't be a good idea to get information only from us one way or the other.

''It's just a faint magical reaction, so you shouldn't be able to tell if you're not paying attention. That and 'appraisal' and 'magic power sensing' skills are necessary.

All right. I'll take care of that.

The question is whether or not we can sneak into the 'Next Lord's Unleashing Party'.

Iris will not be present at the event. The only thing she will be attending is the adoption ceremony of the next lord Royeld. So, we can't use our hands to accompany Iris as her attendants.

If that's the case, we have no choice but to infiltrate Aine and Rafilia as maids, but ...... then, this time, they won't be able to move freely. Because it will be treated as a maid for the lord's family.

So──the best thing to do is to ask the lord and have me disguise myself as someone's squire and blend in?

I don't know how a nobleman behaves, so there's a chance I'll float. "Which noble's squire? If you ask me, I can't respond. So I wanted to avoid this method as much as possible.

''I wish I had a nobleman on my side.

I said.

'Yes. 'If only someone who knows what we're up against.'

Cecil nodded his head in agreement.

'And yet I want someone with a sense of justice. Someone with so much pride and grace that they wouldn't freak out if another nobleman offered them benefits.

Aine held her chest, as if she was thinking of someone else.

Come to think of it, the Ilgafa lord's family sent out invitations to various nobles.

But, this house originally belonged to 'her'. We are neighbors and have a relationship with the Ilgafa lord family. There's no way they couldn't have sent out an invitation.

...... Just don't get 'her' involved.

When it was the 'Common People's Guild' in Metecal, it was a request from 'her'. When it was against the false demon race, the opponent was a visitor. But perhaps this time, it might be a nobleman. It would be awkward to involve "her" in that. You can get away with it when you get tired of it, but that's not the case with "her". At any rate, he or she is a nobleman.

We'll figure out a way to deal with this ourselves. I don't care if you have to use your cheat skills.

Okay. - Okay.

When Cecil and Aine nodded at my words...

'You are excused, sir!　This is a letter to you, Mr. Aruji!

There was a knock at the door.

Aine opened the door to find Cutlass outside, holding a small envelope in his hand.

'The mail carriage has just arrived. And here's to Arujido.

A letter?　From whom?

When I received the envelope from Cutlass, it said...

It was stamped with the coat of arms of the 'Viscount Milfe' that I had been shown before.

''Leticia?''

Lady Letitia? It's Letitia! What, eh, eh?

Cecil and Aine, who are wonderfully biting, and Cutlass didn't seem to understand what I meant, so I'll be quick to explain. We had another party companion. She was a good friend of Aine's. I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what's going on.

I see ...... if you are familiar with Aine's parentage, you must be a wonderful person.

Of course. Letitia is a very nice girl. I'm sure you'll get along with her, Cutlass.

Aine murmured as she stared at the envelope with gentle eyes.

'Nagi-sama, what does Leticia-sama say?'

In front of Cecil, whose eyes are shining, I opened the letter.

Let's see...

''Fufufufufufufu ...... You have great courage to go on a trip without me, Nagi-san!

He was angry.

'But, of course, you're planning the party's "Second Annual Shonin Travel", aren't you?　Next time, you're going to have to reconcile everyone's schedules before you do it!'

Yeah ...... We'll schedule a second one later.

I'll write to Leticia right away and ask her where she wants to go and what dates she wants to go.

Letitia, you don't like being alone. I've done a bad thing .......

I'm not sure why I haven't returned yet. It's a good thing that you're able to get the best out of it.

Probably, by the time this letter arrives, I should have left Metekal too.

Letitia, they're coming over here.

Really? 'I'm so happy. I haven't seen Letitia in ages! I'm looking forward to it!

''It's Nagi-san anyway, so you must be involved in some strange case, right?''

...... Letitia, did I have some weird skills?

I gave you a defensive skill, but not an intuitive skill, right?

"Yes or no!　And if you need my help, you can't be modest!　I'm part of the party, I'm one of you. I won't forgive you if you hold back and leave me out. I will cry this time. Yeah, I'm going to cry and freak out!

Hello. Letitia.

My handwriting is really messed up here. Hey. How much of this trip is upsetting to you. Hey... .......

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can't afford to lose money. After that, I plan to become a mere adventurer.

So, Nagi-san and Aine, treat me as such. That's fine. Also, there's a lot more I want to say. Be prepared when you meet her.

Your best friend, Leticia-Milfe'

...... That sounds like Letitia.

It's signed "Your Best Friend" instead of the Viscountess.

Well.

"As your master, I tell you all.

I handed the letter to Aine and said.

We will now prepare for the 'Letitia-Milfe Welcome Quest'. At the same time, we will also do the 'White Guild' search quest. We'll decide whether or not to ask Leticia to help us after she comes. Either way, it's not much of a problem compared to welcoming my best friend.

Yes! Of course! Yes, sir!

'Cecil and Aine, tell everyone else about this. Cutlass stay behind.

One more thing, Cutlass - and there's something else I need to tell Fynn.

I don't like it, but it's also your master's job.

'Yes, sir.'

Cutlass looked at him curiously, but he sat down in a chair in the living room honestly.

Cecil left the room to go to Rita and Reggie's and Aine to go to Iris and Raphilia.

'Should I call ...... Fynn, sir?'

'Depending on how the story goes. But you don't have to use magic to create a body.

I understand, sir. But when push comes to shove...

Cutlass taps her skirt lightly - and then turns bright red.

He began to shake and shake, holding the base of his legs with both hands. But I held back.

You've planted something in your underwear again ...... fyn.

"By story, I mean Cutlass's father, not the king's. The one who isn't the king.

Are you the same knight who took me in?

Yeah. I think I might have figured out who that person is.

I said.

Cutlass looked at me with a serious face.

'Isn't that so ...... old family, sir?

His tone was anticlimactic and calm.